While heavily based on Mystically Bestowed characters, Endowed heroes replace the following power categories & sub-categories: Enchanted Weapon, Enchanted Object, Mystically Bestowed, Empowered, Imbued, and Symbiotic (the latter three from Powers Unlimited 2).Three factors govern an endowment: Source, Focus, and Trigger. By combining these in different ways, there is great variety in endowments.
Source of Endowment
The reason for a hero’s endowment determines the powers that are gained; it may also have a minor effect on the appearance of the character’s heroic alter ego. Choose or roll on the table below.Universal bonuses that apply to all endowment types are:
+2d6 to P.S. (minimum 20)
+1d6 to P.P. (minimum 18)
Multiply Spd. By 2d4 (minimum 24)
+ 3d4x10 to S-HP
These bonuses only apply when the character is transformed.
01 – 20 Divine Right. You are connected with one of the ancient pantheons, recognized as a demigod, avatar, or reborn hero. Characters of good alignment will have angelic personas with auras of light; characters of selfish alignment will take on a fey persona with an elemental aura; while characters of evil alignment transform into demonic personas with auras of darkness.
Bonuses gained in heroic form:
+2d6 to P.B. (minimum 18)
Horror Factor 12
May select Magic Spells and/or Super Powers
21 – 40 Mystic Enchantment. You have come in contact with an ancient artifact, curse/blessing, or place of power and have been transformed by it. Your alternate persona often appears as a hero out of time—with weapons, armor, and clothing of a particular [past] time period; one may even develop an archaic accent or speech pattern (such as using Shakespearean English)--or even as a creature of legend, such as a humanoid dragon, griffin, or sphinx.
Bonuses gained in heroic form:
+2d6 to M.A. (minimum 18)
+1 save vs. magic
May select Magic Spells and/or Super Powers
41 – 60 Cosmic Influence. While exploring ancient, forbidden knowledge, you have gained a connection to another dimension or planet. Your alternate persona may take on an alien appearance (roll on the appearance table under the alien power category)--insect-like features and tentacles are common.
Bonuses gained in heroic form:
+2d4 to M.E. (minimum 18)
+1 save vs. psionics
May select Magic Spells and/or Psionics
61 – 80 Natural Selection. You have come in contact with the primal powers of the forces of nature. Your alternate persona will have bestial and/or plant-like traits.
Bonuses gained in heroic form:
+2d4 to P.E. (minimum 18)
+1 save vs. poison
May select Psionic Powers and/or Super Powers
81 – 00 Modern Marvel. Through modern science, you have awakened a dormant endowment—either by creating an empowered weapon, armor, or object; or else by awakening a symbiote or alternate self. Your alternate persona may have technological, chemical, and/or radioactive properties.
Bonuses gained in heroic form:
+2d4 to P.E. (minimum 18)
+1 save vs. poison
May select Psionic Powers and/or Super Powers
Focus of Endowment
An endowment’s focus determines how the hero interacts with his or her super-powered alter ego--how those powers are accessed and how long they are available. Choose or roll on the table below.01 – 20 Empowered Weapon. So long as you are wielding (not merely holding, but wielding with the intent of use) a particular weapon, you are transformed into your heroic persona. You are unable to transform without your weapon, so losing it would be a major setback. Examples: Thor’s Mjolnir, He-Man’s Sword of Power, She-Ra’s Sword of Protection
Properties common to all empowered weapons:
• Totally indestructible; blades never dull
• Well balanced and lightweight; +1 to strike and parry when using the weapon
• Deals 3d6 damage +1d6 damage at levels 4, 8, and 12.
21 – 30 Empowered Armor. So long as you are wearing a particular piece of armor (shield, helm, breastplate, pair of boots, pair of gauntlets), you are transformed into your heroic persona. You are unable to transform without your armor, so losing it (or one half of a pair) would be a major setback. Examples: Juggernaut’s helmet.
Properties common to all empowered weapons:
• Totally indestructible.
• Armor rating (A.R.) 18. (applies to that piece of armor only)
31 – 50 Empowered Object. So long as the object (talisman, amulet, ring, figurine, etc.) is in your possession, you may activate it to transform into your heroic persona. Deactivating the object or loosing possession of it will cause you to revert to your mundane form. You are unable to transform without your object, so losing it would be a major setback. Examples: Green Lantern’s ring (or the rings of any members of the Lantern Corps)
Properties common to all empowered objects:
• Totally indestructible.
51 – 70 Psychic Symbiote. Your power belongs to another spirit or mind that is sharing your body. You can willingly give up control of your body to the symbiote, or else it can take control though a battle of wills. Likewise, the symbiote can willingly return control to you, or else you can retake control through a battle of wills. The Symbiote also has weaknesses of its own, and it can be forced into hiding within your body through exposure to these weaknesses. Examples: [Dark] Phoenix, Hulk (retcon).
71 – 90 Physical Symbiote. Your power belongs to alien create that is living as part of your body. Similar to psychic symbiote, above, but weaknesses may be biological or chemical in nature. In extreme circumstances, physical symbiotes may be able to exist independently of their host. Examples: Venom, Carnage.
