a superhero RPG by jared a. sorensen Contents Introduction | Superhero Teams | Superhero Characters | Setting Dials Mechanics | Team Improvement | Character Improvement Introduction In the first version of The Code, the emphasis was on portraying "normal" human characters who dressed up like comic book heroes (and villains). In The Code II, the tone has shifted to incorporate actual superhumans (and more to the point, superhero teams). The rules can still be used to run "no-powered" games but there are many more bells and whistles that are used primarily for a more typical superhero game (most notably, the inclusion of superhuman powers!). Now, on with the show... Superhero Teams Team Creation The Code II is a bit different from other superhero games in several ways. The major difference is that the actual team is created using a system, as well as one used to create individual characters. Team Traits 1. Team Name 2. Roster 3. Agenda 4. Charter 5. Signature 6. Cover 7. Headquarters 8. Popularity 9. Exposure 10. Dial Settings The basic superhero team is made with 50 points. There points are split up among the team's members to purchase Origins and Objectives. While all characters are required to purchase Origin scores, Objectives are not required. Actually, team members with their own Objectives will degrade the performance of the team as a whole by reducing the number of points available to each member. 1. Team Name: Some teams have official, formal-sounding names. Others have the appearance of a social club or a business. The team's name goes a long way in establishing its own unique character. This example is going to be a solo affair, so I decide to cut loose and create a team of super-freaks called "The Oddities." 2. Roster: This is just a list of all members of the team. After each name, be sure to jot down the member's Origin score to help keep track of the team's Agenda rating. Remember that only superheroes on the Roster are allowed to dip into the team's Agenda Pool. The Oddities' members (and their Origin scores) include The Disconnected Man (8), The Insomniac (6), Camera-Shy (2), The Duck (2) and Origami (4). 3. Agenda: Every team has an Agenda; a reason for its existence. Common Agendas include "fighting crime across the country," "defending the earth against cosmic forces" or "providing training and support for young superheroes." Your Agenda also has a numerical rating equal to the Origin scores of its members. Not that this number can never go above 100. You don't have to spend all of your Agenda points. Any leftover points are stored in a communual Agenda Pool that can be used by any member on the team's Roster (see below). The Oddities investigate weird phenomena and provide support for superheroes that don't quite fit in with normal society. The Oddities' total Agenda is 21, leaving them with a very nice Agenda Pool of 29. Remember that individual Objective scores reduce the team's Agenda Pool! We'll assume for now that the Oddities don't have their own personal agendas for being on the team. 4. Charter: Most superhero teams operate according to certain guidelines? How does your team work? Is there a formal code of operations? Is the group a violent gang of vigilantes? How are villains treated? Does the group make public appearances and/or contribute to charities? Does the team not allow certain kinds of superheroes? The Oddities are not a gang of combat bunnies by any stretch of the imagination. They help other superheroes deal with especially powers but they're not seeking any more members. That's enough of the Charter for now... 5. Cover: Is the team a public organization? A members-only club? A business? A department of the government? An alien police force? If the team's existence is secret, then how is this secrecy maintained? It could have an underground headquarters or operate through a "front" (like a private academy or a seedy bar). It could be located far under the sea, on another planet or even within another dimension. The Oddities are not secretive (you can call them on the phone and they have public email addresses and a web site) but they keep their personal lives personal. They accept private donations and some funding from grants. 6. Headquarters: This trait is directly related to Cover. Where is the team's base of operations? You might also want to list general information (staff, security, defenses, etc.). The Oddities own a coffeehouse and operate from its third story. It's no Fort Knox but the inventions of the Disconnected Man help keep it fairly secure. 7. Signature: Some superhero teams have a rallying cry, a unifying costume design or a special mode of transportation (some might have all three). If your team doesn't have a Signature, that's fine...but most have some kind of signifier that the group is more than just a bunch of superheroes who hang out with one another. The signature of the group are the ID cards that each member carries. The "cards" also double as communication devices. They don't wear formal uniforms and each member has his or her own style. 