Your character has a chance of having a Handicap or Weakness. Add half the number of Class Powers your character has to the number of Special Powers, add 2, and then subtract half the number of weaknesses already rolled up. Square this. This must be rolled until missed. Two or more weaknesses can be combined into a single, more debilitating weakness (which will still counts as 2 in the formula above). If you do roll up a weakness, consult your Editor. You and your Editor must take into account the character’s abilities and powers to determining the exact weakness or handicap.
For example, Pulsar’s player rolls up Power Related Physical Weakness, and then rolls up Affects Another Ability/Power. Pulsar has the power Gravity Control. Every time he initiates this power at a level which uses one or more EP per round, his strength becomes 13 minus the number of EP being used per round. These lost points return at Pulsar’s healing rate per hour when not using Gravity Control. Pulsar’s normal strength is 13, so this is an effective weakness. If Pulsar’s normal strength were 47, a small reduction of 1-5 wouldn’t much affect Pulsar at all. In that case, Pulsar might have to lose strength equal to two or three times the EP used, or simply interpret the weakness in another way.
For more examples of weaknesses, see the Rainbow Wizard, in the Starter Kit, and Prism and Shale, in the adventure A Taste of Jasmine (also in the Starter Kit).
To determine type of handicap/weakness, roll a d10 on the following chart. If the result is impossible (Power Weakness for a Civilian) use the next result up.
| 1-4 | Power Weakness |
| 5 | Power Related Physical Weakness |
| 6 | Origin Related Physical Weakness |
| 7 | Physical Handicap |
| 8 | Origin Related Mental Weakness |
| 9 | Power Related Mental Weakness |
| 10 | Mental Handicap |
General Description
Power Weakness: This affects one or more of the character’s powers.
Power Related Physical Weakness: This is related to/affected by one or more of the character’s powers.
Origin Related Physical Weakness: This was gained at the same time the character’s powers were gained, and relate to that origin.
Physical Handicap: Although this handicap is not related to anything, it should still fit the character.
Origin Related Mental Weakness: Something happened to the character’s mind in the formation of the character’s powers.
Power Related Mental Weakness: One or more of the character’s powers affect or are affected by a mental problem.
Mental Handicap: Like Physical Handicap, this is a problem unrelated to powers or origin, yet it should still fit the character.
To determine the exact weakness, roll d100, and cross-reference the result on the Weakness table.
Some weaknesses, mainly mental ones, may be violated by choice of the player under dire circumstances. Some (such as Phobia) will require a saving throw of some sort if the character wishes to violate it, depending on what the player and Editor have already worked out for the weakness. Others (such as Conviction) can be broken at the player’s option, but the character will gain no training points from the adventure in which the character broke the restriction, and characters in the same adventure with that character multiply training points gained by 8 and divide by 10.
| Power Weakness | Power Related Physical Weakness | Origin Related Physical Weakness | Handicap | Origin Related Mental Weakness | Power Related Mental Weakness | Mental Handicap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affects Another Ability/Power | 01-04 | 01-10 | 01-05 | — | — | — | — |
| Attracts Attacks | — | 11-13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bad Luck | — | — | 06-07 | — | — | — | — |
| Blind | — | — | 08-13 | 01-11 | — | — | 01-04 |
| Conviction | — | — | — | — | 01-05 | 01-06 | 05-11 |
| Deaf | — | — | 14-19 | 12-21 | — | — | 12-15 |
| Drug Required | — | 14-16 | 20-26 | 22-32 | 06-09 | 07-11 | 16-22 |
| Fainting Spells | — | 17-21 | — | 33-40 | 10-16 | 12-18 | 23-29 |
| Focus | 05-18 | — | — | — | 17-21 | 19-24 | — |
| Fugue States | — | — | — | — | 22-25 | 25-30 | 30-36 |
| Immunological Deficiency | — | — | — | 41-42 | — | — | — |
| Increased Cost | 19-22 | 22-28 | 27-29 | — | — | — | — |
| Induced Reaction | — | — | — | — | 26-28 | 31-34 | — |
| Limited Use | 23-31 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Loss of Use of Legs | — | — | 30-31 | 43-51 | — | — | 37-39 |
