Super Human

High School!
Dogtown Games presents...
A Free-form Super Role-Playing Game
Written by Scott W. Starkey.
Last revision: June 26, 2003.
Version 1.2.0
Special thanks to: Andrew Arenson, Cheryl Borst, Carl Klutzke,
Lawrence VanVactor-Lee, Bob Braley, Kathy McClure, Carl
Congdon.
Playtesters: Bob Braley, Elisabeth and Ian Braley, Rob Cisz, Heather
Cobble, Jason Dufair, Erik "Fuzzy" Gerdes, Lindsay Harper,
Thad Hutson, Terri Johnson, Bethany Kind, Billy Kind, Carl
Klutzke, Karen Klutzke, Lawrence Lee, Billy Simpson, Eric
Starkey

Legal Stuff:
The text and graphics of Super Human High School are
copyright 2003 by Scott W. Starkey, all rights
reserved.
This game models a fictional world. No resemblance is
intended between any human, corporate, or
mechanical character with any person, corporation,
machine, or deity whether living, dead, in or out of
business, or yet to be invented.
This Work is offered free for public download under the
following terms:
You may make as many electronic copies of the Work as
you want, as long as you do not edit it or convert it to
other formats. You may distribute these copies to
other people if you wish as long as you do not charge
money.
You may print out copies of the Work for your own
personal use, but you may not distribute printed
copies of the Work either free or for money.
The usual Fair Use exceptions apply for short excerpts
(up to 500 words) used in reviews and criticism.
These terms are flexible, and you may contact the author
if you would like to negotiate an exception.

Notes on this version:

By playing this game and/or reading this
document, you can have a direct influence on the
future of Super Mutant High School! If your
suggestions are deemed important, thorough,
poignant, or relevant then your name could appear in
the playtest credits of the next edition! Please contact
us via electronic mail at scotto@[REMOVE]yekrats.com.
If you let us know you're playing our game, it's very
likely your name will show up in the credits and you
will be famous, just like us. (Remove the word
[REMOVE] before mailing me.)
If you like Super Human High School and get some
real value out of it, please drop a dollar or two in the
tip jar:
http://www.dogtowngames.com/
Any and all donations are most appreciated.
About the author:
Scott Starkey has been playing and
moderating role-playing games since long enough to
know better. He's been a cartoonist and improv
comedian, and is adept at writing about himself in the
third person. He graduated from Purdue University's
Creative Writing program in 1992, and is currently
working towards a Computer Technology degree from
the same school. Scott can be contacted at
shhs@[REMOVE*]yekrats.com. (Remove the word
[REMOVE*] before mailing me.)
What's the big idea?
Super Human High School is a storytelling
game where players play the parts of heroes in a
super-powered world. It is intended to be simple
enough that new players can get into the game
quickly and without difficulty, yet complex enough
that veteran players will not get bored. Since this is an
action-oriented game, play is intended to be quick and
exciting.
This game is intended to be easy to get to the
good part, so that a Game Master, once he has read
the rules, should be able to start a first game with
players in just a few minutes. The Game Master can
pass out the pre-generated characters, use one of the
sample adventures, and go.
The rules allow the veteran player to model
virtually any power that can be thought of. The game
encourages expert players to "think outside the box,"
and create new powers of their own for their
characters. Veteran game masters also receive advice
on how to create campaign worlds of their own

devices, with detailed guidelines for constructing a vivid

past, present, and future for the campaign that players can
interact with.
Play should proceed quickly and reflect the action
and adventure of the four-color comic genre. The Game
Master won't have to waste time looking up hits and
misses and wandering encounters on charts. Players won't
need to waste time counting pips on dice.
Author's note: Why was this game created?
I've always been a big fan of the super hero genre.
As a kid, I visualized myself throwing bolts of fire and
flying on one day, and doing complex acrobatics and
martial arts the next. Hey, who hasn't? A part of that
demented power-trip fantasy has remained with me to
this day. I mean, there's certainly something appealing
about the thought of having amazing powers separating
yourself from mundane humans. Eventually, I discovered
role-playing games, allowing me to weave group stories
with my friends.
It's been many years since I first discovered
supers role playing games. Though I have always loved
the genre, super hero gaming systems don't seem
completely right to me in one way or another. Sure, there
are good systems out there, but they didn't do things the
way I would do them. Either their character creation
system required massive calculations (plus perhaps a
degree in accounting), character creation was random,
creating bizarre out-of-balance characters, or the
character creation system was overly simplistic, lending
practically no advice to the creation of characters. I also
prefer more free-form role-playing, rather than chart-dice
games. In SHHS I've tried to balance these concepts, and
I hope you will enjoy it.
Role-playing games are games where one of the
assembled gamers takes the role of "Game Master," who
with a little bit of preparation weaves a story. The other
players take the roles of individual characters in that
story. The Game Master plays the part of the non-player
characters and environment, and how they react to the
players' reactions.
Unlike traditional role-playing games, this game
does not use any dice. All the materials you need will be
here, except for maybe a pencil, paper, and an wild
imagination! Many role-playing games use dice to
determine "random" events in stories, anything from
changes in the weather to the chance of picking a pocket.
But an author or comic book story artist doesn't use dice
when they see if Mister X kayos his archrival. The writers
and artists just roll with the punches, so to speak. They
simply use intuition, and write within the bounds of what
makes a good story. When gamers roll dice to see if they
hit, then roll dice for damage, all that counting slows the
game down a little. I wanted to keep this game as quick

and as exciting as possible to reflect the genre.

Now, I'm not saying that dice-throwing roleplaying games are bad. I love those games! I grew up
on them. There are quite a few good diced roleplaying games out there, and some that I still play.
They are the bread-and-butter of the gaming industry,
and I'm glad they're around.
Some may argue, "No dice?! Well, doesn't
that make everything arbitrary?" Well, yes it does.
"You mean I have to trust my Game Master?" True,
true. However, if you don't trust your Game Master,
then why are you playing the game in the first place?
Every Game Master I know fudges a die roll now and
then. Is that a reason you should mistrust them? No,
the ones I know do it to make the story better. The
Game Master and players in any system must trust
each other and work together, or else the game doesn't
work.

Structure of this book:

This game will allow you to enjoy and dread
high school all over again, and couple that with the
excitement of superpowered heroes. Chapter One,
which you are reading, contains mostly introductory
information, much like this sentence here. Chapter
Two introduces you to the environment of Super
Human High School, and is a good read for players
and game masters alike. It will immerse you in the
Muta environment, and allow the rest of the book to
make better sense.
If you're like me, you always first turn to the
"character creation" section in a new RPG. You'll find
that in Chapter Three. I tried to make this game fairly
simple, including character creation, so that your
group of assembled crazies can pick up this game,
and start playing a few minutes later. On the other
hand, the character creation system is loose enough
that you should be able to model any super power of
your dreams, without the use of a calculator!
The game master will primarily gain benefit
from reading Chapter Four. That chapter deals with
throwing a game all together, which is the actual
mechanics of play. Although a healthy dose of
improvisational thinking is required to run a game of
SHHS, guidelines are given in Chapter 4 to make
your and your players' lives much easier.
This game also provides sample scenarios that
can get you started right away. They can be run
individually as one-shot adventures, or can be linked
together as a whole campaign. Several ideas are also
given to create your own adventures!

Chapter 2: High School

Environment
[The following few pages describe the world in
which Super Human High School takes place. Please note
that this material is not real, however some of it is a
parody of the real world. Please do not confuse this with
actual fact, despite the tone being factual.
This section gives background information about
the world of Super Human High School, and therefore it's
listed first. But if you're like me, you'll prefer to plunge
into character creation. That's in Chapter Three. Just be
sure to read this section when you get done there. It is
pretty important, especially if you are thinking about
being a Game Master.]

Central High School: Welcome to

your school!
Central High School is not only proud to be your
community school, but also proud to be one of the few
original Muta Integration Bill test classroom
environments, and have been for over ten years now. We
boast higher-than-average college placement rates for
both normals and paranormals for our state, and give kids
a real chance at a good future.

A Short History of the Mutas

Since we are a Muta-integrated school, we are
sympathetic to the plight of paranormals and normals
alike. If you are not familiar with the Mutas state of
affairs in the world, please read on:
The mutant DNA known by some as "Gene-X"
continues to be a controversial subject to most folks.
Since its discovery in 1977, some mutants affected by the
gene have been persecuted, feared, revered, and loved.
Although some progress has been made towards giving
them the same rights and freedoms that all people should
possess, there is still much bigotry and fear to overcome.
This has generally led to an adversarial feeling between
mutants and mortals for the last twenty-five years.
The discoverer of the abnormal genetic material
was a young biochemistry student named Ellis Beck.
While working on his doctorate dissertation at a major
Midwestern university, he compared the DNA of people
that displayed paranormal powers to other test subjects.
The conclusion? Many of us hold within us this special
gene, but in most of us it lies dormant. In a lucky few, it
triggers awesome mental and physical powers.
Gene-X often manifests itself during puberty,

however there are dozens of reported exceptions.

Occasionally, powers have been known to manifest at
ages as young as six or seven, or even over the age of
50. It is known that the gene is a dominant gene,
allowing a non-mutant and a mutant to possibly create
mutant offspring. However, it is still unknown what
triggers the mutant transformation, or why it
primarily affects children in their teen years. It is also
unknown whether this a natural process in the course
of human evolution, or an abnormality which should
be suppressed.
The Gene-X discovery forced society to deal
with these mutants. During the Eighties and Nineties,
society mostly shunned the Mutas, treating them as
outcasts. Mutants were not a protected class and could
be excluded from employment, housing, and school.
Naturally, this led to bitterness and anger. As the
Mutas' anger grew, so did the population of mutants,
so now anywhere from two to five per-cent are a
visible mutant, with now about 60% of the population
holding the gene without it ever being triggered.
In 1989, the Muta lobby (led by Dr. Beck)
pressured the United States Congress into reforming
the nation's attitude concerning these mutants. Eight
months later, a bill was passed which is commonly
called the "Muta Bill." Unfortunately, the bill was not
all that Dr. Beck had originally wanted. This bill
considers Mutas a "handicapped" status, which gives
them special privileges under the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Mutas were once again able to
acquire public schooling and decent jobs. Dr. Beck
continues his fight in Washington to acquire equal
rights to all mutants.

School Life Today

A few years after the reintegration of the
Mutas into public schooling, school life has calmed
down considerably. That radical change took place
over a decade ago, and although many adjustments
have been made, school life is really quite stable now.
A few schools like ours have been selected to educate
the Mutas, which operate like most high schools, with
as few differences as possible so that the mutant and
non-mutant student body will be comfortable.
Although the school grounds appear the same
as any normal high school across the country, you
may notice several subtle differences. These facilities
will be reinforced to protect against occasional
abnormally strong mutants.
With the possibility of telepaths and psychics
possibly having an unfair advantage on tests, we have
installed special "Psychic Static" study desks, which
through the miracle of modern technology causes

psychic emanations to be fuzzy and indistinct.

Students showing psychic aptitude will be
required to sit at these desks during tests and
quizzes.

Classes and Exams

Despite the paranormal world, most
classes are pretty much as one would expect
from any high school. We offer a high-quality,
well-rounded education. You will find
sciences, vocational training, and the arts all
offered at our school.
One important class we would like to
highlight, is the civics class "Muta-Human
Relations." This class, though geared towards
Muta students, is open to all students. The
class touches on subjects such as using super
powers responsibly and how to use super
powers to be a normal productive member of
society. The class also discusses ethics issues
of using super powers.

Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities are the
lifeblood of the student body. Most students
have one or more after school activities that
will occupy their time, activities that are above
and beyond the homework that's normally
required. Sports, band, choir, and journalism
all require special group-work outside of class.
Schools have a number of clubs
available for students, focused on just about
any subject imaginable. These clubs usually
meet about once a week so students can get
together with others with like interests.
Occasionally, these clubs will host special
events. The drama club will put on several
plays throughout the year; the science club will
travel to the "Science Olympics" each year. So
these clubs do not evolve into chaos, a member
of the faculty supposedly interested in the
subject acts as a wet blanket, keeping things
mostly boring.

Sports
M-class sports are often more exciting
than your regular mundane high school
sporting event. Muta schools will only
participate against other Muta schools during

28 Stupid Last
Names. (Just
tack on a Mrs.,
Ms., or Mr.!)
Banal
Barker
Belcher
Booby
Booger
Death
Chagrin
Chicken
Codger
Fetid
Grendel
Gumslinger
Hocker
Hooch
Insipid
Krapper
Lummox
Menial
Moocher
Poultry
Paltry
Philly
Popper
Putrid
Sponge
Urchin
Vile
Vinegar
Vulgar
Wiper
Woody
Wretched
Zippo

regulation games. Most of the rules of regular

sports are the same as they would be in
conventional sporting events. If you blast
someone in basketball, it's a technical foul.
However, your speed-demon mutant can run for
a touchdown and not break any rules.
Mutant powers are allowed during events,
as long as no one gets truly hurt. It's legal to blast
someone in football to tackle them. Telekinesis
could be used to score a basket in basketball. In
normal competition, using such abilities would
be considered unfair, but if both teams have the
ability to use these special resources, it's not a
problem. For this reason, mutant high school
athletics recruiters are a tenacious lot, and will
go to amazing lengths to get new star mutants on
the home team.
The High School Athletics Association is
looking at alternate rules to better define Muta
sports, however these have not been drafted yet.
So for now, really, anything goes!

School Faculty and other Adults

Adults get no respect from high school
students, and rightfully so. Adults seem to hold
the power, and the younger generation gets
shafted. If adults don't respect the younger
generation, why should the Gen X-ers respect the
Boomers?
Most adults in this game will naturally
get "stupid" names. They can have ridiculous
first or last names, or both, but something about
Heres some important high school events to
get you thinking about possible SHHS
scenarios!
Yearly enrollment
First day of school
Homecoming.
Winter Break
Jr./Sr. Prom.
PSAT
Basketball sectionals
SAT
Spring Break
Last Day of school
Graduation
Summer break

their name will most likely be inherently flawed. To get

into the right frame of mind to name an adult in your
world, think back to your high school days. Think about
that mean lady that lived across the street or your worst
teacher. Think about their name, and the cruel nickname
that you and your friends dubbed her. If you take that
dubbed name, and possibly clean it up just a bit, then
you've got an appropriate name for an adult in this game
system. It is possible for an adult to have a cool name, but
this would be considered Good Karma. (See Karma in the
character creation section.) It is possible for some
students to be cursed with a stupid name. Such a
character would get an extra character point for the Bad
Karma.

High School Discipline

Despite the government's best intentions, the
faculty is really not able to protect the schools as
completely as they would like. There's usually about 3 or
4 faculty in a school with an integrated Muta school,
allowing 20 to 30 Muta students within a student body of
1,000. Although most teachers are normal, in times of
Muta emergency, one of the Muta administrators of the
school will take over.
Minor punishments often come in the form of a
threatening talk by the vice-principal, then perhaps a note
to parents. Occasional spanking, euphemistically called
"corporal punishment," will sometimes be allowed as a
suitable option by parents and schools. ("If my kid gets
out of line, go ahead and smack him!")
Major discipline will come in the form of
detention. Detention is staying after school or on
Saturday, coming in the form of torturous boredom. The
theory here is if a student is bored, he will be less likely
to do bad things. Unfortunately, just the opposite is true,
but adults do not realize this, or have forgotten.
If Detention Hall is insufficient to correct the bad
behavior, the school will issue a suspension, which
punishes the student by forcing them to stay home with
their parents. The disciplinarians also figure that the less
the student is at school, the less they will cause trouble
there. If this shock treatment does not correct the problem
or if the bad behavior is just too severe, the final
punishment of discipline is Expulsion.
Expulsion means you're kicked out of school, and
is sometimes accompanied by a court order. There are
unfortunately very few options once you're expelled.
Firstly, you can accept it, because heck, you didn't like
school anyway. Or, you and/or your parents may try to
appeal the expulsion, which would involve a long and
painful court battle. But the good news is you'll probably
get your name in the paper and be a local celebrity.

Fashion and Super-Costumes

Mutas generally don't wear costumes like
traditional super heroes from four-color comics.
Although some do, most wear the "normal" school
clothes that they wear every day.

cost you a point or two, but by taking a

limitation, you get a point or two that can be
used for something else, like an awesome
power!

Chapter 3: Character
Creation in Super Human
High School
1. Think about it!
The first step to designing a character in any roleplaying game is deciding what kind of character
you would enjoy playing. You'll probably want to
stick with the character for several play sessions,
so make it something memorable and exciting so
not only you but your entire gaming group will
enjoy it! You should be given an opportunity to
discuss your new character concept with your
game master.
2. Assign points to Super Powers!
In Super Human High School, a point system is
used to purchase powers and abilities. You'll get
50 points to spend on Attributes, Powers, and
Karma. Super Human High School has a fairly
simple but flexible power-creation system that can
allow you to model nearly any Super Power out
there. Firstly take a base power modeling the
power in its raw form. Then add "Bells &
Whistles" to powers to fine-tune and adjust their
strength. When you're done with that, hold on to a
few more points so you can...
3. Assign points to Attributes!
After you've assigned points to the Powers, you
can juice up your Attributes. Attributes are
qualities that all characters have in Super Human
High School : your character, that super villain
over there, the bus driver and the vice-principal.
Attributes rate your character's Psyche, Strength,
Fighting, Intelligence, and Endurance. Zero is
considered "average highschooler," and below
that is, well, embarrassing.
4. Assign Good and Bad Karma!
There's no such thing as an "average" high school
student; they all seem to have distinctive features
about them that will make life more fun! Certain
bonuses and enhancements to your character will

5. Balance your hero!

If you've got points left over, boost your
attributes or add another power. If you've got
too many points spent, you might consider
taking some Bad Karma or reducing or getting
rid of some of your powers. Certain Attributes
give your character freebies--free powers that
come with high Attributes. Write these down
on your character sheet as well.

Home Room: Character

Creation!
Initial Character Concept
Once you get the basics to this game down,
creating a character from scratch can be quite
rewarding. You can borrow from your own angstfilled life, take a little bit from heroic four-color
fantasy, throw in a high school or heroic clich, and
wind up with a character that's fun to play again and
again. The primary function of character creation is to
create a playable, fun character that fits well into your
game master's campaign.
You should create your character quickly,
trying not to let the rules get in your way. There is no
problem with you and your Game Master modifying
your character to more efficient architecture once
you're both more familiar with the game. If you do
find a more efficient way of spending the points, the
Game Master should allow you to spend those points
elsewhere.
The first obstacle to creating a character is
getting your idea down on paper. Here, a little bit of
planning can go a long way, which also works with
creating a new character for any role-playing gaming
system! Before you start crunching numbers and
balancing your character, take a few moments to think
about what your hero will be like. Consider their
powers and the source and manifestation of those
powers. What does your hero look like?
Think about the character's school life. What
year of high school is your hero in? Then consider
what classes your hero is forced to take. Despite
being super-smart or having inhuman skills, your hero

will still likely be forced to endure four years of high

school in order to become a "well-rounded individual,"
no matter how painful that process. Is your hero a
teacher's pet or a class clown?
Consider your hero's home life. What is the
character's relationship with parents and siblings? How
well off is the hero, monetarily? What kind of car does
the hero drive? (Or does the hero envy the car of others?)
Now would be a good time to think about what
the hero's general goals are. What is the hero's ambitions,
hopes, dreams, and fears? Where did he or she grow up?
What are the parents like? What classes does the hero
take? Take a moment to get into the character's shoes (or
boots, or whatever) and try them on for a little while.
Jot down any ideas you come up with by
answering these questions, or anything else you can think
of about your character. Talk over this rough draft with
your Game Master. This rough-draft blueprint will assist
you when you assign points to character abilities.

