Being a Superhero: Package Heroes

  1. Class Powers
  2. Being a Superhero

The themes behind these heroes are all far more concrete then the previous Types of Heroes. The player chooses either a Civilian, someone with special Combat Skills, an Eccentric Professor, an Intelligent Robot, a Magician, a Special Agent, or a Wizard. For all except Civilian and Robot, the character must meet certain ability requirements (See Creating a Character or the specific Package Hero).

Type of Hero Power Extra Power Robots
01-06 Absorption 01 01
07-08 Acid Production 02-03 02-03
09-14 Air Control 04-06 04
15-16 Alchemy 07 05
17 Chameleon Power 08 06
18 Control Chance 09 07-08
19-21 Control Plants 10-11 09
22-25 Convert to Energy 12 10-11
26 Darkness 13-14 12-17
27 Death Touch 15 18
28 Duplication 16 19
29 Duplicate Person 17
30-31 Density Control 18 20-21
32-36 Electricity 19-20 22-23
37-39 Fire Coat 21-25 24-25
40 Flight, Slow 26-33 26-32
41 Force Field 34-35 33-37
42 Generate Self 36
43-45 Get Small 37-40 38
46-50 Get Tall 41-44 39
51-54 Gravity Control 45 40-42
55 Healing 46-47
56-58 Ice Coat 48-51 43-45
59 Illusions, Psychic 52-53 46
60 Invisibility, Light 54 47-53
61 Light Control 55-58 54-56
62 Light Illusions 59 57
63 Magic Spell 60
64-69 Magnetism 61 58-59
70-71 Molecule Control 62 60-61
72 Phobia 63 62
Power Enhancement 64-65
73-77 Sand Control 66-68 63-64
78-80 Shape Changer 69-71 65
81 Slide Molecules 72-74 66-67
82 Sound Control 75-77 68-74
Special Immunity 78-80 75-77
83-84 Speed 81-83 78-80
85 Stretch 84-86 81
86 Stun 87-88 82
87 Teleportation 89-90 83-88
88 Time Travel
89-90 Transducer 91 89-90
91 Vacuum 92 91-93
92 Vibratory Powers 93 94-95
93 Water Control 94-95 96
94-95 Weather Control 96 97
96 Willpower 97 98
97 Wings 98 99
98 Withering 99
99 Special Subtable below 00 00
00 Roll three times and choose two of them

Special Power Subtable (d10)

1 Animalistic Power Subtable
2-3 Cosmic
4-5 Psychic
6-7 Superhuman
8 Special Powers; Type of Hero column
9 A Skill (Roll twice, take best; for weapons, add 2d4 to present level;
10 Intelligent Robot Power Subtable

Animalistic Power Subtable (d10)

1) Bear/Ape
2) Birds
3) Feline
4) Canine
5) Huge
6) Snake
7) Spider
8) Sting
9) Water
10) Rodents

Intelligent Robot Power Subtable (d4)

1) Audio Table
2) Visual Table
3) Power Table
4) Miscellaneous Equipment Table

Package Heroes: Civilian

The Civilian is just your everyday kinda joe. The Civilian can be a newscaster, a schoolteacher, a politician, or any of the other strange professions that crop up in comic books.

Abilities: The Civilian player can change the character’s starting abilities (strength, agility, constitution, charismas, learning, newoen, sight, hearing) by moving points from one ability to another. A player cannot, however, increase or decrease anything beyond the normal human maximum or minimum. For all the 3d6 abilities, this means nothing decreased to less than 6 or in­creased to greater than 15. For the 4d6 abilities this means nothing less than 8 or greater than 20. Abilities beyond those limits cannot be changed. Abilities can only be changed when the character is created.

Knowledge and Skills: The Civilian has learning plus d4 points to use for knowledge, skills, and abili­ties. One point equals 20 points of knowledge or 10 Training Points (see Training, under Worldly Matters).

Combat Skill

So you like weapons, hm? Well, whether you’re a Bear or Glock fan, or get your jollies from fifteenth century swordsmanship or twentieth century cinematic footwork, we’ve got the fightin’ package for you. Batteries not included, some assembly required. Each Combat Skill Package has ability re­quire­ments which must be met.

