Basic Action Super Heroes!

TEMPLATES

Templates are a character design aid. They are similar to, but less specific than, Power Suites and Archetypes. The idea is to speed up character creation without narrowing the players’ choices too much. They are meant to be applied at any campaign level, though players are still limited by how many CP they can spend.

There are two kind of templates: Power Templates and Character Templates. The former help with choosing the character’s powers and the latter with their persona. Power Templates usually include (superhuman) Stats, Powers, Enhancements, Limitations, Weaknesses, Super Equipment and some Advantages and Disadvantages; while the Character Template may include Stats, Advantages, Disadvantages, Skills, Normal Equipment and Mental Malfunctions. Note you are not required to get all the listed things- you can pick and choose.

A Narrator using this option should prepare a list of Power and Character Templates and let every Player choose one of each, then they can decide which traits to spend points on. I'll be including examples of both kinds in this thread.

Here is one:

Martial Arts Power Template
Powers
Martial Arts Mastery‭ ‬1-5‭ ‬pts,‭ ‬Personal
Fleet of Foot 1‭ ‬pt,‭ ‬Personal
Heightened ‭ ‬1‭ ‬pt
Living Weapon 2 pts
Tenacity 2 pts
Valiant Defender 2 pts Note: Tiring
Advantages
Ascetic Discipline
Healing Trance
Lethal Weapons
Perseverance
Never Surrender

Here's another classic Template, the Weapons Master:

Weapons Master Power Template
Powers
Offhand Shooting 2 pts
Paired Weapons 2 pts
Weapon Technique 1-2 pts, Personal
Double Taps 1 pt
Expert Marksman 1 pt
Gun Fu 2 pts
Rapid Reload 1 pt
Sword Surgeon 2 pts
Weapon Bind 1 pt
Advantages
Relic
Gadgeteer
Skills
Science/Chemistry or Physics
Technology/ Repair, Invent, Jury-Rig or Modify
Equipment
Any
Note: if the character has Gadgeteer but no Powers with the Gadget Limitation or Super Equipment, then he can only produce other normal items.

Here are three examples of Character Templates:

Athlete Character Template
Brawn 1 (2 for a weightlifter, martial artist or swimmer)
Agility 2
Mind 1 (0 for a ‘Jock’)
Disadvantages
Normal
Physically Challenged
Addict (to enhancement drugs)
Old Injury
Skills
Athletics/Any
Escapology/Contortion
Perform/Juggling and Dance
Ride/Any
Equipment
Sports gear (baseball bat, climbing rope, scuba gear etc.)
Mental Malfunction
Competitive

Professor Character Template
Brawn 1 (0 for a weak geek)
Agility 1 (0 for a crippled genius)
Mind 2
Advantages
Jack of All Trades
Photographic Memory
Quick-Thinking
Versatile
Disadvantages
Unskilled (physical skills)
Headaches
Short Temper
Voices (for a Mad Genius)
Skills
Computers/any
Humanities/any
Medicine/Diagnosis, Research, Surgery, Toxicology, Genetics
Occultism/Artifacts, Legend
Science/any
Social Science/any
Technology/any
Equipment
High-Tech Equipment
Mental Malfunction
Nerdy

Socialite Character Template
Brawn 1
Agility 1
Mind 1
Advantages
Celebrity
Contacts
Headquarters
Leadership
Resources
Royalty
Support Squad
Membership
Mentor
Security Clearance (for a Spy)
Sidekick/Pet
Super Vehicle
Disadvantages
Arch-Enemy
Duty (for a Spy)
Rogue's Gallery
In a Relationship
Ward
Secret
Skills
Commerce/any
Deception/any
Humanities/Art, Foreign Cultures, Philosophy
Sailing/Piloting, Navigation, Command, Tacking
Social Science/History, Archeology
Equipment
any
Mental Malfunction
Bon-Vivant

Two more Power Templates ready for use!

The Shape-Shifter and the Transformist might sound similar, but the former can only change his shape, while the latter can change its body’s composition.

Shape-Shifter Power Template
Powers
Duplication1-5 pts
Healing 1-5 pts, Concentration
Stretching 1-5 pts, Sustained
Mimic 3-4 pts, Maintained /possible limitation: ‭any form taken still looks like you\
Boost (Brawn or Agility) 1-3 pts, Situational (depends on form)
Extra Limbs 1-3 pts, Sustained
Changeling 2 pts [possible Enhancement: Skill Substitution- Deception/Disguise]
Clinging‭ ‬1‭ ‬pt,‭ ‬Sustained
Gliding‭ ‬1‭ ‬pt,‭ ‬Sustained
Water Walking‭ ‬1‭ ‬pt,‭ ‬Maintained
Detachable Limbs 1-3‭ ‬pts‭
Advantages
Immortality
Instant Change
Multiple Bodies
Disadvantages
Involuntary Change
Clone
Onerous Change
Skills
Athletics/Aerobatics
Deception/Disguise