The Clich Character:

Though it may seem absurd, an ideal, wellrounded character can be generated by falling back on the
high school clich. High schoolers naturally categorize
themselves into certain archetypes: general ones like the
jock, the nerd, and even specific roles like cheerleader,
honor student, and class president all automatically bring
up images to mind about the character's personality. Also,
it could be possible to take a typical super hero clich
(like a gadget-throwing hero, or a flyer-blaster hero), and
think of how he or she would exist in a high-school
environment.

The "Browser" Character:

A player may come to their first Super Human
High School game stumped about what type of character
they would like to play. Fear not! One acceptable way of
creating a character is by browsing through the Powers
and Karma until something stands out. The player should
be careful to just glean ideas, and then evolve them into
the character. Be careful to not just pick all your powers
"off the rack" and end up with a cookie-cutter hero.

Game Master discussion:

After you've jotted down some ideas on what sort
of hero you would like to play in the game, the Game
Master should sit down with you for a couple of minutes
to discuss your ideas and how they fit into the overall
game ideas. For example, a crazy or loony hero might not
fit into a campaign that had a gritty, dark edge to it.

The Balanced Hero

There is a general philosophy of super hero
creation that a hero should have at least one of each of
the following: an attack power, a defensive power, a
movement power, and a heightened sense or
detection. Players are certainly not required to follow
this guideline for their characters, but generally
following it will enable the hero to be well-balanced
and versatile in a variety of situations. A more
versatile character is a more useful character, usable
in more situations more often, therefore playable
more often and hence more fun to play.
Game Masters should look out for the "minimaxer" player. Some games reward players with extra
points for taking outlandish disadvantages for their
characters and heroic powers. Characters end up with
a variety of limitations and disfigurements squeezing
out a few extra points, however making them
unwieldy and nearly unplayable. This is not one of
those games.
This game offers players an occasional point
discount on powers and for Bad Karma, but a player
should be careful not to take too many of them. A
small handful of points would create a well-rounded
and interesting character. On the other hand, if a
player takes over a dozen points of Bad Karma for
one character, the character becomes pathetic and
ridiculous. There is certainly a point of diminishing
returns when it comes to Bad Karma. It is the Game
Master's job to let the player know this. If the player
chooses to ignore this advice, the Game Master
should feel free to give the player everything they
most rightfully deserve, or disallow the character out
of sympathy.
Another character type that game masters
should look out for is the "top-heavy character." A
character is top-heavy if they invest most of their
points into just one power, allowing the hero to do
one thing very well. The corollary to that concept is
the character does everything else pretty poorly.
Although this kind of character may be fun to play in
the short term (like one scene) over the long haul the
character is somewhat limiting and eventually boring.
A little bit of variety can go a long way.
Finally, game masters should be on the
lookout for the "One-With-Everything" character
concept. Unlike the top-heavy hero, the character
takes a little bit of every power or skill, apparently
allowing the hero to be at least mediocre in
everything. Like Mr. Top-heavy, in the long term the
character probably won't hold up.

Initial Points
The Game Master should determine what initial power
level players will start their characters . A "normal"
student in SHHS is built using 0 points, which is
considered average for a high school student. Some
teachers and administrators, having received more
training and skill throughout their lives, might be built on
five or more points. There is likely one super powered
administrator in the school to enforce discipline who is in
the 70-100 point range. A starting SHHS campaign is
likely to have player characters starting at 50 points, but
Game Masters can adjust that up or down to fit the world.
.

Attributes!
There are five Attributes in SHHS, which are qualities
that every character has, no matter if they are "Super
Powered" or not. These are Psyche, Strength, Fighting,
Intelligence, and Endurance. Most "normal" high
schoolers average about zero points (plus or minus a
couple points) for each Attribute with a normal human
maximum of about 10.
With zero (0) as the average, it is possible for a character
to have a "below average" Attribute. Attributes may be
lowered into negative numbers, but at -5, the character
will be severely impaired. At -10, the Attribute is totally
impaired! No Attribute can be lowered below -10.

Psyche!
Psyche encompasses mental force, willpower, and the
powers of the mind! Most mental tricks like Telepathy
(Reading someone's mind) or Telekinesis (Moving things
with your mind) rely heavily on your Psyche. Any sort of
battle of psychic combat will rely solely on your Psyche
attribute. High Psyche will grant automatic low-level
defense against Mental Attacks and Brain Tricks.
Just by benefit of high Psyche, you automatically get a
few points (about Psyche divided by ten points) in Mental
Attack Powers. (This Mental Attack is only at "Touch"
range.) And a few points would be all you would need to
Strength
0
1
3
5
10
15
20
25

kayo the average teacher or janitor! You would need

at least 10 or more points of Psyche even to attempt
such a feat! In addition, high psyche characters have
a sixth-sense about them, allowing them to be more in
tune with the vibes of the supernatural.

Strength!
Just as Psyche controls the mental, Strength
deals with the physical abilities of your hero. A high
strength will allow you to hurl a BMW. A higher
Strength would allow you to catch it, too! A high
Strength Attribute will naturally allow you to do more
damage than the average physical attack, but you can
also take more damage. A high-Strength hero gets a
bonus to damage with physical attacks (equal to about
Strength divided by 10).

Fighting!
You will find yourself engaged in high-flying
and spectacular brawls in Super Human High School,
and that is where your Fighting statistic will come in
handy. A high Fighting Attribute will allow you to not
only hit your opponent, but also avoid being hit. The
Fighting attribute also allows your hero to innately
use weapons accuratelyeverything from brass
knuckles to a howitzer!

Intelligence!
Smart heroes get a significant advantage in
learning and improvising skills. For each 10 points of
Intelligence, assume the hero has about one point in
any knowledge-based skill. Therefore, a 30Intelligence hero could program a computer (a
knowledge-based skill) like a pro without breaking a
sweat. The hero is assumed to just be able to "figure it
out" on the fly. Plus, supersmart heroes can just about
write their ticket to any major university for free.

Endurance!

Endurance is figured into any physical

challenge that takes a while, to see how much longer
the hero can last over the long haul. Super powers
take energy to fuel, therefore a high Endurance
can lift
and bust through
will keep your batteries full. Endurance is also
A loaded book bag.
A toilet stall.
important to rate how much damage the hero can
A high school student. A stuck window.
take before getting knocked out cold. Having a
A construction worker. A wooden door.
super-high Endurance allows your hero to heal at a
A teachers desk.
quicker rate. It's like having the Power of
A motorcycle
Detention room door.
Regeneration absolutely freeabout one point of
A plaster wall.
Regeneration for every 10 Endurance points.
A telephone pole.
A small car.
A brick wall.

SUPER POWERS!

Animation Power!

The Animation Power gives the hero the

ability to vitalize one or more objects, controlling
Most Player-Characters in Super Human High School
them from afar. This power gives the animated
will have one or more super powers that they can use.
objects the semblance of life, and the ability to move
These are bought from the same pool of Character Points
autonomously from the animator for a set period of
that Attributes and Good Karma are bought with. You can
time. Normally, the animator can by default only
choose one of the power groups from this list, or else use
animate one object at a time, but can purchase the
these as a guideline for coming up with your own powers.
privilege to animate more simultaneously by
After you buy a Power, you can modify it, making
investing character points.
it less or more powerful. To improve upon a base Power
Under normal conditions, an animator must
will cost the hero some extra points, but if a Power is
concentrate to maintain the animation. If the hero
reduced in some way, the Power may be cheaper to
wants the ability to not have to mind the animated
purchase. For example, having a damage-inducing laser
object often, that can be purchased with a few extra
blast will be more expensive if you purchase additional
points. Also, animators normally can only animate
range. Your Body of Steel power will be less effective if
one category of thing: like furniture, foods, cars, etc.
the hero has a softer human form he turns into, so that
If you have an extremely wide category or can
would cost fewer points than the standard Body of Steel
animate anything, it's going to cost you a little more.
bought off the shelf.
Animate things will move around at about
Many Powers have specific modifications listed
human speed, unless they inherently have some other
with them. Other important modifications, like Range, are
ability to move faster (for example, an animate car
listed in the Bells & Whistles section. (See "Bells &
could cruise pretty quickly). Animations will take on
Whistles" later in this chapter for a more complete
many of the properties of the item they were created
description.)
from. For example, an animation of a metal sculpture
would be much more durable than an animated
popsicle-stick art-fair project. The sculpture would
probably be stronger, too. It's up to the game master
to decide the actual Attributes, but we trust your
judgement. An animate object cannot do something
it's not designed to do. For example, an animated
motorcycle could not fly, but an animated paper
airplane might be able to.
It might also be
Animation
Giving non-moving stuff lifelike movement.
prudent
to add in a
Body of "X"
Taking a different body form than humans normally have, like fire,
couple
of
extra Bells &
stone, or teeny-weeny.
Whistles to make this
Brain Tricks
Detecting or altering other peoples minds.
power more effective.
Command
Summoning creatures and other weird things.
Unless the hero buys
Damage
Damaging stuff, like energy bl asts or war hammers.
Range, the Animation
Defense
Protection from damage.
Power can only be used
Environmental
Changing the environment, like weather or light and darkness.
by touch alone. Area
Manipulation
Effect may also be
Jumping
Super frog-leaps over vast distances.
helpful to summon up a
Life Support
Allows hero to survive perilous environments and situations, like lack
horde of animate beasts
of air, or food.
Matter Manipulation
Create, destroy, or alter the stuff of matter itself!
at the hero's whim!
Metapower
Suppress or enhance other hero's powers.
By the way, this
Regeneration
Allows hero to heal damage quicker than most mortals.
power does not allow
Supersense
Abnormal senses like telescopic vision, IR vision, supersonic heari ng,
you to control someone
and radar sense.
or something already
Tangler
Quickly binding opponents in sti cky or entangling bonds.
animate, for example,
Telekinesis
Moving objects around with the power of t he mind alone.
your Gymnastics
Teleportation
Instantly traveling from point "A" to point "B" without crossing the
teacher. That power
intervening space.
Travel
Moving around abnormally, like super-running, digging, or flying.
would be handled by

Power... Affects...

means of Brain Tricks.

Cost/Maximum Mass Animator can Affect
1
School supplies (up to 2-pound objects) (imagine,
if you will, a paper-clip chorus line!)
2
50-pound objects
5
Human-mass stuffs
8
Motorcycle-sized objects
10
Car-sized objects
13
Vans & Trucks
15
Semi trucks
20
Small buildings
Animation Power: Bells & Whistles
+0
Animator can only control 1 thing at a time.
+1
Animator can control 2 objects simultaneously,
totaling up to maximum mass.
+3
Animator can control up to 10 objects
simultaneously, totaling up to maximum mass.
+5
Animator can control as many individual objects
as necessary, up to maximum mass.
+0
+1
+2
+5
+1
+5

Animation requires constant supervision.

Animation lasts for about 5 combat panels without
supervision.
Animation lasts for a few hours with no
supervision.
Animation lasts for a complete adventure. (Up to
a couple of days.)
Wide category. (Metal objects, all plants)
Animator can animate anything!

Body of "X" Power!

The Body of "X" Power simulates any unusual,
non-human form that a hero might have. This includes a
body of flame, out-of-phase heroes, giant heroes, eensyweensy heroes, everything from alien life forms to robots
to half-human-swamp-beasts! Body of "X" heroes
generally have different body composition than a normal
human, which will give them special advantages and
disadvantages that you define when you make up the
character. These can even give you "free super powers"
that are paid for with the Body of "X" power.
For example, if you wanted to make a character
that could change his body composition to stainless steel,
this would naturally give the hero special resistance to
damage and your punches would hurt more--without
spending any extra points. However, if you wanted to
shoot energy out of your hands, since that is not a natural
Attribute of stainless steel, that would cost you extra.
Additionally, your character would sink like a rock in
water, and could drown unless you spent some extra

points there. You also must define some properties of

the body of X.
Body of X, you might notice, duplicates,
overlaps, or encompasses some of the other Powers
and Attributes, depending on the body form. For
example, could one assume that a Body of Steel hero
would deserve extra Strength as a side effect of the
body form? Sure! In order to lug around all that
extra weight, they must have increased Strength!
With this power around, you don't have to think about
all of the effects that the form brings when you first
make your character. As you play, you can discover
new and unique ways of using your Body of "X"
power, and those extra "special effects" will be free!
One set of powers you can never get for free
with the Body of "X" power is any Movement Power.
Those must be bought normally. So, if your character
is made of Light, and wants to move at light speed,
you must spend the points for that.
If two forms aren't enough for you, it's
possible to purchase the power again for an additional
form, and switch between any of them! It you buy
multiple Bodies of "X", be sure to check out the rules
on Subset Powers in the Power Structures section for
a big price break.
Body of "X" Costs
15 Base cost for a Body of "X"! You have a normal
Body of "X" which means to can switch freely
between forms, and all your Attributes will stay
the same in both forms.
1 Body of X with no practical uses. Your
characters Body of X may have no practical
uses, other than just looking strange. Or, your
Body of X is so limiting in some way, that it
compensates for its powers. You are still unique
and distinctive, thus the 1-point cost. Either way,
your Game Master must decide is the Body is
impractical, and thus only worth 1 point.
-5 Wimpy Human Form! When your character is
not in his heroic alternate form, he or she is a
mild mannered, ordinary student with access
only to skills, with zero points in all four
Attributes. You can spend points to bring the
wimpy form's Attributes up from zero, if you
wish. It can take a couple of seconds to switch
from one form to another. Also, if your character
is knocked out, the hero will revert to their
Wimpy Human Form.
-1 Permanent Body of "X"! Your mutation keeps
you permanently in your strange body form. To
take off these points, you must look and be
different from the other kids in a noticeable way!
Naturally, you cannot have a Permanent Body

with a Wimpy Human Form or Precise Control.

+5 Precise Control! You can make just part of your
body into the alternate body form--handy if you have
a "Body of Fire" and you want to pick something up!
+2 Group of Bodies: You can change between a number
of related forms, and then back into your normal self
again. For example, you could change into any
water- or ice-related shape. Or possibly into any
animal. If you want multiple Bodies of "X" that are
unrelated, (for example Body of Squid and Body of
Farm Machinery) then consider reducing the cost
with Subset Powers.
-1 No Control! The Hero cannot control when they
change into their alternate form. It's likely linked to
something that they don't have much control over,
like the moon or adrenaline rushes.

Examples of Body of "X":

Here's some common Bodies of "X" that a player may opt
to take, and what advantages those bodies would provide:
Remember, these are just suggestions and guidelines, so
feel free to make up your own Body of "X" mutation!
Body of "giant" and/or dense substance
Giant heroes and heroes made out of a naturally
dense substance (also known as "bricks") will usually be
stronger than your average hero, due to the fact that their
muscles must compensate for the enormous mass.
Depending on the mutation, dense or large-body heroes
will get approximately 5 or so points in Strength and
Endurance for free! Very large heroes may be considered
to have a few extra points (less than five) in Fighting,
reflecting their longer reach, which can be a significant
factor in combat. Additionally, many of these heroes have
an innate resistance to damage, which would grant them a
few free points in damage resistance (how much is based
on the substance). On the other hand, most of these
heroes will have a hard time swimming, tending to sink
like a brick (no pun intended).
Body of Harmful Substance
Heroes with a body made out of some harmful
substance (like lava, acid, uranium, or fire) are fairly
common in the realm of comic-book villains, however
these powers can work equally as well with a heroic
character. These heroes' very touch can cause damage to
opponents. Depending on the intensity of the substance
this could equate to several points of damage power, even
five or more!
Body of Teeny-Weeny:
Some heroes can shrink themselves down to a
very small (even microscopic) size. Naturally this will

cause the hero to be less noticed at parties, and also

make the hero harder to be hit in combat. The hero
keeps their normal Attributes (like Strength) in their
Body of X.

Brain Tricks!
Brain Tricks are a catch-all category for the
psychic phenomena that accesses or modifies another
person's mind: Telepathy, Mind Scans, Mental
Control, and such. When taking this power, a user of
Brain Tricks must buy one or more "permissions"
which gives them control over what they can do with
the power. These permissions are Browse, Link,
Read, Edit, Create, and Delete. After permissions are
set, it might be a good idea to add Bells & Whistles,
like Range and Area Effect, to make the Brain Tricks
more useful.
Don't think of each permission as a separate
power; consider the power, then buy the permissions
that seem to match. A hero may have more than one
power defined by Brain Tricks, however. For
example, if a hero had an Illusion power with Browse
and Edit permissions, that same hero could also have
a Mindwipe power with Browse and Delete
permissions.
Brain Tricks are powered by a hero's Psyche.
Also, a high Psyche will allow heroes to defend
against Brain Tricks played upon them. If two heroes
with equal psyche square off against each other, one
armed with Brain Tricks and the other has no defense,
it is more likely for the armed opponent to win.
However, a hero with a low Psyche may have a hard
time influencing a hero with a 5-10 point edge on
Psyche. If the margin is more than 20 points of
Psyche, the attacker can usually just forget it!
Cost
+1

+2

Permission info:
(B) Browse: This is the basic permission to
access a piece of information or find a specific
mind. Although it is possible to use the other
permissions without this one, it makes the use
of the other permissions more difficult. (For
example, if your hero had Delete but not
Browse, you could Delete information you
knew was there to begin with, but couldn't
check to see if it was there, and couldn't tell if
you were successful or not after the attempt.)
(L) Link: This permission creates a
communications link between two entities
(usually yourself and another, but could be
defined otherwise!) If the target you are
linked to strays beyond your range (which
must be bought with the Range Bells and

+3

+4

+5

+5

Whistles) the link is broken. Link allows two way

communication of some sort.
(R) Read: The Read permission allows the Brain
Trickster to read a thought, experience, or
emotion from another's mind. Without the Browse
permission, this permission is somewhat limited:
a hero can Read what is already known to be there
(for example, a shared experience that the hero
wants a different perspective on) but without
Browse specific unknown details probably can't
be found. Read without Browse might also model
a hero that can randomly access another's mind by
accident. (The hero can't help it!)
(E) Edit: Edit allows you to change existing
thought patterns within another's mind. It cannot
create new ones (that is the Create permission),
however it can modify another thought process.
Minor details can be tweaked in a second or two;
major experiences might take minutes, hours, or
maybe even days of brainwashing! It all depends
on that specific detail and how much it has
changed their life since then. You must know that
the thought is there, unless you also add the
Browse permission. Edit is never quite as
permanent as Create & Destroy, as tiny wisps of
thought can still linger as a tell-tale sign to the
edited thought.
(C) Create: Create gives the hero permission to
implant new thoughts into the mind of the victim.
The thoughts don't necessarily need to be
something that the victim would usually think
about, and after Created, the new thought will be
thought of as the victim's own. However, a second
Brain-Tricks hero Browsing and Reading your
victim's mind will fairly plainly see your dirty
work, and know the thought is not theirs. To cover
that up would require use of the Delete
permission.
(D) Delete: Delete not only erases natural
memories of the victim, but it is also useful for
covering your own tracks. Any modifications that
are done within a person's mind leave tell-tale
signs of the mentalist that did the Creating and
Editing. By using the Delete permission, a Brain
Tricks user can hide their dirty work, so to speak.
It takes about as much time to Delete a thought as
it is to Edit the same thought. Although it is
theoretically possible to Delete someone's entire
mind and leave them a vegetable, it would
meticulous and time-consuming project!