Equipment: Characters from these packages (except Martial Artists) have a 20% chance of gaining something from the Normal Equipment Table. If a character gains a second weapon, level with it is 2d4.

Choices: There are five Combat Skill packages: archer, boxer, marksman, martial artist, and weaponmaster.

Combat Skill: Archer

The archer uses bows and arrows. Traditional archers like to use all sorts of neat gadgets with their arrows. Some modern retro-punks prefer the simple broadhead. It’s a bit bloodier, and can be harder to explain down at the precinct.

There is an 80% chance, rolled until missed, of being able to roll on the Special Weapons table, under the Fringe Benefits Normal Equipment Table. The character will have d4 of each special arrow rolled up. The character’s quiver will hold 15 + d20 arrows total.

Required: Strength: 12
Agility: 15
Constitution: 9
Learning: 9
Newoen: 11
Hearing: 12
Sight: 18
Bonuses: Strength: +d3-1
Agility: +d6
Sight: +d4
Level: Base of 11, plus d4, with Bows.

Combat Skill: Boxer

There was a time when boxing was the ‘way out’ of the slums, a ticket to both stardom and simple respectability. Likewise, boxing was a good way to become a superhero. Same job: punching people and looking good.

Required: Strength: 14
Agility: 14
Constitution: 10
Learning: 8
Newoen: 12
Hearing: 15
Sight: 15
Bonuses: Strength: +d4
Agility: +d4
Constitution: +d3
Level: Base 11, plus d4, Fistfighting.
Base -1, plus 2d2, Evading Attacks
2d3 in Rolling With Attacks

Combat Skill: Marksman

Big trouble requires a big gun, and the first rule of a gunfight is to bring one. The marksman in a superhero world has a tricky job. Remember, you ain’t supposed to hurt anyone, at least not permanently. So, be careful where you aim that thing, and see if you can get some rubber bullets.

There is a 40% chance, rolled until missed, of being able to roll on the Special Weapons table, under the Normal Equipment Table.

Required: Strength: 8
Agility: 13
Constitution: 7
Learning: 12
Newoen: 10
Hearing: 11
Sight: 17
Bonuses: Strength: +d4
Sight: +d4
Level: Base 8, plus d4, with Firearms.

Martial Artist

When most people think of martial arts, they think of the Japanese and Chinese versions. This package is for any fighting skill that uses as much acrobatics (at least, in the movies) as it does hitting. Kick-boxers may also apply.

Required: Strength: 14
Agility: 16
Constitution: 12
Learning: 10
Newoen: 15
Hearing: 14
Sight: 14

The player must choose 3-5 skills:

3d4 Roll Number of Skills
3-4 3
5-10 4
11-12 5

The character cannot ‘double up’ on these skills. The major skill will have a level of 8+d4, the second skill will have a level of 6+d4, and the third a level of 4+d4. If there are any further skills, the fourth will have a level of 2+d4, and the fifth a level of d4. These are the skill choices:

Martial Punch Martial Kick
Martial Throw Acrobatics
Nerve Pinch Sneak
Falling Jump

In addition to the previous skills, the Martial Artist gains a level of 2d2 in Evading Attacks, and a level of 2d2-1 in Rolling With Attacks.

Martial Artists also have a chance of having a weapon. This chance is 20%, and is rolled until missed. One of these rolls can be taken on the Normal Equipment Table if the player so desires. If the character gains a weapon, level with that weapon is 4+d4, and there is a 40% chance that the player can roll on the Special Weapons subtable of the Normal Equipment Table for each of the following weapons rolled up:

d20 Roll Weapon
01-03 Throwing Stars
04-08 Nunchuku
09-13 Katana (treat as a long sword, +2 vs. ST)
14-16 O Dachi (treat it as a two-handed sword)
17 Staff
18 Hankyu (treat as a bow)
19-20 Wakizashi (treat as a short sword)

Weaponmaster

If the weapon requires more agility than strength, those two requirements may be switched.

