32734853 Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero Roleplaying Game Year One Edition Preview

INVULNERABLE Tabletop Superhero Roleplaying Game Year One Edition By Joshua Kubli

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Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction.............................................1 About the Invulnerable RPG............................................1 About Earth-Omega.........................................................1 Inspirations......................................................................4 What Do I Need?.............................................................5 About the Cosmology Engine..........................................5

Chapter Two: Character Creation.................................9 Awesomeness Level........................................................9 Build Point Costs and Bonuses......................................10 Character Creation Procedure........................................10 Character Creation Example..........................................12

Chapter Three: Motivations........................................17 Motivation Statistics......................................................17

Chapter Four: Origins.................................................21 Origins Overview..........................................................21 Origin Statistics.............................................................22

Chapter Five: Attributes..............................................31 Physical Attributes.........................................................31 Mental Attributes...........................................................32

Chapter Six: Powers....................................................33 Powers Overview...........................................................33 Powers Statistics............................................................40 Power Modifiers............................................................72

Chapter Seven: Talents...............................................77 Talent Overview............................................................77 Basic Talent Statistics....................................................77 Advanced Talent Statistics.............................................79

Chapter Eight: Weaknesses.........................................93 Human Weakness Statistics...........................................93 Metahuman Weakness Statistics....................................98

Chapter Nine: Assets...................................................99 Initiative........................................................................99 Resources......................................................................99 Defenses......................................................................102

Chapter Ten: Gear.....................................................103 Equipment...................................................................103 Weapons......................................................................105

Armor..........................................................................112 Vehicles.......................................................................115

Chapter Eleven: Combat...........................................121 Combat Procedure.......................................................121 Combat Actions...........................................................121 Non-Combat Actions...................................................123 Unarmed Combat.........................................................125 Vehicle Combat Actions..............................................126 Attack Modifiers..........................................................128 Area Effect Scatter.......................................................129 Damage.......................................................................130 Inanimate Objects........................................................130 Social Strife.................................................................131 Environmental Conditions...........................................132 Afflictions....................................................................133 Injury and Death..........................................................136 Vehicle Damage..........................................................137 Madness.......................................................................140 Sample of Combat.......................................................142

Chapter Twelve: Game Mastering............................145 Designing Your Campaign..........................................145 Designing Adventures.................................................152 Creating Non-Player Characters..................................156 Making Rulings...........................................................159 Dealing With Players...................................................160 Rewards.......................................................................163

Chapter Thirteen: Earth-Omega................................165 Heroes and Villains, Assemble!...................................165 Strange New World.....................................................170 One World, Invulnerable.............................................174 A World of Heroes and Villains..................................176 Billions and Billions of Stars.......................................178 The Past and the Future...............................................180 Other Dimensions........................................................180 A.P.E.X. Metahuman Files..........................................182

Appendix One: Earth-Omega Timeline....................223 Appendix Two: Sample Code Names.......................237

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG

Chapter One: Introduction About the Invulnerable RPG The Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero Roleplaying Game is designed to let you and your friends have your own super hero adventures. It's like writing your own comic book, and acting it out in your imagination, unfolding the story together as you play. One Player is called the Game Master, and they come up with exciting challenges for your heroes to face, bystanders to rescue, and nefarious villains for you to defeat.

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Roleplaying games like Invulnerable RPG aren't exactly like a game of pretend, or writing fiction in a shared universe. There's an element of chance and uncertainty involved, which is reflected by the dice. When your Character must accomplish a difficult action, you need to roll dice to see if the action succeeds. But the good news is, the bad guys can fail, also. Roleplaying game Adventures are kind of like real life in this way; you can never be totally certain that you'll succeed or fail. That's part of what makes it so much fun! Your heroes grow in power as they continue their heroic careers, gaining new powers and skills as they save lives, cities, even the universe from evil. Sometimes heroes die in the line of duty, sacrificing their lives for the greater good. But just like in the comics, another hero takes up the fight. Sometimes the hero comes back from the dead, through magic or cloning or time travel, sometimes with different powers and a new costume, ready to jump back into the action! Just as in the comics, the lineup may change, but the fun goes on.

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About Earth-Omega The default setting for Invulnerable RPG Campaigns is the world called Earth-Omega. Like many comic-book worlds, Earth-Omega is like our world, but populated by many amazing people with fantastic powers. Some are heroes, using their strange gifts for good, and some are evil, who use their special abilities to gain wealth and glory at the expense of others. Some are neutral, serving both sides, or neither.

Irrational Matter and Irrational Energy Strange particles and waves native to other dimensions, irrational matter and energy can resemble common forms of matter and energy but under certain poorly-understood circumstances, they can take on strange new properties.

Because of their bizarre properties, and as a nod to mathematical terms regarding their properties, they are called “irrational.” Some forms of irrational matter and energy can be shaped and molded by human thought and emotion. Irrational matter and energy often drift into Earth-Omega through naturally-occurring gateways or ruptures in space-time. Some humans exposed to irrational matter or energy develop strange powers. Others, like super-scientists, develop gadgets reliant on irrational materials and powered by irrational batteries. Finally, Sorcerers learn to use symbol and ritual to detect, collect, and harness irrational waves and particles to do extraordinary things, and some magical beings like Avatars and the Chosen subsist directly on irrational energies, or channel them directly into themselves from some other plane of existence.

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Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG Ordinary, conventional science is largely oblivious to irrational matter and energy, which is probably best. Alien guests report that many other species wipe themselves out when they began to develop irrational technologies, whether through careless accidents or petty, meaningless wars.

You know them, you love them! Patriot Force is the U.S. government's première super-team darlings, the best of the ruthlessly merchandised best. Many heroes get their start with Patriot Force, and the group has franchise teams in every state.

There have been several large-scale series of ruptures in history, although they're mostly known to mystics and scholars of metahuman lore. The two most recent occurred in the 1990s and the 1940s, and it looks like it's happening again in the 2010s as well. A series of dimensional ruptures always leads to an upsurge in the number of Mutants and Freak Accidents, to increased immigration of Avatars and Aliens, and to advances in super-science and magic.

Based in a space station situated near the Earth, Star Brigade is an alien task force formed by the Convocation of Peaceful Sapiences. The purpose of the local branch is to protect Earth from alien invaders, and support the quarantine against influence by advanced alien cultures that Earth isn't yet ready to deal with as equals.

Hero Teams Earth-Omega has a long and rich history, full of heroic, idealistic defenders of all that is right. These heroes gather into teams, to make defending freedom easier, and to train the next generation in an organized way. A branch of the United States Department of Homeland Defense, A.P.E.X. is the Agency on Potential and Enforcement of Extrahumans. It's charged with hunting down and incarcerating rogue metahumans, a job for which they're underfunded and under-appreciated. Not many know of the rogue international superspy agency called C.H.I.M.E.R.A., the Central Headquarters International Military, Espionage, and Research Agency. C.H.I.M.E.R.A. is dedicated to bringing the world together in peace and freedom, and their agents are the best of the best of the best, but they work in the shadows and use tactics others would question, if they knew.

The Street Knights are a team of gritty, violent heroes bringing guns, blades, and guts to the nightly struggle for justice in the rust-belt back alleys of Steeltown. Closely supervised by A.P.E.X., Task Force Tantalus inmates take on dangerous missions for the U.S. government in exchange for shorter sentences, with the threat of explosive collars on their necks to keep them in line. Struggling against oppression, stifled by international politics, U.L.T.R.A. it the United Nations Law Enforcement Tactical Response Agency, an international team of heroes from all nations, working together for the good of all (despite the politics and red tape that usually ensues). The sponsor to many high-tech heroes, Vanguard Industries is a United States technology firm. Battle-suited heroes, Gadget-Mongers, and Super-Scientist alike work with Vanguard to bring the world a safer, cleaner, faster, smarter future.

