[ooc]Please direct all discussion to the Discussion Thread (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,210184.msg230204.html#msg230204)
Character should be posted Character Creation Thread (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,210188.msg230307.html#msg230307)[/ooc]
Who Will Save Us Now? is a play-by-post forum game in which you will take control of a team of superheroes. After the loss of the Excarchs, the world's most renowned superheroes, in battle against the forces of the Null Realm, Earth seems to be much less defended than it once was. Without the Exarchs protecting the world, super crime is on the rise, alien conquerors that were kept at bay by the might of the Exarchs are looking at adding Earth to their crowns, and the various threats they had contained are free to menace the planet again. There is a power vacuum, and someone must fill it.
You will be those teams. By selecting and customizing four of the heroic archetypes you will build your initial team from established heroes. Former sidekicks, street level heroes, outcasts, renegades, b-listers, semi-disgraced heroes, redeemed villians...everyone who didn't quite make the cut for the Exarchs is now banding into groups to try to become the world's premier team. There are multiple reasons to do so: to provide the deterrent the Exarchs once did, to make sure that the best of the best are going to do it right this time, to honor their legacy, to redeem your name, or even just to cash in on the money and fame that comes with being the best known...whatever your motivation, your group stands to protect the world.
The rules are very much a Work In Progress right now, but there will be multiple archetypes to choose from and multiple customization options for those archetypes, allowing an incredibly diverse blend of heroes. The initial rollout is going to feature 12: Paragon, Costumed Vigilante, Battlesuit, Energy Controller, Psion, Brute, Animal-Powered, Android, Super Soldier, Mage, Signature Weapon, and Renegade Alien. The customization options will allow for a team consisting entirely of Costumed Vigilantes or Energy Controllers or even Paragons to feel unique - although it will be easier with some archetypes than others. For those of you who have played in other forum games, rules for movement, base building, and other types of bookkeeping will be greatly simplified to allow for a more freeform approach in line with the superhero genre - most super hero teams don't include an accountant (or if they do, he doesn't do his accounting on camera), so you shouldn't have to serve as one either.
The current plan is for turns to take ~2 weeks, with time in between each turn for me to do the back end bookkeeping and roll out the combat and write the mid-turn posts. That turn will cover a week of in-game time. Turns will take places in discreet phases to keep things moving smoothly. I understand that everyone is busy with their own lives and will happily work with you to ensure you don't fall behind. During that time, you will get missions you can accept - and it will be impossible to complete all missions in a single turn. Some missions will be time sensitive, while others can sit for quite some time. Some missions will be completable by a single hero from your team, others will require using your entire team, and still others will be hard enough that you may need to coordinate with other teams to get the job done - which also involves sharing the reputation earned from completing the mission.
Your resources will be twofold: Reputation and Wealth. Reputation is spent on increasing your public profile, adding new members to your team, and recruiting new allies to your cause. Wealth is used to, well, buy things (shockingly) - most of which will be upgrades to your base, new bases if you feel you need them, train and equip new heroes from the ground up, hire support personnel, deal with legal problems, buy luxury goods (which can increase your reputation) and can be spent to open new missions. There is also a price - as your Reputation and Wealth increase, you are at a greater risk from being targeted by super villains or other threats who either want to test your mettle or take your stuff.
The primary inspirations for this game are comic books: particularly those of the Bronze Age, where shades of grey were introduced but before things got super grim and gritty in the Iron Age. Please, don't make your team full of grimdark iron age characters. One or two is fine, but I want to keep things from getting too brutal and nasty right off the bat. (And before you fret too much, keep in mind that Wolverine, the Punisher, and many other popular Iron Age character originally came about in the Bronze Age.)
If you're interested in playing, have comments, suggestions, feedback, or anything else, please post in the Discussion and Interest thread. Team and character concepts can go there as well, until we have things closer to finalized and create a proper Character thread - which will also contain many of the villains you will be dealing with (though of course, not all.) If you have a character concept that doesn't fit into the above list, feel free to let me know, that's just a preliminary selection of archetypes and will only end up being complete if no one wants anything that doesn't fall under those 12.
If you're worried about time commitment...I'm trying as hard as possible to minimize work on both the players and myself. By keeping it as simple as I can, I hope to provide a fun experience that will play to the strengths of forum games, which is that it allows for people to post and play as they have time. Every possible step will be taken to reduce bookkeeping for you all, even if it means a bit more for me, because I want people to feel free to join without that stress. Right now I'm not worrying too much about capping the number of players, but if too many people want to join, A) I'll feel awesome and special and B) I'll be looking at some options to reduce bookkeeping. Worst case scenario? I'll have to ask some people if they'd be willing to wait to join - and offering some rewards to those who wait as compensation for "not playing" for a bit.
Updates to follow!
Archetypes
Paragon
The sentinels of freedom, the exemplars of power, Paragons are the men and women that have redefined beat down. With a powerset that includes flight, strength, and high resistance to harm, paragons are hands down the best at flying in and punching their way to justice. However, that focus on force is limiting in other ways: Paragons are not often the best tacticians, strategists, or particularly good at any kind of subterfuge. Then again, when you can take artillery shells to the face, why would you bother?
Base Stats [spoiler] [ooc]
Paragon Melee: 7
Range: 4
Parry: 16
Dodge: 15
Attacks: Unarmed (Melee) 8 (DC 23, MS 3), Throw (Range) 6 (DC 21, MS 1)
Toughness: 10, I: 5
Resistance: 6
Will: 4
Awareness: 3
Capture: 5
Investigate: 2
Manipulate: 0
Media: 2
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 0
Streetwise: 0
Tactics: 0
Powers, Gears, Specialties Superhuman Strength 5: in addition to the benefits of high melee damage, you can clear obstacles up to 50 tons with minimal effort.
Flight: You can fly. Assuming you have clearance above your head high enough to put you out of reach, you are immune to melee attacks from non-fliers unless they ready an action for you to enter melee range.