Required: Strength: 15
Agility: 10
Constitution: 12
Learning: 8
Newoen: 8
Hearing: 14
Sight: 14
Bonuses: +d6 to either strength or agility: whichever had 15 as the minimum score.
Level: Base of 11, plus d4 in a Close Combat weapon (or 8+d4 in a Combat Skill Umbrella).

There is a 40% chance, rolled until missed, of being able to roll on the Special Weapon subtable of the Normal Equipment Table.

Armor: Roll to see if the character has armor.

d100 Roll Armor (see subtable for type)
01-35 no armor
36-65 normal armor
66-72 Lighter
73-80 Harder
81-94 Lighter and Harder
95-99 Lighter, Harder, and More Durable
00 Roll twice more with 60+d40

If so, roll d10 on the Types of Armor subtable to see what type of armor it is.

Types of Armor subtable:

1-2 Shield
3-4 Chain Mail
5-6 Leather
7 Plate Mail
8 Plate Armor
9* The weapon gives the bonus
10* Something worn gives the bonus

If the armor gives a bonus, but their armor is normal, the weapon or something worn that provides the bonus is equivalent to a shield.

If the character does have armor, the character also has a level of 2d4 in Armor Use for that type of armor (Shield Use for Shields).

If the armor is ‘harder’, ‘lighter’, or ‘more durable’, use the following table:

Harder: Increase ST by d4 or Ignore Damage by 2d4
More Durable: ST +d4 and Ignore Damage of d6 applied to the damage that the armor takes.
Lighter: Reduce weight by d6*10%; multiply Agility penalty by current weight and divide by original weight. Further Lighter rolls reduce current weight, not original.

Eccentric Professor or Mad Scientist

A character cannot have any ability score greater than these:

Strength: 9 Agility: 13
Constitution: 10 Newoen: 12
Hearing: 16 Sight: 11

In addition, the character must have a learning of at least 16. A Mad Scientist automatically has a Reverse Talent in Action (see Optional Rules), if that Optional Rule is used.

Eccentric Professor or Mad Scientist: Laboratory

The character will have a laboratory and equipment. The player must roll for ‘points’ to ‘trade in’ on equipment for the character. Roll 4d6+10. If the dice come up a combination of only ‘sixes’ and ‘fives’, there is a 50% chance, rolled until missed, of being able to add d20 points to the total.

If the player wants some equipment not on the list, use listed point costs to find points for unlisted equipment.

Mad Scientist Equipment List

Analyzer 9

Astronomy Equipment 4

Atom Smasher 40

Biological Equipment

Simple 2

Average 4

Complex 10

Biological Samples

Single/Few Celled

Simple 2

Average 2

Complex 5

Animals/Plant

Simple 4

Average 4

Complex 6

Building/House (greater than average size; fit with defensive or passive things: trap doors, secret hallways, etc.)

Large 5

Immense (Castle, Estate) 8

Chemicals

Simple 1

Average 6

Complex 12

Chemistry Equipment

Simple 3

Average 6

Complex 12

Computer type/4 + # abilities/5

Dimension Travel Device 50

Electron Microscope 10

Electronic Workshop & Tools

Average 4

Complex 10

Freezer

Very Cold 8

Near Absolute Zero 28

Geology Equipment

Simple 1

Average 3

Complex 7

Human Helper 4

Library (one subject) 4

Life Box 35

Mathematical Equipment

Average 1

Complex 2

Mechanical Workshop & Tools

Average 3

Complex 6

Medical Equipment

Simple 3

Average 5

Complex 8

Meteorological Equipment

Simple 2

Average 3

Complex 7

Microscope power/400

Nuclear Reactor 35

Physics Equipment

Simple 2

Average 5

Complex 9

Planetarium 15

Psychology Equipment

Average 2

Complex 6

Radio, Communications

Basic 1

Extensive 3

Radio Telescope 7

Robot Helper 8

Rock Samples

Simple 1

Average 3

Complex 6

Satellite Antenna 3

Spaceship

Interplanetary 30

Interstellar 40

Teleport Device 55

Telescope power/100

Time Travel Device 60

Van de Graaf Machine 3

World Maps, Specialized 1

Other Bonuses of Mad Scientists

Mad Scientists and Eccentric Professors only have half the chance given under the Learning description for photographic memory.