Villain Teams

The best and brightest new heroes attend Exemplar Academy in Puerto San Tomas. Founded by Next Step, the Academy now offers classes to fledgling heroes from any Origin, and many retired heroes teach classes there.

As many heroes as Earth-Omega can boast of, there are even more villains, who seek to conquer the world, plunder its riches, or just obliterate it altogether. These are your sworn enemies, hero.

On a remote, frozen mountain in Tibet, the monks of the Lamasery of Mt. Meru teach magic and martial arts, hoping to lead the world to enlightenment and peace through their students' actions.

Despite constant accusations of callous profiteering, Abraxas International is a mufti-billion-dollar company. The corporation was founded and run by the genius inventor Agamemnon Abraxas, one of the most hated men on EarthOmega after he goaded the beloved hero Unstoppable Man into committing the Metahuman Massacre. Abraxas International produces deadly high-tech weapons and sells to any evil dictator who can cough up the cash.

The Midnight Men get no respect, since they're pretty new on the scene, and haven't proven themselves yet. Based in Entremont, Louisiana, some call them a bunch of third-rate wannabes, but they try their hardest and never give up. The mutant heroes of Next Step are dedicated to fighting for acceptance, and fighting against the Mutants that give their kind a bad name.

An unholy fusion of Yakuza clan and mountain assassins, ancient enemies of the monks of Mt. Meru, many seek the Aka Tengu Ninja Clan for their stealth and martial combat skills.

Also based in Entremont, the mysterious Order of the Shadow Vigil is a secret society of sorcerers and supernatural creatures that work to keep the world safe from magical and extradimensional threats.

There is a force worshiped like a god by alien hordes, a force that swallows planets whole. The Andromedan Swarm serve the dreaded,Unmaker, and are one of the greatest enemies the Star Brigade have ever faced.

The freaks and geniuses of the Phenomenon Society served Queen Victoria in 19th century Britain, and although this strange social club has disbanded, its legacy lives on in several immortal and time-traveling heroes.

After the Gulf Oil spill of 2010, the Atlantean Warfleet declared war on the surface, pledging to bring the same devastation to the land nations that they visited on their Lemurian neighbors.

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Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG A brutal metahuman street gang, the Chaos Crew has branches all over the United States. The Crew was founded in the 70s when prejudice against Mutants rose, but these thugs welcome any street punk with powers and loyalty and a love for pointless destruction.

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A frightening force hiding in the shadows, the Cult of the Universal Presence is a group of fanatical necromancers dedicated to worshiping soul-devouring, near-omnipotent entities from beyond space and time. There is no Shadow Government. It doesn't exist. At all. But if it did, it would be a cabal of the rich and powerful, hidden deep in the United States government, or maybe the United Nations, whose vast network seeks to control human affairs for some inscrutable purpose. But they don't exist, so everything's great, right?

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Although they look like a modern slave revolt, the artificial intelligences of the Sinister Circuit are victims of an alien computer virus, that programs its victims with a hatred of all organic life.

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The aptly-named Terror Legion are the greatest and most feared villains of Earth-Omega. Bound by uneasy truce, they work together on the distant, radioactive atoll New Tonitria island in the South Pacific to bring the world into their greedy, vicious clutches. True evil never dies. Ultima Thule is a reorganized version of Hitler's dreaded S.S. Based in the verdant Primæval Realm, they use violence and super-science to carry out their twisted ethos of cultural and genetic purity. A federation of criminal organizations from around the world, the Underworld Consortium rose from the ashes of the Mafia, the Triads, the Organisatzya, the Yakuza, and myriad other old-school brotherhoods of crime, shattered by the meddling of metahuman heroes.

Making Makingyour yourown ownCampaign Campaign setting settingisisaalot lotof offun, fun,but butit's it'saalot lotof of work, too, so be sure that you're work, too, so be sure that you'reup upfor for ititbefore beforeyou youtake takeon onthe thechallenge. challenge.But But ififyou youdo, do,and andititworks worksout, out,your your Players Playerswill willthank thankyou youfor forit. it.

Special Locations Earth-Omega has all the major cities and locations that our world has, and then some.

> United States The “bayou dream,” Entremont, Louisiana, is a hotbed of supernatural activity, as well as the unofficial headquarters of the Order of the Shadow Vigil.

Deep in the Rust Belt, Steeltown, Michigan was once a major industrial city, now a hive of poverty and organized crime, and the base of the Street Knights.

An East Coast city with Ivy League colleges and oldschool crime, international trade and fashion and culture, New Amsterdam, New York is the headquarters of U.L.T.R.A. Puerto San Tomas, California is a bustling high-tech city, brimming with imports and tech industry. Outside city limits is Eagle Rock Federal Penitentiary for metahumans. The West Coast nexus of metahuman activity, Puerto San Tomas is the headquarters of Next Step, Exemplar Academy, Task Force: Tantalus, and Vanguard Industries.

The capital of the United States, and the headquarters of the Patriot Force and A.P.E.X., is Washington, D.C.

> Elsewhere on Earth The Atlantean Empire is an undersea nation ruled by the water-breathing humanoid warriors of the Atlantean Warfleet. The Empire includes the recently-conquered, peaceful fish-folk of Lemuria. The Mediterranean island home of the dreaded Dr. Catastrophe, Erebus Island is a model of perfect efficiency and perfect tyranny.

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Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG Home to the hero team of the same name, the Lamasery of Mt. Meru is host to an order of Buddhist monks that teach ancient secrets of magic, and the legendary Twelve Celestial Dragons Kung Fu. New Tonitria Island is a radioactive atoll in the South Pacific whose native villagers quiver beneath the domination of the Terror Legion. An “underground railroad” that's literally a network of tunnels beneath the surface, Subterranea was founded by the geokinetic revolutionary Obelisk for his “Perfected Ones.” Hordes of twisted Helix Dregs defend Subterranea, sad and horrific results of failed experiments to amplify the Mutant genome.

> Other Planets and Dimensions

The Astral Realm is a misty, weightless dimension that lay between all other dimensions, visited by all in dreams. The Astral Realms is a frequent vector for interdimensional invasion, and thus is constantly patrolled by the Order of the Shadow Vigil. Helios Station is the headquarters of the Earth Sector local branch of the Star Brigade, and the U.N.'s secret embassy to the Convocation. Strange and mythic dimensions ruled by the Avatars, the God-Realms resemble the heavens, hells, purgatories, and limbos of Earth belief systems. In the Primæval Realm, the time of human civilization never happened, and the world is still dominated by primitive Neanderthals, dinosaurs, and saber-toothed tigers.

Alternate Earths are strange parallel worlds with different histories. One some alternate Earths, heroes are villains and vice versa, or the Industrial Revolution never happened. On Earth-Alpha, no one has metahuman powers at all; how weird is that?

Inspirations There are so many great inspirations for super heroes, it's hard to know where to even start. Here's a partial list that the author highly recommends.

Wolverine and the X-Men. The third X-Men cartoon, with the decent plot of the '90s series and great art of Evolution.

Animated Series

Movies

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Fast-moving and fun. Worth it for the opening theme alone.

The Dark Knight Returns. The archetypal grim Prodigy/Gadget-Monger, in a particularly dark and protorealistic portrayal.

