Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

 IM THE SKY
CLA

Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

 Credits
Designers Monte Cook, Sean K. Reynolds, and Bruce R. Cordell
Development Sean K. Reynolds
Creative Director Monte Cook
Managing Editor Teri Litorco
Editor/Proofreader Ray Vallese
Art Director Bear Weiter
Cover Artist Roberto Pitturru

Cartographer
Lee Smith

Artists
Mauro Alocci, Javier P. Beltrán, Biagio D’Alessandro, Sarah Dahlinger, Giuseppe De iure, Michele Esposito,
Michele Giorgi, Guido Kuip, Katerina Ladon, Brandon Leach, Raph Herrera Lomotan, Patrick McEvoy,
Federico Musetti, Mirco Paganessi, Angelo Peluso, John Petersen, Roberto Pitturru, Scott Purdy,
Aaron Riley, Riccardo Rullo, Seth Rutledge, Martin de Diego Sádaba, Lee Smith, Matt Stawicki,
Cyril Terpent, Cory Trego-Erdner

© 2021 Monte Cook Games, LLC. CYPHER SYSTEM and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A.
and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of
Monte Cook Games, LLC.

Printed in Canada

Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

 Table of Contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

PART 1: GAMING WITH SUPERPOWERS 5

Chapter 1: BUILDING A SUPERHERO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chapter 3: SUPERPOWERED RULES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter 4: A WORLD WITH POWERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Chapter 5: COMIC BOOK STORYTELLING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 6: SUPERHERO STORIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Chapter 7: SUPERHERO BASES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Chapter 8: HEROES, VILLAINS, AND OTHER NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Chapter 9: CYPHERS AND ARTIFACTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

PART 2: BOUNDLESS 159

Chapter 10: BOUNDLESS OVERVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Chapter 11: HISTORY OF THE WORLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Chapter 12: SUPERPOWERED SURVEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Chapter 13: DEATH, THY NAME IS GRAVITAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Chapter 14: TALONS OF DOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Chapter 15: BENEATH A RED SUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214

Superhero Character Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223

Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

 Intr o d u cti o n
S
ome of my earliest memories are about
superheroes. I remember being kind of scared
at a very early age at an image on the cover of
a Batman comic (probably a Neal Adams cover). After
getting just a little older, I remember collecting Super
Richie comics—that was Richie Rich’s superhero identity.
I watched the Super Friends on Saturday mornings, and
this was before they fought supervillains, and instead
ran around with kids named Wendy and Marvin and
helped save the environment. The 1970s were an odd
decade. The first true superhero comic that I read, like
many kids, was Superman. I had an issue where his
powers were out of control because of the Parasite
that I read about a thousand times. This was just the
beginning for me, though.
I was deeply immersed in the Marvel Universe by the
time I started playing roleplaying games. So when I learned
through an ad in Dragon magazine that there was a
superhero game (Villains and Vigilantes), my friends and I
pooled our money and ordered it right away. But mail order
took forever then (and being a kid made things seem longer
still), so while we waited, I created my own superhero rules
and statted up Iron Man, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, and
Captain America, and we played a game based in the little
town we grew up in. I don’t remember a thing about that
game system, but the characters faced off against villains
from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. I believe it
was Basilisk, Batroc the Leaper, and the Controller (only the
first couple of issues of OHOTMU were out at that point, so
USING CLAIM THE SKY
Claim the Sky is a companion to the Cypher System
Rulebook. This means you won’t find introductions to
the Cypher System, how to create characters, full
rules of the game, or other related concepts here.
Claim the Sky assumes you’ve got all that in the
Cypher System Rulebook, and that you’re ready to
dive right into superhero-specific content.
we had only A–C to choose from). We tossed it aside as soon
as V&V arrived, but equating superheroes and roleplaying
games was now a core part of me.
Professionally, I worked on Champions and the Marvel
Super Heroes RPG, but the opportunity to create Claim
the Sky is really the crowning achievement of that
progression. This was an opportunity to work alongside my
friends Sean and Bruce and really portray superheroes
the way we saw them. The advice and rules you have
before you, and in particular the Boundless setting, is one
big love letter to the comic book worlds starting in our
youth and going right up to today (I am still an avid comics
reader). And of course the universes we now see so
remarkably portrayed on the screen as well. As an aside,
every time I sit down to watch a superhero movie today,
the ten-year-old in me can’t believe what he’s seeing. When
I was a kid, superhero TV and movies were absolutely
horrible—and I still loved them. So Claim the Sky is almost
as much about the superheroes we see in movies and
television as those we see on the comic book page.
Superhero stories are pure wish fulfillment, and some
people think that makes them immature. But I would argue
that there’s never been a better time to dream of being
able to fly, to save the world from evil, and to be a true hero.
Using your power to help people who have none—that’s the
opposite of immature, I believe.
It’s a great time to be a superhero fan, and every word
of this book was written with the joy and enthusiasm of a
kid with their first comic. I hope that reading it conveys that
same joy.
Monte Cook
May 2021
Throughout this book, you’ll see page references
to various items accompanied by this symbol.
These are page references to the Cypher System
Rulebook, where you can find additional details about
that rule, ability, creature, or concept.

For more information about consent in

gaming, download the free Consent in
Gaming PDF at myMCG.info/consent

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 Part 1

GAMING WITH
SUPERPOWERS

Chapter 1: BUILDING A SUPERHERO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chapter 3: SUPERPOWERED RULES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter 4: A WORLD WITH POWERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Chapter 5: COMIC BOOK STORYTELLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 6: SUPERHERO STORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Chapter 7: SUPERHERO BASES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Chapter 8: HEROES, VILLAINS, AND OTHER NPCs. . . . . . . . . . . 106
Chapter 9: CYPHERS AND ARTIFACTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

 1
CHAP TER

u i ld i n g a
b e r h e r o
su p
This chapter is intended
for players and GMs,
and has no spoilers.
B ecause you’re reading this, you’re
probably a fan of superheroes and
already have an idea of what kind
of superhero you want to play—perhaps
one based on your favorite superhuman
you want a more detailed look at various
hero archetypes and the choices you
can make to build those heroes, continue
reading here.
The archetypes in this chapter
Type, page 20
character from comics, television, or films. include suggestions for your character
Focus, page 60 Or maybe you’re new to supers as a genre sentence—what type, focus, and
Descriptor, page 38 and want to get an idea of what sorts of descriptor to use for your character.
powers and characters are common. Types appear in the Cypher System
Flavor, page 34 This chapter discusses many superhero Rulebook. Most of the descriptors and
Influence Swarm, archetypes (common hero concepts) and foci in this section appear in the Cypher
page 153 gives suggestions about how to create System Rulebook; the new ones are found
characters like that in the Cypher System. in Chapter 3: Superpowered Rules.
Control Swarm,
page 122 If you’re eager to get started and Some of these archetypes recommend
want to recreate a popular superhero in swapping out a type ability for an ability
the Cypher System, see the box on the from one of the character flavors, such as
Tiny hero, page 37 following page for suggestions on what combat, magic, or stealth. Some suggest
type, descriptor, and focus to choose. If going beyond the sets of flavor abilities
and swapping a type or focus ability for
an unusual ability that fits the idea of your
ACTERS
EXTENSIVELY PUBLISHED CHAR
comics end
hero. For example, the tiny hero archetype
g history in
Superheroes with a lon is mostly about being small and stealthy,
they improve their
up changing over time— but it’s a common variant for that kind of
es, and learn from
skills, develop new abiliti character to also command an army of
even retire and allow
their experiences. Some bugs, so the archetype gives suggestions
e up the mantle of
a worthy successor to tak for bug-influencing abilities like Influence
This means that many
their costumed identity. Swarm and Control Swarm. The general
ilt as RPG characters in
superheroes could be bu idea is that the game is flexible enough to
ent types, descriptors,
multiple ways—with differ let you build the superhero you want to
rsion of the character
GM Tip: For a fun foci, and powers. Any ve play, even if the defined abilities here and
the “right” version.
one-shot game session, that you want to play is in the Cypher System Rulebook aren’t
have each player superhero with the
create a variant of the When recreating such a exactly what you’re looking for. Part
specific snapshot of the
same superhero, each game rules, try to find a of the fun of building a new superhero
, use that as the main
character that you enjoy
coming from a different
is adding your own personal touches
timeline or multiverse. ter, and choose the
concept for your charac and quirks that make them unique
riptor, and focus) based
game options (type, desc compared to the famous established
on that concept. characters in superhero media.

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 building a superhero
POPULAR HEROES IN THE CYPHER SYSTEM
If you want to quickly create a popular superhero using the Cypher System, use these character sentences
for a standard interpretation of a tier 1 version of that hero. Then assign points to your Pools, choose your type
abilities, pick your power shifts, and you’re ready to play!
For more advice about customizing your hero (including what power shifts to choose and other abilities to
swap in), see the archetype entry for that hero.
Character Summary Sentence Archetype
Ant-Man Ant-sized hero Jovial Explorer who Shrinks to Minute Size Tiny hero
Batman Dark knight Perceptive Warrior who Solves Mysteries Genius
Black Panther King and chosen guardian of his Honorable Warrior who Needs No Weapon Master martial artist
country
Black Widow Deadly superspy Appealing Explorer who Infiltrates Superspy
Captain America Super-soldier with a shield Honorable Warrior who Masters Defense Master athlete
Daredevil Man without fear Perceptive Explorer who Looks for Trouble Master athlete
Deadpool Mercenary with a mouth Chaotic Warrior who Never Says Die Master martial artist
Dr. Strange Master of the mystic arts Mystical Adept who Masters Spells Sorcerer
The Flash Fastest man alive Swift Explorer who Moves Like the Wind Speedster
Green Lantern Hero with a power ring Strong-Willed Explorer who Sculpts Hard Light Hard light master
Hawkeye Perfect archer Sharp-Eyed Warrior who Masters Weaponry Weapon master
The Hulk Big green rage monster Incredible Explorer who Rages Rage monster
Human Torch Flying, fiery young hero Brash Explorer who Bears a Halo of Fire Energy master
Iron Man Inventor with power armor Mechanical Adept who Wears Power Armor Powered armor hero
Magneto Master of magnetism Strong-Willed Adept who Employs Magnetism Energy master
Namor King of Atlantis Strong Explorer who Performs Feats of Strength Atlantean
Professor X World’s most powerful telepath Intelligent Adept who Commands Mental Powers Mentalist
Spider-Man Teenager with spider powers Amazing Explorer who Moves Like a Cat Bug hero
Storm Goddess of storms Intuitive Explorer who Touches the Sky Nature master
Superman Man of steel Beneficent Explorer who Flies Faster Than Paragon
a Bullet
The Thing Big orange rock monster Strong Explorer who Abides in Stone Friendly thing
Thor God of thunder Mighty Warrior who Rides the Lightning Energy master
Wolverine Canadian with claws Tough Warrior who Never Says Die Unkillable beast
Wonder Woman Princess of the Amazons Virtuous Warrior who Performs Feats of Paragon
Strength

In some cases, you might need to tinker The archetypes suggest how to assign Shrinks to Minute
with the aesthetics of the abilities described your power shifts. This is an important Size, page 47

in the character options to make them fit aspect of designing your hero because Amazing, page 42
your character. For example, it’s easy to power shifts are what make your Incredible, page 42
create a fire-themed superhero using the characters exceptional in a “supers” way. Mighty, page 43
choices in the energy master archetype, and Superheroes are known for being faster, Sculpts Hard Light,
you can also use those recommendations to tougher, stronger, or smarter than regular page 46

create a hero whose powers are based on people, and that sort of comparison isn’t Touches the Sky,
nuclear radiation or solar plasma. Likewise, always part of the abilities you get from page 47

the elastic hero abilities assume you’re
making a human character with stretching
powers, but you can also use that archetype
to build a robot character with telescoping
limbs or a plant-alien character whose body
is made of coils of vines. Work with your
GM to be sure any changes you make are
suitable for the campaign.
your type or focus. A regular person Power shifts, page 57
might be very skilled at martial arts, but Energy master, page 17
a superhero martial artist might punch Elastic, page 16
through an iron door, dodge a burst of
bullets from a machine gun at close range,
or quickly recover from a mortal wound,
all thanks to power shifts. This part of
each archetype writeup assumes your

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 Claim the Sky
Chapter 2: Character
Options (page 42) has
several new descriptors
that get to the heart
of your nature as a
superhero and how
you fit into the world
(or don’t fit). If you have
a good idea of what
your hero persona is
but are still working
on what the person
under the mask is like,
choosing one of these
descriptors lets you
focus on fighting crime
while you figure out the
rest of your character
behind the scenes.
Master athlete, page 24
You can always work
with the GM to swap
out an ability that
doesn’t suit your
character and swap
in one that does—
perhaps a basic
energy attack ability
like Concussive
Blast (121), Frost
Touch (144), Onslaught (167),
Shock (183), or
Thunder Beam (191).
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hero starts with five power shifts, but
most archetype descriptions give only two
or three suggestions, allowing you some
flexibility to customize your superhero.
For example, a master athlete with two
power shifts in healing is a very different
character than one with two power shifts
in resilience.
As you think about the archetypes and
how you might create your character,
remember that this chapter offers
recommendations on how to build these
kinds of superheroes. They’re not rules
on how you must build them. You might
come up with a clever way of making your
favorite kind of superhero that doesn’t
follow any of these suggestions; that just
means your character will be unique and
fun to play, and probably a surprise for
your group and any villains they encounter.
The small numbers you see after
abilities throughout this book are
Cypher System Rulebook page
numbers for easy reference.
POWER SOURCE
As you’re figuring out what type, descriptor,
focus, and power shifts you want for
your character, think about how you got
your powers. Are you a mutant, born with
special abilities? Do you have a high-tech
costume with built-in nanotechnology?
Are you a sorcerer, or maybe a psychic?
The source of your powers is character
flavor—for example, there’s no game
mechanics difference between the mental
powers of an alien member of a telepathic
species, a human character who built a
brain-augmenting helmet, or a faerie
character from the starlight dimension
who knows mind-magic. All three of those
characters could have the same type, focus,
descriptor, and power shifts, but they’d be
very different people and have very different
reasons for being a part of the RPG campaign.
If you can’t decide how you got your
powers, or if you like leaving some things
up to chance, try rolling once or twice on
the Power Origin table and pick the result
that you like better, or combine the two into
something weird and unique.
 building a superhero
POWER ORIGIN
d100 Origin 51–55 Latent mutation activated by extraordinary
01 Absorbed powers of someone else event
02–03 Alien exile 56 Magically augmented (accidentally)
04 Alien orphan 57 Magically augmented (unwillingly)
05–06 Alien refugee 58 Magically augmented (willingly)
07 Alien symbiote 59 Meteor
08–09 Alien visitor 60 Mutant at birth
10–14 Built a device 61–64 Mutant at puberty
15–17 Chemical exposure 65–67 Nanotechnology
18 Chosen one 68 Near-human fantasy species (elf, orc, etc.)
19–20 Cosmic rays during test flight 69 Passed through a wormhole
21–23 Cybernetics 70–71 Psychic
24 Dark matter explosion 72 Reincarnation of a legendary being from
25–26 DNA-splicing accident the past
27 Energy being in physical form 73–75 Revived after dying and got powers
28–30 Experimental medical process 76–78 Robot
31–33 Experimental technological procedure 79 Stole powers from someone else
34–35 Found a device 80–82 Stolen device
36 Found a magical item 83–85 Studied magic
37 From another dimension 86 Supernatural creature (demon, angel,
werewolf, vampire, etc.)
38 Gamma rays
87 Superpowered ancestor
39–40 Genetic engineering
88–90 Surgically implanted device
41–42 Given an experimental device
91–92 Survived a disaster, unharmed
43 Given an item by a powerful entity
93 Teleportation accident
44 Given a magical item
94 Time traveler from the future
45–47 Government technological device
95–97 Unexplained drug reaction
48 Inhuman creature (plant, evolved animal,
unknown) 98 Unexplained event at birth
49–50 Intense training 99 Unknown
00 Unusual weather

Remember that you

STARTING JUST PAST TIER 1 can permanently
An interesting option for a GM starting a increase the range of
one of your abilities
superhero campaign is to immediately give each
with the increased
PC 4 XP, which they must spend on a special range power shift.
advancement option to gain another type ability.
Power shifts, page 57
It’s another way (along with power shifts) to
make new superhero PCs feel a cut above
player characters in other genres—and gives Other Options
players a little more wiggle room in building the (Character
character they want to play. Advancement),
page 240

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 Claim the Sky
THE GM ISN’T OUT TO GET YOU
As you think about your character and how
they got their powers, you might wonder
whether it’s better to have innate powers
(like a mutant) or equipment-based
powers (like a high-tech costume or
powered armor). You might worry that if
your powers come from your equipment, it
could be broken or stolen during the game,
turning you into a normal person.
Although heroes sometimes lose their
powers in superhero stories (usually for
dramatic tension or to change up their
Type, page 20 routine), in the end they get their powers
back and return to being a superhero.
Focus, page 60
The GM always has the option of using a
Descriptor, page 38 GM intrusion to change something about
an encounter, and each of the foci here
and in the Cypher System Rulebook gives
a couple of suggestions for intrusions.
It doesn’t matter if your hero is an alien,
robot, or mutant, has a magical hammer,
or wears a high-tech suit of armor,
sometimes a weird thing happens and
your powers don’t work quite right (and
remember that you and another character
get 1 XP every time the GM intrudes, which
balances out this kind of complication). In
other words, just because your hero might
accidentally leave their super-gizmo at
home or drop their power ring down the
kitchen sink, it doesn’t mean the GM will
pounce on that as a free reason to mess
with your character.
A jerk GM could depower a mutant,
alien, or robot just as easily as they could
depower an equipment-based hero, but
this isn’t that sort of game. Trust that your
GM isn’t a jerk, and choose the source
of your powers so you’re playing the
superhero you want to play.
CHARACTER CONCEPTS
Use the advice in these character concepts
to choose the type, focus, and descriptor
that suits your character.
This section refers to many types,
descriptors, and foci in the Cypher System
Rulebook; the small numbers you see
throughout are page numbers for easy
reference.

SUPERHERO ARCHETYPES
Powered armor hero
Giant hero
Atlantean Rage monster
Half-vampire
Bearer of the item Robot
Hard light master
Beastly hero Sensory adept
Hunter
Beastmaster Shapechanger
Illusionist
Bug hero Sorcerer
Master athlete
Builder Speedster
Master martial artist
Cyborg Superspy
Mentalist
Dark energy master Telekinetic
Multiplier
Elastic Teleporter
Nature master
Energy master Tiny hero
Paragon
Extra limbs Unkillable beast
Phase master
Force field master Weapon master
Plant
Friendly thing
Power replicator
Genius

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ATLANTEAN
You’re from an underwater city or realm
such as Atlantis.
Living beneath the sea means being strong
enough to swim everywhere and tough
enough to endure the crushing pressure
of water, so when you come to the land
you have a superhuman physique. A focus
like Never Says Die (73) or Performs Feats
of Strength (73) emphasizes your physical
prowess. If your home is in the wilder parts
of the ocean instead of a city, you could
instead choose Lives in the Wilderness (71) or
Sailed Beneath the Jolly Roger (74). If you rely
on unusual technology from your aquatic
homeland, foci like Brandishes an Exotic
Shield (64) or Wields an Enchanted Weapon
are also possibilities.
Most of the Atlantean heroes who come
to the surface world are Warriors or
Explorers, perhaps because they intend
to challenge polluters or track down the
enemies of the sea realms.
With an Atlantean’s natural advantages,
you’re likely to have a descriptor like Brash,
Rugged, Skeptical, or Strong-Willed. To play up
your physical gifts, choose Fast, Hardy, Strong,
or Swift. If you have a complicated or troubled
relationship with your own people, pick
Doomed, Exiled, or Mysterious. If you’re more
inhuman than you let on, either in body or
mind, try Exiled, Guarded, Hideous, or Weird.
Put shifts into resilience and strength, and
either accuracy or single attack. If your type
and focus don’t give you all the physical skills
you want, put a shift into savant.
Swap in Eyes Adjusted (138) to allow you
to see in the darkest depths of the ocean,
Swim (188) to let you swim at a decent
speed, and Water Adaptation (196) to let you
breathe water or air. If you can befriend
fish or other creatures of the sea, swap in
Influence Swarm (153) and Control Swarm
(122) for multiple weak ones or Soothe the
Savage (184) and Communication (121) for larger
ones. (Note that if most of your activities
are on land, you won’t get much use out of
fish-controlling powers.)
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
BEARER OF THE ITEM
Your powers come from your use of a
specific object with strange abilities.
You have a connection to an object that
grants you amazing abilities. Maybe you
chose it, or it chose you. Maybe you don’t
fully understand or trust it, and maybe it
seems intelligent and has its own agenda.
Regardless of these things (all of which
are opportunities for character arcs), the Character arcs,
bond is undeniable. If this object gives you page 238
energy powers (like a lightning-imbued
hammer or a flaming sword), choose
Wields an Enchanted Weapon as your
focus. If the object is or contains a creature
that can act independently of you, try
Keeps a Magic Ally (71). If the object is a shield Wields an Enchanted
instead of a weapon, pick Brandishes an Weapon, page 48
Exotic Shield (64).
If the object is a weapon and you
primarily use it as a weapon, choose
Warrior as your type. If the object is a
tool or otherwise has many noncombat Instead of being native
abilities, you’re probably a Warrior or an to Earth’s oceans, the
Atlantean archetype
Explorer. If the object is actually a psychic could be an alien from
or magical manifestation of your own a water world or a
magical creature from
powers, you’re probably an Adept with
a mystical realm of
other weird abilities. enchanted lakes.
If the object is merely a tool for your innate
heroism, pick a descriptor like Honorable,
Jovial, Mystical, or Virtuous. If you’re If you’re a bearer of
cautious about using the object because the item, the source of
your power might be
you’re not sure of its goals or using it has a futuristic weapon,
side effects, choose Hideous, Mysterious, an alien crafting tool,
a magical artifact, a
Naive, or Weird. If it seems like the object is
creature that takes
in charge and you’re just along for the ride, the shape of an object,
try Chaotic, Doomed, Lucky, or Mad. or a psychic entity
embedded in your mind.
If you can attack with the object, put
a power shift into single attack with its
offensive ability (or accuracy, if it has For a hero whose
multiple attack abilities). If it has an ability powers derive from a
suit of armor, try the
that isn’t based on damage (like breaking powered armor hero
objects or mind control), put a shift in power archetype, page 30.
for that ability. If it helps keep you alive and
safe, put a shift in healing or resilience.
You can swap in just about any kind of
ability, whether that’s a special attack (104)
like Ray of Confusion (174), a protection (102)
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 Claim the Sky
power like Magic Shield (159), or a special
form of movement (101) like Void Wings (196).
An interesting ability like this might be the
core of what the object is, such as an alien
crowd-control device, the wand destined
to kill an ancient evil wizard, or a demon of
darkness.
BEASTLY HERO
You have animal powers—speed, strength,
enhanced senses, and so on.
Many kinds of animals are stronger,
faster, more agile, and more dangerous
than humans. You might have a combat
If you’re a superhero style that emulates an animal, or
who fully transforms you might have mystical, genetic, or
into an animal, try
the shapechanger technological enhancements that actually
archetype, page 33. give you the strength of a bear, the
If you’d rather
reflexes of a tiger, or the ferocity of a wolf.
control beasts than
act like one, see the (And maybe you even physically resemble
beastmaster concept. a humanoid animal, all the time or some
of the time.) If your chosen animal is more
fast than strong, choose Moves Like a Cat
(73) as your focus. If it’s more strong than
fast, pick Performs Feats of Strength (73).
If you just want to emulate predators in
general, try Hunts (69). If you are overcome
If communicating with with animalistic fury, you might like Howls
and controlling beasts at the Moon (69) or Rages (74).
is just one of your
mental powers, you Beastly heroes are almost always
might be a mentalist Warriors or Explorers. Just choose a type
(page 25) instead
that matches the ideal of your animal—
of a beastmaster.
more about ferocity and threat, or a blend
of combat and enhanced skills.
Your choice of descriptor depends on
the personality of your beast self. For a
confident, aggressive creature, choose
Brash, Resilient, Strong, or Vicious. For an
agile, sly, or sneaky creature, try Clever,
Fast, Graceful, Stealthy, or Swift. For a wise,
observant, or sensitive beast, pick Empathic,
Intuitive, Perceptive, or Sharp-Eyed.
Use your power shifts to emulate your
chosen animal. For a strong animal like a
bear, lion, or constrictor snake, put shifts
in strength and a single attack (such as a
claw or a punch). For an agile animal like
a leopard or viper, put shifts in accuracy
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
and dexterity. To pick up some skills
appropriate to your animal (like climbing or
stealth), put a shift in savant. If your animal
can fly and you don’t have a flying ability
from your type or focus, consider putting a
shift in flight.
If your type and focus haven’t quite hit
all of the aspects of your animal, swap
out an ability or two to get the powers
you want. For a poisonous or venomous
creature, get Create Deadly Poison (123). For
claws, get Fists of Fury (140) to increase your
unarmed attack damage. If you need skills
like climbing, jumping, or swimming, choose
Physical Skills (170). For enhanced senses,
pick Eyes Adjusted (138) or Sense Ambush
(181). If you need a special attack that’s
not too fantastic, try Dual Light Wield (132),
Opportunist (167), or Surprise Attack (188).
BEASTMASTER
Animals and other simple creatures obey
your commands.
If you have a beast companion and can
communicate with animals, choose
Controls Beasts (65) as your focus. If you
have power over swarms of smaller
creatures (like bats, rats, or spiders)
instead of one bigger beast, pick Masters
the Swarm (72).
If you’re good with people as well as
animals, choose Speaker as your type. If
you fight as well as an animal, pick Warrior.
If you make equal use of survival skills and
combat, you’re an Explorer.
Descriptors like Perceptive, Rugged,
and Sharp-Eyed are usually good fits for
a beastmaster hero. An especially agile
beastmaster might be Fast, Graceful,
Stealthy, or Swift. A burly one is probably
Hardy, Strong, or Tough. If you want to
play up an animal-like aspect of your
personality, Brash, Clever, or Vicious might
be appropriate for you.
Put shifts in accuracy and dexterity. If
you have a beast companion that can fly,
you might want to put a shift in flight so you
can travel together. A shift in healing lets

you take a moment to recover while your
animal allies continue fighting.
Swapping in Command Beast at tier
3 (or earlier with a prodigy power shift)
lets you command other beasts you meet
while fighting crime. If you want to have
more than one allied animal accompanying
you, swap in Beast Companion (112) again or
Critter Companion (123). Swap in support (105)
abilities like Encouragement (134) and Inspire
Aggression (154) to boost your allied animals
as well as your humanoid friends.
BUG HERO
You have the proportional strength and
speed of some kind of bug!
You can jump a hundred times your body
length like a flea, or climb walls like a
spider, or lift twenty times your own body
weight like an ant, or survive radiation and
crushing pressure like a cockroach—and
it’s time to use these powers to fight crime!
If agility is your thing, pick Moves Like a
Cat (73) as your focus. If you’re more about
phenomenal strength, choose Performs
Feats of Strength (73). If your shtick is that
you’re incredibly tough and hard to kill, try
Never Says Die (73).
Picking Warrior or Explorer as your type
gives you fun things to do in combat and
access to skills and abilities for movement
and survival. Go with Warrior if you’re an
aggressive bug, or Explorer if you’re more
of an ambusher or sneak.
Actual bugs don’t have much of a
personality, so your descriptor should be
about your personality. Ones that work
for just about any bug hero are Fast,
Lucky, Stealthy, Strong, and Tough. If your
powers come from a suit or devices you
invented or tinker with, Mechanical might
fit you. If you’re a friendly neighborhood
bug hero who is just trying to help the
average person, something like Appealing,
Beneficent, Jovial, or Kind can make people
like you despite any bad press. If you’re a
reformed crook trying to use your powers
for good, Clever and Exiled are a good
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
mix of advantages and baggage. Heroes
with bug powers are often kind of quirky
and prone to showing off, so maybe a Command Beast,
descriptor like Brash, Impulsive, Mad, or page 51
Risk-Taking would suit you.
Depending on what kind of bug you are,
power shifts in accuracy, dexterity, resilience,
and strength are appropriate choices. If
you’re a flying bug, put a shift in flight.
Once you’ve chosen all of your power
shifts, you may need to swap in an ability
to round out your suite of bug-themed
powers. It’s okay to choose an
extraordinary ability and make it part of
your theme, even if you need to change
how it’s described. For example, if you’re a If you control bugs
spider hero, you can know when trouble’s rather than emulate
their abilities, see
about to happen with Danger Sense (124), the beastmaster
describe Far Step (138) as pulling yourself archetype, page 12.
around on elastic webs, and reflavor
Entangling Force (136) so it involves using If shrinking to tiny size
your webbing to bind foes. Other unusual is your main theme,
see the tiny hero
ideas that you could fold into a bug hero archetype, page 37.
archetype are a wasp hero using an
electrical blast like Shock (183), a beetle hero
creating a protective bubble with Force
Field (143), or a flea hero becoming as small
as an actual bug with Shrink. Shrink, page 55
BUILDER
You can build amazing things beyond the
bounds of normal science.
While regular engineers and scientists Of the builder foci
struggle with making better cars and suggested here,
Crafts Unique Objects
smartphones, you’re building dimensional is the most complex
portals, human-intelligence robots, and because it can build
almost anything,
energy weapons—for you, super-science is
given enough time
normal and “regular science” is baby stuff. and materials. If your
If you mainly want to create robots, pick hero Crafts Unique
Objects, make sure you
Builds Robots (65) as your character focus. understand how the
If you’ve invented a cool suit for yourself crafting rules work.
and all of your inventions get added to it, try
Wears Power Armor (78). If you really want Crafting, page 227
the potential to create just about anything—
teleporters, ray guns, force field belts,
flight rings, telepathy helmets, and so on—
choose Crafts Unique Objects (66). Or maybe
in a post-apocalyptic superhero setting,
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 Claim the Sky
perhaps in a future timeline where much
of civilization has been destroyed, you
might consider a focus like Scavenges (75).
If you want to have access to a lot of
other super-science abilities (presumably
things you’ve invented), you’re probably an
Adept. If you build stuff because you want
to visit and study dangerous environments
Ability categories, like other planets and parallel dimensions,
page 95 pick Explorer as your type. If you see
yourself more as a millionaire genius
Always Tinkering, philanthropist and you use your crafting
page 48 to boost your image and good works,
Speaker might be a more appropriate
If you’re a builder hero, type for you. If you make things to protect
be sure to read the yourself and obliterate your enemies, you
Inventor or Gadgeteer?
box on page 15. might be a Warrior, but it’s more likely that
you’re an Explorer who has chosen some
aggressive abilities (see below).
Your descriptor is probably Creative,
Intelligent, Learned, or Mechanical. If under
that heroic outer persona you’re actually
If your machine parts a quiet or nerdy sort of person, you might
are all in your brain and
make you smarter, try
instead be Calm, Inquisitive, or Naive.
the genius archetype,
page 20. If your brain
implants primarily let
you control machines,
see the mentalist
archetype, page 25.
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Put a power shift into intelligence to
make your crafting easier and better, and
one shift in power or single attack for your
main attack ability.
As a builder, in theory you could have
any kind of ability because you crafted it
yourself; just figure out whether you want
a movement (101) ability, a special attack (104), or
something from another category entirely.
If you’re the sort of hero who keeps
coming up with weird inventions to test out,
swap out an ability for Always Tinkering.
Also, it doesn’t hurt to look at flavors like
skills and knowledge (37) or technology
(35) to add more ability choices (although
depending on your type and focus, many of
them may be redundant with the choices
you already have). If you’re an aggressive
sort of builder, the combat (36) flavor might
give you a thing or two to round out your
archetype.
CYBORG
You’re part living creature, part machine.
Being this kind of superhero gives you a
lot of options! The most common focus
for a cyborg is Fuses Flesh and Steel (69),
which gives you a mix of abilities. If you’re
more about armor, Stands Like a Bastion
(77) and Wears Power Armor (78) are good
choices. If your cybernetics are all internal
and you’re really strong, try Performs
Feats of Strength (73). If your mechanical
implants require so much energy that
you have to steal it from other machines,
choose Siphons Power (76). If you were sent
back in time from a dark future to stop the
apocalypse, Scavenges (75) represents your
ability to survive and thrive.
Most cyborg heroes like you were
rebuilt or enhanced to make them better
in combat, so Warrior is the obvious type
for that. Others were made to search
dangerous places, survive hazards, and
retrieve useful things, and those cyborgs
are generally Explorers.
 building a superhero
INVENTOR OR GADGETEER?
There are two main kinds of characters who craft useful objects:
• Inventors, who create long-lasting pieces of equipment that they’re frequently
upgrading and tinkering with (such as a suit of mechanized armor, wrist-mounted
web-shooters, or a set of robotic arms mounted to a belt). Inventors sometimes
also create specialized items that they put in storage or disassemble once they’re
no longer needed (like a shapechanger-detector, a water-breathing helmet, or a
transdimensional communicator).
• Gadgeteers, who create single-use devices. The character might build and use these
devices so often that gadgets are considered part of their standard gear (like an
explosive arrow, a stunning boomerang, or a tiny tracking device to throw at a fleeing
criminal), or they might have a constant turnover of new convenient gadgets (like
sleep gas arrows, web arrows, cable arrows, and so on).

Informally, as a player you might say that things inventors build are inventions and
things that gadgeteers build are gadgets, but in the superhero world people probably
don’t make any distinction between the two kinds of crafted objects.
In game terms, long-lasting pieces of equipment are either part of a character’s
superpowers (and are activated by spending Pool points), or they’re artifacts and have a Artifacts, page 204
depletion stat that determines when they stop working. Single-use devices are manifest
Manifest cyphers,
cyphers—physical objects that have a specific effect. A gadgeteer hero probably uses page 379
manifest cyphers instead of subtle cyphers (which are not physical), or uses a mix of the
Subtle cyphers,
two. One advantage of having manifest cyphers instead of subtle cyphers is you can give page 378
one to a teammate to use.
If you’re a character who crafts items (whether you’re a builder, a genius, or some
other archetype), think about whether you’re more of an inventor, a gadgeteer, or a mix
of the two. It doesn’t affect your game choices for building your character, but it does help
define how their powers work in the world.
The following are special abilities related to manifest cyphers, which a crafting Always Tinkering,
page 48
character may want to swap other abilities for:
Boost Manifest
Cypher, 51
TIER 1 TIER 3
1 Always Tinkering 1 Modify Cyphers Modify Cyphers,
1 Extra Use (138)
page 54
TIER 5 Boost Manifest
TIER 2 1 Boost Manifest Cypher Function Cypher Function,
page 51
1 Boost Manifest Cypher

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 Claim the Sky
Your machine parts might make you cold
and unfeeling, or even erratic, in which
case a descriptor like Calm, Cruel, or Mad
suits you. Or maybe you have a new lease
on life after surviving a terrible accident
that led to you getting your cybernetics,
so you’re Brash, Chaotic, or Impulsive. If
you’re trying to live a normal life despite
everything you’ve been through, pick
Guarded or Mysterious. If you’re still
adapting to your new body parts, or
they’re distractingly ugly, choose Clumsy,
Hardy, or Hideous. If whoever gave you
this technology is hunting you, try Craven,
Doomed, or Exiled.
Put power shifts in accuracy, resilience,
and strength.
Although usually most of your machine
enhancements are to make you stronger
and tougher, it’s good to have a trick up your
sleeve so your opponents underestimate
you. Try swapping in advanced senses
from Heads-Up Display (148), a ranged energy
attack like Thunder Beam (191), or jet boots
that let you leap with Far Step (138).
DARK ENERGY MASTER
You emit and control a strange force,
energy, or substance from another
dimension.
The dark energy There are superheroes that can control
master archetype is fire, electricity, air, water, metal, or other
supposed to have an
unnatural and possibly mundane materials, but your power is over
dangerous aspect to much weirder stuff than that. Is it slime
it. For a more “normal”
from a realm of alien horrors? Sentient
kind of energy, even
if it’s fantastical or darkness from a dimension of shadows?
mysterious (like Ectoplasm from the afterlife? Whatever
“vita-rays” or
“omega flame”), try it is, it’s weird and dangerous. The focus
the energy master Dances With Dark Matter (66) is perfect for
archetype, page 17. this archetype, whether you use it as is
or change the aesthetics to something
Stretches, page 47 different, and gives you a wide range of
abilities. If you want a more specific set of
powers, try a focus like Rides the Lightning
(74), Shreds the Walls of the World (76), or
Siphons Power (76).
If you see yourself as using your powers
mainly for fighting, pick Warrior as your
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
type. If you want to develop your abilities in
even weirder ways, choose Adept. If you’re
more of a sneaky, stealthy type, using your
powers to infiltrate and subdue, try being
an Explorer. (Whatever the source of your
power is, it’s probably spooky enough to
people that being an effective Speaker
would be very difficult.)
If you want a hero with a strange power
source and not a lot of emotional baggage,
pick the Stealthy descriptor. If you need
mental strength to restrain your powers
from causing inadvertent harm, consider
Calm, Mystical, Resilient, or Strong-Willed.
If your dark energy powers are tied to
your negative emotions, or they are slowly
corrupting you, choose a descriptor like
Craven, Cruel, Dishonorable, or Doomed.
If your abilities have already warped your
body or mind, try a descriptor like Cruel,
Hideous, Mad, Vicious, or Weird.
Put power shifts into power or single
attack for your main offensive and
defensive abilities. Putting a shift into
dexterity helps you be more stealthy and
avoid attacks. Depending on what you want
your powers to do, a shift in healing or
resilience is probably a good idea.
Because nobody (maybe not even you)
really knows the source of your abilities,
you can swap in just about any superpower
that fits your archetype—wall-crawling,
flying, teleportation, slashing blades
of darkness, and so on. Choices from
the stealth (34) and magic (36) flavors are
especially appropriate.
ELASTIC
Your body can stretch and compress
like rubber.
If being stretchy is your main thing, choose
a focus like Stretches to give yourself all
the expected abilities that come with this
archetype, like resistance to injury, weird
movement, and squeezing through tiny
spaces. However, you instead could pick a
focus like Fights With Panache (68), Masters
Defense (72), Moves Like a Cat (73), Never

Says Die (73), or Solves Mysteries (77), and just
describe your powers as being partially
due to your elasticity.
If you use your stretching abilities to
create a unique combat style, pick Warrior
as your type. If you’re a genius who just
happens to be elastic, choose Adept. If
you’re an amazing sleuth with a nose for
clues, try Explorer.
If you’re a wacky hero who plays up how
weird and crazy your abilities are, try a
descriptor like Chaotic, Clumsy, or Weird.
If you emphasize how your powers make
it hard to harm you, choose Hardy, Lucky,
Resilient, or Tough. If you’re a serious hero
despite the strangeness of your powers,
Calm, Inquisitive, or Intelligent may be the
best option for you.
Put shifts into healing and resilience.
Depending on your nature, shifts in
dexterity, savant, or single attack might be
good for you.
Swapping in an ability like Flight Not Fight
(141), Resist the Elements (176), Sturdy (187), or
Weather the Vicissitudes (197) can round out
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
your rubbery protection. Attack powers
like Control the Field (121), Misdirect (163), and
Opportunist (167) reinforce the image that
you’re bouncing around your foes and
striking from unexpected angles.
ENERGY MASTER
You create or manipulate energy—fire,
electricity, cold, sound, and so on.
Technically, cold is the
This is a flashy, well-known superhero absence of heat, not its
own type of energy, but
archetype, whether you make fire, ice, for flavor and artistic
lightning, radiation, or some other kind of purposes we treat it
like it’s a unique energy
energy. The good news is you have a lot of
type. Likewise, sound is
focus options for this kind of character. If just vibrations, but it’s
fire, radiation, or light is your thing, choose more fun if “sound” is
a specific energy type.
Bears a Halo of Fire (64) or Blazes With
Radiance (64). If your energy type is cold,
pick Wears a Sheen of Ice (78). If electricity is If the “energy” your
your power, you’ll want Rides the Lightning hero manipulates
is something weird
(74). If you harness destructive sound, try like dark matter or
Thunders (77). If the more subtle aspects of protoplasm from
another dimension, try
the electromagnetic spectrum are your
the dark energy master
specialty, consider Controls Gravity (66) or concept, page 16.
Employs Magnetism (67). If you want to drain
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 Claim the Sky
power instead of creating it, pick Absorbs
Energy (64) or Siphons Power (76).
Choose Warrior as your type if your
priority is attacking and destroying things,
Adept if you want to push your energy
control in some weird directions, or
Other versions of an Explorer if you want a variety of options for
extra limbs hero might combat and skills.
be a person with flexible
organic tentacles or If you bring the heat, you’ll do well with a
hyper-elastic skin, an descriptor like Brash, Chaotic, or Impulsive.
alien with very fine
If your power is ice, try Calm, Resilient, or
moveable tendrils, a
malleable hero made Rugged. Electricity and thunder are noisy
of mud or sand who and overt, so you could pick something
forms as many arms
as they need, or a robot appropriate, or take a different tack and
with nanobot-directed choose Fast, Strong, or Swift. If your energy
solid-state wires. powers come from a technological weapon
or suit, maybe Mechanical is a better
For a weird variant option for you. If you got your powers in a
of the extra limbs freak accident, you might instead want a
archetype who
controls hairlike descriptor like Lucky or Mysterious.
energy pseudopods, Put a power shift into power or single
pick Dances With Dark
attack for one of your abilities (one that
Matter (66) as your focus.
requires you to make rolls). Choose
dexterity or strength for another,
depending on what sort of physical
abilities you rely on. If your main energy
attack requires you to touch an opponent,
consider selecting increased range as a
If you gain the power shift for that attack.
Telekinesis (189) ability, If you don’t have a direct energy attack,
instead of moving
remote objects with swap one of your abilities for something like
your mind, you’re giving Concussive Blast (121), Onslaught (167), Shock (183),
your hair the strength
or Thunder Beam (191). Your type of energy
to move objects as
explained in that might give you a unique sort of perception
power’s description. (like seeing in the infrared or detecting the
electrical signals in machines), so consider
the senses (103) ability category to see if
Ability categories, something there fits your concept. Energy
page 95 powers are often the source of weird
special attack (104) abilities.
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
EXTRA LIMBS
You have extra limbs, like a set of
robotic tentacles, animated hair, or
prehensile vines.
Why limit yourself to just two arms
and two legs? Get some extra limbs
and suddenly it’s easier to fight people,
maneuver through the city, or do multiple
things at once. Maybe you use these limbs
in conjunction with your normal arms
and legs, maybe you just rely on your
extra limbs, or maybe you don’t even
have “normal” arms and legs at all, and
everything you do is with your extra limbs.
Maybe your limbs aren’t even physical,
just telekinetic hands, psychic force, or
helpful ghosts or demons that immediately
respond to your mental commands.
If you mostly use your extra limbs like
hands and fingers, you could choose a
focus like Fights With Panache (68), Masters
Weaponry (72), Needs No Weapon (73), or
Wields Two Weapons at Once (78), using your
limbs to make attacks. If your limbs are
something that normally can’t move on
their own (like hair or vines) or your limbs
aren’t physical, you might be using a very
specialized kind of telekinesis, in which
case Focuses Mind Over Matter (68) is a
great way to define your powers.
Most heroes with extra limbs are
Explorers, but there’s no reason you
couldn’t be a Warrior who relies more
on agility than strength. You could even
be an Adept if you want to have other
strange powers, such as camouflaging
yourself with color-changing tentacles or
psychically stiffening an unusual limb to act
as a shield or force field against attacks.
Heroes with extra limbs tend to be
visually impressive or intimidating.
Heroes with animated hair are often very
attractive, and therefore a descriptor like
Appealing, Charming, or Graceful is an
easy fit. Maybe you’re good at using your
additional limbs for movement, so you’re
Fast or Swift. Or perhaps your odd abilities
mean you’re a wallflower or live in your

own head, in which case you’re Creative,
Naive, Tongue-Tied, or a little bit Weird.
Put power shifts into increased range
and single attack, and one into strength if
your extra limbs are effectively stronger
than your arms and legs. Assign a shift to
healing; it’s useful when you’re hurt and
easily justifies being able to quickly regrow
a damaged limb if cut.
Abilities that let you move nearby objects
and creatures are appropriate things to
swap in, like Block (115), Control the Field (121),
Fetch (139), Grasping Foliage (146), and Push (173).
Your extra limbs probably attack as light
weapons, so if you don’t have an ability or
power shift that increases their damage,
you may want to swap in something like
Fists of Fury (140) or Weapon Master (197).
FORCE FIELD MASTER
You use a force field for offense as well
as defense.
A typical hero who has a force field can
create translucent or invisible walls, shields,
and other barriers. If that’s you, and you
want to be able to turn invisible, pick Wields
Invisible Force as your focus. If your force
field literally takes the shape of a shield, and
your combat style is based on using this
shield, choose Brandishes an Exotic Shield (64).
If your goal is to protect as many innocent
people as possible, consider Defends the
Gate (66) or Defends the Weak (66), with your
force fields augmenting your physical
might. On the other hand, if you use your
force fields to enhance your attacks and
protect only yourself, you could have
Needs No Weapon (73) as your focus.
A hero who goes all-in on force fields
probably is an Adept or an Explorer, as
they give you access to other thematic
abilities and useful skills. In theory, a force
field hero could be a Warrior (especially
one who relies more on defense than
offense) or a Speaker (who influences
others from behind the security of a
force field), but those are unusual for this
kind of character.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
You have a lot of possibilities for your
descriptor. If you like protecting others,
choose Beneficent, Kind, or Virtuous. Your
amazing defenses might mean you’re
Brash, Chaotic, or Resilient—or you’ve
developed these abilities because you’re
Craven or Guarded. The mental strength
needed to shape and move force fields
could mean you’re Clever, Creative,
Intelligent, or Strong-Willed.
Put power shifts into power or single If you primarily use
attack for one of your abilities that requires your force fields
offensively to move and
you to make rolls. A resilience power shift deflect other objects,
fits the theme of a force field hero. look at the telekinetic
archetype, page 36.
If your type or focus doesn’t give you
a protective force field right away, swap
out an ability for Deflect Attacks (127), Force
Field Shield (143), Magic Shield (159), or Ward (196).
Likewise, if you need an appropriate force If you manipulate
attack, swap something for Advantage strange, otherworldly
stuff instead of force
to Disadvantage (109), Concussive Blast (121), fields, look at the
Entangling Force (136), Onslaught (167), or Push (173). dark energy master
archetype, page 16.
FRIENDLY THING
You’re big and strong, and you don’t look
human, but in your heart you’re a hero.
Wields Invisible Force,
Maybe you’re a walking pile of rocks, an page 48
inhuman alien knight from a faraway
planet, a supernatural creature like a
dragon, or a battle robot who chooses not
to be a weapon of war. You’re too big and If you’re a friendly thing,
strong and . . . different to blend in with you don’t need game
rules to decide what
regular humans, but eventually they’ll your appearance is.
learn that you’re a superhero instead of a Any of these options
work no matter
monster. For your focus, if you’re made of
what you look like.
rocks, try Abides in Stone (64). Otherwise, if
you’re strong and on the offense, consider
Performs Feats of Strength (73). If you’re
more about defense, you might like Defends
the Gate (66), Never Says Die (73), or Stands Like
a Bastion (77). If your power increases when
you get angry, choose Rages (74).
Most heroes like this are Warriors or
Explorers, choosing abilities to enhance
movement and combat—it’s what people
expect when they see you duck to fit through
a doorway or accidentally crush a car by
leaning on it. A more unusual choice would
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be to play an Adept as a nerdy scientist
whose physical bulk hides a brilliant mind,
or a personable Speaker who everyone
loves because they’re actually a big cuddly
monster. If you’re an alien or from another
dimension, all bets are off—maybe everyone
on your planet looks like a troll, and you just
happen to be a computer scientist.
If you want to play up that you don’t fit in
or are a fish out of water, try a descriptor
like Exiled, Hideous, or Weird. If you want
to reinforce the stereotype that you’re
a brute, try Clumsy, Hardy, Resilient, or
If your main interest Strong. But if there’s more to you than
is using your genius appearances indicate, something like
to build things like
robots and weird Intelligent, Kind, Learned, or Skeptical might
devices, see the builder be what you’re looking for.
archetype, page 13.
You’ll want power shifts that make you
Most builders tend to
be geniuses, but not all stronger and tougher, so select resilience
geniuses are builders. and strength. A fun option for a hero like
you is to select flight as a power shift, but
you’re actually leaping rather than taking
sustained flight.
Your type or focus should cover the
typical abilities you want. If you’re not a
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Warrior, try the combat (36) flavor or swap in
an ability from the Warrior list. Depending
on how you got your powers, you might
want an energy blast ability like Concussive
Blast (121), Onslaught (167), or Thunder Beam (191),
either as a natural ability or as some kind
of implant or weapon.
GENIUS
You’re incredibly smart, perhaps one of the
best minds in the world.
If your intellect is a level beyond what
a typical human can achieve, choose
Calculates the Incalculable (65) as your focus.
If you have technological brain implants
that turn your brain into a supercomputer,
try Fuses Mind and Machine (69). If you’re
more about thinking fast on your feet
and reacting to new situations, Learns
Quickly (71) might be what you’re looking for.
If your genius lets you dabble in updating
and creating things, pick Conducts Weird
Science (65). If you’re the world’s greatest
detective, choose Solves Mysteries (77). If

you’re good at hacking computers and
human minds, try Works the System (79).
Genius superheroes are usually
Adepts (if you want access to other weird
abilities) or Explorers (if you apply your
genius to directly moving around in and
understanding the world).
If your motivation is to help or protect
others, try a descriptor like Beneficent,
Honorable, or Kind. If you’re very cerebral
and live for your work, a descriptor like
Calm, Inquisitive, Intelligent, or Learned
might suit you.
You’ll want power shifts in intelligence
and savant so you know more and think
better than your typical smart person.
Being a genius means you could have just
about any sort of superhero ability, whether
it’s a mental power, something unrelated to
your intelligence, or a physical device. For
example, you could have a Robot Assistant
(178), an invention that lets you Repair Flesh (176),
elastic flesh that makes you a Contortionist
(121), a telepathic link to the internet that lets
you search for information with Network
Tap (165), a Hover (149) belt, or a prototype suit
of Powered Armor (171) for defense—or
maybe your big brain is so powerful that
you can transmit excess energy through
your hands with Shock (183).
GIANT HERO
You’re big and strong. And you’re not done
growing yet.
The obvious focus for this kind of hero is
Grows to Towering Heights (69), which from
the get-go lets you grow bigger than any
normal human, and scales up from there.
You’re probably a Warrior; being big,
strong, and tough is a natural fit for
punching bad guys. You might be an
Explorer, giving you a broader set of skills
instead of focusing on combat. You’re
probably not an Adept (unless you invented
these powers to defeat people who bullied
you) or a Speaker (you can be very
intimidating, but that doesn’t make you a
“people person”).
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
Your choice of descriptor is wide open.
Ones that fit well with your powers are
Brash, Clumsy, Hardy, Resilient, Rugged,
or Tough, but you might want to choose
something unusual like Calm, Inquisitive,
Jovial, or Learned to get some options that
are useful when you’re normal-sized.
This type of hero leans hard on the strong
and tough concept, so good power shifts to
take are healing, resilience, and strength.
It’s common for a giant hero making big
attacks to move or stun opponents, or hit
more than one creature with an attack,
so consider swapping an ability for Bash
(112), Control the Field (121), or Successive
Attack (187). If you see yourself more as a
giant death robot or a living avatar of a
strange god who shoots destructive rays,
try swapping one of your abilities for
an energy blast like Concussive Blast (121),
Onslaught (167), or Thunder Beam (191). Some
giant superheroes started out as tiny
heroes who learned how to grow, but you
might be a big hero who learns how to
get small, in which case you could choose
Shrink in place of one of your abilities at Shrink, page 55
any tier (and maybe learn Smaller at tier 2 Smaller, page 56
or higher, and Tiny at tier 6). You won’t ever Tiny, page 56
be as good at shrinking as someone whose
main ability is shrinking, but being able to
shrink or grow is pretty handy.
HALF-VAMPIRE
You’re a creature of the night.
Although most people consider If you’re a full vampire
half-vampires monsters instead of instead of a
half-vampire, take
superheroes, you’ve turned your back a look at Stay Alive!
on evil in order to hunt villains and from Monte Cook
Games, a book with
supernatural terrors. Obvious choices for
options for vampire
your focus are Hunts (69), Moves Like a Cat PCs, their weaknesses
(73), and Never Says Die (73). However, you (like sunlight and
garlic), and additional
could instead pick Needs No Weapon (73) vampire abilities.
or, if you mainly fight other supernatural
creatures, Slays Monsters (76). If you’re the
sort of vampire who gathers other undead
to yourself, try Consorts With the Dead (65),
and if you’re an energy vampire, choose
Siphons Power (76).
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Your physical vampire gifts make
Warrior or Expert the most likely type
options for you. If you’re more of a
mystical weird vampire, Adept lets you
explore what other undead powers you
have at your disposal.
If you want to play up your physical
abilities, choose a descriptor like Fast,
Hardy, Resilient, Stealthy, Strong, or Tough.
If you want to emphasize your mental or
magical side, try Mysterious, Mystical,
Perceptive, or Strong-Willed. If you’re
constantly fighting your vampire instincts,
pick Calm, Cruel, Doomed, or Vicious.
Assign your power shifts to dexterity and
strength, and either healing or resilience.
Vampires are said to have many strange
powers, so you could swap out abilities
for a special attack like Advantage to
Disadvantage (109), a movement ability like
Get Away (145), a defense like Block (115), a
mental ability like Calm Stranger (118) or Mind
Reading (162), or something strange like Minor
If you hunt because Illusion (162) or See the Unseen (180).
you’ve mastered a
specific kind of weapon,
see the weapon master HARD LIGHT MASTER
archetype, page 38. You create visible constructs of
hardened light.
Swords, shields, walls, chains, huge fists,
a motorcycle—if you can think of it, you
can create it out of solid light. The most
Sculpts Hard Light, versatile focus option for you is Sculpts
page 46 Hard Light, but if you have a specific theme
like a glowing shield, instead try Brandishes
If you mostly make an Exotic Shield (64).
defensive objects like A hero with this sort of power is usually a
walls, shields, and
other barriers, look at Warrior or Explorer—someone who needs
the force field master a wide variety of weapons, armors, and
archetype, page 19.
tools, and has the creativity to think them
up on the spot. If you’re a more cerebral
type who imagines weird things to create,
choose Adept.
Most characters of this type do well
with a descriptor like Clever, Creative,
Resilient, or Strong-Willed. If you’re a
cocky and sarcastic hero who believes in
social justice, choose Brash, Perceptive,
or Virtuous. If you’re obnoxious, a bit of a
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
wild card, and the kind who never quits,
pick Chaotic, Impulsive, or Tough. If you’re
a serious, dutiful protector, try Beneficent,
Guarded, or Honorable.
Put shifts in accuracy and intelligence.
Consider putting a shift in prodigy to get
Sculpt Light (180) at first tier so you can
create longer-lasting constructs. Flight and
resilience are also good choices.
If you prefer to make direct attacks with
your abilities instead of creating physical
weapons to attack with, swap out an ability
for Concussive Blast (121) or Onslaught (167).
If you’re meant to be patrolling space
and communicating with aliens, swap in
Adaptation (108) and Telepathic (189). If you can
precisely analyze creatures and objects,
get Scan (179).
HUNTER
You study, find, and capture your
intended prey.
If you’re a hunter of beasts in the wild,
choose Hunts (69) or Lives in the Wilderness
(71) as your focus. If your goal is to track
down and punish the guilty, pick Metes
Out Justice (72). If you’re a conventional or
supernatural sleuth, try Works the Back
Alleys (79), Separates Mind From Body (75), or
Shepherds Spirits (76).
Pick Warrior or Explorer as your type,
depending on whether you want more
combat abilities or more skill and utility
abilities.
Hunters tend to be intense and have
descriptors like Brash, Mysterious, or
Rugged. Others are more subtle, with a
descriptor like Perceptive, Stealthy, Swift, or
Tough. If you’re a hunter who is quick-witted
or cool-headed, pick Calm or Clever. If your
work means you have to interact a lot with
regular people, being Charming, Empathic,
or Intuitive is very useful.
Put power shifts into accuracy, dexterity,
and resilience.
Think about swapping in an ability from
the senses (103) category, whether it’s
something to help you see in the dark like

Eyes Adjusted (138), plan a trap like Familiarize
, or turn the tables on a target like Sense
(138)
Ambush (181). You may want an ability that
lets you nonlethally capture someone, like
Entangling Force (136), Grasping Foliage (146), or
Ribbons of Dark Matter (178).
ILLUSIONIST
You create illusions, sprung from
your creativity or taken from the minds
of others.
Most illusionist heroes have the Crafts
Illusions (66) focus, creating visible images
based on whatever they can think of. If
you’re the rare kind of illusionist who
borrows images from dreamers, choose
Awakens Dreams (64) as your focus.
Most illusionists focus on their mental
abilities, and therefore you probably are
either a Speaker (if your primary goal
is to persuade and manipulate people)
or an Adept (if you want to augment and
supplement your illusions with other
strange abilities).
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
Just about any illusionist does well with
a descriptor like Creative, Mysterious,
or Perceptive. If creating your illusions
requires a lot of mental discipline, Calm,
Intelligent, or Intuitive may be a more
appropriate choice for you. If you use
your illusions to make people like you, pick
a descriptor like Appealing, Charming,
Empathic, or Kind. If you’re mainly smart
and sneaky, choose Clever, Craven, or
Stealthy. If your powers are more about
nightmares and fear than beautiful things, Some illusions are just
Mad and Weird are fun descriptor choices. manipulating light, and
some are projections
You’ll want to put at least one power shift into the minds of
into accuracy to improve your attack rolls others. This is mostly
a cosmetic difference,
for people to believe your illusions (and
and it doesn’t affect
the fact that this affects all of your other how you build your
attack rolls is a nice side benefit). As a character. Talk with
your GM about how
mental-focused character, you’ll want to be your illusions work.
protected against hostile mental attacks,
so assign a shift to intelligence. You may
want to use one shift for prodigy so you Your illusion powers
can grab a more powerful illusion ability, might be technological
holograms, psychic
and perhaps put one into increased range tricks, or magical spells.
for your main illusion ability so you don’t
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have to be right in the middle of the action MASTER ATHLETE
to use it. You’re the peak of human physical
One of the biggest drawbacks of most perfection, and the best at what you do.
illusions is they aren’t physical, so they
can’t affect physical things, like breaking This type of hero usually isn’t overtly
open a door or making effective attacks. superpowered—instead of flight and
Bolster Illusion, page 51 Swapping out an ability to get Bolster energy blasts, they’re mostly about using
Illusion lets you give your visual illusions a conventional attacks (like punches, kicks,
little bit of sensory “oomph” that can make guns, and so on) and relying on physical
Instead of athletics them almost real. Other abilities that let you skills like jumping, climbing, and tumbling.
being your thing, if manipulate things around you, like Hedge There are many focus options for this kind
you’re the best at
using a weapon, try Magic (149), Impetus (151), and Move Metal (164) of hero, depending on what sort of physical
the weapon master from the environment (99) category, are also activity you want to excel at. If you’re a
archetype, page 38.
useful for this. master of unarmed combat, try Needs No
If you’re the perfect
hunter who can Weapon (73). If you’ve developed amazing
catch any beast or survival skills in the city or the wilds,
human, try the hunter
archetype, page 22. choose Is Wanted by the Law (70) or Lives in
the Wilderness (71). If you’ve developed your
skills from a lifetime of being in fights, try
Looks for Trouble (71) or Never Says Die (73).
If you’ve perfected the use of a shield or
armor, choose Masters Defense (72). If you’re
naturally an agile or strong athlete, Moves
Like a Cat (73) or Performs Feats of Strength
(73) may be just what you’re looking for.

You probably want Warrior or Explorer

as your type, depending on whether your
main interest is fighting or you want an
even mix of fighting and other abilities.
Almost any descriptor is suitable for
this kind of character. If you’re aggressive
and eager to show your fighting skills, try
Brash or Impulsive. If you’ve learned how to
take a lot of hits, choose Hardy, Resilient, or
Tough. If you’ve honed your abilities from
years spent fighting to survive, pick Exiled,
Rugged, Sharp-Eyed, or Stealthy. If you’re
more about speed than strength, choose
Fast, Graceful, or Swift.
You’ll want your power shifts to enhance
the stuff that you’re good at, and that
means choosing ones like accuracy,
dexterity, and strength.
Pretty much anything you’d need
for your hero is covered in your type
and focus abilities, but if it still feels like
something’s missing, take a look at flavors
like stealth (34), combat (36), or skills and
knowledge (37) to fill in the blanks.

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

MASTER MARTIAL ARTIST
You have mastered—or even perfected—
one or more martial arts.
The best example of this archetype has
the Needs No Weapon (73) focus. If you’re
more of a street fighter or a boxer, try
Fights Dirty (68) or Looks for Trouble (71)
instead. If your fighting style relies on
your incredible strength, choose
Performs Feats of Strength (73). If you
prefer a more passive or reactive martial
art, Masters Defense (72) might be a better
focus for you. For something unusual,
especially if your archenemy uses robots,
try Battles Robots (64).
Choose Warrior as your type if your
training is just about combat, or Explorer
if you learned other skills like climbing,
jumping, and sensing danger. If your
mastery allows you to perform impossible
or mystical feats like mind control, curing
sickness, or levitation, pick Adept.
Descriptors like Doomed, Exiled, and
Mysterious work for most characters with
this archetype. If your combat style relies
more on speed than strength, choose Fast,
Graceful, or Stealthy. If you’re more reliant
on strength than speed, pick Hardy, Strong,
or Tough. If you practice serenity or follow
an enlightened path, try Beneficent, Calm,
Empathic, Learned, or Mystical. If you or
your tradition are a little silly or irreverent,
like drunken boxing, choose Clumsy,
Foolish, Lucky, or Naive.
Put power shifts in accuracy or single
attack, depending on whether you have one
or multiple attack abilities. Put shifts into
dexterity or strength to suit your combat
style. (One way to create a martial artist
character who has a powerful ability they
can use only once a day—for example, a
perfect punch—is to put power shifts into
prodigy to get a high-tier ability that costs too
many Pool points for you to use frequently.)
Your unarmed attacks are your primary
weapons, so if you haven’t chosen power
shifts in strength or single attack to
increase your unarmed damage from
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
the default 2 points for a light weapon,
be sure to swap in something like Fists
of Fury (140) or Quick Death (173) to increase
your basic damage. Many heroes like you
are known for having one or two unusual If your martial art
special abilities; these might be an attack style relies on using a
weapon like a sword
like Concussive Blast (121) or Frost Touch (144), or staff instead of
a defense like Flesh of Stone (141) or Wind kicks and punches,
you might want to try
Armor (199), or a utility ability like Phase
the weapon master
Sprint (170) or See the Unseen (180). archetype, page 38.
MENTALIST
You wield various mental powers—you’re
a telepath, psychic, enchanter, or
something like that.
There are many different kinds of Some categories of
superheroes who have mental powers, mental abilities are
explained elsewhere in
and you have several interesting choices this chapter as different
depending on what you want your hero archetypes like
illusionist (page 23) and
to be able to do. If you’re a telepath who
telekinetic (page 36).
can read minds, transmit your thoughts
to others, and generally dig around in
other peoples’ heads, choose Commands
Mental Powers (65) as your focus. If you are
clairvoyant, observing remote locations
and perceiving the wonders and dangers
of the universe, pick Sees Beyond (75). If
you can actually send your mind or soul
outside of your body to wander around in
astral form, choose Separates Mind From
Body (75). If speaking with the dead is more
your thing, try Shepherds Spirits (76). If
you’re a technopath, able to link your mind
to computers and other devices, choose
Talks to Machines (77). If you have a psychic
link to animals, pick Controls Beasts (65)—or
Masters the Swarm (72) if bugs are more
your thing. If you’re one of the smartest
people on the planet, look at Fuses Mind
and Machine (69).
For additional mental abilities and useful
skills for this kind of hero, you probably
want the Adept or Speaker type. However,
some mentalists might be better off with
the Explorer type, like a beast empath who
has animal friends, a gifted hacker who
can break into a computer without even
touching it, or a talented detective who
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pursues criminals into the underbelly of
the city.
You probably want a descriptor that
suits your nature as a cerebral person
Abilities like Duplicate with powerful mind powers, something
(page 132) can be like Calm, Inquisitive, Intelligent, Learned,
used multiple times
or Strong-Willed. If you lean more toward
over several rounds,
allowing a multiplier the emotional side of things, try Appealing,
character to create Charming, Empathic, or Intuitive. If your
a large number of
reinforcements. power is more of a magical thing, choose
Mysterious or Mystical.
Put a power shift into power or single
attack for one of your abilities (one that
requires you to make rolls). Choose other
power shifts like intelligence and savant.
Each of the foci above gives you a group
of related abilities, but it’s common for a
mentalist superhero to dabble in other
psychic fields. You can peek at the foci you
didn’t choose to see if they have any abilities
you want to swap for, and also check some
Ability categories, of the ability categories like control (97),
page 95 information (99), and senses (103) to see if there
are any other mentalist-appropriate
powers that work for you.
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
MULTIPLIER
You can make copies of yourself.
Creating a hero with this odd but versatile
character concept is best done with the
Exists in Two Places at Once (67) focus.
Weirder ways to create a multiplier
character include using foci like Builds
Robots (65), Consorts With the Dead (65), Is
Idolized by Millions (70), Keeps a Magic Ally
(71), or even Wields Two Weapons at Once
(78), though all of them require creative
explanations for how your abilities create
copies of “you” (robot duplicates, zombies,
cosplaying fans, and so on).
Maybe you’ve used your multiples to
study various combat styles (or create
a unique style of your own), in which
case you should choose Warrior as your
descriptor. If you’ve used your multiples
to go many places and learn a lot of skills,
select Explorer. If your experiences in
having multiple bodies means you have
incredible insight about how to interact with
and influence other people, pick Speaker. If

you can duplicate yourself because you’re
twisting or breaking reality, you’ll find
related abilities as an Adept.
As a hero who frequently sees “yourself”
in dangerous situations (and perhaps has
experienced a duplicate’s death now and
then), you need a certain mental fortitude
to remember that you’re the prime version
of yourself and the others are just copies.
Descriptors that align with that strength of
personality are Calm, Resilient, and
Strong-Willed. However, being able
to sacrifice yourself without serious
repercussions might instead make you
Brash, Chaotic, or Impulsive. Too many
shared traumatic experiences in your past
might mean Craven, Doomed, or Mad is a
better descriptor for you.
Most of the typical multiplier abilities
aren’t improved with power shifts, so
use your shifts to make yourself better
at more general things with accuracy,
dexterity, and resilience. Putting a power
shift in healing is a good idea, especially
if you can (or plan to be able to) transfer
damage between yourself and the
duplicates.
If your focus doesn’t give you the
Duplicate (132) ability, you probably should
swap one of your abilities for that—it’s
the most common way to create identical
copies of your hero. Swapping out an ability
for Resilient Duplicate (176) means all of your
duplicates are tougher (and if you have
Resilient Duplicate more than once, the
extra health adds together).
NATURE MASTER
You’re attuned with nature and the natural
world—storms, plants, or both.
If you have a supernatural connection
to nature and the environment, choose
Speaks for the Land (77) as your focus. If you
control the air and weather, try Touches
the Sky. If you can mentally manipulate
plants to move at your command, pick
Employs Magnetism (67) or Focuses Mind
Over Matter (68) and redefine those powers
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
as something suitable for you. If your
powers come from a bond with a specific
mystical creature like a fairy or thorn
elemental, choose Keeps a Magic Ally (71). If
“nature” for you means the four classical
elements (air, earth, fire, and water), start
with an energy master archetype for Energy master, page 17
suggestions about what focus to take for
your fire and air powers, then come back
to this concept for ideas on the rest of
your abilities.
If you embody the wrathful and
destructive aspects of nature, pick
Warrior as your type. Pick Explorer if you
are familiar with living in remote natural
parts of the world and want skills and
abilities suitable for that. Choosing Adept
gives you access to many abilities suitable
for a nature hero, like protection from
extreme environments and controlling
the weather. If your role is more about
being an advocate for plants and animals,
Speaker is a good choice. If you have a stronger
If your personality matches the positive connection to animals
than to plants, or
side of nature, choose Beneficent, actually have an animal
Empathic, or Intuitive as your descriptor. who fights by your side,
see the beastmaster
If you personify the fury and vengeance
archetype, page 12.
of the storm, try Brash, Chaotic, Cruel,
or Vicious. If your connection to the wilds
makes you enigmatic and strange, pick If your storm powers
Mysterious, Mystical, or Weird. If you’ve are more about
lightning and thunder
lived in the wilds for a long time, you might than clouds and rain,
be Exiled, Resilient, Rugged, or Sharp-Eyed. see the energy master
archetype, page 17.
You’ll want to be hardy like nature, so put
a power shift in healing or resilience. Select
increased range or power for one of your
primary abilities.
Because this archetype is a pretty broad
category, you may need to swap in some
abilities to suit your character, like Create
Deadly Poison (123), Far Step (138), Hover (149),
Resist the Elements (176), or Wind Armor (199).
Make sure you have an attack ability that
suits you, whether that’s an energy blast
like Shock (183), something that manipulates Touches the Sky,
the environment like Mist Cloud, or an page 47
ability like Concussive Blast (121) that you Mist Cloud, page 53
reflavor. The environment (99) and special
attack (104) ability categories are good places
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to look. If you’re a “classical elements” hero,
see which of the four elements you have in
your repertoire, then swap in other abilities
to make sure you have something for each
of them.
PARAGON
You’re tough and strong, and can fly.
Flight, strength, and bulletproof skin are
often a package deal for superheroes.
If you’re a typical example of this kind of
hero, choose Flies Faster Than a Bullet (68) as
your focus. If you’re especially strong, pick
Performs Feats of Strength (73). If you’re
especially hardy, try Never Says Die (73), or
Stands Like a Bastion (77) if you wear armor.
If your purpose is to fight injustice and
protect the innocent, you’re probably a
Warrior. If your goal is to inspire the people
of the world to be good and help each
other, choose Speaker. If you’re a mix of
both, or something else, play an Explorer.
If people look up to you as an example
of what a true hero should be, try a
descriptor like Appealing, Honorable, Kind,
or Virtuous. If you’re a bit of a hothead,
choose Impulsive, Lucky, or Risk-Taking. If
you want to emphasize your toughness,
pick Hardy, Resilient, or Tough. If you’re an
enigma, or care more about getting the
mission done than talking to reporters
or entertaining crowds, pick Guarded or
Mysterious.
Put shifts in resilience and strength.
Shifts in flight and healing are also strong
choices.
Many paragon heroes have one unusual
ability that makes them stand out as
unique. Examples of this power are eyes
that shoot beams of force from Onslaught
(167), immediate-range freezing breath from
Frost Touch (144), sensing invisible creatures
with See the Unseen (180), or a limited psychic
ability like Premonition (171). Pick one that
Random superpowers, complements your abilities, or select one at
page 39 random and use it as a creative spark for
your character.
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
PHASE MASTER
You can become intangible, allowing you to
pass safely through solid matter.
The typical example of this sort of hero,
who can phase whether moving or
standing still, has the Exists Partially Out
of Phase (68) focus. If you can access this
power only when moving (but your phasing
is destructive to whatever you pass
through), try Shreds the Walls of the
World (76) instead.
Your powers naturally make you
suitable for the Explorer type, able to get
in and out of places with ease. If you’d
rather create a unique combat style using
your ability to become intangible or solid,
choose Warrior as your focus. If you’re
more interested in learning additional
strange abilities (perhaps from observing
or visiting other dimensions in a phased
state), choose Adept.
Given the powers you have, odds are
you’re a hero who is Graceful, Intelligent,
or Lucky. If you mainly use your powers
to hide or protect yourself, or bad things
seem to follow you, maybe Craven,
Doomed, or Mysterious suits you better.
If you like to play up being a spooky ghost
sort of character, try a descriptor like
Hideous, Stealthy, or Weird.
To emphasize your defensive abilities, put
power shifts in dexterity and healing. If you
have an ability that requires you to make
attack or defense rolls, put a shift into
power or single attack for that ability.
There are a lot of suitable abilities in the
stealth (34) and magic (36) flavors. Fun phasing
options include picking up an energy
attack like Frost Touch (144) or Shock (183),
getting Hover (149) so you can walk on air, or
using Vanish (196) to turn invisible as well as
intangible. Some phasing heroes can also
increase their density, swapping in abilities
like Flesh of Stone (141) and putting power
shifts into resilience and strength.

