Basic Action Super Heroes!

Obvious Presence: Some aspect of the character’s powers are continually in effect and automatically makes them stand out (while in Hero form only – not while Normal). Possibilities include: the character glows, generates a distasteful odor, or every movement creates a grating noise. The character suffers a -4 Dice Penalty when attempting to hide, move stealthily, or use a disguise. This disadvantage cannot be taken with Freak.

Sense Impaired: One of the character’s five senses is impaired. Pick one of the following conditions:
Near-Sighted – The character has difficulty seeing objects that are distant. On all vision checks, when trying to target an opponent or spot something beyond 5 squares, apply a -2 Dice Penalty (a Moderate Hindrance) and a -4 Dice Penalty (Major Hinderance) beyond 10 squares. Use of vision correcting aids (like Glasses) eliminates these penalties; but at the cost of burdening the character with 1 Setback point.
Far-Sighted – The character has difficulty seeing objects clearly when they are close. All vision checks within 5 squares, and all skills which rely upon the character’s close-up inspection are at a -2 Dice Penalty (examples: Medicine-Surgery, Craftsmanship-Carpentry, Stealth-Palming and Planting, Investigation-Finding Clues). Use of vision correcting aids (like glasses) eliminates these penalties, but at a cost of burdening the character with 1 Setback point.
Blind – The character cannot see and must rely upon other senses to navigate direction and interpret environment. All sight-reliant activities have a -4 Dice Penalty (Major Hindrance). That applies to all attacks, defense rolls, and skill checks. Additionally, the character’s safe movement speed is 1/3rd normal. Moving faster, without guidance, requires an Agility check to avoid being hurt: a Typical success (10) for relatively clear terrain such as an open field; a Tough success (20) for a lightly cluttered area such as a backyard or office; and a Superhuman success (30) for an environment of true pandemonium such as a high-traffic downtown city street. Damage could be interpreted as a twisted ankle, running into something, or tripping and should cause about x0.5 Dmg to the character’s Hits.
Numbed Sense of Touch – All the nerve endings on the character’s skin are desensitized. All physical skills requiring a careful or delicate touch are at a -2 Dice Penalty (such as Athletics-Climbing, Escapology-Loosen Binds, Perform-Play Instrument, and Stealth-Palming and Planting). Additionally, the character with this disadvantage has difficulty determining exactly how badly hurt they might be. Once the character’s Hits drop below 30, the Narrator secretly rolls two six-sided dice and subtracts 7 from the total; applying the result to his/her Hits to determine the character’s true Hit score (a negative result lowers the true Hit total, while a positive result increases it). Thus, when it gets down to the crunch the hero never really knows his true Hit score.
Hard of Hearing – This character has difficulty following along with conversations and doesn’t effectively notice sounds that might warn of danger. This character suffers a -2 Dice Penalty on all skill checks requiring a careful ear (such as Perform-Play Instrument, Stealth-Move Silently, Deception-Detect Deception, and Security-Cracking Safes). Use of hearing correcting devices (such as a hearing aid) eliminates these penalties but at a cost of burdening the character with 1 Setback point.
Deaf – The character cannot hear. This is similar to the ‘Hard of Hearing’ disadvantage (above), except with a -4 Dice Penalty. Additionally, without skill in Lip Reading*, the character cannot understand what people are saying. This disadvantage automatically confers the ability to communicate via sign language.

*Lip Reading could be found as a Specialty for the Deception, Humanities, or Security skills.

Non-Combative: When it comes down to the typical hero-villain slugfest, this character should look for supporting roles. This is because their fighting skills are somewhat lacking. This character suffers a -2 Dice Penalty adjustment to all combat efforts (whether ducking a punch, shooting a gun, projecting a power blast, or striking an opponent). Heroes with this disadvantage cannot take any powers from Combat Powers, or Intense Training Powers (except ‘Fleet of Foot’ and ‘Skillful’). This character can be helpful by keeping bystanders out of harm’s way while their teammates engage the villains. This disadvantage can be traded off for another if the Narrator feels that the character has made enough attempts to improve his/her fighting skill

Altitude Anxiety: The character has a fear of heights and suffers and suffers a -1 Multiplier Penalty on all actions when within two squares of a ledge or large window and is at least 3 stories above the ground. This disadvantage doesn’t cause the character an extreme panic reaction (like fainting or gripped/paralyzed by fear); just that such high altitudes are unsettling enough to distract his/her concentration. More severe reactions to height can be handled as a Mental Malfunction.