8. Exposure: Exposure is a measure of your team's visibility in the public eye. A low profile, secretive team has a lower Exposure than a highly visible team whose exploits are widely reported. The Exposure score is set by the players and can be anything from 0 (unknown and/or just formed) to 10 (established and/or open to public scrutiny). Set your Exposure score between 1 and 10. It has no descriptor other than what traits are known. The group's Exposure is 6. It's name, roster, agenda, headquarters, cover and signature are public knowledge. 9. Popularity: Popularity is a measure of the team's relationship with the public. Low popularity teams are hated or feared by the public. High popularity teams are loved and admired. Popularity is rated from 1-10 and starts at 5 for a new team. Add or subtract 2 points depending on the team's nature. Also, you can adjust the popularity based upon the team's members. Add 1 point per member with a Popularity of 8 or higher. Subtract 1 point per member with a Popularity of 2 or lower. Popularity of the team is average. It would be higher but a few of its members are prone to public displays of...uncouth behavior. 10. Dial Settings: The Dial Settings trait describes the "universe" of the superhero group. The Oddities' world is...odd. Their Dials are set like so: Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) These Dials are further explained below. Setting Dials The Code II features some mechanics I call the "World Widgits & Game Gizmos." You can imagine them as dials on a kind of mixing board, hence the other name I use here: Setting Dials. By altering these Dials, you and the other players can custom-tailor your game to your specifications. Now, although this sounds tres innovative and complex, it's neither that innovative nor too complex. Check it out. Spectra-Analyzer This dial controls the "color" of the game. Monochrome: Black, white and a million shades of grey. This is a good setting for a dark, noir-inspired game where even the shadows have shadows and mysteries lurk behind every corner. The Monochrome setting usually has implications of deceit, death and decay...appropriate for a game set in a dystopian future as well as in a fog-shrouded scene from the 40's. 4-Color: Names for the colors used in the printing of early comics, this setting switches the world from grim and gritty to pulpy and heroic. Good is Good, Bad is Bad and Right and Wrong are as sharply defined as the outlines surrounding your characters on the page. 4-Color is a good setting for Saturday morning cartoon-style games as well. True-Color: The original version of The Code was locked onto this setting. True-Color games are all about REALISM. What if superheroes really existed? What world the world be like? True-Color stories are often about the personal lives of the characters, so be prepared to deal with serious subject matter and real-life issues as much as (if not more than) major-league brawls with supervillains. Comics Code Meter The Comics Code was/is a code of conduct that all the major publishers adhered to after the US Government went after some books for being obscene (the most famous example being EC Comics' "Weird Tales"). The Comics Code Meter will determine what kinds of subject matter are allowed in the game. Rather than just be an off/on toggle, this dial uses movie ratings to gauge the settings. G: No objectionable content. Costumes are tasteful, heroes are forthright and exclaimations are limited to "Golly" and "Darn." PG: If you've read mainstream comics in the 70's and 80's, you read PG comics. Sometimes a character will die, but never in gruesome detail. Language gets a bit more colorful (but not raw) and those gravity-defying fabrics finally see production. R: Full on violence, anti-heroes, sexual situations and moral ambiguity reign supreme at this setting. More of the indie/subversive comics fall into this category. NC-17: Comics Code? What Comics Code? At NC-17, the dial has been cranked so far that it's broken off in your hand. If you can imagine it, you can do it. Killswitch The Killswitch turns character death on and off. Now, this being the comics, death is rarely final. But depending on other switches, be prepared to have your character's life cut short by reckless conduct, bad die rolls or poor planning. The Killswitch is a simple toggle. On means that yes, characters can and will die, perhaps permanently (depending on the Spectra-Analyzer setting). Off means that your characters could get into hairy situations, but nothing lethal. Weirdness Tank Some books deal with very "street-level" problems. Crime, corruption, evil henchmen and sinister bosses. Others feature aliens, dimension-hopping and reality bending plots that distort time and space. The Weirdness Tank shows you how bizarre the game could get and what to expect. Empty: No weirdness (other than grown men and women flying around with their underwear on the outside of their clothing). Low: Occassional oddities and aliens but even these are rare occurrances. Medium: Standard comic book