PLANT
You’re an intelligent, mobile plant.
Whether you’re a swamp elemental, alien
tree, or magical toadstool, you belong to
the plant kingdom, unlike your meat-based
humanoid friends. In many cases, you’ll
need to reinterpret the imagery of your
focus so it describes you as a plant, but the
game mechanics will work just fine with
these cosmetic changes.
Versatile foci that work well for a plant
hero are Lives in the Wilderness (71), Needs
No Weapon (73), and Speaks for the Land (77).
If you are sturdy and strong, you may
prefer Abides in Stone (64) or Performs
Feats of Strength (73). If you’re nearly
indestructible or regrow quickly after
being injured, Never Says Die (73) and
Stretches are fun options.
If you exist to avenge or guard the
natural world, pick Warrior as your type. If
you see yourself as blending in with other
plants and emerging when it’s time to take
action, try Explorer. If you literally speak for
the trees, choose Speaker (although many
people are hesitant to take advice from a
talking plant).
If you are as powerful as a mighty oak,
pick a descriptor like Clumsy, Hardy, Strong,
or Tough. If you are basically a gentle,
positive being (unlike the kill-it-and-eat-it
humans you hang out with), choose
Beneficent, Honorable, or Kind. If your
plant brain isn’t quite as fast as a human’s
or puts you at a disadvantage in social
situations, Foolish, Naive, or Tongue-Tied
might be right for you. If being a plant
creature means animal-people think
you’re just a little strange, try Mysterious,
Mystical, or Weird.
Put shifts into resilience and strength
to represent how much tougher and
stronger your body is than flesh and bone.
Put shifts in healing and increased range,
as appropriate to your other abilities.
Depending on what kind of plant creature
you are, there are an incredible number
of options for swapping in abilities to suit
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
your theme. For example, you could take
Beast Companion (112) or Critter Companion
(123) to get a friendly creature that lives in
your branches, use spores to confuse an
opponent with Cloud Personal Memories Yes, toadstools are fungi
(119), make deadly fruiting bodies with Create
instead of plants, but
they’re close enough as
Deadly Poison (123) or healing fruits with far as the superhero
Healing Touch (149), bind opponents with genre is concerned!
Grasping Foliage (146), perceive the world
with inhuman senses via See the Unseen (180),
or become a really spooky tree with
Terrifying Presence (190).
POWER REPLICATOR
You can copy the superpowers of
other creatures.
Duplicating someone else’s abilities is a
rare gift, and your best bet is to pick the
Copies Superpowers focus—it’s such a Stretches, page 47
specific talent that no other foci even come Copies Superpowers,
close to doing it. page 46
Although your choice of focus is very
specific, you have many options for your
type, depending on how you’d prefer to use
your abilities. If you’re mostly a brawler
who likes to copy other physical powers
like crystalline skin or metal claws to make
yourself even better in a fight, choose
Warrior. If you prefer copying energy
blasts, mental powers, and other abilities For a street-level hero
that don’t require physical effort, pick alternative to the power
replicator archetype,
Adept or Speaker. If you want the flexibility pick some other
to effectively take on physical or mental archetype like master
athlete (page 24)
abilities as you need them, try an Explorer.
or superspy (page 35)
Power replicator heroes are often and swap in the Flex
wild cards in terms of personality, so Skill (141) ability several
times, so you can
descriptors like Chaotic, Impulsive, or Mad instantly pick up
are appropriate options. If your abilities whatever skills you
give you a sense of how other peoples’ need to save the day.
If you swap in one Flex
minds work as well as their powers, pick Weapon Skill (page 53)
Empathic or Intuitive. If copying powers as well, you can
copy other heroes’
inflicts lingering trauma on you, or you
fighting styles.
regret some misuse of your abilities in the
past, try Doomed or Exiled.
Put shifts into accuracy if you expect
to copy a lot of attack powers. Shifts in
dexterity and resilience help buy you time
to pick the best power for the current
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Copy Power, page 51
situation. If you want to be able to copy
others’ abilities right away (instead of
waiting until tier 2), put a shift in prodigy so
you can pick up Copy Power early.
Because you need other superpowered
people around to be fully effective, it’s
good to have other skills and abilities of
your own as a backup, or let your power
POWERED ARMOR HERO
You have a mechanized suit that covers
most or all of your body.
The go-to focus for this sort of hero is
Wears Power Armor (78). If your armor is
mainly defensive, try Stands Like a Bastion
(77) instead. If your armor is a spacesuit and

shifts do that work for you. (Of course, you’ll be having many adventures in space,
any other powers you have might be ones pick Loves the Void (71).
Instead of a mechanized you somehow learned how to hold onto, If the armor is primarily a war machine,
suit, your armor might or accidentally stole from someone else.) either for offense or defense, choose
be a magical set of
armor, a high-tech cloth Pick up an offensive ability like Sculpt Warrior as your type. If the armor is
outfit with embedded Flesh (180) or Stasis (186) and a defensive one more of a vehicle and exploration tool, try
devices, or a symbiotic
like Danger Sense (124) or Flesh of Stone (141). Explorer. If the armor has a few weird and
alien creature.
Those abilities plus your power-copying unexpected abilities (perhaps because it’s
provide an interesting hook to make your alien technology), pick Adept.
hero stand out. If you’re the brilliant inventor who
created your suit, pick a descriptor like
Creative, Intelligent, Learned, or (the
VARIANT: FLEX POWER SHIFTS obvious choice) Mechanical. If you’re just
GM may want
For a power replicator hero, the the person who wears the armor because
than the normal
to have the player assign fewer you have the training or talent for it,
the others as
number of power shifts, holding choose Hardy, Honorable, Sharp-Eyed, or
of each day,
flex power shifts. At the beginning Strong.
ign these flex
the player chooses where to ass Put shifts into resilience and strength.
t day. The
shifts, and they apply until the nex If your armor has a special attack, like a
are limited by
hero’s choices for the flex shifts force blast, put a shift into single attack
gs are around
what other superpowered bein for that ability. If it has integrated medical
ter has a
that morning; if no nearby charac technology, put a shift in healing. Put a shift
er replicator
power shift in strength, the pow in flight if it fits your theme.
h.
hero can’t assign a shift to strengt If you don’t want to rely on your
Red Chameleon,
For example, Terry is playing suit-augmented punches and kicks in
paign where
a power replicator hero in a cam combat, swap in a special attack like
The GM decides
each PC gets five power shifts. Onslaught (167) or Thunder Beam (191). In case
shifts during
that Terry can assign two power you’re caught without your armor, it’s
er three shifts
character creation, and the oth smart to have a couple of useful skills
Chameleon
are flex shifts. Terry wants Red from ability swaps or savant power shifts
ign one shift to
to be hard to hurt, so they ass to keep you alive, like Courageous (122),
the beginning
healing and one to resilience. At Interaction Skills (155), Investigative Skills (155),
session, Terry
of the day of the current game Physical Skills (170), or Superb Explorer (188).
ee shifts in
decides to put their remaining thr
pying shifts
dexterity, flight, and strength (co
den Eagle, and
from teammates Jade Viper, Gol
Chameleon’s
Iron Wolf). The next morning, Red
igned differently.
flex shifts reset and can be ass

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

RAGE MONSTER
When you get mad, you get strong.
The obvious choice for your focus is Rages
. If your strength is a little less tied to your
(74)
emotional state, pick Performs Feats of
Strength (73), or Never Says Die (73) if you’re
more of a defender than an attacker. If
you’re a person who literally turns into an
uncontrollable monster, choose Howls at
the Moon (69).
Most rage monster heroes like this are
Warriors or Explorers, using their strength
to smash opponents and crash through
obstacles. (You could play an Adept or
building a superhero
ROBOT
You’re an intelligent machine with built-in
components that does amazing things.
If you’re a big, tough
Technically any sort of superhero could character who is
obviously inhuman,
be a robot, but your powers and story you may prefer
are all about being a creature who was the friendly thing
archetype, page 19.
built (rather than born) and the amazing
things your artificial body can do. If you
manipulate energy, try a focus like Rides
the Lightning (74) or Siphons Power (76). If
you were meant to be a war machine
(even if you’ve chosen a different path for
yourself), consider Stands Like a Bastion
(77) or Wears Power Armor (78). If you can

Speaker with this archetype, but some interact with and control other machines
of the foci suggestions prevent you from because you understand them, pick Talks
using Intellect-based abilities, which limits to Machines (77). If you survive by salvaging
which of your powers you can use when parts from other machines, or you’re from
really angry.) an apocalyptic timeline where robots have
Easy descriptors to fit with the triumphed over humans, try Scavenges (75).
personality of this archetype are Brash,
Chaotic, Clumsy, and Impulsive. If you want
to focus on the physical aspects of this kind
of hero, choose Hardy, Resilient, Strong, or
Tough. If your powers are a burden to your
calm self, pick Doomed or Exiled. If your superhero
Make yourself even more powerful archetype is an artificial
being made of metal
and tough with power shifts in healing, and plastic, you might
resilience, and strength. You might want a call yourself a robot,
android, thinking
shift in flight, describing it as long-distance
machine, or automaton.
leaping or climbing because of your great If you’re made of
strength. synthetic flesh instead,
you might call yourself
If you need additional abilities for fighting, a replicant, life model
swap in something from the combat (36) decoy, synthezoid, or
flavor or the Warrior type abilities. As clone. If your origin is
magical rather than
you’ll be the hero who gets attacked a lot, technological, you
swapping in an ability like Flesh of Stone (141), might call yourself a
golem, homunculus,
Fortified Position (143), Resist the Elements (176),
or construct.
or something similar from the protection
category (102) adds to your defenses. If you
don’t have a power shift in flight, swapping
for Amazing Leap lets you pseudo-fly a
long distance. Amazing Leap, page 48

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 Claim the Sky
Most robot superheroes are Warriors
or Explorers, as they were created
for combat or exploration. If you’re an
Adept, you might be a prototype model
Some sensory adepts with unusual abilities your creator didn’t
are blind or deaf, but understand. Because robots have different
their other senses
compensate enough intellectual and emotional parameters than
that they perceive humans, it’s unlikely that you are a Speaker
their environment as
unless you were specifically made to
well as or better than
an average person. understand and emulate humans, perhaps
as proof of your creator’s genius.
If you were meant to be a ruthless killing
machine (even if you’re now deviating
from that intention), select a descriptor like
Brash, Fast, Hardy, or Sharp-Eyed. If you’re
concerned that living people might think
you’re dangerous, try a descriptor like
Master athlete, page 24 Beneficent, Charming, Inquisitive, or Kind.
Weapon master, If you’re just trying to fit in, whether or not
page 38 anyone knows you’re a robot, a descriptor
Hunter, page 22 like Clever, Guarded, or Naive would be
a good choice. To play up your isolation
and differences from living beings, try a
Technically, an android descriptor like Doomed, Exiled, Mysterious,
is a robot meant to or Tongue-Tied.
resemble a human, at
least superficially. It is To emphasize your robot-ness, consider
assumed that robot PCs putting power shifts into intelligence,
are generally humanoid
resilience, and strength.
in shape (bipedal, two
arms, and so on), rather You may have been built with just about
than something like any special ability, whether that’s an
a spider or vehicle.
energy attack like Onslaught (167), telescoping
legs like Far Step (138), or a hypnosis beam
like Enthrall (136). Just try to keep your abilities
to a general theme—you wouldn’t want
people to joke that your creator threw
in everything but the kitchen sink! To
represent the fact that you’re an artificial
being, you may want to swap for an ability
like Enhanced Body (134), or take Golem Body
(145) and Golem Healing (145) as a pair of linked
abilities. Of course, if you don’t want that
sort of limitation, you can assume that your
body has self-repair mechanisms, allowing
you to heal as humans do.
Senses, page 103
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SENSORY ADEPT
Your senses are magnified, or you have
powerful inhuman senses.
Maybe your physical senses have
been amplified, or your brain has been
augmented so you can process more
information than your senses provide you,
or you have a mystical, psychic, or alien
way of perceiving the world. Regardless
of the mechanism, heroes like you tend to
do one of two things: use their heightened
senses to be awesome at combat (the
“sensory fighter”), or use their heightened
senses to know things about distant
places (the “sensory traveler”). If you’re a
sensory fighter, see the focus options for
the master athlete, weapon master, and
hunter archetypes, all of which are about
excellence in combat. If you’re a sensory
traveler, try a focus like Sees Beyond (75) or
Separates Mind From Body (75).
If you’re a sensory fighter, pick Warrior
or Explorer as your type; Warrior is
generally the best at combat, and Explorer
has some abilities that fit really well with
having incredible senses. If you’re a
sensory traveler, choose Adept as your
type (technically a Speaker would work for
this as well, but travelers tend to be a little
weird and off-putting to normal people).
Descriptors like Empathic, Intuitive,
Perceptive, and Sharp-Eyed are suitable
for either kind of sensory adept. If you
look unassuming and people tend to
underestimate you, pick a descriptor like
Calm, Guarded, or Lucky. Otherwise, if you’re
a sensory fighter, try Brash, Fast, Graceful,
or Tough. If you’re a sensory traveler, try
Creative, Inquisitive, Mad, or Mysterious.
If your main sensory ability can be
improved by a power shift, put a power
shift in that ability. Sensory fighters should
put shifts in accuracy and dexterity.
Sensory travelers should put shifts in
increased range, intelligence, and savant.
For sensory fighters, several abilities
from the senses category are useful
swap-ins, like Eyes Adjusted (138), Heads-Up

Display (148) (reflavored so it doesn’t require
wearing power armor), See the Unseen
(180), and Sense Ambush (181), as well as attack
powers like Misdirect (163) and Overwatch (168).
Sensory travelers can make good use of
swap-in abilities from the senses category
like Link Senses (158), Third Eye (191), Closed
Mind (119), Distant Interface (130), Eye for Detail
(138), and See History (180).
SHAPECHANGER
You can change your shape, either taking
the form of an animal or assuming any
human likeness.
This hero concept is generally one of two
types: a hero who can turn into an animal
(or any animal), or a master of disguise
who can look like any person. If you can
transform into an animal, choose Takes
Animal Shape as your focus. If you can
copy the appearance of any person, pick
Has a Thousand Faces.
Animal shapechanger heroes are usually
Warriors, who can fight like the animals
they pretend to be, or Explorers, who have
survival and combat skills that fit many
animals. Human shapechanger heroes use
their abilities to trick and confuse others,
and tend to be Speakers or Explorers.
Many animal shapechangers have a
descriptor like Fast, Graceful, Sharp-Eyed,
or Stealthy. If you prefer the company of
animals to people, try Exiled, Naive, or Rugged.
If your animal instincts negatively affect your
personality, choose Cruel or Vicious.
Typical human shapechangers are good at
interacting with people, and have a descriptor
like Appealing, Charming, or Intuitive. You
might instead be Mysterious, Stealthy, or
Strong-Willed. If changing your face and
identity so often has left scars on your
mind and body, try Hideous, Mad, or Weird.
Put a shift into healing, representing
your ability to reshape your flesh and
quickly recover from wounds. Put a shift
in savant if you don’t have all the skills
you want from your type and focus. If the
specific shapechanging ability you want
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
isn’t available at first tier, put shifts into
prodigy to grab that ability. For animal
shapechangers, a shift in dexterity or For a different sort of
strength can enhance the effectiveness shapechanging that
doesn’t let you disguise
of most of your forms. For human yourself as something
shapechangers, put a shift into accuracy else (for example, when
you fight you look like
(since you can’t guarantee what weapons
an anthropomorphic
you’ll have available in a disguised form) or wolf-human), see
single attack (if you have a special attack the beastly hero
archetype, page 12.
you can use in any form). If you turn into an
For shapechanger heroes, it’s good to uncontrollable creature,
have an unusual ability to get yourself out see the rage monster
archetype, page 31.
of trouble or catch an opponent off guard.
For example, your foes might know you’re
a shapechanger, but not know that you
can shoot force bolts out of your eyes Just because you’re a
with Onslaught (167), move small objects human shapechanger
hero doesn’t mean
at a distance with Impetus (151), or Walk you’re originally a
Through Walls (196). Also, this trait might be human. You might be a
mutant born of humans,
a fun part of your backstory—maybe the
a humanoid alien, an
shapechanging mutation often includes a infiltration android,
secondary force bolts mutation, your alien or a fey creature.
shapechanger species is telekinetic, or the
android chassis your creator used comes
installed with a phasing module.
Takes Animal
SORCERER Shape, page 47
You’re a master of the mystic arts. Has a Thousand
Faces, page 46
Magic accomplishes things that should
be impossible, in ways that even science
doesn’t understand. In a superhero
campaign, there are as many different
kinds of sorcerers are there are branches
of science. A typical sorcerer with a
broad mix of different abilities probably
has the Masters Spells (72) focus. If you’re
more of a priest who uses the power
of a godlike entity, try Channels Divine
Blessings (65). If your magic is primarily for
healing, choose Works Miracles (79). If your
power comes from a spiritual connection
to nature, pick Speaks for the Land (77). If
you control a magical creature such as a
genie, try Keeps a Magic Ally (71). If you’re a
necromancer, choose Consorts With the
Dead (65), or Shepherds Spirits (76) if you’re
more about ghosts than skeletons and
zombies. If none of those options really
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 Claim the Sky
describes you, understand that magic can
do just about anything, so it’s okay to pick a
different hero archetype and explain it as
magic instead of science or a mutation—
illusionist, shapechanger, energy master,
mentalist, and others are all common
sorcerer concepts.
If you’re more of a bookish academic
who enjoys researching weird spells,
you’re probably an Adept. If you prefer
more practical magic or have other useful
skills, choose Explorer. If you’re a “people
person” or enjoy magic that lets you
influence people, play a Speaker.
Many sorcerer heroes have the
Mysterious or Mystical descriptor. If your
mastery of magic stems from your studies
or gifted intellect, choose Calm, Creative,
Intelligent, or Learned. If your goal is to use
For a creative take your power to help others, pick Beneficent
on the speedster or Kind. If your interest is in swaying people
archetype, choose
Wields Two Weapons at to think the way you do, try Appealing,
Once (78) as your focus Charming, Empathic, or Intuitive. If your
and describe it as you
magical power is a curse you bear or it has
actually being so fast
that it seems like you’re drawbacks, you might be Doomed, Hideous,
wielding two weapons. Mad, or Weird.
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As most magic relies on Intellect and
you’ll be facing attacks from enemy
sorcerers, give yourself a strong
foundation there with a power shift in
intelligence. Put shifts in power or single
attack for your main offensive spell. Put
a shift in flight if you want to fly without
having to spend Pool points.
Magic can do anything, so pick a fun
ability or two to swap in as one of your
spells, and you’re ready for action. The
magic flavor (36) list is a good place to find
some starting ideas. And don’t forget
Arcane Flare (110), which can be used as an
attack or to increase the damage of any
other attack spell.
SPEEDSTER
You can run at superhuman speeds.
Most speedster heroes run fast, have
fast reactions, and potentially can attack
multiple times per round—if that sounds
like you, choose the Moves Like the Wind
(73) focus. If you want to combine speed
with phasing for some weird attack and
defensive options, instead pick Shreds the
Walls of the World (76) as your focus.
Choose Warrior as your type if you
want a strong emphasis on combat. Pick
Explorer if you want to rely more on other
physical skills and abilities.
Obvious descriptor choices for a
speedster are Fast, Graceful, Impulsive,
and Swift. Other good options that play to
a speedster’s strengths are Brash and
Impulsive. For a darker or sneakier take on
this kind of character (perhaps because
of drawbacks from your powers), try
Doomed or Exiled.
Put a power shift into dexterity, and into
accuracy or single attack (depending on
whether your speed makes you better
at hitting or hurting). If you want to have
incredible speed right away, put a shift into
prodigy to get Speed Burst (185) or Blink of an
Eye (115). A shift in healing means you recover
from injuries more quickly.
 building a superhero

There are more speed-focused abilities Dark Places (68) or Infiltrates (70). If you’re the
you can swap for, especially in the remote operative who puts together all the GM Tip: It’s often easier
movement (101) ability category, like Far Step data, try Solves Mysteries (77) or Works the to treat a speedster
like a teleporter if
(138), Get Away (145), and Walk Through Walls System (79). If you have a dark past or are where they want to go
(196). Choosing a special attack like Entangling more of an antihero than a virtuous hero, a is a shorter distance
than how far they can
Force (136), Scramble Machine (179), or Shock (183) focus like Is Wanted by the Law (70), Murders
move as an action. For
can put a unique spin on your powers and (73), or Works the Back Alleys (79) is probably example, if a speedster
make you stand out from other speedsters. more your style. can move 200 feet per
round, and they want
Your type is probably Explorer or to get on the roof of
SUPERSPY Speaker, to give you a mix of useful a nearby three-story
You can sneak, charm, and fight, and back physical and conversational skills, plus a building, handwave the
details of them dodging
up those skills with a little extra. dash of combat ability. pedestrians, opening
Any sort of spy does well with a doors, and climbing
stairs—it’s more fun
You have the skills and training of a regular descriptor like Fast, Graceful, Perceptive,
for the player and
spy, and even more—something to give Sharp-Eyed, or Stealthy. If you’re a better for the story if
you an edge against supervillains, aliens, “face” character who charms, seduces, they just zoom through
and get to the roof.
robots, and wizards. If you’re the scrappy or misleads others, choose Appealing,
secret agent who solves problems with Charming, Clever, Empathic, or Intuitive.
violence, pick Fights Dirty (68), Is Licensed If you’re brilliant or logical, try Calm or
to Carry (70), or Needs No Weapon (73) as Intelligent. If you’re a lone wolf, a maverick,
your focus. If you’re a smooth-talker who or running from a troubling event in your
could walk right into a secure area, try past, Doomed, Exiled, or Strong-Willed may
Infiltrates (70) or Operates Undercover (73). suit you.
If your emphasis is the sneaky aspects To keep up with superheroes with
of spying, choose a focus like Explores flashier powers, you’ll need to be fast and

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 Claim the Sky
good in a fight, so put power shifts into
dexterity and either single attack (if you
have one main attack form) or accuracy (if
you have several).
You probably have a gimmick that
places you above and beyond the typical
spy. Maybe it’s a gadget that lets you zap
opponents (Shock [183]), a mutation that gives
you increased speed (Fleet of Foot [141]),
If you can’t wait an experimental treatment that makes
until tier 2 to get
Telekinesis (189), you
you ghostly (Defensive Phasing [127]), or
could put a power cybernetics that let you teleport small
shift in prodigy to items (Fetch [139]). This ability might even be
swap out a tier 1
ability and get it early. the source of your code name, superhero
name, or what your enemies call you.
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TELEKINETIC
You can move things with your mind.
The obvious focus choices for this sort
of hero are Focuses Mind Over Matter
(68) or Throws With Deadly Accuracy (77),
depending on whether you want to be a
general telekinetic or if throwing things is
more your theme. Foci like Controls Gravity
(66) and Employs Magnetism (67) also work for
this archetype if you reflavor their abilities
as a specialized kind of telekinesis instead
of gravity or magnetic manipulation.
For your type, Adept is a natural fit,
which also gives you access to thematically
appropriate abilities like Onslaught (167), Push
(173), and Ward (196). If you’d rather flex your
mental muscles in other ways, Warrior and
Explorer have many fun abilities that you
can use as is or explain as another aspect
of your telekinesis, like Block (115), Control
the Field (121), Danger Sense (124), and even
Physical Skills (170).
If your hero is an introvert or their
telekinesis reacts to their emotions, pick
Cruel, Doomed, Guarded, or Tongue-Tied
as your descriptor. If your hero is serene,
serious, or meditative, a descriptor like Calm,
Empathic, Intelligent, Intuitive, or
Strong-Willed is probably more appropriate.
If your powers have a magical or uncertain
origin, Mysterious or Mystical may be a good
choice.
Depending on what abilities you have,
you’ll want to put power shifts into single
attack (for whatever your main
telekinesis-based ability is) and maybe
increased range. You could put a power
shift in flight, using your mind to lift
yourself to wherever you want to be.
Choosing the magic (36) flavor gives you
access to interesting mental or psychic
abilities like Closed Mind (119), Entangling
Force (136), Mental Link (161), and Premonition (171).
The stealth (34) flavor lets you choose some
neat pseudo-telekinetic abilities that might
fit your theme, like Legerdemain (157) and
Stealth Skills (186).

TELEPORTER
You can move instantly from one place
to another.
Although some heroes have the power to
teleport, only a few have teleportation as
their main flashy ability, incorporating it
into their attacks and defenses. If you’re a
superhero who relies on teleporting, take
the Ignores Physical Distance focus.
Warrior and Explorer are the best
choices for your type, giving you strong
combat abilities and access to useful skills.
If you want to be a more showy superhero,
appearing in front of crowds and dazzling
them with speeches and stunts, Speaker is
a workable alternative.
If your powers make you confident
(and perhaps prone to showing off), try a
descriptor like Brash, Chaotic, Impulsive,
or even Foolish. If you’re a swashbuckler
at heart, choose Charming, Clever, Jovial,
or Lucky. If you’re reserved or sneaky,
something like Guarded, Mysterious, or
Stealthy might be a better choice.
Put power shifts into accuracy, dexterity,
and maybe single attack. Putting a shift into
increased range for your teleport ability is
a nice advantage. Choosing healing for one
of your shifts is useful because you can
pop out of danger, have a quick rest, and
come back when you’re ready.
Your teleportation is useful in a fight
and for sneaking around, so swapping
abilities for something from the stealth (34)
or combat (36) flavor is a natural fit. If you’re
a magical hero, abilities from the magic (36)
flavor can give you some unusual options
when things get dangerous.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
building a superhero
TINY HERO
You get really small, but still hit like a
normal-sized person.
The core of this kind of superhero is the
Shrinks to Minute Size focus, which starts Shrinks to Minute Size,
off with letting you shrink to the size of page 47
a big bug, and you can get even better at
shrinking with practice. As many shrinking
heroes eventually develop the ability to Ignores Physical
grow to giant size, that’s also an option for Distance, page 46
you down the road.
Are you a scientist who invented shrinking
technology, and you augment your powers
with other gizmos you create? If so, your
type is probably an Adept. If you’re more
about being a spy, secret agent, or thief,
and your other abilities are about getting
out of trouble and maybe a little bit of
fighting, choose Explorer as your type.
Being really small isn’t normally associated
with being an inspiring leader or the best
fighter around, so you’re probably not a
Speaker or a Warrior.
Your descriptor could be just about
anything you want it to be, so pick one that
suits your personality. Descriptors that go
well with the powers of your focus are Clever,
Fast, Graceful, Lucky, Stealthy, and Swift.
Good power shift options for you are
accuracy, dexterity, and flight.
If you’re the sort of hero who talks to
and commands bugs, talk to your GM about
swapping an ability for Influence Swarm
(153) and (at tier 2) Control Swarm (122). If you’d
like to have a wicked sting or bite, swap out
an ability for Concussive Blast (121),
Onslaught (167), or Shock (183).
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UNKILLABLE BEAST
You fight like an animal and recover from
mortal wounds.
Although superheroes in general often
If you’re the perfect treat death like an inconvenience, your
hunter who can ability to heal—and therefore never
catch any beast or
human, and fast actually die—is legendary. Couple this with
healing isn’t what you an aggressive combat style and you’re
do, see the hunter
the last person standing when the boss
archetype, page 22.
supervillain needs an attitude adjustment.
If regeneration and overcoming injury is
your main deal, choose Never Says Die (73)
as your focus. If you love a good fight and
the fast healing is just a side benefit, try
Fights Dirty (68) or Looks for Trouble (71). If you
use your powers to relentlessly pursue
your opponents despite deadly obstacles,
pick Hunts (69). If you’re a berserker who
fights with ferocity and laughs at death,
try Rages (74).
You’re almost certainly a Warrior—one
of the fun parts of being this kind of hero
is cracking some bad-guy skulls. Explorers
have some cool tricks, too, particularly for
reacting to danger and surviving threats
in general. (You definitely wouldn’t be a
If your hero isn’t so Speaker—people don’t keep you around for
much about using your looks or personality.)
weapons and is
more about being an Being unkillable, or at least unbreakable,
amazing athlete, try tends to make a person reckless, so go-to
the master athlete
descriptors for this kind of hero are Brash,
concept, page 24.
Chaotic, Impulsive, and Risk-Taking. If you
want to double down on your survivability,
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
try a descriptor like Hardy, Lucky, Resilient,
or Tough. If the never-ending cycle of injury
and healing has left you bitter or scarred
(mentally or physically), choose Doomed,
Foolish, Hideous, or Vicious.
Put power shifts into healing and
resilience to make yourself better at
shrugging off wounds. To improve your
offensive capabilities, put shifts into
accuracy, dexterity, single attack, or
strength, as appropriate for your powers.
If you don’t already have a signature
move, swap for an ability like Aggression
(109), Bloodlust (115), Find an Opening (139),
Hemorrhage (149), Successive Attack (187), or
Unarmed Fighting Style (194). An ability like
Block (115), Closed Mind (119), Deflect Attacks (127),
or Resist the Elements (176) can help keep you
from getting hit in the first place or protect
you from special damage that you can’t
usually dodge.
WEAPON MASTER
You’re amazing with your chosen weapon—
maybe the best there is, or at least really
impressive at using it.
This archetype usually isn’t overtly
superpowered. You’re this good because
you spent your life training with one
weapon, you have a once-in-a-generation
knack for that weapon, or something like
that. You have several interesting options
for your focus, depending on what sort of
hero you want to be. If you’re great with
knives, shuriken, and other thrown objects,
pick Throws With Deadly Accuracy (77). If
you have one favorite kind of weapon,
whether that’s axes, swords, or bows,
try Masters Weaponry (72), or if guns are
your thing, Is Licensed to Carry (70) might
be more your style. If you’re more of a
dashing swashbuckler than a fanatic about
swords, choose Fights With Panache (68). If
one weapon at a time isn’t enough, there’s
Wields Two Weapons at Once (78). And if your
interest is in killing, regardless of what
weapon you’re using, consider being an
antihero who Murders (73).

You probably want your hero to be a
Warrior or Explorer, depending on whether
your main interest is fighting, or if you want
an even mix of fighting and other abilities.
Almost any descriptor is suitable for
a weapon master hero. If you believe a
strong offense is the best way to show
you’re the best, choose Brash, Impulsive,
or Strong. If you prefer speed and finesse
over brute force, pick Fast, Stealthy, or
Swift. If you’re willing and able to take a
few hits in order to win a fight, try Hardy,
Resilient, or Tough.
Put a power shift in single attack for your
chosen weapon, and maybe in increased
range as well. Accuracy, dexterity, and
strength are good for broadening your
physical abilities.
It’s very likely that any abilities you’d
want for your hero are available through
your type and focus, but if it still feels like
something’s missing, take a look at flavors
building a superhero
like stealth (34), combat (36), or skills and
knowledge (37) to fill in the blanks.
RANDOM SUPERPOWERS
The following table has a broad selection of
powers (or in some cases, sets of related
powers). Players who are stuck for ideas
about their superhero can roll once or
twice on the table for inspiration; use the
Example column for a suggested game
example of that kind of power, whether
that’s a power shift, a hero archetype,
a focus, or a specific special ability (of
course, these suggestions aren’t the only
way to achieve that power).
The GM can also use this table to come
up with random abilities for supervillains.
However, there is much more leeway in
designing NPC abilities, so the Example
column is more for suggesting game
mechanics than abilities to choose.

d100 Power Example

01–05 Agility Power shift in dexterity
06 Animal shapechanger Shapechanger (page 33)
07–09 Athletics Master athlete (page 24)
10 Atlantean Atlantean (page 11)
11–12 Beastly Beastly hero (page 12)
13–14 Claws/fangs Fists of Fury (140)
15–17 Cold attack Frost Touch (144)
18 Cold immunity Energy Resistance (134)
19 Companion creature Beastmaster (page 12)
20 Control animals Mentalist (page 25)
21 Control minds Mentalist (page 25)
22–23 Control plants Nature master (page 27)
24 Control wind Nature master (page 27)
25 Copy superpower Power replicator (page 29)
26 Create object Dream Becomes Reality (132), Sculpt Light (180)
27–28 Cyborg Cyborg (page 14)
29 Dark energy attack Dark energy master (page 16)
30 Duplication Multiplier (page 26)
31 Elastic Elastic (page 16)
32–34 Electricity attack Shock (183)
35 Electricity immunity Energy Resistance (134)

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 Claim the Sky
36 Enhanced senses Sensory adept (page 32)
37 Entangling Entangling Force (136)
38–40 Fire attack Energy master (page 17)
41 Fire immunity Energy Resistance (134)
42–43 Flight Power shift in flight
44 Force field Force field master (page 19)
45 Growing Giant hero (page 21)
46–47 Healing Power shift in healing
48 Human shapechanger Shapechanger (page 33)
49 Illusion Illusionist (page 23)
50–51 Intelligence Power shift in intelligence
52–54 Invention Builder (page 13)
55 Invisibility Invisibility (155), Vanish (196)
56–57 Leaping Amazing Leap (page 48), Far Step (138)
58–59 Lucky Chaotic (40), Lucky (51), Dodge and Resist (131),
Hard to Kill (148)
60–61 Magnetism Telekinetic (page 36)
62–64 Martial arts Master martial artist (page 25)
65 Paragon Paragon (page 28)
66 Phasing Phase master (page 28)
67 Plant Plant (page 29)
68 Poison Create Deadly Poison (123)
69–72 Powered armor Powered armor hero (page 30)
73 Remote viewing Sensory adept (page 32)
74–75 Resilience Power shift in resilience
76 Robot minions Builder (page 13)
77 Shield Bearer of the item (page 11)
78 Shrinking Tiny hero (page 37)
79–80 Sorcerer Sorcerer (page 33)
81–82 Sound attack Thunder Beam (191)
83–84 Speedster Speedster (page 34)
85–89 Strength Power shift in strength
90–91 Superspy Superspy (page 35)
92–93 Telekinesis Telekinetic (page 36)
94–95 Telepathy Mentalist (page 25)
96 Teleportation Teleporter (page 37)
97 Undead minions Sorcerer (page 33)
98 Weapon Bearer of the item (page 11)
99–00 Weapon master Weapon master (page 38), power shift in
single attack

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
 r
te
a r a c
Ch Options
NEW DESCRIPTORS
Descriptor, page 38 This section presents new descriptors
meant specifically for a superhero game.
Unlike the descriptors in the Cypher System
Rulebook, which usually describe your
personality and outlook, these descriptors
focus more on your nature as a superhero
and how you fit into the world (or don’t fit).
If you have a good idea of what your hero
persona is but are still working on what the
person under the mask is like, choosing
one of these descriptors lets you focus on
fighting crime while you figure out the rest
of your character behind the scenes.
AMAZING
You have a knack for surprising people—
performing impossible athletic feats,
sneaking up on someone who’s alert, or
instantly reacting to an ambush. You like
to make use of these talents to enhance
(or rehabilitate) your reputation as a hero
prone to spectacular rescues, defeating
foes way above your league, and arriving
just in time to save the day. Ironically,
in your normal daily life, you’re a little
awkward and overlooked.
You gain the following characteristics:
Exceptional: +2 to your Speed Pool, and
2 additional points to divide among your
stat Pools.
Skill: You’re trained in initiative and
stealth tasks.
Self-Hype: When you apply a level of
Free level of Effort, Effort to a task, you get a free level of
page 209 Effort. You can do this one time, although
the ability is renewed each time you make
a one-hour or ten-hour recovery roll.
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CHAP T
ER 2
Inability: Your sudden appearances are
startling to regular people. Positive social
reactions are hindered (villains and other
superheroes aren’t affected by this).
Initial Link to the Starting Adventure:
From the following list of options, choose
how you became involved in the first
adventure.
1. You got in a bit over your head, but
another PC’s coincidental arrival gave you
just the distraction you needed.
2. You were tailing someone the other
PCs were following and decided to drop in.
3. You saw that the other PCs were in a
fight and chose to help them out.
4. You had a hunch that something big
was about to go down.
INCREDIBLE
You’re misunderstood, and you might
not even think of yourself as a hero, but
somehow you keep ending up in situations
where your abilities are just what’s needed
to prevent disaster. Maybe good luck
cancels out just enough of being cursed
to count as a win. You’ve saved innocent
lives, defeated some really bad people, and
perhaps even cheated death a couple of
times. Half the time you don’t even know
how you did it, but you succeeded at the
impossible . . . often with a lot of collateral
damage. When you hear police sirens, it’s
time to leave, but you know that trouble will
find you eventually—and you’ll be ready to
smash it.
Strong: +2 to your Might Pool, and 2
additional points to divide among your
stat Pools.

Skill: You’re trained in breaking things.
Skill: You’re trained in all jumping tasks.
Inability: Your destructive reputation or
some other reluctance to communicate
makes people distrust you. Any task
involving social interaction is hindered.
Incredible Action: You can choose to
automatically succeed on one task without
rolling, as long as the task’s difficulty is no
higher than 6. When you do so, however,
you also trigger a GM intrusion as if
you had rolled a 1. The intrusion doesn’t
invalidate the success, but it probably
qualifies it in some fashion. You can do this
one time, although the ability renews each
time you make a ten-hour recovery roll.
Initial Link to the Starting Adventure:
From the following list of options, choose
how you became involved in the first
adventure.
1. One of the other PCs sensed your
decent heart and decided to befriend you.
2. You literally crashed through a wall
and ended up in the middle of the other PCs.
3. One of the other PCs reminds you of
someone from your past.
4. You were feeling lonely and took a risk
talking to someone, and so far it’s paying off.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Character Options
MIGHTY
You have a very impressive physique. Your
strength, power, and very importance
are superior. Whether you’re truly the
mightiest may be up for debate (and you
may have a friendly rivalry about this
with other superheroes), but there is no
question that you are exceptional. These
things make you confident, but you know
that you have these physical gifts in order
to perform heroic deeds, and unseemly
conduct is beneath you.
Very Powerful: +4 to your Might Pool.
Skill: You’re trained in all actions involving
lifting and throwing things.
Skill: You’re trained in Might defense tasks.
Healthy: Add 1 to the points you regain
when you make a recovery roll.
Initial Link to the Starting Adventure:
From the following list of options, choose
how you became involved in the first
adventure.
1. You joined the other PCs because they
would fail without your strength.
2. You believe this endeavor will earn you
a lot of valor.
3. Another PC asked—rightly—for your help.
4. An authority figure told you to do this
to show you the value of humility.
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 Claim the Sky
SENSATIONAL
The public and the press like you. Maybe
you’re photogenic, or you’re inherently
nice, or you have really good luck with
journalists. Whatever the cause of it, you’re
the darling of the media, and whenever
you’re seen in public, you generate a lot
of positive interest and excitement. (If you
don’t have a secret identity, this attention
probably also carries over to your day job,
which is a mixed blessing.) People know
that you’re a hero and that they can count
on you to do the right thing—fighting crime,
battling injustice, punching evil robots, that
kind of stuff. Sometimes being in the public
eye so much can be wearying or even a
burden, but you know how to use your
reputation to set a good example and make
the world a better place.
You gain the following characteristics:
Versatile: You get 4 additional points to
If the superhero setting divide among your stat Pools.
has a specific gene or Skill: You’re trained in positive social
genes responsible for
mutant superpowers, interactions.
Uncanny characters Skill: You’re trained in one skill relating
have that gene
to your current or past career, such as
(perhaps even multiple
copies) and can sense computers, journalism, law, machinery, or
others who have it. medicine.
Popular: The GM can introduce a GM
intrusion on you, based on your fame and
the public’s perception of you, without
awarding you any XP (as if you had rolled a
1 on a d20 roll). However, if this happens, 50
percent of the time, your reputation works
to your advantage. Rather than hurting
you (much), it helps you, or it hurts your
enemies. You get spotted by a guard, but
they’re dumbstruck for a moment because
you’re even more impressive in person
than you are on TV. You attract a crowd of
fans, but they slow down the fleeing villain
you’re trying to catch. A photographer
pesters you for a photo and a quote,
but their camera catches something
interesting in the background. You and the
GM should work together to determine the
details. If the GM wishes, they can use GM
intrusions based on your fame normally
(awarding XP).
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Initial Link to the Starting Adventure:
From the following list of options, choose
how you became involved in the first
adventure.
1. You’re related to one of the other
superhero PCs, and decided to help out
because of family.
2. The other PCs relied on your positive
reputation to untangle them from a public
relations problem, and they invited you
along out of gratitude.
3. The media specifically called you out to
fix this problem.
4. A supervillain chose to make a scene in
the hopes of drawing you out.
UNCANNY
There’s something unusual about
you, and it makes other people a little
uncomfortable. You know you’re
exceptional—gifted, even—and being a
bit odd doesn’t make you any less of a
person. This uncanny element is a part of
you, in your blood, in your DNA. You can’t
help it, but you won’t apologize for it. You
feel comfortable around other people
with similar strangeness, people who’ve
experienced the same prejudice that you
have; these shared experiences mean
they’re your family, perhaps the only family
you’ve got.
You gain the following characteristics:
Exceptional: +2 to your Might Pool and +2
to your Speed Pool.
Distinctive Physical Quirk: You have
an unusual physical aspect. Depending on
the setting, this can vary greatly; it might
be something external and obvious, such
as an odd smell or blue hair, or internal
and hidden, like having blood type “omega.”
Whatever it is, your quirk draws a lot of
attention when it’s discovered.
A Sense for the Weird: Sometimes—at
the GM’s discretion—an event or person
that seems related to your uncanny nature
attracts your attention. You can sense it
from afar, and if you get within long range
of it, you can sense whether it is overtly
dangerous or not.

Skill: You’re trained in either perception
tasks or stealth tasks.
Skill: You’re trained in one kind of
knowledge related to your quirk, such
as olfactory science, mutations, or
hematology.
Inability: People find you unnerving. All
tasks relating to pleasant social interaction
are hindered. (Other people who are
unusual like you aren’t affected by this.)
Initial Link to the Starting Adventure:
From the following list of options, choose
how you became involved in the first
adventure.
1. You felt the objective was someone like
you, so you got involved.
2. Whether the other PCs realize it or not,
their mission has to do with your field of
knowledge, so you got involved.
3. As an expert in an unusual kind of
knowledge, you were specifically recruited
by the other PCs.
4. You believe one of the other PCs may be
uncanny or is related to someone who is.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Character Options
NEW FOCI
This section presents new superhero foci Foci, page 60
that can be used as is in most superhero
campaigns. The foci introduced here are
as follows:
Copies Superpowers: You can copy
others’ skills, abilities, and superpowers.
Has a Thousand Faces: You can change
your appearance to look like anyone else.
Ignores Physical Distance: You can
teleport from one place to another by
briefly passing through a parallel dimension.
Sculpts Hard Light: You create physical
objects out of hard light that you can use
for offense and defense.
Shrinks to Minute Size: You can shrink
down to the size of a bug and, with enough
experience, even smaller.
Soars on Amazing Wings: Many
superheroes can fly, and some even
have wings. You can use your wings for
movement, attacks, and defense.
Stretches: Your body is elastic and
rubbery, able to stretch to great lengths
and compress when struck.
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Takes Animal Shape: You can transform
yourself into an animal.
Touches the Sky: You can summon
storms or break them apart.
Wields an Enchanted Weapon: You have
a weapon with strange abilities, and your
knowledge of its powers has allowed you to
create a unique style of combat with it.
Wields Invisible Force: You bend light
and manipulate beams of force for offense
and defense.
As with the foci in the Cypher System
Rulebook, the numbers listed after the
abilities for each tier are the rulebook
pages where those abilities are described.
If an ability doesn’t have a page number
listed, it is new to this book and explained at
the end of this chapter.
COPIES SUPERPOWERS
You can copy others’ skills, abilities, and
superpowers.
1 Tier 1: Flex Skill (141)
1 Tier 1: Flex Skill (141)
1 Tier 2: Copy Power
1 Tier 3: Steal Power or Wildcard Powers
1 Tier 4: Improved Copying
1 Tier 5: Power Memory
1 Tier 6: Amazing Copying or Multiple
Copying
GM Intrusions: A copied power ends
unexpectedly or goes out of control. A
copied power doesn’t bring secondary
powers with it (like gaining superspeed
without protection from air friction, or not
being immune to the heat from your own
fire bolts).
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
HAS A THOUSAND FACES
You can change your appearance to look
like anyone else.
1 Tier 1: Face Morph (138)
1 Tier 1: Interaction Skills (155)
1 Tier 2: Body Morph
1 Tier 2: War Flesh
1 Tier 3: Disguise Other or Resilience (176)
1 Tier 4: Ageless
1 Tier 4: Think Your Way Out (191)
1 Tier 5: Memory Becomes Action (161)
1 Tier 6: Divide Your Mind (130) or Infer
Thoughts (153)
GM Intrusions: Part of the disguise slips.
An NPC thinks the disguised character is
someone they know very well.
IGNORES PHYSICAL DISTANCE
You can teleport from one place to another
by briefly passing through a parallel
dimension.
1 Tier 1: Dimensional Squeeze
1 Tier 2: Opportunist (167)
1 Tier 3: Defensive Blinking or
Teleportation Burst
1 Tier 4: Short Teleportation
1 Tier 5: Medium Teleportation
1 Tier 6: Teleportation (190) or Teleportive
Wound
GM Intrusions: A teleport goes awry,
landing the character in a dangerous place.
Inertia (such as from falling) continues
through the teleport, injuring the character.
SCULPTS HARD LIGHT
You create physical objects out of hard
light that you can use for offense and
defense.
1 Tier 1: Automatic Glow
1 Tier 1: Temporary Light
1 Tier 2: Entangling Force (136)
1 Tier 3: Harder Light or Sculpt Light (180)
1 Tier 4: Greater Enhanced Intellect (146)
1 Tier 5: Improved Sculpt Light (152)
1 Tier 6: Defensive Field (127) or Flight (141)
GM Intrusions: A hard light object
disappears early. A hard light object cannot
affect a certain creature or color.
 Character Options
SHRINKS TO MINUTE SIZE TAKES ANIMAL SHAPE
You can shrink down to the size of a bug You can transform yourself into an animal. A character who
and, with enough experience, even smaller. 1 Tier 1: Animal Shape Shrinks to Minute Size
who chooses to learn
1 Tier 1: Shrink 1 Tier 2: Communication (121)
abilities like Enlarge
1 Tier 1: Beneath Notice 1 Tier 2: Soothe the Savage (184) will never be quite as
1 Tier 2: Smaller 1 Tier 3: Bigger Animal Shape or Greater
big as one who Grows
to Towering Heights,
1 Tier 2: Advantages of Being Small Beast Form (146) but they can enjoy the
1 Tier 3: Enlarge (135) or Quick Switch 1 Tier 4: Animal Scrying advantages of being
big or small as needed.
1 Tier 4: Small Flight 1 Tier 5: Hard to Kill (148)

1 Tier 5: Shrink Others 1 Tier 6: Blurring Speed (115) or Lend Animal

1 Tier 6: Bigger (113) or Tiny Shape Greater Beast Form

GM Intrusions: A creature thinks the GM Intrusions: The character applies to using
Animal Shape.
small character is potential food. The small unexpectedly changes form. An NPC is
character gets trapped in a tiny space or frightened by or aggressive toward the
under a falling object. shapeshifter. The transformation takes
longer than expected.
SOARS ON AMAZING WINGS
Many superheroes can fly, and some even TOUCHES THE SKY
have wings. You can use your wings for You can summon storms or break them
movement, attacks, and defense. apart.
1 Tier 1: Hover (149) 1 Tier 1: Hover (149)

1 Tier 1: Flight Exertion 1 Tier 2: Wind Armor (199)

1 Tier 2: Wing Weapons 1 Tier 3: Bolts of Power (115) or Storm Seed (187)

1 Tier 3: Acrobatic Attack (108) or Flying 1 Tier 4: Windrider (199)

Companion 1 Tier 5: Cold Burst (119)

1 Tier 4: Hard to Hit (148) 1 Tier 6: Control Weather (122) or Wind

1 Tier 5: Up to Speed (195) Chariot (199)

1 Tier 6: Hard Target (148) or Defense Master (127)
GM Intrusions: A wing gets hurt or
restrained, causing the character to
fall. Flying high makes the character an
obvious target for an unexpected foe.
GM Intrusions: An ally is accidentally
struck by a fork of lightning. An unexpected
grounding effect inflicts damage. The
weather is seeded by a much smaller
effect, and a storm grows out of control.

STRETCHES
Your body is elastic and rubbery, able to
stretch to great lengths and compress
when struck.
1 Tier 1: Contortionist (121)

1 Tier 1: Far Step (138)

1 Tier 2: Elastic Grip

1 Tier 2: Safe Fall (179)

1 Tier 3: Bypass Barrier (116) or Misdirect (163)

1 Tier 4: Resilience (176)

1 Tier 5: Free to Move (143)

1 Tier 6: Break the Ranks (116) or Not Dead Yet (166)

GM Intrusions: An attack or effect

interferes with the character’s elasticity.
A stretched limb becomes overstressed
and weak.

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WIELDS AN ENCHANTED WEAPON NEW ABILITIES
You have a weapon with strange abilities, The following are new abilities for the
and your knowledge of its powers has Cypher System, most of which are
allowed you to create a unique style of associated with the new foci in this book.
combat with it. They are otherwise similar to the abilities in
1 Tier 1: Enchanted Weapon chapter 9 of the Cypher System Rulebook.
1 Tier 1: Innate Power

1 Tier 1: Charge Weapon 1 Advantages of Being Small: You’ve learned

1 Tier 2: Power Crash how to leverage your strength and accuracy

1 Tier 3: Rapid Attack (174) or Throw in proportion to your size. Your damage is no
Enchanted Weapon longer halved when using Shrink, and climbing
1 Tier 4: Defending Weapon and jumping tasks are eased. Enabler.
1 Tier 5: Enchanted Movement

1 Tier 6: Deadly Strike (125) or Spin Attack (185) 1 Ageless: Your body and mind do not age.

GM Intrusions: A weapon breaks or
is dropped. The character loses their
connection to the weapon until they use
an action to reestablish the attunement.
The weapon’s energy discharges in an
Unless you are killed by violence (or some
outside force such as poison or infection),
you will never die. Enabler.
1 Always Tinkering: If you have any

unexpected way. tools and materials at all, and you are

Always Tinkering is a carrying fewer cyphers than your limit,
fun ability for genius
(page 20) and builder
WIELDS INVISIBLE FORCE you can create a manifest cypher if you
(page 13) heroes who You bend light and manipulate beams of have an hour of time to spend. The new
are always coming force for offense and defense. cypher is random and always 2 levels
up with gadgets and 1 Tier 1: Vanish (196) lower than normal (minimum 1). It’s also
weird prototype
items to test out. 1 Tier 2: Entangling Force (136) temperamental and fragile. These are
1 Tier 2: Sharp Senses (182) called temperamental cyphers. If you give
1 Tier 3: Force Field Barrier (143) or Multi-Vanish one to anyone else to use, it falls apart
1 Tier 4: Invisibility (155) immediately, useless. Action to initiate; one
1 Tier 5: Defensive Field (127) hour to complete.
1 Tier 6: Concussion (121) or Generate

Copy Power, page 51 Force Field (145) 1 Amazing Copying: You can use Copy

GM Intrusions: Invisibility partially fades, Power to copy more powerful abilities. In

revealing the character’s presence. A addition to the normal options for using
force field is pierced by an unusual or Effort with Copy Power, if you apply two
When you use unexpected attack. levels of Effort, the GM chooses a high-tier
Amazing Copying, a ability that most closely resembles that
copied ability must be
low, medium, or high power (instead of a low-tier ability). Enabler.
tier according to how
it is listed in the ability 1 Amazing Leap (2 Might points): You
categories (page 95).
It doesn’t matter if a leap through the air and land safely
type or focus makes some distance away. You can jump up,
it available at a lower
or higher tier. down, or across to anywhere you choose
within long range if you have a clear and
unobstructed path to that location. If
you have three or more power shifts in
strength, your leaping range increases to
very long. If you have five or more power
shifts in strength, your leaping range
increases to 1,000 feet (300 m). Action.

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
 Character Options
1 Animal Scrying (4+ Intellect points): and perform tasks using hands without When using Animal
If you know the general location of an being hindered. Anyone who sees you Scrying, “similar” is
a broad term. Lions
animal that is friendly toward you and clearly in this hybrid form would never are similar to tigers
within 1 mile (1.5 km) of your location, you mistake you for a mere animal. and leopards, hawks
are similar to ravens
can sense through its senses for up to Action to change or revert.
and swans, dogs are
ten minutes. If you are not in animal form similar to wolves and
or not in a form similar to that animal, you 1 Automatic Glow: Hard light objects foxes, and so on.
must apply a level of Effort to use this you create with your type and focus
ability. Action to establish. abilities shed light, illuminating everything Even if your animal
in immediate range. Whenever you want, shape has multiple
attack types (such as
1 Animal Shape (3+ Intellect points): You your body (entirely or just part of it) sheds claws and bite), you can
change into an animal as small as a rat or light, illuminating everything in short attack only once per
round unless you have
up to your own size (such as a large dog or range. Enabler.
some other ability that
small bear) for ten minutes. Each time you lets you make additional
transform, you can take a different animal 1 Beneath Notice: Your decreased size attacks on your turn.
shape. Your equipment becomes part of makes it difficult to find you. While Shrink is
the transformation, rendering it unusable active on you, all stealth tasks you attempt Animal Form Minor
unless it has a passive effect, such as are eased. Enabler. Abilities table, page 50

armor. In this form your stats remain the A character might

same as your normal form, but you can 1 Bigger Animal Shape: When you use be able to take the
shape of a creature
move and attack according to your animal Animal Shape, your animal form grows that is similar to a
shape (attacks from most animals this size to about twice its normal size. Being so common animal, such
as a unicorn instead
are medium weapons, which you can use large, your beast form gains the following
of a horse or a basilisk
without penalty). Tasks requiring hands additional bonuses: +1 to Armor, +5 to your instead of a lizard,
(such as using door handles or pushing Might Pool, and you are trained in using but doing so should
require applying at
buttons) are hindered when in animal your animal form’s natural attacks as least one level of Effort
form. You cannot speak but can still use heavy weapons (if you weren’t already). to the change, and the
abilities that don’t rely on human speech. However, your Speed defense tasks are character wouldn’t gain
any of the creature’s
You gain two minor abilities associated with hindered. While bigger, you also gain unusual abilities.
the creature you become (see the Animal an asset to tasks that are easier for a
Form Minor Abilities table). For example, larger creature to perform, like climbing, Animal Shape variant:
if you transform into a bat, you become intimidating, wading rivers, and so on. If your character
concept is that you
trained in perception and can fly up to a Enabler. always take the same
long distance each round. If you transform animal form instead of
1 Body Morph (3+ Intellect points): You
being able to choose
into an octopus, you are trained in stealth
from multiple kinds
and can breathe underwater. alter your facial and bodily features and of animals, double
If you apply a level of Effort when you coloration for one hour, hiding your identity the duration of the
Animal Shape ability
use this ability, you can either become or impersonating someone. If you apply (to twenty minutes
a talking animal or take a hybrid shape. a level of Effort, you can imitate a specific per use). The GM may
The talking animal shape looks exactly person accurately enough to fool someone allow characters with
this restriction to learn
like a normal animal, but you can still talk who knows them well or has observed them additional animal forms
and use any abilities that rely on human closely (including fingerprints and voice by spending 4 XP as
a long-term benefit.
speech. The hybrid shape is like your prints, but not their retina print or DNA). You
normal form but with animalistic features, have an asset in all tasks involving disguise
even if that animal is something much (this is in addition to the asset from Face
Long-Term Benefits,
smaller than you (such as a bat or rat). In Morph). You must apply a separate level of page 239
this hybrid form you can speak, use all of Effort to be able to impersonate a different
Face Morph, page 138
your abilities, make attacks like an animal, species (such as a human morphing into a
humanoid alien). Action.

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
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 Claim the Sky
ANIMAL FORM MINOR ABILITIES TABLE
Use the following as examples or suggestions of what a character gains when in the
shape of an animal. If an animal shape lists two skills, the character chooses which one
they want each time they take that shape.

Animal Skill Training Other Abilities

Ape Climbing Hands
Badger Climbing Scent
Bat Perception Flying
Bear Climbing Scent
Bird Perception Flying
The GM can mix up the Boar Might defense Scent
combinations of skills Cat Climbing or stealth Small
and other abilities for
these animal shapes Constrictor snake Climbing Constrict
to create other Earth Crocodile Stealth or swimming Constrict
animals, or create
animals in the campaign Deinonychus Perception Fast
setting that are native Dolphin Perception or swimming Fast
to other planets.
Fish Stealth or swimming Aquatic
Frog Jumping or stealth Aquatic
Horse Perception Fast
Leopard Climbing or stealth Fast
Lizard Climbing or stealth Small
Octopus Stealth Aquatic
Shark Swimming Aquatic
Turtle Might defense Armor
Venomous snake Climbing Venom
Wolf Perception Scent

Aquatic: The animal either breathes water instead of air or is able to breathe water in
addition to breathing air.
Armor: The animal has a thick hide or shell, granting +1 to Armor.
Constrict: The animal can grip its opponent fast after making a melee attack (usually with
a bite or claw), easing attack rolls against that foe on later turns until it releases the foe.
Fast: The animal can move a long distance on its turn instead of a short distance.
Flying: The animal can fly, which (depending on the type of animal) may be up to a short
or long distance on its turn.
Hands: The animal has paws or hands that are nearly as agile as those of a human.
Unlike with most animal shapes, the animal’s tasks that require hands are not hindered
(although the GM may decide that some tasks requiring human agility, such as playing a
flute, are still hindered).
Scent: The animal has a strong sense of smell, gaining an asset on tracking and dealing
with darkness or blindness.
Small: The animal is considerably smaller than a human, easing its Speed defense tasks
but hindering tasks to move heavy things.
Venom: The animal is poisonous (usually through a bite), inflicting 1 additional point of
damage.

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

1 Bolster Illusion (2+ Intellect points): You
give one of your visual illusions a limited
physical reality that viewers can smell,
taste, hear, and feel. This effect is bound
to that illusion and acts appropriate to the
illusion itself. For example, it can make the
illusion of a brick wall feel like brick, the
illusion of a person smell like perfume and
able to open a door, and the illusion of a
fireplace hot to the touch.
The physical reality provided to your
illusion is a level 1 effect with 3 health. If the
illusion is used to make attacks, it inflicts only
1 point of damage (whether this is regular
damage like an illusory punch or kick, or
ambient damage like a falling brick wall
or a fireplace’s flames). You can increase
the level of the created effect by applying
levels of Effort to this ability, each level of
Effort increasing the effect’s level by 1.
You can activate this ability as part of the
action to create an illusion (using whatever
ability it is that you use to create illusions,
such as Minor Illusion), or use a separate
action to apply it to one of your existing
illusions. The effect ends if the illusion is
destroyed, you let the illusion lapse, the
effect’s health is reduced to 0, or ten
minutes pass. Enabler.
1 Boost Manifest Cypher (2 Intellect
points): The manifest cypher you activate
with your next action functions as if it were
2 levels higher. Action.
1 Boost Manifest Cypher Function (4
Intellect points): Add 3 to the functioning
level of a manifest cypher that you activate
with your next action, or change one
aspect of its parameters (range, duration,
area, etc.) by up to double or down to one
tenth. Action.
1 Charge Weapon (2+ Intellect points):
As part of making an attack with your
enchanted weapon, you charge it with
magical power, inflicting 2 additional points
of energy damage. If you make more
than one attack on your turn, you choose
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Character Options
whether to spend the cost for this ability
before you make each attack. Enabler.
1 Command Beast (3+ Intellect points):
You can command a nonhostile, nonhuman
beast (such as one that you’ve made
calm with Soothe the Savage) of up to Soothe the Savage,
level 3 within short range. If you are page 184
successful, for the next minute the beast
follows your verbal commands to the
best of its understanding and ability. The
GM has final say over what counts as a
nonhuman beast, but unless some kind Depending on how
of deception is at work, you should know your powers work,
the effects of Bolster
whether you can affect a creature before Illusion might be due
you attempt to use this ability on it. Aliens, to a shaped force
field, conjured helpful
extradimensional entities, very intelligent
spirit, cloud of tiny
creatures, and robots never count. drones, and so on.
In addition to the normal options for
using Effort, you can choose to use Effort
to increase the maximum level of the
target. Thus, to command a level 5 beast
(two levels above the normal limit), you
must apply two levels of Effort. Action to Minor Illusion, page 162
initiate.
1 Copy Power (2+ Intellect points): You If there’s any
can copy someone else’s superpower uncertainty about
whether Copy Power
for an hour, performing it as if it were could copy a specific
natural for you. Within the past hour you ability, the GM is free
to say yes and offer
must have touched the creature whose
a GM intrusion to
power you want to copy (an attack roll) and complicate the situation.
must have seen that ability used by them.
Choose the power you want to copy, and
the GM chooses an appropriate low-tier A copied ability must
ability that most closely resembles that be low tier according
to how it is listed in
power. For example, if you’re battling a the ability categories
supervillain who can create blasts of force, (page 95).
It doesn’t matter
if you copy that ability, you gain a low-tier
if a type or focus
ability that creates a blast of force. makes it available
In addition to the point cost of Copy at a higher tier.
Power, you must pay the Might, Speed, or
Intellect cost (if any) of the equivalent ability
that the GM chose. For example, if you want
to copy a supervillain’s force blast, the GM
will probably decide that’s equivalent to
Onslaught (167), so you’d pay 2 Intellect points
to activate Copy Power and 1 Intellect point
to use Onslaught.
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 Claim the Sky
You can copy only one power at a time;
copying another one ends any other power
you’re copying with this ability.
Copy Power doesn’t copy effects of a
power that permanently adds points to
your Pools, such as Enhanced Body (134).
In addition to the normal options for
using Effort, you can choose to use Effort
to copy an ability you saw longer than one
hour ago; each level of Effort used in this
way extends the time period by one hour.
Action.
1 Defending Weapon: When using your
enchanted weapon, you are trained in
Speed defense tasks. Enabler.
1 Defensive Blinking (4 Intellect points):
You enter a heightened reactive state so
that when you are struck hard enough to
take damage, you teleport an immediate
distance in a random direction (not up or
down) to help evade the brunt of the attack.
Your Speed defense rolls are eased for
one minute. Action.
1 Dimensional Squeeze (2+ Intellect
points): You cram yourself into a
Transitional dimension: transitional dimension, allowing you
A dimension where to instantaneously appear anywhere
distances are shorter
compared to those you choose within short range if you
in other dimensions, have a clear and unobstructed path
so travel through
to that location. You can pass through
it is faster than
normal movement. an intervening barrier if it has an open
space that you could easily fit your head
through—about 1 square foot (30 cm by
30 cm square). In addition to the normal
options for using Effort, you can choose
to use Effort to pass through a smaller
opening in a barrier; each level of Effort
used in this way reduces the minimum
opening size by one-fourth. You land safely
when you use this ability. Action.
You probably can’t
use Disguise Other 1 Disguise Other (4+ Intellect points):
to disguise a kind of
creature that is very You apply your shapechanging ability to
different from you, such another creature of your size or smaller,
as a human disguising
giving them a form that you are able to
a robot, animal, or
crystalline alien. assume. This lasts for about ten minutes.
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
In addition to the normal options for using
Effort, you can choose to use Effort to
increase the duration; one level of Effort
increases it to an hour, two increases it to
a day. A creature can revert to its normal
form as an action, but it cannot then
change back into the altered form. Action.
1 Elastic Grip (3 Might points): Your attack
with your stretchy limbs or body is eased. If
you hit, you can grab the target, preventing
it from moving on its next turn. While you
hold the target, its attacks or attempts
to break free are hindered. If the target
attempts to break free instead of attacking,
you must succeed at a Might-based
task to maintain your grip. If the target fails
to break free, you can continue to hold it
each round as your subsequent actions,
automatically inflicting 4 points of damage
each round by squeezing. Enabler.
1 Enchanted Movement (4+ Intellect
points): You use your enchanted weapon
to move yourself to any location within a
long distance that you can see, as long as
there are no obstacles or barriers in your
way. The exact way this happens depends
on your weapon; you might throw your
magical hammer and be pulled along after
it, shoot an arrow from your bow that
pulls you forward like a grapple line, and
so on. In addition to the normal options for
using Effort, you can choose to use Effort
to increase the distance traveled; each
level of Effort used in this way increases
the range by another 100 feet (30 m). If
you have another ability (such as from
your type) that allows you to cross a long
distance, the range of that ability and this
one increases to very long. Action.
1 Enchanted Weapon (1 Intellect point):
You attune yourself to a physical weapon,
such as a sword, hammer, or bow. You
know exactly where it is if it is within a short
distance of you, and you know its general
direction and distance if farther away. All
of your other focus abilities require you to

be holding or wielding this weapon. You can
be attuned to only one weapon at a time;
attuning yourself to a second weapon loses
the attunement to the first one. Action to
initiate; ten minutes to complete. Enabler.
1 Flex Weapon Skill: At the beginning
of each day, choose one type of attack:
light bashing, light bladed, light ranged,
medium bashing, medium bladed, medium
ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or
heavy ranged. For the rest of that day, you
are trained in attacks using that type of
weapon. You can’t use this ability with an
attack skill in which you’re already trained
to become specialized. Enabler.
1 Flight Exertion (3 Might or 3 Speed
points): You can fly up to a short distance
as your movement this round. If all you do
is move on your turn, you can fly up to a
long distance. Enabler.
1 Flying Companion: You gain a level 3
companion creature that can fly at the
same speed as you; depending on other
aspects of your character, this might be a
trained bird, a machine drone, or a helpful
strange creature such as a familiar. This
creature accompanies you and acts as
you direct. As a level 3 companion, it has
a target number of 9 and 9 health, and it
inflicts 3 points of damage. If it’s killed or
destroyed, it takes you one month to find or
create a suitable replacement. Enabler.
1 Harder Light: When you create an object
out of hard light, the object is one level
higher than normal. Enabler.
1 Improved Copying: You can use Copy
Power to copy more powerful abilities. In
addition to the normal options for using
Effort with Copy Power, if you apply one
level of Effort, the GM chooses a mid-tier
ability that most closely resembles that
power (instead of a low-tier ability). Enabler.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Character Options
1 Innate Power: Choose either your Might
Pool or your Speed Pool. When spending
points to activate your focus abilities, you
can spend points from this Pool instead of
your Intellect Pool (in which case you use
your Might Edge or Speed Edge instead
of your Intellect Edge, as appropriate).
Enabler.
1 Lend Animal Shape (6+ Intellect points):
You change into an animal, and one willing
creature within immediate range also
transforms into an animal of that type
(bear, tiger, wolf, and so on) for ten minutes,
as if they were using your Animal Shape Animal Shape, page 49
ability. For each level of Effort applied,
you can affect one additional creature. All A creature that takes
creatures transforming with you must animal form with
Lend Animal Shape
be your size or smaller. A creature can counts as an animal
revert to its normal form as an action, for the use of Animal
Scrying (page 49).
but it cannot then change back into the
animal form. One creature (whether you
or someone else) changing form does not
affect any other creature affected with
this ability. Action. If you already have
Short Teleportation
(page 55) when
1 Medium Teleportation (5+ Intellect
you select Medium
points): You instantly teleport yourself to Teleportation or
Teleportation,
any location within a long distance that you
you may replace
can see. In addition to the normal options Short Teleportation
for using Effort, you can choose to use with another tier
4 type ability.
Effort to increase your range, teleport to a
location you can’t see, or bring other people
with you. Each additional long distance Teleportation,
costs one level of Effort. Teleporting to page 190
a destination you can’t see costs one
level of Effort. Each additional one or two Copy Power, page 51
targets brought with you costs one level
of Effort (you must touch any additional
When you use
targets). These levels of Effort are counted Improved Copying, a
separately, so teleporting an additional long copied ability must be
distance away to a location you can’t see low, medium, or high
tier according to how
with two passengers costs a total of three it is listed in the ability
levels of Effort. Action. categories (page 95).
It doesn’t matter if a
type or focus makes
1 Mist Cloud (1+ Intellect points): You it available at a lower
create an area of mist an immediate or higher tier.
distance across. The cloud lingers for Mist, page 221
about a minute unless conditions (such as
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 Claim the Sky
Copy Power, page 51 wind or freezing temperatures) dictate
otherwise. In addition to the normal options
for using Effort, you can choose to use
Effort to increase the area (one level of
Effort to fill a short area, two to fill a long
area, or three to fill a very long area).
Action.
1 Modify Cyphers: You can take any two
manifest cyphers and quickly jury-rig a
new manifest cypher of the same level as
the lowest-level cypher. You determine the
function of the new cypher, but it must be
that of a cypher you have used before (but
not necessarily one you’ve ever built). The
new cypher is a temperamental cypher,
Always Tinkering, like those created with Always Tinkering.
page 48 The original two cyphers are consumed in
this process. This ability does not function
if one or more of the original cyphers are
temperamental cyphers. Action.
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
1 Multiple Copying: When you use Copy
Power, you can copy two of the creature’s
abilities at the same time. In addition to the
normal options for using Effort with Copy
Power, you can apply levels of Effort to
copy additional abilities, each level of Effort
copying an additional ability beyond the
initial two (three for one level of Effort, four
for two levels, and so on). Enabler.
1 Multi-Vanish (4+ Intellect points): You
turn up to five human-sized creatures or
objects invisible for a short amount of time.
The targets you choose must be within an
immediate area and within short range of
you (if you are in the area, you can make
yourself invisible and don’t count toward
the limit of five invisible targets). Anything
invisible has an asset on stealth and Speed
defense tasks. Affected creatures can see
each other in a limited way, and you can
see them clearly.
The invisibility ends at the end of your
next turn. If one of the affected creatures
does something to reveal their presence or
position—attacking, using an ability, moving
a large object, and so on—the invisibility
ends early for that creature. In addition to
the normal options for using Effort, you
can choose to use Effort to increase the
duration; each level of Effort used in this
way increases the duration by one round
(but creatures can still end it early for
themselves). Action.
1 Power Crash (3+ Intellect points): You
strike your enchanted weapon against
the ground (or a similar large surface),
creating an explosion of energy that
affects an area up to immediate range
from that point. (If your enchanted weapon
is a ranged weapon, you can instead target
a point within close range to be the center
of the explosion.) The blast inflicts 2 points
of damage to all creatures or objects
within the area (except for you). Because
this is an area attack, adding Effort to
increase your damage works differently
than it does for single-target attacks. If

you apply a level of Effort to increase the
damage, add 2 points of damage for each
target, and even if you fail your attack roll,
all targets in the area still take 1 point of
damage. Action.
1 Power Memory: When you use Copy
Power, you only need to have seen the
ability used within the past day (instead of
the past hour), and using Effort extends
how long ago your copying can reach to
one day per level of Effort (instead of one
hour per level). Enabler.
1 Quick Switch: You can activate Shrink as
part of another action (the ability is now an
enabler for you instead of an action). While
the one-minute duration of Shrink is active,
on your turn you can change size once
before taking an action and once after
taking an action. For example, on your turn
you could change to small size, make an
attack, and then return to your normal size,
or you could change to your normal size,
use your action to move a short distance,
and then return to small size. Enabler.
1 Short Teleportation (4+ Intellect
points): You instantly teleport to any
location within a short distance that you
can see. In addition to the normal options
for using Effort, you can choose to use
Effort to increase your range, teleport to a
location you can’t see, or bring other people
with you. Each additional short distance
costs one level of Effort. Teleporting to a
destination you can’t see costs one level
of Effort. Each additional target brought
with you costs one level of Effort (you
must touch any additional targets). These
levels of Effort are counted separately, so
teleporting an additional short distance
away to a location you can’t see with one
passenger costs a total of three levels of
Effort. Action.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Character Options
1 Shrink (1+ Might points): You (and your
clothing or suit) become much smaller
than your normal size. You become 6
inches (15 cm) tall and stay that way for
about a minute. During this time, you add
4 points to your Speed Pool and add +2 to
your Speed Edge. While you are smaller
than normal, your Speed defense rolls are
eased, your movement speed is one-tenth
normal, and your attacks inflict half the
normal amount of damage (divide the total
damage in half after all bonuses, Effort, and
other damage modifiers). You can return to
your normal size as part of another action.
When the effects of Shrink end, your The increased Effort
Speed Edge, movement speed, and damage cost for repeat uses
of Shrink between
return to normal, and you subtract a ten-hour recovery rolls
number of points from your Speed Pool only applies to new
activations of Shrink,
equal to the number you gained (if this
not to multiple size
brings the Pool to 0, subtract the overflow changes within one
first from your Might Pool and then, if use of Shrink enabled
by Quick Switch.
necessary, from your Intellect Pool). Each
additional time you use Shrink before your
next ten-hour recovery roll, you must
apply an additional level of Effort (one level
of Effort for the second use, two levels of
Effort for the third use, and so on).
Action to initiate. If you already have
Short Teleportation
when you select
1 Shrink Others: You can use Shrink on
Medium Teleportation
other willing creatures within an immediate (page 53) or
Teleportation, you
distance. In addition to the normal options for
may replace Short
using Effort, you can choose to use Effort Teleportation
to affect more targets; each level of Effort with another tier
4 type ability.
affects one additional target. Unless these
creatures have an ability to change their
size, they remain small until the one-minute
duration of Shrink ends for them. Enabler. Teleportation,
page 190
1 Small Flight (3+ Intellect points): For the
next hour, when using Shrink, you can fly
through the air. You might accomplish this
flight by growing wings from your body,
extending wings from your suit, calling a
tiny creature to carry you, or “surfing” air
currents. When flying, you can move up to
a short distance as part of another action
or a long distance if all you do on your turn
is move. Action to initiate.
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 Claim the Sky
1 Smaller: When you use Shrink, you can
choose to shrink down to about half an inch
(1 cm) high, and you add 3 more temporary
points to your Speed Pool. Enabler.
Copy Power, page 51 1 Steal Power: When you use Copy Power
to copy an ability, the creature you copied
If you want to make it from loses access to that ability for
it more difficult for about a minute. While you have their ability,
someone to take back
their stolen power, any attempt by the creature to use their
become skilled in the ability requires them to succeed at a task
Steal Power ability,
(Might, Speed, or Intellect, as appropriate to
or put a power shift
in power for it. the stolen ability) opposed by your eased
Intellect task. If they succeed, they regain
Shrink, page 55 the use of their ability and you lose it.
Enabler.
In campaigns where
characters can travel 1 Teleportation Burst (3 Intellect points):
to parallel dimensions,
using Tiny to shrink to You rapidly teleport multiple times in an
one-thousandth of your immediate area, confusing your opponents
normal height may be
and allowing you to make an additional
a means of doing so.
melee attack this round. You can use this
ability once per round. Enabler.
1 Teleportive Wound (7+ Intellect points):
You touch a creature and, if your attack
succeeds, you teleport away (up to your
normal maximum teleportation distance)
with a significant portion of their body. If
the target is level 2 or lower, it dies. If the
target is level 3 or higher, it takes 6 points
of damage and is stunned on its next action.
If the target is a PC of any tier, they move
down one step on the damage track. In
addition to the normal options for using
Effort, you can choose to use Effort to
affect a more powerful target (one level
Power Stunt, page 58 of Effort means a target of up to level 3
dies or a target of level 4 or higher takes
damage and is stunned, and so on). Action.
Free level of Effort,
page 209
1 Temporary Light (2 Intellect points):
Practiced, page 207
You create an object of solid light in any
shape you can imagine that is your size or
smaller, and it persists for about a minute
(or longer, if you concentrate on it after
that time). The object appears in an area
adjacent to you, but afterward you can
move it up to a short distance each round
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as part of another action. It is crude and
can have no moving parts, so you can
make a sword, a shield, a short ladder,
and so on. The object has the approximate
mass of the real object and is level 2. Action.
1 Throw Enchanted Weapon: You can
throw your enchanted weapon up to short
range as a light ranged weapon. Whether
it hits or misses, it immediately flies back
to your hands, and you can automatically
catch it or allow it to land at your feet.
Enabler.
1 Tiny: When you use Shrink, you can
choose to shrink down to about
one-sixteenth of an inch (.2 cm). When you
do, you add 5 more temporary points to
your Speed Pool (plus any from Smaller),
and because your attacks are concentrated
into a very small area, you deal an additional
2 points of damage. For each level of Effort
you apply to shrink even more, you become
one-tenth as tall (one one-hundredth for
two levels of Effort, one one-thousandth for
three, and so on) and you add 1 more point to
your Speed Pool. Enabler.
1 War Flesh: You can instantly transform
your hands and feet into claws, and your
human teeth into fangs, or revert to your
normal human appearance. When you
make attacks with your claws or fangs,
they count as medium weapons instead of
light weapons. Enabler.
1 Wildcard Powers: You have a gift with
using copied powers in unusual ways.
Whenever you try a power stunt and use a
level of Effort on the special roll to modify
the ability, you get a free level of Effort on
that roll. Enabler.
1 Wing Weapons: You can use your wings
to make melee attacks (even when flying),
leaving your hands and feet free. Your
wings are medium bashing or bladed
weapons (your choice). You are practiced
with this attack. Enabler.
 3
CHAP TER

e r po w e r e d
S u p Rules
T his chapter provides GM advice
and additional rules for making
superhero games feel more “super.”
It’s meant for GMs, but some aspects
(such as power shifts, power stunts, and
Increased Range: Increases the range of
one ability or attack. A touch-range ability
(such as Shock) increases to short range,
a short-range ability increases to long
range, and a long-range ability increases to
Using the increased
range power shift on
a melee attack like
Thrust probably means
the character throws
a suitable weapon
or can extend their
parameters for impossible tasks) will go very long range. weapon or limb to reach
more smoothly during games if the players Intelligence: Intellect defense rolls and all farther than normal.
understand how they work. knowledge, science, and crafting tasks.
Power: Effects of one specific character When in doubt, the
ability, including damage for that ability (+3 GM should always