Hindered Movement: For whatever reason, your hero’s movement rate is impaired. The reason (whether extreme age, illness, obesity, physical handicap, or some other cause) must be defined by the player, agreed upon by the narrator and, if acceptable, the character’s non-powered movement speeds are ½ of what they otherwise would be. The hero cannot have the Fleet of Foot power. Additionally, powers which bypass this disadvantage, such as Flight, Hovering, Super Running, and Super Speed must have a limitation applied to it (choose from Activation, Burn-Out, Charges, Concentration, Energy Cost, Fading, Finite, Single Use, Situational, Time or Tiring; if the power comes from a gadget, then it must have the Ammunition limitation).

Frail: The characters maximum Hits are 80, as he/she suffers from a cronic, weakening condition of some form which makes the hero unable to take as much damage as typical hero. Maybe this disadvantage represents a hero secretly fighting cancer (or some other disease), or maybe the character just has weak bones.

Quickly Winded: This character is quite out of shape, and any prolonged, strenuous activity (such as running, climbing, swimming, or fighting bad guys) can wear the hero out. The character can go Brawn plus 2 pages of such activity without needing to rest. The character must then start making difficulty checks to see if he/she is forced by exhaustion, to rest that page (rather than taking an action). That 1st page extra page of exertion requires a Typical success on a Brawn check to continue. Each page afterwards that the character continues increases the difficulty by one grade (to Tough, then Superhuman, Epic, and finally Nigh-Impossible). Failing this check forces the character to Rest for one page. A character in combat cannot attack or dodge and attack. A character that is performing other activity must stop and rest (a swimmer treads water, and a climber holds position: in all cases there is no further progress made that page). By pushing yourself (pg. 26), or spending a Hero Die, effectively resets the counter to page 1: the hero is fully refreshed and can go another Brawn + 2 pages before another Exhaustion check needs to be made.

Please add your own Disadvantage ideas and comment on anything already posted.

Here's one from my current campaign.

Phobia: Something or someone out there induces a paralyzing fear in you. Possible triggers include animals like spiders, snakes, or bats, as well as situations like heights or traffic. If encountering the trigger indirectly, the character will be wary and try to avoid direct contact, but otherwise suffers no penalties. If forced to confront the trigger (i.e., thrown into the midst of a busy highway with a Traffic phobia), they immediately lose their panel as if affected by the Daze power. Every page they can roll Mind to break out of the Daze, but may also spend a Hero Point to snap out of it immediately. Being struck with an attack also breaks the Daze effect. Since super heroes are expected to encounter all sorts of situations, it's not advisable to give them a phobia that paralyzes their ability to adventure, such as fear of open spaces or fights.


Not sure about the effect, but it was simple enough to come up with on the spot and is easy to track.

Phobia is a great idea. This disadvantage would be an interesting way to tailor a character (such as a cat themed hero might have a Phobia towards canines; lots of people are afraid of dogs - oh, and by the way Cat-Man, your foe this week is the Red Werewolf!)

Great addition!

FLASHBACKS

The hero suffered some traumatic event in the past, and will occasionally relive it in his mind when faced with a similar situation. Hero must make a Difficulty 20 Mind check or suffer a flashback. Treat as Dazed (while experiencing the flashback) until Mind check 20 succeeds or 3 pages elapse.

ADDICT

Your hero suffers a paralyzing addiction to some harmful substance or source. Lack of the substance for a day causes a 1d6 Setbacks (cumulative) each day until the substance is administered. If a chance to get the substance arises, the hero must make a Mind 20 check or seize the opportunity at once.

Heroglyph wrote:ADDICT

Your hero suffers a paralyzing addiction to some harmful substance or source. Lack of the substance for a day causes a 1d6 Setbacks (cumulative) each day until the substance is administered. If a chance to get the substance arises, the hero must make a Mind 20 check or seize the opportunity at once.

That one's already in the book. See "Iron Age" rules

I completely missed that one.

BASHMAN wrote:

Heroglyph wrote:ADDICT

Your hero suffers a paralyzing addiction to some harmful substance or source. Lack of the substance for a day causes a 1d6 Setbacks (cumulative) each day until the substance is administered. If a chance to get the substance arises, the hero must make a Mind 20 check or seize the opportunity at once.

That one's already in the book. See "Iron Age" rules

Cool. Nothing like having options!