| Lost Aspect | 32-37 | — | 32-41 | — | 29-35 | 35-42 | 40-42 |
| Low Self-Control | — | — | — | — | 36-40 | — | 43-47 |
| Manic-Depressive | — | — | — | — | — | 43-46 | 48-51 |
| Monomania | — | — | — | — | 41-47 | — | 52-67 |
| Mute | — | 29-30 | — | 52-65 | — | — | 68-70 |
| No Effect | 38-50 | — | 42-51 | — | — | — | — |
| Non human Form | 51-53 | — | 52-53 | — | — | — | — |
| Non-Linear Logic | — | — | — | — | 48-51 | — | 71-75 |
| Permanent Change | 54-55 | 31-37 | — | — | 52-56 | — | — |
| Phobia | — | — | — | — | 57-64 | 47-54 | 76-82 |
| Reaction Formation | — | — | — | — | 65-66 | 55-60 | — |
| Restricted Change | 56-64 | — | — | — | 67-71 | — | — |
| Restricted Healing | — | 38-50 | 54-60 | — | — | — | — |
| Restricted Recharge | 65-71 | — | 61-66 | — | — | — | — |
| Restricted Use | 72-81 | 51-53 | 67-76 | — | 72-74 | 61-66 | — |
| Slow Death | — | 54-58 | — | 66-68 | — | — | — |
| Slow Healing | — | — | — | 69-80 | — | — | — |
| Slow Reaction Time | — | 59-60 | — | — | 75-78 | 67-72 | — |
| Split Personality | — | 59-60 | — | — | 79-83 | 73-78 | 83-84 |
| Tires Easily | — | — | — | 81-90 | — | — | — |
| Uncontrolled Effect | 82-84 | — | — | — | 84-87 | 79-83 | 85-86 |
| Uncontrolled Use | 85-88 | — | — | — | 88-90 | 84-90 | 87-88 |
| Vulnerability | 89-90 | 61-90 | 77-90 | — | — | — | — |
| Wrong Choice | — | — | — | — | — | — | 89-90 |
| Be Original | 91-00 | 91-00 | 91-00 | 91-00 | 91-00 | 91-00 | 91-00 |
Sample Weaknesses
See Carol Channing, Prism, Shale, John Koll, and the above description of Pulsar’s weakness. Here, also, are some other weaknesses pulled from some of the author’s adventures.
Armadillo: Mental Handicap, Low Self-Control. Armadillo must make a saving throw vs. his learning plus his willpower minus VP/DP lost, on d100, or go berserk—attack until his opponent is down or Armadillo himself is unconscious. He is allowed another saving throw under certain circumstances, if friends try to calm him down, or he actively tries to throw off the berserker state. For an example of a normal saving throw, if he took 10 points damage he would have to save vs. 48 on d100 or go berserk.
Black Violet: Power Weakness, Limited Use, two weaknesses combined. If deprived of ultraviolet light, Black Violet’s electric whip will not function, and his powers disappear at 10% of the maximum PR per minute, disappearing completely in 10 minutes.
Brinn X’Halikso: Power Weakness, Limited Use. If Brinn uses his Slide Molecules power for a period of time greater than twice his PR rounds, he begins to lose control of his molecules. He loses 1 DP, penetrating, per round that he continues to slide molecules.
Diamondback: Handicap, Mute. Diamondback is physically unable to speak. Diamondback also has the Handicap, Tires Easily. After 4 rounds using 1 EP or more per minute, he has -1 to his Combat Pool. Every 2 rounds after that, he gets another penalty of 1 to his Combat Pool, due to his fatigue. These penalties disappear at 1 point per minute when resting.
Jake Kotter, the Man with the Cosmic Guitar: Power Weakness, Focus. Jake cannot use his Transducer (cosmic energy to sound energy) without his Cosmic Guitar—the guitar which was with him when he gained his powers.
Leviathon: Power Related Physical Weakness, Be Original. While using his Get Tall power, Leviathon becomes completely deaf.
Prototron, Android: Origin Related Physical Weakness, Vulnerability. Prototron is based on positive electricity/electrical flow. Negative electrical attacks do 3 times normal damage to him. Negative electrical fields reduce his EP and all senses by a percentage equal to the square root of the potential difference from ground. 100 volts of negatively charged field reduces his EP and senses by 10%. 400 volts by 20%, and 10000 volts by 100%—shutting him down.
Spiro Poseidon: Power Weakness, Limited Use. Spiro’s magical trident (normally getting +3 to Combat Close, +1 to Combat Ranged, and returns to the thrower) must spend 8 hours out of every 24 in the ocean. After 16 hours, for every half hour it spends out of the ocean it loses 1 plus, and after two hours it loses its ability to return to the thrower.
Star Knights: Origin Related Physical Weakness, Restricted Healing. When not subject to starlight, the 5 Star Knights cannot heal EP or DP.
8-Ball: Handicap, Tires Easily. 8-Ball uses twice normal EP for any action requiring EP, and regains EP at half the normal rate.