Transformist Power Template
Powers
Density Increase‭ ‬2-6‭ ‬pts
Growing‭ ‬1-5‭ ‬pts,‭ ‬Sustained
Shrinking‭ ‬1-5‭ ‬pts,‭ ‬Sustained
Size (large or small) 1-5‭ ‬pts
Shape-Shifting‭ ‬4‭ ‬pts
Ghost Form‭ ‬1-3‭ ‬pts,‭ ‬Maintained
Bouncing 3 pts
Skillful Phasing 1pt
Impossible Balance 1 pt
Weaknesses
Damaging Weakness
Vulnerability
Advantages
Unliving
Alter Ego
Quick-Thinking
Disadvantages
Freak
Maximum Capacity
Obtrusive‭
‭Skills
‭any skills that correspond to the Skillful Phasing Powers
‭Equipment
‭any used with the skills above

Let's face it: sometimes you can't (or don't want to) develop a character (at least, not at the start); you need to get gaming! After all, you can figure out details later (or develop the character using experience). In such cases, just take the Template below, and add whatever powers you want (possibly using a Power Template:)

Average Hero Character Template
Brawn 1
Agility 1
Mind 1
Skills
Athletics/Climbing
Investigation/Questioning
Equipment
Communication Earbud

Chargen can be a hassle with supers games, at least the traditional variety where you have to think of a lot of stuff up front. In more down to earth games, where not everyone has a code name and costume and all that stuff, you could definitely start simple.

Telepaths are a classic staple of Super Heroes and Science Fiction. Remember, you don't have to take all the traits listed here, you can pick freely (but the limits set by your Narrator for the Campaign do apply).

The Telepathic Power Template
Mind 3 or higher
Powers
-any Mental Powers (except Telekinesis)
-Immobilization [Target Only]
-Nullify /Mental Powers Only\
-Weaken (Mind)
-Slow [Lethargic]
-Immunity (specific Mental Powers)
-Resistance (Mental damage)
-Dimensional Teleportation (Astral Plane) (Linked to Astral Projection)
-Super Senses (Astral Sight)
Limitations: Only Affects Sentients
Weaknesses
Damaging Weaknesses (to Mental Attacks)
Negating Weaknesses (psychotropic drugs)
Advantages
Mental Link
Disadvantages
Mental Hook
Equipment
Telepathic Earbud

Matter control is another classic power seen often in Superhero and Fantasy stories, often specialized as a "Master of a Specific Element" eg. Earth, Water, Fire etc.

While this might seem like a short powerset, it is deceptively effective: such characters are often long-range combatants who fly over the battlefield, deflecting incoming attacks while incapacitating enemies or responding by animating objects to fight for them, or even creating dangerous substances such as poison from their surroundings.

The Matter Control Power Template
Powers
Animation
Transmutation
Immobilization
Slow [Quagmire]
Deflect /Physical Attacks Only\
Burrowing
Flight /Tethered\
Water Walking
Scan
Enhancements: Quagmire is from BASH Fantasy: Grimoire of Magic; ignore this if you don't have access to it
Limitations: Only Affects Specific Type of Matter

Similarly, the Magic Power Template might seem overly specialized, but remember that Grimoire + Occultism = Power Tricks that can emulate any Power (for one Hero Point each) for one use.

The Magic Power Template
Powers
X Mastery (Magic) [Broad Category]
Sense Magic
Nullify /Magical Powers only\
Resistance (magical damage)
Immunity (specific magic Powers)
Deflect /Magical attacks only\
Dimensional Teleportation /to Magical Dimensions\
Limitations: Casting
Weaknesses
Negating Weakness (requires magic power source)
Advantages
Grimoire
Disadvantages
Cursed
Skills
Occultism
Equipment
Magical equivalents of Special Equipment ex. a magic wand that functions like a blaster

The Animal Template

Hits: As minions (large animals should be treated as Heroes or Villains)
Brawn 1
Agility 1
Mind 0
Powers
Extra Body Parts (permanent)
Size (any)
Advantages
Lethal Weapons
Non Sentient
Disadvantages
Physically Challenged (no opposable thumbs); also, only Primates and Birds can see colors.
Mental Malfunction
Animal Instincts
Skills
Athletics or Stealth
Equipment
none

Variations:
-In your campaign, Primates and Cetaceans might be sentient. In that case they have Mind 1 but don’t have the Non-Sentient Advantage. Also, Primates have thumbs and may use tools.
-Flying Animals (birds, bats, flying insects) have Flight; other creatures may have Gliding.
-Aquatic Animals have Immunity to Drowning, but they also have a Vulnerability to Staying Out of Water.
-Cold-Blooded Animals (all except mammals and birds) have Susceptibility to Cold.
-Poisonous Animals have either Continual Damage (often linked to another attack) or Immobilization with the Target Only Enhancement (paralytic venom.)
-Animals with more Skills (especially trained ones) should have the Skillful Power.