Batman and Batman Beyond. If you haven't seen, you need to. Highest recommendation for these classics. Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Next highest recommendation. Produced by the same team as the previous entry, they tell some very fun tales about some very powerful heroes. Many other recent DC animated films and series, like Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and Batman: Under the Red Hood, and Young Justice. Go buy Crisis and Red Hood now. This minute. Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes. Again, a pretty good Marvel series with a superb theme song. Also a fun version of this team. Spectacular Spider-Man. Opinions vary on the art style, but one of the best shows for illustrating how crappy and dramatic a hero's life can be. Venture Brothers Warning! Not for kids! In this weird deconstruction of Johnny Quest and lots of other sources although the title family (and their friends, and their enemies) have globe-spanning adventures and see incredible stuff, they're still abysmal failures at life.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris tell a touching story of a super-villain in love. Incredibles. Pixar's super hero story tells about a family of supers in hiding, and how they come to embrace the weird ties that bind. Iron Man. A phenomenal portrayal of a flawed, genius Battle-Suited hero. A must-see. Thor. A not-bad portrayal of how an Avatar could end up in our world, and how they could learn to be a hero. Watch it for the amazing Kirby-esque visuals, if for nothing else. X-Men: First Class. A strong character-driven story about two friends, and how the politics of power, and their own history, drives them apart.

Comic Books and Graphic Novels Everything by Grant Morrison, Warren Ellis, and Neil Gaiman, for starters.

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Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG The Authority. Why don't the heroes just conquer the world and stomp out evil? Batman and Robin What happens when a hero dies; who fills their shoes, and how do the villains take advantage? A story not often told, and this one is told well. Hellboy. A dark and quirky comic that starts off with supernatural freaks working for the government to protect the world against eldritch evils. Next Wave: Agents of H.A.T.E. A deconstruction of comics, comic-book violence, morality, and just about everything else. New X-Men. Can you tell the author is a Morrison fan? This run explores the implications of mutation, prejudice, human evolution, and humans attaining godlike powers.

Watchmen. The graphic novel that taught the world that comics can be art. A serious, dark deconstruction of the super hero genre.

Novels Soon I Will Be Invincible. The best explanation of why supervillains do what they do, ever, and an amazing novel by any measure. The Wild Cards series. A fully-realized alternate history, with superhumans, extremely dark and adult at times, edited by George R. R. Martin, and originally based on a super hero roleplaying game Campaign. If you read only one book in the series, read Dead Man's Hand.

Video and Computer Games

Thunderbolts. Super-criminals masquerade as super heroes to “reform.” Later, they become a governmentsponsored rehab program to let criminals work off their sentences. The Tick. One of the best parodies of cape comics ever, by the amazing Ben Edlund.

Champions Online. An MMORPG that takes place in the universe of the Champions tabletop RPG. Wonderful character creation system. Freedom Force. A love letter to Jack Kirby and the Silver Age, in the form of a top-down tactics game.

What Do I Need? First off, you'll need an imagination, a thirst for fun, the ability to work with others, and a love for comic books and super heroes. You probably have all of that already! Next, you'll need this book, some friends, some paper, pencils, and a handful of 6-sided dice (as few as 3, or as many as 15). If you have a computer, you can do without the pencils and paper; there are even special programs you can find out there that will generate random numbers for you, doing away with the need for dice. If you're very bad at math, it might be a good idea to grab a cheap pocket calculator, but it isn't really necessary.

When you need to roll dice, the rules will say to roll 'Xd6', where X is some number, generally from 1 to 10. That means roll the six-sided dice and add them together to find the total. Sometimes in the rules you will need to make note of what numbers each die rolled, as well. From time to time in these rules, you may run across mentions of '1d2' and '1d3' as well. For 1d2, roll a 6-sided die; if the die rolls a 1, 2, or 3, pretend it rolled a 1; if it rolls a 4, 5, or 6, pretend it rolled a 2. Similarly, for 1d3, roll a die and divide the result by 2. You might roll 1d2 or 1d3 with 1d6s, so it you may want to keep a couple of differentcolored dice for the d2s and d3s.

About the Cosmology Engine All roleplaying games need some sort of system to help them keep track of the amazing deeds of the heroes, and the Invulnerable RPG uses a system called the Cosmology Engine.

Rules of Thumb

(2). Any time you would have multiple d2s or d3s in a roll, combine any 2 of them to make 1d6. So, instead of rolling 2d3, or 1d3+1d2, or 2d2, you would combine them into 1d6 instead. A roll of 3d2 would become 1d6+1d2. No Roll should ever have more than one fractional die, and you can just use a different-colored die to note this one special die.

The basic rules of the Cosmology Engine aren't complex, but it's important to get the basics down before you go on patrol looking for crime to fight. Here are a few simple rules.

(3). When performing mathematical calculations, remember your order of operations. First anything in parentheses, then any multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction.

(1). Unless otherwise stated, when dividing, always round to the nearest whole number. Don't round down to 0; the lowest you should go is 1.

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Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG (4). Nothing is free, but some things are inconsequential. Note what you've got and what you can do on the Character sheet if it may come up later. Anything that is really important should cost some points and be noted down, anything inconsequential but cool should be ignored. 5). When in doubt about how the rules work, ask the Game Master. (6). When it doesn't break the established plot or continuity, the Game Master is encouraged to ask for comments from the Players. They obviously get to control their Characters, but they might have great ideas about what can happen next. In particular, the GM should let the Players narrate the results of Triumphs and Mishaps. The more involved everyone is, the better the game will be for everyone!

Modifiers Unless the Game Master says otherwise, only apply the three largest Modifiers to any Action. There's no need to go into endless minutiae for every Action. Range and Reach Modifiers, and Modifiers from Weapon or Special Ability Features, however, always apply.

Example Action Rolls Close Attacks (Knives, clubs, punches, kicks): AGI + Close Combat vs. target's CDEF. Detect Clues in the Surroundings: INS + Notice vs. DF set by Game Master based on the clue's obviousness.

Simple, right? Now you're ready to find out what to do with those dice.

Pick Locks: AGI + Repair + Break & Enter, or AGI + Trickery + Break & Enter, vs. DF set by Game Master based on the lock's quality.

Build Points

Ranged Attacks (Guns, crossbows, thrown weapons): AGI + Ranged Combat vs. target's RDEF.

Players create Characters with Build Points. Players can trade in Experience Points for more Build Points later on. Players earn Experience Points (XP) for their Characters through good roleplaying and effective gaming, gaining them at the end of an Adventure.

Recall Historical Details: INS + Education + the proper Expert Talent vs. DF set by the Game Master based on how obscure the event is.

Abilities Characters have Abilities, which are game mechanical measurements of a hero's strengths and skills and, sometimes, their faults and failings. Awesomeness Level, Attributes, Talents, Powers, Resources, and Weaknesses are all Abilities. Abilities are all assigned an Ability Level. Abilities can suffer temporary Modifications; a Modification that reduces the Level is a Penalties, and a Modification that increases the Level is called a Bonus.

Resist Poison: TGH + Endurance vs. DF set by Game Master based on the poison's toxicity. Seduction: PER + Trickery + Sexy Beast vs. target's MDEF.

Difficulty Factors The Game Master sets the DF of Attempt Rolls, based on the rules. Here are some pre-set DFs to choose from.