91 – 00 Alternate Self. Your power belongs to an alternate version of yourself—often the embodiment of some or all of your Shadow (repressed self). This alternate self has different physical and mental traits than you, but shares your memories and emotional connections (the later often being twisted by a skewed perspective). The awakend self shares a lot in common with the Psychic Symbiote, except that it is not a possessing mind/spirit. Examples: The Hulk, Bane, Popeye.
Trigger for Endowment
An endowment’s trigger determines how its powers are activated, and how long they remain activated.01 – 20 No Specific Trigger. Some endowments are extraordinary lucky: they are active at all times. They cannot be “shut off,” and are always at play. With an Empowered Weapon, Armor, or Object, this can be controlled by wearing/using or removing/dropping the object in question. For symbiotes, however, this means having one’s own being forever altered by another.
21 – 55 Power Word. You transform into your heroic persona by uttering a magical word or phrase; you transform back to your mundale persona with another word/phrase, the same word/phrase, or a variation on the same word/phrase. Others who know your power words will be able to control your tranformation as well (so long as you can hear them speak it). Examples: “Shazaam”, “By the power/honor of Greyskull...”.
56 – 90 Virtue or Vice. You transform into your alternate persona whenever you reach a particular emotional state. These can be virtuous (Patiennce, Hope, Love) or viscous (Anger, Jealousy, Desire). Others who understand this may be able to manipulate your emotions to trigger (or release) your endowment. Examples: Hulk’s anger, Phoenix’s passion.
91 – 00 Consumable. You transform into your heroic persona by consuming a potion, drug, food, etc.; and you maintain that persona for the duration of the consumable’s effect. The greatest drawback of this focus is the availability of the consumabe. Examples: drug cocktail, spinach.
Limitations (Optional)
Players interested in weak, frail, or otherwise limited characters may roll on the table below. Such characters keep track of base attributes, saves, and other statistics as normal; however, their primary personas have further reductions, as noted below. Both primary and alternate personas modify the character’s base statistics—though at no time are those base statistics used on their own.Choose or roll 1d4 times on the table below.
01 – 10 Paraplegic. You lave lost (or lost the function of) one or more of your limbs. When you transform, such limbs may be healed / grow back or are otherwise compensated for.
11 – 20 Palsy. You are afflicted by cerebral palsy, multiple scleroisis, or a similar ailment that has made movement difficulty for you.
21 – 30 Old Age. You are of advanced age (60+), with a score of age-related health problems. When you transform, you revert to a younger physical state without these medical issues.
31 – 40 Very Young. You are not yet mature (12 or younger)
41 – 50 Intellectually Challenged. For any variety of reasons, your intelligence is below average. You often have difficulty understanding complex situations, and occasionally have difficulty communicating your thoughts clearly or effectively. When you transform, you have a
51 – 60 Blind. Your vision is either highly limited or else you are completely sightless.
61 – 70 Deaf. Your hearing is either highly limited or else you are completely deaf.
71 – 80 Dwarfism/Gigantism. Your physical growth has been either stunted or accelerated; either way, you are not of average height—and with this comes several related physical difficulties and ailments.
81 – 90 Nonverbal. You are unable to speak, or else find physical speech extraordinarily difficult.
91 – 00 Comatose. You are in a coma, but awaken from it any time you transform.
Endowed Powers
You gain powers based, in part on your type of endowment. Select two (2) options from the categories allowed by your type. You may select two options from a single category, or one option from two, different categories. Some options may even be selected twice, if desired.Magic Spells
• Four spells or circlesRemember, second degree spells and circles count as two selections; and third degree spells and circles count as three selections. The endowed hero casts spells and circles as a Magician, and uses the Magician’s magic combat table. No additional abilities beyond casting spells are gained, however. May only cast spells in heroic form.
Super Powers
• One major super ability (may not be selected twice)• Two minor super abilities
Super abilities are only active while in heroic form.
Psionics
• Two major psionic powers (may not be selected twice)• Three minor psionic powers
An endowed hero’s base Psi (see psionics) is his Mental Endurance (M.E.) x2. As the hero grows in experience his Psi increases at a rate of 10 Psi per each additional level of experience. May only use psionics in heroic form.
NOTE: Should you be deemed unworthy of your endowment, you will no longer be able to transform into your heroic persona. Should this happen, another may be endowed in your place, adopting the same [or similar] powers (and possibly the same heroic persona).
OTHER STUFF
Level of Education and Skill Selection
Standard, see creating a character.Hand to Hand Combat
Physical combat skills are not automatic, but must be selected as a learned skill. Endowed characters can select ONE martial art form, but this counts as three (3) physical skills or six (6) secondary skills; the hero cannot select any “exclusive” forms. It is the host who studies martial arts, they are not granted by the endowment—so martial arts powers are available even if the endowment is not active or lost.Attacks Per Melee (Hand to Hand)
As with ALL heroes, endowed characters automatically get two (2) attacks per melee. Additional attacks must be developed through combat skills. See hand to hand combat.If the hero learns a specificc martial art form, they do not receive two attacks per melee automatically, but only thos attacks gained through the martial art form and physical skills.
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