Examples of Brain Tricks:

Mental Scan: Requires Browse [1 point + Range]

A mental scan, combined with the Range and

Area Effect Bells & Whistles will allow you to
scan for specific mind within the hero's range.
Each mind has a specific "signature" which is
usually unique. Without Area Effect, the hero
can only look at one mind at a time, which
may be a tedious process if the target is a long
way away.
Wild Telepathy: Requires Read. [3 points + Range]
The hero with Wild Telepathy automatically
gets random thoughts from surrounding
people within range (which is bought
separately.) The hero has no control about
what specific thoughts are taken. If you want
the power to be always on, take an additional
point off, just for sheer irritation factors.
Psychic Communication: Requires Link, Browse [3
points + Range]
This power combination allows the hero to
mentally communicate to another being via
the power of the mind. Unless some sort of
safeguards are set up (which might cost a
point or two) your "conversation" could be
overheard by another being with this power or
perhaps even a high Psyche stat.
Basic Telepathy: Requires Browse, Read. [4 points +
Range]
Basic Telepathy allows the hero to read
another's thoughts against their will. This
power allows a hero to possibly perform the
feat, but the victim's Psyche will have to be
overcome first.
Mental Illusions: Requires Edit, Create [9 points +
Range]
Mental Illusions allows the hero to create
vivid hallucinations in the mind of a victim. If
the victim's Psyche is inferior to the mentalist,
for all intents and purposes the illusions will
be real. The victim can take "damage" which
won't actually hurt the victim. Though this
cannot do any real permanent damage, the
victims brain may think he or she is taking the
damage, which could render the victim
unconscious. Since this is not a light-based
illusion, others will not see the illusion. You
could add the Bells & Whistles "Range" and
"Area Effect" to affect more than one person
simultaneously.
Mind Wipe: Requires Browse. Read, Delete [9 points

+ Range]
A specific rememberance of an incident is
completely erased from a victim's mind. This can
be used for quick and dirty escapes, ("You don't
remember my being here.") erasing a known
secret identity, or removing haunting traumas
from one's mind.
Mind Control: Requires Browse, Link, Read, Edit [10
points + Range]
The Mind Controller can change what a victim
wants to do, and how he or she acts.
"Intrusive" Mental Illusions: Requires Read, Edit, Create
[12 points + Range]
These illusions are more real than normal mental
illusions. The mentalist can use aspects of the
victims psyche to weave a more realistic illusion.
The illusionist can incorporate the victims hopes
and fears, childhood memories, and other deeply
buried traumas into the illusion.
Mental Re-engineering: Requires Browse, Read, Create,
Delete [14 points + Range]
Thoughts are removed from the victim's mind,
and overwritten with new programming. If you
cut corners and use "Edit" instead of "Destroy and
Create" the effect is less permanent. If enough
time and energy is spent re-engineering a victim,
their entire personality and life can be
reconstructed, effectively making the victim a
different person.

Command Power!
Commanding allows a hero to summon and
communicate with creatures and things of under normal
human intelligence. Heroes with the Commanding Power
could call all of a specific creature within their range,
which should be bought from Bells & Whistles. Creatures
will do pretty much whatever the hero wants, even giving
their lives for their master. They will not do things they
are physically unable to do, for example, trees cannot
uproot themselves and move around. That would be the
Animation Power.
3

Creature is semi-intelligent (Human intelligence

to dog intelligence.) (Dolphin, deer, antelopes,
lions, tigers, bears)
Creature is pretty dumb (Lizards, fish,
amphibians.)
Unintelligent and Immobile. (Rocks, dirt, plants.)

+2

Hero can command all creatures of a specific

environment (All water creatures. All forest

mammals. Birds.)

Damage Power!
The "Damage" Power models any kind of
Physical or Mental damage which can hurt an
opponent. It covers everything from Pulsar Beams, to
semi-automatic machine guns, to Mental Blasts, and
your average baseball bat! When you choose a
Damage you must decide if the form of damage is
going to be Mental Damage (Mental Stab) or Physical
Damage (Lightning Bolt).
When you choose this power, however many
points you put into it dictates how much damage it
does! Use the chart below to gauge how much
damage you want the attack to do. Although it's
possible to go above ten points worth of damage, it is
probably not worth it. (When you've seen one "Crater
Blast" at close range, you've probably seen them all!
You just get a bigger crater...)
The Damage Power, as are all powers,
considered Zero range. With this basic power, you can
only attack them by touch, which may be a bit bo-oring! If you want to attack someone at a distance or a
bunch of people in an area, for just a couple of points
more add Bells and Whistles to juice up your power!
Cost of the Damage Power
1
Weapon Damage (average human with a
weapon damage)
3
Bullet Damage (or Illegal Fireworks Damage)
5
Grenade Damage
8
Pipe-bomb Damage
10
Crater Damage!!!
-2

Does no physical damage. Either the effect

just knocks back an opponent (like a gust of
wind) or is designed to "knock out" an
opponent without any serious side effects.

Defense Power!
Defense is the opposite of the Damage Power.
Defenses will prevent most of the damage from the same
rank or lower, and will even absorb part of the damage
that is a few points higher. So a little bit of armor is
always better than none at all! Defenses should be
declared either Physical or Mental. Mental Defense
works against all forms of Mental Attacks, including
Mental Illusions, Mind Scans, and other forms of mental
assault.
Cost of the Defense Power
1
Leather Jacket
3
Kevlar Armor
5
Reinforced Flak Suit
8
Tank Armor
10
Battleship Armor
-2

Defense only covers a specific attack mode, for

example, fire damage, electrical damage, or
mental attacks. You can even use this limitation to
defend against something that isn't necessarily an
damaging attack, like the Tangler power, or
Mental Illusions.

Environmental Manipulation
Power!
Environmental Manipulators can alter some
aspect of the environment how they see fit. They can
control Sound, Light, and Texture to create illusions;
some of them also have control of weather, magnetism,
and gravity. Any aspect of nature can be affected by an
EM Power.
The aspects of nature an EM super can control is
called Dimensions. Decide whether the power affects a
specific dimension (like plunging an area into darkness)
or a general dimension (controlling all light within an
area). A Specific Dimension affects a single aspect of a
General Dimension.
Each specific dimension the hero has costs +1
point; each general dimension costs +3 points. Heroes
can have more than one dimension within their ability.
For example, a hero that can create realistic illusions may
have control over general sound, light, and possibly
tactile senses.
Then, it is time to decide what is the hero's level
of expertise of the Power. Minor changes, which are
generally simple one or two dimensional changes, cost
only one point. A shadow play with words, or
illuminating a room would both be considered minor.
Complex changes are generally more detailed and/or

focused. An example of a complex change would be

mimicking a concerto or a blinding rain storm. Drastic
changes are beyond complex. Reserved for realistic
illusions of a herd of buffalo, weather changes that
damage property, etc.

Jumping Power!
Jumping is Teleport's somewhat less spectacular
neighbor, but it is similar to teleportation in that you go
from one point to another in a short period of time, and
can get to awkward places without messing around with
wings or flying. All jumping is considered to take place
at about normal human running speed, so if you want to
go faster, just add a few points from the "Velocity of
Travel" from the Travel Power. The best part about
Jumping is, it's a cheap power: zero points! All you
have to do is add Range!
You might note that at about 5 or more points of
jumping, this becomes very much like flying, with
much less maneuverability. You also might notice that
range is pretty much the same as Teleport Range, just to
make things easy. The cost to carry people with you in
your mighty leaps is +1 per extra passenger. You might
note that this power comes free with high strength.
(Every 10 points of Strength yields about 1 point of
Jumping. So a Strength 30 Hero can pick up a person
and jump over a house.)
Jumping Cost
0
Base Cost for Jumping Power
+1 Each additional person-mass hero is able to carry.
Jumping Distance!
1
Double normal human jump distance
2
Hurdle a House.
3
Jump over stadium bleachers.
4
City Block
5
A whole City
8
Across the State
10
Low-Earth orbit!? (You'd better hold your
breath up there.)

Life Support Power!

The Life Support Power group allows a hero to
survive without certain things required by normal
human beings--little things like sleep, air, and food. It
also provides immunities to certain hostile
environments like in the cold vacuum of space or deep
under water.
Life support is fairly simple. Each "body
function" that a hero does not need is worth one point.
Each hostile environment that the hero can survive is 5
points. As an added bonus, if a hero is immune to a

hostile environment, he or she is also immune to any

attacks that might come in the form of that environment.
For example, if a hero is immune to radiation, radiation
attacks against him would be laughed off!
+1
No need to eat/excrete.
+1
No need to sleep.
+1
Can breathe in special environment. (Water, for
instance.)
+1
Hero does not age.
+5
No need to breathe.
+5
Immune to pressure.
+5
Immune to radiation.
+5
Immune to heat.
+5
Immune to cold.

Matter Manipulation Power!

The Matter Manipulation Power group can model
heroes that can spontaneously create matter. The power
can also represent heroes that transmute or destroy
material as well. When taking this power, decide how
many materials the hero can affect: one or many. You
can also determine a "flow" representing how much
material can be affected at one time. Destroying matter
can damage other characters, and can be potentially
deadly. Figure damage by the "Flow of matter": each
point of "Flow" does a little bit less than a point of the
"Damage" power. For example, a "Gusher" flow of matter
does a little less than Grenade damage. It is always more
efficient to use the damage power than it is to do damage
by destroying matter. Additionally, it is possible to have a
power to create a substance that may be harmful to
others. It may also be useful to add the Range and Area
Effect Bells & Whistles.
+1
+5
+10

Create or Destroy 1 material.

Create, Destroy, or Transmute Group of Materials
Create, Destroy, or Transmute any materials.

Flow of material
+1
A little bit at a time. (Squirt Gun flow)
+5
Heavy spray. (Garden Hose)
+10 Gusher (Fire Hose or Geyser)
+25 Stream
+1
Can mold material.
+5
A potentially dangerous or hazardous material.
(Atomic sludge, Acid)
+10 A superdangerous or harmful substance.
(Uranium-234, Molten lava)

Metapower!
Metapowers are powers that affect other
mutant Powers or Attributes. This power group
models two different Powers: Enhancing and
Suppressing. Firstly, decide on the number of powers
that your hero can affect at once.
Suppressing must have a power level added
in, representing the maximum power level that that
power can suppress. If a power is stronger than the
Power Level of the Metapower, then the Metapower
might affect the power to a lesser extent or might
even fail, depending on circumstances.
Enhancing Powers works a bit differently.
They must have a power level too, which describes
how much extra power the enhancement gives the
other power. For example if a movement power was
bought at 5 points, a five-point boost would give the
movement power double speed.
You may ask, what about Power copying.
That should be a Metapower, right? Well, yes, it does
seem like it would fit, in a way. But Point Pools (in
the Power Structures section) seem to work better.
Check it out!
+1
+3
+5
+10
+15

One power at a time.

Up to three powers.
Up to five powers.
Up to ten powers.
Any number of powers.

+1
+2
+3
....
+10

5-point powers or under.

10-point powers or under.
15-point powers or under.
50-point powers or under.

-2
Metapower affects only one specific power!
-1
Metapower only affects a particular group of
Powers.

Regeneration Power!
Near instantaneous healing is always an asset
in a high-powered combat. That's where regeneration
comes in handy. The Regeneration Power allows your
body to automatically stitch itself back together! The
best part about this power is, you don't need to make
any effort (or even be conscious) to have the power
work--provided you have energy (Endurance) to burn,
you can heal yourself.
High endurance heroes get this power by
default. For every 10 points of Endurance, you get
about 1 rank of Regeneration. Therefore, a 30-

Endurance hero will have about Regeneration Rank 3

without expending any more points.
Regeneration costs one Hero Point per rank. If a
hero with high Endurance wants a better regeneration,
they buy up from the rank where the Endurance leaves
off: for example, if a 30-Endurance hero wants to be
Rank 10 Regeneration, then it will cost only 7 additional
points.
The following chart demonstrates approximate
healing times for various wounds. Feel free to adjust the
times up or down, for more or less severe wounds. A
mere scratch would heal much quicker than a severe
body wound.
Rank Small wounds
Normal A Week

Broken bones

A few weeks
1
12 Hours
1 Day
2
6 Hours
12 Hours
3
3 Hours
6 Hours
4
1 Hour
3 Hours
5
30 Minutes
1 Hour
8
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
10
5 Minutes
15 Minutes
15 Nearly Instantly A few minutes
20
Instantly
A minute

Regrow limbs/organs

Never
10 years
5 years
3 years
1 year
6 months
3 months
1 month
A week
A day

+1 Healing option! Instead of being able to use the

power yourself, you can project regeneration into others,
thus healing them.
-1 Requires conscious control! Your regeneration does
not work automatically. Instead, you must consciously
think about yourself healing for your Regeneration to
work. If the hero is knocked unconscious, then sorry
buddy, you have to come out of it like everybody else.

Supersense Power!
Supersenses allow the hero to detect things that
normal people cannot. Supersenses could be normal
senses that all humans have enhanced to a superhuman
level (like "superhearing"). They could also be senses
that ordinary mortals do not have at all (like "X-ray
Vision.") Either way, they are created using this power
category. The best part about supersenses is that they are
extremely cheap. For a small handful of points, your hero
can have amazing sensing abilities!
0
Sense is a normal human sense (Smell, Touch,
Sight).
+1
Sense is one that most humans don't have (Sonar,
Detect Magic, Danger Sense, Magnetic Fields)

+1
What can be sensed is out of the normal
human range. (Infrared Sight, Ultrasonic hearing)
+1
Sense is now 360. (Except for Hearing, Touch,
Smell/Taste.)
+1
Discriminatory Sense. Making a sense
discriminatory allows a hero to distinguish
individuals by the sense. Most normal humans
discriminate between various people and objects by
the sight and hearing senses. Dogs, on the other hand,
can discriminate using the sense of smell. This will
allow the hero to know people by their radar
signature, for example.
Note: Range is not really necessary for senses, unless
youre wanting something outside of the bounds of
normal human ability. For example, clairvoyance
(seeing things from a distance, and perhaps around a
corner) could be modeled by buying a Range
component.

Tangler Power!
The Tangler Power is used to stick an
opponent in one place and leave them helpless. The
effect can be either physical or mental, and can be
used to model spider webs, nets, or encasing an
opponent in rock or ice! For every point invested in
the Tangler's strength, the hero can stick about 5
points of Strength for about an hour, so 10 points of
Tangler Power would hold fast about 50 points worth
of strength. You'll probably want to add Range to this
power from Bells and Whistles, although it's not
necessary.
A hero with greater strength will escape much
quicker than an hour. Every point (or so) halves the
time it takes to escape from the bind. So at about 5
points above the Tangler's power, the bound hero can
escape in about 2 minutes. If the bound hero's
strength is a full 10 points above the Tangler's power,
the hero is only bound for a handful of seconds,
maybe five seconds tops. With a Strength of 15 points
above the Tangler's power, the bind has no effect
whatsoever!

Telekinesis Power!
Telekinesis allows a hero to move things with
the power of the mind! You should probably note that
the "Range" modification is required to make this
power useful at all! Telekinetic heroes must normally
look at the object they want to move, and once it goes
out of the line of sight the power is gone.
Additionally, this power does not normally allow fine

motor control. (Consider the telekinetic "hand" to have

big boxing gloves on it preventing typing and dialing
telephones!) Most telekinetics can normally only control
one object at a time.
It is possible for a telekinetic to "punch" or push
and opponent. You could also use TK to throw objects at
opponents to do indirect damage. The point cost for
telekinesis is based on how strong the telekinetic "hand"
is. Five points will yield telekinetic strength equal to
normal human strength. For each point of telekinesis after
that, it will yield an extra point of telekinetic strength.
Point
Cost
1
10
2
3
4
5
15
25
35

Telekinetic
Power Level
Can lift small individual office supplies. STR = Can lift a lunch tray full of food. STR = -8
Can lift books. STR = -5
Can lift 98-pound weaklings. STR = -2
Normal human strength. STR = 0
Maximum human strength. STR=10
Heroic strength = 20 STR
Heroic strength = 30 STR

+2 Power may be used blindly.

+2 Power has fine motor control.
+1 TK can control 2 objects simultaneously, totaling up
to maximum weight.
+3 TK can control up to 10 objects simultaneously,
totaling up to maximum weight.
+5 TK can control as many individual objects as
necessary, up to maximum strength.

1
2
3
4
5
8
10
15
20

Travel Power!
The travel power allows you to get from one
place to another in a speedy or unusual manner. This
power comes in two parts: the Method (or how the
hero travels) and the Velocity (how fast the hero
travels). Add the cost of the Method and the Velocity
to get the final cost. You might notice that
Teleportation and Jumping are not on this list; they
are listed as separate powers.
Method of Travel
0 Method is something any human can do. (Normal
running, climbing, swimming.)
1 Unusual movement in 1 or 2 dimensions. (Spiderclimbing, Levitation)
3 Unusual Movement in 3 dimensions in a limited
environment (Gliding, Swinging, Deep-sea
swimming).
5 Unusual Movement in a vast environment.
(Burrowing, Flight).

Teleportation Power!
Since Teleportation is so different from the other
Travel Powers, it is listed separately. Teleportation is
movement from one point to another without traveling
the space in between! It is different from other Travel
powers because it has a range, and is near-instantaneous.
You must be able to actually see the place you are
teleporting to (or know it very, very well), or else buy the
option to Teleport Blind!
10
+1
+5

Teleport Cost
Base Teleport Power. Must add Range and
other bells and whistles.
Can carry an additional person. Each
additional person is +1 to cost.
Teleport Blind! You don't need to see the
place you're teleporting to!
Teleport Range

Across the room.

Around the house.
Football Field
Across the Mega-Mall
Across town
Across the State
Around the world
Within the Solar System
Darn near anywhere!

0
1
2
3
4
5
10
15

Velocity of Travel
Normal human speed
Bicycle speed
Small car
Serious roadster!
Airplane speed
Sonic Jet
Rocket
Light Speed

Bells and Whistles!

+10

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and there are

an equal variety of ways their powers can be customized.
You may see two heroes that can throw bolts of energy
from their fingers, but one has a longer range, the other
encompasses an area with his blast. These special effects
are usually built into powers using one or more "Bells
and Whistles" which customize a power, limiting it or
making it more useful.
Bells and Whistles are a can be useful to
customize that power you've made to fit your character.
Some power benefits will cost you a point or two.
Limitations will make the power just a little bit cheaper.
Yes, it is possible for a power to be worth zero points, if
the power makes sense for your character, and as long as
you don't go overboard. However, the Game Master has
the right to ask you where you keep all these zero-point
goodies.
A game master and a player should be cautious
not to simply add detrimental Bells & Whistles to make a
power's point cost cheaper. Though extra points could be
a pleasant side effect of taking a few bells and whistles,
when too many Bells and Whistles are added, powers can
become a little bit silly.

Gadget:

Range:
Range is one of those useful power add-ons that
can enhance almost any super power. Many powers
require range of some sort to make them more realistic or
useable. Ranged powers also have a distinct advantage
over non-ranged powers. Here, just a point or two can
make the difference between getting the first strike or
being toast.
1
Across the room.
2
Around the house.
3
Football Field
4
Across the Mega-Mall
5
Across town
8
Across the State
10 Across the world

Volume:
Some powers can be defined as affecting
everything within a certain area, for example grenades
and toxic gasses can affect victims within their range.
Volume does not necessarily need to be a damage-based
power; Brain Tricks and many other powers can be
Volume-based.
+1
Close Area (a few square feet)
+3
Classroom
+5
Lecture Hall
+8
One side of the bleachers.