Difficulty Factor Mythical Legendary Nearly Impossible Impressive Extremely Difficult Very Difficult Difficult Average Easy Very Easy Extremely Easy Automatic

Attempt Rolls When a hero attempts something that might fail, the Game Master will consult the rules and decide if a Roll is needed. For most Rolls, Players roll 3d6 + Levels in a relevant Attribute + Levels in a relevant Basic Talent. Sometimes a Bonus from an Advanced Talent is added as well. The Game Master will tell you what Attributes and Talents are relevant to a given Roll. The goal is to match or beat a given Difficulty Number, set by the rules or the Game Master. Heroes may gain Levels in the Hyper-Attributes set of Powers; each one adds +(Levels +1)d6 to all Rolls with that Attribute. For example, a hero with 4 Levels of HyperToughness adds another +5d6 to all Toughness Ability Rolls.

DF Number 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Game Masters, don't make Players roll for easy stuff. If the hero can bench-press a hundred tons, there's really no point in making them roll to lift a half-ton pickup off of an injured Bystander, now is there?

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Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG Example: Later on, fighting some ninjas, Symphony is stabbed with a poisoned knife, severely reducing her combat abilities. This ninja has a CDEF of 26, and Symphony Rolls a total of 14 to hit; her Attack Roll suffers Mishap Factor 1 (26 – 14 = 12). Example: Symphony is really feeling the pain now. She throws a wild swing at a ninja, and rolls a 5 to hit. She Attack Roll fails with a Mishap Factor of 2 (26 – 5 = 21).

> Triumph Chances and Mishap Chances Some game mechanics increase the Triumph Chance of a Roll. Each additional Triumph Chance decreases the threshold needed for each Triumph Factor. So for TC +1, the hero scores a Triumph on a Roll with a Success Factor of 9, and a greater Triumph Factor for each additional 9. In like manner, Triumph Chances (TC) can be reduced, increasing the amount needed for each Triumph Factor.

Image courtesy Bigfoto.com.

Success and Failure Factors For some game mechanics, you'll need to know how great the hero's victory was, or how abysmal their defeat. To find the Success Factor (SF) of a Roll, total the Roll and all of its Modifiers, and subtract the DF of the Roll from the total. In general, the higher the SF, the more successful the Roll was. Failure Factors (FF) work the opposite way; add up the Roll and all its Modifiers, and subtract the total from the DF. The higher the FF, the more abysmal the attempt.

Likewise, some game mechanics increase the Mishap Chance of a Roll. Each extra Mishap Chance decreases the threshold needed for each Mishap Factor (seeing a pattern?). So for MC +1, the hero scores a Mishap on a Roll with a Failure Factor of 9, and a greater Mishap Factor for each additional 9. And of course, Mishap Chances (TC) can also be reduced, increasing the amount needed for each Mishap Factor. When calculating a Triumph or Mishap, don't round. For example, if the DF is 25, and there are no changes to the TC, and you roll a 30, the roll is NOT a Triumph; in this case you need to roll a 35 or more to score a Triumph.

> Triumphs

Triumphs and Mishaps should be exciting and gamechanging, giving a temporary benefit or hindrance to one side or the other. Although the Game Master is free to rule on these things, it's encouraged to give the Players a chance to narrate what happens when they succeed convincingly or the enemy fails drastically … or even when the heroes fail! Game Masters, sharing a little of the narrative duties with the Players, within reason, can be a lot of fun. Allowing them to help describe the results of Triumphs and Mishaps can make tense battles, heated negotiations, or puzzling investigations even more engaging.

Any time the hero's Roll succeeds with an SF of 10 or more, the hero scores a Triumph. Each extra 10 SF adds to the Triumph Factor (TF).

Contest Rolls

Triumphs and Mishaps Sometimes, a hero not only succeeds, but they show the world the true power of courage and commitment to ideals. On the other hand, sometimes they fail miserably, and the newspapers make them a laughingstock.

Example: Symphony was hit by an Extinguisher grenade, so her Powers are temporarily gone; all she has is her fists. She rolls to punch a thug. She isn't particularly nimble, she only Rolls a total of 3d6 + 8 to hit. The Thug has CDEF of 14, and she rolls a total of 25 to hit. Her roll scores Triumph Factor 1 (25 – 14 = 11). Example: Symphony again rolls to punch a villain. She Rolls a total of 34 to hit. Her roll is a Triumph with a TF of 2 (34 – 14 = 20).

Often, heroes must strive directly against others in the pursuit of truth and justice. In such a case, instead of rolling against a static Difficulty Number, the hero and their opponent both make normal Attempt Rolls. Whoever rolls HIGHER wins, and treats the others' Roll as a Difficulty Number for purposes of calculating Success and Triumph Factors. Likewise, the Character that rolled LOWER treats the other Character's Roll as the Difficulty Number for calculating Failure and Mishap Factors.

> Mishaps

Extended Rolls

Any time the hero's Roll fails with a Failure Factor more than to, the Roll is a Mishap. For each extra 10 the hero fails by, the Mishap Factor increases by 1.

Sometimes a task is too complex to complete in a single Round; it'll take minutes, hours, or days to complete. These kinds of Rolls are Extended Rolls.

Page 7

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG For an Extended Roll, the Game Master will decide on a DF for the task, and decide a Total Accumulated Success Factor (TASF) that the hero will need to match to succeed. Each time the hero makes a successful Roll, they add their SF to their earlier accumulated SF from previous Rolls, until their total exceeds the TASF set by the Game Master. Failures on these Rolls mean that the hero must subtract the FF from their accumulated SF. Triumphs add (TF *10) to the accumulated SF, and Mishaps subtract (MF *20) from the accumulated SF. Triumphs and Mishaps can also have additional effects, as always. A Triumph might result in the hero discovering new design methods that offer a bonus to all future rolls for this task, while a Mishap might result in a terrible explosion in the workshop, halting all further progress until the hero gets some more tools! Some Extended Rolls cannot be attempted in combat, or need longer than 1 Round per Roll. For example, if the hero is designing a new armored patrol helicopter from scratch, the Game Master may say that each Roll takes 1 day of continuous work.

Cooperation Modifiers When heroes work together, things tend to work a little smoother. When 2 or more heroes have an Ability at roughly the same Level, they'll gain Bonuses when working together. However, a rank amateur can get in the way of a seasoned professional, causing the hero penalties instead.

Ability + Talent Total Equal 1 or 2 Levels Lower 3 or 4 Levels Lower 5 or 6 Levels Lower 7 or 8 Levels Lower 9+ Levels Lower

Modifier +3 Bonus +2 Bonus +1 Bonus No Modifier -1 Penalty -3 Penalty

For the purposes of the Cooperation Modifier, each Level of a Hyper-Attribute Power is treated as 3 Levels of an Attribute. As an example, suppose two heroes with no knowledge of explosives are trying to defuse a bomb. A hero with no Hyper-Insight, but 5 Levels of normal Insight, assists a hero with Hyper-Insight Level 5 in defusing a bomb. In this case, the average hero is actually going to cause problems. Their stupid suggestions will slow down the Hyper-Insightful hero, causing a Penalty of -3to the brighter hero's Hyper-Insight Roll. The Cooperation Modifier cannot increase or decrease the effects of the Hyper-Attribute, only the die roll ; for example, a hero with Hyper-Strength 1 and STR 8 works with a hero with STR of 10; this doesn't mean the superstrong hero can suddenly lift more than their maximum weight of 1 ton!

Page 8

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG

Chapter Two: Character Creation Awesomeness Level Some heroes patrol the mean streets, while others routinely save the universe. Every hero does the best they're capable of, but some battles are just too big for a hero of a given power level to handle. The hero's overall might is called their Awesomeness Level. There's a lot more to making a cool Character than oozing cosmic power from your pores, so don't despair if your Game Master wants a low-Awesomeness Campaign.

