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
 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

4
 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.

6
 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

7
7
 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.
42
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 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.
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.
45
45
 CHAP
TER 7
pe r 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
102
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.
 Claim the Sky
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.

130
 Heroes, Villains, And Other NPC
NP C s
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.

131
131
 Claim the Sky
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.

136
 Heroes, Villains, And Other NPC
NP C s
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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 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
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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