Entire Football Stadium or Basketball Arena

If a power is focused through a device or

gadget, that will garner you a point or two to be used
towards other things. A physical item may be stolen,
broken, or might not be able to be taken everywhere,
thus the point break. Larger items get a little bit more
of a point break, because it's likely a hero can take it
fewer places and it's more conspicuous.
-1
Hand-held Gadget:
-1
Super-suit Gadget
-2
Car-Sized Gadget
-3
Boat-sized gadget
-4
House-sized gadget
-1
Immobile gadget.

Piercing
Piercing allows powers to resist the effects of armor
and defenses, and affect the victim anyway. Piercing
may be countered by Piercing Resistance, which is
much cheaper.
+5

Defense Piercing:
Any sort of attack power may be equipped
with Defense Piercing, which will penetrate a victim's
armor as if it was half of what it normally was. In
fact, Piercing may be bought more than once, halving
the defense each time. Piercing can be coupled with
attack powers that are not necessarily damage powers,
like Tangler or Brain Tricks. Consider the attacking
power to be more effective in these cases, overcoming
the natural defenses of the victim (like Psyche in the
case of Brain Tricks).
+1

Piercing Resistance
Piercing Resistance may be bought on any
Power, making it more resistant to Defense Piercing.
Each application of Piercing Resistance cancels out
one Defense Piercing of an applicable attack. Piercing
may be bought multiple times to cancel out multiple
Defense Piercings in an attack power.

Miscellany:
+1
Secret Power (Absolutely no one knows
about your power!)
+5
Armor-piercing power (Halves armor and
defenses of opponent).
+1
Defense versus piercing.
-1
Limited power (1/2 power?)
-2
Severely limited power.

Power Structures
While working with certain character concepts,
you may find that some groups of powers don't work very
well, mostly because they are too expensive, or simply
impossible with the limited point system. Power
Structures are optional rules included to free up the
system a little bit. The game master should be encouraged
to not use these rules if they are found too complicated or
abuseable.

Point Pools!
A Point Pool allows a player to set aside a block
of points that can be used to alter powers in between
adventures, or sometimes during the course of play. For
example, you might have a wizard hero that can have a
new set of spells every adventure, or a gadgeteer that can
change gadgets in between adventures. Since buying a
little bit of everything would be prohibitively expensive,
Point Pools are available. You can fill up the point pools
with whatever powers you like, attaching any Bells &
Whistles as necessary.
A Point Pool costs an extra 1 point for every 5
points available in the pool. For example, if a player
wants to set aside 15 points that can be altered in between
adventures, it would cost that player an additional 3
points for the privilege to do so. This point cost can not
be lowered or reduced in any way, nor can the cost be
affected by another Power Structure. (You can't have
nested Point Pools!!)
Each power you buy in the Point Pool must cost at
least 1 point. Even if you reduce the actual cost to zero or
below, if you put it in the Point Pool, the power's cost
becomes 1 point. So a 5-point Point Pool can hold a
maximum of five powers. You can't buy a 5-point Power
Pool, and then populate it with an infinite number of
zero-point gadgets. We know who you are, so cut it out!
If during the course of play, a character gets
several hours of free in-character time "back at home
base," a game master might allow the hero to switch
around items in the Point Pool. The game master should
also only allow this if the powers to be substituted are
already created and ready to go beforehand. It's not fair
for the other players if you spend several minutes making
up new powers for the Pool, when the other heroes are
already made and ready.

DESIRED
POOL SIZE
5
10
15
20
30
40

+
+
+
+
+
+

EXTRA
POOL
COST
1
2
3
4
6
8

TOTAL
COST
=
=
=
=
=
=

6
12
18
24
36
48

Like ordinary powers, a Point Pool may have

Bells & Whistles associated with them. In addition,
there are some special additions that only Point Pools
can have.
If the hero can rework the Powers in the Pool
without the normal "several hours of free in-character
time," but has some other (less severe) limitation on
it, then the Pool Cost is 3 points per 5 points in the
Pool. If the hero has no limitations at all, and can
virtually change powers whenever within a couple of
comic-book frames, that cost would be 5 points per 5
points in the pool, so your rulemonger friend can have
any 10-point power during the course of the game at
the cost of 20 points. Of course, your rulemonger
friend has really good justification for this power,
right? Right?
Danger! Using the above powers can not only
be unbalancing to the game, but can take up extra
time if the player is inexperienced. By taking Power
Pools, the player should promise the rest of the group
he will not slow the game down by figuring new
powers during the course of play!
It's worth mentioning that using Power Pools
can emulate the "Meta-Super-Power Absorption"
Power commonly seen in comic books, that is a
heroine touches a victim and acquires their powers.
That would likely be emulated by taking a threepoints-per-five cost on a Power Pool, and pumping
that Pool up as high as you can afford.

Subset Powers!
Subset powers are useful if you have two or
more Powers based upon the same basic Power. For
example, if you buy one damage power in the form of
a heat blast doing Grenade Damage, an ice blast or a
radiation blast does pretty much the same thing: each
will destroy stuff. You shouldn't have to pay full price
for the power if it duplicates another that you paid full
price for, right?
When you have multiple powers based all
upon the same basic power, figure what the cost for
each power is. The power that is most expensive

(including Bells & Whistles) is bought at full price, all

other powers bought with the same power are at a
reduced cost, based on how expensive the primary power
is. This "reduced" point cost cannot be reduced again for
any reason; you're already getting a heck of a price break.
It doesn't really matter what price the other powers are, or
if they have better or worse Bells & Whistles, as long as
the price is less than or equal to the first power.
If Primary Power Costs
1 - 10 points
11- 20 points
21- 30 points
31- 40 points

each Subset Power costs:

1 point
2 points
3 points
4 points

a few similar powers in this book. Could anything be

construed as being in the same ballpark? If so, use that
power as a general guideline, and then adjust the point
cost up or down if the new power is more or less useful.
How powerful is the new power compared to ones in
this book?
Generally, we've tried to set up weak powers as
1-5 points. More powerful ones start around 10 points.
The heavy-duty and potential game-unbalancing
powers have point costs of 15 and 20! Try to find a
power that is similar in usefulness to your power and
use that as a guideline, adjusting it up or down as
necessary.

This power can be also used to help along a

character struggling paying for the Brain Tricks power.
One Brain Trick can be bought with all the permissions
necessary, then each special effect can be bought for only
a handful of points apiece.

Don't forget the Bells & Whistles!

If you ever want to use the power at a range, or
affect an area of effect, then it will probably cost a little
more than the "base." When you consider the base
power, consider its usefulness without any "Bells &
Whistles" and then add those in later.

Inventing Powers not in the Game!

How does that sound?

Finally, you should end up with a reasonable
point cost that both the player and the Game Master can
agree on. Coming up with a fair point evaluation for the
power is important, but don't worry about a point or two
here or there. If you can't be exact, try to at least be fair.

As a game master, it is likely that at least one of

your players will come up with some sort of power
combination or Karma item that isn't explicitly stated in
these rules. The sad truth is, though most try, there has
not been a super hero system created to cover every
power or ability contingency. Fortunately for you, we
give a few guidelines that allow the GM and the player
work out powers from scratch. Congratulate the player!
Together, you can work up a never-before-imagined super
power!
The first rule to remember when creating a new
power is, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Your jobs as
game master and player is to come up with a fairly
accurate point base for this brand new power. There's
probably not going to be any game-wrecking harm if the
two of you are off by a point or two. Define the power,
assign points, and be done with it. Agree to come back
later and amend the points if things get too out of hand. In
situations where a point cost could go one of two ways,
the game master should lean towards the side benefiting
the player as a reward for their creativity!
Karma points can be analyzed in much the same
way. The game master and player must both recognize
that Bad Karma has to be irritating or painful for any
points to be gained. Use your best honest judgement.
Here are a few guidelines to consider when
figuring the points for a newly created power:
Are there any powers that could be similar to the one the
player wants?
The game master and the player should look over

Good Karma and Bad Karma!

Karma represents anything your hero has that is
not a Super Power or an Attribute. Good Karma will cost
you a few points, but give you good things in return. Bad
Karma will give you points in exchange for character
flaws. Both of them will help you have a well-rounded
high school student. Neutral Karma items, which are
neither good nor bad or things every high school kid
would have, are free.
Good Karma will cost your hero some points that
could have been spent elsewhere, but will give benefits
that other heroes probably won't ordinarily have. Bad
Karma will give you some extra points to spend on
Powers and other things, at the expense of hardships for
the character. While having Good Karma can get you the
cool car, good looks, and understanding parents, a hero
with Bad Karma may have to ride the bus to class and
have a tattletale sibling.
A hero can have Good and Bad Karma
simultaneously. A hero might have good looks but be
terribly unlucky. Just add calculate all of the Karma
pluses and minuses, and modify your points by that
amount. Having negative points here means you'll have
more points to spend on Powers and Attributes. Just use
your common sense when taking Good and Bad Karma.
A hero cannot have opposites, like "Poor Parents" and
"Rich Parents." That doesn't make any sense.
A hero with Good and Bad Karma will spice up
the game, but don't overdo it! Too many advantages and
disadvantages are difficult to role-play. (Just ask that onearmed schizophrenic megalomanic hero caring for his
little old grandma always glowing a peculiar shade of
blue!)

Good Karma!
Good Karma represents positive qualities of your
character that are not Powers or Attributes. You may be
interested in investing a few points into skills, or if not,
there are a number of other ideas that can help make your
stint in high school a little more bearable. Better yet,
come up with your own piece of Good Karma, basing its
point cost on those you see here!

point or two invested here! The cost can be well

worth the benefits!
Your hero can invest anywhere from one to
ten points in a skill. The skills you choose can be
anything, from the general (i.e. "Physics," or
"Biology") to the very specific ("Quantum Physics,"
or "Computer Hacking"). The more general powers
allow the hero to know a little about the big subject.
The wider the defined scope of the skill, the less
specific the knowledge can be. However, sometimes,
it pays to specialize.
+1
+3

+5

+10

Martial arts make valid skills, as do any

subject that anyone might be able to study in high
school or college. Below are some examples. First is
listed a more general skill, then in parentheses you'll
find some possible more specific skills that might be
related.
!
!
!
!

Skills!
It's possible that your hero can do mundane tasks
that most others cannot. This ability is represented by
investing a few points into skills. Just a single point will
allow the hero to be good enough to get a job in the
particular field. Skills come in handy often in the course
of play, and a well-balanced hero will probably have a

College-level Skill. The hero knows the skill

at about the college level, and you could
probably get a job in the field.
Professional Skill. The skill is known at a post
college level. Your hero could easily get a job
doing the skill professionally. It's too bad the
hero is forced to go through high school.
Master Skill. Your hero is the best there is in a
particular field, with perhaps a couple of rivals
world-wide. A rare few people can spend
years and years building the skill to this level,
but to your character it comes rather simply.
Superhuman skill. Your skill level surpasses
the normal level of human understanding and
ability! You are easily and often making new
advances in the field, and world experts flock
to you, looking for advice on the subject. Only
the world masters are even able to understand
you in your special field.

!
!
!
!

Acrobatics (Trapeze artistry, Balance,

Tumbling, Breaking Falls)
Accounting (Tax Loopholes, Corporate
Economics, Personal Financial Wizardry)
Biology (Mutant Biology, Veterinary Science,
Sex Education?!)
Computers (Programming Computers,
Hacking Computers, Circuitry, Robotics)
Sports (Football, Wrestling, Basketball,
Soccer, Baseball)
English (Literature, Writing, Oratory, Writing
Role-Playing Games)
Fighting (Boxing, Karate, Fencing, Judo,
Swordplay, Military Tactics)
Guns (Pistol, Shotgun, Uzi, Howitzer,

!
!
!
!
!

Operating a Tank)
Driving (Car, Competitive Driving, Piloting
Airplane, Yachting, Astronavigation)
Mechanics (Cars, Boats, Airplanes, Explosives)
Arcane Knowledge (Archeology, Hieroglyphics,
Magic, "Secrets Man was not meant to know")
Liberal Arts (Music, Composition, Sculpture,
Architecture, Drawing Super Heroes)
Science (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry,
Relativity, Quantum Physics, Grand Unified
Theory)

Other Good Karma items:

+1
Super-cool Name: Everyone in high school world
thinks your name is the coolest one ever, giving
instant name-recognition. Even if you name your
character that sounds strange to you and me, like
Flanders McGillicutty, your peers in the game
world will envy it. Adults will usually not
understand why the younger crowd thinks the
name is so cool.
+1
Cool Set of Wheels: In spite of incredible odds,
whether by going into personal debt or inheriting
from a rich uncle, you own a cool car. You get to
decide the make, model, and accessories (within
reason) on the vehicle. If you want, you can buy
powers into the car with the "Car-sized object"
limitation.
+1
Cool Parents: Your parents are unusually and
amazingly cool. All your friends will look up to
them as being great, and they will never
embarrass you.
+1
Good Luck: Be it the law of averages, or good
biorhythms, but things just seem to go your way.
The Game Master should take this into
consideration when bad things might happen to
you.
+1
Good Rep: The whole school looks up to you for
some accomplishment that you have done in your
past. This aura of pride permeates everyone in the
school, giving you better reactions to people than
you would normally. Everyone probably knows
you by name.
+1
Hall Monitor: Somehow, you have the privilege
of being Hall Monitor. You have a permanent pass
allowing you to wander the halls freely between
periods. You may also question others in the hall
between periods, and you have the authority to
order people to the principal's office. If it ever
comes down to your word versus another student
concerning activity in the hall, naturally they
would side with you. You have a small supply of
pre-signed hall passes you can give other people
in need.

+1

+1
+1

+1
+1

+1

+2

+2
+2

+2

Junior: You have made it past two years of

high school, and you're on your third.
Freshmen and Sophomores look up to you as
their hero. You only have to answer to seniors.
Significant Other: You never have to worry
about getting a date for the prom.
Teacher's pet: For some reason, one teacher
thinks you are great, and you can do no wrong
in that class. The teacher usually uses your
mediocre work as an example of excellence
for all the class to emulate. You must
patronize and "suck up" to this teacher to fuel
this relationship. You get to decide which
subject of class you are the pet for.
Understanding Parents: No matter what
stupid things you do, you're parents are there
to forgive and support you.
Super Costume:
You own a costume that
is resistant to your own powers and is resistant
to wear and tear; it can withstand several
adventures without looking ratty. It does a
good job concealing your secret identity, if
necessary. It won't actually do anything else or
prevent damage to you unless you equip it
with super powers.
Super Maneuver! You exclusively have a
patented Super-move that wows and impresses
onlookers, and often catches opponents by
surprise. Define what the Super-move is: A
flying back-kick or a bounced thrown weapon
maneuver or whatever you want it to be. The
Super-move may be offensive or defensive.
You may have as many super moves as you
like, but each one costs one point.
Good Looks: You are the most gorgeous
person in your class. The opposite sex
generally stops and stares at you. The same
sex is often jealous of your good looks. You
usually have several offers of courtship at any
one time.
Medical Excuse: You are exempt from many
activities in school because of a doctors
excuse. Milk it for all its worth!
Rich Parents: Your parents are loaded. They
can afford to buy you that BMW for your 16th
birthday. You live in a huge house, and can
have or buy pretty much anything you want.
Senior: If all goes well, and it will, this is
your last year of high school. This gives you
certain privileges that most students don't
have. All other grades of students look up to
you, and for good reason: as a Senior, you're
just a little bit better at everything than them.

+2

+3

+3

+3

+3

The senior float is better. The senior play is better.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Also, for
some reason, seniors are able to not show up for
class without teachers caring much.
Sycophantic Groupies: You have a groupie or
group of groupies that hangs around, will carry
your books, patronizes you, and says you're great!
Often they will carry your books or buy your
lunch, on a whim.
Rich Hero! Somehow, you earned loads and loads
of money sometime, and now your parents are
freeloading off of you! You have all of the
benefits of having Rich Parents, but your Hero has
earned the money somehow and has control of the
money. Basically, you own your parents, and you
call their shots!
Secret Mutant! Normally, all mutants are
registered with the U.S. Government. That means,
it is fairly easy to get detailed information about a
normal mutant's powers, if you go through the
proper (or improper) channels. Luckily for you,
through some bureaucratic problem or your
personal sneakiness, you are not registered! All of
your powers are secret, and people think you are a
normal everyday student. You must make at least
a little effort to protect your secret powers, or who
knows what the government may do!
Super Fighting Style: This is a collection of
"Super Maneuvers" (see above). You know a
handful of surprise moves that work together to
make your Fighting a little bit better than it
normally would be. As a player, you must define
what your fighting style is, and explain how it is
different than everyone else's. You might even
define some of the moves that makes up your
Fighting Style.
You Look Fabulous! You are not only the best
looking in your class, but probably the
hemisphere. You have all the benefits of the
Karma "Good Looks" and more! Talent scouts
from major supermodeling agencies and movie
producers often contact you, so you get your
choice of careers where looks are concerned.

Neutral Karma
There are a few things that you can get for no points.
That's right, Neutral Karma items are free!
0

Barely functional Car: Most high school students

(except Freshmen) have a Barely Functional Car.
Pick some serious flaws for your roadster: No
heat, doors don't latch properly, only passenger-

side windshield wiper works, etc. Believe me,

the thing is barely driveable! You get to pick
the make and model, as long as it's junky.
Despite the car being a piece of mobile
garbage, you can still put a few points into
super weaponry! Just use the limitation "Carsized gadget" from the Bells & Whistles.
Sophomore: You can have a sophomoric
character for no points. At least you're not a
freshman, but then again you have a long way
to go. You are just getting your learner's
permit to drive a car. The good news is, you
might have permission to drive, but probably
only with another licensed driver in the car
with you.

Bad Karma!
Occasionally we all have to deal with the fact
that bad things happen to good people. Bad Karma is
a reflection of that. If you take Bad Karma, just
expect getting plagued with it every play session.
Since Bad Karma yields "negative points," taking Bad
Karma for your character will give you extra points
that can be used elsewhere: on Powers, Attributes, or
Good Karma.
-1 to -10 Reduced Attributes! If you do not put any
points into one of the four Attributes, you can
sell off extra points for more points elsewhere.
Minus one is slightly deficient in the selected
Attribute, while a minus ten would indicate
the severest form of deficiency imaginable.
Minus-ten Attribute characters probably need
quite a bit of help getting around.
-1
Bad Luck! Generally, you are unlucky. The
Game Master can slant things against your
poor character at any time, because you're so
unlucky.
-1
Bad Rep! Your hero has a bad reputation of
some sort, that makes the other kids look
down on them. Underneath it all is probably a
decent kid, or maybe not.
-1
Freshman! Your character is a freshman. You
are among the lowest caste of high school.
People look down on you, and appropriately
so. You have no license to drive a car and are
assumed to always ride the bus (unless you
have some sort of special arrangement!) You
are inferior in many ways all other students at
the school, and they will be quick to point that
out.
-1
Major skill deficiency! You have problems

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

learning a particular skill that is common to every

other student can handle pretty easily. Common
examples are Reading, Math, Science, or Driving.
You can't use the skill at all, and if you try, you
will probably fail disastrously.
Arch Enemy! You have a mortal enemy, which
may be super-powered or not, but is your equal or
better in some way. You and the GM should make
up the enemy together. Occasionally, even when
most inconvenient, your Arch Enemy will show
up, causing your hero consternation. Or
occasionally the Arch Enemy will launch more
subtle plots against you. This is only worth one
point of Bad Karma because whenever the enemy
shows up your hero will have motivation and be
in the spotlight, which is actually a good thing!
On the other hand, this is your Arch Enemy after
all, which is bad.
No car! You must always ride the bus, unless you
can talk one of your friends into giving you a ride,
which isn't likely. You can't take this Bad Karma
if you are playing a Freshman! They are assumed
to always ride the bus, anyway.
Part Time Job! For one reason or another your
character has to waste a few hours per week eking
out a meager existence for very little pay. It's
always an irritating and degrading job, and one
your hero hates. If you have a decent job,
something you do occasionally, or something you
like, you don't get the point! You only get credit
for Bad Karma if you suffer!
Poor parents! Your hero has the embarrassing
situation of having poor parents. They can't afford
to buy you anything you want, and you probably
have to share a room with a brother or sister!
Ack!
Propensity for Hurling! Stressful situations,
especially those involving a moving vehicle,
could cause your character to lose their lunch!
Gross! The Game Master decides if the situation
is stressful enough or not.
Psychotic Former Lover! You have a former
boyfriend or girlfriend that you have called it
quits with. They still love you, but absolutely hate
you for spurning them, and will do anything to get
you back. They will follow you relentlessly to the
ends of the earth to get you back, and will cause
you and those you love pain and strife.
Rival! You know someone very near your ability
in something who is always challenging you and
is usually one step ahead of you. They may be
super-powered, or not, but either way they are still
an equal match to you in some way.
Strict Parents! Your parents are always hard on

-1

-1
-1

-1

-1

you. (It must build character, or so they say.)