Mad Scientists and Eccentric Professors gain an Inventing Level of 2d4. This is completely general and works in any area.

The Mad Scientist or Eccentric Professor gains a bonus to learning of 2d10.

The player has a number of points equal to 6 times learning. These points can be added to any one knowledge score, or divided up between many knowledge areas.

Intelligent Robots

Intelligent Robot players must roll for senses, powers, miscellaneous equipment, and must determine a power source. Once the player chooses the group of Abilities to use for the character, any one except newoen may be rerolled twice, take the best; any other may be rerolled once, and this roll taken if it is better than the original ability/attribute. When determining the Maximum and Minimum Temperatures for the character (see Situations), double the total of constitution and damage points for that purpose.

Body and Mind

Build: Roll d6 and subtract 1. Roll d20 this many times and add this to the robot’s build.

Thinking: Intelligent Robots automatically get Think Fast, Power Roll d20. They also automatically have Memory Training of d20.

Intelligent Robots: Senses

Touch: 90% of robots have touch sense equivalent to a normal human. Those who don’t, have a Touch Sense of d100 minus 1. This is the robot’s base chance of noticing if damage has been taken. Multiply it by the amount of Damage Points the Robot took from the attack for the true chance that the damage will be noticed, at least by ‘feeling’ it.

Smell: 70% of Intelligent Robots have a smell sense equivalent to that of a normal human. Otherwise, the robot has no sense of smell at all.

Sight: Roll d2 times on the Visual table:

01-55 Light
56-70 Infrared
71-80 Ultraviolet
81-90 Sonar
91-93 X-Rays
94-97 Radar
98-99 Map Sense
00 Roll twice more on this table

Robots have a 60% chance of being able to transmit in Light, Infrared, and Ultraviolet if they have those senses. They have a 90% chance of having to transmit on any of the other visions in order to use them.

Hearing: Roll d2 times on the Audio table:

01-20 Radio Frequencies (normal)
21-75 Sound Frequencies (see Sound, below)
76-78 Brain Waves
79-94 Microwave
95-99 Laser
00 Roll twice more on this table

Robots can talk as well as hear with these senses. If they have the ability to hear sound, there is an 85% chance that they can hear Normal sound, 45% that they can hear Ultrasonic sound, and 50% that they can hear Subsonic sound.

Intelligent Robots: Powers

Roll 3d4 to discover how many powers the Robot character has.

Roll Number of Powers
3-4 2
5-10 3
11-12 4

Roll for that many powers:

01-12 Laser Ray (type d5)
13-15 Magnetic Powers
16-18 Electric Powers
19-27 Heat Ray
28-33 Freeze Ray
34-36 Hearing Power of (d4) times 10
37-39 Sight Power of (d4+1) times 10
40-42 Force Field
43-44 Increased Speed
45-52 Skin Temper + d6 or ignore 3d6 points damage
53-60 Strength + d12
61-67 Roll once on Advanced Equipment Table
68-75 Missile Fire
76-77 Radiation
78-84 Agility + d8
85-93 Constitution + 2d6
94-96 Stun
97-99 Sound Control
00 Roll twice more on this table

Intelligent Robots: Equipment

‘Equipment’ is sort of like powers, but it has that mech-E feel.

01-02 Think Fast

03-05 Anti-Grav (as Anti-grav belt, d100%)

06-21 Rocket Flight (as Rocket Pack, usually Ape)

22-30 Roll once on Normal Equipment Table

31-40 EP+2d50

41-42 Grappling Hook (rope is Type d10)

43 Roll on skill list; weapon use: +d4, base 1

44-48 Extra or Odd Body Part

49-60 Minor Equipment: Player chooses 2d6:

1) internal clock

2) compass (directional)

3) calculator (learning squared digits)

4) an internal box, dimensions totaling: 7+d100 cubic decimeters

5) One of the following electrical outlets:

a) 120 V, 60 Hz (normal home socket)

b) 220 V, 60 Hz (heavy house socket)

c) variable DC: 0 to 12.5 Volts this uses up 1 EP per heavy appliance per hour; heavy scientific equipment will use 3 EP per hour.