weirdness. Expect the unexpected. High: Appropriate for teams with aliens and magic-users as characters. Lots of weirdness. Full: How weird can this game get? Full-on weirdness! Chock-a-Block weirdness! Talking cats! Ambulatory human heads! Bad guys that appear out of movie screens! Monsters that eat languages! Surreality is the norm, here. Laugh-O-Matic Comedy is a staple of the superhero genre. Even the most die-hard, grim anti-hero is known for quipping now and then. But where do you draw the line? Are Monty Python quotes okay? Characters with the ability to turn into furniture? Villains who pun endlessly? The Laugh-O-Matic gauges your tolerance for comedic comics. Serious: No joking around, no "funny" powers and no witty banter. Satirical: Comedic situations abound, but the mood is more ironical than outageous. Witty: Like a good episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Funny characters are allowed to joke around but the game shouldn't degenerate into Wacky or Insane. Wacky: People should have fun with their characters. After all, it's just a game. Insane: Everything in the game is strictly for laughs and nothing should be taken seriously. Cliche Blender The superhero genre has its own share of cliches and conventions. Colorful costumes, long-lost relatives, dead/not dead villains, weird coincidences and messed-up continuities every other week. The Cliche Blender will mix these into your game, or not, depending on its setting. Pulse: Very little in the way of cliche/conventions. If used, used to illustrate a point. Blend: A healthy dose of cliche, for old time's sake. Puree: More cliches than you can shake a...oh, nevermind. So there you have it. Talk it over with the other players and adjust these dials at the start of your series so that everyone knows what to expect and what is expected of them. For some examples from real comic books, see below. Examples The Uncanny X-Men Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) Batman: Year One Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) The Watchmen Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) Marshal Law Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) Superman (1930's) Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) Doom Patrol Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) Astro-City Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) The Tick Spectra-Analyzer (Monochrome / 4-Color / True-Color) Comics Code Meter (G / PG / R / NC-17) Killswitch (Off / On) Weirdness Tank (Empty / Low / Half / High / Full) Laugh-O-Matic (Serious / Satirical / Witty / Wacky / Insane) Cliche Blender (Pulse/Blend/Puree) Superhero Characters Character Creation The first step is deciding what kind of character you'd like to play. Don't worry about "power levels" - just figure out what kind of person your character is and what he or she does for a living, stuff like that. During character generation, you'll define your character's traits. Some traits are quantifiable attributes rated on a scale of 1-10. Others are descriptive. Some traits use a numeric value and a descriptor. Characters are created using the following traits: Traits 1. Code Name 2. Secret Identity 3. Appearance 4. Origin 5. Power 6. Limitations 7. Objective 8. Motivation 9. Profession 10. Advantage 11. Weakness 12. Modus Operandi (MO) 13. Association 14. Exposure 15. Popularity We'll now examine the traits in order and explain what each one does in the game. To do so, I'll create a sample character. 1. Code Name: Most characters will assume an alternate identity. This can be as simple as an alias (like John Smith or Jane Doe) or as weird as a superhero tag (like Danger-Boy or The Lioness). You don't need to pick a Code Name but if you don't, there's a chance that the media will choose one for you! I'll use a member of the Oddities as an example character. His name? The Insomniac. 2. Secret Identity: Not every character needs to have a secret identity. But you probably will start out with one. Secret Identities are useful for keeping your real life private and separate from your superhero life. Secret Identities are invaluable for superheroes who operate outside of the law or who are otherwise making enemies. Who are you when you're not wearing a mask and cape? Do you work at a convenience store or a forensics lab? Do you have a family or are you still in school? The Insomniac is a former spy with the pseudonym of Erol Rote. He's single and is self-employed as a private investigator. 3. Appearance: This trait is an easy one. What do you look like? This trait is also used to describe your costume (if you wear one). Most costumes are attention-grabbers (like the aforementioned mask and cape). Others are purely functional (motorcycle leathers, a bulletproof vest and helmet). What is your costume like? Remember that if the public and the media identify you with a particular style of dress, that style might end up being your "costume." You can also detail any equipment you carry, but be warned that weapons or special gear might have to fall under the realm of your Profession or Advantage traits. If you wear a disguise and someone finds out your Appearance, it just means they recognize the disguise. If you're not wearing a mask or some form of disguise and your Appearance is discovered, then your Secret Identity is in jeopardy as well. The Insomniac dresses in a grey longcoat and matching fedora -- classic noir style. Gloves, shades and a scarf complete his homage to The Shadow. He carries investigative tools: a flashlight, lockpicks, voice recorder, etc. No weapons. 