Impervious Toughness 5: Attacks with a rating 5 or lower cannot harm you.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Costumed Vigilante
The stalkers of the shadows, the extremely well trained, Costumed Vigilantes are those who rely on training and specialized gadgets to save the day. Often at the peak of physical training and armed with versatile utility belts, Costumed Vigilantes can play at the same level as those with super powers - in part because of their brilliant minds and analytic skills. In addition to being skilled martial artists, Costumed vigilantes are among the best investigators in the world. However, their lack of powers makes it difficult at times for them to take down powerful threats
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Costumed Vigilante Melee: 8
Range: 8
Parry: 18
Dodge: 18
Attacks: Unarmed (Melee) 4 (DC 19, MS 5), Signature Shuriken (Range) 4 (DC 23, MS 1), Gas Pellet 8 (-4 to Awareness, Res DC 18, MS 10), Snare Bolas (Range) 8 (If hit, immobilized until beat DC 18 Res or uses Super Strength 3+), [Chosen Melee Weapon] (melee) 2 (Adds to Unarmed, DC becomes 21, MS 5)
Toughness: 6
Resistance: 4
Will: 8
Awareness: 6
Capture: 5
Investigate: 6
Media: 2
Manipulate: 4
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 4
Streetwise: 4
Tactics: 4
Powers, Gears, Specialties Utility Belt: Adds the Gas Pellet, Snare Bolas, and Melee Weapon attacks. Also Includes:
GPS Tracker: Can locate target later unless they pass a DC 18 awareness check. Lasts 2 weeks.
Infra-Goggles: Allow vision in low light conditions
Grapple Gun: Can travel up walls so long as they can grab something.
Lock Pick: Pass through physical locks.
Re-breather: Allows for underwater breathing.
Armored Costume: Provides +2 toughness (already factored into above)[/ooc][/spoiler]
Unique Customization Option:
Crazy Over-Prepared: For Costumed Vigilantes, Superhumans pose a major threat. However, many superhumans have some kind of weakness that can be exploited. The Crazy Over-Prepared individual knows that, and stuffs their utility belt with every known superhuman weakness...just in case. When facing a foe, make a DC 15 tactics check. If they have a weakness, you will have it in your possession.
Battlesuit
Modern day knights, Battlesuits go into combat wrapped in distinguishable high tech, biological, or mystical armor. Capable of flight, blasts, and offering a good deal of protection, Battlesuits have it all...so long as they're armored. While they are highly versatile and pack quite a punch, Battlesuits are pretty much "squishy humans" without their war garb. However, they are also often geniuses in their own right, having built their armor from the ground up, and they can apply this same genius to their long term plans.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Battlesuit Melee: 6
Range: 8
Parry: 16
Dodge: 18
Attacks: Armored Punch (Melee) 6 (DC 21, MS 2), Blast (range) 8 (DC 23, MS 4), Micomissles (range) 4 (DC 19, MS 8)
Toughness: 8, I: 4
Resistance: 4
Will: 4
Awareness: 4
Capture: 2
Investigate: 4
Manipulate: 2
Media: 5
Occult: 0*
Science: 0*
Stealth: 0
Streetwise: 0
Tactics: 3
*If the battlesuit in Occult in origin, Occult is at 6. If Scientific in origin, Science is 6
Powers, Gears, Specialties Battlesuit:
In addition to the attacks above, the Battlesuit provides the following benefit:
Toughness +6, Impervious Toughness 4 (Factored Above)
Contained Environment: Immune to gas, natural heat, natural cold, vacuum, or any other normal environmental effects.
Superhuman Strength 3: in addition to the benefits of high melee damage, you can clear obstacles up to 30 tons with minimal effort.
Flight: You can fly. Assuming you have clearance above your head high enough to put you out of reach, you are immune to melee attacks from non-fliers unless they ready an action for you to enter melee range.
Sonar Scanners: +4 Awareness, not impeded by darkness (factored Above)[/ooc][/spoiler]
Unique Customization OptionsBrutebuster Armor: In addition to your normal armor, you have a second suit - one designed for going toe to toe with the strongest the world has to offer! Brutebuster Armor does have the downside that it often cannot run as long as your normal armor, but while it has power, you're able to go toe to toe with Paragons or Brutes.
Remote Controlled Suit: You don't need to go with your suit into battle. Instead, you can sit safely at base and control it from there. While you don't gain quite as much reputation from combat missions (since you are in no real danger), you also can never be taken out of the fight for long.
Threat Assessment AI: While you are a genius, it's sometimes better to let the suit do the thinking for you. With the Threat Assessment AI, you are always able to target the most important foe while greatly minimizing collateral damage.
Energy Controller
Elementals in the truest sense, Energy Controllers have mastery over some force of the universe! Be it as direct as fire or magnetism, as esoteric as weather or darkness, or as strange as luck or fiction, you can wield your chosen energy with skill to deal with most threats. Energy Controllers boast the best ranged damage of any power source as well as a great deal of flexibility, but such power comes with a cost: most Energy Controllers are glass cannons to a degree, and must work hard to avoid taking direct hits.
Note that despite being called "Energy Controllers," people with the ability to control physical things - such as Earth or Metal - fall into this category as well.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Energy Controller Melee: 4
Range: 10
Parry: 13
Dodge: 16
Attacks: Energy Blast (range) 10 (DC 25, MS 4), Wide Blast (range) 5 (DC 20, MS 10), Energy Snare (range) 9 (If hit, immobilized until beat DC 19 Res or uses Super Strength 4+)
Toughness: 3
Resistance: 2
Will: 6
Awareness: 5
Capture: 6
Investigate: 2
Manipulate: 0
Media: 3
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 2
Streetwise: 0
Tactics: 2
Powers, Gears, Specialties Area Energy: You can create a field of your chosen energy. If it is a physical object or force, it prevents movement though. If it is a harmful energy, anyone passing it or caught in it must make a DC 20 toughness check vs. damage.
Energy Control 5: You can control masses of your chosen energy at range. For physical objects, it is up to 25 tons. For energy types, it can effect all sources in up to 25 foot radius circle around the center point you set.
Energy Creation: You can create a stable mass of your chosen energy. Unlike that created by your attacks or other abilities, this mass does not require your concentration to maintain it.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Unique Customization OptionsSecond Energy: You're the master of more than one type of energy. Maybe you control opposing forces, such as Light and Darkness, or Fire and Ice, or perhaps related ones, such as Magnetism and Electricity Either way, you're a force to be reckoned with!
Psion
Let others deal with crass physical matters. You are a Psion, and above such petty concerns. While lacking the raw might of Energy Controllers, Psions are still strong ranged combatants that have the added benefit of being able to influence and read their opponent's mind, using both telepathy and telekinesis to strike at their foes. However, much like Energy Controllers, Psions are physically weak and must be careful to avoid harm. In addition, their power makes them mistrusted, and they risk reputation loss by using their powers in unethical ways - if they are detected.