6) Can openers, corkscrew

7) tool kit: flathead screwdriver, phillips screwdriver, adjustable wrench

8) crowbar

9) hammer (for nails) with nail remover)

10) pliers, wire stripper, soldering iron

11) drawing compass, straight edge

12) random number generator

13) mechanical pencil, pen, eraser for both

14) internal garbage disposal unit

61-75 Modem

76-77 Supersensitive Touch

78-83 Repair ability: heal DP using Healing Rate

84 Lifting

85-96 Learning + d10

97-98 Roll on Special Powers Table, Robot

99 Increased Healing Rate

00 Roll twice more on this table

Power Source

Each robot is assumed to be able to store a certain amount of energy (equal to their maximum EP) in their body. However, unlike humans, robots don’t get energy by eating food. Each player playing a robot must roll d20 on the following chart to determine their character’s power source:

1-10 External: The character gets energy from some source of radiation (solar energy, cosmic energy, a transmitter somewhere). The player must decide on one type of energy. When the character is cut off from the source of the radiation, EP will not heal back, and when the source is partially cut off, the healing rate for EP will be reduced accordingly.
11-20 Internal: The character regains power by ingesting some material (uranium, dilithium, plastic, light bulbs). The player must decide on one type of material. The character must ingest this every d10,000 +39, divided by d40 hours. If a feeding time is missed, EP will not be regained after that time.

Intelligent Robots: Healing

DP: Any DP taken by a robot cannot be healed: it must be repaired (unless the robot has Repair circuits or Increased Healing Rate). Various knowledge areas allow a person to repair a robot. Metalworking will allow repair of bludgeon­ing damage. For a robot who is basically electronic, Electronics (characters with Amateur Radio may try, using one-quarter their knowledge score) will allow repair of penetrating and injury damage. For a robot who is basically mechanical, Mechanics (characters with Vehicles knowledge may try, using one-quarter their knowledge score) will allow repair of penetrating and injury damage. Robotics will allow a person to repair any kind of damage on a robot. A person can try to repair 1 point DP every (500 divided by knowledge score) minutes, with a chance of success equal to knowledge score minus the number of DP the robot is from maximum. Any one repairer can try only once to repair each penetrating DP lost, although the repairer can try again to repair bludgeoning damage. If the repairer misses the chance of success, a save must be made, rolling d100 less than or equal to half the repairer’s knowledge score minus the amount of DP the robot is missing, or the repairer accidentally does 1 point more damage, of the type being repaired.

VP: Robots will heal VP by their healing rate like any other character.

EP: All EP that a robot uses is considered EP that heals per hour. This EP heals back at the robot’s healing rate per hour whether resting or not. Note that robots do not lose EP like normal humans do for staying awake. The robot character must roll d24, and this is the amount of EP the robot loses, every 24 hours of activity. Robots shut down at 0 EP.

If a robot gains Increased Healing Rate as a power, assume the calculated Healing Rate is 0, unless repair circuits are also had (see Miscellaneous Equipment). For example, a robot with Increased Healing Rate PR 4, but no normal repair circuits would assume the robot’s normal healing rate to be zero for purposes of that power. In all other respects, Increased Healing Rate gives the same advantages to the robot as it does to any other character.

Bleeding: Robots do not bleed.

Pushing Abilities: Robots cannot push abilities (unless the robot has the power Willpower).

Wounds: Robots do not gain permanent damage.

Robot Malfunctions:

When an injury roll is made, robots do not gain permanent damage or lose consciousness. If loss of consciousness is indicated, the robot has a temporary malfunction. If permanent damage is indicated, the robot has a longer-lasting malfunction, of severity as if it were a permanent wound. Malfunctions will be caught if the repairer makes a perception roll with a bonus of the repairer’s knowledge score divided by 10. Roll d20 to see where the malfunction occurs. It is up to the Editor to determine exactly what malfunctions with respect to the following table:

1-8 A Power
9-12 The CPU circuitry
13-20 Part of the body: roll on the chart under Massive Body Attacks

If, for any reason, all power is shut off, but the ‘brain’ or CPU remains intact, there is a 75% chance that learning will be retained upon power up. There is only a 25% chance that memory will be kept. If memory is lost, %Control will be divided by 2 on every power that a human would roll %Control on.