POWER SHIFTS points) if appropriate, but not attack rolls

be generous with
superhero PCs,
Power shifts are an optional rule in the with that ability. particularly if it’s less
a question of game
Cypher System Rulebook that represent Prodigy: Give up a lower-tier ability to get
balance and more
many of the exceptional things that a higher-tier ability (see the Prodigy Power a question of flavor.
superheroes can do, like throwing cars, Shifts box on page 58). If a character can
mystically summon
blasting through brick walls, leaping onto Resilience: Might defense rolls and their pegasus mount
speeding trains, and cobbling together Armor (+1). and they want to
interdimensional gateway devices in a Savant: Two specific skills (other than summon it in midair just
as they leap off the roof
few hours. attacks, defenses, or a special ability), such of a building, that should
A typical superhero PC gets five power as history, perception, or persuasion. just work. There’s no
harm in creating a cool
shifts. Power shifts are like permanent free Single Attack: Attack rolls and damage
scene that would look
levels of Effort that are always active. They (+3 points) for one specific kind of attack, great on a comic book
don’t count toward a character’s maximum such as pistols, kicks, or Thrust. page or in a movie.
Effort use (nor do they count as skills or Strength: All tasks involving strength,
assets). They simply ease tasks that fall into including jumping and dealing damage with For your convenience,
specific categories, which include (but are melee or thrown attacks (+3 points), but this book includes the
descriptions of power
not necessarily limited to) the following. not attack rolls. shifts from the Cypher
Accuracy: All attack rolls. System Rulebook so
all of these options are
Dexterity: Movement, acrobatics, For power shifts that affect tasks, each listed in one place.
initiative, and Speed defense. shift eases the task. Applying two shifts
Flight: The character can fly a short eases the task by two steps, and applying
distance each round; each additional shift three shifts eases the task by three steps. Power shifts,
increases this speed (whether the flight A character assigns their five power page 292
comes from a power shift or a character shifts as desired, but most characters Shock, page 183
ability) by one range category (long for two should not be allowed to assign more than
shifts, very long for three shifts). three to any one category. Once the shifts Thrust, page 191

Healing: One extra (one-action) recovery are assigned, they should not change
roll per day. (however, researching an experimental

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PRODIGY POWER SHIFTS
Some superhero character concepts are about breaking the normal power level for a
hero. In most cases, you can do this using power shifts. For example, if you want your
strong hero to be really strong, put one or more power shifts into strength. If you want
your archer character to be really good at shooting arrows, put a power shift into single
attack (bows). If you want your speedster hero to be really fast, put a power shift into
Fleet of Foot, page 141 power (Fleet of Foot). And so on.
But what if you want your character to be a swashbuckling teleporter who blinks all
Graceful, page 46
over the battlefield? There’s no low-tier teleportation ability, so you can’t be a teleporter
Explorer, page 27 as a tier 1 character, and the character concept isn’t nearly as fun if you have to wait until
tier 4 before you can learn a teleportation ability (like Short Teleportation).
Fights With
Panache, page 68 This is where you can (with the GM’s approval) use a power shift for the prodigy
option. Prodigy lets you give up one of your lower-tier abilities for a higher-tier ability
that matches your character concept. For example, if your swashbuckling teleporter is a
Graceful Explorer who Fights With Panache, you could give up one of your tier 1 Explorer
Short Teleportation, abilities (so you’d only have three instead of four) or give up your tier 1 focus ability, Fights
page 55
With Panache, and instead select the tier 4 ability Short Teleportation.
Choosing prodigy as a power shift is an interesting trade-off for your character; you
Instead of choosing end up with a powerful ability that you couldn’t get otherwise, but at the cost of a power
prodigy to gain a
higher-tier ability, you shift (which the other characters are probably using to add to their skills, damage, or
might see if the GM defenses). Keep in mind that higher-tier abilities tend to cost more Pool points (especially
can create a limited,
because your Edge as a low-tier character is less than that of a higher-tier character),
low-tier version of
the ability you want. so you’ll weaken yourself if you use that ability often—which might be a good reason to
allocate more points to that stat Pool, or assign a power shift to healing so you have more
opportunities per day to recover Pool points.
Theoretically, you could put two power shifts in prodigy for the same ability, allowing
you to select a high-tier ability. However, there are two reasons not to do this. First, those
high-tier abilities usually have even higher costs, which limits how often you can use
them. Second, if you start out with the best version of that ability, there’s no room to grow.
It’s fun when your character impresses other superheroes by improving an ability, and
it’s really handy when your nemesis supervillain underestimates you based on your old
limitations. So unless the GM wants every superhero PC to start with one top-tier ability,
give yourself room to grow and use prodigy only to get a mid-tier ability.

procedure to change a character’s POWER STUNTS

Character arcs,
power shifts could be the culmination of a
page 238 character arc such as Uncover a Secret).
Uncover a Secret,
page 250
GAINING MORE POWER SHIFTS
Some GMs will want to allow PCs to increase
their power shifts. Having a character
spend 10 XP to do so would probably be
Some power boost appropriate. Other GMs will want to run
cyphers (page 157) allow superhero games with PCs of greater
characters to modify
their abilities in ways or lesser power (cosmic-level heroes or
similar to power stunts. street-level heroes, perhaps). In such cases,
the GM should grant the PCs more or fewer
power shifts at the game’s start.
A power stunt is pushing a superpower
beyond its normal limits or using it to do
something it normally can’t do. Examples:
• A lightning-blaster hero shooting their
electricity farther than normal
• A fire-creating hero absorbing fire
from a burning building
• A telepathic hero communicating with
or understanding a machine
• A teleporter hero traveling to another
dimension
• An illusionist hero negating an
opponent’s invisibility

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 Superpowered Rules

The Cypher System Rulebook explains only an action or a round (such as an

Modifying abilities
modifying abilities on the fly, describing Onslaught attack) cannot have their on the fly, page 419
a method of altering the range, area, or duration increased.
Golem Stomp,
other aspects of an Intellect-based ability page 145
by spending more Intellect points. In a Modifying the area or other aspects
Advantage to
superhero game, these modifications of an ability is more difficult. Instead Disadvantage,
aren’t limited to Intellect-based abilities—it’s of increasing the Pool point cost, the page 109
reasonable that a strong hero could affect character decides how they want to Onslaught, page 167
a larger area with Golem Stomp or an agile modify their ability, and the GM sets a Hover, page 149
hero could disarm more than one opponent difficulty of the task to successfully modify
Teleportation,
using Advantage to Disadvantage. The cost it, according to the following guidelines: page 190
for making these changes works just like Difficult (4): Something within the spirit
Frost Touch, page 144
modifying an Intellect-based ability. The and general idea of the ability, using a self-
additional cost uses the same Pool as the only ability on another character, or using Abilities that don’t
ability’s normal cost; if an ability doesn’t have a single-target ability in a weakened form have a Pool cost,
like Eyes Adjusted,
a cost, the GM should choose an appropriate on two targets. Examples: Using a self-only
can be modified as
ability for the points to come from. ability like Hover to give another creature well. If modifying the
• Increasing range costs 1 Pool point per the power to fly. Using Teleportation to go to range or duration,
the GM decides what
range step increased (immediate to another dimension instead of somewhere Pool the point cost is
short, short to long, long to very long). in the same dimension. Splitting Frost paid from. However,
• Increasing duration costs 1 Pool point Touch or Onslaught into hindered attacks most abilities like this
don’t have ranges or
for one step (one minute to ten minutes, against two opponents. durations, so modifying
ten minutes to an hour). Durations Formidable (7): Something similar to them requires a
cannot be increased more than one the description or intent of the ability, but difficult, formidable, or
impossible task roll.
step in this way. Abilities that last for changing its nature, or having a

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 Claim the Sky
single-target ability affect an area.
Hover, page 149 Examples: Using Hover to make an
opponent crash into the ceiling. Using
Shroud of Flame,
page 183 Shroud of Flame to absorb fire. Using
Telepathic to talk to a machine or Machine
Telepathic, page 189
Telepathy to talk to a living person.
Machine Telepathy, Using Minor Illusion to reveal an invisible
page 159 opponent in the area. Using Frost Touch
Minor Illusion, or Onslaught as a hindered attack against
page 162 everything in an immediate area.
Impossible (10): An effect that has
Frost Touch, page 144
nothing to do with the ability’s description
Onslaught, page 167 or intent. Examples: Using Hover to blast
Foil Danger, page 142
an opponent with fire. Using Foil Danger to
copy an opponent’s attack. Using an attack
Thunder Beam, like Thunder Beam to heal someone.
page 191
Of course, if the altered ability is an
attack, the hero still needs to make a
successful attack roll against their target—
just because the character found a way
to use Hover as an attack doesn’t mean
the attack automatically hits. The attack
task for the altered ability uses the normal
difficulty for attacking that target. For
example, if Hammermind wants to split
her Onslaught so she can attack two level
2 robots, first she has to succeed at the
difficulty 4 task to split the attack, then she
can make the two (hindered) level 2 attack
rolls against the robots.
Just like in any aspect of the game, other
factors might ease or hinder the hero’s
attempt to perform the stunt. For example,
if the hero Firelash is trying a stunt to use
his Shroud of Flame to absorb a fire attack
from his evil sister Swordblaze, the GM
might decide that the similarities in their
flame powers mean that Firelash’s attempt
is eased. But if the illusionist hero Hologrim
is trying a power stunt to reveal where his
invisible archenemy Death Ghost is hiding,
the GM might feel that the villain’s magical
invisibility is especially difficult for Hologrim’s
technology-based illusions to counter, so
the hero’s task is hindered. The GM can
Power boost also introduce power boost cyphers that
cyphers, page 157 ease the power stunt task, or present the
heroes with temporary effects that ease
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or hinder power stunt tasks, like a virus
that erratically amplifies mutant genes, or a
burst of energy from an alien artifact that
reacts with a robot hero’s power core.
If a hero tries a particular stunt in more
than one session, the GM doesn’t need to
give the task the same difficulty every
time; the circumstances of each attempt
are never quite the same. Perhaps this
supervillain’s fire is a little hotter or cooler
than the one the hero tried to absorb
last time. Or the spaces between the
dimensions are thinner or thicker right
now, making it harder to teleport between
them. The position of two opponents or
the shape of a room might be different
than the last time the hero tried splitting
an attack power across multiple targets.
In other words, the GM doesn’t have to
remember that the last time the hero tried
this stunt it was difficulty 7, so it has to be
difficulty 7 this time; just look at the current
circumstances and make a decision based
on that. In fact, this is part of the reason
why the difficulties are three levels apart;
the GM is more likely to be consistent at
rating something as difficult, formidable, or
impossible than deciding whether it’s a level
6 or level 7 task.
PERMANENT POWER STUNTS
Once a character has successfully
performed the same difficult, formidable,
or impossible power stunt a few times,
they might want to make it a permanent
part of their repertoire of abilities. By
spending 2 XP, the character gains
the ability to perform that power stunt
whenever they want, with no need for a
power stunt task. The GM decides how
many times the character has to get the
stunt right before they can spend XP to
learn it. Three successful attempts over
at least three separate sessions is a
reasonable guideline, plus some downtime
between game sessions to represent
mastering this variant.
For example, the hero Hammermind
has used her Onslaught-splitting stunt on

several missions, and her player decides
she’ll spend time practicing or training
until she’s figured out how to do that stunt
without failing. By spending 2 XP, she
modifies her Onslaught ability so she has
the option of using it to make two hindered
attacks instead of one normal attack.
Learning a power stunt does not count
as a step in character advancement.
Learning how to do a formidable or
impossible power stunt might be the reason
to take a character arc like New Discovery,
Transformation, or Uncover a Secret.
Superpowered Rules
REALLY IMPOSSIBLE TASKS
The Cypher System Rulebook gives a few
examples of how, in the superhero genre,
having power shifts means that a difficulty
10 task is not impossible. Superheroes
deal with planetary threats like giant
robots, multidimensional sorcerers, and
world-sized monsters, and for this sort of
campaign, difficulties up to 15 are possible. Character
This section presents more details and advancement,
page 240
examples of tasks, threats, and creatures
of difficulty 11 to 15. Character arcs,
page 238

FEATS OF STRENGTH
Use the following table to estimate the difficulty of various incredible feats of physical
strength.

Difficulty Lifting Task

4 Lift a 150-pound (68 kg) object
9 Lift a 400-pound (180 kg) object
10 Lift a 1-ton (1 tonne) car or traffic copter
11 Lift a 5-ton (4.5 tonne) ambulance, private jet, elephant, or Tyrannosaurus rex
12 Lift a 10-ton (9 tonne) school bus, combat helicopter, triceratops, or 5-foot
boulder
13 Lift a 20-ton (18 tonne) fire truck, mobile home, fighter jet, Apatosaurus, or
light military tank
14 Lift a 40-ton (36 tonne) humpback whale or loaded tractor-trailer
15 Lift an 80-ton (72 tonne) space shuttle, single-story house, passenger train
car, or military tank

Task Circumstances Difficulty

Lifting the object as high as the character can reach +0
Lifting the object only partway off the ground –1
Asset (lever, jack, etc.) –1 or –2
Help from another character (asset) –1 or –2
Large character (double human size) –1*
Carrying an object an immediate distance +0
Carrying an object a short distance +1
Pushing or pulling (not lifting) an object an immediate distance –1
Pushing or pulling (not lifting) an object a short distance +0
Pushed or pulled object can roll or slide very easily –1
Pushed or pulled object is buoyant and moving through water –1
* Each additional doubling of the character’s size eases the task by another step.

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For example, the superhero Crystalia
Impossible Tasks GM needs to get an injured 10-ton triceratops
Tip: You don’t have named Spike to a docked barge 50 feet
to remember all of
these difficulties for (15 m) away so he can be transported to
various impossible a dinosaur veterinarian. She doesn’t want
tasks. You don’t even
to drag him and risk injuring him more,
have to refer to them
during the game if you so Crystalia decides to lift him, which is
don’t want to. You can usually a difficulty 12 task. She doesn’t need
make up the difficulty
levels on the fly—these to lift him above her head, only keep him
are just guidelines. a little bit off the ground (easing the task),
so that’s difficulty 11. She’s in a hurry, so
she wants to move him the entire short
Move Mountains, distance in one action, which hinders
page 164 the task to difficulty 12. If instead of a
triceratops she was trying to move a 10-
ton school bus a short distance (same base
difficulty of 12), she could push it instead of
lifting it (easing the task), and the bus could
roll (easing the task), so it would require
only one difficulty 10 task to succeed. If it
were a 10-ton boulder blocking a road, she
could just push it an immediate distance
(easing the task), sliding it off the smooth
road (easing the task), which would only be
a difficulty 10 task.
Some character abilities are able to
move heavy things, often more easily
than brute physical strength can. If a
superhero wants to push the limits of
what those abilities can do, the GM can
compare the baseline effects of those
abilities to the Feats of Strength table to
determine the comparable difficulty of
the task, and modify the character’s roll
to succeed.
For example, Move Mountains lets a
character push up to 10 tons (9 tonnes)
up to 50 feet (15 m), which is basically
like a strong hero pushing a 10-ton object
a short distance, which is difficulty 12. If a
character wants to use that ability to
push an ambulance a short distance
down a road, the GM can check the table
and see that a strong hero trying that
using muscles would face a difficulty
10 task (base difficulty 11 for a 5-ton

Power shifts in dexterity
ease running tasks.
FEATS OF SPEED
A character can move a short distance (50 feet [15 m]) as their entire action as a routine
task (difficulty 0, no roll needed). This is basically a jog or a hustle, faster than a walk
but not an all-out run. A character can try to run a long distance (100 feet [30 m]) as
their entire action, but they must succeed at a difficulty 4 Speed task to complete the
movement; failure means they trip, stumble, slip, or fall down at some point during the
move and stop.
Of course, superheroes aren’t normal people—they’re exceptional, and some can run
as fast as Olympic athletes, or much faster. For a character trying to run more than a
long distance as their entire action, use the following table to determine the difficulty for
the task. Failing this roll is just like failing the basic running roll described above.

Difficulty Running Distance Notes

6 200 feet (60 m) 19 mph (30 kph)
8 250 feet (76 m) 24 mph (39 kph); bear, Olympic sprinter
9 340 feet (104 m) 33 mph (53 kph); cat, coyote, greyhound
10 400 feet (120 m) 49 mph (79 kph); horse, tiger
11 700 feet (210 m) 68 mph (110 kph); cheetah
12 1,400 feet (430 m) 136 mph (220 kph)
13 2,800 feet (850 m) 273 mph (440 kph)
14 1 mile (1.5 km) 545 mph (880 kph); Boeing 747
15 2 miles (3 km) 1,600 mph (2,575 kph); Mach 2

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ambulance, eased because it rolls easily,
hindered for moving it a short distance,
eased because it can roll). Because Move
Mountains can handle a difficulty 12 task
(which is harder than a difficulty 10 task),
the GM decides that the character’s
attempt is eased by two steps because
the ability is two steps “stronger” than the
task they’re attempting.
TREMENDOUS LEAPS
Some—but not all—strong superheroes
can easily leap dozens or hundreds of
feet, well beyond what’s possible with the
jumping rules (running a short distance
and jumping 30 feet [9 m] is a difficulty 10
task). Characters who want to jump huge
distances like that should take the Amazing
Leap ability, allowing them to jump a long
distance or more.
All characters with at least one power
shift in strength get the benefit of a free
level of Effort for each strength shift.
This effectively increases their standing
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Superpowered Rules
jump distance by 1 foot (30 cm) per shift
and their running jump distance by 2 feet
(60 cm) per shift, which is impressive
compared to a normal person, but not
phenomenal.
To make superhero character jumps a
bit more exciting, the GM can implement
an optional rule in which strength shifts
count double for free levels of Effort when
jumping. For example, a character with five
strength shifts would get ten free levels of
Effort on jump tasks instead of five. This
allows them to do a 15-foot (4.5 m) standing
jump as a difficulty 1 task (base difficulty 11,
eased by 5 × 2 steps) and a 40-foot (12 m) Jumping, page 228
running jump as a difficulty 5 task (base
Free level of
difficulty 15, eased by 5 × 2 steps), which Effort, page 209
seems more appropriate for a character
strong enough to lift a car over their head. Amazing Leap, page 48
POWERFUL CREATURES
Superheroes don’t just stop bank robbers
and fight supervillains—sometimes they
face giant robots, alien space monsters, or
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so-called gods. GMs can use the following MODIFYING HIGH-TECH

Modification GM examples to estimate the level and DEVICES
intrusions: The challenges for such threats. It’s common for technically savvy
device gains a high
depletion rate, needs superheroes to fiddle with machines to
to be recharged Level Example make them work better or do something
after each use, or
9 Demigod different. Sometimes the object in question
develops a side effect
such as overheating is their own gear, but it’s just as likely to
(inflicting damage to
10 Kaiju 300 feet (90 m) tall
be something they took from a defeated
the user) or creating 11 Robot 1,000 feet (300 m) tall
a thunderous noise. supervillain or found on an alien spaceship.
12 Vampire blood god A character who expects to modify many
13 Legendary monster* devices should consider learning abilities
Demigod, page 321 14 Archangel, demon prince, such as Innovator, Jury-Rig, Modify Artifact
typical god or goddess**, Power, Modify Device, and Quick Work. A
Kaiju, page 338
multidimensional sorcerer character who only wants to dabble in this
Innovator, page 154 15 Moon-sized space monster, sort of activity can do so, but it takes longer
pantheon leader*** and is less efficient.
Jury Rig, page 156
Small modifications are things like
Modify Artifact * A primordial monster (such as Echidna changing a device’s target, range, or
Power, page 163 or Typhon) or a powerful creature duration. “Small” is subjective and up to the
Modify Device, associated with the end of the world (such GM, but generally, it means adding another
page 164 as Jörmungandr or Fenris). target (although for some high-level
Quick Work, page 174
** A powerful, perhaps immortal entity devices, adding a target isn’t a small
(such as Ares or Loki) that has been change), increasing the range by one step
worshipped or feared as a god by humans (immediate to short, short to long, long
or similar creatures. to very long), or increasing the duration
*** A god or goddess (such as Odin or by one step (one minute to one hour, one
Zeus) who is the ruler of a group of deities. hour to ten hours). The task difficulty for
making a small modification is generally

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equal to the device’s level minus 1, which Regardless of whether the change
also determines how much time it takes to is big or small, failing the modification Crafting Difficulty
complete the modifications. For example, task means the character wastes the and Time, page 228
if the superhero Dynamo wants to modify full amount of time spent attempting the
a level 6 alien laser weapon’s range from modification, and uses up materials equal Modifying a device
is similar to using a
immediate to short, that’s a level 5 task and to the device’s level minus 2, but they can power stunt to alter
takes about a week. try again. If they fail with a roll of a natural a character ability. If
a character wants to
Big changes are modifying a laser 1, it’s likely that the free GM intrusion means make a permanent
rifle to shoot cold or electricity, turning a the device is ruined (but perhaps could be change to one of their
communication device into a telepathic salvaged for materials). technology-based
abilities, the GM should
shield, or turning a jetpack into a force treat that more like a
field device. These modifications are like FASTER CRAFTING IN A HIGH-TECH permanent power stunt
(page 60)—costing
repairs; they use the device’s level for the SETTING XP—than a modification.
difficulty and creation time, but take half In some superhero campaigns, crafting
Modifying the
as long as the time listed. For example, technology is so advanced that objects
appearance of an
if Dynamo decides to modify the level 6 are designed virtually, with holograms, item is just a cosmetic
laser weapon so it fires bolts of electricity, or with a mind-machine interface, and change and should
take only a few hours
that’s a level 6 task and takes half a month they are constructed by advanced 3D at most for a typical
(two weeks). printers or clouds of nanobots. Under handheld or worn item
like a weapon, helmet,
A character modifying their own these conditions, the GM should ease or boots. Changing
device eases the task. This applies the assessed difficulty to determine the the appearance of a
whether the character built the device crafting time by three or four steps, with spacesuit or full-body
mechanized armor
themselves or they’ve been repairing and the crafter needing to be present for only might take eight to
tinkering with it long enough that they fully about the first quarter of that time and the twenty hours of work,
depending on the
understand its workings. “helpers” taking care of the rest. extent of the changes.

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C HA

W
P TER

o r ld W
A Powers
This chapter is full
of advice intended
primarily for GMs but is
spoiler-free, so it’s fine if
players want to read it.
W hen designing a setting for
superheroes, there is a wide
variety of options for things you
might include in it. Weaving together a place
where aliens, mutants, wizards, and high
tech all intermingle requires a bit of thought.
This chapter offers advice and ideas for
creating a realistic setting, a comic-book
style setting, and a far-future setting, and
discusses all the choices involved with each.
CAMPAIGN BUILDING
BLOCKS
A superhero setting usually has multiple
fantastic elements—things that explain the
existence of superheroes, supervillains,
and other weird events that are common
in this genre. This section presents over
a dozen of these elements, and prompts
you with questions and ideas about how
to incorporate them into your superhero
campaign.
In general, for all of these, it’s easier to
decide how one or two of them are part of
your campaign, and layer in the others as
needed if you want them. For example, you
could start the campaign with mutants and
advanced technology being the only known
sources of superpowers, then later reveal
that aliens and magic are also part of the
setting. This advice also applies to adding
things from within a category. For example,
you may decide to have only one alien
species that visits Earth, and then later have
a second alien species arrive, and the PCs
won’t know if the first aliens consider these
new arrivals allies, enemies, or a mystery.
ALIENS
Alien species are a staple of the superhero
genre, whether they are intelligent
civilizations interested in exploration and
trade, or hostile powers intent on invasion
and exploitation. Aggressive aliens can be
smart threats for the PCs, or drop robots
or giant monsters into populated areas to
gauge how capable Earth is of defending
itself. Unless Earth is near a hyperspace
nexus or a bunch of wormholes, it’s likely
that only one or two alien species are able
to reach our planet, whether because our
solar system is in an unexplored frontier
or is within a section of space controlled by
one species.
Interesting questions to answer include:
Are the aliens similar enough to humans
that they can pass as us? Do they have
unusual atmospheric or nutritional needs?
Are they physically or mentally superior
to humans in any way? What’s one kind of
technology (such as battle armor, blaster
weapons, robots, or cloning) that they’re
especially good at? Are they at war with
any other alien civilizations? Do they have
superpowered individuals? How long
have they been visiting Earth? Are they
able to crossbreed with humans? If so, is
being a human-alien hybrid a possible PC
background?
BIZARRE DIMENSIONS
Not every dimension (or “plane”) connected
to your campaign world has to be a
variant of Earth; vastly different laws of
physics and inherently hostile matter
are just some of the ways these strange

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dimensions can break human expectations.
Examples include “hell dimensions” full
of demons, prison dimensions that are
harder to escape than enter, realities
where antimatter rather than our positive
matter is the norm, finite environments
(demiplanes) that abruptly end or loop or
fold upon themselves like Möbius strips or
Klein bottles, realms where the time passes
at a different rate depending on your
location or orientation, and dimensions
where “space” has breathable air and
planets are only miles apart.
What strange dimensions are
connected to your campaign world? Are
they linked to any PC superpowers, such
as the place teleporters move through
or the energy source for a character’s
attack blast? What creatures are native
to these places? Are they aware of Earth,
and if so are they hostile toward it? How
easy is it for creatures and objects to
pass between the dimensions? Are there
times or places where the barriers
between dimensions are weaker or
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A World With Powers
nonexistent? Why would a PC want to Some dimensions are
journey to another dimension, and what so strange that they
automatically inflict
would they need to survive there? ambient Might, Speed,
or Intellect damage
every minute, hour, or
COSMIC ENTITIES day that a non-native
More powerful than gods, cosmic creature spends there.
beings serve mysterious functions for
the universe or even the multiverse.
This “family” might include sentient
personifications of life and death, chaos
and order, destiny and entropy, as well
as primordial entities that seeded life on
countless planets, the embodiment of all
psychic energy, and even greater beings
who exist only to keep the balance between
all of these. Cosmic entities usually don’t
have physical bodies unless they need to
interact with lesser (usually mortal) beings,
and they have an advanced, timeless
outlook that humanlike creatures might
consider amoral.
Unless the PCs in your campaign
meddle in forces that can change or
threaten the universe itself, they’ll
probably never interact with beings of
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this power level—but if the campaign
In general, it is in poor goes into space and the characters
taste to incorporate have to confront or bargain with cosmic
characters from
someone’s real-world powers, they’re sure to have a weird and
religion into a game memorable experience. Which beings of
setting as false deities.
this type have a role in your campaign
universe? What PC or NPC actions might
draw the attention of these entities? Is
there an upcoming cosmic event that will
impact Earth or the PCs? As the entities
are too powerful to confront directly, what
challenges or arrangements can the PCs
undertake to thwart or satisfy them?
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GODS
Gods in a superhero setting are usually
very powerful immortals who have
intervened at various points in human
history, often by claiming to be actual
deities who created or brought order
to the world and its species, and usually
grouped into pantheons based on shared
(human) religion or tradition. Typical
examples are the Olympian gods of ancient
Greece (Zeus, Athena, Herakles, and so
on) and the Norse or Asgardian gods of
Scandinavia (Odin, Frigg, Thor, and so on).
These gods may have fought and schemed
to protect and manipulate humans for
various reasons, with repercussions of
these actions carrying forward to the
modern day.
Are there any gods active in your
campaign? Where do they live—another
dimension, another planet, or a hidden
place on the Earth? Have they been idle
between their past activities and the
modern era of superheroes? What
sorts of interactions do they have with
members of their own pantheon and of
other pantheons? What prevents them
from taking overt actions on Earth? Do
the stories or myths of these gods contain
seeds of historical events (such as battles
against invading aliens remembered as
wars against demons or monsters)? Do
the gods or their mythical heroes have any
direct connection to modern superheroes
(such as ancestry or investiture of
power)? What relationship do the gods
have with cosmic entities?
HEROES OF THE PAST
Superpowers in your campaign might be a
very recent thing, perhaps stemming from
a specific event like a mysterious meteor
shower or a gene-mutating virus, or they
may have been around for decades (or
longer), with some contemporary heroes
being the children or grandchildren
of previous greats. How long have
superpowers been a thing in your world?
If they’re not new, did superhumans take

“But afterwards there occurred violent earthquakes
and floods; and in a single day and night of
misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into
the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner
disappeared in the depths of the sea.”
part in major historical events (such as
World War II)? Did the public know about
them, or were they a well-kept secret
(perhaps only revealed after they died)?
Are there any significant historical figures
in your campaign who secretly had
superpowers? Can contemporary people
(superhuman or otherwise) trace their
ancestry back to these individuals, and
is that a mark of pride or shame based
on their past actions? Are any older-
generation superpowered individuals still
active in the world? Did their powers get
stronger due to greater experience and
practice, are they weakening like other
human abilities do over time, or is the
person’s control getting worse as their
power grows stronger?
IMMORTALS
Sometimes all it takes to be an interesting
character in a story is to never die. Imagine
a charismatic immortal changing their
identity every generation and reinventing
their cult time and again, a scientist
immortal saving knowledge from past
centuries as the world slips in and out
of ignorance, or a bloodthirsty immortal
honing their techniques for assassination
under countless guises—all of them
wielding phenomenal influence with one
subtle superpower.
What are the immortal’s goals and
ambitions? Do various immortals know
of each other? Do they have friends or
family members who know of (or share)
their secret? Do they have old grudges
or rivalries? How do they feel about
superheroes and supervillains in general?
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
A World With Powers
-Plato
How does their immortality work—
phenomenal regeneration, psychically
jumping bodies or feeding on their own
descendants, a unique technological or
magical item that rejuvenates them, or
reincarnation with total awareness of
their past lives? If the superhero PCs
are immortals, how does that affect their
outlook on the world and the actions of
supervillains?
LOST CIVILIZATIONS
Atlantis, Lemuria, and Mu are three
examples of advanced civilizations on
Earth that vanished into legends. In many
superhero comics, the people of these
“lost civilizations” survived whatever
cut them off from the rest of the world,
adapted to life under their changed
circumstances, and from time to time For a similar
may be ruled by a tyrant with a grudge concept that doesn’t
require a powerful
against the “backward” people living all human civilization,
over the planet. Although some of these see Prehistoric
Lands, page 70.
lost civilizations are underwater, they may
also be tucked away in isolated valleys, on
mountaintops, in Antarctica, on the moon,
or inside an immense hollow area beneath
the Earth’s surface.
How did this civilization become lost? In
what ways do its people excel compared
to contemporary society? Are its citizens
still human? Were they ever human at
all? How easily can they access the rest
of the world? Do they have the means
to threaten, attack, or conquer other
countries? What sort of interactions
can the PCs have with its citizens or
technology?
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MAGIC
In a superhero setting, magic is often just
another kind of power source. An inventor,
mutant, and sorcerer might all have the
ability to fly and shoot bolts of fire, and
the exact mechanism for it doesn’t really
matter as far as regular people (and most
other superheroes) are concerned.
Is magic a lost art, or is it just
overshadowed by more recent
discoveries? How does a person learn
magic? Does it need to be taught, or is
practice and instinct enough? Are there
different branches, traditions, orders, or
paths of magic, and are there rivalries
between them? Does magic corrupt
its user or otherwise have some sort
of significant cost? How do magic and
other powers interact—for example, can
someone be both a mutant and a sorcerer,
and do technology and spells interfere with
each other? Are there certain things that
magic can’t do, like control minds or revive
the dead? Are there things that only magic
can do, like reach a specific dimension or
break a curse? Is there another aspect of
your setting that strongly relates to magic,
like a specific alien species or a pantheon
of gods? Does the public know that real
magic exists? Is there a stigma associated
with using magic, or opposition from
religious groups?
MUTANTS
Mutation is how evolution works, and the
idea of a mutant gene or genes unlocking
superhuman abilities is a core part of most
superhero stories. Is the mutant gene
dominant or recessive? Are there side
effects from having the gene? Can a latent
mutant gene be activated? Can an active
one be suppressed? Do most mutant
powers manifest at birth, at puberty, or in
response to a specific kind of stimulus?
Can a normal person’s DNA be rewritten so
they gain mutations? Are specific powers
hereditary, or is what you get a surprise
for each generation? Is the gene more or
less common for a certain gender or from
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a specific part of the world? Are there
mutant plants and animals with powers?
Do alien species have superpowered
mutants? Can mutants be detected with
technology, such as blood tests or medical
scanners? Is there prejudice against
mutants? Is there a city, state, or country
that provides sanctuary for mutants?
PARALLEL EARTHS
Parallel Earths are near-identical copies of
Earth, usually with one significant change
from the “real” version. Examples are
Earths where technology stopped at 1950s
levels, everyone is a different gender,
everyone is a superhero, there was a
zombie outbreak or a nuclear war, a major
military conflict ended a different way,
good people are evil and vice versa (often
called a “mirror universe”), physicality
is literally mirrored (left-handed people
are right-handed), or everyone is an
anthropomorphic animal. Traveling to one
of these Earths gives the GM and PCs the
opportunity to explore “what if” scenarios,
as well as let players play alternative
versions of their characters (with different
personalities, powers, and so on).
How many parallel Earths are there (a
finite number or an infinite multitude)? How
easy is it to travel between them? How
common is the knowledge that multiple
worlds exist? Are there worlds that have
been lost, forgotten, or sealed off? Do
PCs making major changes in one world
affect the others? Are there counterparts
to (or doppelgangers of) each PC in the
destination world? Is there an entity or
organization that monitors the alternates
and tries to maintain balance between
them?
PREHISTORIC LANDS
Prehistoric lands (or “lost worlds”) are
regions where long-extinct creatures
such as dinosaurs roam freely as they did
millions of years ago. Typically these are an
uncharted island, a lush valley surrounded
by impassible mountains, or a similar
 A World With Powers
isolated area that makes it difficult for the
native creatures to escape or for humans
to enter. These places might be fantastic
zoos or preserves created by aliens,
biological experiments created by gods or
mad scientists, or merely geographical and
evolutionary quirks that allowed ancient
species to live on. The land might
also be inhabited by
pre-humanoids,
remnants of ancient
human peoples, or
something even stranger like
devolved lizard-people from a
forgotten civilization.
What environment does the place
have? What animals live there? Do
intelligent people live there, and have they
ever seen humans (like the PCs) before?
Why would the PCs find out about this
place or go there?

PSYCHICS
Reading thoughts, controlling minds,
moving objects without touching them,
hearing the voices of the dead, and sensing
auras are all types of psychic powers.
Although some of these things can be
accomplished with magic, mutation, or
advanced technology, psychics are able to
do them based solely on a rare sensitivity
or special training.
Does your setting have actual psychics,
or are people with these abilities using
some other source (such as a mutation
or magic)? How powerful are psychics
compared to other kinds of heroes? Are
psychic powers hindered by technology
or skepticism? How do regular people feel
about psychics as compared to mutants,
aliens, and armored battle suits? Does the
government use psychics to help solve
crimes? Are there psychic special ops
teams in the military?
SMALL WORLDS
Shrink a person down to the size of an
amoeba, and a regular-sized human
seems to be the size of a planet. Shrink
“Psychics” as a
category is generally
significant only in
low-powered or realistic
a person to smaller than an atom superhero campaigns
where flashy abilities
and . . . things get really strange. The small
are rare or nonexistent.
worlds that shrinking heroes visit might In a typical superhero
be miniature universes existing between campaign with all sorts
of amazing powers,
particles of matter in the normal universe, telepathy and other
parallel dimensions accessed by changing mental talents are no
quantum states through shrinking more unusual than
flight or turning into
technology, or variable states of energy a rock monster.
expressed as fantastic and impossible
physical objects and terrain. Depending on
what role you want the quantum realms to
have in your campaign, any or all of these
explanations might be correct.
What is the nature of the quantum
realm(s)? Are there long-term physical
and mental hazards for being there? How In some ways, a small
does time flow there compared to time world is technically
a bizarre dimension
for full-sized people? Can messages be (page 66).
transmitted across these vast differences
in scale? What species (or unique
creatures) are native to that place? What

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creatures (including superheroes and
supervillains) can access a quantum
realm with their powers, intentionally or
accidentally?
SOULS
The nature of the human soul is frequently
discussed by priests and philosophers, but
in a superhero universe (particularly one
with supernatural elements such as
ghosts and demons) the existence of souls
might be a known fact—souls could be
detected, counted, stolen, and sold. Are
souls a real thing, an essence of a person
that can exist outside of their body? Is a
ghost a kind of soul? Do some creatures
(such as demons) feed on souls, and if
so, why? Can souls be used as a power
source for magic or technology? How
long after a person’s death does a soul
retain knowledge of itself? Where do
souls go when a person dies? Do animals
have something like a soul? Do aliens have
souls like humans, or does each alien
species have its own kind of soul? Can
intelligent robots develop or acquire souls?
Does returning from the dead require
a connection to a soul, and is the soul
diminished in some way by returning?
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SUPERNATURAL CREATURES
Ghosts, werewolves, vampires, fairies,
mummies, and more—there are countless
stories, movies, television shows, and books
to draw upon for inspiration about how
these creatures can walk unseen among
humans. What kinds of these creatures
exist or existed in the world? What sorts of
interactions did they have with exceptional
humans in the past, either as predators
or prey? Are they universally “monsters,”
or do they have the potential to be good
or evil just like humans do? Are some
superhuman characters actually related to
these creatures, either as human-passing
offshoots or as human-monster hybrids?
Are supernatural PCs the black sheep
of the family who associate with regular
humans, or are they conflicted souls who
use their abilities to hunt down their own
kind?
SUPER-TECHNOLOGY
The modern world has many technological
marvels, but it doesn’t have mechanized
suits of flying armor, wrist-mounted
tasers, arrowheads that turn into nets
to capture foes, intelligent androids, jet
boots, fully functional prosthetic limbs,
or countless other items that are part of
various superheroes’ repertoire. Although
a particular hero’s powers might work
due to a mutation, magic, or a gadget, it’s
the third category that has the greatest
potential to change the world because
it’s something that could potentially be
duplicated.
What kinds of technology (medical,
power supplies, antigravity, and so on)
in your campaign are better than what’s
commonly available in the real world? Is a
character’s super-technology patented?
Is it possible for non-superpowered
scientists to duplicate or reverse-engineer
a character’s proprietary technology?
Are there government or criminal agents
who want to exploit this technology? Are
there safeguards to prevent unauthorized
users of a character’s technology? Is

some aspect of this technology licensed
for use in toys, medical devices, or other
merchandise? If a PC didn’t create the
technology they’re using, who did, and who
else has access to it?
TIME TRAVEL
Time travel in a superhero setting could
be a common part of the story (the PCs
have a time-traveling vehicle and correct
problems in the timeline), limited to a few
fixed events (the murder of a politician
leads to a dark future where mutants
are outlawed and hunted), or anything in
between.
Is time travel possible in your campaign?
How common is it? If PCs have access to
time travel, can they set their destination or
are they forced to a predetermined point?
How do changes in the present affect
the future? Is the “present” for the PCs
actually the past, and the real present is in
the future? If a timeline is changed, will the
PCs remember it? Are any PCs from the
future or an alternate timeline? For visitors
from the future, do they know a lot about
their past, or just the most probable events
that led to their present? What’s to stop
the PCs from trying to go back in time to fix
an error, or to the future to find out what
they’re supposed to do? Are there any
supervillains from the future active in the
present? Does the timeline tend to maintain
its course (the “pebbles in a river” theory)
so that most attempts at changing things
don’t have any effect?
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A World With Powers
DESIGNING YOUR
SUPERHERO SETTING
In broad strokes, a superhero RPG
setting fits into one of three categories:
realistic, comic-book style, or far future.
This section gives advice for developing a
campaign using each of these types. Time travel is weird. It
usually doesn’t make
sense if you think
REALISTIC about it too much. For
A realistic superhero setting is much superhero stories, it
doesn’t have to make
like the real world, but with a few
sense—paradoxes and
changes. Often in this sort of campaign, time loops usually lead
superpowers are brand new or were to divergent timelines,
and disastrous results
hidden from the public—perhaps even can be avoided by
from the PCs themselves. The advantage hopping to a different
of a setting like this is that you have a timeline. GMs should
focus on the story, not
baseline that’s already familiar to you and the science, and let the
your players—simply pick a city and a PCs enjoy the ride.
year, and most of the worldbuilding is just
an internet search away. Choose one to
three campaign building blocks to include Campaign building
in the setting, think about the questions blocks, page 66
presented for each of them, and come
up with answers. Here are some easy
examples of starting points for a realistic
superhero setting:
• A weird storm gave .01 percent of the
population superpowers.
• Weird devices from an alien spacecraft
end up in the hands of the PCs.
• An experimental drug unlocks mutant
powers in some people.
• Gods awaken after a long sleep and give
powers to certain individuals.
• A group of so-called psychics start
experiencing actual telepathic events.
• A sudden breakthrough in genetic
research creates superhumans.
• Superpowered individuals from
somewhere else (the future, another
planet, a parallel Earth) unexpectedly
arrive.
Holding back some of the building blocks
you’ve chosen keeps the story exciting and
full of surprises for the PCs, and gives you
more time to decide how those elements
fit into the ongoing story. For example, if
you want gods and aliens to be the primary
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elements in the game, the first few sessions
might be about the reemergence of the
gods, and only later do you reveal that
there’s a secret alien invasion happening.
If you choose your Depending on how the players and the PCs
own city or a nearby view these godly benefactors, you may
large city as the setting
for your game, you decide that the gods are working against
and your players the aliens, are on the aliens’ side, or are
can easily picture
too busy with their own petty squabbles to
where various events
happen and what’s care about the aliens at all.
near the action (such You can limit the setting to this handful of
as a hospital, empty
lot, or gas station). changes, or allow it to grow and expand to
include other revelations over time. Just as
it’s all right to make a setting where powers
come only from magic or mutation, it’s also
fine if your setting starts out simple and
slowly turns into a multifaceted comic-
book-style world where anything goes.
COMIC-BOOK STYLE
If you love superhero stories and can’t
decide whether to include mutants, time
travelers, sorcerers, gods, psychics,
If the setting has powered armor, or whatever else seems
multiple groups of fun this month, feel free to throw it all
heroes, make sure the
PCs get some news in. In terms of how the players use the
coverage about their game rules, it doesn’t usually matter
own wins and losses—
if the characters’ powers come from
they’re the focus of the
campaign, after all! technology, magic, a mutant gene, cosmic
energy, or something else. A strong hero
who wears a magical amulet and another
Boundless (part 2 of this one born on a high-gravity alien world
book) is a comic-book- work exactly the same way, and likewise
style superhero setting.
there’s basically no difference between
a mutant who can fly and an inventor
with a jetpack. Allowing a lot of character
options frees the players to create exactly
the sort of PC they want to play, whether
that’s a swashbuckling mutant, a time-
traveling cyborg, a military super-soldier,
or a student of the mystic arts.
Having a broad base of comic-book
elements lets you draw on many different
genres when creating NPCs and plots.
Post-apocalyptic Mixing and matching also keeps players
campaigns, page 295 on their toes—a group of heroes who
are used to gadgeteer villains will have
some unexpected surprises if suddenly
they’re dealing with magical foes or alien
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monsters. Depending on how genre-aware
the players are, having a wide variety of
comic-book elements in the campaign
means you can loot your favorite stories
for ideas, and the players won’t know. For
example, if none of the players read horror
comics, use undead supervillains from
your favorite comic about a half-vampire
superhero. If they’re all mutants, the
unexpected arrival of a reality-altering
sorcerer will catch them off-guard. If
the players aren’t familiar with an indie
publisher or an obscure old comic, it’s easy
to fill out a supervillain team or a hidden
lair with NPCs from those sources. These
sorts of tricks show that the world is
bigger than whatever the PCs are doing. It
doesn’t mean the PCs are unimportant, just
that there are other plots and schemes
bubbling underneath the surface.
Keep in mind that in these sorts of
worlds, there are usually multiple groups
of superheroes active at the same time,
each dealing with local problems and
sometimes having to rise up against
a global threat. Have the Los Angeles
superhero PCs read an article online
about what the Philadelphia heroes are
up to. Have the Milwaukee superhero
PCs see a news story about what the
Denver superheroes just did. If multiple
super-teams operate in the main city of
your campaign, that’s an opportunity for
one-session appearances by other players
interested in your game, or a big alliance
with members of multiple teams (either
with additional players, or with the main
players controlling a second set of PCs)
taking on a challenge that’s too big for one
group to handle alone.
FAR FUTURE
A far-future superhero setting tends to
blend heroes either with advanced science
fiction or with post-apocalyptic elements.
The Golden 30th Century: In a far-future
sci fi superhero setting, hundreds or a
thousand years from now, mainstream

Earth technology has advanced to the
point where flying cars, interplanetary or
even interstellar space travel, commerce
with alien species, robot/AI citizens, and
other features impossible in the modern
day are commonplace. This civilization
might have proceeded uninterrupted
from the 21st century, or perhaps one
or more global crises (such as a nuclear
war, massive plague, or meteor impact)
in the past caused major setbacks and
eliminated much of the population and
historical records.
This future Earth might be a post-scarcity
society, with essentially limitless power and
resources at the people’s disposal (through
renewable energy, mining asteroids for
minerals, and so on), and there are few
or no local threats that need intervention
by superheroes. Instead, people with
superpowers focus on planetary and
galactic issues, such as warlike alien species,
unstable stars endangering research
satellites or less-advanced planets, and
threats from other dimensions or timelines.
As with a comic-book-style campaign, a
far-future superhero campaign of this type
can include mutants, aliens (especially alien
PCs), super-technology, magic, and so on. A
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A World With Powers
team of superheroes might have their own
space station or asteroid base, and individual
members might all be equipped with unifying
technology (such as a space ring). Space ring, page 158
The Age of Horrors: Thematically the
opposite of the Golden 30th Century, the
Age of Horrors is a future setting where
past events have led (at best) to a dystopia
or (at worst) to destruction, oppression,
and genocide. This setting might only
be a generation away from the present
(so modern superheroes are aged but
still around, and their offspring are the
primary characters) or a century or
more ahead (so modern superheroes
are remembered only as stories, myths,
or gods). Examples of this kind of setting
include:
• Sentient robots have killed or
imprisoned all superhumans except for
a few surviving holdouts.
• A potent supervillain has taken power
and enslaved or eliminated most of the
regular human population.
• A cataclysmic event (nuclear war,
zombie outbreak, meteor, or the PCs from a modern
like) has destroyed civilization, and superhero setting
might time-travel to
superpowered survivors protect the a future setting for a
few remaining enclaves where people series of adventures,
perhaps with the goal
can live and grow food. of returning home
• Corporations have replaced the to ensure or avert
government and regular people are a timeline-changing
event that causes or
used as expendable grist to create prevents that future.
power and profit for a small group
of elites (who may or may not be
superpowered individuals).
• A genetic bomb killed most of the
population and turned the rest into
mutants, who fight for control of the
planet.
Heroes in this kind of setting must find
ways to salvage resources for survival,
tear down the oppressive architects of
the current power structure, and perhaps
send a signal or travel to the past to
prevent their horrible world from ever
existing. It’s also possible that liberating or
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redeeming this world eventually leads to a
future near-utopian society, with the PCs
of these troubled times revered as Earth’s
greatest heroes.
CHARACTER NAMES
Naming superhero characters takes
practice, skill, and an awareness of the
feel of the superhero genre you’re trying
Another way to to emulate. Most supers have a name
generate interesting with one or two words, like Tiger, Laser,
names is to randomly
pick a word from Red Siren, or Iron Skull. If you’re having
a dictionary and trouble thinking up a character name,
build a character
choose two of the following categories and
around that word.
pick a word from each to come up with
some possibilities. Feel free to reject any
combinations that don’t fit the tone of your
campaign or that sound awkward (like
Lizard Dragon and Captain Mask). Odds
are you’ll luck into many that are fun and
memorable, like Iron Stranger, Laser Wolf,
In the early decades or Baron Phoenix.
of comics, superhero
names often had titles
that now seem quaint Animal: It’s common for superhumans to
or perhaps a little have animal-themed abilities and costumes
condescending, like
to match; just pick an interesting animal
boy, damsel, girl, kid,
lad, lady, and lass. If you and decide what powers a superhero with
want your setting to that name would have. Obvious choices
reflect the golden age
of comics, or if your for animal names are ant, bat, bear, beetle,
setting has a “golden cat, crow, eagle, falcon, hawk, lion, lizard,
age” of superheroes in octopus, panther, raven, rhino, scorpion,
its past, feel free to use
these titles, especially shark, snake, spider, squirrel, tiger, toad,
if the hero names use vulture, wasp, and wolf. Rather than a
alliteration, like Bird
general name for an animal, the character
Boy or Liquid Lass.
might use a specific name for an animal of
that type, such as cobra, gecko, or jaguar.
Color: Colors and other visually descriptive
words are a staple of superhero names,
leaning heavily on bold choices like black,
blue, gold, green, grey, iron, metal, night,
red, scarlet, silver, steel, stone, white, and
yellow.
Energy: It’s a natural fit to name a
character with energy powers after that
kind of energy, with words like beam, blast,
fire, flame, ice, laser, lava, light, lightning,
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molten, power, radioactive, snow, sonic,
and thunder.
Evocative word: Sometimes a character
can build a mood and reputation by using
a code name with a word that carries a lot
of emotional weight, like death, destroyer,
doom, dream, living, omega, quicksilver,
shadow, silhouette, stranger, valkyrie,
witch, or warlock.
Monster: Monsters from stories, myths,
and legends are basically evocative words
that suggest what powers and abilities the
character has. Examples include angel,
banshee, beast, chimera, cyclops, demon,
devil, dragon, drake, gargoyle, ghost, goblin,
gorgon, harpy, hobgoblin, kraken, medusa,
minotaur, ogre, phoenix, siren, spectre,
sphinx, thing, and wraith.
Object: An object or symbol can be a
memorable choice for a character name
and costume, whether or not it has an
obvious connection to the character’s
powers. Examples of these words are
blade, bolt, dagger, hand, mask, moon, nuke,
shield, skull, sky, spear, star, storm, sword,
and wing.
Role: Similar to a title (see below), it’s
common for a character’s name to include
a role, such as champion, defender,
guardian, hunter, knight, patriot, sentinel,
smasher, or soldier.
Title: The easiest way to name a
superpowered character is to pick one
aspect of their powers and add a title,
like agent, captain, doctor, admiral, and
professor, or “Man” or “Woman” to the
end of it, creating basic, obvious names
like Captain Lightning, Stone Man, Elastic
Woman, or Professor Ultra. Other useful
titles for superheroes and supervillains
are baron, count, father, mister, and
mother.

SUPERHERO VIGILANTES
The truth is that having superpowers
and a costume doesn’t give a person the
legal authority to beat up burglars, bank
robbers, and supervillains. Unless they
have the approval of the government,
superheroes are vigilantes operating
outside the law—but then again, so are
neighborhood watch groups. Of course,
the local neighborhood watch doesn’t
generally cause tens of thousands of
dollars of damage to public and private
property . . . but that’s because they’re
not trying to stop supervillains who
punch their foes through brick walls, blast
things with bolts of fire and antimatter, or
dangle buses full of innocent bystanders
off a bridge.
In other words, the legality of superhero
actions is complicated.
In a gritty superhero campaign, or one
where the existence of superheroes is
new or controversial, the PCs should
be careful to avoid confrontations with
officers of the law and try not to cause
too much collateral damage. Flaunting
their vigilante status is likely to result in
warrants for their arrest, conflicts with
law enforcement whenever they’re seen
in public (including during battles with
supervillains), criticism from the press,
civil lawsuits over damage, and the passing
of laws to restrict superhuman activity.
Smart heroes under these circumstances
keep a low profile, wrap up conflicts quickly,
restrain their opponents, and leave before
the authorities arrive.
Superheroes who go out of their way to
show that they are responsible citizens,
take extraordinary efforts to protect
innocent people in the line of fire, perform
charitable works, and quickly deal with
supervillains causing property damage
are likely to have a positive reputation
among regular people and the press, and
may have a friendly relationship with law
enforcement (or at least the equivalent
of a superhero 911 number). Responsible
superheroes may even be able to get
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A World With Powers
financial insurance against bodily injury
and destruction of vehicles that happen
during their heroic actions (the cost of this
insurance might be excessive, but wealthy
benefactors are likely to step up to support
high-profile, popular heroes). Money-savvy
heroes could even use a Build or
Enterprise character arc to establish a Character arcs,
charitable foundation that sponsors these page 238
insurance policies, provides a small stipend
for low-income heroes, mentors at-risk
youths, and connects superheroes with
public works projects that could greatly
benefit from their superpowers.
Of course, a character’s reputation
tends to plummet if they are found to have
disturbing habits or history, or are caught
committing a crime or in a compromising
situation. Until the character redeems
themselves (perhaps with a Growth,
Redemption, or Restoration character arc),
they may be wanted by the law, rejected
by former fans, and pursued by litigious
opportunists.
DEFEATED VILLAINS
Most superheroes get their start dealing
with bank robbers, burglars, drug dealers,
and other sorts of street criminals—people
who, if captured by regular authorities,
would be sent to jail, tried for their crimes,
and sentenced to prison. Things are a little
different when a hero’s foe is a supervillain
releasing mind-control drugs into the
city water supply or planning terrorist
acts against an entire country or the
world. These villains have the strength or
superpowers to easily break out of prison,
are inherently dangerous to others around
them (such as a villain who constantly leaks
radiation), are aliens that don’t fall under
the jurisdiction of human government, or
are literal monsters that can’t be kept in
a normal prison. In any case, the players
should know what their characters are
expected to do once they defeat and/or
capture the villains. Here are some options
for the GM.
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Regular Prison. Heroes can turn over a
typical human criminal suspect to local
law enforcement. This might be a direct
Bakislavia is a fictional, handoff, like taking the suspect to an office
tiny European nation of the law (such as city police, military
whose primary
exports are apples police, or federal agents) or waiting
and paper towels. until law enforcement representatives
arrive at the scene of the crime or
where the suspect was detained. If the
government doesn’t support costumed
vigilante justice, the heroes might instead
restrain the suspect with the incriminating
evidence (possession of stolen goods,
surveillance footage, and so on) and
send the authorities an anonymous tip
as to where the suspect can be found.
Assuming the evidence is compelling
enough to incriminate the suspect, they’ll
be charged for their crimes and follow the
normal routine of a trial or plea bargain,
sentencing, and penalties, but in many
cases the hero’s involvement ends once
the suspect is in law enforcement custody.
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International Incidents: An incident with a
foreign citizen committing a crime outside
of their country (such as a supervillain
from Bakislavia blowing up a building in
Los Angeles) requires additional scrutiny
from local law enforcement because of
the potential for the investigation and
trial to become an international incident.
This is especially true if the suspect has
authority or special protections in their
home country, such as being a member
of the royal family. The heroes might be
called upon to testify to clarify the nature
and circumstances of the suspect’s crimes
so the nuances of the situation are fully
understood. Resolving these international
entanglements might include transporting
the suspect to their home country to be
tried for local crimes, or an exchange
of convicted prisoners between the two
countries, perhaps with the heroes on
hand to make sure the detainee doesn’t
escape. Once these issues are taken care
of, the rest of the government’s actions
take place as for normal local criminals.
Super Prison: A supervillain who can
bend steel and punch through stone
won’t stick around long in a prison
meant for regular humans. Likewise,
someone who can teleport, control
minds, or turn into smoke can easily
escape conventional confinement. If the
government is aware of the existence
of individuals with superpowers, there’s
certainly some part of it working on a
way to contain and eliminate such threats.
A benign government might create
countermeasures for superhuman
abilities, like power-dampening restraints,
drugs that suppress mutant genes, or
sedating captured supervillains so they
don’t have the will or coherence to try
to escape. A more ruthless government
might design complicated prisons with
electrified floors, magnet-proof cells,
fireproof doors, and other harsh means
that block escape attempts or turn a
villain’s powers against them. An evil

government might simply kill supervillains
instead of imprisoning them, or brainwash
them into becoming dutiful agents of the
state or controllable super-soldiers.
If the government isn’t aware of the
threat or equipped to handle supervillains
in custody, it may fall to a private
organization or the heroes themselves
to contain their captured foes. This of
course brings up various dilemmas. On
whose authority can they keep captives
indefinitely imprisoned, perhaps even
without a trial? What’s the safest place
to house them? What are the right
protocols for handling an escape attempt
or jailbreak? Also, if the villains need to
be nearby so the heroes can keep an eye
on them, it means the foes are incredibly
close to where the heroes meet, work,
sleep, and train. Furthermore, these
precautions and cells require time, money,
support staff, and supplies, which eats into
resources the heroes would rather use to
stop supervillains who are still on the loose.
Interplanetary Incidents: These situations
are like international incidents, but even
more complex. Earth law probably isn’t
equipped to deal with the legal status of
extraterrestrials, and alien cultures might
not even recognize Earth law or accept
that Earthlings are anything more than
aggressive animals. For example, if the
terrorist supervillain Stormcloud is actually
an alien from the planet Korboros, do the
people of Earth have the legal authority to
detain him? The answer might depend on
whether Earth authorities acknowledge
the existence of Korboros, the difficulty
of interplanetary communication and
transportation, or if there are any treaties
or other legal arrangements between the
two planets. Earth governments might be
better off declaring Stormcloud’s crimes
to be acts of war, and detaining the alien
indefinitely until formal relations with their
species are established.
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A World With Powers
Dangerous Convicts: Detainees that are Similar to the problems
inherently a threat to other creatures of handling dangerous
convicts, superheroes
around them pose an even more difficult often have to deal
problem. A radioactive supervillain can’t be with objects that are
inherently dangerous,
kept near other prisoners, and requires such as antimatter
additional shielding to protect neighboring gems, psychic amulets,
inmates and whoever brings them food vampiric acorns,
and radioactive alien
and cleans their cell. A telepathic robot artifacts. Fortunately,
whose dreams and nightmares cause if these things can’t be
brain damage to random people has to be destroyed, shooting
them into space,
kept far from anyone they might affect. burying them on
A demon that warps the flesh of anyone the moon, or sealing
them under layers
who looks at it requires unique methods
of concrete and lead
of surveillance to make sure it remains is usually enough to
confined. These kinds of situations are render them safe . . . at
least for a few years.
interesting challenges for scientist and
engineer superheroes, and discovering
how to safely contain such convicts could
be the resolution of a character arc like Character arcs,
Build, Creation, New Discovery, or Uncover page 238
a Secret.
Monsters: In an ideal world, prison
for criminals leads to rehabilitation so
they can peacefully reenter society as
productive, law-abiding citizens. That path
isn’t really an option for a subterranean
rock monster with the mentality of a
wolverine, a feral dragon the size of a
house, or a G-spectrum entity from the
Flame Dimension. These creatures might
be dangerous beasts, or they may have a
strange intelligence so different from that
of humans that the two species aren’t able
to communicate, but they can’t be allowed
to run around loose and harm people.
Maybe the heroes can find a way to send
them home where they won’t be a threat
anymore, or take them to a “monster
island” nature preserve where they can
live out their lives. But if there is no way to
safely confine them, killing them might be
the only solution—in which case the heroes
better hope that a more powerful creature
doesn’t show up later wondering where
their spawn, pet, or living power source is.
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i c
Com rytellin
Sto g
S uperhero stories have their own
feel, their own mood, and their
own pacing. While this is true
of superheroes in all their forms, it’s
particularly true on their home turf, which
is comic books. Comics have been around
a long time, and thus have established
their own storytelling techniques, but it’s
worth noting that those techniques have
evolved over time. While older comics can
have pretty stilted dialog and fairly cliche
plots, if you think that all comics are just a
lot of fists pounding into faces and wanton
destruction, perhaps you should check out
some modern comics.
Superhero comics can be funny,
emotional, and moving, and can portray
fantasy, science fiction, or detective
stories—and all of that can be in the same
title. You can do the same thing with your
superhero campaign, effectively switching
genres from story to story. If an ancient
evil wizard appears on modern-day
Earth and summons beings of myth
to find a missing mystical amulet, it’s a
fantasy story. Once the wizard is defeated,
a strange being appears to snatch the
amulet away, claiming it’s an alien artifact
of great power. The PCs then have to
board a faster-than-light starship to chase
the thief, who wants to use the amulet to
power a space platform from which he
and his comrades can launch pirate raids
on planets and ships in the surrounding
systems. Now the genre is sci fi, but it’s still
the same continuing storyline.
In many ways, that’s the best part of
superhero games. There are no limits
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CHAP
TER 5
or boundaries. You can do anything and
everything with comic book stories.
Most of this chapter assumes that the
PCs have supernatural abilities and have
decided to use them to help people—that is,
perhaps, the most basic take on the concept
of a superhero, and it is certainly the norm
with comic book superheroes. Think of
comic books like the X-Men, Birds of Prey,
Astro City, or Black Hammer. If that’s the
sort of thing you’re going for, you’ll want
to think about the aspects of comic book
storytelling, because they can make your
campaign feel not just appropriate but
unlike the other games you play.
There are many aspects of comic book
storytelling that can enhance your RPG
campaign.
ORIGIN STORIES
Every superhero character has an origin
story, even if it’s shrouded in mystery.
(“I don’t know how I got these powers” is
itself an origin story.) Origin stories explain
both how a character gained superpowers
and why they became a hero. In many
cases, those might be two completely
different stories.
The origin of special powers or abilities
should fit with the overall campaign, so
players and GMs should work together
when developing them. If the campaign
setting says that everyone with special
abilities was born a mutant, the characters
should fit into that and shouldn’t have an
origin involving a chemical accident or
alien intervention. There’s also the need

for a level of verisimilitude. If the campaign
is at least moderately grounded in reality
or science, a character probably didn’t
gain superpowers by being doused in
toxic waste spilling out of the back of a
truck or by being bitten by a radioactive
turtle. There is no right or wrong answer,
except that it needs to fit the setting and fit
alongside everyone else’s story.
Similarly, the story of how one started
as a hero needs to fit in with the setting as
well. For example, are superheroes rare
or common? This factor alone likely guides
this portion of the origin story. If, when
someone gains powers, they naturally
suit up and help people (or seek personal
gain), then it’s acceptable to simply say
that’s what any given PC did. But if that sort
of path is rare or nonexistent, a PC might
start with no concept of being a superhero,
and certainly with no code name or
costume. Instead, they spend their time
trying to cope with their new abilities.
Consider the aspects that might bring
one into the role of hero. Perhaps a
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Comic Book Storytelling
momentous event, a heroic mentor or
parent, a role model, or a terrible mistake
that the character hopes to atone for
turned them into a hero. Maybe they were
recruited by an existing hero or team, or
even a government agency. Maybe they
just want the fame and prestige.
Of course, since we’re talking about an
RPG, and thus very likely a group of heroes,
consider the power of an origin story that
ties them together as a team with almost
familial connections. Maybe they were all
born mutants. Maybe they were all involved
in the same archeological expedition to a
strange temple in the desert. Maybe they
are the few who escaped from a sinister
experiment run by an evil corporation. A
joint origin does a lot of work explaining not
just how the characters got their powers,
but why they do what they do, and why
they do it together.
The thing to discover is: does everyone
around the table care about origin stories?
At one point in our culture, we needed origin
stories. We needed an explanation for how
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and why someone could fly or lift a bus.
Today, superheroes are so ingrained in the
culture that we’re fine accepting the fact
that a fictional character has supernatural
abilities and are ready to move on with the
story. Consider the movie The Incredibles.
The origin stories of the superhero
characters in that film are never mentioned,
and even if you’ve seen the movie, it’s
possible that you didn’t notice. That doesn’t
mean the characters don’t have origins—
just that they’re not pertinent to the story
being told right now. They aren’t required.
Your superhero campaign might be similar.
Don’t force players to come up with origin
stories if they don’t want them. Or perhaps
origins are revealed as the campaign
advances and they become relevant to the
current story.
Origin stories should enhance character
development and background. Having no
origin story is better than having a silly
one that the player put three seconds of
thought into. It’s often a decision made at
character creation that sticks with the
PC for the entirety of the campaign, so it’s
worth making sure that everyone involved—
players and GM—is happy with the result.
TEAM-UPS
One hero is great for storytelling: the lone
protector, fighting against evil all around
them. However, your game group probably
has more than one player, so you’re likely
to have more than one character. That
means multiple heroes, and more than in
any other genre, with superheroes, the
more really is the merrier.
It’s fun to have superheroes work
together because the characters are
so dramatically different. If one PC can
turn into diamond and pound her way
through brick walls, another is an alien
shapeshifter, and their mutual friend is
a man with a magic amulet that affects
gravity, well, where else can you get three
characters like that together in one story if
not in the superhero genre?
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Team-ups can be temporary. The heroes
might all be independent heroes that operate
in the same city. They come together when
there’s trouble—and there’s always trouble.
This setup lends itself well to different players
bringing in different heroes all the time, so
the team is hardly ever the same as it was
last session. At some point, however, even
loosely affiliated allies might decide to make
things more permanent.
THE TEAM
Often—particularly in an RPG—the team-up
is a true superhero team. Usually, this
means a group of disparate people with
disparate abilities, unified by the desire to
help people and use their talents to fight
against evil and oppression.
In your campaign, you can start the first
session with the assumption that the group
is already a team, or you can make the
formation part of an early storyline. A team
can be newly formed or it can have existed
for a while, with an established reputation
and roster of foes (and perhaps allies).
Regardless of the age of the team, the
first thing the group should probably do is
choose a team name—something evocative
and exciting, hopefully. Like so many aspects
of the game, it needs to be something that
everyone will be happy with.
Everyone should get a say in the team
name. Further, everyone should help
determine how the team operates—the
goals, the ethos, the mode of operation, and
so on. Do they wait to be called upon, or do
they go out on patrol? Do they work with
the authorities, or are they outlaw heroes
living on the lam?
Sometimes super-teams have leaders,
but that’s not vital and in an RPG often
doesn’t work well. Making decisions
through a more democratic process is
probably a better way to avoid stress or
conflict. (Although a team leader and a
team outsider who resents the leader
makes for good story fodder—just be sure
that it’s the characters who butt heads, not
the players.)