Note that if you want to play a telekinetic without the telepathy, you should go with an Energy Controller.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Psion Melee: 4
Range: 8
Parry: 14
Dodge: 15
Attacks: TK Blast (range) 8 (DC 23, MS 2), TK Sweep (range) 4 (DC 19, MS 8), Telekinetic Grab (range) 6 (Make capture checks at range), Mind Blast 4 (DC 19 MS 1, no attack roll needed, resisted by will), Mind Burst 1 (DC 16, MS 5, no attack roll needed, Resisted by will)
Toughness: 4
Resistance: 3
Will: 8
Awareness: 4
Capture: 6
Investigate: 4
Manipulate: 6
Media: 4
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 0
Streetwise: 0
Tactics: 3
Powers, Gears, Specialties Telepathy 10: You can learn someone's thoughts. Resisted by Will, DC 20.
Warp Perception 8: You change the way someone views their surroundings, imposing a -6 to Awareness. Resisted by Will, DC 18.
Brain Drain 4: You can reduce someone's ranks in Science, Occult, Investigate, Streetwise, or Tactics by 4 for up to one week. Resisted by Will, DC 14.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Unique Customization OptionsLong Range Telepathy: You don't need to be near someone to read their mind. You can find the minds of others at great range and use your telepathy upon them! While other heroes or mastermind villains have willpower strong enough to resist you, the secrets of the weak willed are yours.
Psychic Vampire: You can tap into the psionic powers of others. When fighting in a populated area, you can use the collective emotions of the populace to improve your telekinesis or telepathy.
Brute
Brutes are the unstoppable forces, the immovable objects. A Brute is a engine of destruction, seeking the shortest distance between two points, and ensuring it is always a straight line by smashing their way through any obstacles. The most physically powerful of any archetype, Brutes are in very little risk of being harmed at any moment and can dish out major punishment. Of course, the downsides to this are they are somewhat at the mercy of flying foes and tend to be very straightforward thinkers.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Brute Melee: 6
Range: 4
Parry: 14
Dodge: 12
Attacks: Unarmed 10 (DC 25, MS 2), Thunder Clap 8 (DC 23, MS 12), Throw 8 (DC 23, MS 1)
Toughness: 10 I: 7
Resistance: 8
Will: 4
Awareness: 4
Capture: 8
Investigate: 0
Manipulate: 0
Media: 0
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 0
Streetwise: 0
Tactics: 2
Powers, Gears, Specialties In addition to the attacks above
Superhuman Strength 10: in addition to the benefits of high melee damage, you can clear obstacles up to 100 tons with minimal effort.
Impervious Toughness 7: Attacks with a rating 7 or lower cannot harm you.
Unstoppable: When running, you automatically inflict melee damage 7 (DC 22) against any objects in your way.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Animal-Powered
You do not draw upon the elements or raw might for your power, nor do you call upon training or technology. You are endowed with the proportional powers of an animal, and nature is your weapon. Animal-Powered heroes can vary greatly, but are stronger and faster than most and typically gain at least one sensory power and one movement power from the animal they mimic. This flexibility comes at a cost - Animal-Powered individuals are middle of the road in terms of power and often lack ranged attack, but make up for it with animal instincts that take the form of a danger sense - given sufficient room to maneuver, Animal-Powered individuals are hard for even the fastest of foes to hit.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Animal Powered Melee: 5*
Range: 5*
*Increases based on animal powers.
Parry: 15*
Dodge: 15*
*Increases based on animal powers.
Attacks: See Animal Power
Toughness: 4*
Resistance: 4*
Will: 5
*increases based on animal power
Awareness: 6
Capture: 5
Investigate: 0
Manipulate 2
Media: 0
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 5
Steetwise: 0
Tactics: 4
Powers, Gears, Specialties Pick one of the relevant animal powers and gain the following bonuses:
Spider: +4 Dodge, +2 Parry, +4 Melee, +2 Range, +2 toughness, Super Strength 2, Danger Sense (Never caught unaware in surprise round), Wall Crawling, Gain the Following Attacks: Unarmed 6 (Melee DC 23, MS 3), Snare 8 (Ranged, DC 18 to resist)
Canine: +3 Dodge, +3 Parry, +4 Melee, +1 Range, +3 toughness, Super Strength 2, Scent, Regeneration. Gain the Following Attacks: Unarmed 8 (Melee DC 23, MS 3)
Large Herbivore: +1 Dodge, +2 Parry, +4 Melee, +0 Range, +2 toughness, Super Strength 4, Impervious Toughness 3, Gain the Following Attacks: Unarmed 9 (Melee DC 24, MS 2)
Bird of Prey: +4 Dodge, +2 Parry, +3 Melee, +3 Range, +6 Awareness, Flight Gain the Following Attacks: Unarmed 5 (Melee DC 20, MS 2)
More can be avilable upon request, but these should cover a good variety for an initial set[/ooc][/spoiler]
Unique Customization OptionsCall of the Wild: Whatever animal you gain your powers from will also follow your commands. In addition to a unique companion of your animal type that will join you in battle and is utterly loyal, you can call upon other similar animals to serve you if need be.
Beast Claws: In addition to your enhanced strength, you have a weapon that mimics that of the animal you are bonded too. For some this is a natural outgrowth of their power, for others a technological or mystical armament. Increase the damage of your unarmed strikes by +2
Multi-Beast: Instead of mimicking a single animal, you can shift your power between the gifts of multiple animals. For 1 rank, have 3 related animals you can switch between. For 2 ranks, have 6 animals with no relation needed.
Super Soldier
Created to be the ultimate weapon, the Super Soldier is a fighting machine given flesh. Surpassing even the best trained humans in terms of strength, speed, and durability, Super Soldiers are the first ones into a fight and the last ones out. Calling upon military training and skills, they also make amazing tacticians and are often excellent leaders as well. The Super Soldier, like the Costumed Vigilante, isn't quite able to go toe-to-toe with stronger superhumans, but is more adept than any at using their terrain to their advantage.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Super Soldier Melee: 8
Range: 6
Parry: 18
Dodge: 18
Attacks: Unarmed 6 (DC 21, MS 6), Throw (Appropriate Weapon) 4 (DC 19, MS 9)
Toughness: 8
Resistance: 8
Will: 5
Awareness: 6
Capture: 6
Investigate: 2
Manipulate: 0
Media: 4
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 4
Streetwise: 0
Tactics: 6
Powers, Gears, Specialties In addition to the attacks above
Superhuman Strength 2: in addition to the benefits of high melee damage, you can clear obstacles up to 20 tons with minimal effort.
Analyze the Field: Make a tactics check DC 16. If successful, gain +4 to your defenses on the first round, +3 the second, +2 on the third, and +1 on the fourth. If you can communicate with your allies, they gain half this bonus.