4. Origin: The Origin trait defines how your character became a superhero, or how the hero acquired his or her powers. This can be a short buzzword (alien, mutant, robot) or a detailed origin story ("Jack was just a mild-mannered insurance agent when that fateful night..."). Your Origin score (purchased with points from the team's Agenda rating) is a number from 2 to 10. Low-powered superheroes can get away with Origins of 4 or less. Truly powerful characters will have Origins of 8 or higher. If you want to play a character without any superhuman powers, you can take an Origin score of 1. After all, you may not be superhuman but you're still a superhero! IMPORTANT: Your Origin rating cannot be raised once it's been set. Although you can raise your Power score during the game, you cannot raise it past your Origin score. So keep this in mind! Experimental serum (6). Erol was part of an experiment to create a tireless espionage agent. Powerful chemicals were pumped into his system, giving him his unique powers. A side-effect of this procedure gave him his other ability. 5. Power: Your Power score is equal to half your character's Origin score (rounded down). Then it's time to list your character's superpowers. When it comes to power details, the sky is the limit -- but no doubt you want to play in this kind of game because you already have some cool superpowers in mind. You can distribute your Power points among your powers in any way you see fit. Of course, you can't spend more points than you have, but don't feel like you need to put a point in every superpower. Even though someone with Super-Strength 2 is stronger than someone with Super-Strength 0, that person can still triumph by using points from their Motivation (described below) or their team's Agenda Pool (described above). IMPORTANT: Although you don't have to put a Power point in every power you choose, you may not have more powers than your Origin score. The Insomniac has a Power rating of 3 and the following powers: Life-support (0). He no longer needs to eat, drink or sleep. Immunity to Mental Attacks (1). The Insomniac is highly resistant to mental powers. Psychic Attack (2). He can zap people with his mind, causing them to fall asleep. This is a non-lethal attack and can only be used on targets he can see (two Limitations, covered below). The Insomniac can have a total of 6 powers (6 being his Origin score). He can also have a maximum Power score of 6, eventually. 6. Limitations: You can increase your team's Agenda Pool by adding Limitations to your powers. For each Limitation you add to your character, add two points to the Agenda Pool. You may not take a number of Limitations greater than your Power score. If a Limitation affects more than one power, treat each case as a separate Limitation. The Insomniac's Limitations are described above (Line of Sight and a non-lethal Psychic Attack). That pumps 4 points back into the team's Agenda Pool. I could add another Limitation but that's good for now. 7. Objective: Many superheroes have personal causes that they fight for. And these causes can sometimes interfere with their duties to their teammates. What does your hero personally want to accomplish? Pick a descriptor to define your Objective, then rate it as a number between 2 and 10. Low Objectives are easier to accomplish but result in fewer Reward Points and less Motivation. High Objectives are difficult to accomplish but the benefits are much greater because characters really cares about them. Objectives should be fairly broad to cover a wide array of situations (i.e.: fight street crime) but not overly specific (put the Green Street Gang in prison) or overly general (i.e.: make the city safer). 0. The Insomniac has no Objective, yet. 8. Motivation: While Agenda defines why your team exists and Origin describes how you gained your unusual abilities, Motivation describes why you choseto become a superhero in the first place. Motivations can be just about anything - altruism, joie de vivre, amusement, personal gain, boredom, mental illness, revenge, etc. Pick a descriptor to define your Motivation and assign it a rating of half your starting Objective score (rounded down). Ditto on Motivation. His Motivation score is 0 until he acquires an Objective. 9. Profession: Profession is what your character does when he or she isn't a superhero - their "second life." Your Profession should read like a job description - student, police officer, shoe salesman, vagrant, etc. Note: You may opt to play a character whose profession is "Superhero" - but when bidding during a challenge, you must bid twice the number of dice you actually get to roll. Profession has no score and is defined simply as a descriptor. Private Investigator. 