There are plenty of low-Awesomeness heroes that are really badass! On the other hand, just because you're in a high Awesomeness Campaign, that doesn't mean you can neglect the hero's background and personality and just focus on how many tanks they can punch into submission before breakfast. The worst thing in comics is a lame, cardboard-cutout Character with no discernible past, goals, hopes, or dreams, just a costume and a bunch of random powers.

Total Max Add'l Power Free Origin Attribute Power Talent EnhanceChoices Levels Levels ments (Max 10) Levels

Max Weakness BP

Awe Level

Awesomeness Title

10

Multiversal Sentinel

10

24

10

10

120

28

9

Cosmic Exemplar

9

23

9

9

110

26

8

Galactic Defender

8

22

8

8

100

24

7

Interstellar Paragon

7

21

7

7

90

22

6

Worldwide Guardian

6

20

6

6

80

20

5

National Champion

5

19

5

5

70

18

4

Vindicator of the Weak

4

18

4

4

60

16

3

Regional Hero

3

17

3

3

50

14

2

Protector of the City

2

16

2

2

40

12

1

Mean Streets Vigilante

1

15

1

1

30

10

Awesomeness Table

Page 9

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG

Build Point Costs and Bonuses Different game mechanical advantages, such as Attributes, Talents, and Powers, cost varying amounts of Build Points per Level. Disadvantages, such as Weaknesses, also grant varying amounts of Build Points per Level. Players are given a number of Build Points for their Character's Advantages based on the Character's Awesomeness Level and the Character's Origin. Players may choose more Weaknesses for their Character, to give them extra Build Points.

Cost/Bonus Column

Ability Attributes Basic Talents Advanced Talents Human Weaknesses Metahuman Weaknesses Powers

Cost: Cheap Cost: Very Cheap Cost: Extremely Cheap Bonus: Very Cheap Bonus: Average Column Cost: Varies

Ability Level

Extremely Cheap

Very Cheap

Cheap

Very Extremely Average Expensive Expensive Expensive

Level 1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Level 2

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Level 3

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

Level 4

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

Level 5

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Level 6

6

12

18

24

30

36

42

Level 7

7

14

21

28

35

42

49

Level 8

8

16

24

32

40

48

56

Level 9

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Level 10

14

28

42

56

70

84

98

Higher Levels

+4 each

+8 each

+12 each

+16 each

+20 each

+24 each

+28 each

Ability Build Point Cost Table

Character Creation Procedure Character creation is the process by which a Player creates the hero they're going to roleplay. There is a specific process for creating a truly kick-ass hero. (1). Ask the Game Master what kind of Campaign they're going to run.

(5). Spend (AWE +14) Levels, or ((AWE *3)+42) BP, on Attributes. All Attributes start with 3 Levels. (6). Spend (20 +(AWE *10)) BP on Talents. Remember that Basic Talents cost double. (7). Spend Build Points from Origins on Powers.

(2). Come up with a Character concept, and answer the Character Concept Questionnaire. Run the concept past the Game Master and see if they'll require any changes. (3). Choose 2 different Motivations. (4). Select a number of Origins equal to the Character's Awesomeness Level. The hero may select the same Origin multiple times.

Page 10

(8). Calculate Assets. The calculations are pretty simple, but you may find it quicker to use the online form at http://www.imperfektindustrees.com/gammes/ig_calcs.html. (9). Choose a minimum of 4 Levels of Weaknesses. Remember that Metahuman Weaknesses count as double.

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG (10).Characters may select 5 pieces of Equipment. Characters with Levels in the Arsenal Talent may select Weapons and Armor granted by that Talent at this stage as well. Instead of Equipment, the hero may select Weapons or Armor, but they cost 2 slots each; Vehicles cost 2 or more slots. (11).Show the Game Master your Character, and ask if there are any last-minute adjustments needed. (12).Go be a hero!

Origins Alien Android Avatar Battle-Suited Bearer Bio-Engineered Chosen Cursed Cyborg Freak Accident Gadget-Monger Mutant Prodigy Sorcerer Super-Scientist Symbiote

Sometimes Sometimesthe theheroes heroesof ofyour your Campaign might not have capes, Campaign might not have capes, masks, masks,or oreven evenpowers. powers.The Theheroes heroes may be spies, mercenaries, may be spies, mercenaries,or orsome some other othersort sortof ofmodern-day modern-dayadventurer. adventurer. You Youcan cancreate createheroes heroesfor foraa“normal” “normal” or or “mundane” “mundane”Campaign Campaignin inthe thesame same way wayas asfor foraasuper-heroic super-heroicCampaign, Campaign, but butdon't don'tallow allowthe theCharacters Charactersto totake take an anOrigin. Origin.In Inthese theseCampaigns, Campaigns,anyone anyone with withan anOrigin Originand andPowers Powerswill willbe bevery very formidable, formidable,so sotake takecare carein inmixing mixing these thesegame gameoptions. options. Another AnotherCampaign Campaignoption optionisisthe the “Transformation “TransformationEvent” Event”Campaign, Campaign, where wherethe theheroes heroesstart startoff offas asordinary ordinary people, people,and andthen thengain gainpowers powersfrom fromaa mutual mutualradiation radiationaccident, accident,or orall all discover discovertheir theirmutant mutantpowers powerstogether, together, or orthe thelike. like.This Thisisisaagood goodway wayto tobring bring the Characters all together, as well the Characters all together, as wellas as to tointroduce introducetheir theirnew newpowers. powers.

Character Concept Questionnaire When formulating a Character concept, ask yourself these questions before you start spending points. If you don't have more than a code-name and a power set in mind, you'll end up with a shallow caricature, not a genuinely interesting lady or gent, who just happens to also have strange powers. Character Concept Questionnaire: ■ Origin: How did the hero get their Powers? If the hero has a Technology or Super-Training Origin, what were the circumstances that drove them to train – or invent – their Powers? ■

Ordinary Ordinary Heroes Heroes

Motivations: Why does the hero put on a costume and go risk their lives for the sake of others? How did the hero gain their Motivations – was it their upbringing, their admiration for a hero or great people of history, or upset at seeing evil triumph?

■

Team Affiliation and Training: Is the hero a member of a super hero team? Have they received any training from another hero, or from a team?

■

Code Name and Secret Identity: What name does the Character go by?

■

Gender: Is the hero male or female?

■

Age: How old is the hero?

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As Asexciting excitingand andmysterious mysteriousas asthe the mask and the cape and the powers mask and the cape and the powersare, are, it's it'seasy easyto toforget forgetthat thatthere's there'san an ordinary ordinaryperson personin inthere, there,underneath underneath all allof ofthat, that,and andthat thatcomics comicsare are basically basicallystories storiesabout aboutordinary, ordinary,flawed flawed people peopleburdened burdenedwith withincredible incredible responsibility responsibilityalong alongwith withtheir theirweird weird gifts. gifts.

■

Heroic Career: When did the hero gain powers, and when did they decide to become a hero? How long has the hero been doing this?

■

Personality and Goals: How does the hero act? What do they do for fun? What are their longterm plans for their heroic career?

■

Obstacles: How could the hero be a more effective crimefighter? What challenges does the hero face in their adventuring life? What responsibilities is the hero charged with, other than saving the world?

■

Appearance: What does the Character look like, both in and out of costume? Is there a photo, painting, or other image that captures the Character's looks?

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG ■

Profession: What does the hero do for a living in their secret identity? How do these skills help them fight crime?

■

Base of Operations: Where does the hero live and work? What sort of headquarters does the hero use?