Find Weakness: Make a tactics check opposed by Manipulate. If successful, reduce your opponents defenses by -2 vs you.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Mage
The Master of the Mystic arts, the Mage wields arcane power to fight all who oppose him. The single most versatile Archetype, Mages are able to call upon a vast array of spells and incantations to serve them in and out of battle. They even have some defensive abilities, making them less of a glass cannon than Psions or Energy Controllers. However, the mystic arts are often less effective at dealing with the raw power of technology, and any simple binding of your hands or mouth can render you powerless until you are free.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Mage Melee: 4
Range: 6
Parry: 13
Dodge: 14
Attacks: Unarmed Strike (Melee) 2 (DC 17, MS 1), Spell Blast 8 (DC 23, MS 4), Mystic Bindings 8 (Snare 8, resistance DC 18)
Toughness: 4
Resistance: 4
Will: 8
Awareness: 4
Capture: 2
Investigate: 4
Manipulate 2
Media: 0
Occult: 8
Science: 0
Stealth: 0
Steetwise: 0
Tactics: 4
Powers, Gears, Specialties In the addition to the above attacks, Mages have the following abilities:
Cantrips: You mage can make minor magical effects happen with very little expenditure of effort. If you want to describe a minor effect, you simple can do so.
Scrying: You can view anywhere on the world! Scrying is a form of research using Occult, but can be used to research non-Occult information and grants more detailed information. Scrying takes a week, just like normal research, and 25 wealth in special materials.
Spells:
Pick 5 powers from the General Customization Options. Those are your spells. Whenever deploying for a turn, pick 3. Those are your current loadout for the week. For powers that provide a passive bonus, you can cast them on others or yourself.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Customization OptionsSorcerer: You are not just trained in magic, you are born to it. Your arcane power is part of you and, as such, you do not need incantations or gestures to cast.
Necromancer: While some view you art as vile, you know that the mindless dead are far lesser evils than that which you fight. Although your power comes with a reputation downside, you can call upon minions to serve you. -COMING LATER UNLESS REQUESTED-
Battle Mage: In addition to the mystic arts, you are trained in the arts martial as well, and can fight in melee with fists or weapons alongside your comrades. Gain a +3 to melee attack, +2 to Parry, and +2 toughness and your unarmed strike becomes Unarmed Strike (Melee) 4 (DC 19, MS 3)
Signature Weapon
Some wield a weapon of myth. Others wield the most advanced technology can produce. Whichever it is, the Signature Weapon that you hold is the bane of your foes. Be it the Spear of Odin, a bow with a quiver of high tech arrows, a sentient sword infused with the gems of forgotten Atlantis, or a high-tech gauntlet that contains more power than most battlesuits, you are a force to be reckoned with so long as you are armed. The downside, of course, is that while you are a skilled fighter, you are much less so without your chosen weapon in hand.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Signature Weapon Melee: 10/8*
Range: 6*
* If the Signature Weapon is a ranged weapon, switch these two numbers. The higher value only applies when wielding the signature weapon.
Parry: 20
Dodge: 17
Attacks: Signature Weapon (Melee or Ranged) 8 (DC 23, MS 1), Secondary Attacks (See Below)
Toughness: 5
Resistance: 4
Will: 3
Awareness: 6
Capture: 4
Investigate: 4
Manipulate: 0
Media: 2
Occult: 0
Science: 0
Stealth: 2
Streetwise: 0
Tactics: 5
Powers, Gears, Specialties The Signature Weapon chooses 3 of the below abilities, and adds them to their weapon:
-Throw Weapon (Range) 6 (DC 21, MS 1) (Melee Only): You can throw your normally melee weapon as an attack! Unlike most ranged attacks, you still use your melee attack score for this roll.
-Sweep Attack (Range or Melee) 5 (DC 20, MS 10): You are particularly adept at attacking a large number of foes with a single strike of your weapon (this also covers things like explosive arrows).
-Trick Shot (Range only): When attacking, make a tactics check, DC 15. If successful, you bounce your shot in an unexpected way, reducing your opponent's dodge by 2.
-Penetrating Attack (either): Your main attack with your signature weapon gains the penetrating modifier.
-Ensnaring Attack (either) your attacks, either by virtue of your skill or their own nature, can entangle your foes. Gain a Snare (ranged or melee) 8, (If hit, immobilized until beat DC 18 Res or uses Super Strength 3+).
-Blast (Melee only): Your weapon contains a powerful charge you can unleash. Gain a Damage (ranged) 7 (DC 22, MS 2). In spite of being your signature weapon, it's not it's normal use, so it still uses your ranged attack.
-Beat (ranged only): In spite of being designed for ranged attacks, your signature weapon is very sturdy. Gain a Damage (melee) 7 (DC 22, MS 2). In spite of being your signature weapon, it's not it's normal use, so it still uses your melee attack.
-Counterstrike (both): Whenever an attack against you misses by more than 5, you can make an immediate counterstrike, doing Damage (melee or ranged) 3 (DC 18, MS 1).[/ooc][/spoiler]
Unique Customization Options[note=Balance]Some of the options for a particular Archetype, such as The Myth Makes the Weapon or Vampire are much more powerful than other, non archetype options. That is intentional - since they are limited to a particular archetype, they can be the "better" options.[/note]The Myth Makes the Weapon: You don't just carry a weapon out of myths. You are the man or woman who made the myths! In addition to the benefits of the Signature Weapon, you gain improved strength and durability from your legendary status - even when unarmed. Gain +3 Toughness, +4 Impervious Toughness, and Super Strength 4.
Never Out of Reach: So long as your Signature Weapon is not restrained, you can call it to yourself from a great distance. For one rank, it needs be in the same city/region as you. For two, it can be anywhere on the continent!
Android
Not fully alive but fully sentient, an Android is some kind of artificial lifeform given life by another - sometimes a genius, sometimes an mage, and sometimes even another Android. In spite of their name, Androids run the gamut from robotic constructs to sentient undead to golems to even stranger things. As a benefit of this, they are immune to effects that plague fleshier beings, such as disease and gasses, and a highly resistant to physical damage. Their lack of human experience is a liability, however, and they often miss their mark in conversation, taking a penalty to checks to overcome manipulation as well as getting less reputation for Media Missions.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Android Melee: 7
Range: 6
Parry: 17
Dodge: 17
Attacks: Unarmed Strike (Melee) 7 (DC 22, MS 2), Integrated Weapon (Ranged) 6 (DC 21, MS 4), Secondary Weapon (Ranged) 4 (DC 19, MS 10)
Toughness: 6
Resistance: -
Will: -
Awareness: 2
Capture: 6
Investigate: 2
Manipulate 2
Media: 0
Occult: 0*
Science: 0*
Stealth: 2
Steetwise: 0
Tactics: 6
*If the Anrdoid is of a scientific origin, it gets +4 to science. If of Mystic origin, it gets a +4 to Occult.