They are quick to ground you for long periods
of time. You can never talk your way out of a
situation with them, no matter how truthful or
plausible your story is. You have some sort of
severe curfew which starts at, well, usually
just after school.
Stupid Name! Your hero's name is a source of
ridicule and strife in your life. Your parents
and teachers almost always call you by your
name, and you must go to great strides to hide
it. Your peers can easily make fun of you
because of it, which they naturally often do.
You probably prefer to go by your "super hero
name." When you are creating your character,
pick a stupid "mundane" name for your hero.
Note that parents and other adults
automatically get this Bad Karma.. it's just the
way things work!
Tattletale Sibling! Your brother or sister is
constantly trying to get you in trouble.
Ugly kid! Your hero wasn't hit with the ugly
stick; the whole ugly tree fell on them. You
cannot take this Bad Karma if you take the
power Body of "X", unless the hero has a
"wimpy human form" that is ugly.
Unrequitable Love! Bummer! There is
another person that your character loves
dearly, but for some reason they cannot or will
not return that love. This may be a recent
infatuation or a life-long crush, but in either
case it's devastatingly painful for you.
Weird Parents! Your parents are weird,
irritating, or both.

Brownie Points!
Optionally, a Game Master may reward a
player doing extracurricular activities outside of
normal gaming time. Players may contribute extra
written stories or detailed background about their
characters, keep a campaign log of events, create
artwork or character portraits, bring munchies and/or
beverages for other players, or anything else that
might add value to the campaign. The game master
can reward these activities with extra points for the
player's characters, called Brownie Points.
The Game Master should keep track of all
extra campaign contributions in the game. Each
contribution of one page of written material or one
piece of artwork should be awarded one Brownie
Point. Whenever the player gets 5 Brownie Points, the
player may turn these in for 1 Character Point. (Of
course, the Game Master can change the number of

Brownie Points per Character Points as seen fit.) This

Character Point may be spent like any other character
point: used to buy something new or enhance an existing
feature. There is no upper limit on the number of Brownie
Points that one player can acquire, within the bounds of
reason, of course. Brownie Points are awarded to a player,
not a character, so that a player who runs multiple
characters and accumulates Brownie Points may spend the
character points on any character they own.
Also optionally, between play sessions, the Game
Master can assign optional "homework" between game
sessions which would be a specific writing or artistic
assignment. For example, the Game Master could assign,
"Write about your hero's hopes and fears of the future on at
least one page." Players completing the specified
assignment would get an extra Brownie Point, in addition
to the one they would normally get. The Game Master in
exchange gets some insight into the heroes, and can more
easily craft adventures for them.

Chapter 4:
SHHS Adventures

main baddie will make their threats and demands. The

characters could use this time to gather clues, and
possibly have a minor combat or conflict alluding to
the big final scene.

Running a Session of Super Human

High School

4. Denouement
This is the scene that is the fruition of the your
play session. This will be the big-action, big-intrigue,
high-stress portion of your game. The main baddie
will carry out the threats made during the build-up,
and it will be up to the heroes to stop them. The
denouement does not always need to be combatoriented, but it should test what the characters are
made of.

After a bit of preparation and assembling your

players, you should be ready to host a game. Often a
game of Super Human High School follows a general
pattern for each session. Once you get the hang of this
pattern, it should come naturally, and can be used for any
role-playing system. Experienced Game Masters may
already follow a style very similar to this or may go about
it completely differently. That's fine; if you have a timetested way of organizing an RPG session, go with what
you know.
1. Pre-Game Questions, Actions, and Administration.
2. Title and Introduction.
3. Build-up
4. Denouement
5. Conclusion
6. Last Licks
7. Final Administration
1. Pre-Game Questions, Actions, and Administration.
As a Game Master and leader of a role-playing
session, it is usually a good idea to take a couple of
minutes before you play to take care of any loose ends
that may be left over from last session. If players play
more than one character, they should decide which one to
play this session. Allow players with Point Pools to
define the powers they will use this session. New
characters can be created and/or introduced into the
campaign.
2. Title and Introduction.
Each play session of Super Human High School
will considered one chapter in the characters lives. Allow
a brief description of the opening scene and give the
players some interaction with each other. Then, before the
action gets too intense, give the players the "title" of this
game session episode. Try to make the title dramatic, and
feel free to give the players a little clue as to the action
ahead, just like in the comic books. If you don't title your
play sessions, you're missing out on a fun aspect of the
genre! Go ahead and do ityou'll be glad you did.
3. Build-up
The Game Master should gradually build the story
and tension through the use of one or more scenes. The

5. Conclusion
After the high-point of the session, the Game
Master should begin to wrap things up. The police
show up, and haul the henchmen off to jail. The
heroes during this scene are finally able to put all the
pieces of the puzzle together to figure out a solution.
Answer questions that players might have that would
be within their power to find out.
6. Last Licks
Before concluding the gaming session, allow
each player one last action to consider before the next
session. This could be a great source of ideas of how
the players want their characters to develop. The
players can suggest something dramatic ("I go off in
search of Dark Blade to exact my revenge!") or
simple and fun ("We ride off into the sunset in the
Space Shuttle.") You should have a few days to think
about what the players want their characters to do
between play sessions, then perhaps weave that into
the next adventure.
7. Final Administration
The Game Master can take a few moments to
award a character point for a successful adventure
session. Players may use this point for an immediate
small power, or may accumulate many over several
sessions for a more impressive power. A Game Master
should probably not award more than one point per
session, as that may tend to overbalance things too
quickly and old character will far outshine new ones.
Character points can be saved up over several
game sessions, or spent right away as an immediate
boost to an Attribute, Power, or Karma. However,
don't allow a character to get something new without
justifying the purchase. For example, a hero cannot
gain a new power of "flight" without some story
behind it... possibly the next play session it can be
addressed.

become pretty good.

Running a role-playing game is hard enough, but
running an RPG that doesn't use dice can put even more
pressure on a game master. Diced RPGs allow a game
master to always fall back on the dice, to roll the dice and
consult a chart. Since SHHS does not use dice, it puts
extra pressure on the Game Master to decide the players'
fates. Fortunately, here are some guidelines to keep your
game going in the right direction.
Have fun. This could be the most important rule for a
game master to follow. The game is not worth playing
if you and your players are not having fun. When it
becomes drudging work, it's time to take a new
direction. Perhaps a more lighthearted adventure, a
new subplot, or even a new game is in order!
Be fair. The game master should be impartial, working
within the bounds of Rule #1. The Game Master
should try to give equal treatment to all players, and
not allow one player to hog the limelight. The Game
Master should try to sense when players might be
feeling frustrated or tired, and adapt the game to the
mood of the players.
Be open to change and player's input. One of your best
sources for material of where your campaign should
go is your players. It might even be helpful to ask
each of the players privately where they envision their
characters in their future.
Challenge the players. Your campaign games should not
be overly easy. It should occasionally get their brain
muscles flexing. Try to scale the difficulty of the
campaign often at the outer limits of their ability.
Feel free to toss in the occasional moral or ethical
dilemma.
Give the players a break! Occasionally the players will
be well-equipped for a particular event, or will do
exactly the right thing in the right situation, and it
may seem they are getting by too easily. Sometimes a
game master might be tempted to "ixnay" an action
straying from the planned evening events. If it's a
good idea you hadn't thought of and doesn't hurt the
flow of the game too much, then allow it. Even if it
might spoil your master plan a little, it may be a good
idea to allow your players a well-deserved success.
There is usually a way to work unforeseen actions
into great off-the-cuff storytelling ideas that you
could have never come up with on your own.
Make sure the players are well-informed. Don't let your
players make decisions that are half-cocked. Give

them the information they need, but not more than

they should have. Don't allow a player to blindly do
something blatantly stupid or suicidal without
giving them fair warning first.
Force the players to make hard choices. If a player says
they are doing something, unless it's obvious, ask
how they are going about doing that action. Give
them likely consequences for their actions. For
example, if a hero sees a sniper poised to shoot the
visiting ambassador, they may be tempted to push
Mr. Ambassador out of the way. It would be fair at
this point to advise the player, "If you pushed the
ambassador, with your high Fighting score, you
realize that would put YOU directly in the path of
the sniper is this still something that you want to
do? Quick, decide!"
Enforce consequences for the decisions they make.
"Okay, when you push the Ambassador out of the
way, you take the bullet in the upper shoulder!"
Every action the players make will have some sort
of consequences. Make sure they know that, and
follow through. When they make a decision,
especially major ones, the easy cop-out is "nothing
happens." Try not to take the easy road. An
unsuccessful (or even successful) attempt at
opening a door might alert guards.
Explore unfamiliar territory. When things get too boring
in the old campaign, give them a reason to explore a
different environment. By different, I don't
necessarily mean bizarre or otherworldly, although
that would certainly count. Simply taking the
characters to a different environment (rather than
home base and the city) can shake things up a bit.
Take players to a fishing expedition, Antarctica, an
inner-city soul-food restaurant, or even back in time
to enliven your games and test your players' mettle.
Touch bases with your clichs. When things are getting
too out of the ordinary, you can always fall back on
the old tried-and-true to tie things back down to
earth. Pull that old arch-nemesis out of the closet.
Occasionally a good fist-oriented, action-packed
brawl is just what the doctor ordered after a series
of subtle intrigue-oriented or just-plain-weird
adventures.
Always consider alternatives to death. In some roleplaying games, especially first-generation games
derived from old warfare simulations, death and
attrition were the ultimate equalizers. If the tables
said your character's number was up, then so be it.

The Continuing Campaign!

Campaign Construction
Although a series of one-shot adventures can be
entertaining, nothing beats a good well-created multisession campaign. A campaign is a series of several
adventure sessions, arcing one or more stories together.
The campaign employs consistency in it's characters,
setting, and moodhowever these could be constantly
evolving. The best asset to beginning a campaign is the
initial campaign plan, which a game master can set up by
creating a cast of characters, weaving those characters
into the Tapestry of Intrigue, and launch a seeding event.
Even an existing campaign can benefit from considering
the following concepts.
Cast of characters!
When starting or revamping a campaign, it is
important to think about and write down the main
characters you will use in it. At the core of your campaign
and the most important are the player's characters. From
these characters will lend you to thinking about other
important campaign figures, like best friends, teachers,
authority figures, and rivals.
Now it's time to sprinkle in a couple or a few
Scheming Bad Guys into the campaign. Each of the Bad
Guys will have their own agenda, attitude, goals, and
henchmen. It's even possible (and more interesting) if the
Bad Guys have some relationships with direct playercharacter relations. For example, your best friend's father
may secretly be the sinister Dr. Toad! The more ties there
are to the heroes, the greater the incentive of the players
to interact with them.
Tapestry of Intrigue!
By now, you've got a well-rounded cast of
characters and are ready to begin plotting the campaign.
Each player and non-player character should have his or
her own raison d'tre, their own agenda, which is changed
and evolved by interaction with the other characters.
Most every campaign will have at least the player
characters binding it together if nothing else. However,
the good ones will often have recurring enemies and give
the players the feeling that they "know" the setting.
Evolution and changes in the campaign are good.
Recurring enemies are good, but are better if they learn
and adapt to the characters. Occasionally, due to good
storytelling, preplanning or pure serendipity, the
campaign will "take a left turn at Albuquerque." Some of
these changes will be planned; some may happen
spontaneously. Be ready to roll with the punches and be
aware of which direction players want their characters to
go.

You should decide one of the plots to be a

super-agenda, one in which will the primary goal
above all of the other sub-goals, one which the other
goals will stem from and interact with. Consider a
few of the events that would span this plot. Think
about some alternatives of what the outcome of this
agenda might be. Consider what the aftermath would
be of these endings. The campaign might or might not
get to this point, but it is good to be prepared. You
don't have to have every situation or nuance of the
agenda plotted out, but a few ideas, direction, and
forethought will take your campaign a long way.
The other plots and agendas can be considered
in the same way, and will be running simultaneously,
parallel and interconnected to the main plot. The best
subplots will spin off from the main plot creating its
own action and intrigue. These subplots will be
introduced slowly over time (certainly not all at the
beginning of the campaign or your players will suffer
from information overload.) If the action on a
campaign-scale is starting to become a little slow or
stagnant, it might be a good time to introduce one of
your subplots, or give your players a clue in the
direction of one of the existing unresolved subplots.
The Seeding Event!
The Seeding Event often takes place as the
start of a campaign, or allows a campaign to take a
turn in a completely new and novel direction. Either
way, it is usually the creation in a new plot, possibly
even the super-agenda. This is some great event that
sparks the attention of all the characters and stirs up
things a little bit for all. The seeding event may be a
"Big Bang" event that is totally flashy, like a flying
saucer crash-landing in suburban Chicago. Or it could
be more subtle and insidious, like a senator
introducing legislation against Mutas.
Often the players will not be aware of the full
magnitude of the Seeding Event. The Seeding Event
can easily spawn a short subplot, which would entail
the first series of adventures for your players to
experience. Imagine how all of your characters (good
guys and bad guys) interact with this Seeding Event.
It will help bind the entire campaign together.
Running adventure sessions!
Game Mastering is a skill and an art form, and
is certainly not a simple endeavor. Game Masters not
only play the role of impartial judges, but also must
be planners, designers, leaders, and storytellers. The
good part is, the more often you play role-playing
games (as player and game master) the better
equipped you are to be a game master. It is a skill, and
one that can always be improved, but can eventually

Nowadays, we can steer in the direction of whatever

makes the best storyline. The Amazing Tokens have
been added to the game to help with this. A mortal
wound, getting captured by an enemy, temporarily
losing powers or super-powered equipment are all
fine alternatives to death, plus create great future
storytelling opportunities.

Campaign Ideas!
Okay, you've got these great characters, but you
might having problems knowing what to do with them.
Well, a campaign is pretty useless without adventure
ideas to back it up. Fortunately, you have your vast
experience and an arsenal of characters on your side, with
accompanying goals and aspirations. Your villains won't
be living in a vacuum; give them a chance to get out and
stretch their legs.
Listen to the players! Sometimes a player or
players beg for a particular plotline to follow. Don't
disappoint them! Allow them to pursue their dreams, and
allow the other players to tag along!
What would my villain do now? Now that one of
your forgotten villains is "out of jail," what will they do
now? Will they seek revenge? Will they start their
glorious crime spree anew? Sometimes, old villains
come in new packages. They acquire (steal?) new
weapons, toys, goodies, and training. Occasionally,
innocent people will stumble upon the same formula that
transformed another villain or hero, but it turns them
insane, too.
Rival time! One or more of your players may
have a personal rival that often bugs them. Having the
rival one-up the player is a sure way to stir up some
action.
School event! A wonderful plot can be derived
from having players deal with "mundane" school events.
How do players react to having to take the SAT or finding
a date to the Prom? What happens when their football
team goes to the state finals, but they learn of the other
team's plan to cheat?
Steal ideas! Go for it. Who's going to stop you.
Everyone's doing it! You see a good kernel of a plot in a
book, TV, or movie, why not use it? First, it's not
copyright infringement if you don't write it down!
Second, you can't copyright an "idea." So you're safe.
Now, don't expect the players to follow the plot scene-byscene. Just take the most important parts and adapt it into
your campaign. Here are some ideas, blatantly stolen
from TV and movie cliches which could make a good
SHHS plotline:
"The Dangerous Game" If you haven't read the
1924 short story by Richard Connell, I'm sure you

recognize the plot. A hunter is tired of hunting biggame, so he decides to test his skill against human
beings. He owns an island that the Heroes are
stranded on, and aforementioned villain has a big gun
and tries to kill aforementioned heroes. If the players
somehow get off the island, they are allowed free.
Here's his chance to bring out all of those booby-traps
on the island. This plot has been used and re-used in
movies and TV, so it's good enough for you! Heck,
they even made this plot into at least one James Bond
movie. (Remember The Man With the Golden Gun?)
The Mad Bomber A crazed maniac is
planning on bombing the city unless his or her
demands can be met. Sometimes the bombs can be
constructed around puzzles that the players must
figure out or BOOM! It's also possible that the
bombs can serve as a distraction for yet another
crime.
A Courtroom Murder Mystery One or more
of the heroes is convicted of a crime that they may or
may not have committed (not necessarily murder).
While their name is being dragged through the mud,
they must deal with new challenges: the press,
lawyers, and a legal Catch-22. While they battle in
court, when not in court they can try to clear their
good name, and find the real criminal.
Exploring New Frontiers Duck lawsuits while
your players hop aboard a space ship and explore the
great unknown! They could also enter a new-fangled
bathysphere exploring the depths of the ocean, or go
on an Antarctic expedition. What strangeness will
they discover on their mission?
The Kooky Inheritance Chase One or more
player characters are invited to a long-lost relative's
house for reasons unknown with several other family
members. A rich relative has died, and has left the
estate to whoever can figure out a series of puzzles.
Oh yeah, one of the relatives is a murderous sort, and
starts knocking off the family members. Players must
figure out who is the murderer and figure out the
puzzle to get the loot! (Of course it'll probably be put
in a trust fund for them until they are of legal age.)
A Chase Scene Yeah, okay. So this is just a
scene. But that hasn't stopped some movie-makers
from making an entire movie composed of mostly
chase scenes. Although I wouldn't recommend
devoting an entire gaming session to one chase scene,
I have planned chase scenes before. I must admit, I
have premeditated chase scenes, but made it look like

I was storytelling off-the-cuff. It's just the nature of a

good player: if a villain speeds off in a motorboat, and
there is another motorboat available, what are the players
naturally going to do? Have fun with it! Players do!
Disaster! A natural disaster catches players off
guard. Maybe they must save a city after an earthquake,
or maybe save the world from an impending comet or
asteroid. Sure, it's been done quite a bit, but it can be
made into a fun plotline away from the usual villain
bashing. Plus, for world saving, it might be in a villain's
best interest to help the players save the earth. Wow,
villains and heroes working together!
Wallowing in the Pathos of Anti-mutant
Sentiment! Everyone hates us because we're different!
The tide of popular support turns against mutants and the
heroes must fight back! An anti-mutant militia is formed
and target the heroes. Legislation is going through the
House of Representatives restricting the right of mutants.
If the heroes fight back, this will sometimes cause the
mutant haters to say, "See, we told you they were
trouble.
Module Recycling and Preservation Program: If
you're a longtime hardcore role-playing gamer junkie like
me, you've got a bookshelf full of old "modules" and
gamer magazines, chock-full of adventure. You might not
be playing your old Tunnels and Trolls or Top Secret/S.I.
campaigns any more, but that doesn't mean you can't
recycle those old adventures. Don't play the games
verbatim, and don't try to convert all the stats to SHHS;
just read the adventure to get the feeling of it, break up
the action into single-adventure snacks, and have fun! If
you don't have any old games like that, check the bargain
bin of your local gaming store. There are many hidden
plot treasures there ready to explore!

