House Rules

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For starting characters everyone must have a SPD of 4 or 5

Without a super-power reason being involved, STR, DEX, CON, BODY, INT, EGO, PRE and COM should max-out at 20

All characters must have at least 25 pts in Non-Combat Skills

Starting Characters

• Base Character Points: 125
• Starting Hero Bonus: 25
• Disadvantage Point Maximum: 125
• Disadvantage Category Maximum: 50
• Average Starting Damage Classes: 9-11 (9 from mental powers list) with a max of 12
• Average Starting Defense: 18-25 with a max of 30
• Average Starting Combat Value: 6-9 with a max of 10
• Average Starting Speed: 4-5

A starting character may only have one ability above the top end of the Average level. All other abilities must fall within or below the Average level. No ability may exceed the maximum level without GM permission.

Limitation Cap: For starting characters the active points (e.g. the character without any limitations) must be between 275 and 327 points. This rule is a PbP rule so that characters will not be bored as they play for an extended time where a limitation stops a character’s power from working.

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Everyman Skills and Disadvantages – All Heroes have these skills and this disadvantage. Please note that any of the "Familiarity" skill even though you may start with Stealth for example at 8-, it will still costs 3 point to buy the skill.

• Climbing 8- (Familiarity)
• Concealment 8- (Familiarity)
• Deduction 8- (Familiarity)
• Paramedic 8- (Familiarity)
• Shadowing 8- (Familiarity)
• Stealth 8- (Familiarity)
• Teamwork 8- (Familiarity)
• Native Proficiency and Literacy in One language
• AK: Home Territory 11-
• PS: Choice. 11-
• KS: Hobby 11-
• KS: Native Cultural Knowledge 11-
• TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles
• Disadvantage: Code vs Killing (Moderate Level)

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Characteristics:

• DEX: For most characters the limit is 20, and DEX is hard to learn, in general buy more skill levels instead.
• SPD: Most true “normals” have a 2 SPD. The well trained normal can have a 3-4 SPD. Most supers are in the 4-5 SPD range. Because of this being a PbP, I am not going allow a SPD greater than 5 for PCs.
• Figured Characteristics: A maximum of one figured characteristic may be sold below the starting value.
• Endurance: If you use END in the negatives you can burn STUN at a 1:1 ratio, instead of the 2:1d6 ratio in the official rules.

Skills:

• Combat Skill Levels: Combat Skill Levels work in the following way.
  • Skill level with a hand-to-hand attack can be used for offense or defense from other hand-to-hand attacks. For this purpose of this statement Move-By and Move-Through maneuvers are not part of the HTH group, but they are for all others.
  • Skill levels with ranged combat can be used for bonus to-hit or to reduce range modifiers
  • Note cannot use CSL to increase damage if you do not use them for other purposes.
• Languages: We do use the optional language table.
• Martial Arts: Weapons used with martial arts can be bought as groups. To be considered a "black belt" in your martial art you must have all the maneuvers (or at least 15 pts in the MA) and at least KS: MA 11-. If you are interested in the maneuvers of a particular Martial Art, please let me know I will let you know in advance.
• Skill Enhancers: Without special permission these can only be purchased at the time of character creation.
• Two-Weapon Fighting: This skill will not be used in this game.

Perks:
Most Perks are part of the character background (in which case they offer pluses and minuses) or are award from game play

Talents:
Most talents can be created with Powers and should be done in that fashion.

Powers:

• The following powers require special GM approval (e.g. most likely will require limitations): Absorption, Aid, Clairsentience, Damage Reduction, END Reserve, Enhanced Vision (N-Ray Vision) Extra-Dimensional Movement, Multiform, Summon, and Transform.
• Aid: The optional version of Aid, Succor is not allowed, buy Aid with limitations instead.
• Duplication: This power will not be allowed to keep play balanced for the various participants in the PbP.
• Hand-to-Hand Attack: Any character that needs this should be purchasing STR with a -1/2 limitation only for HTH Combat.
• Instant Change: This power has been formally dropped from 5th edition rules but is returned here. It's a simple straightforward way to achieve the effect without messing around with limited Transforms, etc. Instant Change is a Special Power that allows the character instantly to change from one identity to another and back again. For 5 Character Points, the character can change into one other set of clothing (and then back to whatever he was wearing when he changed). The character can change into any set of clothes he owns for 10 Character Points. This Power helps your character change from mild-mannered reporter to crimebuster without having to look for that annoyingly hard to find phone booth. Cost: 5 points to change into one other outfit. 10 points to change into any outfit. Minimum Cost: 5 points. END cost: Costs no END to use (Instant Change is a Special Power)
• Killing Attacks: Generally, most heroes will not have this power, since killing is not very heroic.
• Mental Awareness: This power is not free for characters with a Mental Power.
• Mental Defense: All character will get EGO/5 in Mental Defense for free.
• Missile Deflection: Characters with missile deflection may attempt to block hand to hand attacks just as they may missile attacks. The increased CV bought for Missile Deflection may not be used unless you pay 3 points for each +1. This is different than a normal block in that you may not attack first the next phase but is in all other aspects similar.
• Power Defense: Power Defense is a game mechanic. It should almost always have a limitation (only vs. magic, for example). This makes it cheaper, without violating special effects and becoming a 'power vs. game mechanic.'
• Shape Shift: Just a quick note on how shape shifting works vs. different senses. Shape Shifting vs. touch (and not sight) will give the power that Mr. Fantastic or Plastic Man have, in other words you can tell that the chair is Plastic Man when you look at it. Shape Shifting vs. sight (and not touch) means that the person looks like a chair, but when you sit on it feels like a person.
• Summon: This power will not be allowed to keep play balanced for the various participants in the PbP. (This Power will normally only be used as a plot device.)
• Teleportation: Every teleporter must define a barrier that the teleport will not work through, a barrier with this special effect will stop the teleport. If the character does not want to have this limitation, then you must pay a +1/4 advantage on the power. This mechanic replaces the "Cannot Be Escaped with Teleportation" Added to be purchased on defenses.

Power Advantages:

• Affects Real World: This advantage requires special GM permission.
• Damage Shield: The character does not have to buy Continuous for this attack but will get it for "free".
• Megascale: This advantage requires special GM permission.

Power Limitations:

• Activation: A variant on Activation is Summon. This gives half of the limitation of Activation (round down) but the roll is only to turn the power on. If Summon is on a Constant or Persistent Power and the roll is made then it will work until the power is turned off, if it is on an Instant Power and the power will continue to work without a roll as long as it is used each phase. This variant cannot be used on an Inherent Power.
• Independent: Not allowed for PC's.

Power Frameworks:

• Elemental Control:
  • These must have a tight unifying Special Effect.
  • The section about Adjustment Powers affecting all Elemental Control slots should be ignored. If you want to have this, then buy the advantage.
  • Zero Endurance Powers, such as Life Support, Armor, etc., are allowed in ECs provided those Powers are suitable for the EC's Special Effect.
• Variable Power Pool: These will not be allowed in the PbP environment

Disadvantages:

• Hunted: All hunteds should be at an 8- roll.

Combat:

• Block: The rule states that " Furthermore, if these two characters both have their next Phases in the same Segment, the character who Blocked automatically gets to act first, regardless of relative DEX (the Blocking character’s opponent is delayed until after the Blocking character’s DEX; see below) the character who Blocked automatically gets to act first, regardless of relative DEX". The house rule is that the blocking character will get to act at the DEX order of the blocked character, not that the blocked character will act after the blocking characters DEX.
• Blazing Away: This maneuver is not allowed.
• Club Weapon: This maneuver is not allowed.
• Half move: After taking a half move take -1 to OCV.
• Half move, move through/by: A character is allowed to make a half move, and then do a move through or move by, but at half the characters full velocity.
• Holding an Action: Note you can hold your action onto a phase that you normally get an action, but you still cannot get two actions as per the rule. An example of this change is say that you are a DEX 18, SPD 5 hero and on Phase 3 you hold your action. If you continue holding your action into Phase 5 you can act at any time (say before someone with a 20 DEX), but because you held your action into a phase that you normally would act on this action is both your Phase 3 held action and your Phase 5 normal action (i.e., that Phase 5 action is lost).
• Martial Block: See Block above.
• Martial Disarm: The strength "bonus" from this maneuver can also be used to defend a disarm.
• Mental Combat: The attack happens at your DEX not you EGO. The reason for this is that how do you handle a half-move then attack, vs. just an attack happening a different phase. If you want this special effect, then buy extra DEX with a limitation.
• Pushing: 5 pts. is automatic and if you want to try for more than the player makes an EGO roll and the number of points the character makes the EGO roll is added to that number as the maximum the character can push. The EGO roll can have bad effects on an 18, and can be modified by the GM.
• Pulling a Punch: The two modifications to this are (1) the OCV modifier is always -1 for this maneuver and (2) there is no chance of doing "normal" damage.
• Range Modifiers: The first four hexes are no modifiers, and each 3 hexes after that is -1. One skill level with range makes the first five hexes free and -1 for each 4 hexes, etc.