Other Robot Junk

Aging: Robots do not age.

Astral Forms: Robots do not have astral forms, unless the power Astral Projection is rolled. Note that souls and astral forms are not the same thing. It is up to you whether or not Intelligent Robots have souls, if that is even important.

Package Heroes: Magicians

The Magician does not control magic, but controls the observations of those watching so that the actions look like magic.

The Magician must have these ability scores:

Agility: 14 Learning: 13
Hearing: 12 Sight: 13

Magician Tricks: Any Magician can do the normal magic tricks seen on stage: card tricks, pulling a rabbit out of a hat (well, almost any magician… “Hey, Rocky!”), and various specialties they develop. These work automatically and require that both the stage and the audience be prepared. This is reflected by the Magician’s Knowledge Score in Magic, which is the magician’s Learning plus 2d20. In addition to this, however, the Package Hero Magician will have 4-5 (d2+3) skills/powers. Use the following table to determine what each skill/power is:

01-74 Magic-simulating Skill table
75-95 Normal Skill table
96 Super Power table
97 Weapon Skill (+2d3 levels)
98-99 Special Equipment table
00 Roll twice more

Magic-simulating skills are skills that look like magic if they’re done correctly. They look a lot like egg on your face if they’re not done correctly…

Magic Simulating Skills

01-20 Create Optical Illusion
21-35 Hide Objects in Plain Sight
36-40 Hide Objects on Oneself
41-50 Mass Hypnosis
51-60 Hypnosis
61-80 Read People
81-92 Quick Change
93-00 Do Magic Tricks Without Stage

See skill descriptions.

‘Normal’ skills that ‘heroic’ magicians know tend to be things that allow them to break laws. Some heroes…

Normal Skills

01-13 Escape Artistry
14-17 Roll on Skill List
18-30 Disguise
31-36 Opening Locks
37-39 Acrobatics
40-47 Picking Pockets
48-56 Forgery
57-60 Ignore Damage + d4 points
61-67 Counterfeiting
68-69 Nerve Pinch
70-84 Confidence Art
85-95 Sneak
96-00 Detection

Some magicians are magicians to hide their psychic powers. Others happened upon superpowers in the course of their adventurous magician’s life.

Super Power

01-07 Illusion, Psychic
08-13 Light Illusion
14-16 Teleportation
17-25 Agility + 2d4
26-33 Learning + 2d8
34-38 Telekinesis
39-44 ESP
45-56 Magic Spell
57-60 Clairvoyance
61-64 Astral Planes Travel
65-70 Mind Control
71-76 Sensitive
77-80 Control Chance
81-88 Hypnotic Power
89-92 Open Locks
93-94 Special Power
95-96 Psychic Power
97-00 Mind Travel

Modern science (and modern magic…) can make the magician’s job much easier.

Special Equipment

01 Bag of Tricks: 30+d40% likely to produce something useful but never combat oriented
02 Deep Pocket: holds d20 cubic meters
03-07 Hypno-Ray (Hypnosis PR 2d4)
08 Robe/Jacket of 2d4 Deep Pockets (see 02)
09 Vibrator
10 Beautiful/Handsome Assistant
11-17 Illusion Device (Psychic Illusion PR 2d8+1 or Light Illusion PR 2d4+1; player’s choice)
18-22 Acid (type d4)
23-28 Bright Flash (type d4)
29-34 Dark Cloud
35-40 Laser Pen
41-50 Trick Cards (see trick card table)
51-57 Mirror Smoke
58-63 Ventriloquism Device
64-68 Cloak of Teleportation (Teleport PR 2d10+2)
69-75 Sleep Gas (type 2d2)
76-82 Magic Item from the Magic Equipment Table
83-88 Choose a weapon; roll on Special Abilities for Weapons under Lists and Tables.
89-95 Roll on the Normal Equipment Table
96-00 Roll on the Advanced Equipment Table

If the character has some form of trick cards, the player should roll for d6 of them. The character starts with d4 of each type rolled, but has the ability to acquire more. These do not have to be cards. They can be dominoes, pens, computer disks, or twinkies™.