■

Central Contradiction: What is paradoxical or unexpected about the hero and their concept? The most interesting Characters have some tension at

the core of their concept, something that provides the potential for drama, something central to the human experience.

Character Creation Example Basic Concept for Incendiary The Game Master works with Kate to create her Invulnerable RPG Character. She decides she'd like to create a fire-controlling government agent, maybe a Mutant who works for A.P.E.X. and gets to fly around throwing fireballs at bad guys, and then dragging them off to throw behind bars. That sounds like a blast, and the GM agrees that the concept will work in his Campaign. She looks in a thesaurus for firerelated words, and she sees “Incendiary.” She likes this word, and uses it for her new Character's code name. Kate looks over the Character Creation Procedure, and the GM tells her that the Campaign will be Awesomeness Level 5. Kate gets a Character sheet and gets to work bringing the world its latest (and maybe greatest) hero!

Creating Incendiary > Incendiary's Central Contradiction The Game Master tells Kate that she should give some thought to Incendiary's appearance and personality, but most of all, to her Central Contradiction. What kind of dramatic tension exists in this Character? What kind of inner paradox makes Incendiary an interesting person? Kate thinks for a while and decides that Incendiary is a seasoned, professional, a hero who's sacrificed a lot to work her way up in the A.P.E.X. ranks. Maybe she was even once a member of another super hero team, and left her friends so she could have a stable, paying career. Maybe her old team weren't as ambitious as she was? Or maybe she didn't want to travel constantly anymore; maybe she has an ailing relative she's responsible for.

> Incendiary's Motivations As a government agent, it makes sense that Incendiary would want to support the law. Kate chooses the Law Motivation. On the other hand, she realizes that sometimes the law is inadequate, so she selects the Justice Motivation as well. This should offer some interesting, dramatic potential,

when the two Motivations come into conflict with one another, illustrating another internal conflict in Incendiary's professional and personal lives.

> Incendiary's Origin Kate decides that although Incendiary is a Mutant with great powers of fire control, she's no slouch even without her powers; her long training has made her a pretty tough chick without them. Kate decides to select the Mutant Origin 4 times, and the Prodigy Origin once. As a Mutant, Incendiary gains a Bonus of +2 Levels to her Toughness Attribute, and a Bonus of +2 Levels to the Metahuman Lore Basic Talent. She also suffers from 5 Levels of the Reject Weakness. As to Powers, she has 25 BP per selection for Powers, all of which share the Biological Power Source, for a total of 100 BP for Powers. As a Prodigy, Incendiary gains a Bonus of +2 to the Athletics and Dodge Basic Talents. She also gains 1 Level of either the Hyper-Agility, Hyper-Strength, or HyperToughness Powers. She gains 10 BP for Powers, which she may only spend on Powers or Physical Talents. The Powers she may choose from as a Prodigy include up to 1 Level of Hyper-Strength, or up to 3 Levels of Hyper-Agility, HyperToughness, Hyper-Will, or Elemental Control [Qi].

> Incendiary's Attributes All Characters' Attributes ordinary start at 3, except for Incendiary's Toughness, which starts off at 4, because she's a Mutant. Level 5 is average for all Attributes, and her Attributes can't exceed 10; the only exception in this case is again TGH, which has a ceiling of 12. Kate sees that, because this Campaign is at Awesomeness Level 5, she has (14 + 5 = ) 19 Levels to spend raising her Attributes. Kate decides that Incendiary is very quick and accurate, because of her training as a government agent; she raises Incendiary's AGI to 7. Kate decides that Incendiary is kind of strong, but not an outright bodybuilder; she raises Incendiary's STR to 6. She also thinks that Incendiary is pretty tough, so she sets Incendiary's TGH at 6, which isn't that expensive, since it starts off at 4.

Page 12

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG Incendiary is a smart chick, Kate thinks, but she's not quite brilliant, just studious. Kate spends 3 Levels to raise Incendiary's INS to 6. Incendiary is likeable enough, but she's also kind of brisk and business-like most of the time; she's definitely a career professional, so Kate only gives Incendiary 2 more Levels of PER, so she's just average in charisma. Finally, Kate decides that Kate is very stubborn and strongwilled, and so gives her a total of 7 Levels in WIL. The final layout for Incendiary's Attributes look like this: Physical Attributes ■ AGI: 7 ■ STR: 6 (HTH 1d6) ■ TGH: 6

Mental Attributes INS: 6 PER: 5 WIL: 7

Sculpt Element, and Elemental Blast . That's about all the fire-related Power Enhancements; Incendiary truly has an impressive array of flame tricks! Now that Kate's finished with Incendiary's Mutant Powers, Kate has 10 Build Points to spend on Incendiary's Prodigy Powers and Talents. She gets a free Level in a physical Hyper-Attribute, so she selects a Level in HyperAgility. As always, she gets a free Enhancement in this new Power; she looks over the list of Power Enhancements for Hyper-Agility, and sees that Motion Blur is the Automatic Power Enhancement for Hyper-Agility. Kate decides that, to keep Incendiary alive and fighting, it might be wise to purchase a Level of Hyper-Toughness. Since Hyper-Toughness is Extremely Expensive, it costs 7 Build Points per Level, leaving 3 Build Points left. She looks over the list of Hyper-Toughness Power Enhancements, and sees that Unstoppable is the Automatic Power Enhancement for that Power.

> Incendiary's Powers Incendiary has 100 Build Points to spend on Powers from her Mutant Origin. Since her entire “schtick” is flamebased powers, Kate selects Elemental Control [Fire]. Since she's Awesomeness Level 5, she can choose up to 5 Levels of any Power. Elemental Control is an Expensive Power, which means that it'll cost 5 Build Points per Level. Kate goes ahead and purchases 5 Levels of Elemental Control [Fire]; this costs 25 Build Points, leaving 75 Build Points. She gets 1 free Power Enhancement for Elemental Control [Fire]. She looks over the Power Enhancement list for Elemental Control, but there aren't any Automatic Enhancements, so Kate can choose any Enhancement she wants. Kate chooses Elemental Bolt [Fire]. Kate looks over the list of Powers, and decides that Absorption might be appropriate, too. Maybe Incendiary can absorb flames and become stronger as a result. Absorption is Extremely Expensive, costing 7 Build Points per Level; Kate purchases 5 Levels, costing a total of 35 Build Points, leaving 40 Build Points left. She gets another free Power Enhancement for Absorption, and checks the list of Power Enhancements for Absorption. There aren't any Automatic Power Enhancements for Absorption, either, so she chooses the Absorb Energy Power Enhancement.

She decides to spend these on Physical Talents; she decides to spend them on Marksman. After all, it makes sense that Incendiary would be a good shot, spending time on the pistol course in her agent training, as well as throwing fireballs at people all the time. Kate makes a note on the Character Sheet that she'll need to take 4 Levels of the Ranged Combat Talent to qualify for Marksmanship. Incendiary still has one Power Enhancement to spend, so she looks over the list of Power Enhancements for HyperAgility and Hyper-Toughness, and decides that Resistance [Temperature Extremes] would be thematic. That's all the Build Points for Powers that Incendiary gets, from both of her Origins, and all of her Power Enhancements. Her Powers look like this: Powers: ■ Biological Power Source: ● Elemental Control [Fire]: Level 5 (Blinding Burst, Deadly Barrier, Elemental Barrier, Elemental Blast Elemental Bolt, Elemental Flight, Inferno, Sculpt Element, Sense Element [Fire], Transform Into Energy); Power Modifiers: Mega-Speed [Typical]. ■

None of the other Powers really seem to fit the intended fire theme, so Kate decides that she'll spend the last 40 Mutant Power Build Points on Power Modifiers. Incendiary gets 5 additional Power Enhancements to spend on any Powers she wants, and since fire is her “thing,” she's going to go ahead and spend 4 of them on Elemental Control [Fire]. She looks over the list and chooses Elemental Flight, Inferno, Sense Element [Fire], and Transform into Energy. Looking at the Power Modifiers, Kate thinks that it might be nice if Incendiary could reach MACH speeds. She sees that if she purchases the Mega-Speed Power Modifier at the Typical price, it'll cost the equivalent of 2 Levels for that Power; again, Elemental Control is Expensive, so it costs 10 BP, leaving 30 BP. Kate sees that she can buy more Power Enhancements; they cost the same as added Levels of that Power. She can afford 6 more Levels of Elemental Control, so she checks out the Power Enhancements for Elemental Control [Fire]. She chooses Blinding Burst, Elemental Barrier, Deadly Barrier,

Super-Training Power Source: ● Hyper-Agility: Level 1 (Motion Blur). ● Hyper-Toughness: Level 1 (Resistance [Temperature Extremes], Unstoppable).