10. Advantage: Advantage is that special talent, skill or area of excellence that your character brings to his or her role of superhero. Advantages can be almost anything but are usually focused on those things that a superhero would find beneficial - wealth, hi-tech knowledge, underworld or media contacts, marksmanship, martial arts ability, etc. Note that Advantages are not superpowers and superpowers aren't Advantages. If you want to play a normal human who is highly skilled in an area, you might want to limit yourself to a low Origin score and just take an appropriate Advantage. Be aware that an untrained character with a superpower (such as "Perfect Aim") will almost always beat a normal human with an Advantage of Marksmanship (Motivation and Agenda Pools could alter the outcome but the super-powered guy always wins unless those points are spent!). Advantage has no score and is defined simply as a descriptor. Former Espionage Agent. Erol still remembers his training and (sometimes) gets a chance to use it. 11. Weakness: Everyone has a Weakness, even superheroes. When faced with your Weakness, you're one considered to be step lower on the Ability Sequence. Weaknesses can be almost anything - blindness, alcoholism, poverty, clumsiness, an irrational fear or compulsion, etc. Weakness has no score and is defined simply as a descriptor. Erol is claustrophobic due to two stressful events in his past. The first was the procedure that gave him his powers (he was placed into a steel cannister and bathed in the serum). The second was being buried alive by an adversary (who thought this would kill him, I guess). 12. Modus Operandi (MO): Modus Operandi (or MO) is Latin for "a method of procedure." It's used to describe the way characters carry out their missions or something that the character does when living the life of a superhero. A Modus Operandi could be anything from "stalks the night as a gun-toting vigilante" to "always hands out balloon animals to kids." When a character follows their MO, they regain Motivation but they also run the risk of Exposure. MO has no score and is defined simply as a descriptor. The Insomniac has no Modus Operandi. 13. Association: This is just the name of the super-hero team (or teams) with your character on their Roster. He's a card-carrying member (literally!) of the Oddities. 14. Exposure: Exposure is a measure of your character's visibility in the public eye. A low profile, secretive hero has a lower Exposure than a highly visible hero whose exploits are widely reported. The Exposure score is set by the player and can be anything from 0 (unknown and completely new at being a superhero) to 10 (everyone knows about the character including his or her secret identity). Certain traits may be known to the public, media or authorities depending on how high your Exposure is. See the section on Dealing with Exposure for more details. Set your Exposure score between 1 and 10. It has no descriptor other than what traits are known. Erol is very secretive. His real name is a mystery to everyone and only one person on the team knows him as Erol Rote. Beyond his name and powers, not much is known. We'll give him a rating of 3. 15. Popularity: Popularity is a measure of your character's relationship to the public. Low popularity heroes are hated or feared by the public. High popularity heroes are loved and admired. Popularity is rated from 1-10 and starts at 5 for a new character. Characters who are violent or secretive (Exposure is less than 4) lose 2 points of Popularity (4 points if they're both violent and secretive). Characters who are friendly or well known (Exposure is greater than 7) gain 2 points of Popularity (4 points if they're both friendly and well known). Set your Popularity score to 5. Reduce or increase this score depending on your character's temperament and nature. The Insomniac isn't very exciting or heroic, and his secretive nature gives him a sinister edge that he can't quite shake. His Popularity is 3. Mechanics The Ability Sequence The Ability Sequence is a simple way of determining success when your hero comes under opposition. To find out how your character stands, determine if their Power, Profession, Advantage or Weakness is relevant to the task at hand. The Ability Sequence runs "best" to "worst," with tied abilities running on the same level. You'll see that Weaknesses bump you down one level on the chart. Power Profession Advantage Power Profession Advantage Weakness Power Profession Power Profession Weakness Power Advantage Power Advantage Weakness Power Power Weakness Profession Advantage Profession Advantage Weakness Profession Profession Weakness Advantage Advantage Weakness No Profession No Advantage No Profession No Advantage Weakness Unopposed Challenges Unless under especially good or bad conditions, assume that characters can accomplish