Trick Cards

01-15 Cards act as Throwing Stars (see below)
16-20 Card acts as Bright Flash
21-30 Grenade, Sleep (type d4)
31-35 Grenade, Explosive
36-45 Stun Bomb, type 2d4
46-58 Dark Cloud
59-65 Heat Bomb, type 2-4
66-67 Card acts as a lightning bolt that does 2d3 d6 of damage, and gets +2d3 to hit.
68-76 Tangler, type d4
77 Stasis Bomb
78 Roll on Advanced Equipment Table
79-80 Roll on Normal Equipment Table
81-82 Parachute
83-87 Grenade, Tear Gas
88-90 Tracer
91-92 Flare
93 Fire Extinguisher
94-95 Acid (type d4)
96 Roll up a Psychic Power
97-98 Roll for a Spell under the power Magic Spell
99 Roll up on Special Powers table
00 Roll twice more

The character is Weapons Skill level 1+d6 with these Throwing Star-like cards.

Special Agents

Special Agents are usually members of an organization such as the FBI (SIT) or the CIA (AIM), but may also be a member of a secret organization such as Future Study or another organization) or even loners (Private Detectives). Here are the minimum abilities:

Strength: 9 Agility: 9
Constitution: 10 Learning: 10
Newoen: 11 Hearing: 11
Sight: 11

Knowledge/Skills: All Special Agents have the following skills, without having to trade in points for them (if the player chooses one of these skills again under the rules below, it costs as if chosen a second time):

• Will Resistance

• Evading Attacks

• Rolling With an Attack

• Memory Training

• Evading Pursuers

• Awareness

Special Agents will have extra skills and/or knowledge: Divide the Agent’s learning by 4, round up, and add 2d6. This is the number of points the character has for gaining knowledge or skills pertaining to their job.

The player can trade in one point and gain a score of 20+2d20 in any Knowledge area. To choose an area a second time requires 2 points, and only 2d20 can be added to the previous score. No knowledge area can be taken more than twice.

The player can trade in two points and gain a skill. See the skill description for the level. The player can choose a skill twice, but the second time it uses up 4 points. No skill may be taken more than twice.

The player must choose at least one knowledge area and at least one skill.

Package Heroes: Wizard

There are certain requirements which must be met to become a Wizard Package Hero. The character must have a newoen of at least 14, an agility of at least 10, and a learning of at least 13. These requirements do not restrict people learning magic after the game starts. It only restricts those who choose Wizard as their original Package Hero.

Beginning of Training: The character learns magic by training for a certain number of years. The character starts training at the age rolled up in the section on Creating a Character, unless this age is less than 13. If so, the training starts at the age of 13. Subtract the age rolled from 13 for the number of extra Minor Spells the character will receive (see General or Special Wizard).

Duration of Training: The apprentice will train for 4+d3 years. Multiply this by 100 times Learning/10 (add the character’s Talent in Magic to Learning, if the character has that Talent) for the number of ‘Creation Points’ which will determine how much magic the character knows.

Knowledge: At the end of training, the wizard will have knowledge in Wizardry increased by 2 per year of study. Modify the total by adding or subtracting the character’s talent or reverse talent in Magic, if such exists.

Types of Wizards: The player can choose to play any of five different types of wizard. The types are classified by the manner in which spells are learned (General or Special Wizard) and the manner in which they are cast (Classical or Mnemonic Wizard). The fifth type, Weaver is completely different from the other four. The five types are:

• General Classical Wizard

• General Mnemonic Wizard

• Special Classical Wizard

• Special Mnemonic Wizard

• Weavers

Magic Items: A wizard has a 15% chance, rolled until missed, of being able to roll for a magic item. To find which spell is on the magic item, see the power Magic Spell. If the spell Pervert Effect is rolled up, there is a 30% chance that the player must roll again for another spell, and this spell was perverted when it was placed in the item.