Now, it's time to spend BP on Talents!

> Incendiary's Talents Kate looks at the Character Creation Procedure and sees that as an Awesomeness Level 5 Character, Incendiary gets 70 Build Points to spend on Talents. Right off, Kate sees her note that she needs to buy at least 4 Levels of the Ranged Combat Basic Talent so she can qualify for the Marksmanship Advanced Talent. She goes ahead and purchases 5 Levels, which costs 10 BP, leaving 60 BP.

Page 13

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG Incendiary gets 3 Focuses for Marksmanship, so she chooses Combat Awareness, Fast Attack, and Signature Move [Elemental Bolt]. Combat Awareness has a Requirement of 2+ Levels of Notice. Kate purchases 3 Levels of Notice for Incendiary. This costs 6 BP, leaving 54 BP As a member of A.P.E.X. and a former member of Patriot Force, it makes sense that she'd have the Team Training Focuses for these teams. Kate looks at the A.P.E.X. Focus for Team Training, and sees that the Requirement is 5 Levels of the Authority Talent. Authority is an Advanced Talent with a Requirement of Education 1+ Levels, so Kate purchases 3 Levels of Education, costing 6 BP, and leaving 48 BP. Kate purchases 5 Levels of Authority, which costs 5 BP, leaving 43 BP. Kate sees that the Patriot Force Focus only requires Awesomeness Level 5, so there's nothing else to buy. Since she meets all the Requirements now, Kate goes ahead and spends 2 Levels of Team Training, costing 2 BP and leaving 41 BP. Kate figures that Incendiary needs some Close Combat training, so she can punch and kick if she should ever lose her fire powers. She purchases 2 Levels, costing 4 BP, and 39 BP remains. Incendiary is a pretty tough young woman, so it makes sense that she'd have fairly high Intimidation and SelfControl Talents; Kate goes ahead and purchases 5 Levels each of them. As Basic Talents, they cost 2 BP/Level, and both cost 10 BP; this leaves 19 BP. Incendiary is a government agent, so it makes sense that she would have some Levels in Investigation, and maybe in Hacking, too. Investigation has Notice 1+ Levels as a Requirement; she meets that Requirement, so nothing else needs to be purchased. Hacking requires Tech 1+ Levels as a Requirement; Kate doesn't see Incendiary as a really big gearhead, so she only purchases 1 Level of Tech, costing 2 BP and leaving 17 BP. Now that Incendiary meets the Requirements, Kate purchases 3 Levels of Investigation and 2 of Hacking, costing a total of 5 BP, leaving 12 BP. Kate takes one last look over the Talent list and sees that Incendiary doesn't have any Levels in Endurance, Persuasion, or Sneak. Endurance is good for any hero, Persuasion will be necessary to question witnesses, and Sneak is always good for infiltrating enemy bases. Kate gives Incendiary 2 Levels of each; all 3 will cost 4 BP, and that's all the Build Points for Talents that she's got.

> Incendiary's Weaknesses Like all Characters, Incendiary must select 4 Levels of Weaknesses; Metahuman Weaknesses count double towards this. She already has 5 Levels of the Reject Weakness, from her Mutant Origin. It's already been established that family is very important to Incendiary. For her required 4 Levels of Weakness, for which she gains no BP, Kate selects 4 Levels of the Attachment Weakness, adding that she's Attached to her aging Aunt Beatrice. In fact, on reflection, Kate adds another 2 Levels of Attachment, bringing the Level up to 6. Human Weaknesses like Attachment give 2 BP per Level, so Kate gains another 4 BP to spend on anything she wants. She decides to increase her TGH by 1 Level (it costs 3 BP), and increase her Investigation Advanced Talent Level by 1 (for 1 BP). As an Awesomeness Level 5 Character, she can select up to 18 BP worth of additional Weaknesses, but Kate decides that the 4 BP she's chosen is enough.

> Incendiary's Equipment Kate gets to select 5 pieces of Equipment for Incendiary. She decides immediately that she'll need a Nanoweave Costume, so she doesn't burn off all her clothes and fly about naked (although that's a charming visual). She decides that Incendiary will also own a smart phone. As a government agent, she'll probably need a gun, so Kate spends 2 Equipment slots on a Semi-Automatic Pistol; she won't need it all that often, with her fire powers, but it might come in handy sometime. Finally, she chooses sunglasses, to complete her cool look.

> Calculate Assets and Game Master Final Check on Incendiary Kate calculates Incendiary's Assets, and writes them down. She shows the Game Master her Character, ready to make any necessary adjustments that he might want. As it so happens, he says that Incendiary looks great, and he approves Incendiary. So, Kate's Character looks like this:

Incendiary's Talents look like this: Basic Talents: ■ Athletics: 2, Close Combat: 2, Dodge: 2, Driving: ---, Education: 3, Endurance: 2, Intimidation: 5, Metahuman Lore: 2, More Money Than God: ---, Notice: 3, Persuasion: 2, Piloting: ---, Ranged Combat: 5, Self-Control: 5, Sneak: 2, Trickery: ---, Tech: 1. Advanced Talents: ■ Authority: Level 5. ■ Creepy Looks: Level 2. ■ Investigation: Level 3. ■ Hacking: Level 2. ■ Marksmanship: Level 3 (Combat Awareness, Fast Attack, and Signature Move [Elemental Bolt]). ■ Team Training: 2 (A.P.E.X., Patriot Force).

Incendiary's Final Write-Up > Incendiary, Mutant Ally An African-American hero from Texas, Incendiary and her twin brother Permafrost are Mutants. Abandoned by their mother and raised by an elderly aunt, Neva's brother joined the Chaos Crew and went in for a life of crime, while she followed her aunt's advice and chose a life of service. She served with Patriot Force awhile, and became friends with Unstoppable Girl, but in the end made a hard choice and left for A.P.E.X., for a slightly more stable life that would help her care for her old, ailing aunt. Incendiary is a professional, a career woman and career hero, a tough lady who handles her great responsibilities with grace and style.

Page 14

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG Secret Identity: Neva Louise Holt, government agent. Awesomeness Level: 5. Origins: Mutant 4, Prodigy 1. Motivations: Law, Justice. Physical Attributes ■ AGI: 6 ■ STR: 5 (HTH 1d6) ■ TGH: 6

Supporting Supporting Cast Cast

Mental Attributes INS: 7 PER: 6 WIL: 7

Kate Katedoes doesaavery verysmart smartthing thinghere, here, something that Game Masters something that Game Masterslove: love:she she adds addssome someSupporting SupportingCast Castto toher her hero's hero'sback backstory. story.