any unopposed action (such as scaling a wall) provided they have the proper equipment, a suitable Power, Profession and/or a relevant Advantage. If the situation calls for a specific Advantage or Professions that is not possessed by the character, then he or she may have to use Motivation to accomplish the task. See the next section for more on Motivation. If the task requires a Power that the hero doesn't possess (like breaking down a foot-thick steel door with her bare hands, for example), he or she may not spend Motivation or points from the team's Agenda Pool to accomplish the task. Using Power Whenever a character uses a power, it automatically works (unless a Limitation says otherwise). Using Motivation and Agenda Pool Points Whenever a player uses Motivation or points from their team's Agenda Pool, they should roll a number of dice between one and their current Motivation score (or one die per Agenda Pool point spent). If uncontested, the player needs to roll at least one 5 to succeed. All dice rolled above 5 are subtracted from the character's Motivation score. Ditto for Agenda Pool points. Contested Challenges If two characters are opposing one another, the person with the higher aptitude wins unless one of the characters uses Motivation. Characters on the same step of the Ability Sequence must settle the contest using Motivation. Of course, "must settle the contest" only applies if neither character will back down. In a contested challenge, where one character is opposing another, Motivation is rolled as normal and the person with the highest roll wins the contest. If the players are tied for the highest number, remove those dice (and subtract them from their owners' Motivation scores) and compare the remaining dice. Continue to do this until all the dice are removed (in which case the result is a stalemate) or there is a clear winner (one character has a higher die roll than the other). After a contested challenge, all "winning" dice (those higher than the highest die of the opposing player) are also subtracted from the winning character's Motivation. If a player loses the contest because they're on a lower step of the Ability Sequence, that player may bid their Motivation to try and make up for their lack of aptitude. The player bids a number of dice up to his Motivation score and attempts to score higher than his or her opponent (per the usual rules). But because they are facing a skilled opponent, the player must bid at least twice the number of points from his Motivation to roll half that amount. The greater the distance on the Ability Sequence between characters, the more Motivation points you have to spend to roll your dice. One step difference costs x2, two steps cost x3, three steps cost x4 and four steps difference costs x5. If you're facing an opponent who is 5 or more steps above you on the chart, you cannot win the challenge. If facing off against a person without any dice to roll (Motivation or Agenda Pool), you can only fail if your highest die roll is a 1. Contested Challenges Using Powers If the characters are on the same step of the Ability Sequence, the one who rolls highest wins. Treat the ratings of powers as "free dice" to roll (you don't lose these). If either character wants to increase the number of dice they can roll, they may do so using either Motivation or dice from their team's Agenda Pool. Team Improvement Restoring the Agenda Pool Restoring points spent from the Agenda Pool is actually quite easy. At the end of the game, each character may roll a die and add that number of points back into the Pool or may take the points as Personal Reward Points (see below). You should decide before you roll whether to give away the points or not. Of course, characters who continually take points from the Pool and never pay them back risk ejection from the team. Raising the Agenda Rating You can move Pool points back into the team's Agenda rating in order to increase the power levels of its members. To do this, move at least 10 Pool points (or a number of points evenly divisible by 10) into the Agenda rating. Then, once these points are back in the Agenda rating, you can distribute those points into the Power ratings of the team's members. Remember that spending these points doesn''t change the Agenda rating (the limit of 100 still stands) and no Power may be higher than its corresponding Origin rating. Character Improvement Regaining Motivation Characters regain Motivation by taking a break from their duties as a superhero. Every day off returns one die of Motivation (up to their maximum). Characters also regain Motivation whenever they accomplish their Objective (see the section on Accomplishing an Objective). Characters who accomplish their Objective despite their Weakness coming into play gain a bonus die to their Motivation roll. Characters who accomplish their Objective and follow their MO also receive a bonus die to their Motivation roll but run the risk of gaining Exposure. If the bonus die rolled is even, they gain a point of Exposure. If it's odd, they don't gain