Powers, Gears, Specialities In addition to the attacks listed in their attacks, Androids have the following ability:
Non-Living Physiology: Androids are not living creatures, whatever form they take. As such, they are immune to all effects that require a resistance or will check, except for Snares - they must attempt using their Super Strength or Escape to break free of any Snares.
Movement Analysis: Because their artifical minds work quicker than most and are (often) unfettered by emotions, androids are adept at evading or escaping danger. Androids get a +4 to escape attempts.
Super Strength 4.
Android Powers: In addition to their other listed abilities, Androids may pick 2 powers from the Minor Power list or 1 Power from the Major Power list at no cost.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Unique Customization Options Android:
Vampire: You're not just an sentient undead, you are a lord of the night! You gain the strengths and weaknesses classic to Vampires. For two points, you only gain the strengths.
Strengths: Your superhuman strength improves by 2, and your melee damage increases by 2. You gain a degree of super speed, increasing dodge and parry by 2. You also regenerate, healing one damage box per round. You can transform into an appropriate creature of the night (typically a wolf) gaining scent and +3 perception, but taking a -3 to toughness and a -2 to all attacks while shifted due to the unfamiliar form, or into a swarm of creatures (typically bats), making you immune to melee attacks with a MS less than 5 but removing your other attacks and replacing them with a melee attack 5 (DC20, MS 6.) In any form, you can climb up walls, bypassing many barriers.
Weaknesses: You cannot operate at any point in the daylight, meaning you may miss missions if the foes operate under the sun. You have a weakness to strong sources of UV radiation (see weakness under complications for additional details). Holy symbols and locations repel you, and if you are unable to retreat from them you must pass a DC 20 Toughness Check each round you are exposed. You must feed on blood on a regular basis - for every week you do no, you take a cumulative -2 to attacks and defenses. Since you are more human than most undead, you have a will score of +5 and must make will checks as normal. Running water does not harm you but it takes you one hour to cross any source too large for you to step across, giving most foes plenty of time to escape. Garlic sickens you, imposing a -2 to attack and toughness for 1 round.
Speedster
There's fast, there's very fast...and then there's you. Not much stronger than most heroes, you can turn your nose up at brute force - because those brutes can almost never touch you. Capable of traversing the entire globe in a under a week, the Speedster is everywhere he needs to be. Of course, if someone does manage to touch you, you're not much stronger than the average man - but given how fast you are, there's little risk of that!
Customization Options Before They Blink: Not just fast, you're a master of making the most of your time. While Speedsters often excel at taking down Mooks, you can clear entire armies in a heartbeat.
Be Right There!: All speedsters can deploy anywhere on the globe without need of jet. You can do it twice. When assigning orders, you can be in two fights anywhere on the globe, although you suffer a -2 Penalty to all combat stats in the second fight. You must specify in which order you visit different locations.
Vortex: Most speedsters have, as a secondary ability, the gift of minimizing the impact on the air as they run. You can turn that off and on, creating massive vortexes of air behind you as you run or even running in circles to whip up miniature tornadoes.
Adventuring Detective
Perhaps the weakest in a fight of all archetypes, the Adventuring Detective brings to the table a wide variety of skills honed by a keen investigative mind. As comfortable behind a computer screen or a scrying pool as they are in the field alongside their more powerful allies, the Adventuring Detective relies upon preparation and guile to get through fights - plus a healthy dose of two fists if needed. Often underestimated, the Adventuring Detective is an asset to any time, but must be very careful without support, since if a fight cannot be avoided they will find themselves in great danger from powered foes.
Base Stats[spoiler][ooc]
Adventuring Detective Melee: 8
Range: 6
Parry: 18
Dodge: 16
Attacks: Unarmed Strike (Melee) 4 (DC 19, MS 4), Improvised Weapons (Melee or Ranged) 6 (DC 21, MS 2).
Toughness: 5
Resistance: 5
Will: 8
Awareness: 8
Capture: 4
Investigate: 6
Manipulate 6
Media: 4
Occult: 2
Science: 2
Stealth: 5
Steetwise: 4
Tactics: 5
Powers, Gears, Specialities In addition to the attacks listed in their attacks, Adventuring Detectives have the following abilities:
Multi-Tasking Investigate: Unlike other heroes, an Adventuring Detective can make two research checks in the same week. They must be on different issues.
Instant Deduction: Upon meeting a villain or other individual for the first time, based on subtle clues about their personality, mannerism, dress, and even the dirt on their shoes, an Adventuring Detective will make an Immediate Investigate roll, the results of which will be revealed the next week - no matter how any combat goes.
Find Flaws: An Adventuring Detective can make a tactics check during combat. Assuming they beat the target's manipulate, they can provide all allies a +2 bonus to attacks against that foe for the next round.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Martial Artist
You have trained your entire life to fight. Unlike a soldier or a thug, however, you are an artist. You have taken the application of brute force and turned it into an art form, possessed with abilities far beyond those most others could hope to obtain. Perhaps you were raised in a monestary, or perhaps you came into it after much soul searching. Whatever the source, you are fighter without peer.
[spoiler][ooc]
Martial Artist Melee: 10
Range: 8
Parry: 20
Dodge: 20
Attacks: Unarmed Strike (Melee) 5 (DC 20, MS 6)
Toughness: 5
Resistance: 8
Will: 8
Awareness: 6
Capture: 6
Investigate: 0
Manipulate 2
Media: 2
Occult: 3
Science: 0
Stealth: 4
Steetwise: 2
Tactics: 5
Powers, Gears, Specialities Pressure Point Strike: Due to their knowledge of anatomy and pressure points, Martial Artist's Unarmed Strikes are penetrating.
Your Strenght Against You: When a melee attack misses a Martial Artist, their next unarmed strike against their attacker gets a +2 bonus to Attack.
Break Barrier: While Martial Artists do not have super strength for lifting or carrying purposes, they are assumed to have Super Strenght 5 when it comes to breaking objects.
Flying Crane Leap: Martial Artists can attack low flying foes by leaping up to their level.[/ooc][/spoiler]
Generic Customization Options
Flexible: your powers are not set in stone. Each week, you can spend wealth to change your customization options for your powers. This is only available to heroes with tech or magic based powers.
Wealthy: your character comes from a privileged background. You gain 10% additional wealth per turn, and start with 5 additional wealth.
Respected: This hero brings respect to the team as a whole. Increase team reputation by 10. When gaining reputation, you gain 10% extra reputation.
Highly Charismatic: You gain +4 to Media, and your team's starting reputation is increased by 5. When gaining reputation, you gain 5% extra reputation.