THE BASE
Many times, a permanent, established
team has a base from which to conduct
their operations. Bases can range from a
room behind a laundromat to a fortress
in orbit around Earth. Designing a base
can be an enjoyable group activity. If the
players really want their characters to
have a base, the GM should feel free to be
generous in letting them decide what it’s
like and what it contains. They can draw
up a sketch or map, and detail some of
the main rooms (assuming there’s more
than one). Ultimately, the base should fit
the team and the team’s story. A bunch
of ragtag startups should have a rough
“starter” base that’s probably small. The
protectors of a whole city should have their
own massive skyscraper. Outlaw heroes
or those without much of a public persona
should have a hidden base.
Base equipment and facilities should
empower the stories you want to create,
not make them more difficult. The base
computer shouldn’t answer all the PCs’
questions, but it should be equipped to alert
them to information needed to undertake
an adventure. In other words, if the point
of the adventure is to find the villains’ lair,
don’t let the base’s computer systems
and high-tech sensors locate it. But if
the point of the adventure is to rescue a
kidnapped scientist from the villains’ lair
and the PCs don’t know where it is, well, the
technological wizardry in their base should
tell them right where they need to go.
Heroes with a great base are often
wealthy or have a wealthy benefactor.
Someone’s got to pay for all their stuff, not
to mention what will probably be frequent
damage repairs.
A great base very likely assumes access
to high technology. Alarms and automated
defenses, communication and monitoring
devices, advanced laboratories and medical
facilities, and a training room that can cope
with the characters’ powers are all staples
of the genre. The base also can be a place
to store dangerous retrieved items (the
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Comic Book Storytelling
unstable mystic gem that threatens the
universe if touched) or simply trophies, like
weapons from defeated foes. It might even
have a holding cell for captured villains,
although it’s probably best if the PCs don’t
turn into full-time jailers.
A base might require a staff beyond
the PCs. Comic book teams often have a
receptionist, a butler, a janitor, and so on. Of Sample bases, page 102
course, these duties could be performed
by robots, conjured spirits, or whatever fits
the team’s oeuvre.
Lastly, a base might imply a vehicle, such
as a supersonic jet, a hovercraft, or a
spaceship for the team to use. Again, this
isn’t meant to overpower the characters,
but to facilitate adventures. If the heroes
are needed in Buenos Aires, they don’t book
economy seats on an airline and take their
superhero gear through security (and
customs!)—they hop on their stealth plane.
That way, you can skip the travel part of the
story and get right to the action. If the PCs
don’t have a suitable vehicle, all (or almost
all) of their adventures should be local.
SECRET IDENTITIES
Not all superheroes have secret identities,
but for those who do, that aspect of their
character is vital to storytelling. There’s a
lot of stress that comes from managing
two identities—it’s difficult to perform at
100 percent in both, all the time. It’s hard
to cover up why you need to leave at a
moment’s notice to don your costume and
deal with an emergency. On the other hand,
if your nemesis knows where you live and
who your friends are, that’s quite a liability.
The problem with secret identities in an
RPG is that, most likely, they are secret
from the other players too. And even
if they’re not, the PCs’ secret identities
probably don’t interact—although it could
be an interesting campaign hook if they did.
If the heroes were friends in their secret
identities as well and perhaps even worked
together, maybe as part of a news crew,
a sports team, or a group of emergency
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workers, the game’s action and attention
could rest equally on both.
Regardless, you don’t want to stress one
character’s secret identity life so much
that it takes away significantly from the
group. A PC might want to start a business
in their secret identity, and that might be
interesting and provide some story hooks,
but if the other players have nothing to
do while that player acts in their secret
identity, the game very likely won’t work.
Sometimes secret identity side stories
can be handled away from the game table,
through email or texts.
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What’s most important about a hero’s
secret identity is learning what really
matters to the character—which often
comes down to who really matters to the
character. For characters living double lives,
it’s not just about saving people and fighting
villains. They’ve got goals and aspirations
and relationships to think about too. If a PC
is a super-genius scientist in their daily life,
the success of that work is important, and
putting it in jeopardy raises the stakes for
that character. If a hero is married, putting
the spouse in danger raises the stakes, but
so does completing a mission in time for
their anniversary dinner.
Consider intermingling secret identities
with hero identities. It’s a comic storytelling
trope that the more we see the hero’s
secret identity, the more it impacts what
happens in their heroic endeavors. Their
best friend in school is actually a psychotic
villain. Their boss at work is behind the
growing network of criminals in town. Their
love interest is on the airplane that’s been
taken over by terrorists. This can seem
cliche, and it can be overdone, but it can also
cause a lot of drama and allow your stories
to exist on two levels at the same time.
Characters without secret identities will
be recognized wherever they go. They’ll
be treated as celebrities or outcasts,
depending on what they do. It’s possible that
their families or loved ones will be targeted
by their enemies. But it’s probably easier to
get a bank loan or free drinks in the bar.
NEMESES
Sometimes, a hero is defined more by
their villain(s) than by their own power or
personality. One could argue, for example,
that Batman is defined as much by the
Joker or the Riddler as he is by anything
else—mostly because there’s such a fine
line between them.
• Normal person (in the sense of having
no superpowers)? Check.
• Wears a costume and strictly adheres
to a theme? Check.

• Travels throughout the city on a
personal quest? Check.
• No hesitation to use violence as well as
clever use of intellect? Check.
The only difference, really, is that the
villains are murderous criminals and the
hero tries to stop them. In other words,
Batman can be defined by the line that he
won’t cross, but that his villains will.
A nemesis or archenemy might be a
group rather than a single character.
Glisten’s nemesis might be the entirety of
the sinister Dark Legion, or a superhero
team might have a supervillain team as
their nemesis. Alternatively, you can flip it
around and have a hero team with a single
formidable villain as their nemesis.
A hero’s nemesis should be difficult to
deal with in a straightforward manner.
If the hero is an excellent combatant, the
villain uses speed to stay out of reach. If
the hero is powerful, the nemesis uses
trickery and deceit to avoid a direct
confrontation. The nemesis should cause
aggravation for the hero—each encounter
should make the PC (and the player) hate
the nemesis just a little more.
It’s tempting to make the nemesis the polar
opposite of the hero. If the hero has flame
powers, the archenemy can create water
or cold. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, since the villain will appear over
and over again. encounters may start to
feel repetitive. And keep in mind that there’s
no requirement that the nemesis must be
the opposite of the hero. There’s nothing
thematically opposing Spider-Man and the
Green Goblin, for example.
It’s just as tempting to make the
archenemy very similar to the hero. The
speedster’s nemesis is also a speedster.
This can be fun, but again, it might also
become tiresome.
A good nemesis will provide a wide
variety of challenges. For example, Cobalt’s
nemesis, the Scream Queen, might enact
an intricate plan to steal valuable jewelry
in one story, and in the next she might
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hold a contest among assassins and
murderers to see who can kill Cobalt in
the most ingenious fashion. Sometimes
she’s straightforward, sometimes she
uses minions, sometimes she tries to
trick the hero into doing what she wants, Unless it’s intentional
and sometimes she takes him on in direct that the villain’s code
name or identity is
combat. Every storyline and encounter a secret, villain code
with her is different and interesting. names—and other
hero code names—
GMs should consider consulting the
should always be
players on the creation of their nemeses. known. Maybe the
Assuming that a nemesis will be around for megalomaniacal villain
announces their name
a long time and encountered on multiple when they enter the
occasions (and if that’s not true, how is scene, or you just want
this person a nemesis?), it’s important that to assume the players
all know the name,
the players involved have a say in what even to the point where
they’re like. It might even be best to start you could imagine, in
a comic, the villain’s
the campaign with the hero having already
name emblazoned
encountered their archenemy, which like a logo above them
establishes the villain and explains how the when they arrive.
Names are important
PC knows so much about them. in comics, and
One last thing to consider: instead of an everyone’s superhero
archenemy, use an archrival—another or villain name should
be said aloud at the
hero! Or perhaps a rival superhero team. table multiple times
The two groups might have very different in a session. Usually
with an exclamation
methods and means, or entirely different
point after it.
(or opposing) philosophies. Maybe the
archrival kills their foes outright, or maybe
they control their minds and reprogram
them—whatever the PCs find most
abhorrent. The idea is that the rivals might
compete with the characters rather than
treating them as enemies. The competition
might be for public adoration, government
sponsorship, or bragging rights about
who truly is the strongest, the fastest, or
whatever.
GUEST STARS AND
CROSSOVERS
In comics and movies, superheroes
constantly pop in and out of each others’
lives. A hero might join another to face a
powerful enemy and then disappear just as
quickly, their own missions to complete.
This makes superhero campaigns
among the best choices for groups where
one or two players can only show up
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occasionally, or groups with a revolving
door of players. The PC team could
summon whomever is available when a
new crisis arises, and the characters of
the players who show up that week are
those who heed the call.
You can also have players sometimes
play one-shot characters in the middle
of a campaign. Say that you’ve got three
players, and the characters are Miss
Mind, the Fury, and Major Destruction. In
one story, Miss Mind and the Fury face off
against ninjas sent by an old foe looking
for revenge, but Major Destruction doesn’t
answer their call for backup (because
he’s already been captured by the ninjas).
That third player then gets to bring in a
character they’ve just created, Affinity, who
happens by during the attack. Affinity helps
the other two heroes and then aids them
as they go to the villains’ lair and rescue
their kidnapped ally, Major Destruction.
At the end of the story, Affinity goes off to
do their own thing, but now the hero is out
there, part of the ever-growing world, and
the characters have just had an adventure
with them. Plus, one player got to play a
new character for a change of pace.
As another option for a really interesting
setup, the GM could run two different
games set in the same general location
(probably the same major city). The two
different groups of heroes come together
from time to time to join forces in a big
crossover. At other times, one character
from a group joins the other group for a
single adventure as a guest star.
Crossovers can also be adventures
involving a lot of superhero NPCs in an epic
Inner Earth, page 197 story (the Undermen of Inner Earth are
attacking all the major cities, for example).
In this kind of story, focus on the PCs, and
have them coordinate with NPC heroes.
Or have one NPC hero join the PCs for a
change of pace.
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UNIQUE PACING IDEAS
Comic storytelling has its own sort of
pacing. It’s like a mix of soap opera and
action films, with a little bit of video games
thrown in. It’s generally fast-paced, but
there’s time between the fights and the
chases for some drama and character
development. Consider setting up your
superhero game the same way.
DIVIDE THE CAMPAIGN INTO ISSUES
This may be the most cart-upsetting
suggestion in this book, but it’s also probably
the one that will really make your game
stand out. Start talking about your game not
in terms of stories and adventures but in
terms of issues. An issue of a comic book
is usually about 22 story pages (the other
pages have ads, editorials, or other things).
In that amount of time, using modern
comic pacing, you can get in one or two
dialog/conversation scenes, a big fight or
other action scene, and probably another
smaller, less-significant action scene or
perhaps an investigation scene. Older
comics were paced even faster, with far
more scenes in the same small space.
If you think about it, a couple of action
scenes and a couple of interaction scenes,
either among the PCs or between the PCs
and some NPCs, pretty nicely maps to a
typical RPG session. So you could consider
a session to be a comic book issue. It
doesn’t have to work that way, though.
Maybe one session is two issues. Or half
an issue. Or an issue and a half. The point
is, structure your pacing like a comic book
issue, regardless of how much game time
it represents.
What does that actually mean?
Well, think of an issue as a journey the
characters go on. By definition, they don’t
end in the same place they began. The
issue surrounds an important discovery.
This could be a literal discovery; perhaps
the heroes are looking for a missing
person who disappeared in the middle of
the city center, and they find them. It could
also be a revelation; they discover who the

villain really is, or what their scheme or
goal might be. The heroes fight a villain, who
has an amazing new defense they can’t
overcome, and now they need a new plan.
These are all discoveries, and they’re the
kind of thing that a single issue would be
built around.
With that in mind, the GM should consider
giving each issue a title and telling the
players the title beforehand. The title
doesn’t reveal the plot, but it suggests a
general idea. Comic book issue titles are
often dramatic—sometimes to the point of
being overblown, but that’s part of the fun.
If you tell the players that the current issue
is called “There Shall Come an Apocalypse!”
or “Death Is My Calling Card,” or something
similar, it’s intriguing and enticing, if a little
campy. You could also tone it down with a
shorter title like “The Blood King,” “Destiny,”
or “Dread’s Revenge.”
Go a step further and describe things in
the game in terms of panels. Every comic
book page is divided into panels, and you
can think of your game this way too. You
don’t have to do this in every scene or
round, but when an NPC takes a significant
action (or reaction), tell the players “The
panel looks like this . . .” Encourage the
players to do the same every once in a
while. Rather than say, “I attack the warbot
with my gravity powers,” the player says,
“Okay, there’s a panel that shows the
warbot advancing, and then a panel just like
it except gravity has increased and now it’s
crushed to the ground.”
You can also bring the concept of splash
pages into this, where a very significant
scene is given one or even two full
pages as a single panel to emphasize the
importance, the drama, and the action. Give
every issue at least one splash page. That’s
a good rule of thumb because each issue
should have at least one really big moment.
When the villain has the PCs on the
ropes and is lording it over them, when a
character gathers their last bit of strength
and courage and grabs the helicopter
as it’s flying away, or when all the heroes
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and all the villains clash for the big battle
scene—these are all splash pages.
Things like travel, searching, and
exploration are often skipped over in a
comic book, and that’s not a bad philosophy
for pacing your session. Describe a caption
above or below the panel that says, “Three
hours later . . .” or something to that effect, Most comic book
and get right to the action. At no point in issues don’t have a title
anymore because the
a superhero game should things ever comics are packaged
seem boring, humdrum, or tedious. If into collections of five
or six issues, and the
things get frustrating, it should be because
collection is given a
the heroes can’t get through their foe’s title. You could do the
defenses or because the villain slips away same and give your
“collection” a title, with
at the last minute, not because they can’t each “issue” being part 1,
find the hidden door to get into the bad part 2, and so on. Either
guy’s base. way, you’ll accomplish
the same thing.
START WITH ACTION
Comic books often start with a big
action scene—usually with one of the
aforementioned splash pages. They’ll do
this even if it requires a bit of backtracking,
narratively, to explain the situation or how
things got where they are. You can do the
same with your game.
Start every adventure (or maybe even
every session—each issue) in medias
res, with the action already in full swing.
Then do a flashback scene to explain
the premise and the setup as opposed
to starting with those initial—and very
likely less exciting—scenes. Or don’t do
the flashback at all. Every comics fan has
faced the dreaded “missed issue” where
you’re reading a comic book but you didn’t
read the one before it, and you have to
catch up to understand the action taking
place right now. That makes the discovery
of what’s going on all the more frantic and
exciting for the players.
Players shouldn’t be outright confused,
and should trust that things will be clear
eventually, but you don’t want to start a
game with a lot of exposition, debate among
the players as they make a plan, or the PCs
looking around for trouble. Start with the
trouble.
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CLIFFHANGERS
Ending each session (each issue) with
a cliffhanger will help with the goal of
starting each session with action. The
PCs defeat the Terrifying Trio, who now
lie unconscious among the wreckage of
the Walmart where the battle took place,
when suddenly their evil alien masters,
the Corrupted, descend in their orbital
craft and threaten to destroy the whole
city . . . and rather than playing that scene
out further, the GM just says, “To be
continued!”
Not only does this end the session on a
note of high energy, it ensures that when
you reconvene for your next session,
no one will say, “Now, what was going on
again?” They’ll remember, and it will be with
a mood of excitement and dread.
STORYTELLING THROUGH ACTION
In superhero comics and movies, the
story gets told while things happen. Two
characters work out their differences
while they fight (or fight a foe together).
Heroes learn a villain’s intentions while they
cope with a flood from the dam she just
shattered. We see a story of self-sacrifice
play out as one character gives their
life to save their friends (or perhaps the
whole world).
Superhero games should work the same
way. If the PCs need information from an
important government official, don’t have
BASTION, page 163 them just talk to her in her office. Have
them talk to her while they protect her
from an army of android assassins. If a PC
needs to learn something from the villain’s
lackeys, have them learn it while they take
the foes down.
Rather than setting things up so there’s
a secret message to find or a prisoner
to interrogate after the action, have
one villain communicate the important
information to another while they fight
the PCs. “Keep these meddlers away
from that touchscreen—that’s what
maintains the president’s mind control!”
If a prisoner does give up information,
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it’s not a prolonged interrogation scene,
it’s whispered with their last breath on
the final round of combat before they fall
unconscious.
Imagine that the PCs fight their way onto
the bridge of an alien mothership. Rather
than knowing through exposition ahead of
time that the aliens have a missile that can
blow up the sun, they just know that the
aliens are up to no good. They don’t learn
about the missile until the alien commander
gives the order to fire it and explains what
it will do. The PCs have to stop it there
and then (or fly after it in space before it
reaches its target).
Exposition delivered during an action
scene makes the scene more dramatic
and the exposition more exciting. It often
means that the final revelation comes right
at the end of an adventure and packs a
surprise, but that’s a good thing.
And, of course, storytelling and
exposition don’t have to involve dialog at
all. The villain is making their getaway in a
helicopter, having stolen a massive amount
of C4 explosive. The heroes give chase
and see the helicopter flying straight for
the nearby dam. That’s straightforward
storytelling at its clearest—the villain is
going to try to blow the dam, causing untold
destruction to the area!
But story isn’t just plot. It’s also character,
and action can convey that as well. You
could have a pre-mission briefing with
the PCs involving a BASTION agent who
explains that the mercenary Darkwave is
fearless and arrogant, creating constructs
of darkness to attack her foes, but her
partner Amnesia is timid and hesitant, yet
still dangerous because her touch robs
people of their memories. Or the PCs could
move straight into a confrontation with
this deadly duo and observe directly that
Darkwave charges at them with a giant
hammer made of “anti-light” while Amnesia
moves slowly and carefully into position
to get an opportunity to touch a foe, yet
seems ready to run at the slightest hint of
danger. While both options are viable, the

latter is storytelling through action, and
it probably carries more weight. “Show,
don’t tell” is a pretty good bit of advice for
fiction writers and just as good for GMs,
particularly in the superhero genre.
REVERSALS
The classic reversal is when it seems like
the story is going one way and it suddenly
goes in the opposite direction. In superhero
stories, this often involves the disposition
of a character. The mastermind villain
runs for governor and wins the election.
The trusted ally has a change of heart and
turns on their friends.
Classic examples of reversals in comic
book storytelling also include:
• A hero goes rogue after the death of
their partner, becoming a murderous
vigilante, or even a true villain.
• A villain seeks redemption and wants to
walk the straight and narrow. Or maybe
they just retire after a number of
defeats to spend time with their family
and take a normal job (or do some
really low-end criminal work).
• A character is sent hurtling into another
dimension or is imprisoned forever in
a mystical monastery in the mountains,
but they eventually find a way to get out
and back home.
The most famous reversal in comics
is the character death. Both heroes and
villains have a tendency to die and then
come back. Sometimes, what appeared to
be a death was just a close call. This often
happens when there’s no body to recover.
Falling into deep water works well for this,
as does a huge explosion or being shot into
space—the story of how they miraculously
survived is usually a good one all on its own.
But sometimes characters legitimately
die and still somehow come back. Their
personality is imprinted on the mind of
another person or uploaded into a computer,
so they can be given a new life in a new
body. A mystical ritual returns their soul
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from the dead. A cosmic alignment brings
unknown powers into the story that return
the character to life for their own ends.
Reversals often reverse again. For
example:
• The billionaire industrialist who is
funding multiple superheroes goes
bankrupt. And then, a year later, she’s
made a new fortune.
• The PCs’ greatest foe inadvertently has
their mind wiped, and they become a
hero—a direct ally of the PCs. Eventually,
however, their original memories and
personality return.
• A character without a headquarters
gets a cool, high-tech, high-rise base,
but it gets destroyed.
Reversals are usually story based.
They depend on the ever-turning wheel of
fate. But they make for great stories with
unexpected twists.
CHANGES (AND
CHANGES BACK)
Similar to the reversal, you can create
changes that affect a character (PC or
NPC). Changes are often character based
rather than story based. New costumes,
new team-ups, new powers—these are
all changes where it’s the change that’s
important, not the story around it.
Even more than reversals, changes
are usually short-lived. They add variety
and a fresh take, but the characters and
situations eventually return to a baseline.
For example, a minor villain might obtain For much more on
a mystic gem that makes them ten times character death,
see pages 96–97.
more powerful (and practically a new
adversary, offering new challenges for the
PCs), but eventually circumstances alter
and they return to their normal power
level. Maybe after being exposed to strange
radiation in the previous story, a PC gains
new abilities, or loses control of the ones
they had prior. This makes for some fun
stories, but eventually they might revert to
their classic incarnation.
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Comics frequently do a sort of factory
reset on their characters and settings,
a tactic that you can steal to fearlessly
make changes. A villain gets a suit of
armor that enhances their powers, but
Character arcs,
page 238 the next time she shows up, she doesn’t
have it anymore. Another villain’s cool and
iconic orbital base is destroyed, but they
eventually build a new one.
DEVELOPMENTS
Developments are changes that never get
undone. A character gets married or has a
child. A character dies a noble death, and it
seems clear that to bring them back would
be to tarnish their sacrifice. An NPC hero
hangs up the cape and goes into politics. A
genius hero uses their great inventions to
improve the quality of life for everyone. Or
to make millions. Or both.
Sometimes, a development can be
the proverbial passing of the baton. The
hero Speedburst decides to retire, but a
new, younger hero takes up the mantle
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of Speedburst. (They may or may not
call themselves Speedburst II, Young
Speedburst, the New Speedburst, or
some other modification.) This can be a
really interesting thing to do with a PC in
the middle of a campaign, with the same
player now playing a younger version of
themselves, with a different personality
and backstory and maybe even somewhat
different powers.
PLAYER-DRIVEN CHANGES AND
DEVELOPMENTS
Encourage and reward players who
spend time or XP (or both) to create
interesting changes or developments
for their characters. Players might want
to establish a base, start a business in
their hero identity, get married, join an
existing hero group, and so on. Or maybe
they want to do something that will alter
their powers, perhaps giving them a new
ability. A character might even change
their focus or how they have assigned
their power shifts. As long as the player
puts in the time and effort to explain how
this happens in the story being told, why
not? This is comic book storytelling, after
all. Stranger things have happened in
the pages of comics. Character arcs as
presented in the Cypher System Rulebook
are a good baseline for how to reward
PCs with XP for taking on stories that
further develop their characters.
INTERWEAVING STORIES
An ongoing comic book is a series of
stories with the same character(s). But it’s
not always as linear as it sounds. It doesn’t
always go story A, then story B, then story
C. Rather, we get story A, and within it we
get the start of story B. Then, within story
B, we get the first part of story C.
Consider this extended example:
Story A: Supervillain team tries to steal a
crystal found in a meteor.

Story B: An old villain returns to get
revenge on the PCs.
Story C: PCs need to rescue scientists
lost in another dimension.
• Start with Story A. It’s straightforward,
and the PCs move in to stop the bad
guys’ plan.
• While they’re dealing with this situation,
they learn that an old foe of theirs has
just broken out of prison.
• By the time they recover the stolen
crystal and finish story A, story B’s
villain has already kidnapped a scientist
friend important to them, and now the
PCs need to deal with that. The foe has
holed up in the scientist’s high-tech lab
and set a trap for them with some kind
of extradimensional device.
• The trap sends the PCs and some
scientists into a strange alien world. The
PCs keep the scientists safe and return
them home.
• Back on Earth, the PCs deal with the
villain and save their friend.
• The other scientists reveal that, while in
the other dimension, they were implanted
with alien spores that now control them,
so the PCs have to stop their actions
and free them from the spores.
In the end, it almost feels like one big story
because all the threads have been woven
into a cohesive whole. It feels less episodic
and a bit more like life. This approach can
be exhausting, though, so if you do this, be
sure to leave some breathing room now and
again for the characters to rest, carry on
their lives, and so on.
STORIES GROW MORE
INTERESTING OVER TIME
Origin stories are all well and good, but
arguably a hero is at their most interesting
once they’ve established themselves. So
too do the villains get more interesting after
their initial appearance, because they are
known. Consider a pair of alien would-be
conquerors that come to Earth. They
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show up, try to defeat Earth’s champions,
and probably fail. That’s a pretty good
story. But say one of the alien warlords
is captured and imprisoned in stasis in a
secret location. Now the other one returns
to Earth on a quest to find and free their
partner, destroying anyone or anything
that gets in their way. Arguably, opposing
that foe will be a more interesting story
for the game. It’s got drama, an atypical
villainous motivation (and perhaps one
that is a bit more sympathetic or at least
understandable), and still plenty of action.
But you can’t have the second without
the first. Or can you? You could set up your
game so that some of that history has
already happened. Alternatively, you could
have the villains defeated by other NPC
heroes the first time around, but it’s the
PCs who have to deal with their return.
Still, let’s go back to the idea that you’re
starting your campaign, in comic parlance,
not with issue 1, but, say, issue 28. The thing
to do is get the players to help fill in the bulk
of “issues 1 to 27.”
As a group, in the first session of the
campaign, the players determine how their
characters came together and handle
all the issues discussed earlier about
team-ups. Then, have each player (with Team-Ups, page 82
suggestions and help from the others)
contribute a storyline from the group’s
past. Get pertinent details—NPC names,
place names, and so on. Determine a rough
order of events, and make sure that you
know how each plot line resolved, or if it
didn’t fully, note that as well.
Now you’ve got a wealth of information
to build on. When you “bring back” an old
foe the PCs have already encountered, the
players will feel like they did encounter that
foe previously, because they participated in
the creation of the foe and their story.
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THEMES
Like any good story, a comic book tale
has a theme. While there are an endless
number of themes to choose from, here
are some big ones that have contributed to
interesting superhero stories in the past.
Justice Versus Revenge: There’s a fine line
between the tormented hero with a tragic
past who wants to fight for the innocent
because of what happened to them in their
own backstory, and the vicious vigilante
who wants to put the hurt on those who
wronged them or the ones they loved.
What’s the real motivation here—justice
or revenge? There’s not necessarily a
right or wrong answer, but if one player is
expecting their character to uphold justice
and another’s character is just out for
revenge, make sure they’re both on board
for the eventual conflict. And make sure
you’re on board with it too.
The Nature of Heroism: It takes more than
a superpower and a cape to be a hero.
We all know that. But when it comes to
superhumans, there’s a whole spectrum
of characters, not just heroes and villains.
What about a superhero who insists
on getting paid? Or one who only saves
certain people and not others? The most
basic questions that arise from this theme
should be the true nature of heroism and
what it means to be a hero.
Shades of Grey: Good guys versus bad
guys. That’s the core of superhero tales,
right? Well, not so fast. That might have been
true forty or fifty years ago, but things have
become a lot more nuanced since then.
Heroes have to make hard decisions. The
good or right choice isn’t always obvious.
Maybe sometimes the most they can strive
for is the lesser of two evils.
Or maybe the “villain” isn’t such a villain
after all, but meting out a form of justice
that the heroes cannot see, at least at first. A
freedom fighter is just a terrorist you agree
with, according to some people. When it’s
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a clash of cultures, nations, or ideologies,
who’s to say who is on the right side?
When confronted with such difficult
choices, the PCs—and the players—will
have to put their own outlooks to the test,
and do whatever they ultimately feel is
best. But can they live with their decisions?
Rehabilitation and Forgiveness: Can a
leopard change its spots? Can a villain
become a hero? There are many examples
in comics of characters following that
path. But can the other heroes ever truly
trust such a character? And what does
this redeemed character do with other
villains? If the reformed villain-now-hero
can rehabilitate and change, shouldn’t that
opportunity be offered to others?
Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Many
superheroes, both in comics and movies,
try hard to never take a life despite
wielding dangerous powers. Most of them
don’t just pick up a firearm and shoot the
villain. There’s often a sort of code, either
a personal one or one established by
the larger superhuman community, that
superheroes don’t have the right to carry
out punishments—they just stop the bad
guys from doing whatever they’re doing and
turn them over to the proper authorities.
But maybe one or more of the PCs
eschews this code. Or maybe there’s no
code at all. This makes it harder not to think
of the PCs as simple vigilantes, taking justice
into their own hands. Literally becoming
judge, jury, and executioner all in one.
Or perhaps the PCs keep the code, but
other superheroes don’t, bringing heroes
into conflict with other heroes over their
methods of upholding justice.
Power Versus Authority: Power is
authority taken by force. Authority is
power given freely. The PCs have great
abilities. Do they have power or authority?
In other words, do they do what they want,
when they want, or do they work with the
existing systems and structures?

Governments and other systems in
place might not take well to the idea of
individuals with superhuman abilities
running freely with no oversight. They
might try to restrict superhumans or
force them to operate within government
control. This can end up with the PCs being
part of the military, a special service, or the
United Nations. Alternatively, it might force
the heroes underground, operating as
outlaws if they don’t want to be controlled
by outside forces that might have political
or economic agendas that don’t mesh with
what the characters see as heroism.
SPECIAL GM
CONSIDERATIONS
While you can get a lot out of the Running
the Cypher System chapter in the Cypher
System Rulebook, there are a few things
specifically related to superheroes to
consider before beginning your Claim the
Sky game.
BALANCING POWER LEVELS
The PCs will be incredibly powerful,
likely with a variety of strange abilities at
their disposal to deal with conventional
challenges. Pitting one powerful opponent
against them can be difficult. It’s often
a good idea to have villains in pairs or
groups if they will be facing a group of PCs.
Alternatively, a bunch of lackeys, robots,
demon soldiers, or something similar can
be useful in creating a challenge for the
whole group.
If you want to increase a villain’s staying
power, one of the best ways to do it is to
increase their Armor and/or resistances,
or give them the ability to recover their
health quickly.
Another thing to consider is balancing
power with circumstance. The villain
might be a challenge in a fight with one
or two heroes, which is fine because the
rest of the team has to disarm the bomb
that’s about to go off, or repair the bridge
the train is about to go over, or save the
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Comic Book Storytelling
civilians in immediate danger. Better yet,
use all of those things in one encounter.
On the other hand, what happens when
a villain who gave the PCs a tough fight on
their own now joins with a bunch of other
villains? You might have to subtly tone
down the NPC’s power a bit.
POWER VERSUS POWER LEVELS
Challenging PC heroes doesn’t always
mean pitting them against ultra-powerful
foes. Sometimes a foe with the right ability
can be just as difficult to deal with as a titan
with lots of Armor and health. Consider
these three examples:
The Possessor: This NPC uses mind control
to make other people do his bidding. Maybe
even fight for him. How do you beat a foe
who is using innocents to attack you? Chapter 25: Running
Suddenly, it’s not about strength or prowess, the Cypher System,
page 402
but creative solutions to keep the victims
from being harmed while still catching the
bad guy. And what if the Possessor controls
one of the PCs? The Possessor himself
might have very little in the way of health,
defenses, or damage-dealing power. But if
his mind control has significant range, just
finding him while coping with his controlled
subjects might be tricky.
Porter: Porter is a villain whose only
ability is to teleport. She can’t deal much
damage—maybe she has a pistol—and she
can’t withstand more than one successful
attack against her. Ah, but that’s the
problem. How do you attack someone
who’s not where she was a moment ago?
Porter is tricky to deal with because she
can teleport and take an action each round.
So she can teleport in, grab the loot she’s
after, and then teleport out next round—
and still have an action when she arrives
where she’s going. This allows only a very
small window of opportunity to stop her.
The Veil: This NPC is a normal person. No
powers. No battle suit. No alien tech. But
she’s smart and she’s rich, so she has a
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veritable army of lieutenants, lackeys, and
mercenaries. She doesn’t get her hands
dirty—she doesn’t go out and commit
crimes. She has others do that for her. She
doesn’t fight heroes either—she pays other
villains to do that for her as well. And if the
heroes do reach her, it’s probably a body
double she hired as a stand-in. Her identity
is a secret, and she might very well be a
person who is prominent in society or in
the lives of the heroes’ secret identities.
MASTERMIND VILLAINS
One of the most difficult aspects of running a
superhero game is portraying a mastermind
villain. By definition, this super-genius
schemer who has plans within plans is
smarter than you are, and smarter than
anyone at the table. They’re supernaturally
smart. Not just because they can build a giant
machine that will absorb energy from the
entire city to power their transdimensional
gateway, but because they’ve already
thought of all the ways their enemies
(including the PCs) might try to stop them and
have developed contingency plans. But you,
the GM, can’t think of everything, so how
can an NPC that you’re controlling do that?
There’s a simple answer.
Cheat.
Use your metagame knowledge as the
GM to replicate the mastermind’s incredible
genius. The PCs make a plan and move
to defeat their foe, but the mastermind is
already a step (or five) ahead of them. The
villain has moved the giant energy-absorbing
machine the PCs were going to destroy
and left an ambush for them instead. But
how could the mastermind have known the
heroes were coming? Because they’re just
that smart.
Obviously, there’s a line you have to draw,
or the mastermind will be unbeatable
and that really will seem like cheating. So
instead of conceiving of all the things the
villain might have thought of, think of the
one thing that they didn’t consider. Come
up with their one weakness. The one
weak link in their plan. Maybe they’re too
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overconfident. Maybe they rely too much
on one of their servitors. Maybe they
didn’t count on the heroes being so utterly
selfless. Regardless, the mastermind
has every base covered except for one.
And that’s how the heroes win—not by
outsmarting the super-genius, but by
finding their weakness or blind spot.
PCs SHOULD GET TO BE POWERFUL
Frequently give the PCs a chance to be
powerful and cool. Give them an obstacle
that would be difficult for normal characters
but that they can easily overcome. A house
is on fire. A construction crane is teetering
and about to collapse. A bunch of typical
thieves are robbing a jewelry store. The
superheroic characters should be able
to deal with these situations fairly handily.
There might be some die rolls involved
and so on, and maybe one of the PCs will
take a small bit of damage, but the odds
are heavily in their favor. This makes them
feel powerful, effective, and heroic—and
that’s probably why they wanted to play
superhero characters in the first place.
Sure, they’ll be pushed to their limits by
the main adventure later on, but for a
moment, they get to be mighty. And, if it
fits the campaign, make sure there are
bystanders around who can ooh and aah
and thank the heroes for their help.
PLAYERS SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO
SETTING THE SCENE
Expect players to ask things like “Is there a
parked car I can pick up and throw at him?”
Even if you never described any cars on the
street, you should answer that question with
“Yes.” Or, at the very least, say “No, but . . .” as
in, “No, you’re inside a shopping mall. There
is a sunglasses kiosk, though.” Basically, the
idea is to not just allow but encourage the
players to contribute to the surroundings.
Most of the time, if it’s something they could
reasonably expect to be there, it should be
there, like flagpoles, narrow alleyways, or a
streetlamp in a city; a boulder, a cave, or a
tree in the wilderness; a large control panel,

a bunch of chemicals, or a big machine
hanging from the ceiling in a high-tech
lab; and so on. Even if it’s not something
you initially planned for, allow the players’
imaginations to complement your own. It
encourages ingenuity and imagination on
their part and allows for fun interactions
with the environment. Because while
punching the bad guy is fine, swatting them
with a street sign is even better.
AVOIDING THE TROPES OF OTHER
GENRES AND GAMEPLAY
Although comics offer fun ways to smash
together all your favorite genres, some
sensibilities from other genres and games
often don’t apply to comic book storytelling.
For example, superheroes don’t loot the
bodies when a battle is done. The villain’s
gear isn’t suddenly added to the heroes’
arsenal. If you want an explanation, say
that the weapons and devices are keyed
specifically to the NPC and only their bio-
signature will activate them. A supersmart
hero might take the villain’s stuff not to use
it, but to study it, or perhaps use the secrets
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Comic Book Storytelling
they discover to advance their own gear.
Or maybe the heroes just take a trophy
for their base. If nothing else, it’s evidence
for the villain’s eventual trial. But it’s not
“treasure.” At most, the heroes might have
to use the alien’s starcraft to get back to
Earth, or use the wizard’s scepter to undo
the damage he’s wrought, but that’s about it.
Similarly, superheroes don’t explore a
villain’s base room by room like a dungeon
crawl. Don’t bother making a careful map
showing every corridor and restroom in
the evildoer’s lair. The heroes bash their way
right into the heart of the place to confront
their foe. And if there is a lot of searching,
exploring, or traveling to get to where the
PCs need to go, cut to the chase with a “Three
hours later . . .” caption on the metaphorical
comic book panel and get to the action.
Lastly, while a Claim the Sky campaign
might be as violent as any other, keep in
mind that in the Cypher System, PCs don’t
have to kill unless they want to. When an
NPC runs out of health, the player who
dealt the damage can decide if they are
dead or just unconscious or incapacitated.
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COMING BACK FROM THE DEAD
Sometimes player characters die. But in a
superhero setting, heroes are known for
cheating death over and over. Something
that would kill a regular person, like
falling into a vat of boiling chemicals or
getting caught in an antimatter explosion,
is more likely to be just a setback for a
superhuman. If a PC dies, the GM should
talk to the player about what they’d like for
their character. Do they want the hero to
survive this deadly fate and come back in
time for the next session? Do they want to
Regenerate, page 175 play another character for a while and give
their main hero time to recover? Do they
want everyone to think their character is
dead (perhaps taking a break from the
campaign for a while or playing a new
character), but secretly have a reason
for why and when the hero will make a
surprise comeback? Once the GM knows
what the player wants, they can build the
future of that hero into the campaign story.
The following are just a few of the many
ways that a hero might come back after an
apparent or actual death.
• The hero never actually died, and
instead fell into a coma, hibernation, or
suspended animation, perhaps due to an
unexpected effect of their mutant DNA,
Death for PCs and
NPCs should probably mysterious chemicals in their blood or
be a fluid concept the environment, or alien physiology.
unless you want to go
• The hero died, but a clone, robot
against type. Seemingly
impossible events save duplicate, parallel-Earth visitor, energy
characters at the last being needing a physical host, or other
minute or bring them
back from the brink. essentially identical copy returns with
Players probably should some or all of the memories of the
not have to fear death original.
much in this genre,
which encourages • The “dead” hero was a clone, robot
heroic actions. duplicate, or similar copy, and the
original hero has been secretly
imprisoned or away on a special
mission this whole time.
• The explosion or energy discharge that
supposedly destroyed the hero actually
sent them to another planet, dimension,
or timeline.
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• The dead hero’s soul becomes trapped
in an object or another nearby
character, and can be freed under the
right circumstances.
• A powerful being (such as a time
warden, deity, reality warper, or
personification of fate or death)
intervened to prevent the hero’s
death or restore them to life, because
“it wasn’t their time” or they have a
specific goal to accomplish in the future.
• The hero has a special ability like
Regenerate that allows them to recover
from apparent death. (The GM may even
allow a hero with 4 XP set aside for
learning a new ability to spend that at
the time of death to gain such a power.)
• A supervillain uses magic, cybernetics,
super-science, or other means to
revive the dead hero as a brainwashed
minion to use them (incognito or openly)
against other heroes.
• A mind swap, brain transfer, or psychic
transmission puts the dying or dead
hero’s identity in a new body—perhaps
with the same powers, or perhaps not.
• Actions by a time-traveling character
(perhaps a version of the dead hero
from another timeline) reverse or alter
the circumstances of the hero’s death.
• The death was an illusion, part of a
shared nightmare or psychic attack,
or a reality bleeding over from a
parallel dimension, and it never actually
happened, although everyone present
perceived it as real.
It’s possible to take the “heroes never
die” concept to a silly level, where a dead
superhero always comes back and is
never the worse for wear. Unless you’re
deliberately playing a lighthearted game
(perhaps with child players) where no
characters truly die, think about the
consequences and reasons for a hero’s
death, and decide if that character returning
enhances the story or cheapens it.

Consequences for Returning: A hero
who dies (or survives a deadly encounter
due to extraordinary circumstances) isn’t
always the same person once they’re back
with their friends. They might be dealing
with physical wounds or emotional trauma,
or need time to adjust to their new home
situation, especially if they’ve been gone
awhile and their roommate or romantic
partner has mourned them and moved on.
They might even change their descriptor to
Comic Book Storytelling
Dead Supervillains: Heroes aren’t the
only ones who come back from the dead.
Any of the above examples can apply to
a noteworthy supervillain. The GM should
be careful about bringing back slain
villains over and over again because it
can make the players feel like they’re
not accomplishing anything. Instead of
yet another death and resurrection for
a villain, consider a group GM intrusion Group GM intrusion,
where the villain escapes and lives to fight page 410

match their new outlook on life. another day. Also, allowing supervillains Descriptor, page 38
Depending on the nature of the to be captured and imprisoned for their
Lasting damage,
character’s injuries, the GM may decide crimes (or confined to a psychiatric ward, page 436
that the hero has lasting damage they if appropriate) gives the GM opportunities
need to heal. The secondary effect of this for jailbreak scenarios that the heroes Character arcs,
page 238
lasting damage might affect a skill such as have to deal with, either by stopping the
jumping or perception, or hinder one or escape or by confronting the villains at a
more of the character’s powers. later time.
For the PC, escaping or returning from
death is a great opportunity to take on a
character arc like Growth, Recover From
a Wound (or Trauma), Repay a Debt, or
(if they don’t know how they survived or
returned) Solve a Mystery. A darker sort
of hero might instead take an arc like Fall
From Grace or Revenge.
Coming back from the dead can be a
catalyst for gaining or losing character
abilities. An aquatic-themed hero who is
killed by a lightning bolt might come back
with electricity powers but no longer be able
to communicate with fish. A dead telepathic
hero revived by cybernetics might lose
some of their mental powers but gain
new machine abilities. A nature-themed
hero might change their patron animal
to represent wisdom or purpose they
gained in the afterlife, leading to a new set
of powers. Either the player or the GM can
bring up this possibility, swapping
out specific abilities or perhaps the
character’s focus, whether temporarily
or permanently. If this change and the
mastering of the new powers takes
awhile, the PC could take a character arc
like Develop a Bond, Transformation, or
Uncover a Secret.

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h
CHAP TER
S u pe r
Stories
W hile the appeal of superhero
comics and movies comes from
the characters, gamemasters
need to generate story ideas constantly so
those characters have interesting things to
do. Rather than fall back on “the villains are
robbing a bank,” this chapter presents a
variety of seeds a GM can use to grow into
the stories of their campaign.
One of the most important things a GM
can do with these seeds is develop them
to make the characters a part of the
story rather than apart from the story.
In other words, superhero tales often fall
into the trap of being about someone else
doing something interesting (and often
dangerous) and the PC heroes reacting to
it. That’s okay sometimes, but try to actually
involve the characters in the story.
When you’re coming up with your own story
ideas, keep in mind that superhero stories
are often future-focused in some fashion.
A new discovery, invention, or idea often
lies at the center of the action. (By contrast,
fantasy stories are often about the past, with
the exploration of an old ruined temple, the
return of an ancient evil, or a prophecy from
the early days.) This means that superhero
stories often involve some kind of laboratory,
cutting-edge tech development center, testing
ground, or similar location. Scientists,
explorers, builders, or trailblazers have
gotten into real trouble, and the heroes
need to help. Or a villain has hatched some
new terror and must be stopped. Either
way, something new is entering the world
for good or ill, and the characters are right
there to witness it firsthand.
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One of the best ways to create superhero
stories is to think about the larger world.
There are probably other heroes out there
right now, and there were probably heroes
in the past. And those heroes all have had
adventures and faced villains and various
challenges. The big comic book publishers
and the big superhero “cinematic universes”
get a lot of interesting stories out of the
idea of heroes and villains crossing paths,
affecting each others’ actions, and creating
settings that are dynamic and ever-changing.
This allows stories to become recursive,
with characters returning with a new
agenda based on something that happened
previously.
All that said, here are twenty basic ideas
to use in your superhero campaign when
you’re stuck:
1. An older hero is overcome by his
archenemy. Beaten and broken, the hero
comes to the PCs. He offers to share
important secrets if they will help him.
The hero doesn’t want anything for
himself, but he wants the PCs to ensure
that the people and institutions important
to him (a newspaper, an orphanage, a
mystical garden, or something similar)
will be kept safe now that he can no
longer fight on their behalf. He wants the
PCs to protect the things he has always
protected. The secrets appeal to whatever
is important to the PCs: the creation of
an interstellar starship, the nature of
other dimensions, the real identity and
weaknesses of a powerful villain, or
something along those lines.

2. An old foe of the PCs, seeking sadistic
revenge, has captured someone close
to them. The villain puts their victim in a
position of clear peril—an obvious trap, but
with a catch. The villain has also placed a
number of time bombs across the city. The
heroes may have enough time to find and
defuse all the bombs, but if they try to save
their friend, at least one bomb will likely
detonate, killing many innocents.
3. One of the PCs’ abilities begins to grow
more and more unstable. They’re more
powerful than normal one minute, and
then powerless the next. It turns out
that an alien force is tapping into the
character’s powers, and the PCs must
find the source of this tampering and get
it to stop, either through persuasion or
through combat.
4. The PCs accidentally end up in the future,
and it’s a dark version of their own present
where things have gone horribly wrong.
Things are too grim and too far gone for
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Superhero Stories
the heroes to fix in the future, but perhaps
they can learn what went awry so they can
return to their present and make changes
to avoid this dark fate. As a fun alternative,
only half the characters travel through
time, and the other half of the group plays
older and perhaps more haggard versions
of their present-day characters.
5. The heroes receive an uncanny distress
call from space. A powerful and important
cosmic being is under assault by an alien
queen and her legions of mighty warriors.
The being explains that the heroes might
not be able to defeat the aliens, but they can
deliver a jewel that will enhance the entity’s
power so it can defend itself. Of course, the
jewel is on a planet teeming with its own
dangers. Once the PCs have the jewel, they
still have to make it through the cosmic
battle to get to the being in need.
6. An impenetrable dome of energy
suddenly appears over a large portion of
the city.
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7. In one of the heroes’ secret identities, they
meet someone and develop a close friendship
or romantic interest, perhaps bonding over
a common experience of caring for a sick
family member or overcoming a similar
difficult event. Over time, the hero begins
to suspect that this new friend is actually a
supervillain’s secret identity, and has to decide
whether to trust them or confront them.
8. Villains are guarding a transport of
stolen high-tech weaponry to sell to
terrorists. The terrorists are not common
evildoers—they have similar views as the
superheroes, but they are willing to take
violent action to bring about the changes in
the world that they believe are important.
9. A close associate of the heroes reveals
themselves to be a secret agent planted by
a mastermind villain. The agent has used
their position not only to reveal some of the
heroes’ secrets but also to sabotage them
so the villain can move against them, and
they are severely hindered in trying to stop
the attack.
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10. A villain’s supernatural attack has
left one of the PCs unconventionally
wounded. Seeking help, the PCs go to a
scientist who has been an ally in the past.
However, the scientist attempts to exploit
the situation and drain the wounded
character of all their powers. Worse, it
appears that the scientist has already
created a number of new superhumans
in past experiments, and these creations
are ready to defend the corrupt scientist
and their lab. In the course of these
events, surprising new information about
the nature or origin of the hero’s powers
is revealed.
11. A young man inherits a mystical
device from his mother that made her
a powerful, well-known hero of the past
generation. However, right out of the gate
he abuses and misuses the forces he now
commands, putting innocents in danger
through his carelessness. The PCs need to
find and stop the man, and either take away
the device or convince him to learn how to
use the power responsibly.

12. An ordinary citizen who is an ally of
the PCs wants to be a superhero so
badly that they make a literal deal with a
devil. This supernatural being grants the
person powers of their own, but asks a
heavy toll. The devil wants not just the ally,
but the heroes as well, and uses these
machinations to lure them all into an
elaborate trap. The PCs must try to save
their friend, but perhaps the individual has
to pay a price for their own actions.
13. Two mobsters go to war over control
of a portion of the criminal underworld.
Employing small armies of brutes and
assassins (and perhaps superpowered
mercenaries), this war threatens the
innocent people of the city. But finding a
way to end the conflict is more difficult
than just beating everyone up. The crime
bosses have protected themselves from
being linked directly to any wrongdoing,
and their expert lawyers can get them
back on the street in short order
regardless. The PCs may have to delve
deep into the problem to solve it.
14. A new superhero appears on the
scene, claiming to be an actual god from
mythology. She’s adored by fans and
beloved by the authorities. But the PCs
get a clue that she might not be what she
claims, and there might be more going on.
15. A company is marketing a “vitamin
serum” they claim can extend life and
cure ailments. And, in fact, the elderly
treated by it feel a real sense of renewed
vigor, while people with cancer and other
difficult-to-treat diseases benefit greatly
from taking the serum. But what’s behind
this miracle cure?
16. A superpowered friend of the PCs has
the ability to produce music of special
beauty. She sometimes performs here
and there about the city. One night,
her partner is killed in a hit-and-run
car accident while she is performing.
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All of her concerts are canceled. The
perpetrator of the crime isn’t found. And
the performer goes missing, too.
17. One of the PCs develops a rash on
their arm, apparently unrelated to
anything. Over time, the rash develops
into a lesion, and shows every sign of
continuing to worsen. Conventional medical
interventions find no explanation. However,
if the PCs can access unconventional
science, they discover that the growing
lesion has a strong temporal signature.
18. A popular augmented-reality phone
game involving cartoonish versions of
supervillains and superheroes makes
news when several of its players across
many different cities suddenly go missing.
19. An author announces the pending
publication of a tell-all unauthorized
biography of one of the PCs. The author
claims that it will tell the “true” story of the
character.
20. One or more superheroes from the
future appear in the present to warn
the PCs about an upcoming tragic event
(such as an explosion or plane
crash) where a large number of
people survived only because
the PCs intervened. The future
heroes explain that one survivor
(exact identity unknown, but narrowed
down to three possible people) was
so traumatized that they became a
supervillain and committed many
atrocities over the next several years.
The future heroes beg the present
heroes to either allow the tragic event
to happen without interference (which
would kill this future supervillain and
prevent the suffering they cause),
or figure out who the bad survivor
is and steer them away from the
event so they’re not affected by it
(and therefore never become a
supervillain).
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pe r
TER 7
h e r o
Su Bases
D o the PC heroes in your game live alone,
or together in a location customized to
their needs as a super team? Depending
on their finances or patron support, the types
of bases a super team has access to can span
the gamut from modest to amazing. Bases are
nice to have, but for PCs just starting out, they
may be aspirational. Over time, they may find
the funds or backing to build a base of their
own, customize a base seized from a defeated
villain, or (if they are especially lucky) be asked
to join an established group with unmatched
resources. In this latter case, they could find
themselves moving from a rented storage
space to an orbital facility in a few short weeks.
Modest base: level 3 The following three concepts can be used as
inspiration or actual floor plans for PC
superhero bases.
Impressive base: level 5
(see sample
impressive base map
MODEST BASE:
on the next page) BEHIND THE LAUNDROMAT
Whether behind a laundromat, above a
Amazing base: level 7 fast-food restaurant, or in the basement of a
(see sample amazing tenement building, the modest base is more
base map on page 104) of a place to gather and plan than to live in
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full time (though a couple of guest rooms—or
at least spare rooms where someone can
throw down a sleeping bag—are not out of
the question). Many modest bases are secret,
though if co-located with a regular business,
the staff that works in the building know about
and abet the heroes’ access and secrecy.
Or perhaps one of the heroes works at the
business as a day manager.
Despite being modest, a working base needs
several basic amenities, such as a garage
for a vehicle, a place to tinker with strange
devices, a communications hub, and an area
for everyone to gather.
IMPRESSIVE BASE: TOP FLOORS
OF A SKYSCRAPER
If the heroes’ operations are expansive
enough to rate an impressive base, they might
own the top few floors of a skyscraper in a
big city, own a manor, or use an expansive
compound in the country. An impressive base
is something only wealthy (or well-backed)
heroes can afford. It offers a complete set
of amenities for a large superhero team,
including living spaces, recreation, and all
sorts of equipment and vehicles to support the
PCs’ never-ending vigilance against the forces
poised to deprive regular people of their
resources, freedom, and lives.
AMAZING BASE: ORBITAL SATELLITE
Where do you go if upgrading from an
impressive base? Many super teams opt to
go up, literally, by housing themselves in an
amazing base that orbits the planet. Whether
the base is an orbiting satellite, a moon facility,
or a stratoship hanging high above the clouds,
an amazing base is far from prying eyes and
enemy attack. It is also usually outfitted with
fantastic technology that people normally only
ever hear about in science fiction books, or
when they turn on the news and hear about
the heroes’ latest stunning exploits.
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 r o e s ,
He Villains,
CHAP T
ER 8

An d Ot h e r N PC s
Part 2: Boundless,
page 159

Instead of Loot, the

NPCs in this chapter
S uperhero stories are character-driven
stories, and this chapter offers a
plethora of characters for the GM to
use, including heroes, villains, aliens, robots,
genetic monstrosities, and more. All the NPCs
have a similar described here are part of the Boundless
entry called Other
Equipment. However,
setting. However, any one of them could be
PCs might still end up used in any superhero campaign or, of course,
taking any leftover any setting where extraordinarily powerful
equipment from a
defeated NPC as loot. beings are active or suddenly appear.
UNDERSTANDING THE LISTINGS
Really Impossible The most important element of each hero
Tasks, page 293 or villain is their level. You use the level to
determine the target number a PC must
Understanding the
Listings, page 312 reach to attack or defend against the
opponent. In each entry, the target number
for the NPC is listed in parentheses after
their level. The target number is three
times the level. Note that levels for NPCs
are capped at 15 instead of 10 because
a superhero setting demands really
impossible tasks.
An NPC’s target number is also its health,
unless noted otherwise. Health is the
amount of damage the NPC can sustain
before they are dead or incapacitated. For
easy reference, each description always
lists an NPC’s health, even when it’s the
normal amount for an NPC of their level.
For more detailed information on level,
health, combat, and other elements, see
Understanding the Listings in the Cypher
System Rulebook.

HEROES, VILLAINS, AND OTHERS BY LEVEL

Crimson Protector Hero 5 Vantablack Villain 6
Dawnstar Hero 5 Z Villain 6
Entropy Villain 5 Demdike Villain 7
Free Reign Villain 5 The Elemental Villain 7
The Grin Villainous alien species 5 The Gentleman Hero 7
Jabberwocky Villain 5 Ghostwalk Hero 7
Ace Majestic Hero 5 Gravitas Villain 7
Olive Majestic Hero 5 Highrise Villain 7
Malevolence Villain 5 Jinsoku Hero 7
Shrike Villain 5 Lord Eswar Villain 7
Warp Hero 5 Jack Majestic Hero 7
Whisper Hero 5 Minder Villain 7
Worm Villain 5 Ruthless Hero 7
Death Beam Villain 6 Voltage Villain 7
Defender Hero 6 Edifice Hero 8
Dirge Villain 6 Singularity Villain 8
Kaos Villain 6 The Traveler Hero 8
Lord Ash Villain 6 Natalie Majestic Hero 9
Mana Villain 6 Blackstar Hero 10
Manslaughter Villain 6 The Horror Loner 10
Midknight Villain 6 Baron Shadow Villain 12
Rai Villain 6 Silver Sentinel Hero 12
Shift Hero 6 Sorrow Villain 12
Tauseef Villain 6 Cataclysm Villain 13
Valor Hero 6 The One Other 13
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BARON SHADOW 12 (36)
MASTERMIND VILLAIN
One side effect
No one knows how many hundreds of years Baron Shadow has lived, how many names he’s of centuries of
gone by, or how much mystic, mutant, and technological power he commands. Except that it’s a modification is that
Baron Shadow’s height
lot. Over the centuries he’s enhanced himself by magic, forced evolution, and the incorporation of has increased. These
fantastic technology. days, he stands nearly
Baron Shadow surrounds himself with lackeys, including many that are superhuman in 7 feet (2 m) tall.
their own right. He has a talent for combining unlike forces to create twisted servitors, like
demon-possessed cyborgs or, as was the case before he lost his ghost generator, robots that Age taker, banishing,
operated on the divide between the real and spirit world. blackout, page 384
Historians believe he’s a real baron, bequeathed the title by King Henry II, back when he went
by the name Aubrey de Warenne. If so, he’s well over 800 years old, at minimum. Telluric amplifier:
level 12 artifact. Grants
Motive: Control this world and all others
two more free power
Environment: Almost anywhere on Earth or out in shifts for one super
the galaxy ability for one day.
Health: 60 Depletion: 1 in 1d6.
Damage Inflicted: 15 points GM intrusion: Baron
Armor: 12 Shadow uses a
Movement: Short; very long when flying via device or spell that pulls the
character’s shadow
spell; limitless when stepping through spatial gates self from their body,
Modifications: Defense against mental attacks and creating a level 7
mind-influencing effects as level 13 negative duplicate that
Combat: Baron Shadow leaves combat to a small army tries to kill the original.
of servitors (usually level 5) and the two or three
superhumans who have most recently pledged their
allegiance (usually level 7). If forced to fight, his preferred
opening salvo is his so-called Quintessence (a blast
of raw power), which he focuses through a telluric
amplifier to create a very long-range ray that seems
to move like a thing alive to target up to ten creatures
within range.
The baron has an array of devices and weapons, plus
mystic and mutant abilities, that can provide custom
protection, attacks, or effects that best serve the situation.
For instance, instead of deploying his Quintessence, he can
freeze one or more targets in time to deal with later.
Magically warded cellular pumps set in the baron’s spine
augment his mutant healing ability, returning 15 points of
health each round. Truly killing Baron Shadow requires
their removal.
Interaction: Utterly convinced of his own supremacy, Baron
Shadow deals only with deferential supplicants.
Use: A portal mouth spills an army of winged octopi into
the small nation whose rulers resisted the baron’s
more subtle attempts at taking control.
Other Equipment: The baron carries three to six
manifest cyphers (including an age taker, a
banishing nodule, and a blackout) and two or
three artifacts (including a telluric amplifier,
which eases one of his abilities by two steps for
one day).

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BLACKSTAR 10 (30)
ALIEN WARRIOR HERO WITH GRAVITY-BASED POWERS

She looks human, but Blackstar is literally from another world. She first came to media attention
after roundly trouncing an intelligent neutronic being that wanted to devour the Earth in the
early 1980s. Reporters asked her where she was from. “I hail from a dead planet orbiting a black
star,” was all she would say. It was enough to earn her a code name. Some surmise that her
planet circles a black hole.
Blackstar is concerned not only with Earth’s safety, but with the well-being of creatures on
planets circling different suns, too. She disappears for months at a time, presumably saving the
In the Boundless
lives of aliens all across the galaxy. But she always returns, sometimes to take care of matters
setting, Blackstar
operates mainly on the that seem miniscule for someone with her abilities. Other times, she uses her gravity-warping
American West Coast. powers to put down threats that no other hero seems capable of handling.
Blackstar spends more time on Earth than is generally realized. Looking human, she can
pass as just another tourist. She warps gravity to “slide” between locations around the planet,
apparently mostly interested in places with a rich archeological history.
Motive: Safeguard others
Environment: Almost anywhere on Earth or out in the galaxy
Health: 50
Damage Inflicted: 15 points
Armor: 9
Movement: Short; long when flying; interplanetary distances
between two points when gravity warp “sliding”
Modifications: Tasks related to using gravity-control powers as
level 12
Combat: Blackstar’s gravity-warp power infuses her, granting her
immense strength and durability. For instance, she can make two melee
attacks as her action, or lift a bus—or a bridge—and throw it, affecting a small
area within long range (and everyone else within short range of the target).
However, when making ranged attacks, she usually fires two very long-range
“gravity lances.”
She can fly by directly manipulating gravity. Even more impressively, she can
warp spacetime enough to “slide” between distant points around the world, or
even between planets. The farther she goes when using this ability, the more
time it takes her to recover before she can slide again, so it’s not her primary
method of travel. However, if she wished to neutralize a target, she could
make a melee attack against it, attempting to slide it out into the vacuum of
space for safekeeping.
Finally, Blackstar presumably has some kind of galactic awareness that
trickles in through her gravity-warping powers, allowing her to learn about
events at distant locations.
Interaction: Curious and sympathetic, Blackstar is often in a hurry. When
she wraps up one disaster, there is probably another threat looming
GM intrusion: The elsewhere. If encountered while pretending to be human, most people
character must never realize who she really is, and instead think they’ve met an academic
succeed on a Might
or a tourist.
defense roll or be
pinned helpless each Use: Reports of a planet-killing comet heading toward Earth continue to
round by immense mount. Why hasn’t Blackstar noticed?
gravity until they
can escape.

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CATACLYSM 13 (39)
COSMIC ENTITY

This 40-foot (12 m) tall alien predates many other living beings in the universe. Despite its long
perspective, Cataclysm seems oddly angry with Earth and similar worlds in the universe that
host a strong concentration of superpowered beings. Whether it takes such places as a potential
threat or some kind of personal affront, Cataclysm periodically arrives at these planets and
attempts to destroy them. Possessed of celestial power, it has successfully managed the feat
many times on other worlds.
In fact, it tried and failed to destroy Earth on at least one occasion decades ago, requiring
many of the world’s heroes to engage in battle to defeat it. The International Space Station was
destroyed in this conflict, but thankfully work has finished on a newer, even larger space station.
Many people worry that Cataclysm will attack again. A few—Cataclysm cultists—think a visit
can’t come soon enough.
Motive: Destroy planets with superpowered beings
Environment: Anywhere in the universe
Health: 100
Damage Inflicted: 20 points
Armor: 15
Movement: Long; interstellar distances between two points when calling on its celestial power
of travel
Combat: Cataclysm can attack every creature within long range with a detonation of energy
composed of equal parts electricity, fire, and force. If it focuses on a single target with a very
long-range beam of celestial energy, its attack is eased by two steps, the target takes double
the normal damage on a hit, and on a failed Might defense roll, the target descends one step
on the damage track (or some other effect determined by Cataclysm, such as being turned Sphere 23, page 282
to glass, teleported to another location, or becoming enamored of Cataclysm’s goal).
Interaction: Cataclysm can speak and understand almost any language. It generally ignores Stellarex crystal,
page 294
lesser beings. Getting its attention probably requires damaging it, at which point it may
explain why it has selected a given world for “renewal.”
Use: The Church of Renewal, a minor sect of evangelicals, is responsible for the theft of several GM intrusion (group):
multidimensional communication devices, and it turns out that they want to use the items to Cataclysm uses its
draw Cataclysm back to Earth. stellarex crystal artifact
to regain all health plus
Other Equipment: Cataclysm carries several alien devices, including an artifact quite similar to a 30 percent bonus
sphere 23 and a stellarex crystal. (130 health in total).

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CRIMSON PROTECTOR 5 (15)
MARTIAL ARTIST HERO WITH LUCK POWERS

Tyler Demby has always been lucky. Back when he was a kid and enjoyed more than his share
of tabletop roleplaying games, his first roll of the night was usually a 20. But his luck transcended
mere games, translating into him finding stray cash just when he needed it, always getting to the
bus stop just before the bus left, and, on a few occasions, avoiding an accident by standing in just
the right place at the right time.
In the Boundless setting,
Crimson Protector is However, Tyler’s luck ran out one day when his brother Dean was killed across town during
a member of the New a jewelry-store robbery that turned violent. The happy-go-lucky Tyler fell out of love with the
York-based Society world a little. He disappeared for three years. When he returned, it was in the public guise of
of Seven (page 172).
Crimson Protector, a hero who helps people in difficult and dangerous situations.
Motive: Protect the innocent
Environment: Anywhere criminal activity is high
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: All defenses, acrobatics, attacks, and “calling on his luck” tasks as level 8
Combat: Crimson Protector isn’t strong, fast, or invulnerable. However, he has refined his
natural psychic luck into a super ability that is equal to most.
Real martial arts training combines
with his luck so that when he attacks,
an element of the environment
usually intrudes in some fashion—
maybe a runaway semi, a perfectly
placed jab, or a coincidentally timed
blow by another hero—so that a probable
miss instead hits. And what might be a glancing
blow on his part instead staggers, blinds, or disorients
a foe. The same is true when Crimson Protector
attempts to evade enemy attacks.
More than that, he can call on his luck as his action to
change the situation in his favor. For instance, if
facing a superfast or invisible villain, a successful
use of this ability might cause the fast foe to
stumble, the invisible foe to be splattered with
paint from a dislodged paint can, and so on.
Crimson Protector can call on his luck in
this way no more than once each minute.
Interaction: Crimson Protector is quiet,
contemplative, and not especially
excitable. However, he is usually
open to hearing out those who
GM intrusion: When the want his help.
character should have Use: Crimson Protector shows up,
hit with their melee or wondering if the characters
ranged attack, they
stumble and strike can help him nail down a lead
something or someone having to do with his murdered
they didn’t intend. brother.

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DAWNSTAR 5 (15)
ENERGY-WIELDING HERO

Dawnstar has the power to command “otherworldly energies” from the Worlds Between. As
best as anyone can determine, the Worlds Between are alternate dimensions, or at least possible
ones. Using this energy, she can pluck physical items from the Worlds Between for a brief time
as she needs them or simply blast foes with reality-fraying power. When she uses her ability, she
emits a strong glow reminiscent of the sunrise.
Though it’s something she left behind long ago, Dawnstar had a normal childhood. That is, until
the day her power manifested when she and her twin brother Luis were in a car accident. Just
twelve years old, Dawnstar’s power manifested for the first time. She saved herself and her
brother; however, in the process, he was lost somewhere in the Worlds Between. These days,
she spends much of her time trying to locate him.
Motive: Find her brother
Environment: Almost anywhere multidimensional phenomena are unfolding
Health: 15 GM intrusion: The
Damage Inflicted: 7 points character attacking
Dawnstar is pulled
Movement: Short
into a dimensional rift
Modifications: Energy blast attacks and Speed defense as level 7 with an endpoint 100
Combat: Dawnstar can blast foes with sunrise-colored power at long feet (30 m) overhead.
range, inflicting Speed damage (ignores Armor) with the Essentially, the target
is teleported 100 feet
transdimensional energy she is known for. If attacked in into the air and falls.
turn, objects flicker into existence— furniture, random
debris, or even complete walls—just long enough to
shield her, then fade. These are subconsciously called
from the Worlds Between and account for her Speed
defense modification.
She can use the same ability to purposefully call a
particular item from the Worlds Between that she needs
at the moment, from something as mundane as a sandwich
to as unusual as a poisonous snake, a bomb about to
detonate, a magic sword, or a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
These objects usually fade away after a few rounds, but
Dawnstar can maintain them with a little concentration,
or even fix them in place.
Dawnstar can sometimes pass into alternate
dimensions, but not always when she wants to. It’s
an ability that she knows is dangerous, but one
she keeps trying to master.
Interaction: Distant and cold, Dawnstar is
hard to engage. Unless someone
has knowledge of or an ability
related to alternate dimensions—
or better yet, information on her
missing brother—she doesn’t make
an effort. However, if a disaster
related to alternate dimensions
occurs, she is likely to help out, if only to learn
more about her own abilities.
Use: Dawnstar approaches the PCs because they have
a device, ability, or foe that she believes can lead her
to her missing brother.

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DEATH BEAM 6 (18)
SYNTHEZOID ASSASSIN VILLAIN WITH LASER POWERS
In the Boundless
setting, Death Beam The ability to teleport across the world and beyond it could aid humanity in all sorts of ways. Such
was created in Saudi a person could beam into difficult-to-reach areas and rescue trapped people. They could rush
Arabia and still calls
that nation home. lifesaving organs or other medicines to those in need. They could help set up a moonbase by
delivering habitat components directly to Luna’s surface.
Or, if you’re Death Beam, you could kill for money. Virtually untouchable thanks to their ability
to go elsewhere with a thought, Death Beam is an especially feared assassin and thief.
Infiltrator, page 390
Death Beam is actually a synthezoid that was upgraded with alien tech and escaped a military
Knowledge research lab. Their mind is imprinted with a personality matrix from a living soldier named
enhancement, Zahira Badawi, but the imprint was incomplete.
page 391 Motive: Murder for hire
Health: 36
GM intrusion: The Damage Inflicted: 6 points
character who fails Armor: 3
a Speed defense roll
is grabbed by Death Movement: Short; teleportation
Beam and teleported Modifications: Teleportation tasks as level 9
out over the ocean. Combat: The synthezoid can emit two short-range laser attacks, or a single
attack against one target as a level 8 attack that inflicts 12 points of damage.
However, Death Beam’s true lethality is revealed when they teleport in and
attack as part of the same action, often surprising the victim. Assuming
the target isn’t killed outright, Death Beam can teleport to a new location
each round as part of their attack(s), keeping the target off balance
enough to hinder their defense tasks.
Sometimes Death Beam uses weapons coated with a level 6
poison that moves victims who fail a Might defense roll one step
down the damage track.
Interaction: Death Beam is utterly amoral, adrift except for
their desire to kill. If someone is able to dig up information
about their past, especially as it relates to Zahira Badawi,
the synthezoid could be distracted or even negotiated
with; they are drawn to knowing why that name seems
so familiar.
Use: The PCs are asked to defend a politician from the
threat of an assassination attempt by Death Beam.
Other Equipment: Aside from their weapons and poisons,
Death Beam often carries a couple of manifest cyphers,
including an infiltrator and a knowledge enhancement.

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DEFENDER 6 (18)
ARMORED HERO

Elmore Chang’s contributions to robotic science aren’t well known, given that he’s one of several Dynamic, Inc., page 177
research scientists at Dynamic, Inc. But he’s considered a legend among industry peers. And
even they don’t realize that in his home robotics lab, he crafted an armored flying suit designed In the Boundless
with smart materials of his own creation. When he steps into it, he setting, Defender is a
ceases to be Elmore Chang, and becomes Defender! member of the New
Defender fears nothing, believing himself impervious to harm. No York-based Society
of Seven (page 172).
task is too desperate for him to attempt, if it means saving someone
else’s life. Having lost his wife to a villain attack, he is focused on
defeating those with amazing abilities who put greed above
everything else.
Motive: Protect the innocent
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 33
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 10
Movement: Short; very long when flying
Modifications: Technical engineering tasks as
level 9; Might defense tasks and tasks related
to using his armor as level 8
Combat: Defender can hammer a foe in melee using
armored fists, or fire physical rounds at a target
within very long range from guns built into his suit’s
arms (with ammunition synthesized at need using
smart materials stored for that purpose) using
a computerized targeting system. If any
damage manages to penetrate his armor,
automatic first aid systems allow Defender
to regain 2 points of health each round while
he is still alive.
The armor provides its own internal atmosphere.
Unless the suit is breached, Defender can
venture unharmed underwater or into space, and
ignore poisonous fumes or weaponized biological
agents. The suit is priceless, at least for a group
unscrupulous enough to take it by force and try
to reverse-engineer it. Only someone Defender
has authorized to use the suit can do so;
otherwise the encryption is too sophisticated for GM intrusion: Defender
deploys a gadget
most people to bypass.
from his armor that
Interaction: Defender is enthusiastic, helps him in a specific
knowledgeable, and helpful, but can easily be situation against
distracted if innocents are in danger. another character,
such as a tow cable, a
Use: A notorious villain has taken over a skyscraper, strobing light, a shield,
taking hostages in the process. In addition to anyone else who shows up to help, Defender or something else.
descends from the sky in his shining armor, determined to save everyone.