Exposure. Characters increase their Motivation score by spending Reward Points (see the section on Reward Points). Altering Objectives If at any time the player changes their Objective (either the score itself or the Objective's description), their Motivation score will change as well to equal half their Objective. Motivation gained from spending Reward Points is lost. Accomplishing an Objective Whenever characters accomplish their Objectives, they have a chance of receiving Reward Points. To do this, roll all of your Motivation dice and gain a number of Reward Points equal your Objective score for every die that is equal to or greater than your Objective score. Also, regain one point of Motivation (up to your maximum) for every die that is equal to or greater than your Objective score. Personal Reward Points Personal Reward Points are an abstract way of measuring your character's effectiveness. Reward Points are used in the following way: Spending 25 Reward Points enable you to solve a minor problem relating to your character's Objective. A "minor problem" is something that affects a small area (like a park or a certain street). Doing so increases your Exposure and Popularity by 1 point. Spending 50 Reward Points enable you to solve some general problem. Doing so increases your Exposure and Popularity by 2 points. Spending 100 Reward Points enables to you solve a major problem. Doing so increases your Exposure and Popularity by 3 points. You can also spend your Reward Points to increase your Motivation score. Spending 25 points allows you to roll one die. If the roll is even, your maximum Motivation score goes up by one. If the roll is odd, you gain nothing. When a problem is solved, the solution is rarely permanent. Regular upkeep (by you or others) may be necessary. Critical problems (such as AIDS, child welfare, and organized crime) cannot be stamped out using Reward Points. These problems are too large and their roots too many to be solved by any one person. Dealing with Exposure At the end of each session, roll a number of dice equal to each character's Exposure score. Add a die if the character followed his MO during the session. If any die is even, they gain an Exposure point. If the result is odd, nothing is gained. Characters with public identities gain 2 Exposure points if the any of the dice are even. If no Exposure has been gained at all during the session, the character's Exposure score drops by 1 point. For each Exposure point above 1, one detail is revealed to the public-at-large. You don't have to follow this progression, but it's a good way to figure out what the public knows about your character. Exposure 0: The character's existence is not even known Exposure 1: The character's existence is known but no details have been revealed Exposure 2: The character's physical description Exposure 3: The character's code name Exposure 4: The character's Modus Operandi Exposure 5: The character's Objective Exposure 6: The character's Advantage Exposure 7: The character's Weakness Exposure 8: The character's Profession Exposure 9: The character's Motivation Exposure 10: The character's Secret-Identity You can purposefully lower your Exposure by reducing your Popularity by 1 point (in which your Exposure also drops by 1 point). However, once a piece of information is revealed, it cannot be "unrevealed." If you take the session off from your exploits, you do not roll at all and may reduce your Exposure by 1. If you purposefully reveal any of your traits to someone and that person blabs, you'll automatically gain an Exposure point for each detail revealed. Dealing with Popularity Popularity is used to gauge public opinion of the character. Popular superheroes are well liked and given more leeway when undertaking their duties. Unpopular heroes are harassed by the police, disliked by the public and suffer attacks by the media. The Ability Sequence is not used when judging reactions. If the character has to deal with the public-at-large, the media or the authorities, they must roll one ten-sided die and score equal to or under their Popularity. Characters with a Popularity score of 10 always have a favorable reaction unless they face extreme personality conflicts (i.e.: a city councilman has vowed to crush the hero). Characters with a Popularity of 0 always have an unfavorable reaction. Characters can augment their Popularity roll by spending Motivation (gaining them additional dice to roll), but only if their Profession or Advantage can offer some kind of assistance to them. Motivation spent to augment a Popularity roll is always lost, regardless of the roll's outcome. Gaining (and losing) Popularity Whenever the character accomplishes their Objective or spends Reward Points to solve a community problem in the course of a session, roll a number of dice equal to the character's Popularity score. If any evens are rolled, one point is added to their Popularity. If no evens are rolled, nothing is gained. Characters who are violent or secretive lose one point of Popularity if they roll no even dice.