Natural Leader: You gain +4 to Tactics, and allies in the same as fight as you can use your tactics in place of theirs (if yours is higher) or get a +2 to their tactics (if theirs are higher.)
Alert: You get +4 to awareness, and can insure your team is never caught off-guard so long as you are there.
Crime Catcher: You gain +4 to Capture, and villains you capture get a -4 to their checks to escape from prison.
Master Detective: You get +4 to Investigate, and will get addition information about a mission before even taking it without a check required.
Occult Investigator: You get +4 to Occult, and a +2 to Investigate supernatural missions.
Action Scientist: You get a +4 to Science, and a +2 to Investigate science missions.
Master of Darkness: You get a +4 to Stealth, and minions automatically fail awareness checks against you unless you start attacking - and even then, they still must make them!
Know the Streets: +4 to Streetwise checks, and you gain a network of informants in the criminal world.
Limit Break: You are at your best when your cards are down. Gain a +2 to attack and damage when you have taken half your toughness in damage.
Memorable Weapon: While not as powerful or iconic as a signature weapon, a Memorable Weapon certainly leaves a mark. Chose one attack type and one defense type. In addition to the damage your weapon provides, you get +2 to both when using this weapon, or +4 to one attack type, or +4 to one defense type.
Agile: +2 to dodge, and once per round a ranged attack automatically misses you.
Marksman: +2 to range, and automatically hit minions.
Brawler: +2 to melee, and automatically hit minions
Warding: +2 to parry, once per round a melee attack automatically misses you.
Tough: +2 to toughness, and you take half the penalties for damage.
Resistant: +2 to resistance, and when saving against an effect, roll twice and take the higher result.
Willfull: +2 to will, and when saving against an effect, roll twice and take the higher result.
Penetrating Attack: Chose one attack. Through knowledge of pressure points, raw might, the ability to analyze subtle weaknesses, or another effect, that attack is treated as twice it's rank for the purpose of overcoming toughness.
Sidekick: A sidekick gives you a second character than can join your in combat. Sidekicks are much weaker than full heroes, but do give you an additional character. A sidekick uses an existing archetype, but all ranks are halved, and they can only take one customization option. Sidekicks can be upgraded to a full fledged hero at the cost of reputation, wealth, and/or time. If your sidekick dies or is lost, you can choose to wait a week and recruit a new one at a reputation cost, or you can change this to a different customization option. Only one character per team can have a sidekick. Sidekicks are combat oriented characters - for non combat characters, see the team customization options Mentor and Team Mascot.
Network: You have a network of people working for you. Be it the Kid Helpers of Lady Liberty, Nemsis' extensive network of criminal contacts, Captain Patriot's old military buddies, these people will feed you information and keep their eyes open. Choose and define your network and pick a research skill (Investigate, Occult, Science, or Streetwise). It will provide you additional missions based on what kind of network it is, and when making a check of the above type to investigate a mission, once per week, you can re roll and use the higher result.
Renegade Alien: You aren't from this world. Be you a disguised Pethari, hiding from imperial justice, a renegade Slythold that has falling in love with the foes, or something else, the Renegade Alien gains one of the following benefits: a minor power based on their heritage, an alien weapon (+4 melee or ranged damage over its earthly counterpart), or the spaceship they arrived in (allows your team to start with a space capable craft.) This customization can be taken multiple times. Pick a different effect each time.
Legacy Hero: You have taken up the mantle of another respected hero - and were their known heir. While you must prove yourself to those who know you are not the original, the costume commands respect, giving 5 bonus reputation. In addition, you get the benefits of Favored Enemy (Old Nemeses) for anyone who was part of your original's rogue's gallery...as well as the baggage that comes with that.
Beloved Public Identity: While being costumed and having your name known puts those around you in danger, it can also come with perks. You gain bonus media missions that let you do various works in your civilian identity and have it benefit the group's reputation and wealth, and media personalities are more likely you to give you a chance to comment before publishing a story - for good or ill.
Favored Enemy: You have a particular type of foe you are well trained in fighting. Pick a group of villains, such as mobsters, powered crooks, thugs, mastermind's minions, etc. When fighting those groups, you get a +2 to attack, +1 to damage, and +2 to Mook Sweep. When out of combat, checks to investigate your favored enemy are made at a +2
Impervious Toughness 4: Attacks with a damage rating less than 4 cannot harm you. If you already have an Impervious Toughness from this ability or another source, increase your existing Impervious Toughness by 2.
Squad Tactics: All super soldiers make great tacticians. You, however, are even better than your kind at using everyone in a group to their fullest potential, able to provide bonuses to anyone you fight alongside. Any ally in a fight alongside you gets a +2 bonus to both defense stats.
No Man Left Behind: More than any other archetype, you excel at bringing your people home. With No Man Left Behind, you greatly increases the chances that your team will get out of a fight. All allies on your team get a +4 to escape checks.
Weapons master: you are a master of all forms of weapons, able to wield anything you hold or bring with you - be it an alien weapon, firearm, enchanted sword, or something stranger - to it's fullest potential. When wielding a weapon, get a +2 attack and increase the save DC by 1.
Warder: You carry a shield with you. Increase your dodge and parry by +2.
Shield Toss: You can toss your shield with extraordinary accuracy, always having it return to your hand. Gain a ranged damage 4 (DC19, MS 6)
Silver Tongue: Gain a +4 manipulate. In additions, You can use Manipulate in place of stealth to bypass human surveillance.
If you wanted the original functionality of Silver Tongue, go ahead and take Mind Control, they are functionally identicalA Thousand Faces: No matter it's from spellwork, mundane makeup, or a power, you are a master of impersonation. Able to appear as anyone you wish, when you use stealth, you can interact with people normally since they will assume you are who you claim to be (assuming your stealth beats their awareness). Manipulate checks may be required if the target personally knows who you are impersonating.
Armed for War: You bring the heat to any conflict. Add the following attacks to your list: Machine Pistol (Ranged Damage 3 (DC 18, MS 8), Heavy Machine Gun (Ranged Damage 5, DC 20, MS 6), and High Powered Rifle (Ranged Damage 7, DC 23, MS 1).
Powers:
Energy Blasts: You have the ability, on top of everything else you can do, to fire energy, typically out of either your eyes or hands. Gain a Ranged Damage 4 (DC 19, MS 2). For a Second Rank, it becomes a Ranged Damage 8 (DC 23, MS 4)
High-Speed Flight: You don't need no airships where you're going. You can travel without any kind of support to anywhere on the same continent in a turn. Requires flight.