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DEMDIKE 7 (21)
MYSTICAL VILLAIN

Most people prefer never to say her name aloud, lest the “Pendle Witch” appear and steal their
soul. Whether or not she possesses such omniscient hearing is beside the point; Demdike
terrorizes the British Isles with conjured ghosts and demonic entities, using her powers to curse
her enemies and control the minds of others. According to the history books, Demdike died in
1612, a victim of hysteria and witch trials. But unless she’s lying (as some believe), she survived
because she was—and remains—a real witch, and one who leads a modern coven of mystical
practitioners.
Powerful and mostly devoid of empathy, Demdike’s schemes are designed to benefit herself,
usually at someone else’s expense. She’s been known to travel throughout the EU and the USA
as part of her centuries-long effort to
track down mystical items related
to witchcraft. While so engaged, she
appears in her modern identity as
Elizabeth Southerns, antiquities and
rare book dealer.
Motive: Personal power
Environment: Mainly England
Health: 27
Damage Inflicted: 9 points
Armor: 5 (base spell protection)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Magic lore as level 10
Ghost, page 331 Combat: The ghosts (level 5) of three witches,
once part of her coven, invisibly accompany
Demdike at all times. They respond violently to any
attacks on her person (or when she commands it).
She is also known for a powerful curse called Demdike’s
Stare, an attack affecting up to three creatures she
can see in long range. The attack causes auditory
hallucinations, and those who fail an Intellect defense
roll take 8 points of Intellect damage from the flood of
discordant sounds and horrifying images.
One of her rings is a magic portal artifact, which she can
use either to call other members of her coven (level 5) or
to transport herself directly to them. Each coven member that
supports her cumulatively eases her tasks.
Finally, she knows a variety of spells, including those that charm or disorient foes,
cause them to fall into a deep slumber, become poisoned, or just die. Given the
proper time and mystic materials, she can cast very powerful spells that summon
GM intrusion: The demonic hordes or change the environment of a whole region.
character meets She also carries a few cyphers in the form of tiny clay figure charms that grant healing.
Demdike’s gaze just
as she uses her Stare
Interaction: Articulate and knowledgeable, Demdike is a witty, if biting, conversationalist.
attack, which hinders She might negotiate in good faith with someone, but only if she clearly stands to benefit.
their defense roll and Use: A group of three women just made off with a rare book from the collection of mystical tomes.
inflicts an additional Other Equipment: Demdike carries two or three magical items, including at least two level 7
2 points of Intellect
damage (10 points total). cyphers that restore health.

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DIRGE 6 (18)
VILLAIN WITH SONIC POWERS

When Emily Sato came to the world’s attention, it was as a twelve-year-old musical prodigy.
Equally adept at singing, piano, and flute, it seemed she was on track to become the latest
breakout pop icon. In the Boundless setting,
Except she disappeared, and investigators discovered something terrible at her home. Her Dirge is a member of
mother, father, and older brother and sister were found dead, victims of a grisly murder. Emily Dread (page 179).
was never found at all.
Fifteen years later, Dirge appeared on the criminal scene. She wields terrible sonic powers
that disrupt living creatures on a cellular level. However, she can also sing, or play an instrument
she calls the Red Flute with haunting beauty. Sometimes, she plays the same songs that little
Emily Sato used to. Is it really Emily? No one knows.
Motive: Hunger for violence
Environment: Alone or with one or more members of Dread GM intrusion: The
Health: 30 sonic attack is at the
character’s natural
Damage Inflicted: 9 points frequency, causing
Movement: Short them to resonate on
Armor: 2 a failed Might defense
Modifications: Speed defense as level 7 from sonic barrier roll. The resonating
character takes 9
Combat: Dirge is surrounded by an invisible, focused sonic barrier that improves her Speed points of damage
defense, as noted in Modifications. Any creature that comes within immediate range of her each round (ignores
that she chooses is immediately subject to a sonic attack that ignores Armor. Dirge doesn’t Armor) until they can
disrupt the harmonic.
have to use an action to trigger this attack, but she does have to be aware of
the target or targets.
She can focus a beam of sonic energy at a target within long range, inflicting
damage that ignores Armor and, on a failed Might defense roll, deafens
the target for a few rounds.
Sometimes she uses her Red Flute, which has several
abilities. In addition to being able to
produce music (she
prefers minor chords),
Dirge can use it to draw all
sound within long range into her
for up to one minute. Within the affected
area, no sound can be heard. At the same time,
she regains 3 points of health each round.
Interaction: Dirge never takes off her mask, though sometimes
she sings. She may be distracted for a round or two if
someone brings up her past, or interests her in
music she’s never heard before. She’s also
fond of valuable instruments. However,
she is most interested in disrupting
living humans with deadly
frequencies.
Use: An auction where
several valuable
antique violins
are to be sold is
disrupted by Dirge.

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EDIFICE 8 (24)
HERO WHO CAN GROW TO GREAT SIZE

Fenton Castillo never had it easy. A rough childhood was followed by an even more difficult
Azaki, page 160 young adulthood. Fenton was wrongfully imprisoned for a theft and battery committed by an
unknown perpetrator, but pinned on him. This might have embittered another, but Fenton reacted
When Edifice shifts differently. He decided that, once he served his time, he would devote himself to improving the
back to normal human justice system. He’d get a degree in law. He wanted to prevent what had happened to him from
size, he becomes a
basic level 3 NPC, afflicting anyone else.
losing all increases Which was fortunate, because within a couple of weeks of his release, an alien Azaki device in
to health, Armor, the hands of a supervillain exploded, exposing Fenton to strange energies. Instead of killing him,
attacks, and so on.
it changed him. Now when he concentrates, he becomes the size of an office building, standing
about 65 feet (20 m) tall with rocky, meteorite-like skin.
Motive: Help those without the means to help themselves; right injustices
In the Boundless
setting, Edifice is a Environment: Wherever people are being persecuted
member of the New Health: 80
York-based Society Damage Inflicted: 12 points
of Seven (page 172).
Armor: 8
Movement: Long
Modifications: Speed defense as level 2 due to size
Combat: As his action, Edifice can grow to become gargantuan, with flesh composed of a rocklike
substance (which these stats reflect). He can make two melee attacks at targets within
short range, or throw something huge (like a van) at a target within very long range (which
attacks not only the main target, but also everyone else within immediate range of the main
target). He can remain in his enhanced, massive state for several hours at a time, though
when he shifts back, he can’t change again for about an hour because he usually falls into an
exhausted sleep.
While he is enormous, Edifice enjoys a few other minor abilities, most notably the power to glow
brightly enough to illuminate everything within a half mile (800 m).
Interaction: Thanks to taking law classes while in human form, Edifice is a stickler for precise
GM intrusion: The
language. He enjoys a debate and pointing out when someone’s reasoning may be flawed.
character hit by Edifice
must succeed on a However, he doesn’t enjoy being a jerk, so he backs off if someone doesn’t appreciate
Might defense roll or his lawyerly manner. He always takes the side of the underdog, once he’s convinced the
be swatted up to a long underdog is truly innocent.
distance, taking another
10 points of damage. Use: Something as bright as the sun is flashing on the horizon, accompanied by massive booming
thuds, like the sounds a building might make if it started walking.

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THE ELEMENTAL 7 (21)
NATURE-FOCUSED VILLAINOUS ENTITY

People think the Elemental is a manifestation of the planet itself, a force of nature, angry at
humans for their continual degradation of the ecosystem.
That’s incorrect. The truth is that the Elemental was once a regular person. Martín Perez fled
the third state home in which he’d been placed, right in the middle of the storm of the century. In
the jungle of Guatemala, he hid within an ancient ruin where Mayans had buried an alien Azaki
device. When he emerged, he was no longer human; he—or rather they—were the Elemental.
(Which goes a long way to explain their interest in mundane valuables, especially gems and
In the Boundless setting,
rare-earth substances.)
the Elemental still lives
The Elemental can command air, earth, and everything in between. Rain, lightning, earthquakes, in Guatemala but can be
tsunamis, and even volcanos—if given enough time—are the weapons they employ. The Elemental found almost anywhere.
usually won’t initiate an attack in a natural growth area. On the other hand, they have no such
compunction against calling lightning storms down in cities, especially against roads, buildings,
and cars. And against any people on or in them.
Motive: Accumulate valuables; revenge GM intrusion: The
Environment: Sometimes living alone in the wilderness, other times trying to destroy a city Elemental’s successful
Health: 70 lightning attack causes
the character’s cypher
Damage Inflicted: 9 points to explode as if it were
Armor: 4 (20 against electricity, fire, and cold) a just-used detonation.
Movement: Short; short when burrowing; long when flying
Modifications: All tasks as level 8 during a storm
Combat: The Elemental can make up to seven attacks
on their turn against different targets within very
long range, using lightning, shearing winds, shards
of stone thrust from the ground, or other natural
elements. If the Elemental focuses all their
attacks on one target, treat it as a single
attack eased by two steps that inflicts 20
points of damage. In addition, the target must
succeed on a Might defense roll or descend one
step on the damage track.
It takes the Elemental about three rounds to call up a
sleet storm, which hinders most creatures (but not the
Elemental; in fact, it eases their tasks). In addition, while
standing in a storm, the Elemental regains 10 health each
round. If the Elemental is reduced to 0 health, they
mineralize, taking on the appearance of a humanoid
statue. Unless that statue is destroyed and the
pieces separated, the Elemental will reform within a
few days.
Interaction: Though stoic, the Elemental can be engaged
by especially persuasive people. Those able to dig up
a little of Martín Perez’s history could even drive the
Elemental away, as they recall their early life and
the hardships they endured. Apparently. Those
traumatic events are something the Elemental
prefers to repress.
Use: A series of small towns across Central
America is hit by horrendous storms, one
after the other, in a line heading east, despite
weather conditions being otherwise mild.

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ENTROPY 5 (15)
VILLAIN WITH THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM MATTER

Research physicist Edgar Tao didn’t ask to be renormalized. But a series of minor mistakes and
one ill-conceived prank by a coworker saw Edgar locked inside the quantum reaction chamber
Entropy’s ability doesn’t
at the wrong moment. Most objects subjected to the entropic fields in the reaction chamber were
seem to allow him to reduced to dust.
transform a complex But Edgar Tao came out the same as before—except for his murderous rage at his coworker’s
object into a less gaffe, and the ability to immediately act on that anger. He transformed the research building’s
orderly unit of anything
especially complex on foundation to water, collapsing the structure. The prankster coworker, as well as most of Edgar’s
the periodic table. For other associates, died, and Entropy was born.
instance, gold is way Entropy can enter any vault or secure facility simply by transforming barriers into other less
beyond him. He can’t
orderly (but still cohesive) objects—usually marbles.
transmute metals
other than iron, copper, Motive: Hunger for wealth and status; revenge on the scientific community
nickel, and zinc. Environment: Alone or with one or more members of Dread
Health: 25
In the Boundless setting, Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Entropy is a member Armor: 2
of Dread (page 179). Movement: Short
Modifications: Transform objects as level 7
Combat: Entropy prefers to avoid a fight, but if forced to defend himself, he transforms objects
within long range that he can see (or can sense with a sort of elemental radar, even through
solid barriers up to 10 feet [3 m] thick) to distract, detain, or kill foes. For instance, he could
transform all the guns on targets within immediate range of each other into marbles; turn
the floor beneath the feet of all targets within immediate range of each other to dust, water,
or wet cement; or do something to cause the ceiling or even the entire building to collapse.
When he uses his power in this way to inflict damage, environmental considerations mean
the damage total could be 10 points or higher, as the GM determines, depending on whether
a target falls dozens or hundreds of feet, is crushed by the weight of an entire building, is
smothered in cement, and so on.
Interaction: Edgar tries to keep up with the latest scientific research into quantum theory and
GM intrusion: The materials science. He can be engaged on these topics by a persuasive character. He is also
character’s weapon quite vain, and jealous of the fame other scientists have gained at what he believes is his
or important item expense. Thus, flattery regarding his past scientific achievements may enhance negotiations.
is targeted by
Entropy’s ability to
Use: A respected physics journal reports that several of its editors have been hospitalized in an
transform objects. attack by Entropy.

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FREE REIGN 5 (15)
MIND-CONTROLLING VILLAIN

Bernard Alvin Kane wasn’t always a bad man. He paid his taxes. He held down a white-collar job
filing reports. He had a wife and two kids. Sometimes he even donated to charities, if it was easy. In the Boundless
He was typical. setting, Free Reign
Then he drove his car into the rear end of a truck on the freeway. Bernard should have died, lives in Seattle.
but instead the trauma activated latent mutant abilities: he could control the minds of those
who could hear and understand him. Over the course of about a year, the temptation to use
Characters blocking
his abilities overcame him more and more. At first it was just small things, like telling his kids to
their hearing with
work harder for an upcoming test. Then he was asking for (and getting) promotions at work. earplugs or similar
In the end, he’d taken over his company, controlled the mayor and other local politicians, and equipment are immune
was surrounded by a regalia of unusually attractive mind-controlled bodyguards and personal to Free Reign’s power.
assistants, a few of which had super abilities of their own.
Motive: Control others
Environment: Almost anywhere, usually with a regalia of GM intrusion: The
mind-controlled bodyguards character is surprised
by a superpowered
Health: 22
bodyguard (level 7)
Damage Inflicted: 5 points who attempts to
Armor: 1 rip their hearing
Movement: Short protection away.
Modifications: Mind-control attacks as level 7
Combat: Free Reign avoids combat by telling potential
foes that they are instead his good friends who
love and want to please him. Targets within long
range who can hear and understand him and
who fail an Intellect defense roll behave as he
suggests. Each round, a target can attempt another
defense roll to throw off the control. However, if a target fails
three of these defense rolls, they must do as compelled for
the next day, unless something else happens that provides
another chance to escape the control. Free Reign usually Disguise module,
renews his control over those he particularly values every page 388
day before it wears off completely. An affected character Enduring shield,
defending against this renewal is hindered by three steps. page 388
Interaction: Vain and shallow, Free Reign is terrified of
anyone able to overcome his mental control, ordering his
entourage to eradicate them.
Use: Free Reign is a secret confederate of a corrupt public
official, ruler, or other person of authority.
Other Equipment: Free Reign wears the most expensive suits,
designer watches, and shades available. He carries a couple
of high-tech devices liberated from other superhumans,
including a disguise module and an enduring shield.

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THE GENTLEMAN 7 (21)
MYSTIC HERO

In the Boundless Most people who try to learn magic from books fail, because most books on the topic are
setting, the Gentleman new-age mumbo jumbo, desperate treatises by someone who is suffering from mental illness,
is based in London. or, most often, outright frauds. However, Sir Edward Wright-Hatt had better luck than most. In
1719, already a baron in the British aristocracy, he came to possess a book scribed in Latin titled
Magia est Pretium, which roughly translates to “Magic Is the Price.” A man of letters, Wright-Hatt
The Gentleman’s cane:
level 7 artifact. Rewinds studied the book and discovered powers he’d never previously dreamed of.
time as indicated. These days, the Gentleman shows up in times of dire need. He has forgotten more spells than
Depletion: 1 in 1d6. most people ever learn, and he’s always interested in learning more.
Motive: Guard against the forces of mystical darkness
GM intrusion: What Health: 33
seemed like a telling
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
blow landed on the
Gentleman actually hits Armor: 5 (base spell protection)
a magical façade that Movement: Short
shatters, revealing the Modifications: Magic lore as level 9
Gentleman standing
a few paces away. Combat: The Gentleman knows so many spells that he can create essentially any effect required
to address a given situation. For example, he can make long-range attacks that burn or
freeze a foe, or put them to sleep. He can increase his Armor, turn himself invisible, fly or
teleport, or learn secret things from strange entities.
The Gentleman’s cane is actually an intelligent artifact in
its own right (level 6) that can take its own actions,
including easing the Gentleman’s tasks. When
things are especially dire, the cane can rewind time
by one round, but only once per day.
The Gentleman usually carries a few cyphers in the
form of rings, cards, and small candies, which typically
provide healing, sustenance, or euphoria.
Interaction: Polite to a fault, the Gentleman believes in treating
everyone equitably. However, he doesn’t take kindly to
cads, and someone who insults his friends could find
themselves transformed into a small, mean thing
that creeps upon the earth.
Use: A question with a magical component comes
up. Someone suggests that the Gentleman could
probably provide an answer, if anyone can.
Other Equipment: The Gentleman carries a few magical
trinkets, as previously indicated, as well as his cane.

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GHOSTWALK 7 (21)
PHASING HERO

Molly Anne Tynan died March 11th, 2007, one of the fatalities of an attack by Dread. She stayed Dread, page 179
that way for a full seven minutes. When her heartbeat and brain function spontaneously
restarted, doctors called it a miracle. From Molly’s point of view, it just took her awhile—upon When not facing down
finding herself floating above her body in the ER—to figure out how to get back in. enemies, Ghostwalk
It wasn’t long afterward that a new enemy of crime showed up. Able to pass through walls sometimes possesses
and other solid objects, and to ignore physical attacks and bullets, Ghostwalk scared criminals objects to prank her
friends. Her friends are
everywhere. Because in addition to being able to penetrate the deepest bunkers of evil mostly not amused.
masterminds, she also had the power to possess objects, such as the guns of said mastermind’s
minions, turning them upon their former owners.
Motive: Stand against evildoers In the Boundless
setting, Ghostwalk is
Environment: Almost anywhere
a member of the New
Health: 33 York-based Society
Damage Inflicted: 7 points of Seven (page 172).
Movement: Short; short when flying or when moving through solid objects
Modifications: Stealth as level 8; interaction tasks with ghosts and spiritual
creatures as level 9
Combat: Ghostwalk can phase as part of another action. In this state, she
doesn’t take damage from mundane physical sources, though she takes
1 point of damage from spells and attacks that direct energy, and she
takes full damage from weapons designed to affect spirits, psychic
effects, and similar attacks. If Ghostwalk physically makes an
attack herself, she selectively phases her hand to bypass most
defenses and inflict 7 points of damage (ignores Armor). If she is
being especially vicious, she also psychically attacks the target,
and if the attack succeeds, the target takes an additional 4 points
of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and is stunned by fear for
one round, losing their next turn as they witness visions of
ghostly terror.
As her action, she can possess an object she touches, animating
it so that it acts as she desires. For instance, if she animates a
gun, she can make it fire (or not fire, if someone else is holding
it) or fly through the air a short distance each round, moving
as Ghostwalk herself can. Alternatively, she can bodily
possess an object for up to about ten
hours at a time, during which period
her body effectively is the object.
Interaction: A character can ingratiate
themselves with Ghostwalk merely
by being able to discuss books
they’ve recently read. Assuming
the character isn’t a villain or
otherwise up to no good, Ghostwalk GM intrusion:
is more than happy to spend time Ghostwalk unleashes
discussing the merits of books a ghostly bolt at a
character within long
across a wide spectrum of genres. range. If the attack
Use: The doll’s head turns and utters hits, the character
a dire warning. Luckily, it’s just takes 7 points of
Intellect damage
Ghostwalk making an entrance.
(ignores Armor) and
is stunned from fear
for one round.

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GRAVITAS 7 (21)
GRAVITY-POWERED VILLAIN

Kaiden Karlsson liked to push his luck long before he tried to steal an experimental
graviton-generating device from the university research lab. Or, as his siblings used to say, he
wasn’t quite right in the head. His yards-long rap sheet described a series of petty thefts, simple
assaults, cons gone wrong, and several stays in the county jail before his wealthy mother would
inevitably bail him out and sic enough lawyers on the problem to make it go away.
So when Kaiden was hired to steal intellectual property, it wasn’t too surprising that he decided
to deviate from the job and grab the device itself. Which of course promptly exploded. The entire
building came down on him—or would have, if his newly bequeathed gravity powers hadn’t kicked
in just in time to save his life.
Has Kaiden’s luck—make that Gravitas’s luck—finally changed?
Motive: Acquire wealth and notoriety
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 53
Damage Inflicted: 12 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short; long when gravitationally levitating
Modifications: Speed defense as level 9 due to gravitational deflection; gravity power as level 9;
see through deception and flattery as level 3
Combat: Gravitas can make people fall into the sky or crush them using his ability to control
gravity within very long range. He can usually affect only a couple of targets that are next
to each other at one time, but since a target could be an entire train or other equally large
vehicle or structure (which he can bring down like a massive hammer on a given area),
he has the potential to attack several targets at once. Targets struck by a vehicle or small
Voltage, page 152 building are trapped underneath, crushed for 5 points of ambient damage each round until
they escape or are rescued.
GM intrusion: The Interaction: Gravitas is especially vulnerable to flattery, given that one of his main motivations
character keeps falling is notoriety. A devious negotiator might be able to influence him to act as they wish, at least
up each round until they for a while. Whatever the situation, Gravitas has little sense of consequences and would risk
can succeed on a Speed
much for little reward, as long as there was some media exposure involved.
defense roll. After just
one round, a character Use: Voltage has offered a reward for Gravitas, hoping that if she has the defeated man’s
has fallen nearly 600 remains, she’ll be able to extract what she assumes is the gravity generator component that
feet (180 m) up. gives him his abilities, and use it for herself.

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THE GRIN 5 (15)
ALIEN CONQUERORS

The Grin are a warlike, colonizing alien race. Commanding high technology and faster-than-light
starcraft, they have cut a line of conquest through the galaxy. Hundreds of worlds lie beneath
their imperial boot, and many more are on the verge of succumbing. Earth itself nearly fell to the
Grin in the 1980s, but the world’s superheroes of that period beat them back. That defeat was an
insult to the Grin, and by extension their leader—an entity they call the Exultant—that they haven’t
forgotten, and likely soon plan on redressing.
The Grin are hierarchical, and those selected to join the ranks of the fanatic troopers are
outfitted with high-tech weapons and armor that are more than a match for an average enemy.
The Grin also have their own champions that far outmatch the average trooper, and even many
of Earth’s most powerful heroes.
Motive: Conquer and colonize
Environment: Anywhere in the galaxy
Health: 20
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 4
Movement: Short; long when flying with jet boots
Combat: The average Grin trooper wields a long-range particle beam weapon that can target up
to three creatures standing next to each other with one attack. Alternatively, a Grin can use
a long-range pacification ray that paralyzes the target for about an hour on a failed Might
defense roll.
Most troopers’ battle suits include a psychic lure, which radiates an immediate-range telepathic
Particle beam rifle:
urge to surrender to the Grin. Creatures who fail an Intellect defense roll can still choose not
level 5 artifact. Targets
to surrender, but their thoughts become muddled, hindering all actions until they move away up to three creatures
from the Grin. per long range attack.
Grin champions are level 8 or higher, with 55 health, 8 Armor, and the ability to inflict 13 points of Depletion: 1 in 1d20.
damage on three or more targets within very long range by using high-tech weaponry and
powers derived from forced evolution. GM intrusion (group):
Interaction: Most members of the Grin feel A level 8 champion
of the Grin arrives.
privileged to be part of the troop, fanatically
following orders. Fraternizing with
non-Grin is considered a crime of
the most heinous sort.
Use: A spying spacecraft, monitoring
the Earth, has just been picked up
by deep-space scans. It belongs to
the Grin.
Other Equipment: A Grin trooper’s
battle suit can be salvaged for at
least one manifest cypher (usually a
level 5 device that restores 1 Pool
point or health point per round for
five hours) and sometimes the
particle beam rifle noted under
Combat.

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HIGHRISE 7 (21)
VILLAIN WHO CAN GROW VERY LARGE

When Rory Mac, a small-time hood in Boston, first discovered his mutant ability to grow
extremely large, his grandfather (also a career criminal) told him stories of Irish giants in the
distant past called the Fomhóire. Rory liked to think that he was related to these legendary
beings, and planned to take a moniker appropriate to that background. But the crew that he ran
with at the time started calling him Highrise, and when he gets big, Rory’s not the sharpest knife
in the drawer, so to speak. So he accepted the rather simplistic name and, at the behest of his
friends, used his ability to steal by carrying away ATMs or ripping the tops off armored cars.
Voltage, page 152
Then he was contacted by Dread’s leader, Voltage, who convinced him that he could do a lot more
with his gift.
Edifice, page 116 Not surprisingly, he has run afoul of the hero Edifice more than once, and considers him his
archenemy. So far Edifice has come out the victor in each confrontation, but Rory’s always
When Highrise shifts looking for a chance to get his revenge.
back to normal human Motive: Greed
size, he becomes a
basic level 2 NPC, Environment: Alone or with one or more members
losing all increases of Dread
to health, Armor, Health: 55
attacks, and so on. Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short
Modifications (in giant form):
In the Boundless setting,
Strength-related tasks and Might
Highrise is a member
of Dread (page 179). defense as level 9; Speed defense
as level 4 due to size; resists lies and
trickery as level 1
Combat: Highrise can shift from regular
size to a 50-foot (15 m) tall giant as
part of another action. When
giant-sized, he prefers to smash
foes with his fists, possibly targeting
three human-sized targets at once if
they are all within immediate range of
each other.
If Highrise attacks a single target, he can
choose to grab the victim on a successful
hit, holding them helpless until they can
escape. A helpless victim takes damage
each round if Highrise chooses to squeeze.
Alternatively, he can throw a helpless target a
very long distance into the air or into the side of
a building (inflicting damage and the target must
succeed on a Might defense roll or descend one step
on the damage track).
GM intrusion: In the Interaction: In his giant form, Highrise seems to lose
middle of a pitched some of his higher reasoning. Generally, however, if
battle, Highrise shrinks promised loot, he will consider nearly any offer.
to normal size and his
opponents lose him
Use: According to social media, a man the size of a five-story building has
in the confusion. grabbed an armored truck from in front of a grocery store and is trying to smash it open.

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THE HORROR 10 (30)
MONSTROUS RECLUSE

Experiments with creating a new form of exotic matter went tragically wrong, transforming
Sullivan Morales into a hideous 10-foot (3 m) tall monstrosity.
As if the Horror’s mere presence wasn’t enough, he has developed various telepathic abilities,
including the psychological power to draw out the horrific part of a viewer’s own soul and show it
back to them. This can be a life-changing or a life-ending event for the viewer.
Dreadful, strong, and possibly immortal, the Horror just wants to be left alone by the society
that hates and fears him. Currently, he lives in the sewers beneath Manhattan.
Motive: To be left alone; to cure his condition
Environment: In lonely, dark places, all alone
Health: 100 Z, page 156
Damage Inflicted: 15 points
Armor: 10 GM intrusion: The
Movement: Short; short when burrowing character within
immediate range of the
Modifications: Speed defense as level 7; knowledge tasks as level 8 Horror must succeed
Combat: The Horror’s two physical attacks each round are devastating, and targets who take on a Speed defense
damage must succeed on a Might defense roll or descend one step on the damage track. roll or be grasped by
He can throw cars and large objects at targets within long a mouth, tendril, or
clawed hand. (This
range, attacking all creatures within immediate requires no action on
range of his primary target. the Horror’s part.) The
If the Horror spends his action concentrating grabbed character
sustains 10 points of
on a target within short range, the
damage each round
psychic attack causes them to objectively until they escape.
confront the horror of their own
existence (heightened by an order of
magnitude) on a failed Intellect defense
roll. A target who succeeds is still dazed
for one round, while a target who fails
takes 15 points of Intellect damage, is
stunned for one round, and (if the Horror
wishes it) moves one step down the
damage track. Afterward, the affected
target is dazed until they mentally
come to grips with what they saw,
which takes at least a few days.
The Horror’s healing factor is incredible.
He regains 20 health per round, and
even if at 0 health, he regains 1 point of
health each minute.
Interaction: The Horror tries to ignore contact, but
if intruders persevere, he will telepathically
respond. All such contact is tinged with a
creeping sense of dread. The best way
to motivate the Horror is to hold out a
promise of a cure.
Use: The international criminal known
as Z has promised to return
the Horror to normalcy if the
monstrosity does his bidding
during an upcoming crime spree.

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JABBERWOCKY 5 (15)
PSYCHIC VILLAIN

When Cynthia Fu was accepted into the apprenticeship program to begin training as an
In the Boundless electrician, she was ecstatic. But just two weeks in, a supervisor failed her, asking her to perform
setting, Jabberwocky a task on a live junction box that scrambled Cynthia’s mind, scarred her flesh, and activated the
lives in New York City. latent mutant power she possessed to sow confusion in others.
Taking the name Jabberwocky, the fledgling villain made a name for herself by robbing a
bank. She walked inside in full view of the security cameras, passing armed guards and tellers
who could only babble incomprehensibly. Electronic countermeasures, including the bank vault,
reacted like the people in Jabberwocky’s presence, becoming confused and failing to function.
Since then, Jabberwocky has periodically robbed other institutions, only harming those who
resist her influence and try to stop her.
GM intrusion: The Motive: Amass a fortune, sow confusion
confused character Environment: Anywhere money or other valuables can be taken
mistakes an ally
for an enemy and Health: 25
attacks them. Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Sowing confusion and Wild Stare tasks
as level 7
Combat: Jabberwocky radiates a short-range psychic
aura that confuses minds, computers, networks,
and other electronic systems, preventing them from
communicating with each other or themselves.
She normally suppresses it, but can unleash
her confusion-sowing aura as part of another
action. Targets that fail an Intellect defense roll are
effectively helpless, their minds unable to clearly
perceive the real world. Victims can attempt a new
defense roll each round. The effect persists while
Jabberwocky is in range and for a minute or two
thereafter. She can choose to target a troublesome
victim with her Wild Stare attack, which inflicts
Intellect damage (ignores Armor) in addition to the
main confusion effect.
Devices in range of her ability likewise fail to perform
their function for the duration, transmitting only
gibberish, failing to engage security systems, or, in
the case of electronic locks, simply unlocking. Most
of them recover after she leaves, just like the people.
Interaction: Most people come away with a very surreal
sense of Jabberwocky. If they hear her talk at all,
it is seemingly the same babble they themselves
produce.
Use: When Jabberwocky steals valuable art from
another villain, it sets off a war between various
factions that causes a spike in casualties for civilians
who get caught in the middle.

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JINSOKU 7 (21)
SPEEDSTER HERO

Michiko Nomura was always faster than her classmates. As she got older her speed only The extrusion of her
increased, but she hid her growing superhuman abilities. When she attended daigaku wings and blades is,
(“university” in Japanese), she studied entomology, not only fascinated with the world of insects, as best as anyone
can determine, a
but also curious about her own powers. When she moves faster than normal, the ability is manifestation of
accompanied by the appearance of energy extrusions akin to wings and sharp pincers. subatomic particles with
When a kaiju attacked Tokyo, she and some of her daigaku classmates—who’d harbored temporal properties.
secret abilities of their own—rose to the occasion and beat back the massive creature. Realizing
that everything had changed, at least for her, she took the name Jinsoku (“swift”) and started a
team of superheroes in Tokyo called Senshuken (“The Greatest”).
Motive: Safeguard Tokyo and Japan
Environment: Usually with at
least a few other members of
Senshuken (level 6 and 7)
Health: 35
Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Long; very long when flying
Modifications: Speed defense, initiative, and
attacks as level 9 due to speedster ability
Combat: Jinsoku’s speed means she can make four
melee attacks each round on her action using
her energy blades. In fact, she can split
up her attacks as she moves up to a long
distance during that round, dispensing
each of the four attacks anywhere along
the way. Alternatively, she can take up to
four other actions as she moves, such as
attempting to deflect bullets, steal an item
from an NPC, or something similar.
It’s difficult to land a hit on Jinsoku, but if an
attack succeeds, her speedster metabolism
grants her 3 points of health each round, and
1 point of health each minute if reduced to 0
health (unless her body is more than 70 percent
destroyed, at which point regeneration falters).
Interaction: As the head of a super team, Jinsoku has
learned diplomacy and tact. She’s very capable and
experienced, and that shows in any interaction with her. Though GM intrusion: Jinsoku
moves so quickly this
she’s not pompous, she can come across a bit rushed, as her thoughts
round that she can
are always racing ahead of everyone else’s. take another turn.
Use: A villain the PCs are chasing goes to ground in Tokyo, and the characters
need Jinsoku’s help.

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KAOS 6 (18)
PROBABILITY-MANIPULATING ANARCHIST VILLAIN
Blackstar, page 108
Valor, page 150 Probability-altering powers tug at the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Anyone
Whisper, page 154 employing them would have to be naive, or at least unconcerned that a thumb pushed down on
reality’s balance in one place usually means an equal and opposite reaction occurs somewhere
else, leading to disorder and, often enough, destruction.
No one is sure if Kaos’s
probability-warping No one would describe Kaos as naive. They are a self-avowed nihilistic anarchist who thinks all
powers are inherently the world is a cruel joke, one Kaos is forced to endure because their power prevents them from
destructive, or if that taking their own final exit. If they are denied a rest, then Kaos has decided that the world must be
result is due to their
wielder’s outlook.
made to suffer.
Kaos doesn’t seem to have a secret identity. When they go out into the world, it is always as Kaos,
In the Boundless dragging havoc in their wake. As such, they are a foe of Blackstar as well as Valor and Whisper.
setting, Kaos lives
Motive: Anarchy and destruction
in Los Angeles.
Environment: Wherever infrastructure can be destroyed
The Grin, page 123 Health: 22
Damage Inflicted: 9 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 9 due to probability
warp; probability-warping powers as level 9
Combat: Sometimes Kaos “finds” a powerful blaster
dropped by a Grin trooper and uses it to blast
particle beams at targets. Other times they
happen to dodge just right, so an attack against
Kaos hits the attacker’s ally or civilians. If Kaos
deigns to punch a foe or throw a nearby object,
they defy the odds and execute the attack
perfectly (a level 9 attack inflicting damage that
ignores Armor).
Each round that Kaos is in combat and calls on their
probability power, they build a growing charge of
unresolved probability around them. (Some people say it’s like
looking into the box where Schrodinger’s cat is trapped and
seeing the quantum superposition with your naked eye.)
GM intrusion: When Kaos
releases their probability At any point, Kaos can release the charge, creating a
detonation, instead of probability detonation that affects everything
dealing damage, something within short range; on a failed Might defense
exceedingly improbable
happens, usually bad,
roll, victims take damage (ignores Armor)
such as the character equal to twice the number of rounds Kaos
becoming stuck in a wall spent building the charge.
or turned to glass. Interaction: Kaos is a difficult person to
speak to, because if they tire of a conversation,
they can get out of it in improbable ways, up to and
including a city bus’s brakes failing, causing it to smash into
whoever’s annoying the villain.
Use: A plume of dust rises at the city center. It’s a bunch of teens and
young adults dressed like Kaos trying to torch the shopping mall, hoping
Kaos will come in person.

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LORD ASH 6 (18)
MASTERMIND VILLAIN WHO ABSORBS KINETIC ENERGY

Once a simple worker on a coffee plantation in Peru, Manco de la Vega was changed when
he found one of seven stones sacred to the Incan god Inti. Touching it unlocked latent mutant
powers, transforming him into someone stronger, faster, and smarter than before. Eyes burning Lord Ash believes there
like tiny suns, his greatest gift was the ability to absorb energy of any sort. Effectively immune are six other Inti statues
to harm, when he is powered up, he can fly, perform incredible feats of strength, and unleash lost in the world. He
searing sun bolts. hopes to gather them
all and thus unlock all
Now calling himself Lord Ash, Manco maintains a secret base within Sabancaya Volcano in the powers of Inti that
Peru. An ever-changing roster of villains keeps him company. Lord Ash likes the volcano because he claims run in his
he can wade out into a nearby magma tube and become so flush with energy that his entire body bloodline, then usher
in a new era on Earth.
burns as bright as the sun.
Motive: Accumulate wealth, find other sacred stones of Inti
Environment: Often in his volcano base
Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 10 points (see Combat)
Armor: 3
Movement: Short; flies a long distance each round if
powered up
Modifications: Can operate as level 12 if powered up by energy
Combat: Even when not powered up, Lord Ash is impressive.
However, if subject to effects or attacks that would
normally inflict damage, such as the kinetic energy of
a punch or the electrical energy of a lightning blast,
Lord Ash instead absorbs it. He gains one additional
effective level for each 10 points of damage he
absorbs, up to a maximum level of 12. (Lord Ash
is equally able to absorb psychic energy; his
one vulnerability seems to be poison.)
Lord Ash can make a number of attacks on
his turn equal to his total level divided
by 3 (round down). These are either
brute force punches that inflict damage
equal to his effective level + 4, or long-
range sun bolts that inflict the same amount of
damage.
He can stay powered up for about an hour, or for
about a minute if using his abilities normally in
combat, assuming no one else attacks him or
he doesn’t otherwise recharge himself. Lord
Ash can always choose to release all his stored
power at once as a directed solar flare at a single
target within very long range, easing the attack
by three steps and inflicting double normal damage. GM intrusion: The
Interaction: Lord Ash believes he is an avatar of a god and treats energy behind the
others accordingly. Those who convince him that they take character’s melee
attack against Lord
him seriously are at least accorded an audience. Ash is drained out
Use: A handful of villains targeted a museum hosting so suddenly that the
archeological displays from around the world. They character stumbles,
dazed until the end
work for Lord Ash. of their next turn.

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THE MAJESTIC FAMILY
GLOBETROTTING FAMILY OF HEROES

Everyone in the Majestic Family has extraordinary abilities, and the world knows it. They don’t
have secret identities; they go by their actual names. And yes, their last name really is Majestic.
The core family is composed of Natalie Majestic and her husband Jack, their teenage son
“Ace,” and Jack’s sister Olive. And thanks to Olive’s inventions, the Majestics routinely leave their
compound in Virginia to travel the world—and beyond—in their M-jet, their space-faring M-shuttle,
and even their faster-than-light M-craft that allows them to travel to other stars.

NATALIE MAJESTIC 9 (27)

Natalie is a force of nature. As one of the strongest and
toughest people on the planet and the unofficial head of
the Majestics, she and her team are in high demand with
law enforcement, governments, and other super teams.
However, she and her family are more explorers than
crimefighters, so she rarely answers such calls. Her
impressive strength is often used to help out in her
sister-in-law’s lab and sometimes to safeguard the other
family members on their frequent outings to strange
places. But of course, when true planetary threats loom,
the Majestics help. Assuming they’re not on the far side of
the galaxy.
Motive: Explore the universe, safeguard her family
Health: 80
Damage Inflicted: 15 points
Armor: 15
Movement: Short; very long when jumping
Combat: Natalie’s punch can demolish buildings, and with
her Armor (which also protects her from things that
regular armor can’t, like psychic and ambient damage),
she can withstand debris should that building come
down on her. She’s so tough, in fact, that she can brush
off brutal pressures at the sea bottom and the vacuum
Attractor and best
tool, page 384 of space with equal ease, apparently able to exist in an
anoxic state indefinitely.
Comprehension, Interaction: Bold but kind, decisive but willing to listen,
page 385 Natalie usually speaks for the team. She certainly cares
about the rest of the world, and is willing to offer aid, but
Lord Ash, page 129 her first priority is her family.
Use: Natalie shows up in plain clothes asking about a
particular artifact going up for sale. She wants to
GM intrusion: Natalie
slaps both hands procure it for her sister-in-law Olive, but it turns out, so
together, creating a does Lord Ash.
shock wave (level 10) Other Equipment: Like everyone in the family, Natalie
that attacks everything
in a cone-shaped carries several devices created by Olive Majestic,
area up to a long including the following cyphers: attractor, best tool, and
distance from her. comprehension.

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JACK MAJESTIC 7 (21)
Jack met Natalie when they attended a semester abroad together in Ireland twenty years ago.
Since then, they’ve been inseparable. They married, raised a child, and with the help of Jack’s
sister Olive, made the Majestic family what it is today. In fact, it’s Jack’s infectious excitement
about exploring that transformed the Family into celebrity explorers. Who can forget that
momentous day when the Majestic Family traveled to Mars? They were the first Earth people to
do so, and that’s all down to Jack and his passion for travel.
Like his wife, Jack is powerful. In his case, it’s because he can command the fundamental force
of gravity, granting him fine control over the environment. If his wife can demolish a building with
a punch, he can lift it off its foundations by thinking about it.
Motive: Explore the universe, safeguard his family
Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 12 points
Armor: 4
Movement: Short; very long when flying
Modifications: Gravity powers, gravity attacks, and Speed defense against
physical attacks as level 9
Combat: Jack’s gravity-manipulation abilities give him the power of flight,
improve his defenses (as already noted), allow him to pin up to
three targets within long range to the ground or another hard
surface (and crush them each round, if he chooses) until
they escape, or send those same targets falling into the sky.
He can also emit a very-long-range graviton beam at a single
target that inflicts damage at the subatomic level (and thus
ignores Armor).
He can impart a gravitational field to objects or make them
repel gravity (creating antigravity) for several hours. If he
has minutes to concentrate, he can lift buildings from their
foundations or cause them to collapse. If he has hours to
concentrate, he can extend his influence for several miles into
the surrounding ground, and then lift that chunk of earth into the
sky.
Interaction: Curiosity and a desire to explore with family and friends
are Jack’s most endearing qualities. If interacting with a stranger, he Blackout, page 384
usually wants to show them some weird keepsake he acquired on
an earlier trip, or wants to know all about the strange places they’ve Darksight, page 386
been. Disguise module,
Use: Jack Majestic shows up and has questions about a villain the page 388
PCs recently faced, because he thinks they may know about
a previously undiscovered hollow world far beneath the
continents.
Other Equipment: Like everyone in the family, Jack carries several GM intrusion: Jack
devices created by Olive Majestic, including the following Majestic takes
another action.
cyphers: blackout, darksight, and disguise module.

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Duke: level 7; Armor 4;
transforms into a ACE MAJESTIC 5 (15)
component of the M-car
customized to carry Ace
The nickname “Ace” was given to Bernard Majestic by his aunt Olive when he first demonstrated
his amazing regeneration abilities. His wound-healing power was the only reason the Majestic
Best tool, page 384 Family continued its wide-ranging, explore-strange-new-worlds tradition after the kid was born.
Detonation (web), Without such resilience, no responsible parent would consider taking a child into harm’s way.
page 387 Ace’s ability to heal others is also a plus.
Ace loves everyone in his family, but his favorite “family” member is Duke, a companion and
Disguise module, guardian machine Aunt Olive built for him when he was just two years old. Though everyone else
page 388
thinks of Duke as a robot, Ace is sure that the mechanism is as deserving of love as anyone. In
fact, inspired by Duke, he’s become Olive Majestic’s apprentice in all things robotic.
Stun pistol: level 8 artifact; Motive: Explore the universe, improve Duke
long-range attack stuns
Health: 30
target for one minute.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20. Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 4
GM intrusion: Ace touches Movement: Short
the character, inflicting 10 Modifications: Robotics tasks as level 7
points of Speed damage Combat: Ace often uses a long-range stun pistol in combat provided to him by Aunt Olive. On a
(ignores Armor). It’s his
healing ability reversed, successful attack, the target is stunned and unable to take turns for a minute, or
retarding biological function until it can succeed on a difficulty 8 Might defense roll.
rather than supercharging it. Ace regains 15 health every round, even if at 0 health. He can restore up
to 10 points of health or Pool points to an ally within short distance, as
long as the target and Ace are both standing on the same surface,
touching the same wall, or the like. A given target can be affected
by this only once per day.
Though the Majestic Family doesn’t really want him to use his
power this way, Ace’s touch can also be used in reverse,
inflicting 10 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor). Ace
normally keeps this power under wraps until a true
emergency occurs. Luckily, in addition to his stun pistol,
his robotic companion Duke is a powerful defender.
Interaction: Ace is no sullen teen, but his interests
are starting to diverge from those of his parents.
He is happy to meet new people and learn about new
opportunities, and he is especially responsive to people
closer to his own age.
Use: Ace goes missing from the Majestic Family
compound in Virginia. A few hours later, he is sighted with a
group of kids his own age touring a museum in D.C.
Other Equipment: Like everyone in the family, Ace carries
several devices created by Olive Majestic, including the stun
pistol described above, and the following cyphers: best tool,
detonation (web), and disguise module.

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OLIVE MAJESTIC 5 (15)
If Olive Majestic wanted to, she could be the richest multibillionaire on the planet. Her inventions
outstrip most other advanced technology, very likely second only to Valerie Lincoln, and she’s Valerie Lincoln, page 181
always working on something new. If she were to release even a fraction of her designs
into the world, the act would revolutionize a rainbow of industries, including transportation,
communication, computation, and more. It’s a poorly kept secret that she built the Majestic Family
a faster-than-light spacecraft, called the M-craft (of course).
But Olive’s inventions are retained for her family. In a very real sense, her superpower is her
genius with invention and engineering. Though others might scoff when she says it, most of her
radical designs really are too advanced for the world to handle. Her minor “tame” patents are the
source of most of the family’s finances.
Motive: Invent, safeguard the Majestic Family
Health: 35
Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 8
Movement: Short; long when flying
Modifications: Mechanical design, engineering, and
gadgeteer tasks as level 9
Combat: Olive’s suit is outfitted with a protective
force field, reactionless thrusters for flying,
and an array of deployable laser, stun, plasma,
and sonic weapons, allowing her to target a
foe up to a very long distance away and inflict the
damage of her choice.
If Olive has time to prepare and has material from
her lab or one of the M-vehicles on hand,
she can create a device capable of almost
anything the family needs, whether
that’s a cryonic cell to keep a villain on
ice, a one-use dimensional portal, a
communicator to signal another star,
and so on.
Interaction: Even when talking with others,
Olive is usually multitasking and checking a
heads-up display in her goggles, so she is usually
distracted. One can get her full attention by showing
her a gadget of alien technology or something else
technical she’s never seen before.
Use: The lab of an evil genius was recently
uncovered. It’s been unused since World War II but
still contains objects and devices that only someone of
Olive Majestic’s brilliance is likely to comprehend.
Other Equipment: In addition to her suit (level 9; biometrically locked to
Information sensor,
Olive’s use) described above, she carries several devices, including instant shelter,
the following manifest cyphers: information sensor, instant shelter, and and lightning
lightning wall. wall, page 391

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MALEVOLENCE 5 (15)
MYSTIC VILLAIN THAT SUMMONS DEMONS

Revon Rhodes is a well-known influencer. Her online musical performances have had
hundreds of thousands of views. According to her fans, she reinterpreted the cultural
current of house music by adding primitive rhythms and gothic folklore.
Her fans might feel differently if they knew that her alter ego was
Malevolence, the demon-summoning villain who appears
in a blast of hellfire, often targeting places where
scientists and researchers congregate. She
views science as a paradigm-changing threat to
her magic, which draws power from belief. She’s
also highly vindictive, punishing those who go out
of their way to criticize her music. Few people have
made the connection between Revon Rhodes and
Malevolence, and those who do are usually eaten by
demons.
Motive: Eliminate the scientific paradigm, revenge
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 44
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 6
Movement: Short
Modifications: Demon lore as level 9
Combat: Malevolence relies on “demon vigor”
(represented by her Armor and high health) to
protect her. As her action, she can unleash a legion
of up to five demons to attack her foes, possess
them, or become a living curse that forever changes
her enemies. She is hindered in all actions by one step
for every two demons she releases from her person,
until they are returned or a day passes.
In the Boundless She can also force summoned demons to take on the shapes of useful objects, or do any
setting, Malevolence number of other tasks for her, such as heal her, deliver messages, teleport her, answer
lives in Florida. questions of secret lore, and other duties. She need merely ask an already-summoned
demon or call up one especially for the task at hand.
Interaction: Malevolence is willing to bargain, but she requires that any deal reached clearly
Demon, page 322 favor her.
Use: A demonic effect is troubling someone the PCs know, and despite the bad blood between
them, the PCs know of a certain someone with knowledge in that area that they could ask:
Malevolence.
GM intrusion: Another Other Equipment: Malevolence carries a few manifest cyphers that are actually demons
demon appears to bound in the form of objects; they take a dim view of anyone other than their owner trying
help Malevolence.
to use them.

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MANSLAUGHTER 6 (18)
TRANSFORMING VILLAIN WITH A FLAIR FOR WEAPONRY

Merle Dyson enjoyed a career as a military sharpshooter on an elite and covert joint special
operations team. That abruptly ended when an operation was blown, resulting in the deaths of
most of the team, while leaving the survivors permanently disabled, including Merle.
During Merle’s military service, his personal network grew exponentially, including into some
unsavory spaces—which is how he met Voltage, Dread’s leader. He promised her his Voltage, page 152
not-inconsiderable services if she would “fix” him. She came through. The theft of smart
materials from the private laboratory of a Faust Industries researcher, once refined and grafted Faust Industries,
directly into Merle’s body, gave him a new lease on life. Or perhaps more accurately, on other page 177
people’s deaths. Now known as Manslaughter, he can transform his body into weapons, even In the Boundless
complex weapons like firearms. One of his favorite ways to go into action is with both arms setting, Manslaughter
transformed into autocannons or combat shotguns. is a member of
Motive: Thirst for violence Dread (page 179).
Environment: Alone or with one or more members of Dread
Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short
Combat: Manslaughter can use his
action to transform parts of his
body into weapons, such as
transforming both arms
into autocannons or combat
shotguns, allowing him to make
two short-range attacks each
round. If he takes two rounds to
change himself, he can transform
more radically, becoming something
equivalent to a heavy-caliber turret
(immobile) able to inflict 12 points of damage
each round. He usually can’t maintain such a
whole-body transformation for more than three
rounds at a time.
If damaged, Manslaughter can use his action to regain 10
health, or 20 health if he absorbs a small machine or
firearm of some kind.
It’s possible that Manslaughter could transform himself
into machines or devices other than weapons,
such as becoming a vehicle or a vending machine. Highrise, page 124
However, given his love for violence, it would have to
be a car with a ram designed for hitting people, or a GM intrusion:
very tippy vending machine. He once transformed into a Manslaughter creates a
weapon pod that fires a
gargantuan chain-sword weapon wielded by Highrise. very-long-range missile
Interaction: Manslaughter is a “shoot first, ask questions later” that inflicts 12 points of
sort of guy. damage on all targets
Use: The PCs hear gunfire. within immediate
range of each other.

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MIDKNIGHT 6 (18)
HIGH-TECH VILLAIN

Operating throughout Europe, terrorist and arch-criminal Midknight wears a suit of armor and
wields a black blade. He claims his suit and sword are magical, but they are in fact high-tech
Anton Wolf, page 187 artifacts created by Anton Wolf, the German weapons designer.
Sometimes Midknight partners with or even—on rare occasions—works for other villains.
Other times he works on his own projects, which include stealing valuables to finance the
In the Boundless setting,
Midknight operates creation of a militia of nationalists interested in perpetrating terrorist attacks designed to
mainly in Europe. inflame international distrust.
Motive: Inspire fear, cash in on resulting strife
Environment: Almost anywhere in Europe, alone or accompanied by one or two other villains
Health: 28
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Armor: 8
Movement: Short; very long with jet-assisted jump from armor
Modifications: Sword attacks as level 8; stealth tasks as level 8 due to armor camouflage
Combat: Midknight can fire flechettes from his
black blade at two targets within long range
each round. On a failed Speed defense roll, a
target takes damage and must succeed on
a Might defense roll or be tranquilized (and
unconscious) for up to an hour, or until they
successfully rouse themselves.
In melee, the powered blade’s attacks ignore
up to 4 points of Armor. On a hit, it inflicts
damage, and, on a failed Might defense roll,
the target falls one step on the damage
track from the grievous wound.
The armor and blade possess various other
lesser abilities. For instance, the armor has
camouflage and jet-assisted jump functions,
and the sword can render an area within
short distance lightless (but Midknight can
still see).
Interaction: Midknight will debate if he doesn’t
think it will interfere with his current
mission. He’s reasonable on the surface, but
dig in, and he is revealed as a fanatic.
Use: An attack on the UN building is laid at the
feet of a foreign power. But some people
suspect it was Midknight.

GM intrusion: An
attack that would
have hit Midknight
fails to connect
because the armor
releases a barrage of
distracting flak at just
the right moment.

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MINDER 7 (21)
PSYCHIC VILLAIN

Iminathi “Mina” Semenya helped save Earth from the Grin invasion of the 1980s as the superhero
everyone knew as Minder. A young South African woman with mild telepathic abilities, Mina
underwent a transformation thanks to a device created by Niles Lincoln during the desperate Niles Lincoln, page 170
heart of the invasion designed to boost her powers. This psychic upgrade allowed Minder to
coordinate all defenders of Earth against the Grin.
Minder’s amped-up
But while it gave Minder overwatch capabilities that proved indispensable in defense of the mental powers
planet, it also extracted a dire cost. Over the following decades, the device continued to boost her include some sort of
abilities, usually in ways she didn’t expect or want. The aid became an affliction, coloring Minder’s psychometabolism
ability that has
perceptions of reality so strongly that hero has gradually but effectively become a villain.
dramatically slowed her
Motive: Unpredictable natural aging process;
Environment: Anywhere she still appears
Health: 33 young decades later.
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 6 (from telekinetic shield) In the Boundless
Movement: Short; long when telekinetically flying setting, Minder lives
Modifications: Telepathic contact as level 10 in California. When
she was a hero in
Combat: Minder’s array of mental powers includes telekinesis, which she can use to grant South Africa, she
herself flight, create a telekinetic shield, and shoot a force bolt at up to was partners with
three foes at once within short range. This same ability allows her Vanish (page 195).
to manipulate or pick up objects and toss them about.
Thanks to her mental powers, she’s such a strong telepath that
she can telepathically communicate with anyone in the
world who’s willing to talk to her. She can also read the
surface thoughts of those within long range who fail an
Intellect defense roll.
Other abilities include weak precognition, which sometimes
turns up useful knowledge of things that could happen
within a few days, but which is most commonly used
when she’s in combat (and thus already figured into her
overall level). GM intrusion:
Interaction: At unexpected moments, Minder goes from Minder uses a
sorrowful to full of rage, from sad to enthusiastic. Most psychometabolism
power to regain all
people assume she suffers from a mental illness brought
her lost health.
on by her amped-up powers. But she just laughs at such
suggestions, insisting that she is acting according to
insights gained by seeing into a higher reality.
Use: A gadgeteer thinks they know of a way
to safely remove the device amping
up Minder’s abilities. Step one is
capturing Minder, who no longer
wishes for a remedy.

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THE ONE 13 (39)
NIGH-OMNIPOTENT COSMIC ENTITY

Little is known about this godlike entity. It probably hails from the early universe, and
demonstrates a real animosity toward living things and objects that it didn’t create itself. With
a mere thought, it can call skyscraper-sized objects into existence. In fact, over the course of
billions of years, it has created entire worlds, and world-sized structures. Many of these are filled
Mystery Earth, page 199
with life, though most of that life is blighted, sterile, or otherwise flawed. Despite aeons of trying, it
never seems to get life exactly right.
In the last few millennia, the One finally learned some humility. Sort of. Now it seeks to learn the
secret of life from already-living things, in order to improve its own creations. In the past, it has
used its powers to teleport groups of creatures across interstellar distances, where it can study
Psychic crystal,
and test them. For example, it has twice taken groups of heroes from Earth to a planet (likely of
page 275
its creation) dubbed Mystery Earth.
Kaiju, page 338 Motive: Impossible to ascertain
Environment: Anywhere in the universe
Silver Sentinel, page 146 Health: 100
Damage Inflicted: 15 points
GM intrusion (group): Armor: 13
The One creates a kaiju Movement: Long; interstellar distances between two points when calling on its celestial power
to combat the PCs. of travel
Combat: The One prefers to leave combat to the various
servitor creatures it has already created or newly
fashions. As its action, it can create simple but powerful
brutes (level 6) two or three at a time, or a single
more powerful entity (level 9). These creatures may
somewhat resemble the foes they fight, or may simply
be protoplasmic horrors. All age and die within a few
days.
Alternatively, the One can sweep away all its enemies at
once by teleporting them to some distant location, such
as one of its laboratory planets, which include stasis
prisons (level 8) to keep newly arrived guests in line.
Finally, the One, possessed of celestial power, can attack
every creature within short range with a detonation of
energy composed of equal parts electricity, fire, and
force. Or use that power to restore 25 health to itself
or its allies, or to create skyscraper-sized structures
out of thin air (which, if used in combat, it could drop on
large groups of foes).
Interaction: The One can speak and understand almost
any language. It generally ignores lesser beings. Getting
the One’s attention probably requires damaging it, at
which point it may decide that the attacker is an ideal
candidate for experimentation, and teleport them (and
any allies) to one of its facilities.
Use: An entire apartment building in a large city has
vanished. Residual celestial energy leads Silver Sentinel
to the conclusion that it was kidnapped by the One.
Other Equipment: The One carries several alien devices,
including a psychic crystal.

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THE ROYAL HOUSE OF VIDESH
SUPERPOWERED ROYAL FAMILY WITH SELFISH GOALS

All current members of the Royal House of Videsh—the ruling family of Villarama, a tiny but
wealthy south Asian nation secluded in the mountains—wield superpowers. Whether this is the
result of genetic engineering, secret technologies, or just happenstance, no one knows.
In addition to individual powers, all members of the Royal House can fly a long distance each
round, telepathically communicate with other family members in short range, and automatically
regain at least 1 health each round.

LORD ESWAR (House of Videsh) 7 (21)

The head of the house is Lord Eswar, and while he can’t be lumped in with so-called villains or
petty criminals, this is due in part to his status as the ruler of a sovereign nation. BASTION and BASTION, page 163
other international law enforcement agencies recognize the entire family as a potential threat
with great power.
As the ruler of his own country, Lord Eswar enjoys wealth, the services of a small but
well-trained army, and diplomatic immunity—not to mention his own superpowered family,
although none of them entirely have his trust (for good reason). Although Villarama was
virtually unknown decades ago, it has exploded onto the world stage, and that’s because
of Eswar. As likely to be found exploring an Azaki ruin as at a diplomatic gala with his entire Azaki, page 160
entourage, Eswar seeks knowledge that will increase his power even further. While not a Baron Shadow, page 107
mastermind to equal Baron Shadow or Z, he is cunning and ruthless. He doesn’t care who or Z, page 156
what gets in his way, and has almost certainly committed serious crimes across the globe. Even
if someone tries to confront him or prove his guilt, apprehending him is doubly difficult given that
he can turn intangible with a thought.
Motive: Gather power
Environment: Usually Villarama, but potentially anywhere, often with a retinue of royal guards
and sometimes with a family member or two
Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Movement: Short; long when flying
Modifications: Intangibility power and attacks as level 8
Combat: Lord Eswar is rarely caught without at least a couple of royal guards (level 5) to assist
him, should conflict arise. As part of another action, he can shift into an intangible form that
allows him to pass through solid objects (and fly). When he phases through something solid,
like a foe, he can choose to disrupt the object, inflicting damage (ignores Armor).
Eswar’s physical touch can turn a foe intangible like himself, usually in an attempt to phase them
halfway into the ground or wall. When he lets go, the target becomes tangible again, taking
damage (ignores Armor) if released in a solid object, and is trapped until they can escape. Information
sensor, page 391
While intangible, Lord Eswar takes no damage from mundane physical sources, and he takes
only half damage from attacks that use energy (including magic). While intangible, he regains Intelligence
health at a rate of 4 points per round. enhancement,
Interaction: To be brought into Lord Eswar’s presence in the royal court can be a great honor, page 391
though it might be because he has a demand to make. He’s not used to being refused his
requests, but on the other hand, he is not a cold-blooded killer. He prefers to imprison those GM intrusion: The
character is
who displease him.
phase-grabbed by
Use: A delegation from Villarama is suspected of spying on a nearby computer manufacturing Lord Eswar and
facility. dropped into a prison
Other Equipment: Lord Eswar often wears expensive rings and clothing. One or more of these is cell a short distance
underground with no
likely to be a manifest cypher, such as an information sensor or an intelligence enhancement. physical doors or exits.

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MANA (House of Videsh) 6 (18)
Mana is Eswar’s daughter. She spends about a third of her time in her homeland, and a third
amid the young and beautiful celebrity dilettantes that seem to be constantly attending parties or
events with a great many photographers. The rest of the time, she uses her time-jumping ability
to exploit future occurrences in the present. For instance, simply by reading the next day’s news,
Mana can make an absolute killing on various international stock markets, or get the scoop on a
scandal that might affect wealthy socialites that she knows (and despises).
Motive: Gather power
Environment: Almost anywhere, always accompanied by a bodyguard, and sometimes with a
family member or two
Health: 35
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Movement: Short; long when flying; immediate when time-stepping
Modifications: Speed defense as level 8 (due to seeing an instant into the future); time-jumping
ability and chrono slap attacks as level 8
Combat: Mana is usually watched over by at least one bodyguard (level 5), who steps in to
protect her if conflict arises. Usually, she’s happy to let others fight for her, and she steps
through time a few hours early or later as her action to avoid conflict. If she has a full hour to
concentrate, she can step through up to one year of time in one go.
If she can’t escape conflict, she can make two chrono slaps as her action, aging each target’s
extremities, which inflicts Speed damage (ignores Armor). Instead of dealing damage, she
can send a foe she slaps up to a minute forward in time.
Chronophage,
page 317 She’s cautious about making too many fine temporal adjustments. For instance, although she
could have her future self join her present self in a fight, it’s not safe. Any time she does this,
she risks alerting chronophages. Against such creatures, she is hindered by three steps.
GM intrusion: A future Interaction: Willful and danger-seeking like many just entering their twenties, Mana’s ambition
version of Mana knows no bounds, and risks make her excited. She’s not evil, although she is petty and even
appears, whispers in
the present Mana’s cruel. She could be led into terrible situations by those with fewer morals or, conversely,
ear, then blinks away. inspired to do great works by those who make her stop and think about her actions.
The remaining Mana’s Use: One of the character’s relatives (child, niece, sibling) or the character themselves is
tasks are eased for the
befriended by Mana while attending university abroad.
rest of the combat.

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RAI (House of Videsh) 6 (18)
Half-brother of Lord Eswar, Rai will probably never rule his homeland. He accepts this limitation,
for now. Rather than plot against his more powerful and popular brother, he’s secretly developed
business interests around the world under a variety of assumed names and shell companies.
Rai won’t hesitate to call upon his command of ice and cold to further his ends. He often makes
personal strikes against cartels, pirates, and even superpowered individuals who cross him.
Motive: Advance his business interests
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 37
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 5 (from ice shield)
Movement: Short; long when flying
Modifications: Cold generation and attacks as level 7
Combat: As part of another action, Rai can create a protective shield around himself by freezing
the moisture in the air. He can create ice objects with a thought that allow him to skate
around an area, create barriers, and fashion other needful things.
Offensively, he can release a short-range cold blast that drains the heat of any creature standing
along the line of the attack that fails a Might defense roll; affected targets take Speed damage
(ignores Armor). Alternatively, he can attack every creature within immediate range with his
“cold snap”—a detonation of needle-sharp ice shards that inflict 2 points of damage even on a
successful Speed defense roll.
Interaction: Rai enjoys a good joke. In fact, he appreciates humor so much that someone using it
Psychic communique,
effectively can turn an initially contentious interaction into a true negotiation. page 395
Use: Rai’s interest in a series of illicit businesses in the city’s heart is challenged by a local
criminal gang, leading to several open conflicts in the streets that have harmed innocent
bystanders. GM intrusion: The
Other Equipment: Though often covered by a sheath of ice, Rai enjoys wearing very expensive character is trapped
in a cube of ice, taking
clothing, watches, and rings, including his royal signet ring (a very expensive item). He also 6 points of Speed
has a couple of manifest cyphers, including a level 10 cypher that restores 10 health, a level 6 damage (ignores
cypher that grants the ability to see in the dark for an hour, and a psychic communique. Armor) each round until
they can break free.

The Royal House of Videsh (from left to right): Lord Eswar, Rai, Mana, Tauseef
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TAUSEEF (House of Videsh) 6 (18)
Of all the active members of the Royal House of Videsh, Tauseef (Tau) seems the least
Though Tauseef’s power-hungry. Instead, this twenty-something son of Eswar is focused on gathering lost
matter-manipulation knowledge and information, especially regarding his own royal family and the abilities that
ability is mostly useful seem to be passed down patrilineally, but generally about anything related to the supernormal
for creating illusions, in
on Earth and beyond. You might think this passion would endear him to his father, but Tau
time the power could
grow into something is somewhat put off by Eswar’s focus on research for power’s sake, while his father is
far more effective, disappointed in Tau’s “lack of ambition.”
letting him create Tau spends about half his time researching in the extensive Royal Archives in Villarama,
something from
nothing or transform
and the other half working archeological and paleontological digs around the world. His
extant objects (or matter-manipulation abilities allow him to recreate entire tablets, scrolls, and other relics with
even other people) a touch. But he keeps his power secret.
into something else. Motive: Gather knowledge, especially as related to paranormal ability origins
Environment: Almost anywhere, often with at least one bodyguard
Health: 35
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short; long when flying
Modifications: Matter manipulation and illusion crafting as level 7
Combat: Even when at a dig site, Tau is usually watched over by at least one bodyguard (level 5),
who steps in to protect him if conflict arises. Tau uses that distraction to change his clothing
to armor.
Tau’s matter manipulation can be used to
create pseudo-real illusions within an area
a short distance across, illusions with actual
substance, but only while he maintains
concentration (and for about one minute
after). He has a difficult time directly affecting
living tissue, so he usually creates weapons,
creatures, or explosive events to attack foes.
Or he might create an illusion that hides him
or gives the impression that he’s been killed
by a foe’s attack.
Interaction: If one comes bearing the promise of
Azaki, page 160
knowledge relating to historical (or better yet,
prehistorical) superhuman events, Tau is all
GM intrusion: On a
ears, eager to talk. That is doubly true if the
failed Intellect defense
roll, the character’s Azaki are mentioned. Otherwise, he can seem
shoes fuse with the a bit absent-minded.
ground, holding them Use: An archeological investigation into a
fast until they can
previously obscure site in Antarctica is fully
escape (or until Tau
leaves the area). funded by Tau.

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RUTHLESS 7 (21)
MISUNDERSTOOD OUTLAW HERO

It’s hard to be a hero when you look like a villain. The man dubbed “Ruthless” by the press has
a nest of writhing tendrils barely concealed beneath his shirt. When he’s agitated, the tendrils
burst forth with ferocious anger. Ruthless, whose real name is Malcolm Hughes, has been
branded a monster, a menace, and a violent criminal despite the fact that he works hard to make Genetic mutation is the
sure that he never harms anyone. In fact, when possible, he strives to save people in danger and source of Ruthless’s
powers, but it was
help those in need. But he must do it while always staying one step ahead of the authorities. He likely an engineered
hates the name Ruthless. mutation. By whom, not
Mightier and quicker than an average human, the outlaw hero’s tendrils are stronger than even Ruthless knows.
steel but as flexible as octopus arms. He uses them to quickly move between locations, control his
surroundings, and batter those attacking him.
Motive: Clear his name, protect the innocent
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; long when his tendrils are deployed
Modifications: Speed defense as level 8 due to tendrils
Combat: Ruthless can attack everyone within immediate range as his action with battering
tendrils, which he can deploy as part of any other action. If he focuses on a single target and
makes a successful attack, he can grab it and hold it physically helpless until it can escape
with a successful Might defense roll. If he chooses, Ruthless can squeeze a held target for 10
points of damage each round. He can hold up to four targets at once in this fashion.
Ruthless can use his tendrils to directly manipulate the area around him up to a short distance BASTION, page 163
in all directions. Within this area, anything he could do with his hands he can also do with
Worm, page 155
his tendrils. Given that his tendrils are much stronger and can affect a larger surface area
than his hands, he can accomplish even greater feats, such as holding a collapsing bridge
GM intrusion: A
together, creating a net, or forming a shield that eases Speed defense tasks for dozens of mass of tendrils
people under or behind it. catches a character
Interaction: Ruthless assumes that any heroes he meets are interested only in apprehending and inadvertently
throws them into the
him. Likewise with the police or BASTION. If a superhero convinces Ruthless that they’re not
path of a speeding
out to get him, he can be made into a loyal ally—albeit one always on the run. car or at something
Use: A fight between Ruthless and a villain who can fly (or at least stick to the sides of buildings, else dangerous.
like Worm) has stopped downtown traffic as everyone watches.

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SHIFT 6 (18)
SENSES-ALTERING HERO

Shift can induce sensory confusion in others, causing blindness, nausea, or hallucinations. She
has some control over how her ability manifests in the criminals she targets, but her power isn’t
Free Reign, page 119 direct psychic manipulation like that of Free Reign. She can’t make a criminal forget their name
or believe a specifically suggested idea. However, she can effectively cripple baddies by inducing
the spins, or disorient them to the point where their vivid hallucinations can pose a danger to
In the Boundless setting,
Shift is a member of the their allies.
New York-based Society In her secret identity as graduate student Magdalene Carmichael, Shift is part of her
of Seven (page 172). university’s chemistry department. Her main job (she grumps) is grading undergraduate
papers. Her goal is to finish her dissertation, which explores how some superhumans obtain
their abilities. Despite it having as bland a title as she could imagine, lately her thesis is drawing
GM intrusion: Instead attention she’d rather avoid.
of being hindered, the Motive: Fight crime
character confused by
Shift attacks an ally. Environment: Anywhere
Health: 25
Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 3
Movement: Short
Modifications: Defense tasks as level 8 due to sensory confusion induced
in foes
Combat: Shift breathes out an aerosol of biochemicals that immediately
diffuse through the air to a short distance. Within that range, she can
induce random sensory confusion in all targets in the area who
fail a Might defense roll, hindering their tasks by three steps.
Affected targets get another Might defense roll each
round to eliminate the confusion.
However, unless she’s working alone, Shift prefers to
direct her ability against a single target with a touch
that transfuses the chemicals, usually even through
clothing or armor. The confusion effects of this attack
are far more concentrated, and the touched target’s
Might defense roll to resist is hindered by three
steps. If the target is affected, they are effectively
helpless until they succeed on a Might defense
roll (hindered by three steps) to eliminate the
confusion, or until about ten minutes have passed.
Interaction: The quickest way to engage Magdalene
(or “Maddie,” as her friends call her) is with pizza and/or
some promising new data relating to her thesis. Part of the
reason she is so interested is the unexpected development of
her own ability after a lab accident.
Use: PCs fighting a villain receive unexpected aid from Shift.

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SHRIKE 5 (15)
VILLAIN WITH SUPERSPEED

Dallas Kushner worked in IT at a large chemical manufacturer. One evening an alarm drew him
to the office to investigate an unexplained server outage. He found thieves inside the building,
attempting to steal an experimental device the company had purchased on the black market—an
alien (Azaki) device. What began as an attempt to scare off the thieves ended with Dallas being Azaki, page 160
accidentally doused in a combination of chemicals that should have proved lethal. Instead, they
revealed a latent ability that granted him reflexes and speed far surpassing those of a normal
In the Boundless setting,
human.
Shrike is a member
His first act was foiling the thieves, which he did more out of a sense of outrage than moral of Dread (page 179).
duty. Then he proceeded to steal the chemicals himself, because as he is fond of saying, “Nice
doesn’t pay the bills.”
Motive: Accumulation of wealth
Environment: Alone or with one or more members of Dread
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Very long
Modifications: Speed defense, acrobatics, and
initiative as level 8; computer tasks as level 7
Combat: Shrike isn’t the strongest villain, but he is
GM intrusion: When
among the fastest. He can make three melee the character should
attacks each round on his action, or one have hit with their
“shrike strike” attack against a single melee or ranged
attack, Shrike evades,
target that is eased by three steps
or maybe moves
and inflicts 12 points of damage. so quickly that he
As he moves up to a long distance repositions the attack
in a round, he can split his so it strikes elsewhere.
normal attacks up anywhere
along the way. Instead of
attacking as he moves, he
could take other actions (up
to three), such as attempting
to snatch knives or guns
out of enemies’ hands, steal
an item from their person, or
something similar.
Shrike’s enhanced dexterity means that it’s
hard to land attacks on him. But if an attack
succeeds, his boosted metabolism means that he
regains 3 points of health each round, unless he is
reduced to 0 health.
When running full out, Shrike can run on or up vertical walls, as
long as he begins and ends his movement on a flat surface.
Interaction: Shrike is quick-witted and given to making wry
commentary as he “does crime.” He is motivated first by wealth,
but is willing to consider making deals that allow him access to
computer systems. Despite being known for his speed, he’s also an
accomplished illegal hacker.
Use: The PCs need an IT consultant. By sheer coincidence, the consultant they hire—one
Dallas Kushner—is not the safe choice he first appears.