Doing Things
Anytime a player directs a character to do
something, the Game Master should weigh the
options and decide whether or not the attempt
succeeds. An action should be able to succeed if the
hero is skilled at the task, physically able to perform
the task, has enough time, and can overcome the
challenge. This may seem very simple, but since this
is an arbitrary game, the game master must use some
sort of guidelines in order to fairly adjudicate the
game.
Much of the material here is intuitive, but
included here to give you some structure to go by.
Playing a role-playing game with no dice to base
decisions on might be stressful at first, but it's fun and
liberating once you get used to it.
1. Skilled!
The hero either has the natural ability or was
taught to do a skill at a previous time. The
game master should compare the hero's skill
level with the approximate difficulty of the
task. Generally the game master should give
the hero the benefit of the doubt in most
situations; if there is a pretty good chance that
the hero could have acquired the skill
somewhere along the line, and the task seems
simple enough, then the task should succeed.
2. Able!
The hero is physically able to perform the
task. For example, a 40-Strength hero should
be able to pick up a car with relative ease.
3. Timely!
The Game Master should decide how much
time it would take the hero to accomplish the
task. Certain tasks (like painting a house, for
example) would just inherently take a long
time. Tasks, when rushed, might yield sloppy
or disastrous results, or possibly even nothing
at all. It all just depends on what the hero is
trying to perform.
4. Overcoming opposition
When trying to do something, there is often
opposition in one form or another, which is
preventing you from completing the task. This
may come in the form of another character
opposing you, something a person set up
previously to oppose you, or simply inanimate
forces acting against you. For example,
hacking into a computer program would pit
your computer skills against those of the
original programmer. On the other hand, in a
game of beach volleyball the opposition is
much more direct.

The game master should compare appropriate

Attributes, Powers, Karma and the difficulty of
the skill of the involved parties and decide how
long the attempt would take. Then the game
master should decide if the attempt succeeded or
failed. The game master could also decide how
successful or dismal the attempt was, and pass
along the results (if any) to the players.

Doing difficult things.

When a hero attempts some action, be it lifting a
car, piloting the space shuttle, or beating up a villain, the
game master should decide how difficult the action is,
compared to the ability of the performer. You might also
want to note that these are not hard and fast rules that
should never substitute for your common sense as a game
master. Trust your own instincts in what makes a good
game. It's your perogative to change or bend the rules as
you see fit.
No-brainer, no-problem:
The task is so simple, the hero should very rarely have a
problem doing it. Only under extreme duress would the
problem be even minorly challenging. The hero can
perform the task with very little or no preparation, and
even a rush job will still be good enough to succeed. With
preparation, the job will look well-polished and
professional.
Doing the Mildly Challenging:
Although the task set before the hero is somewhat
difficult, it is still well within the hero's ability. The hero
might have to prepare somewhat for the skill. If not, and
other extenuating circumstances occur, then the hero
might fail. The hero will almost always succeed in the
task in a fair situation.
Doing the Challenging:
The hero's skill level matches the task, therefore
in most situations, the hero will succeed. Depending on
the job, the hero will probably need to prepare and/or take
some time to perform the skill properly. A rush job might
result in sloppy work or failure.
Doing the Difficult:
Here, the task's difficulty is greater than what the
hero can muster, therefore the hero will often fail at the
task. However, the hero could possibly succeed if proper
preparations are made, the hero gets outside help, or
possibly an Amazing Point is spent to temporarily boost
an Attribute or Power. It might also be possible to
succeed if the margin for error is increased. For example,
if you have the strength for it, you have a better chance of

hitting someone with a grand piano than a tomato!

The piano, having a much bigger area, has a greater
margin for an erroneous throw, therefore they are
harder to dodge!
Doing the Impossible!
The task is impossible. Period. Don't even
think about it. There is no way that the hero would be
able to do the task. However, in certain amazing
circumstances the impossible can be bent temporarily
into the realm of possibility! (This happens
occasionally in comic books!) Doing such would
most certainly require the expense of one or more
Amazing points (from multiple people, perhaps), the
appropriate skill base, good luck, plenty of time,
astral conjunction, and occasionally a good oldfashioned deus ex machina thrown in. With luck and
skill, anything could be possible, but not very often.

Using Amazing Tokens!

In comic books, you'll see heroes succeed
despite tremendous odds. To model this, in SHHS
each hero has one Amazing Token that can be spent
during each gaming session. The player applies this
Amazing Token to boost some aspect of the character:
to drastically improve their odds of completing a skill,
or prevent disastrous results! An Amazing Token can
even be used to "supercharge" one of a hero's Powers,
Attributes, or for a temporary boost of Good Karma.
You cannot, however, use the token to diminish or
increase another's powers. They can only enhance the
spending player's character.
It is recommended that you actually use a
physical object to represent Amazing Tokens. Some
special piece from another game would be fine, as
would a foreign coin, or really anything uniquely the
hero's could be used. Having a physical object to play
with and turn in when needed will remind the player
that they have the option of using it during the game
session. Players may even want to design their own
personalized Amazing Token out of a piece of
cardboard or stiff paper about 3" or 4" in diameter.
Decorate the Token in the style of the character being
played.
Each player gets one Amazing Token to use
each gaming session. When used, Amazing Tokens
are gone for the rest of the gaming session. Players
gain no benefit from not using Amazing Tokens; they
do not carry over from session to session. These
tokens may be traded or given away by players as
they see fit. Players may pool their tokens, even
giving them all to one player to use on a particularly
difficult task. Amazing Tokens cannot be taken away

or lost, other than being spent on an amazing feat.

Combat!
Combat in Super Human High School is just an
extended form of Doing things and overcoming opposition.
Combat is a pretty chaotic sport, and although for easy play
we break things down into "combat rounds," please
understand that everything occurs mostly simultaneously.
1. Describe the scene!
When combat is immanent, the game master should
define to the players the field of combat. The relative
positions of the attacker and defender should be defined, as
well as major points of scenery: windows, desks,
suspended pianos, innocent bystanders, etc. Sometimes
game masters can describe it effectively through just
words. You should not feel bad, however, sketching out the
scene on a piece of paper or white board. Sometimes it's
easier for players to visualize the scene that way.
2. Initiative!
Once the field of combat is defined, it is up to the
game master to determine who may react first. This is
generally done by examining the FIGHTING attributes of
the involved characters. Usually, the character with the
highest FIGHTING Attribute may react first. However, the
player may opt their character to "hold" their reaction to
react to a another character's action. For example,
Fantasticboy with a high Fighting stat may hold off their
action until the Deadly Prawn with a lower Fighting stat
attacks him. Fantasticboy can use his held action to dodge
or block the Prawns attack, which may or may not be
successful, depending on the situation.
In the big scheme of things, you should keep in
mind that most combats occur pretty much simultaneously.
Even though players get to act in order, usually actions are
considered to be happening at nearly the same time. The
Fighting Attribute does not confer super-speed, but more
super-reaction time.
The big leveler to the reaction time playing-field is
the weapon, ranged weapons particularly so. You don't need
to be very fast to level your blaster and shoot at the enemy
who is charging at you to punch your lights out. In fact, any
weapon which extends your hero's reach will give an
advantage over an unarmed opponent.
3. Act!
If it is one of the hero's turns, they must decide what
their hero's action is. Do they attack the enemy or run for
cover? Do they protect the innocents, or go for the Boss
villain? Or are they involved in activity that makes their
action predetermined, like grappling with a giant
anaconda?! This gives the players a chance to decide,

"What do you want your hero to do now?"

Usually the response to that question is one
action or activity. There may be certain circumstances
that a character may get to do more than one thing, but
most heroes will only be able to do one action here. As
a general rule of thumb, a hero can do as much in a
combat round as could be performed in a single panel
of a comic book. If you try to work in too much action,
things get increasingly difficult.
It is always possible for a hero to try to squeeze
more than one thing into the combat round. The
operative word here is "try"! For example, a hero may
try to dive from a balcony, do a mid-air summersault,
and high-kick two villains on the way down. The more
the hero tries to do, the more likely it is that some or all
of it may not work. But it all depends on the
circumstances. The above example may seem farfetched, but the hero may be have Master level skill in
acrobatics, and the villains may be so distracted that the
attempt may succeed easily!
If it is time for one of the villains to act, their
nefarious activity is up to the game master to decide.
Use tactics similar to that of any other character. The
fun part about villains is that the crafty ones should
never be treated at face value, and usually have an ace
up their sleeve. They've planned out a special weapon
for a particular hero, a special defense, or a distraction
to aid escape, or a doomsday device. Feel free to
surprise the player with these, and if they are smart,
they'll know better what to expect next time.
4. Compare appropriate Attributes! (Determine if
attack hits.)
If the attacker engages in any sort of physical
combat (fists, melee weapons, or ranged physical
weapons and/or powers) then compare the two
character's FIGHTING Attributes. If the attack is
Psychic in nature, then compare the two character's
PSYCHE statistics. Generally, if the attacker has a
higher Attribute, the attack will be successful. If not,
then there is still a chance that the attack will succeed,
based upon circumstances.
The game master should keep information about
non-player character's statistics hidden from the
players. Allow the players to discover which are the
good fighters and which are the mentalists by their
actions. See the sections on "Doing the Difficult" and
"Doing the Impossible" in the Doing Difficult Things
section.
5. Does damage penetrate armor?
The answer to this question is usually "Yes." If
the attack hits, the game master should then decide
what affect armor should have on the attack. Armor is

effecting at deflecting and lessening damage.

Unfortunately, no matter how much armor you have, most
attacks will still hurt and do damage or be irritating. A little
bit of armor will always help a little, but a lot of armor will
not mean you are always invulnerable. The game master
should compare the force of the attack and compare it to
the strength of the armor. Based on the attack, the game
master should deliver appropriate damage to the victim.
Based on the power and type of attack, as well as
the skill of the attacker, the game master should employ
good judgement in determining where the victim is hurt,
and what effect that damage will cause. Here's a few ideas
on the effects of damage. If the victim is already hurt, the
attack may knock the damage up a rank or two.

minutes, depending on the attack. It is possible for a

hero to take Stunning Damage, but not have a lot of
other ill effects. More likely however, they'll surely
feel it in the morning.

Negligible Damage
The damage is so minor, it is not immediately
noticed by the victim. These could be hangnails, scrapes or
very minor burns that may only need minor first aid, if
anything at all.

Coma Damage
A coma is a severe bout of unconsciousness
that lasts an unnaturally long time. In fact, a coma
victim generally starts out looking like a victim of
unconsciousness. Comas usually only result from a
severe trauma to the victim, and is usually given by
generous game masters as an alternative to death. A
game master must be careful as to not send a
character into a coma forever and not allow the player
to play! But if it seems appropriate, it is an
established comic book convention, so use it!

Minor Damage
A minor wound of this sort will certainly get the
attention of the victim, but does no permanent damage. The
damage is painful enough to be noticed., but should not
detract from the character's movement or action. Although
first aid might be suggested by an overcautious nurse, it is
probably not necessary.
Distracting Damage
The damage sustained causes the hero enough pain
to be irritating! The wound could be a serious gash or a
bruise. This will have somewhat of an effect on the
character functioning to their peak physical and mental
ability somewhat, especially under extreme duress. This
will normally cause the hero some distraction for up to a
week after the actual event, as their body slowly heals.
Basic first aid should facilitate the healing process nicely.
Painful Damage
Painful Damage is considered more severe than
Distracting Damage. The hero may have broken bones, or a
serious gash. Although the hero can still function simple
tasks, normal minorly challenging tasks will become much
more difficult. It is difficult for the hero to focus past the
pain. Injuries of this type might require the hero to visit a
hospital or similar institution. With proper medical
attention, over the next few weeks or so the hero's body
should heal from the wound.
Stunning Damage
The hero takes damage with enough force to knock
'em for a loop. The hero is effectively stunned from the
attack for anywhere from a few moments to a couple of

Unconsciousness
The hero takes enough damage to be knocked
out. This could be as a result of several smaller hits or
possibly one big whallop! In either case, it's up to the
game master to decide when the hero wakes up, based
on the severity of the damage. Like stunning damage,
a hero could be kayoed, but have relatively few
problems when woken up. It all depends on the
situation.

Death (?)
Does anybody really die in comic books?
Oftentimes death is merely transient in that four-color
world. Heroes very rarely die, but there are
occasionally worse alternatives to death of a player
character if you're creative as a game master. But
what about villains? Unless you actually have the
body and witness the eternal soul go into the great
beyond, the villain is possibly not completely dead.
Occasionally, this can be frustrating for players
encountering recurring enemies, so allow heroes to
completely destroy that Boss in a great climactic
scene! Allow this only occasionally; a dark game
with many deaths can taint the spirit of the game.
One thing to also keep in mind if your
character is facing certain death is that an Amazing
Token will bail you out of tight jams. One Amazing
Token is almost always enough to keep your character
from dying. If you've already used you token this
session, you could even borrow the token from
someone else. They will loan one to you, right?
Right?

Recovering from Damage

After heroes take damage, if time is on their side, they
may get a chance to recover. A high Endurance

attribute or Regeneration power would come in handy

here. Treat every 10 points of Endurance as one free rank
of Regeneration on the following chart:
Damage Recovery chart
Rank Small wounds
Normal A Week

1
2
3
4
5
8
10
13
15
20

Broken bones

Regrow limbs/organs

A few weeks
Never
3 Days
A Week
Never
Day
3 Days
Many (20+) years
12 Hours
1 Day
10 years
6 Hours
12 Hours
5 years
3 Hours
6 Hours
3 years
1 Hour
3 Hours
1 year
30 Minutes
1 Hour
6 months
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
3 months
5 Minutes
15 Minutes
1 month
Nearly Instantly A few minutes
A week

More Ideas on Combat

Unless you like the sort of combat with exacting,
gritty detail, don't put yourselves through the pain and
agony. The above guidelines for combat are simply
guidelines. Often combat in comic books are much more
fluid than "This side takes a punch, then that side takes a
punch." Don't feel constrained by rigidly following the
five stages of combat over and over each turn, counting
each phase.

Challenge Strategies!
Very few of us playing this game will be world
experts at combat and skills, though we often will play
characters that are. Therefore, if we wish to have our
character attack a foe or pick a lock, and the Game
Master asks, "How?" we may be left at a bit of a blank.
Certainly it is a very legitimate question, especially in an
arbitrary game like this. The "How" will often determine
if an alarm is bypassed, or if a hero is left open to a
sucker punch.
So how does a player decide how they wish to
address a problem, when they may have little knowledge
about the nature of it? A player may not know the
intricacies of martial arts, but a hero may be a grand
master of it. A hero character that's a pro at cracking
security systems will probably have more "virtual
knowledge" on the subject than a tableful of players.
Well, in language we may answer the question of
"How?" with an adverb. Here is a list of a few adverbs
that may be used to answer that insidious question, and
what they may mean in the context of playing in a roleplaying environment. Of course, your players can and
will come up with other answers to your "How?"
question,

1. Cautiously
A guarded approach to an action will reward a
hero with fewer mistakes, making an action more likely
to succeed, and lessen the chances of getting hurt in the
process. The cautious hero will play somewhat
defensively, but always be on the lookout for a hole or
weakness in the process. The only downside to this is
that covering all your bases takes extra time. A cautious
attack will attempt to damage the opponent, not at the
expense of getting hurt yourself. If a threat comes,
you're ready to defend at a moments notice. If you are
much better than your opponent, or much more skilled
than the task requires, a mote of caution certainly would
be warranted.
Also, cautious behavior may be in order when a
hero is first approaching a dilemma. It might be wise
for a hero to attack reservedly, testing the relative skill
of their foe, to see if the hero would like to approach
with riskier attacks. A hacker would approach electronic
countermeasures with caution to see what she's up
against.

2. Normally
A normal approach to a problem is not overly
cautious or aggressive. It is assumed that a hero takes a
normal approach to a problem, unless otherwise noted.

3. Aggressively
Attacking a problem aggressively will, at the
expense of possible errors, perhaps tip the odds of a
conflict in the favor of the aggressor. Aggressive
behavior cannot totally compensate for a lack of skill,
but sometimes the brute force of aggressiveness will
bluff others into backing off. Approaching an action
aggressively works well against the gullible and those
of equal or lesser skill. Against a particularly stoic,
well-skilled, or inanimate opponent, aggressive actions
might not work well, or even be fatal.
Combat Example:
The hero Twitch protects a young co-ed
classmate of his ("Wendy") from two knife-wielding
thugs in a dark, deserted alley. Being the heroly sort of
high school student, Twitch decides to take care of
business.
The Game Master asks Twitch's player what he
wants to do, how he wants to approach combat.
Twitch's player, wanting to get this over quickly so
Twitch and Wendy can get to that party, says, "I'd like
to use my Power Tool Frenzy maneuver."
"Well..." says the GM, "that particular maneuver

strikes everyone within close range. You'd probably take

out the thugs, but also Wendy at the same time. Is this still
something you'd want to do?"
"No, I didn't realize it was that powerful! In that
case, I'd like to test the waters a bit, to see what these thugs
are made of. I'm being primarily defensive, but if I see a
quick shot I can take, I'll probably go for it."
The Game Master responds, "Okay, the thugs circle
around you. The one of them that's in front of you seems to
be a bit distracted by the one that's behind you."
"I go ahead and take out the one in front of me that's
currently distracted."
"You punch the guy with two deft punches, and
send him reeling back crashing into some trash cans behind
him. Wendy yells, 'Look out!'"
"I turn around quickly, and back up, completely
defensive!"
The Game Master compares the Fighting scores of
the average Thug (about 5) and Twitch (10). Since Twitch
overcomes the Thugs statistic by over double, the GM
decides that Twitch does manage to turn around just in
time, however the knife blade grazes Twitch's arm and rips
his leather jacket. Twitch is unhurt, however, due to armor.
Twitch's player says, "Man! My good jacket! All
right, that's it.Time to use the feet.I kick the knife out of his
hand, disarm him, and then beat the tar out of him."
The Game Master decides the two combatants are in
too close of quarters for Twitch's martial arts kicks,
however an alternative is offered. "You're a little too close
to do much in the way of kicking, but you grab his
extended wrist and disarm him that way. He's so shocked
by being disarmed so quickly, that you are able to give him
a one-two punch with no resistance. He's down for the
count."
"But he ruined my jacket!" Twitch's player
complains.