To determine the level of effect of the spell(s) in the item and the chance of success, some of the original caster’s abilities must be known. Use the following table if they are unknown. The Editor may want to specify a creator beforehand, however.

Newoen: 12 + 2d6
Agility: 6 + 4d3
Learning: 14 + 2d4

Level: Add d12-1 to the spell’s level. If 12 is rolled, add another d12-1, until 12 isn’t rolled.

EP in the Object: There is spell level + 2d20 EP in the object, if necessary.

You’ll also need to know how the spell was placed in the item:

01-70 As the spell, Imbue Spell into Object
71-90 As above, with the spell Permanency
91-99 Imbue Spell, but with made permanent with a requirement.
00 Imbue Spell, but made permanent with the caster’s self.

The Performance Time for using Magic Items is 10. The character can take training in that item (as Combat Skill) to decrease the Performance Time.

The chance of success for using a magic item is equal to the chance of success the original caster would have had, as is Casting Time, Range, and all other parts of the spell. The user may reduce the level the spell is cast at, however, in order to reduce EP used, or Casting Time, just as if it were a normal spell.

You may want to roll on the Magic Item table to see what the item actually is.

General Wizards

Fifty creation points are required to play a General wizard. This gives the character a 3 Wizardry, a Level of 0, and Newoen plus 4 Minor Spells.

Multiply the final level the character is going to be by 50, for the additional creation points required.

Each spell the character knows costs Spell Level plus Study Time creation points. The sample wizard, Cerest-Ranon, is a general classical wizard, created with 850 creation points (5 years).

Special Wizards

Twenty-five creation points are required to play a Special wizard. This gives the character a 1 Wizardry and half Newoen Minor Spells.

Each spell the character knows costs Spell Level plus Study Time creation points. Additional levels in a spell cost Study Time times the number of additional levels.

Classical Wizards

It costs no points to be a Classical Wizard.

Mnemonic Wizards

It costs 30 points to be a Mnemonic Wizard. Levels in Impressing cost 5 creation points per level per level. That is, level 1 costs 5 points, level 2 15 points (5+2*10), and level 3 costs 30 points (15+3*5), etc. Level 10 costs 255 points.

Mnemonic General wizards cost 80 points per level instead of 50, and half the number of points to learn spells.

Mnemonic Special wizards cost half the number of points to learn spells and increase in spell levels.

Weaving Wizards

It costs 200 points to be a zero level Weaving Wizard (or a six pack of Grant’s Imperial Stout, but that’s something else entirely). Each level in Weaving Wizardry costs another 100 points. The player can also pay for levels in Gesticulation and Loquacity at 40 points per level.

These rules add variety to characters. Some simply add options for character origins. Others also add a little complexity to the game. The use of these are up to the players and Editor. Percentages and rolls are given to aid in character creation.

Magic Item Table

01-02 ring 03-04 sword 05-06 cloak 07-08 wand
09-10 staff 11-12 scroll 13-14 amulet 15 stone
16 carpet 17-18 beads 19-20 boots 21-22 bowl
23-24 brazier 25-26 candle 27-28 censer 29-30 dust
31-32 potion 33-34 gem 35-36 helm 37-38 robe
39-40 belt 41-42 gloves 43-44 dagger 45-46 foil
47 mace 48 lasso 49-50 shield 51-52 leather armor
53-54 stick 55-56 globe 57-58 bone 59-60 prism
61-62 lens 63-64 cube 65 oil 66 broom
67-68 mirror 69-70 rod 71-72 monocle 73-74 cord
75-76 dice 77-78 horn of plenty 79-80 lantern 81-82 anklet
83-84 necklace 85-86 bracelets 87-88 statue 89-90 extra spell in item
91-92 saber 93 headband 94 chain mail armor 95 crown
96-99 something different 00 no item: spell built into character
  1. Class Powers
  2. Being a Superhero