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SILVER SENTINEL 12 (36)
LONER HERO WITH SUPERSPEED AND
FORCE-MANIPULATION POWERS
Living alone on the moon in a miles-high tower of fused regolith, the
Silver Sentinel watches over the Earth and beyond. Stronger and
tougher than almost anything and able to command pure force,
On the dead version of the Sentinel has little to fear from even the most powerful villains.
Earth that was once His only weakness is that he cares for people. (He is also somewhat
his home, the Silver
Sentinel was called vulnerable to magic, though few know that.)
Ravi Rad. He practiced In truth, the Silver Sentinel has endured unimaginable
the Muslim faith, and loss, beginning with seeing Earth destroyed during the
still does, on this newly
event that bequeathed him his abilities. Bending spacetime
adopted parallel world.
by brute application of his command over pure force,
he found this parallel dimension. Here, he forged new
friendships and loves—most of which ended tragically
at the hands of villains.
Now he lives alone, safeguarding both his friends
and himself from future harm and heartbreak.
Motive: Safeguard others
Environment: Almost anywhere on Earth or out in
the galaxy
Health: 70
Damage Inflicted: 20 points
Armor: 12 (6 against magic)
Movement: Short; very long when flying;
interplanetary distances between two
points using force to bend spacetime
Modifications: Defenses against magic
as level 6
Combat: The Silver Sentinel moves
though spacetime more quickly
than most creatures, so he has to
consciously slow his movements
and speech. But when he lets go, he
can take three actions on each turn.
This means he can make three melee
attacks as his action, usually enough to
shut down any fight before it gets started.
Alternatively, he can emit three
very-long-range force blasts, or a single force blast against one target as a level 14 attack
that inflicts double normal damage on a hit.
The Sentinel can project pure force in many different ways, which allows him to fly, see distant
locations with the clarity of a space telescope, fashion short-lived silvery tools of bent
spacetime, or create silvery fields of force to push, protect, or crush. For instance, his
command over force is what allowed him to build his fused regolith tower on the moon.
He regains 10 health each round except for damage from magical attacks.
Interaction: Usually as cold and distant as his domicile, the Silver Sentinel is afraid of friendship.
GM intrusion: Moving He’s lost too many friends, and not a few loves, to his enemies in the past. However, he shows
faster than the human
up to help and protect people all the same. He feels like it’s his purpose; what else could his
eye can track, the Silver
Sentinel simply isn’t acquisition of his powers mean, given their apocalyptic cost on his home dimension?
where he seemed to Use: A reflective slash across the sky means the Silver Sentinel has noticed something
be, foiling the attack. important enough to require his attention. Perhaps he could use the PCs’ help?

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SINGULARITY 8 (24)
VILLAINOUS INTERDIMENSIONAL BEING

This energy being exists as a fold in spacetime with a humanoid shape. Though not human, its
mind and goals are akin to that of a human hoarder. Given its power to easily move between
dimensions, Singularity has amassed tons of assorted items from across the multiverse. Most
of its collection seems like useless junk to anyone other than Singularity, but sometimes truly
valuable and priceless items find their way into the hoard, including, in some cases, living things. It
deposits this ever-growing collection into various rooms of a seemingly endless interdimensional
house.
The rooms of Singularity’s lair are dimensionally hijacked rooms from actual buildings, added
piecemeal to its so-called Infinite Collection. Which is why some of the rooms—heaving with
stacked dross as they are—are sometimes as prosaic as a kitchen circa the 1980s, and other
times as esoteric as a starcraft’s airlock.
Motive: Grow the Infinite Collection
Environment: Anywhere in the multiverse
Health: 50 (see Combat)
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Movement: Short (see Combat)
Modifications: Assessing value of objects as level 10
Combat: Given Singularity’s form, most ranged attacks
against it are randomly refracted through the
bent spacetime of its body, which doesn’t harm
Singularity, or on a failed Intellect defense roll
by the attacker, are redirected back at
the attacker or their ally. A melee
attack against Singularity requires
that the attacker succeed on
an Intellect defense roll, or they
are shifted through a portal to
some location within the Infinite
Collection, or perhaps to another
random dimension with dangerous
properties.
Usually, only attacks that inflict
transdimensional energy harm
Singularity; however, an attack (including
a coordinated attack from different foes) that
includes three or more types of energy can also
damage it.
If it starts taking damage, Singularity flees by stepping into
another dimension, or uses its touch to attempt to transfer a
target into another dimension.
Interaction: Singularity can speak by vibrating dimensional
boundaries, and it knows thousands of languages. It is not averse The Gentleman, page 120
to negotiation, always wondering about nearby interesting articles
it can add to its collection. It has few morals and believes acquisition GM intrusion: A portal
is ownership. opens directly beneath
Use: An artifact required by the Gentleman to enact an important magical the character’s feet,
plunging them into a
ritual is held in Singularity’s Infinite Collection, and he wants help
dangerous alternate
retrieving it. dimension on a failed
Speed defense roll.

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SORROW 12 (36)
COSMIC—LIKELY INTERDIMENSIONAL—BEING
OF GODLIKE STATUS AND POWER

Trigger warning: This godlike entity is another being whose origins are obscured in the early universe, or some
This character entry other universe entirely. In the modern era, she embodies sorrow, despair, and dismay and takes
includes mention of a female humanoid form. Merely to see her is to feel all the light go out of one’s soul.
suicide. It is highly
The galactic record contains many instances of a promising young civilization ending far before
recommended the GM
utilize player safety its prime. Many of those endings—including the ones where worlds went dark after an inconsolable
tools, like those within native decided to end themselves and everyone else too—can be traced to a visit by Sorrow.
Consent in Gaming, Sorrow moves through the multiverse in Castle Desolate, a mobile construct of ancient alien
prior to introducing
this sensitive topic.
technology containing chambers filled with relics of anguish and hopelessness.
Motive: Spread despair throughout the cosmos, drowning all
Download the free consciousness in unending desolation
Consent in Gaming PDF Environment: Anywhere in the universe
at myMCG.info/consent
Health: 100
Damage Inflicted: 12 points
Armor: 10
Movement: Short
Combat: Sorrow prefers to avoid fighting and
Castle Desolate: level 9 instead lands Castle Desolate in an out-of-the
way location on her target world (or on an
airless moon of that world). From there, she
generates psychic waves of despondency
that build over months. At first, the effect
is miniscule, detectable only as a feeling
of growing fatigue, a barely discernable
psychic hum, and weird echoes on certain
radio frequencies. But if the gradually
building psychic wave is not stopped,
eventually the target world succumbs, all its
higher life destroyed.
If combat is forced on her, Sorrow’s mere presence
is dangerous to her attackers. Each round, anyone
who can see her—or who is within short range of
her whether they can see her or not—must succeed
on an Intellect defense roll or descend one step on
the damage track. A creature that would be slain by
this effect (by descending a final step on the damage
track) takes their own life instead. This effect happens
regardless of any other action Sorrow takes, such as using
her “soul burn” glare, a long-range attack that inflicts psychic
damage (ignores Armor) on a failed Intellect defense roll.
If forced on the defensive, she usually retreats by having Castle
Desolate move both her and itself to some other world, leaving
her attackers behind.
Interaction: Sorrow can speak and understand almost any language.
GM intrusion (group):
If engaged, she is especially clever at invoking existential talking points.
Castle Desolate appears After all, what is all this striving really in aid of, given that all of us, without
out of nowhere, exception, will be dead and dust? Meaning is subjective. Strip it away, and what do you have?
threatening to trap two Use: A moon rover on the dark side of the moon sent back photos of a weird alien castle sitting
or more PCs beneath
its massive bulk. on a lunar spire that wasn’t there before.

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THE TRAVELER 8 (24)
ENIGMATIC EXPLORER OF TIME AND SPACE
The Traveler cannot
Born a mutant, the Traveler can explore any time and any place that exists. Where and when exist in the same time
were they born? We know that they have lived in Hellenistic Greece, the Tokugawa Shogunate in or place twice, so at
least when it comes to
Japan, the 1980s, and the far future, to name just a few times and places. But which of these—if time travel, they make
any—was their starting point? We may never know. An enigmatic figure depicted on an ancient only large moves.
Greek frieze who looks very similar to a cloaked figure in the background of a black and white
photo of several World War I soldiers? Could very well be the Traveler.
GM intrusion: The
Both extremely intelligent and knowledgeable, the Traveler seems to explore just for the joy
character who lands a
of it. And yet, quite often they stumble upon an injustice they cannot tolerate, or worse, a wrong blow on the Traveler is
perpetrated by someone else who shouldn’t be in that time or place. The full extent of their immediately attacked
travels and adventures will never be completely known. The heroes of the modern day have by two or three
chronophages.
learned to see the Traveler as a resource for information, advice, and even, well, travel. On more
than one occasion, the Traveler has aided heroes stranded in time or space, and has warned
heroes of coming calamities in their future. (Although it’s not fully understood, the Traveler
seems to be able to change the past, relatively speaking. People speculate that perhaps such a
concept doesn’t even apply to the Traveler.)
Motive: Explore all time and space
Environment: Almost anywhere in space and time
Health: 50
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short; infinite if stepping through space
and time
Modifications: Perception, historical knowledge,
and defense against effects that would blind or
influence their mind as level 12
Combat: The Traveler prefers to step away from fights
using their ability to instantly move through space and
time, almost without limitation. If somehow prevented from
doing this, they can choose to send a foe within long range
to another location in space and time on a failed Intellect
defense roll.
When they step into a new time and location, they automatically
take on the context of that place and/or time, including
gaining the ability to speak the local language, whether they
travel to ancient Rome or to an alien planet in another galaxy.
They can take up to six other people with them when they
travel, but they do so very rarely, preferring to remain
solitary most of the time.
Interaction: The Traveler has learned an extraordinary
amount in their journeys. No one knows for sure, but
there’s every reason to believe that they’ve visited
prehistory, the end of Earth, and all manner of interstellar or
intergalactic worlds. They’re willing to share revelations with
those who recognize them or seek them out, but the Traveler
likes to keep certain bits of information secret for unknown reasons.
Use: As the characters prepare to take up arms against a terrible threat, the
Chronophage,
Traveler appears, apparently intending to watch. page 317
Other Equipment: The Traveler usually carries a couple of manifest cyphers
pulled from various historical ages (future and past), including a catholicon. Catholicon, page 385

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VALOR 6 (18)
PHYSICALLY ENHANCED HERO

Tough and brave, Rebekah Anne Power never backed down on the playground, as a middle- and
high-school volleyball player, or during her military tour, where she earned a number of medals
for bravery in combat. What only a few people knew was that Rebekah had reacted especially
strongly to a cocktail of enhancement drugs that permanently boosted her strength, speed, and
Valor is married to
Whisper (page 154). In endurance as part of the military’s experimentation with bespoke superpowers.
the Boundless setting, After her tour ended, she returned home to nurse her elderly grandmother through her
they live on the West last years of life. As she later said, that’s when she had to display true courage. When her
Coast of the United
States, although they
grandmother finally passed, Rebekah was at a loss. As chance would have it, she found herself
also are members in a malfunctioning elevator not long after. If not for her, everyone aboard would have plunged to
of the Society of their deaths. That day, Valor was born.
Seven (page 172). Motive: Save lives
Environment: Almost anywhere, usually with Whisper
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 6
Movement: Long
Modifications: Might defense as level 8
Combat: Valor attacks foes with a chain weapon, attacking up to three targets within
immediate range at once, or a single target within short range. On a hit, she inflicts damage
and can choose to entangle one target, who is held helpless on a failed Might defense roll until
they escape.
Valor can use her chain weapon (a level 6 item) in a
variety of other ways, such as swinging it rapidly
to create a shield for herself and others
(hindering attacks by two steps), quickly
swinging across cavities, retrieving objects
up to a short distance away, and so on.
Her enhanced abilities also grant Valor the
power to see in the dark, and she heals
wounds quickly (she regains 1 health each
round while above 0 health).
Interaction: Kind and just, Valor
always has time—even if it has to
be deferred until later—to talk
to others of good will. She is
open to team-ups, but usually
GM intrusion: The only for the length of a single
ranged attack is
deflected back at mission.
the attacker by Use: The PCs respond to a call, only
Valor’s spinning chain to find that Valor has arrived
weapon defense.
before them.

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 Heroes, Villains, And Other NPC
NP C s
VANTABLACK 6 (18)
DARKNESS-CONTROLLING VILLAIN

Archeologist Ellen Kendall was working the Azaki ruin in the Australian Outback when she Azaki, page 160
found something strange. Assuming it was contamination, she extracted a thin layer of metallic
material. The substance flowed over her like a shadow, clothing her in a suit of ultimate darkness.
When not wearing her
Ellen decided she didn’t much care if the suit was ancient alien technology or some kind of suit, Ellen Kendall is
solidified Dreamtime artifact, because she was keeping it. Adopting the moniker Vantablack, she level 2, archeological
launched a side hustle of theft, extortion, and, in a few cases, assassination. She strikes from the tasks as level 5.
shadows, invisible even to those normally able to see in the dark.
Motive: Wealth, excitement
Environment: Anywhere valuables can be stolen
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short
Modifications: Stealth as level 10 and Speed defense as level 7 due to suit of ultimate darkness The darkness
Combat: Impossible to see in the dark, Vantablack often makes her first attacks with surprise. Vantablack creates in
Her suit is deformable and regenerates itself, allowing her to attack two targets as her an area dissipates a
few rounds after she
action with claws or short-range daggers. She can fill an area up to an immediate distance stops concentrating
across with darkness as part of another action, or as her action on maintaining it.
fill an area up to a short distance across with darkness. If
she keeps up with the latter, she can easily fill an entire
shopping center with impenetrable darkness within a few
minutes. Unless someone has another way of sensing
their environment, those in the darkness are completely
unable to see—which means that foes are unlikely to find
Vantablack, let alone attack her in the dark. GM intrusion: The
If a foe seems able to deal with the darkness in character, blindly
striking out at
some fashion, Vantablack is smart enough Vantablack, hits an
to retreat immediately. allied character who
Interaction: If she thinks she can escape, also can’t see.
Vantablack may answer those who call out into
the darkness she creates,
gleefully identifying herself
by her villainous code name.
If she goes a few days without
wearing the suit, she begins
to act more and more like her
old archeologist self. But it has an
addictive hold over her.
Use: “All units, please be apprised that
the opera house has just gone
completely dark. No lights, but
a lot of frightened patrons,
by the sound of it.”

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VOLTAGE 7 (21)
ELECTRICALLY CHARGED MASTERMIND VILLAIN

Voltage’s incredible intelligence and tactical brilliance are just as important to her as her ability to
throw lightning bolts, disrupt electrical devices, and travel instantly along conductive wires or cables.
Dread, page 179 As leader of the criminal cadre known as Dread, Voltage is behind a string of crimes and has
clashed numerous times with superheroes, particularly the Society of Seven. She secures
Society of Seven,
page 172
power by stealing wealth, technology, and the influence of prominent people by the threat of
violence against them or their loved ones.
Voltage doesn’t have a secret identity, at least not anymore. Her former identity—Jessica
Akter—no longer has any meaning to her. She is always Voltage, and she vows that one day she
will be the greatest of all supervillains.
Motive: Accumulate power
Environment: Usually with one or more members of Dread
Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 9 points
Armor: 4
Movement: Short; light speed when traveling as electricity along conductive wires or surfaces
Modifications: Tactics, deep reasoning, and resisting deception as level 9
Combat: Voltage is immune to electricity damage, and if subject to a strong electrical current,
she regains 10 points of health that round.
When physically manifest, she can toss two long-range lightning bolts that inflict damage and
stun each target for up to a minute if they fail a Might defense roll. Each round, a stunned
target can attempt another Might defense roll to regain their senses. She can also disrupt
electrical devices within short range, including those being used by characters if they fail an
Intellect defense roll to prevent her attempt.
As living lightning (which she can become as an action), she must travel along conductive
surfaces, though she can linger in place like ball lightning for a few rounds, simulating a
buzzing sort of speech in nearby metallic items. As electricity, she is effectively immune to
most damage except magnetic attacks.
Interaction: Voltage’s intelligence is immediately obvious during any interaction. Because her
goal is to accumulate power through any means, she is usually willing to negotiate in return
GM intrusion: The for a favor.
character’s device Use: Several members of Dread are causing a commotion on a heavily used city street. However,
shorts out, inflicting it’s just a distraction for Voltage, who zaps into a nearby CEO’s office to threaten her while all
9 points of damage.
eyes are elsewhere.

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NP C s
WARP 5 (15)
ENERGY-WIELDING CRIMEFIGHTING HERO

A case could be made that wisecracking is Warp’s true motivation for fighting crime. In what
other situation could he just spout off with whatever comes into his head? Sometimes funny, and In the Boundless
rarely profane, Warp provides a near-constant commentary as he stretches space to knock setting, Warp lives in
fleeing criminals off their feet, bounds the length of a football field, or delivers his signature Chicago, where he
is the Dagger’s most
double-fisted “warp punch.” This punch is powerful enough to smash through a brick wall if he
hated opponent.
really cuts loose.
When he isn’t fighting crime, Jacob Blazar works shifts at a plant that manufactures parts for
larger companies, specializing in pieces that require a patented magnetic clasp. Rather than the
glamorous life he envisioned as a superhero, Jacob struggles to make ends meet and care for
his ailing father in his civilian identity. But heroes come in many forms, and Jacob is a hero in any
of his.
Motive: Fight crime
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 25
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short; very long when warp jumping
Modifications: Stealth as level 8 (when he
activates his space-warping blind); Speed
defense as level 7
Combat: Warp can jump a long distance and
still punch a single target as his attack.
Alternatively, he can punch two targets
as his action. Finally, he can execute a
double-fisted warp punch against a
single target, easing the attack by two
steps and inflicting up to 15 points of
damage, and on a failed Might defense
roll, the target descends one step on
the damage track. (Warp usually pulls
his punch a little so as not to outright kill
regular criminals.)
He can also throw a warp bolt that pushes a
target off their feet, pulls a distant object to
his hand, or provides a similar effect. He can
create a space-warping curtain to hide himself.
And he’s experimenting with other uses of his power,
including a “big wallop” designed to knock everyone around
him off their feet.
Interaction: Warp is talkative and self-deprecating, but he’s not shy
about disparaging someone he thinks is a criminal, possibly in an
attempt to put them off balance, but also because he thinks it’s funny.
Quips and one-liners, he’ll tell you, help alleviate stress (plus, had he had GM intrusion: Warp
different opportunities in his civilian life, he would have liked to have makes an observation
been a standup comic). about the character
that hits home, angering
Use: A nightclub DJ loses all their equipment in a robbery. First on the the character or
scene to render assistance is Warp, who asks for details, and also a otherwise putting them
free ticket for the DJ’s next gig, if that’s not too much to ask. so off-balance that their
tasks are hindered
on their next turn.

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WHISPER 5 (15)
PRECOGNITIVE HERO

Angela Tupuola had troubled dreams for years. Then one night, she decided to listen to the
whispers the nighttime phantoms wanted to impart, rather than resisting them. Finally rubbing
Whisper is married to
the nightmares from her eyes, she realized the phantoms were psychic manifestations of her
Valor (page 150). In the own subconscious mind. The more she paid attention, the more she saw and understood.
Boundless setting, they Now, Angela—in her Whisper guise—prefers to focus on stopping minor tragedies. Saving
live on the West Coast people from walking absentmindedly out in front of a bus, for instance. In fact, she has saved
of the United States,
although they also are hundreds of pedestrian lives in a few short years. Despite everything, she’s troubled by a vision
members of the Society that won’t come to her clearly. She worries that it’s a future apocalyptic event so awful that it
of Seven (page 172). transcends her normally limited prognostication horizon. Fear, the color red, and screaming are
all she can see . . .
After all this time, nightmares once again trouble Angela’s sleep.
Motive: Save lives
Environment: Most anywhere, usually alongside Valor
GM intrusion: The Health: 23
character who is trying Damage Inflicted: 5 points
to be stealthy or is Armor: 1
obscured in some other
fashion is pointed out Movement: Short
by name by Whisper. Modifications: Speed defense, Intellect defense, and tasks related to precognition as level 8
Combat: Whisper is psychic and can see the future.
In combat, this benefit grants her the enhanced
Speed defense noted, while the psychic ability itself
is responsible for her enhanced Intellect defense.
Because she can sense the immediate future, she
tends not to be in locations about to be flushed with
poison gas, standing on a bridge that is about to
pitch everyone to their death, and so on.
Except in the most extreme circumstances, Whisper
doesn’t attack foes. Instead, she uses her abilities to
help her allies. When she does, she can ease all of a
single ally’s tasks by two steps.
Whisper’s psychic abilities also allow her to sense
associations in an object or location that may reveal
past ownership or activity. If she spends a few
rounds preparing, she can see distant locations
if she’s been there before, has a picture of or an
object from that location, or knows someone there.
She can send a psychic message to anyone she
knows. And she likely has other related abilities yet
unexplored.
Interaction: Even though she tries not to, Whisper has
a way of completing other people’s sentences, for
which she always profusely apologizes. She is willing
to team up for an important mission, but prefers
to return to her own street-level lifesaving soon
thereafter.
Use: A character is pulled from the sidewalk into an
open coffee shop door, right before a car jumps the
curb and plows through the space where they were
just standing. The character’s savior is Whisper.

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NP C s
WORM 5 (15)
OOZY VILLAIN WITH A DANGEROUS TOUCH

News anchor extraordinaire Tuck Maier

was riding high on stellar ratings. For
years, he callously encouraged division
on topics both pressing and picayune.
Outrage was his weapon of choice, and he
wielded it like an Olympic fencer. Until, one
day, he trash-talked the musical stylings
of one Revon Rhodes. Unfortunately for
Tuck, Revon Rhodes is the secret identity of
Malevolence. And Malevolence cursed him.
Tuck’s skin became an oozing grey expanse
of wormy flesh. His career as a news anchor was
over. The same seemed to be true for his freedom
when his touch turned several bystanders into
sagging piles of grey goo, except the authorities
soon lost track of him. His touch also turns
restraints, jail cell walls, and solid stone into grey
goo, allowing him to worm his way out of—or
into—nearly anything.
Motive: Fear and loathing of anyone normal
Environment: Alone or with one or more
members of Dread
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short; short when sliding along
walls and ceilings like a slug; immediate
when burrowing
Modifications: Touch attacks as level 7
Combat: Worm’s mere touch inflicts Speed Malevolence, page 134
damage (ignores Armor), turning whatever
he touches into grey goo. In addition, on a
Worm is currently
failed Might defense roll, a victim descends a member of Dread
one step on the damage track. Worm’s touch (page 179).
can also turn objects or a portion of a larger object into grey goo.
Worm can hold his action until a foe attacks with a melee weapon. The foe must make
a Speed defense roll to avoid having the weapon turned to grey goo, destroying it.
If the attack is with a body part (such as a punch or kick), the foe takes 5 points of
damage (ignores Armor). This negates the attack regardless of whether the Speed
defense roll is successful.
Interaction: Though his speech sounds a bit mushy, few are as adept at conversation—or, at GM intrusion: Worm
least, commentator-style analysis of the situation—as Worm. To really engage him, one makes a “snowball”
of goo and throws it,
need only bring up Malevolence. Worm would do anything to get back at her, even turn on
turning his melee attack
his fellow Dreadmates. into a short-range
Use: Several murders in the area recently left puzzling remains—just so much grey goo. attack on the character.

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Personal enforcer: level 4;
Armor 2; long-range
energy pistol attack inflicts
6 points of damage
Some people hypothesize that
a series of villains has adopted
the guise of Z, presumably with
the blessing of the previous Z.
When Z is not wearing his
armor, he has basic level 3
NPC stats. However, he still is
the head of the Dagger, retains
command of his enforcers,
and can deceive, persuade,
and command as level 7.
Dagger, page 163
GM intrusion (group): Just
when the characters believe
they have Z right where they
want him, circumstances turn,
and it becomes clear that
everything that’s happened
was his plan all along, and
the characters are the
ones who are captured.
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Z 6 (18)
MASTERMIND VILLAIN
Everyone’s heard of Z. In the 1960s, Z was one of the founders of the vast international crime
syndicate called the Dagger. And he’s the only founder that remains. That’s about the limit of
what’s generally known about him. If Z is anything, he’s mysterious.
As a worldwide organization, the Dagger offers Z virtually limitless resources, and he puts
them to excellent use. Z is a true mastermind. He’s never without a small army of guards and
enforcers, and he occasionally employs superhuman muscle as well.
Headquartered on a retrofitted Golden-class container ship able to sink beneath the waves to
evade detection, Z and his personal enforcers move around the world as needed to support the
Dagger’s lawless aims.
Motive: Grow and support the crime syndicate called the Dagger
Environment: Usually aboard his floating base accompanied by dozens of personal enforcers,
and possibly one or two other villains
Health: 38
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 6
Movement: Short
Modifications: Resists mental attacks and deception as level 8;
deception, persuasion, and commands as level 7
Combat: It’s very, very rare that Z finds himself in a combat situation.
When his enemies think they’ve cornered him, they soon discover
that a force field keeps them at bay and he’s got a hoverjet waiting
to whisk him away. He’s always two steps ahead of his enemies. He
knows that some of the people who might try to confront him wield
amazing powers, and he didn’t get to where he is by engaging in
fights he cannot win.
Z’s offensive and defensive capabilities are mainly for stalling his
opponents until he can get away. His high-tech armor houses a
variety of offensive options, including the ability to fire a barrage
of long-range micro-missiles each round that can attack up to six
targets at once, or attack a single target as a level 9 attack that
inflicts 15 points of damage. He can use the micro-missiles about
once per minute, so between barrages, he relies on a long-range
laser attack, or two electrified batons that appear out of his arms
for melee attacks. The electrified batons also stun a target who
fails a Might defense roll.
He always carries a tiny device that can render him invisible for up to
a minute, and he sometimes carries an emergency teleportation
device (one of several manifest cyphers cached in his armor) to
get away.
Interaction: Z prefers to let his flunkies speak for him; he’s not one for
monologuing. He values his mysterious image almost as much as
the Dagger itself. If he is ever captured, someone else soon takes
up the name of Z, denouncing whoever was captured as a fraud.
Use: A massive ship was sighted in the bay, right before it sank
mysteriously beneath the waves.
Other Equipment: In addition to his suit (biometrically locked to its
current owner), Z carries several cutting-edge tech devices
(high-level cyphers), including one that can teleport him to a
safehouse anywhere on the planet (level 8), one that will restore
10 health (level 10), and one that will render him invisible for about a
minute (level 4).
 YPH E R S A N D CHA
P TER
9

C ARTIFACTS
I n a superhero campaign, there’s a
fine line between cyphers (one-use
items or abilities awarded by the
GM), artifacts, character abilities (which
may cost Pool points to use), and other
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Sometimes a group of superheroes needs
special equipment so they can participate in an
encounter or advance the story. For example,
characters who must get to an underwater
equipment (which has none of those base will need air tanks or a water-breathing
criteria). The GM should keep in mind that device, and those going on a short trip into space
it’s good from a story point of view to let will need a vehicle and spacesuits. This sort of
characters have equipment they need to item doesn’t have to be a cypher (which counts
deal more effectively with foes that might against a character’s cypher limit) or an artifact
otherwise be too potent. (which has a depletion chance)—it can just be
equipment. If a player suggests a suitable piece
of equipment they can buy (such as scuba gear),
POWER BOOST CYPHERS or a gadgeteer or inventor character offers
This section introduces two new power to build something to do the job, the GM should
boost cyphers, and consolidates the two let them do it and handwave most of the details
efficacy boost cyphers in the Cypher because they’re being creative and overcoming
System Rulebook into one cypher with obstacles to move the story forward. In other
variable effects based on cypher level. words, don’t assume that every piece of weird
equipment needs to be a cypher or artifact;
POWER BOOST CYPHERS things that allow the adventure to happen
01–10 Area boost shouldn’t cost the characters much, or maybe
11–20 Burst boost not anything at all. And if the players take too
21–30 Damage boost much advantage of this leeway, the GM always
31–40 Efficacy boost has the option to use an intrusion to complicate
an encounter, such as by having a breathing
41–50 Energy boost
device malfunction . . .
51–60 Range boost
61–80 Shift boost
81–90 Stunt boost EFFICACY BOOST
Level: 1d6 + 1 Power boost
91–00 Target boost cyphers, page 401
Effect: This cypher boosts an ability that
requires a skill roll. The use of the ability Depending on the
character who has
is eased (eased by two steps if the
it, a power boost
cypher is level 5 or higher). cypher can be a
subtle cypher (page
378) or a manifest
cypher (page 379).

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SHIFT BOOST
Level: 1d6 + 2
Effect: This cypher boosts one power shift
that the user already has, granting them
an additional power shift in that category
that lasts for one round. For example, if
the user has a shift in resilience, they can
use this cypher to gain an additional shift
in resilience for one round. If the user has
more than one kind of power shift (such as
dexterity and strength), they choose which
kind of power shift to boost.
STUNT BOOST
Level: 1d6 + 2
Effect: This cypher eases the user’s next
Power stunts, page 58 difficult, formidable, or impossible power
stunt task by four steps (eased by five
A benchmark for steps if the cypher is level 7 or higher). It
setting an omni orb’s has no effect on power stunts that don’t
limits is to compare
it to a cypher of the require a successful power stunt task.
orb’s level—if there is a
cypher that can do what
the PC wants, and that
cypher is equal to or ARTIFACTS
less than the orb’s level, The following are additional examples of
it works. For example, if
a team of superheroes superhero artifacts.
tries to use a level 5 orb
to teleport to their base
100 miles away, the GM
DARKEST BOOK
can look at the list of Level: 10
cyphers and see that Form: Large, metal-bound book
a teleporter (traveler)
Effect: Fashioned by the primordial entity who
cypher can transport
one character up to created evil magic, the Darkest Book is
100 miles per cypher a record of every vile incantation, curse,
level, so transporting
a group of PCs 100 and ritual ever performed. It is known to
miles is probably within include spells that create werewolves,
the orb’s power. raise an army of zombies, revive a dead
body as a vampire, conjure demons and
devils, and release profane energy for
Fantasy artifacts,
page 294 various effects. It eases by three steps any
task related to magical lore.
Fantastic Cypher Even someone unskilled at magic can open it
table, page 382
to a random page and read the spell there
(the GM randomly determines the spell
by rolling on the Fantastic Cypher table),
which takes effect at level 10.
The Darkest Book is somewhat sentient and
can hide its words from anyone it doesn’t
want reading it. It might require a person
casting a spell from it to succeed at a
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difficulty 6 Intellect defense roll or take 6
points of Intellect damage and move one
step down the damage track.
The book is technically indestructible; anything
strong enough to destroy an object of its
level merely destroys one of its pages, and
the book can’t be destroyed as long as at
least one page remains.
Depletion: —
OMNI ORB
Level: 1d6 + 4
Form: Glowing, orb-shaped technological device
Effect: The user holding the orb imagines
what they want to happen (similar to using
a magical wish), and it happens, within
limits. The level of the effect granted is
no greater than the level of the orb, as
determined by the GM, who can modify the
effect accordingly. (The larger the desired
effect, the more likely the GM will limit
it.) Activating the omni orb automatically
moves the character using it one step
down the damage track.
Depletion: 1 in 1d6 (instead of depleting, a roll of 1
means the user experiences a GM intrusion
related to the effect they created)
SPACE RING
Level: 1d6 + 1
Form: Metal ring with a star insignia
Effect: The wearer is able to fly as effortlessly
as walking, moving up to a short distance
each round in any direction. In space, if the
wearer does nothing but move for three
actions in a row, they accelerate greatly
and can move up to 200 miles (320 km)
per hour, or about 2,000 feet (600 m)
each round. The ring also provides the
wearer with breathable air while in space
or underwater (although this doesn’t
provide protection against poison gas or
other air-based hazards). The wearer can
verbally communicate with other
ring-wearers within 1 mile (1.5 km), and
verbally request information (relayed to
them with a synthesized voice) from the
internet or a local equivalent.
Depletion: 1 in 1d100 (check each day of flying)
 Part 2

boundless

Chapter 10: BOUNDLESS OVERVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Chapter 11: HISTORY OF THE WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Chapter 12: SUPERPOWERED SURVEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Chapter 13: DEATH, THY NAME IS GRAVITAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Chapter 14: TALONS OF DOOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Chapter 15: BENEATH A RED SUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

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d le s
n s
u
Bo verview O
Silver Sentinel, page 146
Majestic Family, page 130 S ilver Sentinel watches over the
Earth—and the stars above—from
his Lunar Watchtower. The Majestic
Family flies down the eastern seaboard
of the United States in their trio of flying
M-cars to help cope with a powerful
Society of Seven, hurricane. The Society of Seven moves
page 172 to intercept the cyborg demons of Baron
Baron Shadow, page 107 Shadow as they try to steal a nuclear
BASTION, page 163 warhead in Germany. Agents of BASTION
use high-tech weaponry designed by Natalia
Lodge in an attempt to drive off the monster
Humonger, page 199 known as Humonger from downtown Los
Angeles. The mysterious figure known only
Warp, page 153 as Warp rounds up a bunch of enforcers
of one of the Chicago mobs.
This is the world of Boundless, where it’s
Typically, in the possible for a person to soar across the
Boundless setting, if sky, lift a city bus, or move at the speed of
someone gets their
powers from some sound. The only question is: what will they
kind of accident—being do with that power?
exposed to weird
Boundless is intended to evoke (but not
chemicals, being
hit by lightning, and replicate) the superhero settings from
so on—the accident comics and movies that we all love. Boundless
is almost certainly
triggering latent genetic is Earth as we know it, but wondrous powers,
mutations already aliens, high technology, and magic all exist.
present in that person. Heroes here deal not just with criminals,
but with megalomaniacal conquerors
and terrorists, as well as threats and
challenges from other planets, from
mystic realms, or even from beyond time.
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CHAP
TER 1
0
ALIENS AT THE BEGINNING
OF TIME
A people called the Azaki colonized the
Earth in its earliest days. These aliens
came from far beyond our planet, although
where, exactly, we still don’t know. They
possessed great knowledge. The Azaki
understood science beyond even our
most cutting-edge technologies, and they
worked with still stranger powers out there
as well, which we might call mysticism or
magic (to the Azaki, it may well have been
just another science—we don’t know).
These aliens built great structures and
complexes, and carried out extensive
experiments on the living creatures native
to this world, including the proto-humans
who would become us. They dwelled upon
the Earth for tens of thousands of years,
and then one day—long before recorded
human history—they left.
Azaki complexes are now ruins worn
by time, and some are well hidden in
remote areas. However, despite the aliens’
absence, their influence still affects daily
life on Earth. This influence can be summed
up in two ways:
First, over time, humans have discovered
and sometimes even understood Azaki
technology. In our earliest days, we might
have thought them magic or miracles, but
people learned early on that if you could
get into one of the strange ruins that were
located here and there, you might find
power. Later, as our own understanding of
science advanced, we pushed it farther and
more quickly because we had a handful of
Azaki secrets left behind to study.

Second, Azaki experimentation on
a genetic level changed humans (and
other species as well). Today more than
ever, people are born with latent or overt
superhuman abilities, many of which we
can’t fully explain with our understanding
of science. People fly, teleport, and shoot
lightning from their fingertips.
What this means is that, if we imagine a
universe where the Azaki never came to
Earth, we would have a mundane world
where superhuman abilities and wildly
advanced technology would be absurd
fictions confined to comic books and
perhaps extremely successful movies.
LIVING AMONG WONDERS
From our earliest days, we knew that
intelligent beings other than humans
existed in the universe. We watched as
people flew or controlled the weather. It
was rare, but we knew it was real. Just like
lightning striking a tree near you, seeing
someone wielding superpowers didn’t
happen very often, but we knew it could
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Boundless Overview
happen. We’d seen it firsthand or heard
about it. We saw it on the nightly news, on
the internet, on videos captured on friends’
smartphones.
In addition, the Azaki presence here
seems to have drawn attention to our
world. Aliens like the Grin or terrible beings Grin, page 123
like the Demonix attempt to invade, attack, Demonix, page 200
or conquer the Earth. Thankfully, we’re well
defended, in part because we have heroes
with powers, and in part because we have
experience with the weird and unexpected.
We know that kind of threat is real.
BASTION (Bulwark Against Supernatural
Threats of an Illicit or Ominous Nature) was
created as a response to such dangers
and to other Earth-bound threats, such as
people who have powers and use them for
selfish reasons, violently, against those of
us who don’t. In other words, supervillains.
So it’s a world of superheroes and
supervillains. Of threats we can’t entirely
explain but we know to be wary of. It’s a
dangerous world, but we’ve found ways to
survive, and even thrive.
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TECHNOLOGY
Scientific understanding is well beyond
where it would be were it not for the
Azaki. Vehicles, communication devices,
medical procedures, and so much more
have benefitted from knowledge gleaned
from what they left behind. That said, the
influence of Azaki tech has also made
technological advancements even more
asymmetrical. The Majestic Family flies
about in hovercraft called M-cars that
move at phenomenal speeds, but the
typical American family still drives a
conventional automobile (although they are
far more efficient, safe, and ecologically
friendly than they would be without
developments that arose from Azaki
technology or understanding inspired by it).
The majority of Azaki technology has
gone toward individual applications. These
include weaponry, armor, augmentation,
and so on. This is likely due to the
concurrent growth of people with innate
superpowers, as a way to compensate for
or replicate them.
Of course, with great power comes
great destruction—at least, at times.
Encounters between heroes and villains all
too often occur within population centers,
disrupting and risking innocent lives and
causing extensive property damage.
Thankfully, brilliant inventors such as
Olive Majestic, page 133 Olive Majestic and Natalia Lodge have
Natalia Lodge, page 160 created devices and processes that make
rebuilding somewhat faster and easier.
And as a helpful side effect, thanks to their
efforts, all the buildings in every major city
in the United States—and in many places
throughout the world—are prepared for
earthquakes and other natural disasters.
While the most advanced tech remains
in the hands of a relative few, some
has been made more widely available.
In addition to efficient cars, lifesaving
medical breakthroughs, and so on, the
biggest impact has been on military and
security forces, prioritized because
they have to deal with superhuman and
supernatural threats.
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It’s not uncommon for military forces
to employ sophisticated body armor and
energy weapons, although such things
are typically used only by elite soldiers
due to the cost. Most metropolitan police
departments have access to high-tech
weapons and armor, but these are usually
mandated for use only in cases involving
superpowered threats. Of course, such
equipment can fall into the hands of
criminals through illegal smuggling and
black market operations.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that
a person such as a president or a pope
might have a personal force field device,
or that BASTION might have access to a
teleporter, but these quantum leaps in
tech are outliers. Part of the issue is that
so few people understand (or at this point,
comprehend) this technology that, just as
it’s difficult to produce, it’s also difficult to
maintain, operate, and repair.
MUTANTS
As stated earlier, there are people out there
with powers well beyond that of normal
folks due to genetic modifications that can
be traced back to Azaki experimentation
with the mammals that would one day
evolve into humans. (It could be that even
human intelligence or consciousness
itself is the result of this manipulation,
which would make all humans “mutants”
in that sense.) Everyone is aware that
such individuals exist. A few governments
attempt to catalog or control them, but no
one has yet developed the means to detect
or identify mutants unless they display their
powers. People who do reveal themselves
to have special abilities, particularly if they
are dramatic, powerful, or unique, take on
celebrity status. Which means that some
individuals reveal themselves eagerly and
some are just as eager to keep their abilities
under wraps. The culture has developed
such that most people with powers adopt
a new identity and often wear a mask.
This makes it fairly easy for them to lead a
double life if they want to.
 Boundless Overview
SUPERHEROES
Whether through mutation or
something else, people with powers
who dedicate themselves to
BASTION REPORT
0056 8: FREEFIRE
protecting and helping others are
The Original Freefir
e (1966–1980)
collectively called superheroes. Zero: Identity unknow
n. His abilities includ
e invisibility and intangi
(Technically, there are superheroes Presumed deceased
(1980). bility. Power level 4.

who don’t have powers, just extreme Genesis: Thomas Cra

wford. His abilities inc
skills, but they are rare. Running out Power level 8. Missin
g (1981).
lude the creation of
matter and energy.
in a mask and a costume without Solar Flare: Nancy Kin
sman. Her abilities inc
some kind of special advantage is Power level 7. Retired
(1979).
lude flight, laser and
heat generation.
a surefire way to get hurt or killed.)
The Eagle: Kenneth
Stanley. His abilities
Most governments, including the Power level 5. Deceas include flight, enhanc
ed speed and reflexe
ed (1979). s.
United States, do not grant official
sanction to any heroes, and thus The New Freefire (19
80–1993)
they are technically vigilantes. Orion: Evan Bakker.
His abilities include enh
Deceased (1992). anced strength and
stamina. Power
This is, however, almost always level 3.

overlooked, which may have Quantum: Identity unk

nown. Her abilities inc
Power level 9. Missin lude reshaping matter
something to do with lobbying g (1989). on an atomic level.

from BASTION, which recognizes Fireflyte: Julie Showa

lter. Her abilities inc
lude flight, flame gen
the necessity of superpowered Power level 3. Semi-re
tired (1995). eration and control.

protectors. In fact, the US Godspeed: Nicolas Fre

ed. His abilities includ
e supersonic speed
government grants superheroes 5. Deceased (1993). and agility. Pow er level
a great amount of latitude in Amp: Gerry Stein. His
abilities include increa
terms of keeping to the strict machines and humans
, including superhum
sing and decreasing
energy levels in
ans. Power level 5. Ret
letter of the law, property Nanomage: Identity
ired (1993).
unknown. Their abilitie
destruction, airspace violations, means of nanobots.
Power level 8. Curren
s include reshaping
matter and energy by
tly wanted for multip
and so on. Superheroes with le crimes and at larg
e.
excellent reputations tend to get
Page 1 of 3
access to the most advanced
technology, prime real estate for
bases, and more. Most other governments The Dagger is in some ways the opposite The European Union
follow suit. The world loves its superheroes. side of the coin. Also around since the is an exception to
the sanctioning of
mid-twentieth century, the Dagger is a superheroes, as
BASTION AND THE DAGGER secret, worldwide criminal organization the Golden Shield
team operates with
Founded in the 1950s, BASTION exists to founded in part by supervillains, at least
EU funding and
curb superhuman threats. They operate one of which, Z, remains alive and at official status.
across the globe, answerable to no one large. It operates as a criminal syndicate
nation. Their funding sources are unclear, engaged in illegal activities of all kinds and Z, page 156
but at least some of it comes from the all levels. However, at its heart, the Dagger
United Nations. BASTION has access to desires more, up to and including world See page 174 for a
some of the most advanced technology domination (whether covert or overt). BASTION overview
of the Dagger.
available, and it calls upon superheroes Both BASTION and the Dagger have
with good reputations for giving assistance agents and bases across the world, and
from time to time to aid in crises. (This even in orbit.
behooves many such heroes to have a way
for BASTION to contact them, even while
keeping their true identities secret.)

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FICTION AMONG THE FACTS
In the Boundless setting, comic books and
other superhero media are not fiction,
they’re fact—or at least embellished fact.
Superheroes have their own comics
and sometimes films. These are typically
created under license, but if a publisher
or a filmmaker can’t get the rights, they
will frequently create a fictional character
that is a thinly veiled version of an actual
hero. Supervillains rarely get to license
themselves and are used liberally in the
stories. The stories themselves are part
accounts of events and part fiction, mainly
because the writers don’t know many
of the facts and usually don’t know the
heroes’ true identities.
Similarly, superhero celebrity culture is
Warp, page 153 strong. Magazines, websites, documentaries,
Dawnstar, page 111 and more are devoted to the latest
Blackstar, page 108 superhero sightings, confrontations with
Whisper, page 154 villains, and personal drama. In the past,
Valor, page 150 journalists have even attempted to embed
Freefire, page 163 themselves with teams like Freefire or the
Society of Seven, Society of Seven, but that didn’t always work
page 172 out so well and some of the reporters ended
up injured or endangered.
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CREATING A PC IN THE
BOUNDLESS SETTING
Almost any superhero character a player
creates can fit into the Boundless setting.
The only decisions to be made beyond
character creation are where the hero is
located and whether they are affiliated with
existing NPC heroes or organizations.
The PCs could be:
• A new adjunct team tied to the Society
of Seven, located in a city other than
New York.
• A strike team of superpowered BASTION
agents (BASTION doesn’t often use
superheroes directly this way, but the
PCs could be part of a new initiative).
• Heroes joining with one or more
independent NPC heroes to form a new
team (Warp, Dawnstar, or Blackstar
would be good choices. Even Whisper
and Valor, rumor has it, are interested
in leaving the Society of Seven and thus
would also be good choices).
• Heroes attempting to start a new team
on their own.
 i sto ry O f
H
THE WORLD
T his chapter presents the history of
the Boundless setting. For the most
part, the history of the setting is
the history of Earth as you know it. This
chapter simply notes the differences,
almost all of which have to do with the
presence of superhumans. These details
help to ground the setting.
Of course, for a roleplaying game,
history doesn’t matter—only what’s going
on at the table right now matters. So use
the material presented here to spark
adventures. The pharaoh Tutankhamun
comes back to life. Vampir resurfaces and
begins a reign of terror in the modern
day. The PCs hurtle backward in time due
to some calamity and find themselves in
ancient China.
PREHISTORY
The history of the world starts not with
humanity, but with alien beings. The
Azaki colonization of Earth occurred
approximately four million to two million
years ago. During this time, they spread
across the planet (and Earth’s moon,
as well as Mars and some of the Jovian
moons). They built relatively small but
dense enclaves using materials mostly
unknown to modern humans, evidenced by
the fact that hidden citadels and complexes
still stand today.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
CHAP T
ER 11
ANTIQUITY
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh Tutankhamun
inherited the solar powers of his father,
Akhenaten, granting him a very long life in
which he expanded the New Kingdom and
Tutankhamun: level 7,
command and strategy
as level 8; health 48;
Armor 2; absorbs solar
energy so that while in
the sun, his level is +2
established the greatest of all Egyptian
and he regenerates
kingdoms in terms of power and prosperity. 5 health each round,
It is thought likely that at least some of creates blinding attacks
in a medium area,
the mythological beings reported upon or makes solar blast
during this time were in fact superhumans attacks for 12 damage
or the result of superhuman activity. For at very long range
example, there is growing evidence that
the Greek hero Herakles was a real person Vampir, page 167
with supernatural strength and endurance.
Even some of the ancient gods from Stats for still-active
across the globe might have been based on characters are always
given here or in chapter
mortal humans with fantastic abilities. 8. Dead, missing, or
The Soushen Ji and other records of retired characters
mentioned here are
the Han Dynasty in China indicate that
sometimes given brief
there were likely multiple superhumans stats in this chapter,
at that time, including Zhou Buwei, because in this setting,
PCs can potentially
who commanded “tidal waves and encounter heroes or
earthquakes,” and the “shaman” Chen villains from the past
Jinggu, who wielded a variety of powers. thanks to time travel
or other strangeness.
Likewise, the Middle Kingdoms of India
reveal similar indications of superpowered
individuals that would be dismissed as Azaki, page 160
myth if they did not ring true with our
modern understanding. The being known
as “the Corrupted One” originated in
this time period, and turned out to be an
Azaki android that was thought destroyed
by Chandragupta Maurya, ruler of the
Mauryan Empire, also blessed with
superhuman strength and stamina.
When the Corrupted One reassembled
and attacked the city of Patna in modern
times, the sorcerer Aaditya Singh—known
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The Mystic: level 6, sometimes as the Mystic—conjured
mystical knowledge and Chandragupta’s power to defeat it.
Intellect defense as
level 8; Armor 3 The Roman General Scipio Africanus
(magical ward); could conjure fire and used this ability to
commands a
drive Hannibal’s forces back to Carthage,
wide variety of
magical powers ending the First Punic War. Most historians
believe that this was thanks to a device
Demonix, page 200
(likely based on Azaki technology) crafted
The Vermillion, page 200 by his friend Gaius Laelius. The device’s
eventual disposition is unknown, as is
Quetzalcoatl: level 8;
movement, acrobatics, whether Laelius developed anything else.
initiative, Might defense, Ancient eras have been visited by
and Speed defense
modern superhumans a number of
as level 9; health 60;
Armor 5; melee attack times, such as when Mana of the Royal
inflicts 14 points of Family of Videsh traveled back in time to
damage; flies, sees
through solid matter
India’s Vedic period to establish a secret
base of operations, but was driven out by
Mana Videsh, page 140 superpowered beings called the Nine. The
The Traveler, page 149 superhuman known as the Traveler spent
Inner Earth, page 197 a great deal of time in Hellenistic Greece in
an assumed identity, studying with various
Hyn: level 9, Speed
defense as level 7 (due philosophers and scholars. There are
to size), Intellect defense
as level 10; health 150;
many other examples.
Armor 8; telepathy,
psychic attacks, and
mind control with a
planetary range, able to
THE MIDDLE AGES
affect at least dozens
In the Asuka period of Japan, Prince
of targets at once Shotoku established a special protected
class for superhumans. As a result, over
the decades of his rule, people with abilities
from all over southeastern Asia gathered
in Japan. Known collectively as the Wind’s
Disciples, these heroes operated through
the region, aiding all people and combating
criminals, petty warlords, and villainous
superpowered threats.
In Europe during this time, it is likely that
superhuman abilities were seen as the
work of the devil. And, in some cases, this
was perhaps close to the truth. The mystic
known as the Magus, hailing originally
from Persia, created a vast network of
fiendish criminals and murderers, each
accompanied by one of the Magus’s
demonic conjured companions.
The Anglo-Saxon King Edmund II was
called Ironside because of his ability to
transform his body into iron. His prowess
in battle was legendary.
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The Ottoman Empire, around 1350 CE,
was gripped by a war with the Demonix
from the Vermillion, bringing many of the
warring peoples of the region together
against this inhuman foe. United, at least
for a time, beneath Orhan Ghazi, the
Ottoman forces were victorious. Some
historians believe that it was in fact Orhan’s
brother Alaeddin who was responsible
for the victory, thanks to his organizing of
superhuman Janissaries for the final battle.
In Mesoamerica, the Aztec hero
Quetzalcoatl used a variety of Azaki
devices to aid people in the region and
defeat his foes. This is known to be
factual because Quetzalcoatl accidentally
traveled to the twentieth century via a
malfunctioning Azaki machine, and it
seems possible that he may travel to the
present at some point as well.
MODERN HISTORY
In modern times, records become clearer
and more easily verified. The presence
and growing influence of superhumans
and related events in history become even
more obvious and too numerous to cover
in their entirety.
Records from the Umayyad Caliphate in
North Africa indicate the first encounters
with the Undermen from Inner Earth.
Local armies drove off the invaders
from below, and the tunnels they used
to access the surface were collapsed
by a man who would go on to become
the governor of Iraq named Ziyad ibn
Abihi, who possessed some sort of Azaki
strength-enhancing device.
During the Tokugawa Shogunate, a union
of nine samurai simply calling themselves
the Nine seemed poised to spread the
control of their emperor throughout the
entire Pacific, but they fell under the mental
control of an alien being called Hyn. The
Traveler arrived in the time period and
ended Hyn’s schemes, but the Nine still
disbanded in disgrace. Hyn retreated to the
stars, vowing to return.
 History of The world
During the American Civil War, a Reports of her activities were relayed Old Pearl: level 5,
woman referred to as Old Pearl fought throughout Europe and elsewhere, in throws objects and
Might defense as level 7;
for the Confederacy. She was fueled by events that were far more widespread health 32; Armor 2;
rage at the death of her two sons, and than could possibly be factual. throws heavy objects
up to very long
aided the soldiers of the southern forces The Germans seemingly retaliated
range, inflicting 11
(although reportedly her actions were with a being known as Vampir, who points of damage
not coordinated with the leadership, who was either a mutant with mind-control
seemed embarrassed by her at the time). powers and a penchant for stealth, or an Vampir: in World War I,
Old Pearl could hurl cannonballs and actual supernatural vampire (official and use vampire stats with
health 40; in World
other heavy objects great distances. She unofficial accounts vary). Regardless, War II, add +3 to all
disappeared mysteriously before the end Vampir struck terror in the hearts of levels, +30 to health,
and +6 to damage
of the war. his enemies, both as a lone infiltrator
and when leading nighttime assaults in
trench warfare. Vampir saw action in both Vampire, page 362
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY world wars, his long life serving as more
Superhuman activities throughout much evidence for those who believed him to be
of the first half (or more) of the twentieth a real vampire. Magro the Magnificent:
century consisted of wartime efforts. level 3, strength-related
tasks as level 6;
There were those during that time who THE SECOND WORLD WAR health 40; Armor 6;
had powers but did not participate in Spike and Vampir, as far as is known, melee attack inflicts
12 points of damage
any of the international conflicts, such never met. The same cannot be said of the
as Magro the Magnificent, a French superhumans in World War II. Both the Cecily Day: level 4;
Canadian with superhuman strength and Axis and the Allies came into the war with touch heals wounds
and cures disease
resilience who toured North America and superhumans as part of their forces from
Europe in the 1920s and ’30s, performing the outset. Paragon/Old Glory:
demonstrations of his abilities in Before the United States entered the level 11; health 90;
Armor 15 (force field);
ever-more-elaborate shows. A woman war, a number of superhumans banded manipulates kinetic
named Cecily Day healed those afflicted together and called themselves the energy to fly, form force
fields, make long-range
with the Spanish Flu during the pandemic Spy Smashers, combating not only fifth
energy attacks for 18
and likely saved thousands of lives. In columnists but also criminal syndicates, points of damage, and
Ethiopia, a group called the Erbeńa working mainly on the Eastern Seaboard. Paragon, create other effects
for Emperor Haile Selassie used Azaki leader of the Spy Smashers and likely the Erbeńa member: level 4;
technology to maintain peace in their most powerful superhuman of the time, Armor 3; various
powers, mostly
country throughout this time, and took on the patriotic name Old Glory when involving attacking at
reportedly intimidated Mussolini out of he officially joined the army, but after the range or enhanced
melee capabilities
attempting an invasion in the 1930s. war returned to the Paragon moniker.
The British military adopted the term Spike: level 4, telekinetic
THE FIRST WORLD WAR “metasoldier,” while the U.S. forces effects as level 7,
Speed defense and
The British were the first to employ a employed “super agents” or the more stealth as level 6;
superhuman in the twentieth century informal “super troopers.” Perhaps Armor 1; telekinesis
can move up to 1,000
for military purposes. Codenamed Spike, unsurprisingly, the Third Reich called
pounds (450 kg)
the Scottish telekinetic agent infiltrated its superhumans “ubermensch” and
enemy lines and disrupted transportation, employed a special unit of twenty-three Typical Das Schwarze
collapsed trenches and fortifications, individuals called Das Schwarze Korps, Korps member: level 5,
Might defense as level 7,
and otherwise caused difficulties for the operating out of Castle Wewelsburg and Speed defense and
German troops, but in truth probably answering directly to Heinrich Himmler. strength-related
tasks as level 6;
managed only minor accomplishments at By the time of the Normandy Invasion,
health 20; Armor 2;
best. Spike, however, was a boon for the the Allies grouped all available superhuman melee attack inflicts
British and their allies in terms of morale. soldiers into a unit called Strikeforce 8 points of damage

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Steel Wolf: level 6; Victory, led by Old Glory, an American. Although one of the most lauded heroes
stealth, perception, Other notable members included the British of World War II, Paragon’s greatest
Might defense, and
Speed defense as level Steel Wolf, France’s Star, and the Canadian legacy is perhaps that of racial justice
9; health 50; Armor 8 Polarity, although there were others. and equality. As an African American, he
Star: level 5, Speed Confrontations between individuals and singlehandedly changed the attitudes of
defense and acrobatics groups of these powered soldiers and many white Americans both during and
as level 6; flies, hurls
radiant star bolts up agents occurred with great frequency after the war, and that feeling persisted
to long range for 10 until early 1945, when Strikeforce Victory well after his death in 1982.
points of damage
attacked Adolf Hitler’s bunker and A number of the superhumans who
Polarity: level 6, Might destroyed it in a massive battle. Hitler served during the war continued using their
defense as level 7; did not survive the confrontation, nor did powers to help their countries, the planet,
health 25; Armor 1;
controls electricity Vampir. and innocent people in general. Involvement
to make long-range in the war effort had cemented the idea
attacks for 12 points
of damage; disrupts
THE COLD WAR that if a person developed powers, they
electrical systems If the Soviet Union employed superhumans should use them in service to humanity in
in machines within during World War II, any records of some way. Thus, the idea of the independent
long range
such have been lost to history. Secretive superpowered hero was born, and the
Sending modern PCs about their superhuman population and term “superhero” became commonplace.
back to World War II is paranormal discoveries, the Soviets Of course, those uninterested in such
a great chance to give
them the satisfaction nevertheless watched their population selfless work either hid their abilities or
of punching Nazis. closely for those with special abilities, used them for personal gain. Superheroes
And there is nothing
and worked tirelessly to develop or steal took it as their particular responsibility
more satisfying for a
hero than punching technology that would either aid or create to deal with criminals who had abilities
Nazis. Nothing. superhumans. They were successful, but beyond the norm. Soon after the
only at the cost of what might have been “superhero” was born, the “supervillain”
thousands of lives. followed. Dangerous confrontations

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between the two became more and more
common. Not surprisingly, superheroes
quickly became celebrities, and that has
remained true to the present day.
In the early 1950s, a secretive organization
with unknown funding sources formed
to deal with superpowered criminals,
paranormal dangers, technological
challenges, and threats from beyond Earth
(from space, other dimensions, below the
surface, or elsewhere). The organization
eventually gained the name Bulwark
Against Supernatural Threats of an Illicit or
Ominous Nature, or BASTION.
It’s worth noting that BASTION is not an
American organization and has no direct
ties to the US government. It is primarily a
Western institution, in that it was turned away
from the Soviet Union and its satellite nations,
as well as China. (Later, as BASTION became
a more public organization and the Soviet
Union fell, it would operate even in Russia and
other lands that had rejected its help.)
Ostensibly, BASTION believed that it
would replace so-called superheroes. The
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
History of The world
founders (and secret funding sources)
worried that it was dangerous to leave the
solutions to big, paranormal problems to
the actions of unorganized, unregulated,
and independent citizens, each with their
own national affiliations.
To this end, by 1955, BASTION recruited
its own superpowered agents, who did
not use flashy code names but instead
took standard agent designations. Thus,
Agent 77, a telekinetic, and Agent 81, with Agent 77: level 4,
his supernatural strength and agility (as telekinetic effects as
level 7, Speed defense
well as a wide arsenal of weaponry), soon and stealth as level 6;
began to serve along with BASTION’s other Armor 1; telekinesis
can move up to 1,000
nonpowered (but well-equipped) agents.
pounds (450 kg)
Unbeknownst to many, Agent 77 was the
granddaughter of the Scottish World War I
agent Spike.
In 1962, Agent 77 was killed during the
first invasion of the demonic servitors of
Sorrow, a powerful interdimensional entity. Sorrow, page 148
Further, Agent 81’s mind was corrupted by
his encounter with Sorrow. Even though
she and her forces were repelled from
Earth with the help of Paragon and a few
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 Claim the Sky
other heroes, Agent 81 went rogue, called
himself Mister Savage, and began working
as a powered criminal. As a result of these
events, BASTION’s leadership admitted
that independent heroes should not be
Mister Savage: level replaced. (This, however, did not stop the
6; attacks, strength- organization from continuing to recruit and
related tasks, and
Might defense as level make use of superhuman agents.)
8; health 48; Armor 3; Soon after, Mister Savage combined
melee attack inflicts
forces with Dagger associates Coldhand
12 points of damage
and the mysterious entity known only as
Coldhand: level 5, Speed Z, and joined with a handful of leaders of
defense as level 6; criminal syndicates in the United States,
Armor 5 (ice); blasts of
cold inflict 14 points of China, Europe, and South Africa. This cabal
damage at long range would become the shadowy leadership of
or 8 points of damage
in a medium area; can
the equally shadowy organization called
freeze anything she the Dagger. (The full details of this were not
touches, creates ice known outside the organization for years,
shields and walls
and in fact there may be revelations about
Z, page 156 the early days of the Dagger still to be
learned.) Operating throughout the world,
Blackstar, page 108 the Dagger seemed primarily interested
in stealing and using technological secrets.
Orion: level 3; Within a decade of its formation, however,
strength-related it operated on every continent and even in
tasks, defense tasks,
perception, and space, and launched its first bid at global
initiative as level 5; domination through the use of a powerful
health 30; Armor 3;
mind-control drug on a number of world
melee attack inflicts
9 points of damage leaders. Their efforts, including this first
attempt at taking control of the world, were
thwarted by BASTION as well as various
heroes, including Paragon, the teleporter
Freefire, page 163 Sidestep, and a team calling itself Freefire.
Throughout the Cold War, heroes from
the West clashed with enemy agents,
and, likewise, Soviet superhumans helped
The Traveler, page 149 defend their homeland from foreign spies.
Occasionally, this brought superhumans
from both sides into direct conflict. These
confrontations were typically covered up
by both sides.
By the 1960s, the Cold War also involved
the so-called space race, and with the
help of superpowered individuals, these
efforts in both the US and the USSR were
accelerated and protected. Thanks to Azaki
technology and the genius of scientist
Valerie Lincoln, page 181 Valerie Lincoln, the United States landed
Mystery Earth, page 199 three astronauts on the moon in 1963.
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When they arrived, they found a pair of
superhumans from China already there in
a permanent moonbase. These unknown
superhumans disappeared soon thereafter
in a strange and still-unexplained flash of
energy that turned the moon violet for
about three months that year.
As mentioned earlier, the Dagger also
got involved in early space exploration, and
by 1975 had a secret orbital base of their
own called Raptor’s Perch. They stole the
knowledge from others, but by this point
they also had their own science teams
developing Azaki technology.
THE 1980s
Many new superhumans burst onto the
scene in the 1980s. Blackstar arrived on
Earth and quickly began using her powers
to defend the innocent. The superpowered
crimefighter Orion started operations
in New York (he was murdered in 1992).
Heroes calling themselves Wizard and
Warrior responded to issues all across
North America, with Wizard being a
super-genius technological expert and
Warrior being an armored superhero with
tech created by Wizard. As it turns out,
both were actually Niles Lincoln, the son of
Valerie Lincoln, which explains why the two
heroes were never seen together.
The various members of Freefire had
all retired or passed away, but new heroes
took up the mantle and operated into the
early 1990s. The new Freefire saw action
across the globe.
The Traveler, a time-traveling being, was
first seen in modern times in 1980.
Three particularly significant events
involving superheroes occurred in the
’80s. The first happened in 1981, when
Freefire, Paragon, Blackstar, and
Wizard/Warrior disappeared mysteriously
for a period of almost six months. Later,
when they returned, they revealed that
they had been kidnapped and transported
to a planet orbiting another star similar
to our own sun but on the other side of
the galaxy. This world, which they named

Mystery Earth, was similar to our own
world in many ways, but significantly
different in others. The cosmic entity
named the One was ultimately discovered
to be responsible for kidnapping the
heroes, and eventually was tricked into
sending them back to Earth.
The second major event came in 1982
with the funeral of Paragon. Lauded as the
first superhero and perhaps the greatest
of them all, Paragon died at the age of 71
of complications from an injury sustained
during the second world war. A huge statue
was erected in front of the United Nations
building in New York City honoring the hero.
The third major event of the decade
was the attempted invasion by the alien
species known as the Grin in 1986. Their
main attacks were centered in the cities
of Washington, Sao Paulo, Paris, Baghdad,
Tokyo, and Johannesburg. They were
opposed by BASTION, virtually all of the
world’s superhumans, and of course the
military forces of the nations involved (as
well as a joint NATO operation).
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
History of The world
A young telepath calling herself Minder Minder, page 137
proved instrumental to the defeat of
the Grin. Using a device created by Niles The One, page 138
Lincoln (Wizard/Warrior) that greatly
boosted her powers temporarily, she was Grin, page 123
able to communicate with and coordinate
the actions of all of Earth’s defenders at Pulsator: level 5;
once. The battles raged for three months, perception as level 9;
Speed defense, initiative,
but eventually, the Grin left the planet, and acrobatics as level 7;
defeated. Armor 4; battle suit can
cause vibrations that
stun foes or shatter
THE 1990s objects up to a long
The ’90s saw a proliferation of violent distance away; uses
vibrations as sonar
vigilantes in the United States. Thanks to up to a long distance
the precedents set by heroes like Paragon
fifty years earlier, most superheroes Revenge: level 6,
(virtually all of whom are, technically, attacks as level 8, Might
defense as level 7;
vigilantes) abided by an unspoken code Armor 4; primarily
of nonlethal tactics. But the new “heroes” uses military weaponry
and body armor
such as Pulsator, Revenge, and T-Rex
had no such qualms. While a few existing T-Rex: level 5; Might
heroes were influenced by this behavior, defense, strength tasks,
and melee attacks
becoming less averse to dealing death to as level 7; health 40;
criminals who seemed deserving, most Armor 3; bite with huge,
pointed teeth inflicts
found the new vigilantes and their lethal
10 points of damage
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 Claim the Sky
The Gentleman, page 120
Anagog: level 9, Might
and Intellect defense as
level 7, Speed defense
as level 7 due to size;
health 120; magically
transforms matter
and energy in a mile
radius, telepathy, mind
control (with hundreds
of targets), and more
Majestic Family, page 130
Whisper, page 154
Valor, page 150
Crimson Protector,
page 110
Ghostwalk, page 121
Shift, page 144
Defender, page 113
Edifice, page 116
Mystery Earth, page 199
The One, page 138
Sorrow, page 148
Silver Sentinel, page 146
Lord Eswar, page 139
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
tactics to be abhorrent. This led to clashes
between self-proclaimed heroes, often
pitting the young against the older.
The 1990s also saw the debut of
the Gentleman, a mage trained in the
mystic arts, when he attempted to stop
the otherworldly entity Anagog from
transforming London into a hellishly
horrific alternate version of the city. The
Gentleman would later travel the world
combating mystical entities, including the
return of Sorrow in 1997 and the Demonix
invasion on New Year’s Eve in 1999.
The sonic-based superhuman Whisper
first appeared in 1999. She quickly became
partners with another new hero, Valor. At
first, the duo dealt primarily with simple
crimes in Los Angeles, but they soon ran
afoul of Minder, whose own powers had
rendered her mentally unstable. Now a
villain, Minder opposes the two as they try
to keep LA safe.
Investigating an inventor in Dallas who
had somehow obtained Azaki technology,
both Whisper and Valor were transported
across the galaxy to Mystery Earth.
Unlike the abduction of heroes in 1981, this
time they were not brought there by the
One. However, once there, the duo found
themselves opposing Sorrow’s actions and
thwarting her plans, and in so doing, they
got the One’s attention. That being sent the
two of them home.
THE NEW MILLENNIUM
Silver Sentinel arrived on the scene in
2001, stopping terrorists from crashing
planes into the World Trade Center.
Although the terrorists were Muslim
extremists, Silver Sentinel’s Muslim
American heritage helped to curb the
ensuing Islamophobia, which could have
been more rampant and lasting.
In 2004, the heroes Whisper and Valor
got married and invited a vast array
of superhumans to the ceremony, on
a private yacht in the Pacific Ocean. It
seemed almost inevitable that the wedding
would be interrupted by trouble, and sure
enough, Dagger assassins attacked the
gathered heroes in the hopes of killing
a large number at once. The Gentleman
used a spell to prevent the detonation of
a bomb in the ship’s hold, and the other
superhumans dealt with the assassins in
a melee that ended with the happy couple
completing their vows while fighting their
foes, only to be then flown off by Silver
Sentinel to enjoy their honeymoon on
Numinous Island.
The Majestic Family launched its first
private mission into space in 2006. They
traveled to Mars in their M-shuttle and,
amid the Azaki ruins there, found the
technology to build a faster-than-light
hyperdrive.
In 2010, the Society of Seven formed.
Although Silver Sentinel was a founding
member, he left the group soon thereafter
and was replaced by Crimson Protector.
The other members of the Seven were
Ghostwalk, Shift, Defender, Edifice, Whisper,
and Valor.
In 2012, another attempted attack by the
alien Grin was thwarted by Silver Sentinel
and the Majestic Family. The heroes
disabled the Grin attack craft before they
entered the inner solar system, although
the aliens were able to safely land on
Jupiter’s moon Europa. The Grin are
presumably still there.
In 2015, when the Society of Seven
captured the so-called Ghost Generator
created by the villainous Baron Shadow,
Lord Eswar of the Royal House of
Videsh stole it from them. The Ghost
Generator created “ethereal robots”
that resembled ghosts and operated
at the command of their creator. Lord
Eswar’s own supernatural ability to
become insubstantial somehow allowed
him to absorb the robots to make himself
more powerful. The Society attempted to
recover the machine from Eswar’s palace,
where they encountered a number of his
children, all wielding supernatural powers.
The machine was ultimately destroyed, but
the Royal House of Videsh, a previously
 History of The world
reclusive family of superhumans with The Society of Seven, sent hurtling into
incredible wealth, had made itself known to an extradimensional realm by the villainous
the world. Singularity, an entity with command over Singularity, page 147
the fabric of space itself, encountered a Warp, page 153
THE PRESENT superhuman originally from twentieth Dawnstar, page 111
In 2016, a new, young hero named Warp century Atlanta who called herself Daiyu, page 191
made himself known in Chicago. His activities Dawnstar. She was using her amazing Ruthless, page 143
have focused almost entirely on dealing control of otherworldly energies to search
with crime in the city—specifically organized for her sister, who possessed similar Mondruid: level 8,
crime—and he has revealed the Dagger’s powers but was now lost in the Worlds technological knowledge
as level 10; health 50;
presence there, clashing frequently with Between. Dawnstar helped return the Armor 8; flies or
Dagger enforcers Wreck and Ruin. Society to their rightful world, and now teleports up to a
mile, projects energy
In 2020, the spread of a coronavirus in presumably continues her search.
blasts up to long range
China was prevented by the quick actions that inflict 15 points
of microbiologist Dr. Li Daiyu, who rapidly THE FUTURE of damage to one
target or 10 points of
developed a cure that eradicated the virus. The Traveler warns of a time in the late damage to up to three
Doctor Li also secretly operates as Daiyu twenty-first century when a climate targets, restores 10
(Black Jade), a hero who uses a suit of crisis threatens the world and global war health as an action,
and other abilities
organic armor as sophisticated as any is breaking out. For some reason, there seemingly as needed
mechanical battle suit on the planet. Many don’t seem to be any superhumans active
people believe that were it not for her at the time. Gravitas, page 122
intervention, the virus would have become Beings from the twenty-eighth century Baron Shadow, page 107
a global pandemic unlike anything seen have used a time machine to visit the Freefire, page 163
since the Spanish Flu. past at least twice. Mondruid, a man with OZ: level 7, technological
The mysterious man known as Ruthless a suit of armor both technological and knowledge as level 9,
strength tasks as level
has been encountered in various locations mystical, singlehandedly challenged the 8, twenty-first-century
across the United States, and his entire Freefire team in 1986, although they knowledge as level 1;
health 40; Armor 3;
body-morphing powers seem to make managed to send him back to the future,
melee attack inflicts
him as much a danger as a potential hero. defeated. Mondruid later appeared in 2012 10 points of damage;
Just last year, the gravity-controlling with a cybernetic organism who changes shape to
fit into any space;
Gravitas attempted to steal a powerful Azaki self-identifies as female and calls herself releases dozens of
artifact that could have increased his powers called OZ (pronounced tiny minibots under
at the expense of most of the Eastern oh-zee). Mondruid her control that inflict
3 points of damage
Seaboard. He’s now on his way to prison. and OZ seem to to foes in a medium
Baron Shadow continues to be enemy come from a time area each round
number 1 when it comes to supervillains, where technology is
recently clashing with the Society of Seven extremely advanced Golden Shield, page 188
on the West Coast. The Society and the and supernatural Senshukan, page 191
Majestic Family remain the premier abilities are even more
super-teams, but Europe’s Golden Shield commonplace. They
and Japan’s Senshukan are also formidable are criminals in their
and respected. Silver Sentinel remains own era, and believe
perhaps the most powerful, but also the that the past would offer
most aloof, of all the heroes. less resistance to their
Blackstar continues to make attempts at domination.
appearances from time to time when These two (or others)
she’s needed, looking no older than she could return at any
did in the 1980s. time to once again
pose a threat.