Flight: You can fly. Assuming you have clearance above your head high enough to put you out of reach, you are immune to melee attacks from non-fliers unless they ready an action for you to enter melee range.
Density Control: You have complete control of your own density, able to go so light that attacks pass through you, or even harder than diamond! In addition to being much tougher than before, you can completely walk through walls, floors, ceilings, or any barrier not specially designed to deal with incorporeal beings. You gain Impervious Toughness 3. You can also choose to remain incorporeal, avoiding any damage but unable to physically interact with the world.
Energy Absorption: You start off strong, but if you get an external power source, you can get even stronger! Choose a power source. When you have access to that power source, you gain +2 to all Damage DCs, +2 to your toughness and +1 to any super strength. If you don't have Super Strength, gain super Strength 2.
Psychic Vampire: You can tap into the psionic powers of others. When fighting in a populated area, you can use the collective emotions of the populace to improve your telekinesis or telepathy. Psychic Vampire functions the same as normal Energy Absorption, but instead of increasing or adding Super Strength, it adds or increases your telekinesis, and you can chose to instead of increasing your normal damage, you can increase the save DCs of anything requiring a Will save. (Chosen when you select this ability)
Emotional Fuel is just a variant on energy absorption.
Energy Walk: Pick an energy or physical substance. You can use your chosen energy as a conduit between two locations, allowing instant transmission anywhere you wish! So long as you have a conduit of your chosen energy, you can travel without assistance anywhere in the world in a single turn. For extremely common elements, like Earth and Air, you are limited to within the same continent without assistance.
Mind Control: Not content to merely influence minds, you can outright control them, turning foes to your side or wiping memories from their mind. Note that if this is abused and discovered, it can easily lead to Reputation loss - but the power it offer is often worth the risk. Resisting Mind Control is a Will (DC 14) check. For a second point, the DC increases to 18, and the individual can be controlled for a full week.
Force Field: You can wrap yourself in a bubble of power, protecting yourself from harm! Gain +4 toughness.
Telepathy: You can read the minds of those around you. (Will DC 14 to resist.) For a second rank, the DC becomes 18.
Long Range Telepathy: You don't need to be near someone to read their mind. You can find the minds of others at great range and use your telepathy upon them! While other heroes or mastermind villains have willpower strong enough to resist you, the secrets of the weak willed are yours. Requires telepathy.
Power Leap: Fliers can stay out of the clutches of most Brutes. Not for you! A Brute with power leap can close the distance with even flying foes, though such attacks are more easily dodged. Use melee attacks against flying opponents, but at a -2 penalty.
Energy Form: You take on an energy form, making you more resistant to harm -or- providing a damage aura to those that touch you. For two Customization slots, gain both benefits. The resistance provides +3 toughness and 3 ranks of impervious toughness. The Damage Aura is a melee damage 4 (DC 19, MS 1) that applies when you are hit with or hit with a melee attack.
Regeneration: You heal much faster than any human. Each round, reduce your damage track by one.
Snare: Though webbing, technology, or mystic bindings, you can trap someone in their place. Can a Snare 4 (Resistance DC 14 or Super Strength 2+). For a second rank, it becomes a Snare 8 (Resistance DC 18 or Super Strength 4+)
Telepathy: You can read the minds of others or otherwise (though slick talking, technology, or some kind of magic rope you can toss around people) get them to reveal their thoughts to you. For rank one, it's a Will DC 14 to resist. For 2 ranks, it's a Will DC 18.
Super Speed: You can move much faster than anyone else! Chose one: when making a melee attack roll, roll twice and take the better result, or when defending against ranged attacks force your attacker to roll twice and take the worse result. Either way, you also gain a +2 to escape checks.
Super Senses: You gain some senses far beyond normal humanity. Decide on your super sense and pick one of the following bonuses: +5 to Awareness, No Penalty to Awareness due to concealment or darkness, can see through barriers, or can detect things normally not noticeable to humans. This can be taken multiple times. Each time, you gain a different sense.
Super Movement: You gain the ability to move beyond what most people can do. Decide on the super movement and pick one of the following bonuses: +4 to escape, the ability to walk through solid objects, or the ability to scale any object. This can be taken multiple times. Each time, you gain a different movement ability.
Invisibility: You cannot be noticed by normal sight. Attempts to notice you with visual attempts automatically fail. You can, alternatively, pick a different sense to have automatically fail against you. For two ranks, all senses fail against you except for exotic ones.
Teleportation: You can move from one place to another instantaneously. Gain a +2 dodge, +2 melee, and +4 escape. Long range teleportation (two ranks) allows you to treat the entire world as being in the same region as you. The second rank, due to its power, costs an additional 2 customization points (for 3 total, 1 for the first rank and 2 for the second).
Complications
Rare Weakness: You have a vulnerability to some quasi obscure substance. In the presence of this substance, you must make a Resistance check to avoid losing your power, and must make a toughness check against DC 18 every turn (Impervious benefits do not apply).
Addiction: You have a habit for a mind altering substance, typically narcotics or alcohol, but it could be stranger. If your addiction gets out you will take a massive reputation hit, and more importantly, when held captive you gain a cumulative -2 penalty to willpower and all skills for each weak you are without your addiction.
Reformed Villain: Due to a past on the wrong side of the law, people have difficulty trusting you. Your team starts with 10 less reputation, and you take a -4 penalty to influence checks to convince people to trust you. (Note that if you are a reformed villain and that is not publicly known, this does not apply)
Super Secret Identity: The rules, by default, assume you have some decree of a Secret Identity. If you have a Super Secret Identity, if your cover is ever blown, it would be devastating Perhaps your family is extra vulnerable, or would disown you. Maybe you are a defense attorney using your civilian life to gain information on targets for your costumed life. Maybe you're a reformed villain avoiding the penalties of being known for that. Whatever it is, if your identity is ever uncovered, you're taking a massive reputation hit - and while many heroes will have occasional "Identity Crisis" missions to protect their secret identities, you will have with higher frequency. (On average, it'll be an issue every 1 out of 4 weeks.)
Poor Power Control: Your power has an uncontrolled element to it. Perhaps your fire blasts tend to go awry, perhaps you turn into a rage monster when you become a brute, perhaps your spells draw the attention of dark forces. Whatever it is, when in combat, you must make a constant relevant skill, willpower, or resistance check (DC 16) to avoid losing control of your abilities and causing massive collateral damage
Note: each hero can only start play with one complication, which grants them an additional customization option.
Important Note
If you can't make what you want fit anything I have here, let me know! I'm happy to work with you on making sure that the characters you want can be playable. This includes additional archetypes or customization options - I kept the list to three per archetype right now to avoid overloading initially, more will be offered.