Amazon Template



The Amazons of Greek legend are icons of fantasy and comics. They have various origins; I recommend using the one that claims they were originally a nation whose men left to fight in a war- and never came back. Thus they had to learn how to fight to protect themselves, and came to be among the most respected warriors in the Mediterranean.

Contrary to what some believe, the Amazons were not "anti men" in fact many had children, including their queen, Hyppolita. But they were definitely a matriarchy, and many swore oaths of chastity. Another famous Amazon was Atlanta, who was a member of the Argonauts.

Eventually, the Amazons vanished. Perhaps they left their homeland after Hyppolita was betrayed by Theseus; maybe they sailed across the Atlantic, up a mighty river before finally settling deep in a jungle, where they live to this day, interbreeding with the local primitives while remaining out of touch with the modern world. Rumors of their presence would reach the Spanish conquistadors, who would name the river and jungle after them.

Most Amazons are muscular, yet attractive. They are famous for their skill in archery and horsemanship. They would of course have trouble dealing with the outside world.

Requirements
Brawn 2
Powers
Weapon Technique: +1 to hit with Bow
Advantage
Appeal
Disadvantage
Outsider
Skills
Ride/Control
Equipment
Bow

Nice. Have comics ever placed Amazons in South America?

Not the Greek ones; I just thought using the (real life) legends of Amazons in South America to explain what happened to them would be an interesting variant rather than just aping DC's Paradise Island.

(Note, for a while there Marvel did have a lost Roman City in the Amazon- but for some reason this was later retconned as being full of people brainwashed by the mutant Selene.)

Cosmic Being Template
Brawn 5 (if the character has Cosmic Might)
Agility 5 (if the character has Cosmic Grace)
Mind 5 (if the character has Cosmic Thought)
Powers
Any Cosmic Powers
-note that Cosmic Powers must be limited to level 5 in a regular Supers campaign.
-Cosmic Powers may not have the Enhancements Multi-Power, Linked, or Recharge nor the Limitations Burn-Out, Energy Cost, or Finite.
Weakness
A Negating Weakness (for characters with Cosmic Might and/or Cosmic Grace)
Advantages
Immortality
Relic
Disadvantages
Cosmic Conscript
Mental Malfunction
An Ancient Pact; Compulsion; Limited Window; Aloof (see UE pg. 94)
Skills
Athletics/Space Surfing
Science/Cosmology

Speedster Power Template
Agility 3 or higher
Powers
Any Super-Movement Powers:
-Bouncing
-Flight
-Gliding
-Hovering
-Super Jump (upgraded in AP #1, p5, 1-5 points)
-Super Running
-Hyper-Speed (see AP #10)
-Super-Swimming
-Burrowing
-Swinging
Trample (AP #1, p4, 3 points) (only usable by Size 1 or larger characters)
Speed Recovery (AP # 9 p. 20, 1 pt)
Notes:
-Characters who can fly very high might wish to take Immunity 2 (Low Pressure and lack of Oxygen) as well.
-Characters with Super-Swimming might wish to take Resistance 2 (High Pressure, Cold) if they swim too deep.
*Enhancements
Space (for Flight 3 or higher, also requires Immunity 4)
Mach Speed (ADEL File, pg 7)
Overdrive (AP #1, pg 6)
Second Nature (for Flight, Super Running or Swinging)
*Limitations
Maximum Altitude (AP #1 pg 7) for Flight
Tethered (AP #1 pg 7) for Flight
Always On - for Bouncing, Hovering and Burrowing
Maintained (AP # 9 p. 10) for Gliding
Limited Duration (AP #2 pg 11)
Weakness
a Negating Weakness (reduces Agility to 1)
Advantages
Instant Change
Furtive Movements (AF, pg 3)
Quick Thinking
Disadvantages
Detrimental Metabolism (AP # 9 p. 11)
Mental Malfunction
Thrills- speed freak
Equipment (see Awesome Powers #6)
-any hand-to-hand or thrown weapon (to take advantage of momentum, see UE pg. 41)
-Body Armor (2 CP) to protect from collisions (characters with Bouncing don’t need this)
-Grappling Hook & Cable or Rope: for climbing over obstacles (if you don't have the right Powers to bypass them.)
-Shark Repellent: for Super-Swimmers who can't fight or control sharks