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E DAGGER (OVERVIEW)
BASTION REPORT 00014: TH

Section 1 inchild of rogue BASTION

ly 1960s, the Dagger was the bra
Founded at some point in the ear named Coldhand, and
81 (cal ling him self Mis ter Savage), a ruthless superhuman
age nt a worldwide
ous figu re kno wn as Z. The se three served as a cabal heading
the mys teri ons and criminal
dica te tha t sec retl y con soli dat ed a number of local illegal operati
crime syn nd disappeared in a
Savage died in 1984 and Coldha
organizations. Although Mister e and in command
ded out of the sola r sys tem in 1987, Z is still ver much aliv
y
spacecraft hea the original Z, but another
eve, however, that they are not
of the Dagger. Some analysts beli
modus operandi.
person using the same name and
enterprise known to
s in virtually every sort of criminal
Activities: The Dagger participate trafficking, weapons
rtio n, sm ugg ling , dru gs, gambling, prostitution, human
hum ans : exto ing, counterfeiting,
ure and traf fick ing, pro tec tion racketeering, money launder
manuf act inal activities, see
e, poli tica l ma nipu latio n, mu rder, and arson. (For more on crim
cybercrim
section 2.3.)
e different kinds of agents.
Agents: The Dagger employs thre skilled in stealth, disguise,
as assassins and spies. They are
• The first are infiltrators, used
ons.
and the use of all manner of pois tine, and openly wear
nts are enf orcers. Enforcers are not clandes
• The second sort of age and are typically skilled in
They carry advanced weaponry
the Dagger’s symbol (a dagger). s.
g archaic swords of various type
close combat weapons, includin ern orm al abilities or technology.
t of age nts are spe cial ized, usually with sup
• The thir d sor in Africa, but also a
ude full- tim e age nts suc h as the cybernetic Executors found
These incl owered criminal
of con trac t wor ker s and me rcenaries drawn from the superp
wide variety section 5.)
illains). (For more on agents, see
element (colloquially called superv
umulation of wealth and
anization appears to be the acc
Goals: While the goal of the org d analysts suggest that
findings of our most experience
influence across the globe, the (Analysis Department files
ir ultim ate goa l mig ht be as lofty as total world domination.
the
genta.)
5689B-5689J, classification Ma
TION personnel
t. In 2002, no fewer than 193 BAS
Threat Level to BASTION: Highes end of a thorough
d to be Dagger agents at the
throughout the world were reveale com pro mised security and
for years afterward about our own
investigation, raising concerns trat ors from the Dagger,
ation that revealed only two infil
activities. Despite a 2018 investig rmation on inte rnal
ain hypervigilant. (For more info
all personnel are instructed to rem rt conflict with the Dagger, see
and 8.2. For information on ove
investigations, see sections 6.5
section 7.)
Page 1 of 3

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u pe r po w e r e d
S
Survey
T his chapter details the important
locations of the Boundless setting as
they pertain to superhumans and
related phenomena. While there are more
locations of interest than those presented
here, you can assume the rest of the world
resembles Earth as you know it.
If the campaign you want to run in this
setting will stay mainly in one area rather
than involve a lot of globetrotting, feel free
to pull whatever material you want from
this chapter into that area. For example,
if your game will stay mostly around
Chicago, pull Dynamic, Inc., a BASTION
headquarters, an entrance to Inner Earth,
and so on into the greater Chicago area.
Maybe even take Poland’s Ravenmaster or
Australia’s Kiln facility and put it closer to
your characters. It’s all up to you.
The Boundless setting focuses primarily
on the United States, where a great many
superhumans live and operate. However,
this chapter gives a few insights into
other countries as well. It is by no means a
comprehensive list.
NORTH AMERICA
A higher than average (per capita) number
of superhumans live in the United States.
Perhaps like breeds like. Superhumans
do live in Canada and Mexico, of course,
just not as many. (It is also not uncommon
for superhumans from other countries
to come to the US, and many who operate
all over the world seem to call the United
States “home.”)
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
CHAP TER
12
NEW YORK
New York City, the largest city in the
United States, has a large number of
superhumans—perhaps more than
anywhere else on Earth based on area
(not population). In New York, many
businesses and homeowners take out
special superhuman insurance policies due
to the damage they can sustain. It’s rare
enough to be profitable for companies to
offer it, but devastating enough to make it a
wise expenditure on the part of a property
owner. Although superhumans end up
causing destruction everywhere, rarely
does it occur so often that people outside of
New York would pay for special insurance.
Manhattan is home to Claim the
Sky magazine, which covers news,
gossip, rumors, and speculation about
superheroes and supervillains. Published
biweekly with daily online updates, it has
one of the largest circulations in the
country, and the largest online presence of
any periodical or web-based news service.
Heroes (and even villains) sometimes find
their coverage to be spotty, inconsistent,
error-ridden, or just outright fabrications,
but it doesn’t seem to matter. While other
news sources carry more accurate
stories, Claim the Sky always has the Carter Connover:
latest scoop, and the most sensational and level 2; movement,
acrobatics, initiative,
entertaining coverage. Speed defense, and
Perhaps not surprisingly, the magazine stealth as level 5;
transforms into moving
(which often refers to itself as a
air that cannot be seen
“superzine”) employs a journalist with (but can be felt); flies up
supernatural abilities. Carter Connover to 30 miles (48 km)
per hour, ignoring
doesn’t wear a costume or use a code most obstacles
name. But his ability to turn into wind
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NEWS COVERAGE OF PLAYER CHARACTERS
While not everyone is interested in fame, public attention is virtually unavoidable for a superhero.
Everyone is captivated by the idea of performing impossible deeds and wielding powers beyond
the norm. Even people who hate superheroes for the damage they cause to infrastructure,
buildings, and innocent bystanders follow them closely in the news. Everyone has strong opinions
about superhumans.
The first time a new hero is mentioned online or in the newspapers might be a very big deal—a
thrilling moment, most likely. Eventually, though, the PCs might grow tired of reporters getting in
the way, or—particularly in the case of Claim the Sky magazine—getting a story wrong. Consider
the awkward situation where two heroes are suddenly suspected of dating or, just the opposite,
hating each other. That’s the kind of stuff the gossip magazines and websites thrive on, and the
PCs invariably will be caught in that web.
The press might be quick to turn on a hero who makes a mistake or appears to have
committed a crime. This is a useful tactic of villains: frame their heroic archenemy to turn the
public (and probably the authorities) against them. News sources, and of course social media,
are only too willing to make this even worse for the PCs.
Heroes without secret identities will also have to deal with paparazzi. Reporters will camp
outside their homes, especially when they’re in the middle of a big mission.
On the other hand, PCs can make money on the side by selling insider stories and photos to
eager news (and “news”) sources.

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 Superpowered Survey
means that he can get to the stories
faster than anyone else and can get in
close invisibly. If Carter was a better
reporter, Claim the Sky might have a better
reputation for accuracy, but it seems you
can’t have everything.
Also in Manhattan, near the United
Nations building, stands a massive statue of
Paragon, labeled “Our Hero.”
A relatively new superhuman criminal
going by the name Jabberwocky has
been robbing midtown banks and similar
establishments recently. She has not yet
run afoul of the Society of Seven or any
other superheroes.

DYNAMIC, INC.
Manhattan is where you will find the head
office of Dynamic Inc., the technology
company founded and ostensibly run
by Valerie Lincoln. Dynamic is the main
supplier of hardware and technology
to BASTION as well as various (wealthy)
superheroes and teams. Valerie’s son
Niles (who once operated as the hero
alternatively known as both Wizard and
Warrior) is soon to take control of the
company from his aged mother, but likely
won’t change much of the way it’s run,
as he already oversees the day-to-day espionage that has escalated between the Jabberwocky, page 126
operations. While Niles is a genius in his two companies over the decades has been
own right in the fields of electrical and larger (and far more expensive) than some
mechanical engineering, he spends most of actual wars fought among nations.
his time in the business world rather than In very short order, Dynamic could
the scientific one, and never as a costumed produce a variety of high-tech manifest
hero nowadays. cyphers or artifacts and provide them to
Dynamic has manufacturing facilities trusted allies, or those working for them.
throughout the world, and Valerie Society of Seven,
has a secret base in the mountains of SEVENTH HEAVEN page 172

Washington state where she spends most
of her time.
Dynamic’s rivals are many, but none
more insidious than Faust Industries,
a multinational corporation based in
Germany. While Dynamic doesn’t openly
employ any full-time superhumans, they
do have a private force of security guards
clad in high-tech armor and a wide range
of robotic wardroids. The corporate
New York is the home city of the Society Dynamic security
of Seven. Their headquarters is publicly guard: level 3, Speed
defense and perception
known, atop the One Vanderbuilt building as level 4; Armor 3;
in downtown Manhattan. It’s known as armed with ranged
energy weapons
Seventh Heaven. Within their base, the
that inflict 5 points
Society keeps a vertical take-off and of damage at very
landing vehicle called the Archangel. This long range
vehicle frequently soars with hushed
engines over the city. The Society of Seven Wardroid, page 365
employs a staff of thirty-five people, about

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 Claim the Sky
half of whom are security, and the other up to the surface at night, often to hunt
Darkling: use ghoul half are technical support, maintenance, and steal. Darkling enclaves, hidden in the
stats, page 332 custodial, administrative, and medical. They darkest reaches of the realms beneath the
also have a full-time chef, physical trainer, city, are filled with pilfered human goods,
The Horror, page 125
Karma Master: level 3,
and massage therapist. much of which is just trash. In the past,
all defenses as level 5; The Society of Seven does not keep various villains like Demdike and Baron
health 15; Armor 2 (from
spell); short-range captured foes or confiscated items in their Shadow have used the darklings as pawns.
magical aura hinders base because of the danger either might The creature known as the Horror
foes’ actions by two
steps; short-range pose to the nearby population. Instead, they also dwells within the sewers beneath
magical bolts inflict 5 entrust all such confinement and storage to Manhattan. It attempts to keep to itself,
points of damage and
ensnare target with BASTION, usually in their upstate laboratory feared and hated by both the humans
level 3 chains of force
complex called simply The Project. above and the darklings below.
Lunatic Fringe: level 7;
movement, acrobatics,
initiative, and Speed
defense as level 9; health
BENEATH THE CITY ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY
30; Armor 2; throws The sewers and subway tunnels beneath A hero named Karma Master operates
bombs to medium range the city are home to a group of creatures mainly in Brooklyn, using mystic powers to
that inflict 7 points of
damage in a small radius known as the darklings. The origin of these protect the community.
or create a cloud of
lunacy gas in a small beings is not fully known, and speculation Many superhumans in New York don’t
radius that inflicts 10 ranges from evolved (or uplifted) rats and confine their operations to one borough.
points of Intellect damage
other such creatures to devolved humans A few of the many known superpowered
Corrosion: level 4, Speed
defense and touch attack to demonic refugees from an otherwise criminals in the city include Lunatic Fringe,
as level 5; touch inflicts
10 points of damage;
unknown dark dimension. Regardless, a mass murderer and terrorist; Corrosion,
objects or flesh that these stealthy, diminutive carnivores who can cause the chemical decay of
touch her suffer 6 points
of damage; regenerates eat any meat they can get their hands matter she touches; and Darkwave, a
3 health each round on, including human flesh. The darklings mercenary who uses a mysterious energy
unless submerged in
water or other liquid sometimes grow bold enough to come she calls “anti-light” to create solid forms.
Darkwave: level 6; Sometimes Darkwave partners with a
Armor 6 (energy field);
energy blasts up to long
telepath named Amnesia who can erase
range inflict 9 points of people’s memories with her touch. Saint
damage; creates solid
objects of energy that fit Nothing runs a violent gang of nihilist
into an immediate area extremists out of an abandoned church in
Amnesia: level 3, touch Staten Island. He has the ability
attack as level 4, mental
attack as level 7 (power to cause matter to disappear
shifts); touch deals 10
points of Intellect damage, for sixty seconds, and then
or drains memory of reappear. When used on something
the last ten minutes,
or causes victim to like the underside of a city bus or the
lose next action supports of a water tower, this power
Saint Nothing: level 5, can be devastating. At least once in the
all defenses as level 7;
makes any inanimate recent past, all of these villains have
object or portion of an
object that can fit into teamed up, led by Lunatic Fringe, to
an immediate area and cause chaos throughout the city, but
that he can see within
long range cease to their alliance didn’t last long.
exist for one minute Falling somewhere in the
(about five rounds)
Avenging Angel: level 5,
grey area between hero and
Might defense as level villain, the Avenging Angel metes
8, sword attack and
perception as level 7; out justice as they see fit. The
health 40; Armor 7; flies Avenging Angel is the archenemy
at twice normal speed;
energy sword inflicts of Saint Nothing and his gang,
11 points of damage clashing with them frequently.

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

THE PROJECT
As previously mentioned, the main BASTION
facility in the United States is in upstate
New York and is called The Project. (It soon
might be outshone by the newer BASTION
facility in the American Southwest called
Solar One.) More than 800 people work at
The Project, and the vast majority of them
live there as well. These include security
personnel, research scientists, technicians,
administrators, and field agents.
The Project’s main focus is research.
Scientists study alien technology and
other discoveries or recovered items of a
paranormal nature.
For many years, The Project served as a
secure containment facility for dangerous
materials, objects, and individuals. Eventually,
however, it was ruled unconstitutional in the
United States (and very likely illegal in most
countries) to store people indefinitely just
because they had powers that made them
a danger. Since then, BASTION has created
a prison especially for superpowered
criminals who have been duly convicted
in the country where their crimes were
committed. This prison, Station Zero, lies deep
beneath the Atlantic. That said, sometimes
prisoners from Station Zero are shipped to
The Project for study. Inmates who agree to
this often gain a reduced sentence.
NEW YORK ADVENTURE IDEAS
• No one has heard from The Project
in 48 hours. No radio contact, no
emails, nothing. Investigators have not
returned—a whole unit of agents sent
in to check on the base has ceased
communications. Satellite photos show
a strange mist covering the area. Are
the PCs willing to check on it?
• Saint Nothing and his followers dig up the
body of a dead hero named Orion and
steal away with it, believing they have
found a way to draw the superstrength
and resilience from his remains.
Someone has to put a stop to this horrific
crime—and, just in case the villains really
do have the means to carry out their
plan, before they succeed.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Superpowered Survey
• Lunatic Fringe has developed a mind-
control gas and uses it to control a
number of the darklings below the
city streets. But he gets more than he
bargained for when the gas also controls
the mind of the Horror. A new villain
called Infiltrator catches wind of this and Solar One, page 182
suggests that Lunatic Fringe send his new
subjects to attack the headquarters of Infiltrator: level 5;
Dynamic, Inc. But Infiltrator just wants the stealth as level 8
(from armored
distraction so he can get inside the facility stealth suit); Speed
and steal secrets to sell to Faust Industries. defense, acrobatics,
disguise, deception,
and persuasion as
AMERICAN EAST COAST level 7; Armor 3 (from
Operating throughout the Eastern suit); silent energy
pistol inflicts 8 points of
Seaboard is a group of criminals calling damage at long range;
themselves Dread. Dread has seven has a wide arsenal of
members, and they turn up individually or smoke and conventional
mini-grenades
in small groups in New York, Philadelphia,
New Jersey, Boston, and Washington, DC. BASTION standard
As a whole, they are powerful enough to security: level 3
take on the Society of Seven (and it was for BASTION elite
that purpose that they originally formed). security: level 5
• Dirge possesses terrible sonic powers Society of Seven,
that disrupt living creatures on a page 172
cellular level. Dirge, page 115
• Entropy has the strange ability to Station Zero, page 196
transform any inanimate object into Entropy, page 118
other objects, as long as the result is a
less orderly, less cohesive unit. So he can
turn a bank vault door into mist or an
opponent’s gun into a handful of marbles.
• Highrise is a bruiser who can grow to Highrise, page 124
gargantuan size.
• Manslaughter can transform his body Manslaughter, page 135
into weapons, even complex weapons
like firearms. One of his favorite ways
to go into action is with both arms
transformed into autocannons or
combat shotguns.
• Shrike is blindingly fast and just as lethal. Shrike, page 145
• Worm is a man with the ability to turn Worm, page 155
almost anything he touches into grey
goo—even living flesh.
• Voltage is the leader of Dread. She Voltage, page 152
commands electricity and can wield it
as a weapon, disrupt electrical devices,
and travel instantly along conductive
wires or cables. She is incredibly
intelligent and a brilliant tactician.
179
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 Claim the Sky
Bureau of Superhuman
Affairs field agent:
SUPERHUMANS AND THE US GOVERNMENT
level 3; perception, The Bureau of Superhuman Affairs has its headquarters in Washington, and word
investigation, and among the political pundits is that its director, Samuel Heyes, is trying to get a Secretary
Intellect defense
as level 4 of Superhuman Affairs in the next president’s cabinet. The bureau has about 150 agents,
HTHRT agent: level 4,
most of whom are field agents who travel the country, dealing with superhuman crimes,
attack and defense superhuman rights, and other issues. Within their narrow purview, they have some
as level 5; Armor 2 policing authority similar to the FBI, although the FBI also has its own unit devoted to
Space defense superhumans and supernatural events.
armored trooper:
level 4, attack and
The unit in the FBI is sometimes jokingly known as the Supergroup, or the S-Files, but
defense as level 5; its actual name is the Superhuman Response Group, and it is within the Criminal, Cyber,
Armor 3; flies via a Response, and Services Branch. This section has its own HTHRT (High Threat Hazard
jetpack; suit can go into
the vacuum of space Response Team) agents, equipped with some of the latest technology to combat or cope
Malevolence, page 134
with superhuman criminals.
Superhumans and related issues always fall under federal jurisdiction.
The Flame: level 6; flies;
hurls fireballs that inflict The CIA has a small group of what they call “Ultra Agents” who use their superhuman
8 points of damage in abilities in field missions abroad.
an immediate area;
Lastly, the Pentagon operates a very secretive program to study and train (and
flaming aura inflicts
5 points of damage to possibly create) superhumans for the various branches of the military. The Air Force
anyone touching him; also has a wing devoted entirely to space defense after the Grin invasion in the 1980s,
absorbs heat and flame
to instantly restore with high-altitude warplanes, elite armored troopers, black ops laser satellites, and at
his health to full least two military space planes.
Snag: level 5, stealth and
Might defense as level 6; WASHINGTON, DC FLORIDA
health 50; Armor 3; The US capital has a single prominent The sorcerer Malevolence lives in southern
bite or tail inflicts 8
points of damage superhero named the Flame, who has Florida, where she is wanted for murder
Vortex: level 6, helped protect national monuments, and other crimes. Authorities have also
acrobatics and Speed foreign dignitaries, and government seen her in Texas, where she clashed with
defense as level 7; personnel enough times that he has a the mystic Ella Brodach.
traps victims in portals
to a subdimension, high-security clearance and is afforded Multiple reports of a mutant alligator of
“absorbs” incoming the status of a government agent, although great size and ferocity dubbed “Snag” have
ranged attacks in
portals, and enters/
this is all apparently quite unofficial. been filed throughout Florida, but what
exits her portals Just as well known as the Flame are the no one has yet realized is that Snag is not
as she wishes terrorist mercenaries known as Vortex an individual, but an entirely new species.
Livewire: level 5; and Livewire. Vortex can create small These dangerous predators typically hunt
computer skills,
electrical engineering,
portals into what would seem to be her own alone and are comfortable roaming on land
and Might defense personal subdimension. People or objects for extensive periods of time.
as level 7; Armor 3; can be drawn into this dimension and
controls all electrical
devices within medium likewise ejected as she desires. Livewire CHICAGO
range, including causing controls electrical devices of all kinds and As the largest city in the American Midwest,
them to explode, is particularly fond of computer crime. Chicago is no stranger to superhumans
inflicting 5 points of
damage to anyone Vortex and Livewire have worked together or paranormal activities. Deep within
touching them on a number of occasions, but recently the cold, dark waters of Lake Michigan
B’dlu inhabitant: level 3, had a falling out. Unfortunately, this falling lies the submerged city of B’dlu, which is
scientific knowledge as out took place on the National Mall and actually a colony starship from the planet
level 5; Armor 1; breathes
underwater, telepathy damaged the Lincoln Memorial before the of the same name; its people attempted to
at very long range, Flame and federal agents showed up. found a settlement there in the eighteenth
can join together with
others of their species
century. The remaining inhabitants of the
to increase range to aquatic race of humanoids are very few
500 miles (800 km) in number, having found Earth generally

180
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

inhospitable. While the general
public does not know of B’dlu’s
existence, in the 1990s, the villain
Coriolis discovered it and stole
some technology. The inhabitants
managed to telepathically contact
the armored hero Centurion, who
captured Coriolis but failed to
recover what she stole. Crudely
reverse-engineered B’dlu tech
has made its way around the
Chicago underworld ever since.
Although the Dagger’s influence
and presence can be felt
throughout America’s criminal
underworld, the organization
is more active in Chicago than
in any other US city. Defending
the streets of Chicago is the
crimefighter Warp. Although
a fairly recent arrival on the
superhuman stage, Warp has made
a name for himself not just by fighting
against the local criminal organizations, but is located in the Cascade Mountains
thanks to his antics and sense of humor.
The Dagger hates Warp, and supposedly despite being in her eighties, still develops
has placed a very large bounty on his head. cutting-edge technology and conducts
The group has employed the villains Wreck experiments far beyond most of the rest
and Ruin multiple times to try to kill him.
The Maestro is an infamous
mind-controlling villain in Chicago. He’s
always surrounded by a cadre of mentally
enslaved guards, servants, and lackeys of
all sorts, and he uses his powers to steal
from the very rich. He particularly loves
art and rare objects, so Chicago museums
have fallen victim to his activities as well.
Although she has partnered with the
Maestro in the past, Lady Silence usually
works alone. She has the ability to stifle
sound and is an expert martial combatant,
but her truly significant power is to
“silence” the superpowers of others.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Superpowered Survey
AZAKI MYSTICISM
While the Azaki are known for their extremely
advanced technology, careful scholars of
both the Azaki and the mystic arts can tell
you that they also tapped into power sources,
extradimensional realms, and mysterious
entities that most people on modern Earth
consider to be within the purview of magic and
the occult. Unlike most humans who practice
such arts, the Azaki combined these facets of
knowledge and sources of power with their
other forms of technology and science.
Nevertheless, although superhumans that
claim powers from magical sources or mystical
training are by far the rarest of all, we once
again see that the Azaki presence on prehistoric
Earth gave rise to almost all paranormal activity
seen today.
THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
Dynamic Inc.’s main research facility
in Washington state. Valerie Lincoln,
of the world. In her mountain retreat, she
has several working time machines, a
cold fusion reactor, a sentient artificial
intelligence named EON, and the plans for
various innovations including warp drives
and force fields. She is the only human in
the facility. All other inhabitants are robots,
some obviously so, while others appear
fully human.
Portland is home to one of the greatest
practitioners of the mystical arts, Ella
Brodach. Her archnemesis, Runic, despite
originally hailing from Denmark, seems
to spend a great deal of time in the Pacific
Northwest now.
The mind-controlling villain known as
Free Reign lives in Seattle, although he has
been encountered throughout the United
States.
Coriolis: level 5, Speed
defense as level 9; flies;
telekinetic control of any and
all objects up to 100 pounds
(45 kg) in immediate range
but only in a swirling motion
around her, which adds to
Speed defense and inflicts 8
points of damage on anyone
in the area if she wishes
Centurion: level 4; scientific
knowledge, perception,
and all strength-related
tasks as level 6; health 25;
Armor 4; flies; melee attack
inflicts 6 points of damage;
launches missiles up to
very long range that turn
into sticky nets that negate
target’s next action and
hinder actions afterward
Dagger, page 163
Warp, page 153
Wreck and Ruin: level 5,
strength-related tasks and
Might defense as level 8;
health 50; Armor 5;
melee attack inflicts 10
points of damage
The Maestro: level 5,
resisting mental attacks
as level 7, knowledge of
fine art and high society as
level 7; controls the minds
of all within short range
or a single target within
very long range; immune
to telepathy and resistant
to other mental powers
Maestro and Free Reign have
similar abilities and attitudes,
and they’re aware of each
other. Free Reign thinks
Maestro is an elitist snob, and
Maestro thinks Free Reign is
a narcissist hipster. They’re
both wary about seeing
how their powers interact.
Lady Silence: level 6, stealth
as level 8, attacks and Speed
defense as level 7;
selectively suppresses
sound within short range;
selectively negates a
power possessed by a
target within short range
Valerie Lincoln: level 6,
science as level 10; Armor 4
(personal force field);
super-genius with the
ability to create almost any
device in short order
Ella Brodach: level 8,
mystical knowledge and
Intellect defense as level 10,
most physical actions as
level 6; Armor 5 (mystical
wards); conjures all manner
of energy effects, illusions,
and physical objects;
heals wounds, summons
entities from other realms,
flies, and teleports
Runic: level 7, strength-
related tasks and all defense
tasks as level 8; health 35;
Armor 3; uses runic tattoos
to absorb strength from
objects or creatures touched,
inflicting 8 points of damage
and either restoring 10 health
or granting him an asset to
his next action; has a wide
variety of mystical objects
that grant different powers
Free Reign, page 119
181
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 Claim the Sky

Red Wolf: level 4;

anything involving speed,
THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES teleportation, faster-than-light travel, force
strength, stealth, or
perception as level 8
A skilled thief calling herself Red Wolf fields, energy weapons, and so on.
Caterwaul: level 3, stealth
operates throughout the Southwest. She
and perception as level 6;
sonic attack either makes
appears to have animal-like speed, strength, CALIFORNIA
all within short range lose stealth, and senses. She occasionally The most infamous villain in LA is very
their next action or inflicts
6 points of damage to one partners with a man called Caterwaul likely Kaos. This maverique has powers
target and makes them
lose their next action who has horrific sonic abilities. They might that affect probability, but always seem to
Breakneck: level 4, Speed seem like a strange pair, but Caterwaul end in destruction. While they sometimes
defense and initiative as
level 7, Might defense and is also very stealthy—until he decidedly commit crimes for money or personal
strength-related tasks as
level 5; health 28; takes is not. When they are together, Red Wolf gain, it seems that other times Kaos acts
two actions in a round; has earplugs that make her temporarily purely for the chaos they sow.
melee attack inflicts 10
points of damage, or 12 immune to Caterwaul’s sonic cry. An occasional ally of Kaos calls himself
points if not standing still
Debris: level 5, stealth as
Solar One is one of BASTION’s newest Breakneck, and he is both fantastically
level 6; makes any inanimate facilities, entirely powered by solar energy. strong and fast, making for a deadly
object (or part of an object)
lower than level 6 within It is a research facility in the middle of combination. Meanwhile, Debris and the
short range crumble or
explode, inflicting 6 points the Arizona desert. The staff consists of Hook are a pair of superhuman thieves
of damage to anyone
in immediate range more than 500 people, including security who use their abilities to break into very
The Hook: level 5, Might personnel, research scientists, technicians, secure places (bank vaults, for example).
defense and hook attacks
as level 7; health 20; Armor administrators, and field agents. Debris can cause any matter to crumble—
3; hook attack deals 7
points of damage to a
Solar One’s main focus is research, and with explosive force if she wishes—while
target within short range
or 5 points of damage to all
even more specifically energy research. the Hook is a homicidal fiend with body
targets in immediate range; Their ultimate goal is the discovery of a clean armor and a long hooked chain.
uses chain to bind a target
(level 7 task to escape) energy source not only efficient enough Fortunately, LA is under the protection
Kaos, page 128 to replace fossil fuels, but potent enough of the alien Blackstar, with her various
Blackstar, page 108 to power experimental projects including powers and abilities.

182
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
 Superpowered Survey
Valor and Whisper, married heroes CANADA Valor, page 150
beloved by all, have operated on the A fair number of Canadian superhumans Whisper, page 154
West Coast for more than twenty years, eventually come to the United States. Still,
although you would never guess it from based solely on population, Canada has a
looking at them, as they could both still pass higher than normal average of people born
for women in their mid-twenties. with mutant abilities. The theories explaining The hero-turned-villain
Mount Shasta in California was once this are many, but none are conclusive. Minder (page 137) also
lives in California.
a colony of the Azaki. Deep within
the mountain is a complex that holds TORONTO
sophisticated technologies, including Spectrum is very likely the best-known Spectrum: level 7;
interstellar capabilities, but getting inside Canadian superhero. She can manipulate Armor 4 (force field);
energy blasts up to
is very difficult. Only a few resourceful (or electromagnetic energy on almost every very long range inflict
lucky) individuals have done so. level and frequency. She is beloved by the city. 10 points of damage;
creates force fields
A criminal notorious for his strength and
and blinding bursts of
destructive power (but not his intelligence) light, sends messages
calls himself Piledriver. His natural strength via radio waves, moves
metallic objects up to
is enhanced further by a powered suit 500 pounds (230 kg) via
magnetism, and so on

OTHER UNITED STATES ADVENTURE IDEAS

• The members of Dread are in Atlanta, GA, where a huge comic book convention Piledriver: level 4,
strength-related tasks
(Dragon*Con) is in full swing. One of the attendees is the daughter of a scientist and Might defense
who works at Solar One, and the villains are going to try to use the confusion (and as level 7, Intellect
defense as level 3;
proliferation of people in costumes) to kidnap her. They want to use her as leverage health 25; Armor 4;
to gain access to some of the facility’s secrets from her mother. The PCs hopefully piledriver punch inflicts
intervene, but they have to find a young woman dressed as a colorful character amid 12 points of damage in
melee, but only every
a convention of 50,000 other costumed people, being held in a hotel room by villains, other action; normal
who are also in costume. melee attack deals 6
• Kaos and Breakneck have engineered a variety of disturbances in Southern California points of damage

to occupy Blackstar and the other local heroes. Meanwhile, the villains attempt to
hijack a military convoy transporting pieces of the now-destroyed International Space
Station that still has some of Cataclysm’s potent energy absorbed in its solar panels.
The PCs can move to stop them, but must first deal with Debris and the Hook, who are The thought of
New York’s Lunatic
serving as decoys to further prevent unwanted interference from superheroes. If Fringe teaming up
Kaos gets their hands on Cataclysm’s residual energies, the villain could use them to with Kaos is the sort
of thing that keeps
cause a huge calamity. heroes up at night.
• In Washington, DC, Vortex and Livewire have gathered—through deceitful websites
and social media—a large number of politically disenfranchised and generally
misinformed militia-supporting citizens that are armed and angry. They’re directing
the mob to attack the Capitol, so that in the ensuing riot and confusion, they can kidnap
a particular senator with powerful enemies in the Dagger. The whole event draws
national news. Will the PCs investigate and learn of the true forces at play?
• The Maestro in Chicago believes he has learned how to transmit his mind-control
powers via conventional radio signals. His controlled servants take over a popular
radio station in the Chicago area, and he tries to enslave much of the city’s population.
However, all goes haywire, as his powers don’t control people’s minds when
transmitted this way; instead, they drive the people into a crazed panic. The PCs need
to intervene to stop the chaos that threatens to shut down the city and result in high
casualties, and hopefully capture the Maestro before he slips away.

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 Claim the Sky
Seachange: level 5, equipped with a “piledriver” mechanism VICTORIA
Speed defense as
level 6; transforms on one arm. Piledriver hates Seachange, Canada’s Ministry of Mutant Studies has its
into water to move a villain with the ability to transform into office in this capital city in British Columbia.
through very small
spaces, ignores most water, after the latter betrayed him and This government-run, academic-focused
attacks and effects allowed him to be captured by Spectrum department conducts independent genetic
that would affect
solid matter while still
more than a year ago. research and attempts to keep a catalog of
making wavelike melee all known superhumans in Canada (and, in
attacks; immune to fire, VANCOUVER fact, the rest of the world too).
takes double damage
from cold attacks Moonlight fights crime in this large city
Moonlight: level 5,
with her decidedly pacifist abilities, which MEXICO CITY
Speed defense and function only at night. El Campeón (the Champion) leads a team
social interaction as Mountain, or Smámelet, is an indigenous of heroes that call themselves Defensor.
level 6; causes target to
fall asleep with touch, man with great strength and stamina. He Other members include the telekinetic
drains the aggression champions the cause of the First Nations, Azura, a teleporter named Desaparecer,
from all in immediate
range; powers work but has come to the aid of all Canadians and Absorber, who can take on the qualities
only at night multiple times and is a friend of Moonlight. of the material he touches. Defensor
Mountain: level 8, Hyungnim is a Korean-born criminal has taken great strides toward making
strength-related tasks with a large organization in Vancouver. Mexico City safe, and thus the group is
and Might defense
as level 10, Speed He sometimes relies upon superhuman very beloved, although there is some
defense as level 7; enforcers or mercenaries. Rather than resentment that they don’t help people
health 75; Armor 3;
melee attack inflicts joining the Dagger, he sees them as his outside the capital. (El Campeón says,
18 points of damage enemies, and the intergang violence perhaps understandably, that they are a
Hyungnim: level 6; between the two groups has become an small team and it’s a large country.)
stealth, Speed defense, issue for the city.
and intimidation as
level 7; Armor 1; carries
a handgun as well as a
high-tech device such
as a powerful explosive,
gas bomb, or teleporter
El Campeón: level 7,
Speed defense as
level 9 (from shield),
acrobatics and Intellect
defense as level 8;
health 30; Armor 1;
has a shield of
superhard material;
inflicts 10 points of
damage in melee
Azura: level 6; can
fly and move objects
within long range up
to 100 pounds (45 kg)
Desaparecer: level 5,
Speed defense and
perception as level 6;
teleports up to 100
miles (160 km)
Absorber: level 6;
can increase Armor
to 6 and health to 40
depending on material
touched; absorbs
other properties
as well, depending
on the substance

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

THE DAGGER AND THE DRUG CARTELS
One way or another, the Dagger controls
the majority of the infamous Mexican drug
cartels, either directly or indirectly. As a
result, BASTION has become involved with
combating these criminal empires using its
highly sophisticated operations, including
satellite tracking, high-tech weaponry,
and advanced detection equipment. The
Mexican government cooperates with
BASTION fully, seeing them as perhaps the
only solution to the growing power of the
syndicates. The Dagger supplies the drug
lords with its own channels of high-tech
weaponry and equipment.
There are a few superhuman agents
on both sides of this escalating conflict.
Cartel enforcers include Chanate, a
man with cybernetic enhancements,
and Grenada, an assassin who can turn
anything he touches into an energized
bomb. La Cuebra works for the Mexican
special forces, spreading terror among
the cartels with her ability to transform
into a giant serpent.
THE SILENT ZONE
Near Ceballos in Durango, Mexico, lies
a strange locale called the Silent Zone,
among other names. This area is a natural
crossover point with many other dimensions,
and thus it is here that one can access
the Worlds Between. Not surprisingly,
this region is known for mysterious
disappearances as well as strange
sightings of unearthly beasts and objects.
A woman known simply as Serenity
watches over the interdimensional junction.
She is very likely not from this world,
but no one knows for certain. She does
possess a wide knowledge of other worlds.
In the past, she has contacted powerful
allies in their dreams to help her contain
Superpowered Survey
NORTH AMERICAN ADVENTURE IDEAS
• The Wendigo is particularly active in
Northern Canada, attacking remote
villages and camps. Mountain calls upon
the heroes for help, because it’s not the
Wendigo, it’s a wendigo—there are many
of them, and they are gathering. The
PCs and Mountain may learn that the
creatures are coming together due to a
celestial event that occurs once every
200 years. And wendigos have to eat . . .
• A group of drug cartel soldiers
accidentally wandered into the
Silent Zone and passed into another
dimension. Serenity contacts the PCs
through their dreams to ask for help,
because the cartel is sending more
people in to find the missing members,
and meanwhile the soldiers—desperate
to get back to Earth—are causing
trouble in an otherwise peaceful and
harmonious world.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH
AMERICA
El Incendio is a criminal and a mercenary
operating throughout Central America
and some of South America. What almost
no one realizes is that El Incendio is the
public identity of three men—triplets,
all born with the same flame powers.
They rarely allow themselves to be seen
together, but if they are, no one who
witnesses the three of them all wreathed
in fire at once lives to tell the tale.
Throughout much of the region,
mysterious entities called Agentes del Ceilo
(Agents of Heaven) roam and perform
acts of kindness, altruism, and rescue.
The name is merely what the legends and
eventually the media calls them. No one
Wendigo, page 366
Chanate: level 4;
perception and all
physical actions (including
Might and Speed defense
rolls) as level 6; health 28;
Armor 3; inflicts 7 points
of damage in melee;
built-in auto-cannon
inflicts 8 points
of damage in an
immediate area within
very long range
Grenada: level 3, Speed
defense as level 4;
Armor 2; uses an action
to charge any handheld
object to explode in
an immediate area,
inflicting 9 points of
damage, and throws the
object on next action
La Cuebra: in human
form, level 5; in serpent
form, level 5, initiative and
Speed defense as level 7;
health 24; Armor 2; bite
deals 7 points of damage,
with poison that deals
an additional 7 points
of Speed damage on a
failed Might defense roll;
constricts to immobilize
foe and inflict 5 points
of damage each round
until they get free
Serenity: level 6,
interdimensional
knowledge as level 10,
perception as level 8;
Armor 1; telepathy at a
worldwide range, but
only to people dreaming;
creates level 8 energy
shields and blasts energy
bolts at very long range
for 12 points of damage
El Incendio: level 7; flies,
wreathes themselves
in flame that inflicts 5
points of damage to
anyone touched or who
touches them, projects
blasts of flame up to a
short distance that inflict
10 points of damage

a dangerous breach or a particularly knows enough about them to know what Agentes del Ceilo: level
6, defenses as level 8;
threatening entity that has crossed over or they call themselves. They appear as
can become invisible
threatens to. glowing beings of blue-white light. and intangible (along
with one other person
touched), heals wounds

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 Claim the Sky
that had been entombed for millions
of years. When archeologists
discovered the site, they released
the Numinous, which then spread to
various areas of the world, apparently
carrying out previous instructions to
redesign the planet. Silver Sentinel dealt
with them, but only by convincing them
to go back into “hibernation” because the
time wasn’t right. These beings remain in
the tombs, watched closely by BASTION
agents stationed there.
A crimefighter named Mariposa helps
keep Rio de Janeiro safe from the gang
violence there. She is very fast and can fly
with her mothlike wings, but only at night.

Mariposa: level 4, PERU

Speed-based tasks
(including Speed
GUATEMALA Lord Ash maintains his secret base within
defense) as level 6; The powerful entity known as the Sabancaya Volcano in Peru. A Peruvian
Armor 1; flies; powers Elemental now spends much of their native, this mutant absorbs energy and
work only at night
time in Guatemala, hiding out in the uses it to power impressive abilities. He
Lord Ash, page 129 remote jungle between their attacks has long operated as a mastermind villain
Lord Ash’s soldiers: against cities and people. They travel the behind a variety of criminal operations
level 3; Armor 1; armed world in their deadly crusade, but they call throughout the world. Within his volcano
with automatic rifles
Guatemala home. base, he employs an army of soldiers and
The Elemental, page 117 technicians, as well as at least two or three
BRAZIL superpowered mercenaries he has hired.
Site 351 is an Azaki ruin in the Amazon The base is a well-kept secret, but should
jungle. Of all Azaki sites, it proved to be one it ever be discovered, the arrogant Ash
of the most dangerous to Earth, because it would likely enjoy fighting his foes on his
The Numinous: level 10, housed ancient beings called the Numinous own territory.
strength and power use
as level 12; health 100;
Armor 10; reshapes CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN ADVENTURE IDEAS
matter within very
• BASTION calls the PCs for help when it appears that the Numinous have begun to
long range, potentially
affecting all targets stir. However, it is Lord Ash who is attempting to awaken them for his own ends. He’s
within that area currently employing the Elemental to try to create havoc over their tombs. The PCs
need to stop this just in case his insane plan might work.
• Industrialists are investigating the Swarming Island off the coast of Chile to look for
resources. This stirs the Kresh into a frenzy, and the PCs must intervene before the
insects destroy a good deal of the Chilean coast, and—if they’re feeling generous—
rescue any corporate fools who might still be alive on the island.
• The Agentes del Ceilo are acting with greater frequency, but not all their actions
are helpful, and some are outright hostile. The Majestic Family goes to El Salvador
to investigate, but they mysteriously disappear. The PCs must find and rescue the
Majestics and learn what is causing this odd behavior in the Agentes del Ceilo. In truth,
an alien virus has infected these ethereal beings, and they’ve taken the Majestic Family
captive. Worst of all, the virus was unleashed by Baron Shadow as part of a larger plot.

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 Superpowered Survey
CHILE by Justus Faust. The corporation has its Kresh: Use the
xenoparasite stats,
The Swarming Island is a little-known own private army of security personnel although they are a bit
island off the coast of Chile. It is the domain and operatives throughout the world, more intelligent and a
bit less aggressive.
of the Kresh, a species of intelligent, often opposing their main rival, Dynamic,
human-sized insects. As long as they are Inc. in the United States. Faust’s main
left alone, the Kresh are usually peaceful. headquarters is in Berlin, but it has facilities Xenoparasite
stats, page 369
Disturbed, they can be a threat to everyone throughout Germany and the world. Faust
along the Chilean coast. has worked with the Dagger in the past,
Faust corporate spy:
but it has also opposed them in certain level 4, stealth as level 5;
operations, so the situation is complicated. Armor 1; uses a variety
EUROPE Winged Justice is a German hero with
of cutting-edge tech
equipment as well as
The European Union has an officially wings and psychic abilities. She operates poisoned weapons
sanctioned super-team called the Golden throughout the country, but is most often Winged Justice: level 6;
Shield, headquartered in Spain. seen in Berlin. Speed defense,
acrobatics, and
initiative as level 8; flies;
GERMANY NORWAY speaks telepathically
in very long range,
Operating throughout Europe, terrorist Two well-known supervillains operate reads unwilling minds
and archcriminal Midknight wears a suit within Norway. Mayhem and Tyrant work forcefully in short
range, and creates
of armor and a powered black blade. He both individually and together. Mayhem has mental illusions
claims them to be magical, but they are in a wide variety of energy-based powers including obscuring
her own presence
fact high-tech devices created by Anton and seems interested in disrupting the (essentially invisibility)
Wolf, the German weapons designer. status quo any way he can. Tyrant is an Midknight, page 136
Wolf has created many high-tech alien being from a distant dimension
Anton Wolf: level 5,
devices, armors, and weapons, mostly interested in creating a personal technological
for criminals. He was aligned with the empire on Earth. Both are opposed by understanding and
crafting as level 9
Dagger for many years, but has since gone Cyberwolf, who was a hero with wolflike
freelance. He has secret laboratories in speed and senses called Lupine until she Mayhem: level 5;
Armor 3 (force field);
Munich and Hamburg. was seriously injured and saved by a creates energy blasts
Wolf has also worked with Germany’s cyberneticist named Kristoffer Poulsen in long range that inflict
10 points of damage
Faust Industries, a multinational firm led using experimental procedures. Now as
Tyrant: level 7, imposing
his mental will as level 9,
strength-based tasks
and Might defense
as level 8; health 30;
Armor 1; melee attacks
inflict 8 points of
damage; controls up to
six minds at a time up
to long distance, with
each controlled mind
giving him +5 health, +1
Armor, and +1 damage
in melee attacks
Cyberwolf: level 5,
perception and all
physical actions
(including Speed and
Might defense) as level 7;
health 28; Armor 2;
claws inflict 8 points
of damage in melee
Kristoffer Poulsen:
level 4, Intellect-based
actions as level 6,
cybernetics as level 9

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 Claim the Sky
Streghe member: Cyberwolf, she has even more enhanced
level 4, mystical strength and speed as well as armor.
knowledge as level 5;
weaves illusions, Meanwhile, rumors suggest that Dr.
casts spells that inflict Poulsen continues to experiment with
4 points of damage
cybernetics and has likely created other
at short range or
negate a target’s next superhumans doing so.
action; usually has a
poisoned weapon
FRANCE
Combattente: level 5, BASTION’s main headquarters is located in
all physical actions Paris, although they have offices all across
(including Might and
Speed defense) as the globe. This sprawling complex has its
level 6; health 24; own airfield and space launch platform, its
Armor 2; uses a variety
own defense force (including a squadron
of devices that allow
him to see through of fighter jets and a unit of tanks), and
matter, levitate, create helicopters, miscellaneous aircraft, and
obscuring mist or mind-
warping vapors (inflicts other similar resources. The headquarters
6 points of Intellect has a staff of almost 1,000 agents,
damage), and more technicians, support personnel, security,
BASTION agent and administrators. From here, the
(standard and organization can access communications
elite), page 179
and surveillance systems across the globe,
including its own array of satellites. The
Director Odette Cane: head of BASTION, Director Odette Cane,
level 7, world affairs maintains her office here.
and administration
as level 9; Armor 3
(personal force field); SPAIN
equipped with the latest
The European Union presented Europe’s
equipment available,
very likely concealed premier superhero team, the Golden
Shield, with a base on Spain’s Costa
del Sol, near the city of Málaga. Shield
Tower, as it is known, is a tall, glimmering
structure with a variety of technological
developments, including defenses,
monitoring systems, and a teleporter.
Golden Shield’s membership is large and
includes members from Spain, Portugal,
France, Italy, Greece, and Belgium. Golden
Shield is different from other superhero
teams in the world because most of
Golden Shield typical the members have similar powers, and
member: level 5, either when complemented with standard issue
Might or Speed defense
as level 6; health 20; equipment and armor, the members are
Armor 2; creates an more alike than different.
energy attack that
inflicts 8 points of
damage in melee or ITALY
up to short range In northern Italy, a castle called Castello
Mistero lies hidden in a remote mountain
valley. Once used by the Dark Ages
sorcerer Caduto to summon the
extradimensional demonic entity the
Corpselord, it remains a place of mystic
power and significance. Baron Shadow
used it as a personal lair in the 1990s, but
now it is the hidden home of a coven of evil
witches called the Streghe. The Streghe
seek to transform the country (and in
fact, the whole continent and even the
world) back to La Vecchia Religione (“the
Old Religion”) by conjuring the ghost of
an ancient witch of great power called
Erodiade. To this end, their agents scour
the region for the infamous book called
The Witches’ True Gospels.
Farther south, in Rome, the Italian
crimefighter Combattente uses a variety
of technological gadgets and what would
seem to be superhuman strength and
agility to deal with various threats.
GREECE
Earth’s Army is a terrorist organization
seeking to stop climate change at any cost.
They murder polluters and the heads of
corporations that cause environmental
damage. They have a secret base on a
Greek island. To fund their activities, they
stage heists, usually targeting corporations
that are not environmentally friendly. They
have helicopters, ships, and a variety of
other vehicles as well as powerful weapons
at their disposal.
POLAND
Deep in a dark forest of western Poland
lies the Waystation, a sort of crossroads of
time created by beings from the far future.
The Waystation appears to be an empty
glade in the woods, but from time to time
strange entities and sometimes fabulous
machines appear there, remain for a short
while, and then disappear again. Although
these future beings avoid contact with
people in the present, content to go about
their own mysterious business, there have
been exceptions. For example, one such
being contacted the hero Paragon in the
1980s to warn of the coming Grin invasion
before leaving again.

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 Superpowered Survey
Ravenmaster is a man with the ability to UKRAINE Ravenmaster: level 4,
communicate with and control ravens in The Replicator is a scientific genius in the handling ravens as
level 6; mentally
great numbers. He uses them to commit field of experimental biology, and also a controls a large
crimes of various kinds and runs afoul of villain who wears Azaki armbands that allow murder of ravens to
do his bidding within
heroes like Sunrise, who wears a high-tech him to create duplicates of himself. He has
1 mile (1.5 km)
suit that produces intense light and heat created advanced clones of both living and
at her command. Recently, Ravenmaster dead people. Some of these he has used Murder of ravens:
used something he calls “genetic sorcery” for various schemes, such as replacing level 5 (individual
ravens as level 2)
to give intelligence, size, and vaguely influential people with clones under his
humanoid form to his raven servitors, control for his own gain. Most recently, The Replicator: level 4,
which he calls the Starodawny because however, he simply offers his services on biological knowledge as
level 8; creates up to six
he believes that raven folk such as these the dark web to those that can afford the duplicates of himself
dwelled in the area long before humanity. exorbitant price tags. Many of his clients under his control;
the duplicates must
are powerful criminals who have had him
remain within very long
ROMANIA create clone duplicates of themselves distance and never last
Home to Vampir, the infamous figure from or—more commonly—had deceased loved more than 24 hours;
he suffers no ill effects
both world wars, Romania is the birthplace ones cloned to effectively return them from if a duplicate is killed
of all vampires. Almost every mystic hero the dead. At least one known deceased
has run afoul of these horrific products of superhuman, Mindhunter, is once again Sunrise: level 5; Armor 3;
dark sorcery, but thankfully they seem to active thanks to the Replicator. produces blinding light
and/or blistering heat,
be very few in number. The Replicator has a secret lab in inflicting blindness and
Of course, Romania is known for more Odessa, but he probably has others as well. 5 points of damage
in a medium area
than such creatures. In Bucharest, a
or as a long-range
woman called Putere uses personally GREAT BRITAIN blast that inflicts 8
generated energy blasts and force fields In Britain, a Lancastrian named Elizabeth points of damage
to wage war against organized crime and Southerns claims to be the infamous Starodawny: level 3,
political corruption. (When talking to English Demdike of the Pendle Witch Trials perception and
stealth as level 4
speakers, she calls herself “Energon.”) of 1612. True or not, she is a powerful
superhuman with powers of a mystical
Vampire, page 362

EUROPEAN ADVENTURE IDEAS

Vampir, page 167
• Faust Industries hires Midknight, Talon, and Icefire to accompany some of their
operatives to Romania to try to find Vampir and see if he was actually destroyed. The
Putere (Energon):
superpowered mercs are there in case the vampire proves to be dangerous, but
level 4; Armor 4 (force
their presence alerts BASTION, who calls the PCs in to investigate. Once the PCs learn field); creates energy
what the villains are up to, they can try to find them by following the same investigative blasts that inflict 7
points of damage
path toward Vampir. Of course, the undead don’t stay dead forever, but Vampir has at long range
no interest in allying himself once again with a group of humans, particularly German
humans. A three-way confrontation seems likely.
Demdike, page 114
• An overland shipment transporting experimental solar crystals through Poland is
attacked and robbed, apparently by the Dagger. The PCs are asked by the developers
Talon, page 190
of this new technology to find the crystals, which are not just valuable, but dangerous.
However, the thieves weren’t the Dagger at all, but Ravenmaster and his minions. The
Icefire, page 190
PCs need to find them before the unstable crystals cause a major catastrophe.
• The PCs are contacted by Ella Brodach, the powerful American mystic, to help her
track down Demdike, who has stolen a sorcerous relic. It turns out that it’s not Ella
at all, but instead Demdike herself, who lures the PCs into a trap with her coven in
England, where she needs sacrifices to complete a dark ritual.

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Lesser witches: level 5;
casts various minor
spells that charm targets
or put them to sleep
The Gentleman, page 120
Solitaire: level 4, tech
knowledge as level 6,
Speed and Intellect
defense as level 5;
Armor 2; various
devices, including Jack
of Diamonds (explodes
in a medium area for 6
points of damage), Three
of Hearts (temporarily
provides +1 Armor),
King of Clubs (eats
through steel up to 1
inch thick) and Nine
of Spades (grants +1
to Speed defense)
Talon: level 5, Might
defense as level 7;
health 30; Armor 4; claws
inflict 8 points of damage
Icefire: level 5; Armor 2
(ice); creates ice objects
up to a medium area in
size; projects blasts of fire
up to medium range that
inflict 8 points of damage
origin. She terrorizes the British Isles with
conjured demons and ghosts, using her
abilities to curse her enemies and control
the minds of others, always for her own
gain. Demdike has undertaken schemes
that have led her to mainland Europe and
America numerous times. She commands
a coven of lesser witches as well.
In London, the mystic hero the
Gentleman dwells within a strange old
house that is far larger on the inside
than the outside, its interior filled with all
manner of magical creatures and artifacts.
Whenever someone learns that the house
is his, a mystic spell erases that knowledge
from their memory.
On a less mystical front, London hero
Solitaire wields a variety of card-based
gimmicks to flavor his high-tech devices.
He routinely deals with superhuman
opponents such as Talon, an assassin and
thief who can change her skin to metal and
her hands to metallic claws, and Icefire, a
criminal enforcer who can generate fire
and ice at the same time.
The Irish psychic vampire known as
Mindhunter, perhaps the best psychic
tracker in the world, was killed in a
confrontation with BASTION agents in
2009, but recently the Replicator in Ukraine
created his clone for the Dagger, who
needed him to find a rogue agent who had
vital secrets. Mindhunter is now once again
active in Ireland and throughout Europe.
ASIA
Asia has a long history of superhumans
and paranormal occurrences. Although
long unwelcome in much of the continent,
BASTION has always had a clandestine
presence there, and today that presence
is much more overt (and much more
welcome) in many countries.

CHINA
Officially, China has no superhumans, and
superhumans are not allowed. In actual
Mindhunter: level 8, fact, there are many. Why the Chinese
telepathic tracking government refuses to admit their
as level 10; finds and
tracks living people existence is unclear, but they have their
with unlimited range; own secretive bureau for dealing with
touch inflicts 10 points
of Intellect damage, supernatural threats called the Èzhì, a
which also restores word that implies “containment.”
5 health for him or
eases his next action Perhaps the most infamous Chinese
Gonggong: level 7, Intellect superhumans are the Four Perils,
defense as level 9;
health 30; telekinesis patterned after the mythological figures
within long range, of the same name described in the Book
affecting objects up to
1,000 pounds (450 kg); of Documents. These men claim to be
telekinetically strikes the mythological figures, but that seems
or rends, inflicting 12
points of damage unlikely (and they appear to be human).
Huandou: level 8; They use their abilities to gain wealth and
health 30; immune to
fire; hurls fire within power however they can, sometimes
long range, inflicting taking over entire towns.
12 points of damage;
creates a conflagration • Gonggong has powerful telekinetic
filling a medium area, powers that he uses primarily to
inflicting 5 points of
damage; sheathes destroy objects and tear apart matter.
himself in flame (those • Huandou wields fiery powers and can
who touch him suffer
5 points of damage) start fires at a distance, surround himself
with flame, and hurl bolts of pure fire.

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• Gun is Huandou’s opposite, in many
ways, with control over water.
• Sanmiao creates energy weapons and
armor that he uses. Typically, he girds
himself in traditional Chinese armor
and wields a sword.
Microbiologist Dr. Li Daiyu secretly
operates as Daiyu (Black Jade), a hero
who uses a suit of organic armor as
sophisticated as any mechanical battle suit
on the planet.
JAPAN
Japanese culture revels in superhero
fascination and celebrity. In Tokyo, a
speedster calling herself Jinsoku (“Swift”)
founded a team of superheroes called
Senshukan (“The Greatest”). The membership
is fluid. The team operates throughout
East Asia, particularly in South Korea, the
Philippines, and Indonesia, as well as Japan.
RUSSIA
Yohontov Technologies, based in Moscow,
is probably the world leader in robotics
development. The Russian government as
well as private groups have commissioned
them to create utterly lifelike androids for
various—usually clandestine—purposes.
Sometimes these androids are used as
body doubles for important figures, and
the organization known as Blood Moon has
more than once attempted to assassinate
and replace important world leaders with
Yohontov android replicants.
Blood Moon is a criminal organization
that seeks nothing less than world
domination. Initially comprised of
disaffected Dagger members, after the
fall of the Soviet Union, Blood Moon was
essentially coopted by ex-Soviet military
and Russian organized crime with visions
of grandeur. For a time, Baron Shadow
usurped the leadership and directed
the group from his asteroid base known
as the Crucible, but after a few failed
endeavors, he abandoned Blood Moon to
its own devices.
Superpowered Survey
Blood Moon employs more than 100 Gun: level 8, Might
scientists (some against their will) defense as level 9;
health 35; generates
to advance exploitable technologies. blast of water inflicting
Currently, their projects focus on mind 11 points of damage
at medium range;
control, teleportation, and energy weapons
telekinesis affecting
research. The group has hidden bases only water, up to 12,000
worldwide, but the largest by far is in gallons (about 50 tons
or 1,600 cubic feet)
Saint Petersburg. They also have a mobile
underwater base in the Atlantic. Sanmiao: level 7, energy
Opposing Blood Moon and other powered weapon attacks as level
8; health 30; Armor
threats is the hero Vega, a superhuman 4 (energy); inflicts 10
with an extremely malleable body. He can points of damage with
energy weapons
stretch his body up to ten times its normal
length, and he can mimic the features of Daiyu: level 6, biology as
other people or even inanimate objects. He level 9, Speed defense
and Intellect defense
claims to have gained this power when he as level 7; Armor 9;
was abducted by aliens from Vega, but his flies a long distance
each round with
story is somewhat suspect.
wings from organic
The mysterious Russian city of Luchshe armor; regenerates 1
dates back to the Soviet era when it was health per round while
wearing organic armor
formed as a place to study, train, and
create superhumans, often through cruel Vega: level 7, disguise as
and sometimes deadly experimentation. level 10, Speed defense
as level 8; health 40;
Russia has officially denied the hidden stretches up to 50 feet
city’s existence, but this was made more (15 m) long (medium
range), flies a long
difficult when it was taken over by the
distance each round
Inheritors. The Inheritors are a political by making “wings,” and
extremist group fighting for the rights of impersonates other
creatures and objects
superhumans, particularly in a country
that has mostly exploited them. Each Jinsoku, page 127
individual in the group has some kind of
superhuman ability, but many are fairly
inconsequential or even debilitating, such
as heightened skin sensitivity, extra digits, Replicant, page 351
or wings instead of arms. The group’s
leader is the charismatic Demetrius, who Demetrius: level 6,
has the power to paralyze creatures with interactions as level 10;
health 31; touch inflicts
a touch. Demetrius seeks to reveal the 10 points of Speed
existence and horrific history of Luchshe, damage and the target
loses their next action
and wants to make it a safe haven for all
superhumans that wish to come.
Feedback: level 5,
SOUTH KOREA stealth and lockpicking
as level 6; physical
Feedback is a supervillain who operates and energy attacks
out of South Korea. A criminal and a do not affect her,
and instead rebound
mercenary, she can redirect any force
against the attacker,
used against her. unless she uses her
action to redirect them
to a different target

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INDIA AFRICA
Vishesh: level 5, Vishesh is a hero who seemingly cannot Beneath the Sahara Desert lies one of the
all actions as level fail. His actions always appear to succeed, many caverns of Inner Earth, and buried
10 due to luck
and attacks against him miss their mark. in the desert are ancient ruins that mark
Inner Earth, page 197 Probability around him seems to bend, multiple entrances to that realm. Like all of
always in his favor. A popular hero of Inner Earth, the cavern was likely created
the people, he fights crime and injustice or altered by the Azaki, but the region
wherever he finds it with humor and glee. beneath the Sahara seems to contain
Brhatkāya: at The superpowered Brhatkāya can grow a great many creatures, ruins, and lost
º º
normal size: level 3; at to gargantuan size, using this ability to civilizations that deal in sorcery.
gargantuan size: level 6,
strength-related tasks work as a criminal enforcer. Creatures and entities from Inner
and Might defense as Earth threaten all of north Africa, making
level 9, Speed defense
as level 2 due to size;
VILLARAMA sudden and unexpected appearances.
health 90; Armor 3; Nestled in the Himalayas, the remote They attack humans—usually at night—and
melee attacks inflict kingdom of Villarama lies within a broad pose a significant danger, particularly
13 points of damage
and fertile valley. This tiny kingdom’s royal to small groups of travelers. More than
Royal House of Videsh, family, like the rest of their land, has been once, heroes have had to follow these
page 139 isolated from the rest of the world. Every raiders down into the subterranean world
Villarama does not exist member of the family has some kind of to retrieve kidnapped victims or to try to
on our Earth—only in superhuman ability. prevent a large-scale invasion.
the Boundless setting.

SAUDI ARABIA CONGO

Death Beam, page 112 Death Beam was created by the Saudi Within the Itombwe Massif in the
military as an experimental weapon, but Democratic Republic of the Congo lies a
Mutant gorilla: level 4, the synthezoid escaped and now operates hidden enclave of intelligent mutant gorillas
strength-related tasks as a thief and assassin for hire throughout and chimpanzees. They have their own
and Might defense as
level 7; health 38 the world. Their secret lair is still in Saudi language that uses sounds and gestures,
Mutant chimpanzee: Arabia, within an abandoned military but some are able to communicate with
level 3, strength-related facility. humans using devices of their own
tasks and Might defense
as level 4; health 18 creation. The matriarch of this mysterious
group of animals is a chimpanzee named
Aichee: level 7, Aichee, who is a powerful telekinetic and
perception and telepath. She is not particularly friendly
organization as level 8;
health 25; telepathy with
a range of 100 miles ASIA ADVENTURE IDEAS
(160 km); telekinesis
up to 1,000 pounds • Death Beam and Brhatkāya team up to attack the entourage of an Indian governor.
º
(450 kg) up to a long The governor narrowly manages to escape, but the villains are certain to strike
distance away again. Vishesh comes to help but recognizes that even with his luck, he might be in
over his head. He calls upon the PCs for help in not only protecting the governor, but
determining who hired superpowered assassins to kill him.
• The Inheritors in Russia kidnap a number of prominent superhumans, some of them
allies of the PCs. When the PCs travel to Luchshe to intervene, Demetrius insists that
the “victims” aren’t being held against their will, but instead have joined the Inheritors.
He brings out one of the superhumans, who agrees that everything is fine. But
something seems strange. In truth, the people taken are being indoctrinated. The
superhuman who assured the heroes that all is well is an Inheritor shapechanger.
The Inheritors do believe the indoctrination is for the superhumans’ best interests, but
they are not there willingly—at least, not until Demetrius convinces them otherwise.

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BASTION MISSION
445B , Report 5: Inner Ea
Beneath the planet’s rth
surface lies a netwo
vast caverns, known rk of tun ne ls and caves, including
collectively as Inner an unknown number
his expedition, Inner Earth. While officially of extremely
Earth has in fact bee discovered in 1833
n kno wn to much older civ by Sir Ashton Wellin
Caliphate in North Afr ilizations, perhaps sta gton and
ica (661–750 CE). (Fo rting with the Umayy
see sections 2.3–2.8.) r more on historical ad
encounters with Inner
Earth or its inhabitants
,
Inhabitants: Surprisin
gly, a wide variety of
• Undermen are sho animal life and intelli
rt, humanoid beings gent life make their
with rocky skin and var homes in Inner Earth.
subject of the bulk of ying degrees of intelli
this report. gence. They are the
• At least one of the
large caverns (Gran
variety of extinct anima d Cavern 4, also kno
l life that was found wn as the Timelost Ca
on the surface in far vern) is home to a wid
creatures. (For more distant eras, including e
on Grand Cavern 4, dinosaurs and similar
• A small nation-stat see Mission 445B, Re
e of humans lives in port 8, section 5.9.)
surface-dwellers tha what is called the Mi
t migrated undergro st Cavern (Grand Ca
und at least a millen vern 8). Descendants
abnormal (perhaps my nium ago, these peo of
stical?) abilities and ple are hostile and pos
Report 8, section 6. technology. (For more sess
For more on the pos on Grand Cavern 8,
Magic.) sible existence of my see Mission 445B,
stical powers and sor
cery, see Report 01
84:
Azaki connection: Th
eorists and on-staff
was another creation analysts speculate tha
of the ancient alien col t Inner Earth, clearly
contain Azaki ruins, onists classified as the not a natural phenom
and it is likely there are Azaki. Cavern 334 an enon,
Azure.) mo re. (Analysis Departm d Grand Cavern 4
ent files 4401A–44
04F, classification
Mission 445B: In 19
95, BASTION task for
first expedition, 445A ce Gamma set upon
, disappeared and wa an extensive explorati
explored some of Gr s never recovered. Mi on of Inner Earth. Th
and Cavern 1 (home ssion 445B lasted alm e
a foray into Grand Ca to the Undermen) and ost three months, an
vern 4 before missio the relatively empty d
by a carnivorous rep n lead Captain Torge Grand Cavern 2, and
tile. This turn of events rso n (Ag ent 445B-001) was ma de
suffered serious losses brought Mission 44 killed and eaten
prior to the death of 5B to an end, as the
geological surveys con the ir commander. Repor expedition had alread
ducted. This report det ts 1–4, previously file y
of Grand Cavern 1 reg ails information gathe d, detail the maps an
arding the sociology red fro m the expedition’s ste d
Undermen’s military and political structure althy exploration
capabilities and threat of the inhabitants. Re
Within Grand Caver assessment thereof. port 6 will detail the
n 1, the Undermen dw
reaches 100,000 or ell in a series of small
more. “Undermen” is communities. Their tot
thrill-seeking explorers a crude translation of al population likely
in the 1920s who des their own name for the
multiple occasions, ult cended into Inner Ear mselves, coined by
imately paying with the th and apparently en
this commonly under ir lives in many cases. raged the inhabitants
stood term for these Throughout this rep on
humanoids. ort, we will continue
to use
Undermen: While the
standard individual ap
into the human range pears to be slightly mo
of intellect. They are re intelligent than a
by human standards ruled by a single mo chimpanzee, others
in many ways, occasi narch and, despite rem fall
anything we possess. onally use technology aining at a primitive
This contradiction ha far superior to, and level
Agent 445B-088 an s never been fully exp considerably different
d the findings of Agen lained, although specul from,
related to the alien vis ts 445B-023 and 44 ation by team memb
itors known as the Aza 5B -07 5 sug gests that perhaps thi er
multiple civilian histor ki, corroborating the s technology is
ians. ories put forth by BA
STION analysts as we
ll as

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 Claim the Sky
Third Claw members: to humans. Locals in the area say that the for the extrajudicial murders of other
level 6, Might- and apes are building a massive structure or criminals. Third Claw members do not have
Speed-related tasks
as level 8; health 28; device, but no one has been able to get individual code names, but use their real
melee attacks inflict close enough to learn what it is. names: Aasir, Obuya, and Wasaki. Each is
12 points of damage
superhumanly fast and strong, and all are
The Corvid: level 5, GABON proficient with a variety of weapons.
stealth as level 8, The Corvid is a sophisticated and skilled
Speed-related tasks
as level 7; Armor 2; thief with supernatural powers and MAURITANIA
has a wide variety of gadgets who operates out of Gabon, but An entity called Sellala causes grief in the
gadgets and weapons
she is wanted throughout much of the cities and towns of Mauritania, feeding on
Sellala: level 7, stealth continent. blood like a vampire. Unlike the vampire
as level 8; health 40; legends of Europe, however, Sellala can
drain victim of blood/
essence through bite, KENYA tolerate sunlight (although she prefers
inflicting 10 points of In Nairobi, a trio of superhumans calling to operate at night) and can even drain
damage and either
themselves the Third Claw operate as a victim at a distance using sorcery. She
restoring 5 health or
granting her an asset mercenaries. While they often work for appears not to age and may be immortal.
on her next action. She organized crime in the country, they are It is very likely that Sellala originates
can also do so at up
to long range, but only sometimes employed by the government from Inner Earth and traveled to the
inflicts 5 damage and surface via the Saharan entrances
restores 3 health. into that realm. She has clashed with
The Gentleman, page 120 other superhumans, primarily those
Sahir: level 5, mystic also practicing mystic arts such as the
knowledge and Intellect Gentleman and especially Sahir (and her
defense as level 6;
Armor 1; mystic blasts partner, Quake) from Morocco.
inflict 8 points of
damage to whatever
Pool she chooses;
MOROCCO
levitates, heals 5 An interesting duo of superhumans
health with a touch, operates in Morocco. Sahir has mystical
and sends one-way
telepathic messages powers that she gained after her
anywhere on Earth disappearance into Inner Earth as a
Quake: level 5, Might young woman. Quake (sometimes
defense as level 6; called Zilzal, which is Arabic for
health 30; moves or
reshapes earth and “quake”) wields extraordinary
stone within a short influence over earth and stone.
distance, including
Together they deal with local
mentally hurling
stone to inflict 10 threats as well as those across
points of damage much of northern Africa. Their foes
Executor: level 4, range from criminals and militants
perception as level 6, to superpowered threats, including
attacks and strength-
related tasks as level creatures and entities from Inner Earth.
5; health 20; Armor 4
NIGERIA
The Dagger operates throughout Africa,
but its headquarters on the continent
appears to be in Nigeria. There, they
deploy the cybernetic enforcers called the
Executors to carry out missions of all types
(and frequently hire them out to other
criminals or branches of the Dagger).

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 Superpowered Survey
AFRICAN ADVENTURE IDEAS
Grin warrior: use
• The PCs, in attempting to find Baron Shadow, learn of his Rwandan base. While the
giant stats, page 333
Baron is not there, his superpowered underlings in the base have kidnapped Aichee,
the leader of the mutant apes in the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo. They
Redshift: level 6, Speed
hope to study her to learn how to gain control of her people or create their own tasks as level 9; can
mutant apes and gorillas. move a very long
• A Grin scout team has established a secret station in Namibia to spy on Earth from distance and take an
action; can attack all
a remote location. When BASTION discovered this and attempted to destroy it, they foes in short range with
encountered one of the aliens’ new superpowered agents, a Grin warrior that can a punch; moves at one
hundred times normal
grow to gigantic proportion. BASTION puts out a desperate call for heroes to help. speed if she only
moves as her action
The Dagger’s chief opponent in Nigeria summoning/meditation chambers, but Vanish: level 5, stealth
is a crimefighter named Redshift, who has none of the underlings use or even go into as level 8; turns invisible
the ability to move at incredible speeds. these rooms. The base has a hangar with
Mutant lion: level 4;
Redshift is well liked by the populace, who two helicopters and a large antigrav vehicle Speed tasks, Might
hail her as a hero wherever she goes. She that can carry up to twenty passengers. defense, and perception
has been known to work hand in hand In the dark of night, the Baron’s lackeys as level 5; health 22

with BASTION agents in coordinating their use it to abduct locals needed for the dire Minder, page 137
efforts against the vast criminal syndicate. experiments that occur here.
Baron Shadow, page 107

NAMIBIA SOUTH AFRICA Razor: level 6, Intellect

In Namibia, the True Pride is a literal pride Vanish is a South African superhero who tasks as level 8;
Armor 5; inflicts 8
of intelligent mutant lions. They remain helped in the original Grin invasion. Older
points of damage
extremely suspicious of humanity and just now but still active, the invisible hero was with razors, in melee
want to be left in peace. once partners with Minder, who was or up to long range
crucial in the fight against the Grin, but has Umbra: level 4, Speed
RWANDA since become a villain. defense and acrobatics
Baron Shadow maintains one of his bases The city of Johannesburg hosts the main as level 5; Armor 2
(shadows); forms solid
hidden deep in the Virunga Mountains BASTION base in Africa. shapes from darkness;
of Rwanda. Within this base, three of his dims or extinguishes
superhuman underlings oversee a variety light within long range

of projects and experiments. Razor, a AUSTRALIA Rampart: level 4,

mechanical genius, wears a powered Australia’s premier superhero goes strength tasks as level
7; health 25; Armor 4;
suit of retractable blades and spikes. by the name of Breach, and he is both
melee attack inflicts
His assistants are Umbra, who controls crimefighter and media sensation. His 10 points of damage
shadow and darkness, even making it solid, identity as Michael Allenburg is known to
Robot staff: level 2
and Rampart, a giant of stone with great the public, and he is an actor, a singer, and
strength. All are Rwandan except Umbra, an influencer as well as being superstrong Breach: level 6,
who is from Uganda. Rumors say that she and resilient, exceedingly charming and strength-based tasks
and Might defense
is secretly Baron Shadow’s daughter, but if handsome, and on top of everything else, as level 8; health 30;
that is true, neither he nor she is willing to he can fly. Armor 4; melee attack
make it public. The base is further staffed Far into the Outback lies at least one inflicts 8 points of
damage; flies a long
by a variety of robots. Azaki ruin. The villain Vantablack found the distance each round
The base is mostly a maze of technology for her suit there while working
laboratories and workshops, used by as an archeologist. Vantablack, page 151

Razor full time and by the Baron when he Doctor Emil Tarot operates a secret Dr. Emil Tarot:
is present. Due to the Baron’s proclivities, facility near Melbourne called the Kiln level 3, science
knowledge as level 6
the base also has occult libraries and where he uses various means to give

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 Claim the Sky
people superpowers. The process is quite
unstable, and many volunteers have died
or been horribly disfigured.
PACIFIC OCEAN
Numinous Island: Numinous Island is a little-known location,
level 12 an artificial island created by Pacific
Islanders in ages past using Azaki
technology. Although it looks like a normal
island at first, all of the plants and even
Elite BASTION agent, some of the minerals on the island are
page 179 unique. Many have supernatural qualities
such as healing, energy production, or the
Wardroid, page 365 ability to grant special powers. Only certain
people are allowed to visit the island—
usually, those who have aided the island in
some way (famously, the Silver Sentinel
is such an ally, as are the descendants of
those who created it, although they come
sparingly and only for brief, respectful
visits). Numinous Island itself is intelligent
and can teleport anyone on it anywhere
else on the planet. Most likely, it has other
powers as well.
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ATLANTIC OCEAN
Deep beneath the surface of the ocean,
hundreds of miles from dry land in any
direction, BASTION maintains its most
secure holding, known as Station Zero.
Station Zero serves as a prison for
superpowered criminals and threats that
cannot safely be contained anywhere else.
The cells can be configured with different
environments and safeguards, usually to
outright negate the abilities of the inmates.
Station Zero is guarded by a mix of elite
BASTION agents and hyper-advanced
wardroids designed by Valerie Lincoln. It
can hold 100 prisoners and is usually at
about half capacity. A special section also
holds dangerous materials and objects,
such as alien artifacts that emit harmful
radiation, poisonous gases, and so on.