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New Skills:

• Cloak: Cloak is a new EGO-based skill. It is essence, a form of "Mental Stealth". Cloak is used to hide use of a character's mental powers from persons with Mental Awareness. It reflects a subtle use of a mental power, one cautious enough that most people will not notice it. Cloak cannot be used to a hide a mental attack from the target being attacked, any more than normal Stealth can be used to hide the effects of a normal attack. To do that, characters can achieve a +20 effect on their Effect roll.
  Cloak can be used to make mental signatures and traces harder to locate. If the mentalist uses Cloak when using a Mental Power on someone, another mentalist trying to use Telepathy to locate his signature/traces must make a PER Roll in a Skill vs. Skill contest with the first mentalist's Cloak Skill.
  Cloak does not hide a mental power which has the Limitation "Visible" from normal sight; it only hides mental powers from detection by mental senses such as Mental Awareness. Of course, as with normal Stealth, if someone who can sense mental powers is "looking" (or using other senses) directly at the attack, cloak will not serve to hide it or render it "invisible" to them. the "Invisible Power Effects" Advantage is required to do that.
  Characters who are attempting to detect the use of a mental power hidden with Cloak can make a PER Roll; this is a SKill vs. Skill contest. the GM may impose appropriate modifiers to either or both rolls depending on the situation.
  Cloak Skill is harder to use the more mental power is used; -1/10 active points of mental power used. This is because subtle uses of mental powers are easier to hide than high amounts of power.
• Facade: Facade is a new EGO-based Skill. It is essence, a form of "Mental Disguise". It is used to change the "appearance" of mental signatures and traces. If the character makes his Facade roll, he may make his mental signature or traces resemble those of another mentalist or power; in order to mimic someone else's signature, the character must have knowledge of that signature. Alternately, Facade can be used simply to muddle a mental signature or trace to the point that it is unrecognizable.
  Another mentalist using Telepathy to search for a signature or trace that has been covered up with a Facade must first make a PER Roll to detect the fact thae signature or trace has been altered; this is a Skill vs. Skill contest. If he wishes to remove the signature to see the true signature or trace, he must use his own Facade Skill to do so; this is also a Skill vs. Skill contest.
  Characters can more reliably hide mental traces with the Advantage "Invisible Power Effects".
  Facade can also be used to mask a character's surface thoughts from a telepathic scan. The character must make a Skill vs. Skill roll against the telepath's EGO Roll. If the character succeeds, he may disguise his surface thoughts to look like someone else's. Deep, hidden thoughts and subconscious thoughts cannot be hidden this way.
• Latent Mentalist: This skill costs 5 points and allows anyone to have access to the Mental Combat Maneuvers. Note that you must have a mental power to use Mind Bar or Offensive Concentration. Also note that all of the maneuvers with an "*" can be used together.

  Maneuver	Phase	Notes
  Defensive Concentration	1*	+3 Mental Defense or +1 DECV
  Defensive Effort	1/2*	Lose sensory awareness; +3 Mental Defense or +1 DECV
  Defensive Push	0	For every point you make an EGO Roll by spend 1 END and get +1 Mental Defense
  Defensive Stand	1/2*	DCV 0; +3 Mental Defense or +1 DECV
  Mind Bar	1/2	OECV vs. OECV, +1 OECV/10 active points, blocks same power; pay full END
  Mind Shield	1/2	+2 Mental Defense for each -1 CV/Skill Rolls, up to +6 Mental Defense
  Offensive Concentration	1	+1 OECV

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Pushing

Occasionally a character needs to exceed the normal limits of his abilities to perform a noble, heroic, or extraordinary action. This is called Pushing.

• Pushing must be declared before any dice are rolled.
• Pushing is very tiring, for each 1 active point gained to STR or a power costs one END
• Pushing can only be done by supers (not normal humans)
• The hero can push up to a maximum of 10 active points. The first 5 active points can be done without a roll, for each 2 more points you must perform and EGO roll at -1 / 2 pts. This means to get 6 or 7 active points requires a -1 EGO roll, 8 or 9 active points requires a -2 EGO roll and 10 active points required a -3 EGO roll. Please note that if a character is going for 10 active points and rolls a -2 EGO roll (but just misses the -3) they will get 9 active points
• You cannot push more than the active points you have in a power (or for STR more than your base STR)
• All advantages (except reduced END) must be "applied" to the active point requirement (but none of the limitations).