Advanced Rules
Creating New Worlds
If you're like me, you look at a set of rules or an
environment and think, "Hey, I can do a little bit better."
The good news is, the basic core elements of Super Human
High School can be used to emulate many flavors of
comics, from high-flyin' four-color comics to gritty graphic
novels.
There may be a little more work involved than
taking our high school environment "off the shelf" and
playing it, but the experience should be worth the trouble.
Creating and fleshing out your own world can be an
extremely rewarding experience. You can even adapt your

current campaign to Super Human High School rules,

but don't let the other folks know I told you to do it.
So, if you're up to it, ignore everything in
Chapter 2, carefully pare down Chapter 3, and create
your own world. Most of the rules should be generic
enough that you could even use this as a guide for
creating worlds in other games. First we start with
describing your new world, fleshing it out and making
its history seem whole. Then, we move onto the rulesspecific changes that would be made to allow the
character creation process to run smoothly. We've
even included a few exciting "World Seeds" to spark
your imagination and get you started. Let's go!
The synopsis:
Come up with one or two sentences briefly
describing the world you're wanting. Describe the
environment, and explain how the characters will fit
in. Though this might seem to be an easy and logical
first step, without this step, the entire world-planning
process can go awry. Your synopsis will give you the
focus to develop your world and give it the effect of
three-dimensionality. This is especially important in
the first few sessions of the game, where players are
getting a feeling for the new environment.
You should be careful not to make the
synopsis too short or too long. If you make it just a
word or two, there won't be enough information to
base your game on. Conversely, a synopsis made up
of several paragraphs or pages might indicate that
your idea needs narrowed. Don't worry about the little
details now. Just try to get the quick mood and setting
of the campaign.
Example 1:
"Stranger than fiction": This takes place on a creepy
paranoid near-future Earth, where most of those urban
legends, ghost stories, and UFO tales are true. The
players assume the roles of super powered special
government operatives.
Example 2:
"Galactic Crossroads": Earth was recently discovered
by the Galactic Consortium, a league of alien coaligned races. How does humanity deal with the
changes this brings?
After you start the game, if the game starts to drift
away from your original idea, don't worry about it.
Your campaign has to evolve and grow with the
players. Your world will become stronger with their
input.
The Timeline
When considering your new environment, it's

important to think of the timeline of events. The Continuing

Campaign ideas in Chapter 4 should give you a pretty good
idea of what present and future events will be like, but if
you start from scratch, you'll also have to think of what
happened in the past. It's likely that your new world will be
based on some sort of alternate Earth history, but doesn't
necessarily have to be so. Just remember, the more that you
change, the more work it will be for you, and the harder it
will be for your players to adjust to the changes. Earthbased games can be easier for everyone, because players
and Game Master alike have a common point of reference.
Think about significant events in your world's
history. What events contributed to the way it is? Consider
how the events were set in motion, how things are at the
present when you play the game, and consider possible
future ramifications. If you set the new world with an
alternate Earth history (or a possible future Earth history)
there must be a point along the timeline where it deviates
from normalcy and becomes a "Super" world. This will be
called the "Big Change.

The Big Change

Consider what event or events deviates the world
you're creating from the normal one that we're used to. Was
it a comet-borne virus, or the insidious effects of the
Nuclear Age, alien invasion, or possibly even genetic
manipulation? The Big Change could even be a complex
sequence of changes over a long period of time that makes
the world the way it is.
What kind of world was it before the Big Change?
Before your world spawned its Supers, consider
what it was like as a normal world. It could have been just
like Earth, or radically different. Your world could be set in
the future or past, or on a different planet. Decide on
significant details of the world. This could be just as simple
as, "Before the Big Change, Earth was just like the 1930s
Earth that we know now.
When did the Big Change happen?
Decide when along your timeline did the change
occur. Did it occur hundreds or thousands of years ago, or
did it just happen yesterday? Depending on when you
place the Big Change along your timeline, your people of
your world will react to the change differently. Changes
that a generation or two are accustomed to are perceived
much differently than a change that just occurred. A recent
Big Change might be played out by the players and Game
Master.
What powers do the Big Change imbue?
You must also consider how the powers manifest.
Sometimes comic book worlds do not take place in your
typical "four-color" environment. Do powers run the full

gamut, or do powers only manifest itself with a small

subset of powers? Since this power can come from one
unique source, it's certainly possible that all mutants'
powers revolve around some theme. Possibly the
powers that a mutant receives mirrors the mutant's
personality, or are all magic-related. This usually
doesn't affect the kinds of powers a hero will get, but
how they are described.
Should you worry about "correct science?"
Some hard-nose science fiction buffs may
naysay some classic comic book cliches like gaining
wild powers from radioactive mutation. True, this sort
of thing could never happen in real science, but who
cares? The important question will be, is your science
consistent in your world? If the answer is yes, then
don't worry if the effects in your timeline are
improbable or impossible.
Consequences of the Big Change
What were the consequences of the cause, not
just to the normals, but to Supers, and to society in
general. The initial reactions of the triggering event
should be drafted, and what kind of consequences are
still circulating today in the present year. The GM
should also decide how the world progressed through
any intermediary stages from the original reaction to the
current situation.

Status & Social Reactions

Think about how the Supers are perceived in
your environment from the Big Change up to the
present. Supers could be revered, hated, or looked at
with indifference by normals. If the Big Change
occurred long before the timeline, the people of your
world would have a long time to adjust, and might react
differently than if the change just occurred. "Super"specific laws may have been passed. The Changed
might be generally treated by society with uneasy
disquietude, or hero adoration. They could also be
treated with abject hatred, or tentative tolerance. Some
parts of the world may even treat the Changed
differently than other parts.
Society's reaction to the Changed in your world
will set the mood for the entire game. A game where the
Changed are worshipped as heroes will play much
differently than a game where the Changed are hunted
like vermin. Consider this choice carefully, for it is
difficult to realistically undo this decision once the
game has started.
Keeping the group together
Although this step is certainly not required, your

game will be easier to run if your player's characters have

a reason to stick together. Do characters have an
inextricably linked fate, or are they part of the same
group? Consider why your rag-tag group of characters
are going to stick together and work together. Your
campaign will likely be more successful if the game
presents some way of forcing (I use the term loosely) the
heroes to be together and work together. Heroes can be
members of the same school, organization, or corporation
and this will focus their energies, even if they hail from
vastly different backgrounds.

come up with their own Karma based on your lead, but

this will give them a place to start.

Character Backgrounds
These elements will allow the GM decide how
they will guide the character creation process. For
instance, what kind of community will the PC's come
from? What kind of people are they considered to be by
others, both before or after they gain their powers? What
kind of people will they consider themselves to be? Are
they considered basically good or bad, and what do they
think about that? Lastly, are having or using powers
subject to any legal repercussions?
Though the fundamentals of character creation
would remain the same, some game-specific details
would change. For example, if your game does not take
place in a high school environment, then ranks like
"Freshman" and "Sophomore" would be meaningless! A
hero's basic skills and Karma will be different depending
on what your world values.

Some point-monger players might be tempted to

take a bunch of -3 Bad Karma to pad their greedy
appetite for other powers and Karma. Unless the player
is truly able to accept the ramifications of a -3 Karma,
the player should not take it. The players should also be
recommended to not take more than one of that
magnitude, and would be better off trimming back
some of their powers and skills.
What kind of Karma can a player have? Well
these Karma templates should give you some direction:

1. Different skill-sets
Consider and list the basic skills that a person
needs to function in your world. For example, if all of
your characters will be adults in a modern-day earth you
can assume that they should be able to drive a car and
speak/write their native language. Characters that could
not do these simple things would be considered
"deficient" in that area, and would be considered a "Bad
Karma" item which would give a point or two to be used
elsewhere.

2. Karma
The flavor and direction of your campaign will
determine what Karma your players can take, and what
they will be worth. In a heroic high school super world,
an old beat up car might be worth 0 points, but in a postapocalyptic world it might be worth 2 points!
Take a few moments and jot down some common
points of Karma that characters in your world might have.
What would be considered Good Karma, Bad Karma, and
Zero Karma? Use the templates below to help you along.
Players should be allowed to "order off the menu" and

0
Little effect on the game, or something everyone
should have.
+1 or -1
Minor effect on gameplay.
+2 or -2
Major effect on gameplay. Issue
probably comes up at least once a game session, on
average.
+3 or -3
Universal effect on gameplay. Issue is
always a major focus of the campaign. (Very rare!)

Personal Karma
Unique Personal Experience! Some personal event or
trauma has occurred that alters the character's view on
the world. A positive experience possibly might stem
from a personal philosophical epiphany, a religious
experience, a confidence booster, or a magical
transformation. The positive experience will help
bolster the character's confidence and attitude when
situations look grim. A negative personal experience
could originate from an embarrassment or trauma,
which tends to haunt the hero at inopportune times.
Appearance! Your character has head-turning physical
appearances, either for good or bad! The number of
points this would be worth depends on the importance
of physical appearance in your world. Average looks
are usually considered zero cost.
Luck! Some people either have it, or you might want to
avoid them during a lightning storm. Luck can affect
events during the course of play. The Game Master
might allow special things to happen when Luck might
be an issue. On the other hand, heroes with bad luck
might fail in the worst situations!
Romance! In some worlds where this would be
important, a Significant Other takes the edge off of
social situations. Bad Karma here would indicate that
the hero is "unlucky in love" or possibly the love of
your life out there is unattainable by you.

Secrets! Secrets can be an "ace in the hole," or a

devastating surprise. If your secret is good, you've got a
trump card that nobody knows about that may be used to
surprise everyone! Possibly the hero might even know a
bad secret about another character... (can you say
"blackmail," anyone?) Bad Karma here would indicate that
the hero would have a secret, that if found out, would
devastate the hero, changing his life forever!

Social Karma
Supporters (or Enemies) There are some that either follow
the character for either good or bad. Supporters will usually
offer information, favors, and/or help. Your enemies can be
rivals, an arch-nemesis, a haunting ex-lover, or really
anyone that doesn't like you!
Privileges (or Restrictions) Either the hero has certain
extra activities he's allowed in society, or certain actions are
limited. Privileges allows your hero more leeway than the
common folk, usually attached to greater responsibility.
Being a police officer or an FBI operative may allow you to
carry a gun in public, but you still (generally) have to
answer to the law. On the other hand, your character may
have extra Restrictions above normal people, like having a
special curfew or a magical curse not allowing you cross
running water or enter holy ground.

Rank
In a campaign with a ranking social structure, like high
school or a military organization, you're near the top or
bottom. The middle rank is usually zero cost. Veterans
(perhaps Seniors in high school, or Generals in the Army)
will be thought of as wiser and better at everything.
Newbies (like Freshmen or Privates) would be considered
too young to have any good ideas, and will have to prove
themselves time and time again to get any respect.
Reputation Be it good or bad, in other people's eyes you
are what you've done. A reputation can be good or bad, and
will affect how other characters in the campaign view your
hero. If you have a good rep, and the other character knows
about it, you will usually be treated with respect and "warm
fuzzies." A bad reputation can hurt your chances of getting
a job, or cause people to stare and point at the mall, but will
give you an extra point or two to use elsewhere. Be specific
about what caused your good or bad reputation, and play it
to the hilt.
Social class or clique Your hero is part of an exclusive
group that everyone else wants to be a part of.
Social Stigma Worse than a "Reputation," your hero has
something fundamentally different about him that makes
society despise or fear him.

Resource Karma
Equipment The hero owns a special piece of
equipment that is somewhat rare in the world you're
creating. It may be purely decorative, like the Crown
Jewels, or functional, like a fancy car or a golden gun
that folds into a cigarette case.
Household The hero comes from a prestigious or
notorious household. Depending on the crowd you're
around, this might cause reactions from the general
public like a Reputation. Also, you have to deal with
your family. Whether all of this is Good Karma or
Bad Karma, it's up to you, but you have to explain
why it's really good or bad. Good and bad effects that
pretty much even out are not worth any points. Be
specific!
Wealth A hero can have more or less than the norm
for wealth for your universe. Being poor is considered
Bad Karma, and is worth a point or two depending on
how destitute the character is. Conversely, the hero
can be wildly rich for a mere point or two, and buy
that island in the Pacific Ocean they've always had
their eye on.

Special Karma
You will probably think of Karma that doesn't
fit into any of these categories, depending on your
world. Great! Feel free to "order off the menu" and
make up your own Karma items. They will help make
your campaign unique.

World Seeds
Perhaps you have an idea for the world you
will create from scratch, perhaps you don't. Here are
some ideas to get your brain working.
Vampire Amok A strange aberration of humanity
during the 1600s rears its evil head in the early 21st
century. Think of our modern-day world, overrun
with Vampires and evil undead. The characters can
play the vampires themselves or play the parts of the
vampire hunters. Optionally, your world could
straddle the fence and cater to vampires and the
hunters... very carefully.
The Family A man of alien origin crashed on Earth
110 years ago. He looked human but had
extraordinary mental and telekinetic powers.
Eventually he integrated into normal human society,

taking a wife and having children(!) who possessed similar but distinct mental powers. Now, three or four generations
later, some family members are just wanting survival and normalcy, while others want ultimate power!
New Gods After a hiatus of thousands of years, the old gods of old have returned to the modern world. Play a hero
from your favorite pantheon, or one of their children. The legendary heroics are there, as are the legendary backbiting
and corruption.
Corporate Sponsor The security department of a high-tech company hires the characters for their special skills. The
player's characters will be used to foil corporate espionage, root out internal corruption, and for external research and
development. It is quite possible that even the characters don't know who is pulling the strings at the top of the
corporate food chain; the high muck-a-mucks could be veiled in mystery!
Waystation Earth In the near future, when humankind just starts to poke its nose outside of its solar system, Earth is
invited by an alien ambassador to join the "Galactic Consortium," a league of co-aligned alien races. This spawns a new
revolution in Earth history. Humanity makes wild technological leaps, and alien contact is now commonplace.

Chapter 5: Sample Heroes

Twitch!
Phillip Sharp's mutant power allows his muscles to
contract with incredible speed. He can run incredibly fast for
short distances, but since his reactions are no faster than anyone
else's, he has to be careful where he's going. Mostly, though, he
has developed the power in his hands.
Phil wears steel-reinforced leather gloves that allow him
to avoid damage to his hands. While wearing them, he can use
his hands as power tools: driving nails, turning bolts, sanding,
buffing, cutting through wood and concrete. In a fight his
vibrating hands can numb muscle tissue, and a touch to the
head can cause a mild concussion.
Phil drives an old Harley to school, which he keeps in
immaculate condition. He tends to dress in jeans and biker
leathers. His favorite class is Shop.
Phil's learned a thing or two about fighting from
brawling with his buddies. He likes to pretend he knows
martial arts, but it's really just a combination of his mutation
and a predilection for watching Bruce Lee movies.

PSYCHE
5
STRENGTH
5
FIGHTING
10
INTELLIGENCE 5
ENDURANCE
10
Powers
5 Power Tool Hands
0 Power Tool GlovesTwitch's Power Tool Gloves allow him to perform a variety of wood shop projects of adequate quality.
2 Running (at Small Car Speed) (only for short bursts -1)
2 Kevlar Armor (disguised as Leather Jacket)
Karma
2
Good Looking
1
Cool Harley
3
Professional Skill: Shop & Woodworking
1
College Level Skill: Motorcycle Maintenance
1
"Power Tool Frenzy" Maneuver Phil can use his action to go into a vibratory frenzy, hitting everyone within nearby
range with several lightning-fast attacks.
1
"Dodge Bullets" Maneuver With a prepared action, Twitch can flit to one side, generally foiling all but the most
accurate snipers. This can be used for any thrown or launched missile weapon that Twitch can see.
0
High School Sophomore

Multiplicandy!
Candice Plantaganate is a bright freshman kid, blessed with
the Muta ability to pull up to twelve duplicate copies of herself
from alternate dimensions. She also maintains a mental link
between herself and her duplicates which allows two-way
communication.
Candy is also a natural whiz-kid at math. By herself, she
can do college mathematics with relative ease, even rivaling her
teachers. When she works together with her other selves, breaking
the problem down into smaller chunks, she works like an efficient
multiprocessing computer, able to tackle nearly impossible
problems. Instead of a normal math course, she now works in a
"independent study" course in place of her math class, which is
basically study hall. During this time, she's unmonitored, and
occasionally been known to wander the halls.
Her mental link with her dupes allows her to be a better
fighter en masse than a normal person would be. Several different
perspectives of the fray gives her an edge in combat.
Candy, able to pull other forms of herself into this
dimension, is somewhat difficult to kill. If one of her duplicates
dies in this dimension, one of the others can pull in a replacement.
The only way she would completely be eradicated from this
dimension is if all of her currently active dupes are incapacitated.
(She can only "pull" other dupes from other dimensions. Those
dupes can't show up without her.)
She has been known to argue with her duplicates, which
irritates and confuses onlookers!
PSYCHE
STRENGTH
FIGHTING
INTELLIGENCE
ENDURANCE

10
0
9
10
0

Powers
[15] Body of Many! Multiplicandy can call up to twelve duplicates of herself at the same time.
[2] Mental Link with Dupes. (Browse & Link, 3 pts.) (-1 only with her own Dupes)
Karma
[-1]
High School Freshman
[1]
Super Maneuver! Coordinated Attacks when her dupes work together!
[1]
Mental gymnastics! When working together, practically no computational problem is impossible!
[1]
Difficult to kill. (Must incapacitate all of her dupes, and one of them can spawn more.)
[1]
Minor celebrity: Star on the high school stage.
[1]
College level skill: Mathematics

(The Enigmatic) Goo!

The enigmatic Goo is an oddity of nature. He is
composed of a rubbery, malleable, and slightly sticky
material, which gives him some protection versus kinetic
damage.
He can walk up walls and ceilings as if he was
walking on the floor. He is pretty strong, not too fast, with
good endurance. He can throw "goo-balls" which can bind
his opponent.
He is a sophomore, with a tattletale little sister
constantly getting him in trouble. He usually wears glasses,
and enjoys being part of the yearbook and newspaper staff
as one of the writers.
PSYCHE
STRENGTH
FIGHTING
INTELLIGENCE
ENDURANCE

0
18
1
1
10

Powers
13
Body of Goo! The Goo's putty-like flesh is resistant to most forms of kinetic damage, but takes normal
damage from most energy attacks. Fire causes him extra damage. His body can stretch a bit farther than
normal. With much effort and possibly fifteen minutes of time, the Goo can ooze through a space no smaller
than the crack under a door.
1
Putty-climbing: The Goo can easily climb walls and ceilings at normal human jogging speed.
7
Goo-balls! Tangler attack that will hold about Strength 20. He can throw them about 100 yards.
Karma
0
High School Sophomore
+1
Reporter for yearbook and newspaper.
-1
Tattletale little sister: Katy.
-1
Must wear glasses.

(The Noble) Flambeau!

Carson Holt is the son of a congressman, and a
straight-arrow, A-student from a strict religious background
with fairly well-to-do parents. He is "cursed" with a Gene-X
mutation allowing to convert his body to emit a fiery
conflagration. He can use the flames to give himself a
rocket-boost jump, resembling flight. He can also shoot fire
from his hands. However, he always wishes he was a
"normal kid." He sees his mutant powers as a sin, and can
only justify using it when necessary, and then only under his
secret identity, "Flambeau."
He owns a special suit that allows the flames to
breath through the fibers of the suit, and takes very little
damage from fire. Often he does a quick-change when
changing into his secret identity, by pulling up his mask, then
"flaming on," blowing out his normal clothes worn outside
his costume. He usually carries a backup set in a flame-proof
backpack. Since his parents are loaded, he can lose a sets of
clothes without them caring one iota.
Carson is a senior, taking a full academic honors
courseload. His rigorous home-life and a grueling part-time
job leave him very little time for many extra-curricular
activities, but he's really a nice guy, honest.
PSYCHE
STRENGTH
FIGHTING
INTELLIGENCE
ENDURANCE

0
-4
5
10
7

Powers
15 Body of Fire! Flambeau can change his body into a fiery body at will. His mere touch will cause damage.
6
Fiery flight: Flambeau can travel at about bicycle speed by propelling himself with fire.
5
Fire Bolts! Approximately bullet-damage. He can toss them about 100 feet.
Karma
3
Secret mutant!
1
Super costume
2
High School Senior
2
Rich Parents
1
Good Reputation in School
-1
Strict Parents
-1
Part Time Job ("Mayfair Deli")
-1
Guilty about using powers. (Will only use them if necessary.)