[note]Underdeep players will recognize the format for this post. I feel like I need to give a shout out to Steerpike here, as I am constantly massively ripping off the way he wrote and laid out Underdeep while designing Who Will Save Us Now? and honestly, if I didn't have his stuff to provide guidance, I'd probably have gotten stuck ages ago.[/note] Combat is a critical part of any Superhero story, and Who Will Save Us Now? is no exception. The good news is, you as a player won't have to make a single dice roll. But I'm not going to ask you to go into combat blind, so here's how it works:
[ic=When Combat Happens]
There are a few situations that will lead to a combat:
1) A hero or group of heroes runs into a villain. Since neither side was expecting the fight, there is no surprise round.
2) A hero or group of heroes lays a trap for a villain and catches him in it. At this point the heroes will get a surprise round against the villain.
3) A villain or group of villains lay a trap for heroes and catches them in it. In this scenario the villain gets the surprise round.
4) Heroes assault a villainous stronghold. At this point, since the villain will have defences in place to catch heroes, the heroes will need to attempt to be stealthy to gain the surprise round.
5) Villains attempt to assault a heroic base. As above, the Villain will need to attempt stealth.
6) To hero groups meet with opposing goals. While this will not guaranteed lead to combat, especially if orders are given to the contrary, in the grand tradition of comic books it usually will. Such combats will typically be much less vicious and shorter. Since it's assumed the heroes will attempt to talk things out first (again, unless orders are given to the contrary), no group with have a surprise round.[/ic]
[ic=Core Mechanics]
During combat, heroes and villains will attempt to make use of their surroundings and such to their advantage, but ultimately combat will come down to this:
An attack roll (1d20 + attack score) is made vs the appropriate defence (range against dodge, melee against parry). If it's a hit, a toughness check (1d20 + toughness vs DC) is made. If the check passes, the target takes no damage. If the check fails by 1-5, the target takes 1 damage. If it fails by 6-10, the target takes 2 damage, and is stunned for one round. If it fails by 11-15, the target takes 3 damage, and is at a -2 penalty to attacks and checks for the remainder of the combat. If it fails by 16-20, the target is automatically knocked out of the fight.
All characters can take 5 damage total, unless specifically stated otherwise (due to a special ability on their character sheet.) After taking 5 damage, the character can remain in the combat by taking a Wound or an Injury. A wound imposes a -2 penalty to attacks and checks for the remainder of the fight. An injury imposes an additional -2 to attacks and checks for the remainder of the fight. Both those penalties stack with the -2 taken from taking 3 damage from a single hit. After that, the character is taken out. By default, your heroes will attempt to withdraw after taking 5 damage in the fight, or taking a 3 damage or better hit.. If you want them to fight past that, please specify in your orders. If a particular character will always fight until Wounded or Injured, please specify that on the character sheet for that character.
Minions work a bit differently. A minion is taken out if it fails a check by 6-10, and can only take 2 damage total. Minions cannot take wounds or injuries. Non minions making attack rolls against minions roll 1d20 + attack, as normal, but if they roll less than 10, the roll is treated as though it was a 10. A non-minion can attack multiple minions in a round, up to the number indicated by the attacks MS (Minion Sweep). [/ic]
[ic=Ending the Fight]
If a character takes all of their damage, or a group of minions loses more than half their number, or if the fight is "not going your way" and is clearly going to be lost, they will attempt to withdraw from the flight. Doing so is accomplished by making an Escape attempt vs. the opponent's Capture. If successful, you have escaped the fight. If it fails, the fight continues. If the escape attempt fails by 5 or more, the escapee is taken out of the fight and considered captured.
All characters have a 4 escape unless noted in a ability. All minions have a 0 escape unless otherwise noted in an ability.
Note that fights assume by default the characters are not going to be using lethal force, and failing to escape or being taken out does not mean death. If lethal force is intended, please specify in the orders. Villains will often be intending to kill, but will rarely do so in a fight, content to let you "bleed out" or wanting to kill you in a more publicly humiliating way (which happens to give plenty of time for an escape or rescue). If a Villain intends to try to kill you in a fight, research will often uncover that before it happens.
[/ic]
[ic=Other Actions in combat]
There are other options than attacking in combat. Most of these are covered under the powers and abilities section of your hero. Special attacks largely fall into one of three categories, broken down like this:
Affliction: An affliction reduces one of the characters stat, no matter if it's an attack, defense, check, check difficulty, or skill. Afflictions are typically resisted by Resistance, although some are resisted with Will. If a character fails their check against an Affliction, they do not get to make a check to be rid of it until some time has passed: The next round (and every subsequent round) if they failed by 1-5, after 5 rounds have passed (and every subsequent round) if they failed by 6-10, and it by default persists for the remainder of combat if they failed by 11 or more.
The penalties imposed by the same affliction do not stack. The penalties from different afflictions do.
Boost: A Boost is an "attack" you make against your allies. Boosts increase a stat, of any kind, by a fixed amount stated in the ability's description. Boosts can be found under Powers and Abilities on your character sheet.
Boosts of the same type do not stack with each other. Boosts of different type stack.
Snare: Snares work differently than boosts and afflictions. A snare holds a character in place until a particular circumstance is met, typically a Resistance Check, Attack Roll, Escape Check, or Super Strength Check. (It is assumed that snares are strong enough that normal humans cannot burst them through sheer force) A character snared can attempt to break it once per round, which takes a full round action.* While snared, characters cannot make melee attacks or move, and their dodge and parry is reduced by -4. They can still make ranged attacks (assuming they do not require the character to move much, such as an energy blast in the hand or really anything other than throwing an object.
*Exception: A character ensared with a substances that matches their energy/matter control can break a snare as a patial action, allowing them to still make move or attack actions action, although an energy control check is still required (treat the ranks in energy control as super strength.) Characters with general telekinesis can still attempt to break the snare, but it takes a full round action.[/ic]
[ic=Range Vs. Melee]
Ranged attacks offer some advantages and disadvantages when compared to melee attacks A ranged attack can be used against any foe that is visible and within a "reasonable distance" (I don't have plans for detailed grids and movement rules, so this distance is highly subjective, but will really come down to ~1000 feet for mechanical or energy attacks and ~100 feet x super strenght ranks for thrown weapons as a rule of thumb if I'm not sure.) Ranged attacks can be used against flying foes so long as they are not "too high" (See above). Ranged attacks can be used, of course, at melee fighters who are not yet in range...However, melee attackers who are in melee range force any ranged attack to take a -2 penalty per attacker in melee range, as their foes attempt to spoil your shot.
[/ic]