INNER EARTH
Inner Earth is a mysterious subterranean
realm consisting of a number of vast
caverns, illuminated by bioluminescent
fungi that float in the air and look a little
like jellyfish. It has multiple access points
to the surface; the most well-known one
lies in the Sahara Desert. A few portions of
Inner Earth have been explored by surface
dwellers, who categorized contiguous
series of large caves as single caverns.
These regions are sometimes hundreds
of miles across, and all the known, named
caverns contain Azaki ruins.
The Kingdom Cavern is the realm of
the Undermen. There are likely 100,000
members of this humanoid species living
down in the dark, with their own language
and culture. Their leader is the militaristic
tyrant King Uigi, who craves the resources
of the surface world. He enforces his will
upon his people, who may just want to be
left in peace. The Undermen are a strange
mix of technology and advancement. Most
of their warriors use simple weapons,
and the people live very simply, but the
rulers and commanders occasionally
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Superpowered Survey
have strikingly advanced (but often odd)
technology. For example, a strike force
armed with swords and clubs might
accompany a large, heavily armored
tanklike vehicle. Or a leader of such a
group might carry a metallic staff that
controls strange Inner Earth monsters.
The Timelost Cavern is filled with jungle
flora and fauna, including animals that
should be long extinct, such as dinosaurs.
The Undermen steer well clear of this
area, but some adventurous surface
dwellers have explored parts of it, and
even taken up permanent residence there.
Three massive glowing crystals produce
illumination similar to sunlight throughout Undermen: use goblin
the cavern for twelve hours each day. stats, page 335
The Mist Cavern is home to a group of
humans who fled the surface long ago.
These people, sometimes called the Inward, King Uigi: level 4;
capture Undermen and enslave them Armor 4 (from
hammer artifact)
through magic and Azaki technology. The
Inward have no regular contact with the
surface and remain willfully ignorant of
events that transpire there. They are not
welcoming of outsiders.
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INNER EARTH ADVENTURE IDEAS
• The Undermen burrow up beneath a location important to the PCs, and while they
are destructive and violent, that isn’t their goal. They’re looking for something: a
source of energy for one of their strange new devices, and they believe they’ll find it
on the surface.
• One of the PCs receives a plaintive radio transmission from an old friend who is an
expert in Azaki technology. The explorer sends coordinates for an egress into Inner
Earth, specifically the Timelost Cavern, asks for immediate aid—and then nothing
more. The PCs will discover that their friend’s team is trapped in the ruins they were
exploring, as the area is now overrun with dinosaurs. But it’s no coincidence. An
Inward sorcerer has used magic to draw the creatures in so he can steal what the
researchers have uncovered.
• The Dagger enters Inner Earth and holds King Uigi’s family hostage, forcing the
monarch to send his forces to war with the surface, specifically striking BASTION
bases (or whomever the Dagger wants harmed).

EARTH ORBIT
BASTION, the Dagger, and even Baron
Shadow have their own satellites in orbit
around the planet. Thanks to advances in
technology, astronauts from a number of
countries frequent Earth orbit in shuttles,
usually to and from the International Space
Station II, as well as other locations.

RAPTOR’S PERCH
The Dagger’s station is the longest-lasting
continually occupied orbiting habitat in
space. They use it to monitor events on
Earth and to conduct scientific experiments
too dangerous or inconvenient for the
surface. Raptor’s Perch usually has a staff
of about thirty, with half being scientists
and technicians and the other half being
security and support.

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION II

After the first International Space Station
was destroyed by the entity known as
Cataclysm, page 109 Cataclysm in a battle with Silver Sentinel,
Society of Seven, the Majestic Family, and the Society
page 172 of Seven, a new—larger and more
sophisticated—station was built. Traffic to
and from the station is quite regular from
many nations.

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BASTION SKYWATCH BASES
BASTION maintains four bases that
monitor space traffic, in particular looking
for threats approaching Earth, including
asteroids and alien beings. Each has
a rotating staff of five individuals. The
BASTION headquarters in Paris has its own
launchpad and orbital shuttle to transport
crew and supplies.
FREEFIRE’S ORBITAL BASE
(ABANDONED)
In the 1970s, the super-team known as
Freefire had its own space station that
it used as a base after they twarted an
attack on Earth from an alien warlord.
(The base is built around the warlord’s
derelict battlecruiser, although it has
been so heavily modified that this fact is
not obvious from the outside.) Freefire
abandoned the base when its membership
changed in 1980 and the new team wanted
to remain earthbound. The station’s
defense systems are still operational.
THE MOON
Silver Sentinel maintains a lunar base to
monitor both the Earth and the cosmos.
Although it is a fairly expansive structure,
he lives there alone. It is filled with
trophies from his adventures, but it also
includes training facilities, an extensive
library (including data on planets and
civilizations far beyond the solar system),
and monitoring equipment unlike anything
ever seen on Earth. Some people
speculate that advanced aliens he once
helped in an off-world mission supplied
him with useful devices to communicate
with distant planets.
The entity known as Singularity first
appeared on Earth’s moon. When it is not
menacing the humans on Earth, it retreats
to the entrance of its lair on the dark side,
presumably hidden even from Silver
Sentinel.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Superpowered Survey
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Among the Jovian moons, Azaki ruins are
found on both Europa and Titan. While Titan
is likely devoid of current life or activity,
Europa bears native life in its subsurface
ocean, and after their landing years ago, a
number of Grin live amid the submerged Grin, page 123
Azaki ruins.
Mars also has Azaki ruins, and it is there
that the Majestic Family—the first known
Earth people to visit the red planet—
discovered the secrets of their
faster-than-light drive in 2006. It is possible
that others have since visited these ruins Freefire, page 163
and uncovered secrets of their own.
For a time, Baron Shadow operated out
of a base within a near-Earth asteroid he
called the Crucible. From there, he directed
the organization known as Blood Moon
for a time, and later used sorcery
and science to create the monstrous
Humonger that terrorized the west coast Humonger: use kaiju
of the United States. stats, page 338
GRIN HOMEWORLD
The Grin homeworld lies hundreds of light Silver Sentinel, page 146
years away, at the center of a sweeping,
militaristic empire spanning dozens of
systems. The Grin leader, the Exultant,
dwells on the homeworld, directing her
fleets and ruling over her interstellar
dominion. After their defeat on Earth
decades ago, the Grin began experiments
to create their own superpowered
soldiers and agents, and have had some
successes recently that they are eager to
test—on Earth.
MYSTERY EARTH Singularity, page 147
The name “Mystery Earth” was coined by
the first Earth people to visit—the heroes
kidnapped by the One and brought there The One, page 138
for almost six months in 1981. Presumably
created by the One, an almost godlike
entity, Mystery Earth at first appears
to be an exact duplicate of our planet.
However, there are strange differences,
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 Claim the Sky
including shadowy, ghostlike creatures
that skulk about behind the scenes, weird
space warps, and odd duplicates of actual
people and places on Earth that seem
like parodies. For example, while Mystery
Earth’s Manhattan appears mostly normal,
Dawnstar, page 111 Central Park is a walled refuge containing
The Gentleman, page 120 dinosaurs and primitive “cavemen.”
Mystery Earth lies on the other side of our
Blackstar, page 108 own galaxy, a fact confirmed by Blackstar,
one of the heroes initially taken there.
Demonix: use devil
stats, page 323 WORLDS BETWEEN
There are numerous other dimensions
and universes, and many of them have
their own laws of physics very different
from our own. The Worlds Between are a
labyrinth of such universes connected by
portals and other means less understood.
The inhabitants of some of these realms
seem analogous to beings we might
identify as angels or demons, but only very
loosely. Many other natives of these worlds
are nothing of the sort, but rather strange,
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almost incomprehensible beings. Still
others appear as human as anyone you
would meet on Earth.
The Worlds Between are a confusing,
disorienting place, dangerous to visit
without someone who can offer guidance
such as Dawnstar or the Gentleman.
THE VERMILLION
A hellish universe far beyond our own is
referred to by mystics and others as the
Vermillion. The Demonix are a species of
fiendish, interdimensional humanoids that
dwell there and have twice tried to invade
and conquer the Earth. First in 1350 CE and
again in 1999, the Demonix were repelled
only because of Earth’s superhumans.
They believe that the Earth holds
secrets and power unlike any other
world—an idea given credence by the
original interest the Azaki had in it so
long ago. The Demonix are likely to one
day return, better prepared for the
superpowered defenders of our world.
 Superpowered Survey

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 DEATH, NAME IS
THY ITA S
G R AV
“D eath, Thy Name Is Gravitas”
is an adventure that begins
in Chicago (though you can
change that to any large city you wish).
The adventure is suitable for mid-tier
characters. It can be adjusted for low-tier
characters by making sure they begin
Skill boost, page 397 play with cyphers such as skill boost, stim,
and the various power boost cyphers.
Stim, page 398
The adventure can be adjusted for
Power Boost Cyphers, high-tier characters by increasing the
page 157 specific numbers of foes that appear, and
providing a few more GM intrusions that
aid the villains along the way. Regardless of
their tier, PCs who get into real trouble may
also be aided by an NPC superhero or two.
SYNOPSIS
Voltage, page 152 The extremely dangerous megalomaniac
Gravitas, page 122 Gravitas wields the power of gravity itself
and seeks to work out his anger issues—on
an entire city.
Gravity Storm. The PCs first learn of the
threat when they feel a shaking like an
earthquake. Sections of downtown are
collapsing or, alternatively, flying off into the
sky. A major disaster is unfolding, as any
news source quickly reveals, though details
are sketchy. By the time the PCs arrive, the
active threat has already departed; all the
characters can do is save civilians from
further fallout from the disaster.
And learn that it was actually an attack
by Gravitas, who demands to see the
city’s mayor.
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CHAP TER
13
Where’s the Mayor? Investigation
reveals that the mayor has been
sending out all sorts of antagonizing
social media posts targeting Gravitas.
What were they thinking? But when the
PCs finally locate the mayor in a panic
room at their residence, they explain that
it’s not them; their phone and computer
have been hacked.
Before the PCs resolve the problem,
it becomes academic; Gravitas finds the
panic room, pulling it up out of the ground
into the open.
Fighting Gravity. This is a big fight, and
Gravitas is tough. Hopefully, the team of
PC superheroes is tougher and wins the
day. Or do they? Before the PCs can take
their victory lap, a wrinkle emerges, in the
person of Voltage.
Thanks for Your Help. It turns out that
Voltage hacked the mayor’s electronics,
knowing it would precipitate a violent public
spectacle from thin-skinned Gravitas.
This would, in turn, draw a response from
a super-team strong enough to defeat
Gravitas, or at least weaken him sufficiently
so Voltage and a couple of her allies can
snatch him and escape. Voltage, it seems,
has a long-standing bounty on the gravity
controller (she wants him captured, not
dead). If the PCs want to stop her, they have
one more fight ahead of them before the
day is done.
 DEATH, THY NAME IS GRAVITAS
GRAVITY STORM
This adventure is set in Chicago in the
United States, or whichever large city you
choose. If the city already has a well-known
super presence, such as Warp in Chicago,
let the PCs know that that hero or heroes
have been called away to deal with a secret
mission on BASTION’s behalf.
As far as the PCs know, it’s up to them to
handle things in the meantime.
EARTHQUAKE OR SOMETHING ELSE?
One Sunday morning, the city begins to
shake. It doesn’t take super-senses for
the PCs to detect the shaking ground
and swaying structures, possibly one
they’re inside. The idea that it might be an
earthquake is an easy conclusion to make.
If PCs check local news or social media,
or one of them has a way to detect the
release of copious amounts of energy or a
graviton flux, they learn that the epicenter
of the ongoing shaking is downtown.
“Shaky-cam” shots on the news or online
show a chaotic scene of leaning buildings
and one collapsing, though weirdly, in some
places, cars, pedestrians, and even parts of
buildings are falling up into the sky.
REACHING GROUND ZERO
By the time the PCs reach the epicenter,
the shaking has stopped. But the danger is
not over.
READ ALOUD
Cars that look as if they’ve been picked
up and dropped litter the streets. A couple
of buildings lean precariously, one is
collapsed, and one is missing entirely
except for ragged foundations. Water pools
from a broken hydrant across the road,
except for a portion that flows up into the
sky like a reverse waterfall.
Characters on the scene identify the
following urgent situations that require
their attention. Superhuman PCs could
attempt to deal with each indicated
situation in a couple of different—but
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
impressive—ways. If the PCs try different
strategies to deal with the same threat,
each of their separate tasks is eased. A few
ideas are presented as possible options
for the PCs, though they are likely to think Warp, page 153
of other solutions. (Of course, a PC might
have the exact right power to deal with
a problem, such as the ability to phase
trapped civilians to freedom.)
LEANING BUILDING THREATENS TO COLLAPSE
Civilians are exiting this ten-story office
building, but a couple of warning shrieks
from overstressed interior supports
suggest that the building is on the verge of
collapse. About twelve people remain within.
Free Trapped People (difficulty 9): A
speedster could attempt to rapidly collect
everyone remaining inside and bring them
out over the course of a few rounds.
Prop up Building (difficulty 9): A GM intrusion: Part of
superstrong character, one who can the building falls off
the main structure,
grow to towering heights, or a PC who can threatening to crush
create objects out of nothing (or out of ice) bystanders.
could attempt to prop up the building long
enough to get folks out.
Alternate Use of Super Ability (difficulty
10): A character could use their power in a
new way to keep the building upright, such
as a PC shooting an exactly balanced force
bolt, using their magnetic abilities to bend
the interior structural units back into place,
or doing something similar to keep the
building from collapsing.
PEOPLE TRAPPED IN A COLLAPSED BUILDING
The yells for help from the collapsed
building indicate that civilians are trapped
inside. There are about six.
Shift Structural Element (difficulty 9): A GM intrusion: Part
superstrong character could attempt to lift of the building
collapses further,
a large structural element high enough and and a few people still
long enough for trapped people to emerge trapped inside risk
being crushed in the
(or for someone to go in and get them).
next few rounds.
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Manipulate Fundamental Force (difficulty
9): A character who can manipulate force
or gravity, or otherwise shift or create
matter, could try to lift a large structural
element high enough and long enough for
trapped people to emerge (or for someone
to go in and get them).
BUS TOO CLOSE TO ANTIGRAVITY
Introduce this complication as a group
GM intrusion. A bus filled with civilians,
previously spared, leaves the scene but
strays into a lingering area of antigravity,
and begins to fall up. It snags on a building
Station Zero, page 196 overhang, hanging upward over a void of
sky. About thirteen passengers are inside,
GM intrusion: Gravity and one is too close to the bus window.
in the area suddenly
goes back to normal
without warning, Grab Bus (difficulty 9): A superstrong or
and the bus comes large character could try to hold the bus in
crashing down unless
place until everyone escapes.
somehow caught.
Fly the Bus (difficulty 10): A flying
Melinda Mayweather: character could exert themselves to hold
level 2, persuasion and the bus in place until everyone escapes.
civic planning as level 4
WHAT GOES UP…
If an investigating PC Introduce this complication as a group
succeeds on a difficulty GM intrusion. The missing building—a
5 task to learn more
about the mayor, either warehouse—and a few parked cars that
by traditional methods fell upward before the PCs arrived begin to
or by a relevant use
fall like meteorites. About four bystanders
of a superpower,
they discover an old are endangered.
high school yearbook
photo of the mayor
and Kaiden Karlsson— Fast Evacuate (difficulty 8): A speedster
who would one day could attempt to rapidly collect everyone
become Gravitas—in
an affectionate
and move them out of the area.
embrace. Were they
once involved? Snipe Falling Debris (difficulty 8): A
character who can fire bolts could attempt
GM intrusion: A to target enough objects as they fall to keep
character who fails bystanders safe.
a difficulty 8 Speed
defense roll is struck
by a falling car for 12 Shield Bystanders (difficulty 8): A
points of damage.
character who can grow or create force
fields could attempt to shield bystanders.
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GRAVITAS WAS HERE
After things settle down, one of the
PCs notices something odd—an area of
antigravity perfectly crafted to float blocky
debris in the air, spelling out the message:
Bring me the mayor, or ELSE! —Gravitas
WHERE’S THE MAYOR?
The PCs have certainly heard of Gravitas, a
supervillain who can control gravity. (In fact,
they may know or can easily learn that he
recently escaped from a BASTION prison
transport on his way to Station Zero.)
Characters also know the mayor’s
name, or can soon find it out; use the
actual name of the mayor of Chicago (or
the city where you’ve set this adventure),
or, if you prefer, use a mayor specific
to your campaign, such as Melinda
Mayweather. After that, it only takes a
moment of checking—or an NPC drawing
the PCs’ attention to it—to discover
that the mayor’s social media is full of
antagonistic ad hominem attacks directed
at Gravitas. It seems inevitable that the
villain would respond exactly as he did.
This should seem strange to the PCs.
Everyone knows that elected officials
usually don’t draw targets on themselves
so directly. Thus, PCs might rightly
suspect that something is up with the
mayor. Their next question is likely to be:
where is the mayor?
MAYOR IN HIDING
The office of the mayor, according to
publicly available information, is located
in one of the leaning buildings. However,
it being a weekend, no one except for a
skeleton crew was inside at the time of
the attack. The mayor’s actual residence
isn’t exactly a secret, but then again it’s not
widely advertised (unless you’re running
this adventure in a city with a mayoral
mansion, such as New York, LA, or Detroit).
 DEATH, THY NAME IS GRAVITAS
A successful difficulty 6 investigation
task (or a use of a superpower that provides
insight) allows the PCs to learn the location
of the mayor’s private residence in the city.
FINDING THE MAYOR
PCs who make their way to the mayor’s
domicile discover that it is apparently
empty, and there are signs of a rushed
exit. A successful difficulty 7 perception
task within the house reveals the outline of
a secret door in the library: a clandestine
panic room hiding in plain sight.
PCs may try to knock or otherwise
get the attention of the panic room’s
occupants. If they do, the intercom allows
the PCs to speak with the rattled and very
frightened mayor, who says she was
alone in the room and unable to call for
help because her phone and laptop have
been hacked!
The PCs can get the mayor to let them
in through the massive vault-like door
with two successful difficulty 5 interaction
tasks. These tasks are eased if the PCs are
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
well known in the city, or if they promise
to fix her hacked electronics. Because
it’s true: the mayor did not start insulting
Gravitas. (If the PCs bring up the old
high-school photo of the mayor and
Gravitas, she admits that yes, they once
had a relationship. But she truthfully insists
that it was over decades earlier.)
BRIEF INTERLUDE IN THE PANIC ROOM
If the PCs get into the panic room, they
have a few rounds to determine that,
indeed, the mayor’s personal electronics
have been hacked. Except for occasionally
spamming the mayor’s social media with
insults directed at Gravitas, it’s impossible
to use the devices to send email, text,
call, or otherwise perform any normal Mayor: level 2;
functions. The perpetrator’s identity isn’t persuasion, deception,
and tasks related
easy to determine, because Voltage hired to running the
the work out to a mercenary cracking city as level 5
group known as Digital Dragonfly.
Regardless of whether the PCs convince
the mayor to let them in, only a handful
of rounds pass before the entire panic
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 Claim the Sky
room shudders, then bursts free of the
structure, to float 50 feet (15 m) above the
ground in defiance of gravity.
FIGHTING GRAVITY
Gravitas, page 122 Gravitas has come to kill the mayor, but not
immediately. He wants to yell at her a little,
scare her, and show her that he isn’t to
be trifled with. He even mentions their old
relationship, only to add that it was one of
his life’s biggest mistakes.
The villain isn’t interested in listening
Flunky: level 3 to reason. However, PCs could try to
persuade him that it’s all a setup (or
flatter him, or trick him in some other way
GM intrusions: to stop fighting, perhaps by suggesting
The floating panic that the mayor has renewed feelings
room containing for him). But even as they attempt to do
the mayor loses its
antigravity charge so—requiring three successful difficulty
and begins to fall. 8 persuasion or deception tasks before
Crushing gravity ruins two failures—Gravitas does his level best to
the character’s amazing kill the characters, using all the powers of
attack against their foe.
gravity that are his to control. (It’s normally
much easier to fool him. But in this case,
he’s already been bamboozled and has
fully bought into the lie that the mayor has
demeaned him.)
Whether the PCs succeed in trouncing
Gravitas or talking him down, or it’s
Gravitas that seems to be winning the
day, the end of the fight is interrupted by
Voltage, page 152 Voltage (and, depending on how tough she
judges the PCs to be, one or two other
Entropy, page 118 members of Dread such as Entropy
Worm, page 155 and/or Worm).
down with little risk to herself. The PCs
should also be weakened enough by their
clash that they can’t effectively stop her.
She believes (rightly or wrongly) that
Gravitas’s power is something she can
seize for herself.
If Voltage addresses the PCs, it is to
cryptically remark, “Everything has gone
exactly as I planned. Thanks for your help.”
If the PCs want to stop Voltage—and
potentially one or two other members of
Dread—from making off with Gravitas in
an innocuous-looking delivery van driven
by a flunky, they have one more fight on
their hands. If the PCs resist well enough
to put Voltage at risk, she turns to lightning
and escapes.
WRAP-UP
The PCs each earn 2 XP if they effectively
dealt with the aftermath of Gravitas’s
attack on the city, 1 XP if they saved the
mayor’s life, and 1 XP if they defeated
Gravitas and prevented Voltage from
taking him away.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP

Voltage announces her presence by
blasting Gravitas with lightning (if he’s
still conscious), and/or blasting the PCs
if they’re in the process of preparing a
defeated Gravitas to be delivered into
BASTION’s hands. She is too smart to
monologue, but she is satisfied that her
plan to soften up Gravitas by drawing
heroes into a conflict with him has
succeeded, allowing her to take him

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 CHAP TER 14
Ta lo n s o f
“T alons of Doom” is an adventure
that can begin in any large
city, though Chicago is the city
presented here. If the PCs have a superhero
base of their own, it’s the setting for much
of the adventure. If you’re running this as
a one-shot adventure, it’s easy enough to
simply provide the characters with a base.
Alternatively, you could set the
adventure in the base of another
established group of heroes, such as the
Society of Seven. In this case, the heroes
respond to a request for aid from the
Seven, only to find the base overrun as
described under From Inside Your Base.
The adventure is suitable for mid-tier
characters. It can be adjusted for low-tier
characters by making sure they begin play
with cyphers such as skill boost, stim, and
the various power boost cyphers. The
adventure can be adjusted for high-tier
characters by increasing the specific
numbers of foes that appear, and providing
a few more GM intrusions that aid the
villains along the way. Regardless of their
tier, PCs who get into real trouble may also
be aided by an NPC superhero or two. That
said, if the PCs truly are defeated, it sets up
an interesting situation that could be played
out over the course of a larger campaign.
SYNOPSIS
A confederacy of criminals and villains join
forces to systematically eliminate as many
heroes as they can so they can operate
unchecked. The PCs must stand against
them, or simply become their next victims.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
D OO m
Saving the Singing Stone. The PCs foil
Demdike’s scheme to steal a Neolithic
monolith in this optional prequel encounter.
This sets the stage for the rest of this
adventure, in which Demdike seeks to
Demdike, page 114
exact her revenge.
Who’s Your Friend? Issues with the Chapter 7: Superhero
Singing Stone lead to the PCs looking Bases, page 102
for help. They find Elizabeth Southerns,
an antiquities and rare book dealer
consulting with the university that had Society of Seven,
acquired the stone. Southerns has page 172
some suggestions on how to make the
stone “settle down.” Afterward, she may
maintain a friendly relationship with the
PCs. (Southerns, as it turns out, is actually Skill boost, page 397
Demdike’s secret identity.)
Stim, page 398
Internal Conflict. The small irritations Power Boost Cyphers,
of being on a team begin to weigh on the page 157
PCs, potentially leading to arguments,
bad feelings, or even physical conflict.
(Actually, the reason is a subtle spell cast
by Demdike. The PCs might not even realize
they are under attack.) This effect begins
to play into the adventure right away,
interweaving among the other parts.
Unprovoked Attack. Seemingly out of
the blue, the PCs are attacked by a villain
they’ve never heard of before who calls
himself Breakneck. Tough and strong, he’s
a challenge, but because he’s alone, the
PCs can probably put him down. (In fact,
Breakneck was dispatched by Demdike to
probe the PCs’ response to attacks.)
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 Claim the Sky
If the characters faced Divide and Conquer. A PC who leaves SAVING THE SINGING STONE
Voltage (page 152) in the base alone on a routine matter—or This initial part sets the stage for the
“Death, Thy Name Is
Gravitas” and defeated because they’ve just got to get away from later parts of the adventure. It’s optional,
her, you might choose their annoying teammates—is attacked because once the PCs realize that Demdike
to switch Voltage out
by Demdike’s cohorts. When the PC fails is the source of their troubles, you could
for Demdike in this
adventure, and skip to return (or returns bloodied and on the merely tell them that they’ve met and
this opening part of run), the characters finally learn that they defeated her once before. However, if you’d
the adventure (Saving
the Singing Stone); the are all in the crosshairs. prefer to show rather than tell, use this
PCs already have a opening encounter.
supervillain after them From Inside Your Base. Even as the
who wants revenge.
PCs prepare for an assault, a secretly ROOFTOP BATTLE
Demdike, page 114 engineered back door into their base is The PCs receive word of an attack by
exploited, and various villains allied with ghosts on the campus of the nearby
Ghost, page 331 Demdike attack the characters from the college. If they respond, they find a pitched
rear. In a final betrayal, Elizabeth Southerns battle on the archeology building’s roof
Warp, page 153 reveals herself as Demdike. Is this the end in which Demdike and two ghosts fight
for our heroes? against the heroic defense of Warp.
However, Warp falls in battle just as the
heroes arrive on the scene.

STONE THIEVES
If the PCs don’t intervene, Demdike and
her ghosts continue the task that Warp
interrupted, which is theft. Something the
newspapers call the Singing Stone recently
came into the university’s possession. So
dubbed because of what some people
believe to be Neolithic musical notation
carved into the old monolith, it was set to go
Singing Stone: level 7; on display later in the day. Demdike believes
traps a mysterious the stone may contain clues pointing to
concentration of
magical energy within ancient magical secrets, or even be one
itself.
Her plan was to lurk in hiding, wait until
the stone was delivered in front of the
building, then simply steal the vehicle and
drive off. (She knew the delivery schedule
because she’d already infiltrated the
university as her alter ego in a consulting
role.) Warp screwed up that plan.
However, a flatbed truck pulls up even as
Warp falls. A 10-ton monolith bundled under
weatherproof tarps is firmly strapped into
the truck’s flat trailer.

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 Talons of DOOm
WHO’S YOUR FRIEND?
About a month after the fight over the Singing Stone, and possibly after the PCs have had
an unrelated adventure, one of them makes a new acquaintance. You can set this up a few
different ways.

If the PCs Have the Singing Stone. If the PCs have the stone at their base, they notice
that it grows unsettlingly active over the subsequent weeks. At night, it sometimes spawns
dangerous points of brilliant light (treat as killing white lights) outside its enclosure for no Killing white light,
reason the PCs can determine. page 340

Meet Elizbeth Southerns. If the PCs do any sort of research on the Singing Stone, they
discover the name of Elizabeth Southerns, an expert consultant hired by the university— Elizabeth Southerns:
level 2, historical and
brought all the way over from London, in fact, to help them deal with their new acquisition. magical knowledge
If they reach out to her, they find a kind, accommodating, and pleasant expert who is more as level 5. Demdike
than happy to take a look at the problem. It was the reason the university was consulting always has a level 9
disguise spell active
with her, after all. After some time studying the stone, she suggests bathing the relic in when interacting as
brilliant white light at all times, as a stopgap. That actually solves the problem. Southerns, which
also thwarts attempts
If possible, keep Southerns in the picture as a recurring NPC. Perhaps she becomes a
to learn her true
friend of one of the PCs or continues to prove a valuable source of knowledge regarding identity, read her
antiquities related to other missions. Clandestinely, Southerns (the secret alias of thoughts, or find her.
The spell is invested
Demdike) uses this access to further refine her plan of revenge. At this point, she doesn’t in an artifact brass
even care about the stone anymore. She just wants her pound of flesh. bracelet she wears.

If the PCs Don’t Have the Singing Stone. If BASTION has the stone, the same dangerous
killing white light manifestations start up for them in the nearby satellite facility where
they are temporarily storing it. They ask the PCs for help. In this case, the PCs have a
chance to be befriended by Southerns as described above.

FIGHTING DEMDIKE INTERNAL CONFLICT

If the PCs intervene, Demdike flies into a
rage. She makes a show of attacking the
characters, but she wasn’t prepared to
fight a superpowered battle, let alone two.
You don’t live for so many centuries without
learning caution. So at the first sign of the
PCs getting the upper hand, she flees.
SINGING STONE WRAP-UP
The Singing Stone is revealed as something
potentially more important than a historical
curiosity. If the PCs prevent Demdike from
stealing it, they could attempt to convince
the university to take the stone in their
safekeeping. Otherwise, BASTION will come
and claim it.
Either way, Demdike swears vengeance.
But she doesn’t try to take it immediately.
Instead, she begins to plot and plan.
Another plank of Demdike’s revenge plan Group GM intrusion:
involves attempting to turn one or more of Demdike is revealed as
an illusion, which melts
the characters against each other, or at away. The real Demdike
least raise tensions. is already long gone.
Warning: This is a potentially powerful
tactic in the fiction of the world, but it might
not be something you want to try in your
game. Characters getting mad at each
other sometimes translates to players
getting angry, too. And no GM wants to
encourage real-world strife. You know
your group. If you don’t think this will fly,
skip it and move on to the next part of the
adventure, Unprovoked Attack.

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 Claim the Sky
An easy way to simulate EFFECTS OF CONFLICT
PC conflict might fall into If Demdike successfully fosters internal
your lap if a player can’t
make it to the game. Tell conflict, it might lead to an obvious negative
the other characters outcome, like a PC taking a break from the
that the missing
team, weakening the group’s total strength.
player’s character
got really angry about That’s great by Demdike’s standards.
something another PC Alternatively, each time an instance of
did—rightly or wrongly—
and stormed off. internal conflict occurs (see options that
follow), the PCs end up with one “strike”
against the smooth functioning of their
team. At any later point, you can cash
those strikes in during clutch situations
as GM intrusions. Effectively, this is just
flavor; the GM intrusions you later employ
could specifically relate to the ragged
team dynamics getting in the way of
a goal. For example, if two characters
are coordinating their attack, you could
intrude by mentioning that a lingering bit
of resentment hinders the attempt or
otherwise causes a complication. (These
are not free intrusions; the PC you intrude
Heroes are constantly upon should still get 2 XP, one of which they
being courted by will give to another player.)
large companies to
serve as goodwill
ambassadors in return A SPELL OF DISCONTENT
for a stipend. For their
One way Demdike fosters internal conflict
part, heroes have to
be truly convinced of is by casting a general but extremely subtle
a company’s sincerity spell of discontent among the PCs. The
before agreeing to
work together in spell doesn’t do any one thing; instead, it
that capacity. This exacerbates small incidents into something
is why most heroes much larger in the minds of those affected.
settle on helping out
charities and donating The kind of interactions this spell works on
their time freely, are usually the things that RPG sessions
rather than taking a
skip because they’re so mundane.
check from a profit-
oriented corporation For the purposes of this effect, choose
for promotional from among the handful of situations
appearances.
described hereafter (or make up a few
of your own), which you can call out over
the course of the adventure, starting from
the moment Elizabeth Southerns first
Breakneck: level 4, shows up (or if she’s not in the picture,
Speed defense and about a week after the PCs initially defeat
initiative as level 7, Might
defense and strength- Demdike). Select a player, present a
related tasks as level 5; situation to them (possibly as a private
health 28; can take
message, if you wish), and ask them to
two actions in a round;
melee attack inflicts 10 make an Intellect defense roll (against a
points of damage, or 12 level 7 effect). If they fail, tell them that their
points if not standing still
character gets hot under the collar about
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the situation, and feels a flash of real anger
at whoever is responsible.
• Someone has left dishes and trash out
in a common area.
• Someone has spent money out of the
team fund and failed to record it.
• A PC claims credit for work done by
another.
• The plants are all dead. Who forgot their
watering duties?
• Whose turn is it to clean this place? It’s
starting to look like a frat house in here.
• Who stole my damn sandwich out of the
refrigerator?
DETECTING THE FRACTIOUS SPELL
Players may grow suspicious, and that
may be enough to get their characters to
wonder if the team is being manipulated.
Everything that applies after Breakneck
attacks the PCs’ base applies to them
trying to figure out what’s going on and
who is responsible. That includes the
possibility of asking Elizabeth Southerns
to add it to her list of magical threats
to look into. If the PCs do figure out that
they’ve been affected by a spell and they
ask Southerns to deal with it, she actually
complies in order to maintain her own deep
cover as their friend.
UNPROVOKED ATTACK
When the PCs least expect it, they are
attacked while they are all together.
This could be at their base or perhaps
when the characters are gathered for a
promotional outing.
Whatever the case, the heroes are
confronted by a fantastically strong and
fast assailant. Bulging with an unlikely
amount of muscle under a dark blue and
red suit, he crashes into them, or through a
brand-new hole in their base. The attacker
is Breakneck, which he immediately
announces to the PCs.
“Witness the terrible might of
Breakneck!” screams the newcomer into
the hole created by his entry.

BREAKNECK’S TACTICS,
SUCH AS THEY ARE
If Southerns happens to be at the base,
she is menaced by Breakneck, since
she seems like a soft target that can be
dispatched quickly. (Southerns doesn’t
reveal herself as Demdike, and even takes
some fairly serious damage from the
bruiser to maintain the illusion of her alter
ego.) However, once the PCs land some
telling hits on him, he rightly switches his
attention to them. After all, he’s here to kick
their asses.
Breakneck is aggressive and
superstrong as well as fast, making him
tough to hit. If attacking the PCs at their
base, he probably ends up putting a few
cracks in the foundation, which will later
require repairs. He also takes delight in
destroying any valuable equipment the PCs
have, such as vehicles and computers.
But mainly, he wants to put a
smackdown on the heroes. Given that he
is alone, the PCs are likely to defeat him
in the end. (If Breakneck is victorious,
knocking the PCs out or causing them
to flee, the events in the final part of this
adventure—From Inside Your Base—begin
immediately. Which pretty much means
that Demdike mops up, as described
hereafter under Defeat?)
QUESTIONING BREAKNECK
If defeated and PCs question him,
Breakneck isn’t shy about answering.
He explains that he attacked them as his
“coming out” party. By defeating them, he
hoped to cement himself as a true menace
in the public’s mind, upping his value to
various criminal masterminds who might
be willing to hire him later.
And that’s mostly true. However,
Breakneck was pushed toward the PCs by
a subtle magical spell crafted by Demdike.
If the PCs have a way to detect this whiff of
occult energy (level 7), the only other thing
they can determine is that the magic has a
bit of compulsion about it.
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
Talons of DOOm
If Southerns is present, she may be
the one who makes the pronouncement,
“revealing” to the PCs that she has a
knack for mystical things after years of
studying rare books and antiquities, some GM intrusion: An
of which proved to be magical in their energy, ray, or firearm
attack on Breakneck
own right. Given how she shut down the ricochets off his tough
Singing Stone, the PCs are probably not hide and attacks the
character or an ally.
too surprised. Maybe they’re even happy
to have a friend with a bit of magical skill if
none of them have explored such arts.
But when all is said and done, Breakneck
is probably bound for the BASTION prison
facility of Station Zero. That may be the last Station Zero, page 196
the PCs ever see of him.
WHO CAST THE COMPULSORY SPELL?
If the PCs discover that Breakneck was
affected by compulsory magic, they may
recall an earlier conflict they had with the
magic-using witch Demdike. Should the
PCs make this connection and deduce that
the supervillain is angry at them, they may
decide to try to track her down before she
strikes again.
To do so, they might ask their friendly
magical expert, Elizabeth Southerns, to
look into it. If so asked, she takes her time.
She goes about the business of trying
various “workings” to locate Demdike, but
it’s mostly a sham. She is just running out
the clock until she makes her final move
against the heroes.
If PCs attempt to find Demdike on their
own, they’ll have to overcome a magical
anti-detection spell (level 9) that the witch
has woven about herself, invested in an
artifact brass bracelet she wears. If the
PCs succeed, the bracelet warms on her
wrist, warning Elizabeth Southerns that
the gig may be up, unless she plays things
very carefully.
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Wreck and Ruin: level 5,
strength-related
tasks and Might
defense as level 8;
health 50; Armor 5;
melee attack inflicts
10 points of damage
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Only one PC is chosen as the target of this
Jabberwocky, page 126 attack, first requiring that the PC leave the
base and their team.
SEPARATING THE PC
If one of the characters leaves the base
after having had enough of their fellow
teammates, even if just for a few hours or
to take a short trip, they become the target
of Demdike’s next attack.
If no PC decides on their own to leave
the company of the other characters,
Demdike works on creating a pretext to
get one of them out of the base alone.
Possibilities include the following. In most
cases, Demdike has magically charmed an
intermediary to lure the PC to a location
of her choice, which means whoever is
reaching out believes they are doing so
legitimately; for them, it’s not a deception.
• A tipster says they have important
information about someone else in the
base; come alone!
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• A PC learns they are to be featured in
a reputable publication, and they are
asked to meet a well-known journalist in
an out-of-the-way café for an interview.
• A character with an NPC partner,
spouse, child, parent, or pet is contacted
by a caretaker who indicates that
something bad has happened, and the
PC should come immediately.
ATTACK THE LONER
Regardless of the reason, if a PC leaves
the base alone, they are attacked at an
inopportune time by three villains hired by
Demdike: Wreck and Ruin (superpowered
bruisers) and Jabberwocky.
This attack is the signal for the larger
attack on the base described hereafter.
FROM INSIDE YOUR BASE
Does the lone PC in the previous section
prevail, get away, or at least get a message
back about being in trouble? If so, they may
return to their base only to find that their
friends are busy defending themselves
from a surprise attack. The attack on the
separated character serves as the signal
for the surprise attack using the base’s
secret back door.
Jabberwocky and Wreck and Ruin were
hired only to attack the lone PC. After
that battle, they’ve done as their contract
demanded, so they don’t join the general
attack at the base. However, if the lone
PC they attacked gets away from them,
they may follow. In this case, keep them in
reserve if you need to increase the tension
for the final surprise attack. If the PCs
are already overwhelmed by the attack,
consider their contract fulfilled.
SECRET BACK DOOR
There are a few plausible ways that a
secret back door into the PCs’ base might
be created.
• If the base was damaged by
Breakneck’s attack, the PCs
presumably got contractors to fix it. If
 Talons of DOOm
so, Demdike corrupted that effort by DEFEAT?
magically compelling the contractors What does it mean if the PCs are defeated?
to build a door or weak spot that the Demdike doesn’t want them killed. She
characters won’t notice. wants to turn them into pawns for her
• If the PCs have befriended Elizabeth own future schemes. So if any PC would Shrike, page 145
Southerns, and especially if they’ve otherwise die, they are instead held in a Lady Silence: level 6,
asked her to investigate magically spell of preservation, pending a future use stealth as level 8,
attacks and Speed
related issues they’re having, it’s easy by Demdike. Probably to be returned to defense as level 7;
enough for her to set a secret magical their former status as heroes, but secretly selectively suppresses
sound within short
portal somewhere. controlled by the witch!
range; selectively
• If no situation can reasonably lead to a negates a power
secret entrance, introduce the attack possessed by a target
from a newly drilled or magically placed WRAP-UP within short range

portal as a group GM intrusion. The PCs each earn 2 XP if they defeated Caterwaul: level 3,
Demdike and saved the Singing Stone in the stealth and perception
as level 6; sonic attack
SURPRISE ATTACK first encounter. They each gain 1 XP if they either makes all within
The surprise attack team Demdike put befriended Southerns (some lessons are short range lose their
next action or inflicts 6
together from villains around the US is led difficult, but useful nonetheless). They each
points of damage to one
by Shrike and includes by Lady Silence earn 1 XP if they defeated Breakneck. The target and makes them
(who can “silence” others’ superpowers), PC who was singled out and attacked by lose their next action
the Hook (a homicidal fiend with body Wreck and Ruin and Jabberwocky earns The Hook: level 5, Might
armor and a long hooked chain), and 1 XP. And finally, each PC earns 1 XP if they defense and hook
attacks as level 7;
Caterwaul (a stealthy thief with horrific survived the surprise attack on their base, health 20; Armor 3;
sonic abilities). even if they were defeated. hook attack deals 7
points of damage to
Demdike doesn’t immediately reveal
a target within short
herself. range or 5 points of
damage to all targets in
immediate range; uses
TACTICS chain to bind a target
Overwhelming numbers and surprise are (level 7 task to escape)
the primary tactics, so the villains try to
stay together as they move through the Demdike, page 114
base. (All the invaders are fitted with
high-tech earbuds that make them
temporarily immune to Caterwaul’s sonic
cry, and allow them to communicate with
each other.)
Elizabeth Southerns is visiting the base
(if she’s friendly with the heroes) when the If you don’t have a map
attack occurs. That way, if the attack begins of the PCs’ base to
use during the attack,
to fail, she can change to Demdike to turn it’s simple enough to
the tide back in her favor, or if the assault say that the attack
occurs when they’re
is a smashing success, she can revel in
all in the common
the heroes’ defeat. If possible, she keeps room. Alternatively,
her secret identity under wraps to keep you could use one of
the bases described in
her options open for later. (If Southerns Chapter 7: Superhero
was never an ally, Demdike is part of the Bases (page 102).
surprise attack itself.)
Is this the end for our heroes?

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 B E N E ATH A CHAP
TER 1
5

R E D S U N
Power Boost Cyphers,
page 157

If you don’t want to have

“B eneath a Red Sun” is an
adventure that takes place on
and above an alien planet. It
assumes that the heroes have the means
or connections to travel to another planet
SYNOPSIS
The superheroes answer an emergency
message from planet Korboros, and find
that their task is much more strange and
dangerous than expected.
interplanetary stories (see the Space Travel and Aliens box).
at this point in your
superhero campaign, The adventure is suitable for mid-tier Distress Call. The PCs receive a
this adventure could characters, although low-tier characters transmission from the gaseous inhabitants
take place on Earth,
might be able to handle the high-level of the distant planet Korboros. A series
preferably starting in
a remote area with a threats with smart tactics and good use of of meteor impacts are causing terrible
limited population and power boost cyphers. The adventure can destruction, and the PCs are asked to use
slow communication
with the rest of the be adjusted for high-tier characters by their powers to intervene.
world, such as an increasing the number of opponents and
isolated village in Alaska. using more GM intrusions that complicate Ecological Impacts. The Korborites
Adjusting the location
like this means the local encounters against the PCs. welcome the superheroes, direct them to
aliens would instead be one of the meteor impacts, and give the
small-town humans.
PCs time to examine the site.

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 BENEATH A RED SUN
SPACE TRAVEL AND ALIENS
Becoming space travelers is a big step for earthbound superheroes, perhaps opening the
door to an entire solar system or galaxy of new, weird adventures. PCs planning to head
into space may want to do some research about how to travel between planets or solar
systems, as well as what alien species are out there and which ones are dangerous.
Obviously, heroes who have their own spaceship can easily make the leap into
spaceborne adventures. Those without may need to rely on a vehicle from another
superhero or team, such as the Silver Sentinel or the Majestic Family, or perhaps even Silver Sentinel, page 146
Blackstar could find one they can use. An inventor PC could feasibly create a planetary Majestic Family, page 130
ship or starship, given enough resources—perhaps a side mission to investigate an Azaki Blackstar, page 108
ruin with some reactor technology, or dismantling a crashed Grin spacecraft to see how Grin, page 123
its engine works. (BASTION has a small presence in space and uses shuttles to resupply BASTION, page 163
their satellites, but travel to other worlds is beyond their capability.)
Instead of using vehicle technology, the heroes might build or look for a portal, or use
mystical or interdimensional methods to bypass the vast distances between Earth and
another planet. Notable NPC heroes such as the Traveler might be willing to take them The Traveler, page 149
somewhere, or a magical hero such as the Gentleman or Ella Brodach could create a The Gentleman, page 120
gateway directly to their destination. Of course, the PCs would need to find some other Ella Brodach, page 181
way back to Earth . . .
The most obvious intelligent threat in space is the alien species known as the Grin. Earth’s
heroes have a reasonable knowledge of the Grin based on their failed (televised) invasions
in recent history. NPC heroes such as Blackstar and the Traveler can provide more specific
information, assuming that the PCs have a reliable way to contact them. BASTION also has
an archive of information about the Grin culled from news reports, firsthand statements by
superheroes and agents, and their research on salvaged Grin devices.

Bug Soldiers. While the PCs are

investigating, a strange creature bursts
from the ground near the first meteor
impact site and attacks. Similar events
happen at the other impact sites, with each
creature more dangerous than the last.
The PCs figure out that these meteors
are being launched from somewhere in
space, and backtrack their trajectories to
estimate the location of their source—a
Grin starcraft.

Orbiting Threat. The PCs travel to the Grin

vessel (which has been testing prototype
monster-weapons that can be dropped
onto planets from a very safe distance)
and bring the fight directly to the aliens
before they can complete their weapons
tests and use this new technology against
other planets.

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 Claim the Sky
DISTRESS CALL
The hook for this adventure is the
superhero PCs receiving a message from
If the superheroes an alien species called the Korborites.
don’t have the means to Depending on the heroes’ abilities and
travel to another star
system, the message equipment, this might be a hyperspace
could also include wave broadcast at their receiver (or even a
directions to a buried
television or computer screen), a hologram
Azaki spacecraft on
Earth, or instructions appearing in their secret base, a psychic
on how to build an message beamed directly into their minds,
interstellar ship or
teleporter using Azaki or something else. The visual aspect of the
technology, which a message is a blurry, multicolored image
tech-savvy PC could of a starfish-like creature at a very close
do in a couple of days.
The resulting device distance to the camera (perhaps even
will be fragile, but it’ll partially on the camera lens). The message
get the job done.
says, in a low-volume breathy whisper:
READ ALOUD
“Attention, attention. An unexpected
meteor shower is dropping burning stones
on our planet, Korboros. We are unable
to prevent this phenomenon and it is
Korboros’s star system causing great ecological harm. Please help.
seems to be much Message will repeat.”
older than Earth’s.
Following the verbal message are
directions to planet Korboros using
whatever travel methods the PCs can
access, such as hyperspace coordinates
or a teleportation codec.
Any PC familiar with Azaki devices can
easily figure out (no roll needed) that the
message is using Azaki transmission
technology. Although this doesn’t rule out
that an enemy might be using the tech to
lure them into a trap, the message isn’t
a direct attack—it’s not a mind-control
beam, there is no virus embedded in the
transmission, and so on.
If the superheroes are familiar with
other alien civilizations, they may know
(or can easily learn) general information
about Korborites, and can verify that
the creature shown in the message is a
Korborite in its physical form. If not, the PCs
will have to go in blind and learn about the
aliens as they go along.
When the PCs reach the planet (which
ideally should take three to six days at most,
despite the distance), go to the next section
of the adventure, Ecological Impacts.
ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS
Korboros orbits a small red star at a much
closer distance than from Earth to Sol, so
when viewed from the planet’s surface,
its sun looks as large as Earth’s moon.
The only other significant features of this
star system are an asteroid belt (which is
narrower and made of smaller rocks than
Earth’s) and a Neptune-sized gas giant in
a distant orbit. Korboros is smaller than
Earth but more dense, so its gravity is very
slightly higher than Earth’s (but not enough
to affect the heroes’ actions). Its surface
is about 80 percent water, with a slightly
cooler temperature and large ice caps.

Korborite: level 2,
manipulate physical
objects as level 1, Speed
defense as level 5 due
to gas body; immediate-
range poisonous cloud
inflicts 2 points of
Speed damage (ignores
Armor); as an action,
transforms into or out
of a solid starfish form
that cannot attack
but can manipulate
objects as level 2
KORBORITES
Korborites are the only intelligent species of their homeworld, Korboros. Their natural
form is a translucent cloud approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, but with effort they
can compress themselves into a solid starfish-like shape about 6 inches (15 cm) across
that weighs about 4 pounds (2 kg). They are generally peaceful beings and lack the means
to create advanced technology, but they have been able to activate a few Azaki devices
found on their world, including an interstellar communicator. They have no permanent
settlements and prefer to drift alone or in groups, discussing philosophy, religion, and
the natural landscape. In their cloud form, they are slightly poisonous (at least to
Earth-biology creatures), which they find alternatively amusing and embarrassing. They
have no natural predators, and consensus among most of their religions is that the gods
(perhaps the Azaki) altered them to be creatures of coherent fumes rather than typical
solid lifeforms.

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If the PCs teleport to Korboros, they
arrive in an open area near an Azaki
ruin, matching what they saw in the
transmission. If they arrive from space,
they can detect a planetary-range beacon
on the surface, which is where the
message was transmitted from. Once the
PCs arrive at the transmission site, a group
of Korborites gathers to meet them, and
an outgoing individual named Clear Water
Falling identifies itself (in the whispering
manner of speaking its kind uses with
humanoids) and serves as the main
contact for the group.
TALKING WITH THE LOCALS
On its own or in response to questions
from the superheroes, Clear Water Falling
explains that its people are planet-bound
because they do not react well to space
travel, but are content to explore and
observe their beautiful homeworld and
(though telescope-like remnants of Azaki
technology) their solar system. Their
planet experiences many meteor showers
due to the asteroid field, almost all of which
burn up harmlessly in the sky because
they are so small. However, a few days
before they sent their distress message,
a large meteorite fell at a steep angle and
hit the ground, blasting a large area. The
impact, heat, and shock wave killed dozens
of Korborites, and a couple of days later
another happened, and a third on the day
they sent the message.
The third meteor is what prompted them
to use the Azaki transmitter to call for help,
because they don’t know how many more
of these unusually large meteorites—none
of which they were able to predict—will hit
their planet. Since sending the message,
another meteor impact has occurred
every day to day and a half (a total of six
meteorites).
Individually, the impacts are destructive,
but cumulatively the Korborites fear they
could permanently affect the planet’s
climate due to sending dust high into the
atmosphere, releasing harmful volcanic
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
BENEATH A RED SUN
gases, or altering its (relatively calm) plate
tectonics.
There is no pattern to the timing of
the meteors (there’s a variable amount
of time between each of them) or
the locations of the impacts (nothing
significant about the sites, they haven’t
landed in a line, and so on). Other than
the size of these meteorites, and the fact
that the meteors fell at a steeper angle Clear Water Falling’s
than the common harmless ones, the name could also
be translated as
Korborites haven’t observed anything “Rain,” but it prefers
unusual about them. Other than searching the longer form.
for survivors (a difficult proposition), they
haven’t explored the impact areas due to
fear and ongoing fires.
If the PCs decide to examine one or more
of the places where a meteor struck the
planet, go to The Strike Zone. If they suspect
this is some kind of attack (whether or not
they’ve had to fight a Grinzarg) or otherwise
direct their attention toward space, go to
Orbiting Threat.
THE STRIKE ZONE
The closest impact site to the Azaki
transmitter is the first one, about 60
miles (95 km) away, in an open plain. The
blast area is a rough circle about 10 miles
(16 km) across. All the vegetation in the
area has been knocked flat in a radial
pattern. The middle third of the area has
intermittent smoke from fires, although
much of the area is currently flooded with
shallow water. If asked, Clear Water Falling
or another Korborite explains that normally
a river passes through this region, and
perhaps the water has been moved around
and the riverbed flattened to create a flood
plain. The wind shifts about rapidly due to
different temperature regions, making it
difficult for any gas-bodied Korborites to
remain with the PCs.
If the superheroes have a way to search
the environment for trace elements (such
as with an ability like Scan), they find an Scan, page 179
unusually high concentration of iron
particles in the area. This is consistent
with a meteorite, except that the material
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 Claim the Sky
If the PCs need to build is metallic iron (melted and cooled by the attack the Korborites at any time. The PCs
something to get them
back into space, or need heat) rather than iron ores, suggesting that need to eliminate the other Grinzargs that
time to calculate the likely the meteorite was artificial. are already on the planet and deal with
position of the source of
the meteors, spread out If the PCs go to the center of the blast whatever spacecraft is dropping them
each Grinzarg encounter site, they find a hemispherical crater about from orbit (a Grin ship called the Fires of
by a day or so. Perhaps
the creatures need time 100 feet (30 m) across, surrounded by a Discord; see Orbiting Threat).
to fully awaken before human-height lip of heat-fused rock. At Finding and defeating the other
they emerge from their
meteor cocoons. the center of this crater is a 30-foot (9 m) Grinzargs is a matter of time and patience
A good time to award wide pool of lava that has welled up from (perhaps hastened by PC abilities or a
the characters more deeper in the earth—whatever hit here had tracker/scanner slapped together by
cyphers is when they
head into space to enough velocity and strength to punch a a gadget-minded character). Finding
find the alien ship.
hole deeper into the ground. the spacecraft that’s been dropping the
Grinzargs is a challenge, but computing
Lava, page 217 the trajectories and locations of the known
BUG SOLDIERS meteor strikes eases the task by two steps.
At some point while the PCs are exploring
Finding the spacecraft: the blast area (even if they only approach
level 7 Intellect task;
skills such as navigation, the edge), a rumbling vibration shakes ORBITING THREAT
piloting, mathematics, the ground, and after a round or two the The Fires of Discord is a medium-sized
physics, and computers
apply to this task ground bursts upward, revealing a 20-foot spacecraft, with a linear set of interior
Grin trooper: level 5; (6 m) tall bug-like creature with multiple compartments (much like a passenger
health 20; Armor 4; limbs, an armored carapace on its back, train car) with a Grin trooper as its captain
long-range particle
beam weapon inflicts and a huge grinning mouth filled with teeth and a crew of Grin scientists. Its large rear
7 points of damage to decidedly unlike an insect’s. This creature compartment is the cargo area, which
three adjacent targets;
flies a long distance each was once a regular Grin trooper, but has can hold up to seven containment units for
round with jet boots
been genetically spliced with genes from Grinzargs; how many remain on the ship
Grin scientist (4): level 4; other organisms to turn it into a Grinzarg, a depends on how long it took the PCs to get
health 15; Armor 2;
long-range particle near-feral giant monster that can survive to Korboros after receiving the distress
beam weapon inflicts
7 points of damage
impacting a planet’s surface from orbit call (minimum of one remaining).
and still have enough fight left in it to wreak The Discord is a cargo ship, not a
Grinzarg: level 8, Speed
defense as level 5 due to havoc among the unsuspecting population. warship; their mission is to drop Grinzargs
size; health 60; Armor 4
(including cold and
It immediately attacks the superheroes. on unsuspecting planets so the scientists
electricity, 10 against During the fight, any Korborites scatter to can study the creatures’ effectiveness
fire); bite attack inflicts
12 points of damage, get away from the Grinzarg (any attack by as planetary siege weapons. As much as
two hooked forelimbs the creature would kill them), leaving the the captain (a combat veteran on a boring
inflict 8 points of damage
each; burrows a short superheroes to deal with the problem. assignment) would enjoy a good fight, she
distance each round Once the Grinzarg is defeated, it’s easy to knows that protecting the scientists’ data
GM intrusion: The figure out that it is not a natural creature— is paramount, and she can’t risk the ship
Grinzarg rolls into
an armored ball and it has metal armor bonded to parts of its getting captured or destroyed before they
charges up to a long carapace, markings that are probably relay their full findings back to the Grin
distance in a straight line,
attacking all creatures tattoos of some kind, and so on. If the PCs empire. Plus, she knows her crewmates
in its path and inflicting haven’t yet figured out that the Grin are aren’t warriors, just weakling scientists,
12 points of damage.
involved, there’s enough evidence here to and she doesn’t enjoy the idea of battling
Even if the heroes haven’t
faced off against the Grin make the connection clear. superheroes with a bunch of nerds on
before, they’ve certainly
seen photos or video
The PCs should realize that the source her side.
footage of them. The of these attacks must be something in The rest of this adventure depends on
Grinzarg looks vaguely
Grin-ish, but not so much space, and that there must be other how the PCs attempt to reach the alien
that they automatically Grinzargs roaming around (one for each ship: teleportation or flight.
recognize it as one.
of the other meteor strikes), ready to

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TELEPORTATION
If the PCs can instantaneously move from
the planet to the ship, they probably catch
the aliens off guard and have a chance to
secure the cargo hold, take the bridge, and
stop the Grin from going into hyperspace
with their Grinzarg data. This plan requires
speed, stealth, or both, and almost certainly
going room by room through the ship to
make sure none of the aliens can escape,
release the Grinzargs, or activate the
hyperdrive.
Alternatively, the PCs may just decide
to blow up the ship using explosives or
superpowers and not bother trying to
capture the aliens at all, which is fine (if a
bit bloodthirsty). As long as they prevent
the ship from getting away, they’ll have
completed their mission.
If the Grin captain realizes that the PCs
are on her ship, she prepares to defend
the bridge and directs the scientists to
prepare for a hyperspace jump. If the
PCs seem like a significant threat, she
orders one of the scientists to launch the
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
BENEATH A RED SUN
remaining Grinzarg containment capsules If this adventure is
at the planet, aiming at least one of them the first time the PCs
encounter the Grin, it
at the Azaki beacon that the Korborites can set the stage for
used to send their message. Her goal is to later conflicts when
the Grin attempt to
give the superheroes a reason to break
invade Earth again,
off their pursuit and chase down the or if the superheroes
falling Grinzargs, giving the Discord time decide to take the fight
to the alien attackers.
to jump away.
Any PCs on the ship can feel the motion
of the containment capsules being
deployed, and any hero who looks out
the window at the falling cube(s) can tell
that one is heading toward the general
location of the Azaki ruin containing the
transmitter device. There are usually
dozens of Korborites within a few miles
of the ruin at any time, and a Grinzarg
impacting there means certain death for
them. To save the lives of the friendly little
gasbags, the heroes will need to divert
the falling Grinzarg as much as possible—
preferably toward an ocean. Fortunately,
it’ll take about five minutes for the capsule
to reach the ground, giving the heroes
time to move the capsule sideways toward
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 Claim the Sky
a safe crash location. Unfortunately, the
capsule requires only a few rounds to
reach its maximum speed, which is more
than 100 miles (160 km) per hour, so if
the heroes don’t act fast, they’ll need to
move very quickly to catch up with it.
Furthermore, for the last two or three
minutes of the fall, air friction heats up the
capsule—as well as any hero traveling at
that speed—inflicting 5 points of ambient
fire damage every round.
A falling capsule weighs a ton (1 tonne),
but moving it is easier than trying to lift it
off the ground. It moves sideways pretty
freely through the air, and the hero needs
to move it only an immediate distance
each turn to give it horizontal inertia, so
Feats of strength, maneuvering it to a safer crash location
page 61 requires only four or five successful
pushes over the several minutes the thing
is falling. Instead, the hero could try to
Grinzarg capsule: break open the capsule shell so it splits into
level 7 pieces that will safely burn up before they
hit the ground. This causes the Grinzarg
inside to fall unprotected, dying with a
loud splat when it hits the ground—and not
creating a destructive blast crater and
ground-penetrating impact.
FLIGHT
If the Grin captain realizes that the PCs
are approaching her ship, she attempts to
speed away, giving her crew a few rounds
to warm up the hyperdrive and jump to
safety. If it seems that the PCs’ ship will
catch up to them before that happens,
things proceed basically as described
earlier: she orders one of the scientists
to launch the remaining Grinzargs at the
planet, aiming at least one of them at the
Azaki beacon, hoping to distract the heroes
so she and the ship can escape. If the
heroes’ ship has weapons and can directly
attack the Fires of Discord, or if the heroes
use their powers to attack the ship (such
as trying to disable its controls or engine),
Vehicular Combat, use the vehicular combat rules to resolve
page 230 the conflict. (The specifics of this combat
depend on the stats of the heroes’ ship,
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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
and the GM should give the Discord similar
stats so it’s an even fight.) If the PCs try
to board the ship, the rest of the scenario
plays out similar to the teleportation option
described earlier.
DEFEAT?
If the PCs fail to stop the Grinzarg
bombardment, the Grin on the Fires of
Discord finish conducting their weapons
tests and transmit their results to the Grin
homeworld, which relays them throughout
the Grin empire—including to secret Grin
bases in Earth’s solar system (such as on
Jupiter’s moon Europa). That means it is
very likely that the Grin will deploy these
augmented soldiers directly against Earth
in the future.
If the PCs are captured by the Grin
on the scientific vessel, they’ll be taken
to a prison/research facility where
their abilities will be analyzed and their
equipment and bodies will be dissected
to advance the Grins’ own methods of
producing superpowered soldiers. The
PCs’ best bet is to break out of the holding
cells on the Fires of Discord, take over the
ship, and use it to return to Earth. Failing
that, their best chance at survival is when
they’re being taken from the Discord to
another ship or the prison itself—in other
words, before they are fully sedated,
restrained, and doomed to vivisection.
WRAP-UP
The PCs each earn 3 XP if they defeated all
of the Grinzargs that reached Korboros, 1
XP if they destroyed the research data on
the Fires of Discord (destroying the entire
ship counts), and 1 XP if they diverted or
destroyed the falling Grinzarg capsule so it
doesn’t strike the Azaki ruin.
 ADVANCEMENT
NAME
INCREASE MOVE TOWARD EXTRA SKILL OTHER
CAPABILITIES PERFECTION EFFORT TRAINING Refer to the
+4 points into +1 to the Edge +1 into Effort Train in a skill or specialize Cypher System
IS A WHO stat Pools of your choice in a trained skill Rulebook, page 240

Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

DESCRIPTOR TYPE
SPECIAL ABILITIES CYPHERS
FOCUS

TYPE, FLAVOR, OR OTHER

TIER EFFORT XP

MIGHT SPEED INTELLECT

LIMIT

POOL EDGE POOL EDGE POOL EDGE POWER SHIFTS

Accuracy
Dexterity
RECOVERY 1d6+ DAMAGE TRACK
Flight, per round
IMPAIRED DEBILITATED
+1 Effort per level Can move only an Healing
1 ACTION 1 HOUR immediate distance
Ignore minor and major Increased Range
effect results on rolls Cannot move if Speed
Pool is 0
Combat roll of 17-20 Intelligence
10 MINS 10 HOURS deals only +1 damage
DEAD
...isn’t always dead
Power
Prodigy
Resilience
SKILLS PS = power shift, T = trained, S = specialized, I = inability Pool PS T S I
Savant
Single Attack
Strength

ATTACKS MOD DAMAGE EQUIPMENT

ARMOR MONEY
 BACKGROUND
NOTES
PORTRAIT

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Jon Smith (Order #33409311)

abilities 48
Ace Majestic (hero) 132
Africa (Boundless setting) 192
aliens 66
Amazing (descriptor) 42
Animal Form minor abilities 50
archetypes 10
artifacts 158
Asia (Boundless setting) 190
Atlantean (archetype) 11
Atlantic Ocean (Boundless setting) 196
Atlantis (lost civilization) 69
Australia (Boundless setting) 195
Azaki (Boundless setting aliens) 160
balancing power levels 93
Baron Shadow (villain) 107
BASTION (Boundless setting
organization) 163
bearer of the item (archetype) 11
beastly hero (archetype) 12
beastmaster (archetype) 12
Beneath a Red Sun (adventure) 214
bizarre dimensions 66
Blackstar (hero) 108
bug hero (archetype) 13
builder (archetype) 13
campaign building blocks 66
Canada (Boundless setting) 183
Cataclysm (cosmic entity) 109
Central and South America
(Boundless setting) 185
changes (story concept) 89
character names 76
character sheet 221
comic-book style superhero setting 74
Copies Superpowers (focus) 46
cosmic entities 67
crafting in a high-tech setting 65
Crimson Protector (hero) 110
crossovers 85
cyborg (archetype) 14
cyphers 157
Dagger, the (Boundless setting
organization) 163
dark energy master (archetype) 16
Dawnstar (hero) 111
death (and coming back) 96
Death Beam (villain) 112
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
index
Death, Thy Name Is Gravitas
(adventure) 202
defeated villains 77
Defender (hero) 113
Demdike (villain) 114
descriptors 42
designing your superhero setting 73
developments (story concept) 90
difficulties above 10 61
Dirge (villain) 115
Dread (supervillain team) 179
Duke (Majestic robot) 132
Earth orbit (Boundless setting) 198
Edifice (hero) 116
elastic (archetype) 16
Elemental, the (villain) 117
energy master (archetype) 17
Entropy (villain) 118
Europe (Boundless setting) 187
extra limbs (archetype) 18
far-future superhero setting 74
feats of speed 62
feats of strength 61
flex power shifts (variant rule) 30
flight (power shift) 57
foci 45
force field master (archetype) 19
Free Reign (villain) 119
Freefire 163
friendly thing (archetype) 19
gadgeteer (character concept) 15
genius (archetype) 20
Gentleman, the (hero) 120
Ghostwalk (hero) 121
giant hero (archetype) 21
gods 68
Gravitas (villain) 122
Grin, the (alien species) 123
Grin homeworld (Boundless setting) 199
guest stars and crossovers 85
half-vampire (archetype) 21
hard light master (archetype) 22
Has a Thousand Faces (focus) 46
heroes of the past 68
Highrise (villain) 124
history (Boundless setting) 165
Horror, the (monstrous recluse) 125
hunter (archetype) 22
Ignores Physical Distance (focus) 46
illusionist (archetype) 23
immortals 69
increased range (power shift) 57
Incredible (descriptor) 42
Inner Earth (Boundless setting) 197
interweaving stories (story concept) 90
inventor (character concept) 15
Jabberwocky (villain) 126
Jack Majestic (hero) 131
Jinsoku (hero) 127
Kaos (villain) 128
laundromat (superhero base) 102
leaping 63
Lemuria (lost civilization) 69
Lord Ash (villain) 129
Lord Eswar (villain) 139
lost civilizations 69
magic 70
Majestic Family (heroes) 130
Malevolence (villain) 134
Mana (villain) 140
Manslaughter (villain) 135
master athlete (archetype) 24
master martial artist (archetype) 25
mastermind villains 94
mentalist (archetype) 25
Mexico (Boundless setting) 184
Midknight (villain) 136
Mighty (descriptor) 43
Minder (villain) 137
modifying high-tech devices 64
Moon, the (Boundless setting) 199
Mu (lost civilization) 69
multiplier (archetype) 26
mutants 70
mutants (Boundless setting) 162
Mystery Earth (Boundless setting) 199
names 76
Natalie Majestic (hero) 130
nature master (archetype) 27
nemeses 84
North America (Boundless setting) 175
NPCs 106
Olive Majestic (hero) 133
One, the (cosmic entity) 138
origin stories 80
Pacific Ocean (Boundless setting) 196
223
223
 Claim the Sky
pacing the campaign 86
paragon (archetype) 28
parallel Earths 70
phase master (archetype) 28
plant (archetype) 29
player-driven changes (story concept) 90
players setting the scene 94
popular heroes in the Cypher System 7
power boost cyphers 157
Power Origin table 9
power replicator (archetype) 29
power shifts 57
power shifts, gaining more 58
power source 8
power stunts 58
power stunts, permanent 60
power versus power levels 93
powered armor hero (archetype) 30
powerful creatures 63
prehistoric lands 70
prison 78
prodigy (power shift) 57–58
psychics 71
rage monster (archetype) 31
Rai (villain) 141
random superpowers 39
realistic superhero setting 73
really impossible tasks 61
reversals (story concept) 89
robot (archetype) 31
Royal House of Videsh (villains) 139
Ruthless (hero) 143
224
Jon Smith (Order #33409311)
satellite (superhero base) 102
savant (power shift) 57
Sculpts Hard Light (focus) 46
secret identities 83
Sensational (descriptor) 44
sensory adept (archetype) 32
shapechanger (archetype) 33
Shift (hero) 144
Shrike (villain) 145
Shrinks to Minute Size (focus) 47
Silver Sentinel (hero) 146
Singularity (villain) 147
skyscraper (superhero base) 102
small worlds 71
Soars on Amazing Wings (focus) 47
Society of Seven (superhero team) 172
Solar System (Boundless setting) 199
sorcerer (archetype) 33
Sorrow (cosmic entity) 148
souls 72
special equipment 157
speedster (archetype) 34
starting just past tier 1 9
stories growing over time
(story concept) 91
Stretches (focus) 47
super-technology 72
superhero bases 102
superhero story ideas 98
superheroes (Boundless setting) 163
supernatural creatures 72
superpowered survey
(Boundless setting) 175
superspy (archetype) 35
Takes Animal Shape (focus) 47
Talons of Doom (adventure) 207
tasks above level 10 61
Tauseef (villain) 142
team-ups 82
technology (Boundless setting) 162
telekinetic (archetype) 36
teleporter (archetype) 37
themes 92
time travel 73
tiny hero (archetype) 37
Touches the Sky (focus) 47
Traveler, the (explorer) 149
tropes 95
Uncanny (descriptor) 44
unkillable beast (archetype) 38
Valor (hero) 150
Vantablack (villain) 151
Vermillion, the (Boundless setting) 200
vigilantes 77
Voltage (villain) 152
Warp (hero) 153
weapon master (archetype) 38
Whisper (hero) 154
Wields an Enchanted Weapon (focus) 48
Wields Invisible Force (focus) 48
Worlds Between (Boundless setting) 200
Worm (villain) 155
Z (villain) 156