(The resourceful)

Chiroptera!
Maxim Trevor is a young high school junior that
has always held the fantasy of being affected by the Muta
Gene. Unfortunately, it just wasn't in the cards for the
young man. Being a bright boy, and having access to his
parents' nearly unlimited funds, set out to become a hero of
his own design.
He has hired the best trainers and designers in the
world to create his alternate personality batlike hero,
"Chiroptera." He carries a number of gadgets, usually
prefixed with the name "Chiro-".
Maxim recognizes that he can receive all the
training and gadgets in the world, but he just can never
become the Hero's Hero until he becomes motivated by the
tragic loss. Therefore, he is often encouraging his
unsuspecting parents into dangerous situations, like taking
a walk through the bad side of town. Much to his chagrin,
they live a charmed life, and somehow always survive
unscathed!
PSYCHE
STRENGTH
FIGHTING
INTELLIGENCE
ENDURANCE

0
4
13
4
8

Powers:
[18] [15 Point Pool] See below for common gadgets populating the Pool.
Karma
[1]
Cool car! "Chiroptimobile"
[1]
High School Junior
[-1]
Weird parents.
[2]
Rich Parents
Recommended Power-Pool equipment! (Choose 15 points of the following:)
(2 points) Chiroptera-cuffs [STR 15 held 1 hour, no range]
(4 points) Chiropterang [Weapon damage, will return! Range: Across a football field]
(2 points) Chiropter-cable [Swing line in city. Small-car speed]
(9 points) Jet-pack! [Flight, Rocket Speed]
(4 points) Chiroptera Battle Costume [Reinforced Flak Armor]
(2 points) Taser Gauntlets [Bullet Damage, touch range]
(1 point) Psychic static shield [looks like headphones, gives 2 Psychic Defense]
(1 point) Chiro-X-Ray-Gogs. (Actually allows 360 vision and IR-sight.)

Chapter 7: Sample
Adventure

Tenderloin, green beans, and cole slaw." This should

give the heroes something to do until the dance.

Homecoming Apocalypse!
A Super Human High School adventure for 2-6 heroes
and a Game Master.

During first period, the class bully "T-Rex"

will single out a "wimpy-looking" kid to pick on,
naturally one of the player characters. He will start off
by kicking the hero's chair. Later, he'll bully the hero
between classes. On Friday, the threats will escalate
to where T-Rex will say, "I'm going to the
Homecoming Dance, and if I see you there, you're
dead meat!"

Introduction:
This is a Super Human High School adventure for 2-6
heroes. If you're planning on being a player in this game,
you may want to stop reading now. Reading this
adventure beforehand would spoil your fun! On the other
hand, if you are wanting to be a Game Master (or if you
bought this game) feel free to read on.
Homecoming Apocalypse is intended to be newGame-Master-friendly, but covering every situation
would be impossible. If your characters stray from the
words on the page, you may have to make things up. Use
your best judgement, and most of all, have fun. That's
what freeform role-playing is all about!

Prologue: Gathering the players.

Introduce the title of this adventure: "Tonight's
adventure is titled Homecoming Apocalypse!"
Conviniently, every hero that is officially declared a Muta
(which should be just about everybody) will probably be
in their homeroom class. In most cases this will be a
"Muta Tolerance and Integration" class, which is
mandatory for Mutas, but others are allowed to take the
class as well.
Mr. Flatbottom, who is also a coach and history
teacher, is a normal human, however he refuses to take
any "gruff" in his class. In fact, one of his favorite catchphrases is, "Don't give me any gruff!" On the other hand,
he is considered a nice guy and a good teacher, and he is
generally respected by students. Students know not to
cross him; he will use whatever tactics he can to maintain
discipline in his class, including sending students to
detention and/or calling parents. If the students start
getting out of control, you might remind the heroes of
this, as it is common knowledge.

Announcements, announcements!
Every day, announcements are read by the first
period instructor, in this case, Mr. Flatbottom: "Today is
Thursday. Remember, tomorrow is Friday, Homecoming
Day, so you've got one more day to fix up your class float
and get a date for the big Homecoming Dance tomorrow.
Meeting after school today: the Chess Club in Room 665
and the Young Democratic Socialist Club in the cafeteria.
For lunch today, Beefy Bacon Sandwiches or Fried

Stop pickin' on me!

T-Rex, aka Rex Oliphant

PSY -4
STR 40
FTG 10
INT -4
END 10
Powers:
(0) 4 Points of Armor (free, from high attributes)
(0) 1 Point of Regeneration (free, from high
attributes)

Now, what do you want to do?

The heroes should be given a chance to do
actions in characters. There's plenty for them to do in
the day before homecoming. You might steer them in
the direction of one of these ideas, or optionally they
can come up with something completely different.
Take a couple minutes to role-play a little bit
with each hero, giving them an opportunity to play.
Even though some events are more important than
others "plot-wise," don't dwell on any one player too
long. This part of the game is intended to be quick,
building up to the big finale.

Attending the "Chess Club Meeting"

Heroes may decide to attend the "Chess Club
Meeting" at the library. Actually, this is a front for a
demon worshipping high school cult, the Brothers of
Yog'Higgurth. They chose the name "Chess Club" to
attract new members, they'll boast. "See, it worked!"
Yog'Higgurth is the ancient Sumerian god of War.
(Not really. The author made up the name a few years
ago, and apologizes to any ancient Sumerians out
there.)
There are four normal (non-Muta) students
who regularly attend the Chess Club. The club's
president is named Raz. Also in attendance will be

Gooch, Dim, and Ax. They wear subtle black t-shirts

("Yog'Higgurth rules!") and have pretty bad attitudes
about non-Yog'Higgurth worshippers. They are all geeky
adolescents.
This will about be the most boring, lamest group
of demon worshippers that the heroes will ever encounter.
Typical banter at a Chess Club meeting is like: "What do
you want to do?" "I don't know; what do you want to
do?" "Do you want to play some role-playing games?"
"I don't know, we did that last week." "Do you want to
listen to some loud music?" etc. etc.
Eventually, they will get to "new news" which just
happens to be their evil plan! "Okay, guys," Raz will say,
"We've got new news. I convinced The Dude that we
were talking about last meeting. Remember him? I've
convinced him to come. I'll get him the book of
Yog'Higgurth, and we'll really have a party Homecoming
night!" Translation: The Chess Club will have a very
special guest show up at the Homecoming Dance: the
nefarious Cryptomancer!
The chess club believes that he will perform a
spell out of the book of Yog'Higgurth that will allow true
believers to gain awesome power. Feel free to give out
this information, if the heroes probe or coerce the Chess
Club in some way. They might brag about what they will
do when they have the power of a major demon inside of
them. Just in case the heroes get tricky and try to mind
control the Chess Club, Raz has a pretty powerful mindcontrol spell laid on him by the Cryptomancer, in which
he can not do harm to the Cryptomancer or his plan.
Stats? You don't need no steenking stats, do you?
Just assume they are all normal kids, maybe ranging from
-1 to +3 for their main Attributes. They don't have any
super powers, per se, however, the others will follow Raz
around and do whatever he wants. All of them are
devoutly loyal to the Cryptomancer and Yog'Higgurth.

Attending the "Young Democratic Socialist

Party Meeting"
The Young Democratic Socialist Party is meeting
in the lunch room, a center for oppression of the entire
school. They are planning a demonstration outside the
dance in an attempt to overthrow the current regime. The
Young Democratic Socialist Party is led by Phil Knox,
but also in the club are Marie Antoine, Milo Teeter, and
Sarah Woodchuck. They will talk big, but they are pretty
harmless. They are all normal high school students, but
will be pretty happy about a Muta deciding to attend their
meeting. ("Let's be cool and not try to offend our "Muta"
brother, who I'm sure suffers more from the oppressive
oligarchy than we do.")

Fixing up the class float

Students may want to work on the "float
committee" trying to fix up their class's float. Or
maybe sabotage another class's float! It's up to you,
and up to what the hero wants to do. None of it is
essential to the plot, but it may serve as a fun and
memorable short distraction. No matter what, the
Seniors always win the class float contest, period!

Preparing for "the Battle of the Bands."

Since there will be a Battle of the Bands
competition at the Homecoming Dance, musically
inclined students may want to practice some songs for
the upcoming performance. Then again, maybe
musical talent just comes naturally to them, and they
can just "wing it."

Other miscellaneous activities

Try to craft Homecoming festivities around
what your heroes' interests are. If they are big into
music, have a "Battle of the Bands." If they are big
into tres chic high fashion, have a fashion show. If
they have diverse interests, maybe a generic "talent
show" is in order. If they have the hots for a member
of the appreciated sex, make sure that person makes it
known they will be in attendance at the dance. Just try
to make things interesting so that everyone will be at
the dance when the fireworks (the endgame with the
Cryptomancer) occurs.

Homecoming Day. . .
Make sure everyone is done with Thursday
activities before moving on to Friday, Homecoming
Day. Be sure to move on before players get bored. It's
okay to say, "Okay, if there's nothing else you folks
want to do on Thursday, we'll move on to Friday,
Homecoming Day!" You can read the announcements
as the home room teacher, and then find out what
your players would like to do today.

Announcements:
"Today is Homecoming Day. I hope everyone
wore the school colors of orange and brown today. Go
Orange! Go Brown! Go Orange and Brown!
"Get fired up during fourth period today... we
will have a pep rally! Also don't forget, tonight is the
big Homecoming game, followed immediately by the
Homecoming Dance.
"For lunch today, Beefy Bacon Sandwiches or
Fried Tenderloin, green beans, and cole slaw."

The Pep Rally

The Pep Rally will be fairly ordinary. Reintroduce
all of the major characters so far: T-Rex, the Chess Club,
and any other non-player characters the players have
come across, who they might drop additional clues. Give
each player a chance to do something here. There will be
much cheering and typical hub-bub and hooplah of a
typical high school pep rally. Use your imagination.

The Football Game

M-Class football allows Mutas to participate, so
that makes the game fairly exciting. If one of your players
is a football player, or is somehow interested in the game
play it out a little for them. The home team will naturally
eventually win by a close margin. During the float
competition, the seniors will win, unless the judges and
their float are somehow sabotaged. If nobody is really
interested in the game, you can fast-forward to the Dance.

The Homecoming Dance

The Homecoming Dance is held in the large room
that doubles as the cafeteria. It also houses a stage, where
the deejay and speakers are set up. A disco ball spins
above the center of the floor making a nice light display.
The dance should plod along fairly normally at
first. T-Rex will carry out his promise and pick a fight
with the character that's his favorite punching bag.
(However, if T-Rex is still conscious and present by the
time the Cryptomancer comes, he will actually help the
heroes in fighting him!) The Young Democratic
Socialists will be here, generally depressed about the
whole affair. The Chess Club will look around
expectantly with evil grins on their faces, waiting for the
big finale! The deejay at tonight's event is a cool lookin'
dude with a wide brimmed hat hiding his face wearing
dark sunglasses.

Enter the Cryptomancer!

Music plays. Students reluctantly dance. After
most of the stragglers have arrived, maybe 30-45 minutes
into the dance, weird stuff will start happening. The
tables lining the walls start to come alive, walking on
their own. They will close in on the unexpecting students
students dancing, corralling them into a tight area. Any
player characters who are dancing will be caught inside.
The chess club, dancing at the time, will also be captured.
Carrying with him a large arcane tome, the deejay
will approach center stage near a microphone and remove
his glasses. He says, "Attention: students. My name is
the Cryptomancer, and unfortunately you have been
chosen to be sacrificed this evening so that I will gain
unbelieveable power. I have a spell here that will allow

me to gain power with a virgin sacrifice... and I

thought to myself, "Self, why sacrifice one virgin and
get modest power when you can sacrifice several all
at once and get great power!"
"But... but..." Raz, president of the chess club
will protest, "I thought you were going to bring
Yog'Higgurth here and we were going to have
unbelievable power, too..."
The Cryptomancer will think about this for a
few seconds, shrug, and simply say, "I lied! ... Now if
you will all hold still, this should just take a few
seconds, and we'll be on our way. Thank you very
much, and I hope the rest of your short life is really
quite pleasant." With this, the disco ball will open
each one of its mirrors, and a knife blade will extract.
The globe will spin faster and faster, and will
eventually release ceremonial knives pelting random
members of the crowd.

The Cryptomancer's Evil Scheme!

The Cryptomancer speaks truthfully here. He
plans on gaining unbelievable power by completing
this ancient spell of Yog'Higgurth. However, being an
evil mastermind, he's no dummy. He's thought a few
things out before hand.
The teleport inscription. Circumscribing the
microphone is a spell which will teleport anything
and anyone who crosses it to a location outside the
school. This will protect him in two ways. Firstly, he
should be fairly invulnerable to physical attacks-bullets, bolos, boomerangs, and heroes alike should
disappear and reappear outside the school. Also, if the
going gets rough, he'll hop into the teleporter himself
and disappear outside the school. If a hero looks for
something unusual about the Cryptomancer or the
microphone area, they should find the inscribed
circle.
The spell. The spell the cryptomancer reads is
one of ancient Sumerian origin, giving him the
Psyche and Strength of those that hear his voice and
are killed during the ceremony. Therefore, if someone
thinks to cut the power during the ceremony with
some sort of master breaker, his ability to absorb the
power of people will be diminished. (The
Cryptomancer hasn't thought of this.)
Also, the Cryptomancer does not know that
the Psyche of those he kills in this manner will still
hold some independent thought within him. Being of
impressive Psyche himself, the Cryptomancer can
probably suppress several (up to a dozen)
personalities within him at once without much
problem. However, if the spell is as successful as he

wants it to be, he will have hundreds of personities

floating around overwhelming his Psyche. He would
become an incredibly strong, incredibly psychic wacko
with multiple-personality disorder. If he is successful, this
could lead to other adventures, naturally.
If a hero somehow dies, (yeah, right) their
spiritual essence will be sucked into the Cryptomancer
himself. (They won't actually die! Therefore, it should be
possible to come back, if he or she has a body to come
back to.) If this happens, you've got your second
adventure all lined up!
His cronies. The Cryptomancer has several
cronies who will emerge from the crowd and assure that
this event goes smoothly: The Deadly Prawn,
Manmover, Shadowbug, and Matterhorn. Each of them is
being paid handsomely for their services except for the
Deadly Prawn, who is being mind-controlled by the
Cryptomancer by a spell that must be renewed weekly.
The Deadly Prawn is still not a nice guy and is still a
petty thief, but will wish to seek revenge against the
Cryptomancer if he ever gets out of this.
The wall of tables. The tables coralling the
students in the center of the dance floor is courtesy of
Manmover. Her job is to keep the students penned up as
best she can. Tables and furniture move under her will
(with the Animate power). If she is somehow distracted,
she won't be able to maintain the corral and the students
can escape. Matterhorn is protecting her, so any potential
plan-spoilers have to get through him first.
The knife globe. Each of the mirrors of the disco
ball should open up, and a knife blade will extract. When
the globe spins and gains enough centrifugal force, the
knife will be released sending it out at random. The cable
suspending the globe is the kind used to hold up
suspension bridges. The most powerful of heros may be
able to break it -- maybe. If it does drop and hit the
ground, it will release all of the knives with a springloaded hair-trigger mechanism inside. Watch out!
In order to increase tension, you might actually
have the knives start coming out and wounding members
of the crowd. Possibly one of the Chess Club could take a
knife, and if he dies, the rest of the chess club would
blame... the heroes! If a member of the Young
Democratic Socialist Club gets hit with a knife, expect a
long, drawn-out, and depressing death scene. If you start
having people get hit with knives, it will show your
players you "mean business!"
Note: anyone that actually dies from a knife
wound will increase the Cryptomancer's Psyche and
Strength by a point or two. So the next time they
encounter the Cryptomancer, he'll be a little bit more
psychic and a little stronger.

The Endgame:
The Cryptomancer should be difficult to catch,
with his teleport spells handy. However, it should be
possible to stop him with a minimum of damage.
Heroes should find it much easier to free the crowd,
render the ball harmless somehow, and mop up the
Cryptomancer's cronies.
Make sure your players remember their
Amazing Tokens. They don't carry over from
adventure to adventure, and they allow the player to
enhance one power for a short burst. Player's use of
their Amazing Tokens will be instrumental to their
success!
How will the players beat the cronies and stop
the knife ball and free the people? Well, that's really
up to the players and their abilities. You don't have to
figure out THE way they will do it ahead of time.
Your players should be able to come up with a
solution on their own. They know their characters
better than you. If they offer a reasonable solution,
then accept it. They'll be proud that they came up with
the answer in the 11th hour, and you'll have run a
good, memorable game.

The villains:
The Cryptomancer
aka Markus Uber (180 points)
PSY 45
STR 0
FTG 6
INT 50
END 25
Skills:
10 Language and translation: (Superhuman skill)
5 Secrets man was not meant to know (Master skill)
Powers:
6 Mental Defense (like "Tank Armor" for the mind)
5 Mental Attack, Usable across town (Grenade
Damage)
15 Mind control (usable across town)
2 (Subset Power of Mind Control, normally costs 9)
Mental Telepathy, usable across town
18 15-point Magic Power pool. (He's currently using
it to keep The Deadly Prawn subdued without
thinking about it)
Marcus was a geeky Muta in high school with

the special talent of being able to read and interpret any

language that has ever been printed. He felt shunned by
normal humanity for his special nature. Also, because this
power was once deemed "useless" by his energy-bolt
throwing Muta peers, he holds no special kinship towards
Muta-kind, either. Now, enhanced by some special old
spells he found and interpreted, he's ready to show the
world what a translator can do!
The Deadly Prawn
(72 points)
PSY 0
STR 25
FTG 20
INT 0
END 20
Powers:
4 "Ink Cloud" Smoke Screen (Environmental
Manipulation Power) (Up to classroom area) (No range)
1 Back-flip to ready maneuver
2 Armor (like Kevlar, in a suit-gadget)
Man-mover
aka Tink Weliver (76 points)
PSY 30
STR 0
FTG 5
INT 5
END 10
Powers:
26 Furniture Animation (Up to Van-sized objects, can
control many simultaneously, Lasts 5 panels without
her supervision, "Around the house" Range, "Lecture
Hall" Area)

Shadowbug
aka Wendy Craig (90 points)
PSY 15
STR 8 (15 inside suit) (cost +6)
FTG 8 (15 inside suit) (cost +6)
INT 10
END 5 (30 inside suit) (cost +24)
Powers:
2 Expert system maneuvers. If Shadowbug has fought
someone before, or she's had a chance to study them at
length beforehand, she will fight them just a little better
than she would otherwise.
1 Jumping (able to hurdle a house, only in suit)

2 Gliding (only in suit)

4 Armor: Reinforced Flack Suit Armor (only in suit)

Matterhorn
aka Marty Olson (91 points)
PSY 0
STR 40
FTG 25
INT 5
END 20
Powers:
1 Charging attack (Super manuever) Matterhorn can
charge his opponants with a devastating attack!
(0) 4 points of Armor (naturally, from strength)