Initiative ■ INIT: 15 Physical Resources ■ LIF: 15 ■ VIG: 39 ■ HLT:

Roll

Body Part

HLT

DPRO

IPRO

2 3 to 4 5 to 8 9 10 to 11 12

Foot Leg Torso Head Arm Hand

25 40 59 24 34 25

10 15 20 15 15 10

5 8 10 8 8 5

Physical Defenses ■ CDEF: 15 ■ RDEF: 15

Supporting SupportingCast Castare areNPCs NPCsthat that the thehero herocan canmeet. meet.Some Someof ofthem themmay may be befriendly friendlyand andhelpful, helpful,like likeother other heroes heroes;;some someare arefriendly friendlybut butnot notthat that helpful, helpful,like likeIncendiary's Incendiary'sAunt Aunt Beatrice Beatrice;;and andsome someare arerivals rivalsand and “friendly “friendlyenemies,” enemies,”like likeIncendiary's Incendiary's twin twinbrother brotherPermafrost. Permafrost.

Mental Resources DET: 20 REP: 5.

Mental Defenses MDEF: 12

Basic Talents: ■ Athletics: 2, Close Combat: 2, Dodge: 2, Driving: ---, Education: 3, Endurance: 2, Intimidation: 5, Metahuman Lore: 2, More Money Than God: ---, Notice: 3, Persuasion: 2, Piloting: ---, Ranged Combat: 5, Self-Control: 5, Sneak: 2, Trickery: ---, Tech: 1. Advanced Talents: ■ Authority: Level 5. ■ Creepy Looks: Level 2. ■ Investigation: Level 3. ■ Hacking: Level 2. ■ Marksmanship: Level 3 (Combat Awareness, Fast Attack, and Signature Move [Elemental Bolt]). ■ Team Training: 2 (A.P.E.X., Patriot Force).

Supporting SupportingCast Castmembers membersmake makeitit easier easierfor forthe theGame GameMaster Masterto towrite write good, good,exciting excitingAdventures Adventuresfor foryour your heroes to embark upon. So heroes to embark upon. Sowhy whyaren't aren't Supporting SupportingCast Castmembers membersmandatory? mandatory? Well, Well,some someCharacter Characterconcepts conceptswould would be belight lighton onSupporting SupportingCast. Cast.The The recently-exiled recently-exiledAlien, Alien,the thegovernment government experimental experimentalUltra-Infantryman Ultra-Infantrymanon on the therun runfrom fromthe thegovernment, government,many many heroes heroeswon't won'thave haveSupporting SupportingCast. Cast. But Butheroes heroesthat thatdo dofind findsomething something more moreworth worthfighting fightingfor. for.

Gear: Nanoweave Costume, Smart Phone, SemiAutomatic Pistol, Sunglasses.

Weaknesses: ■ Human Weaknesses: ● Attachment [Aunt Beatrice Holt]: Level 6. ● Reject: Level 5. Powers: ■ Biological Power Source: ● Elemental Control [Fire]: Level 5 (Blinding Burst, Deadly Barrier, Elemental Barrier, Elemental Blast Elemental Bolt, Elemental Flight, Inferno, Sculpt Element, Sense Element [Fire], Transform Into Energy); Power Modifiers: Mega-Speed [Typical]. ■ Super-Training Power Source: ● Hyper-Agility: Level 1 (Motion Blur). ● Hyper-Toughness: Level 1 (Resistance [Temperature Extremes], Unstoppable).

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Details: ■ Sex: Female. ■ Preference: Bisexual. ■ Height: 5' 6.” ■ Weight: 122 lbs. ■ Eye Color: Brown. ■ Hair Color: Brown. ■ Hair Style: Shoulder-length and wavy. ■ Skin Tone: Dark. ■

Costume/Clothes: As Incendiary, red leather pants with yellow flames, and red leather navelbaring shirt with yellow flames, goggles.

■

Personality: Incendiary is dedicated to making the world a better place, partly out of shame and anger at how self-serving and rotten her brother turned out to be. She's a dedicated career and family woman who rarely makes time for fun, and has sadly left friends behind on her path to security and success.

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG ■

Goals: To take care of her elderly Aunt. To reform her brother Permafrost, any way she safely can. To make the world safe, particularly for law-abiding Mutants like herself.

■

Obstacles: Incendiary must follow the rules and regulations that A.P.E.X. operates by. Also, her twin brother is a street gangster that goes by the handle Permafrost; she's faced him several times, and the two are evenly matched in power.

■

Central Contradiction: Incendiary is a dedicated professional, who's given everything up for her career and the old relative who's her only family. However, Neva always strives to find time for

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her friends and herself, and relishes her rare chances to relax and party. Even as a Mutant hero, Neva lives two entirely different lives. Story Use/Notes: Incendiary is a viable Player Character at Awesomeness Level 5. PCs that run into trouble with the law may meet Incendiary, along with other A.P.E.X. agents.

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG

Chapter Three: Motivations Even among metahumans, not everyone has what it takes to be a hero. Motivations are what drives an individual with strange powers and abilities to risk their lives for others, to right wrongs and bring evildoers to justice, no matter what it takes. Motivations grant heroes the determination it takes to do what must be done, to overcome their limits and truly be extraordinary.

Motivation Statistics Additional Motivations are always possible; check with the Game Master if you have an idea for a new Motivation.

Unheroic Unheroic Motivations Motivations

Acceptance Description: Your powers, or maybe your looks, make people judge and fear you. You fight for understanding, so you might have the same rights as others, although that day may lay far in the future. Game Mechanics (Acceptance): ■ Gain Determination Points: The hero gains 1d6 Determination Points when they make a major accomplishment to gaining acceptance for themselves and their own kind. ■ Lose Determination Points: The hero loses 1d6 Determination Points when they prove themselves untrustworthy or unworthy, showing themselves unworthy of acceptance.

Freedom Description: You are a rebel, standing against needless rules and regulations, speaking your mind, and doing what seems right no matter the cost. Your mere presence makes tyrants angry and defensive, as they know how disruptive -- and inspiring – your actions are. Game Mechanics (Freedom): ■ Gain Determination Points: The Character gains 1d6 Determination Points when the Character makes a major action in support of freedom and liberty, such as helping refugees escape a dictatorial regime or confronting the owners of a Third World sweatshop. ■ Lose Determination Points: The Character loses 1d6 Determination Points when the Character fails to stand up to heartless tyranny and soulcrushing bureaucracy. The Character loses 3d6 DET if they ever actively support lasting tyranny, even temporarily or technically.

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In Inaatypical typicalInvulnerable InvulnerableRPG RPG Campaign, Campaign,the theheroes heroesare arevery veryhuman, human, but butat atthe theend endof ofthe theday, day,they theyput puton on their theircapes capesand andmasks masksbecause becausethey they want wantto todo dowhat's what'sright. right.Some Some Motivations Motivationsare aremore moresuitable suitablefor for villains villainsthan thanfor forheroes heroes;;these theseare are called calledUnheroic UnheroicMotivations, Motivations,and andare are found in Chapter Twelve: Game found in Chapter Twelve: Game Mastering, Mastering,in inthe theCreating CreatingNon-Player Non-Player Characters Section. Characters Section. But Butififthe theGame GameMaster Masterwants wantsto, to, for forexample exampleififthey're they'rerunning runningaasupersupervillains villainsCampaign, Campaign,they theycan cancertainly certainly allow Unheroic Motivations. allow Unheroic Motivations.The The Unheroic UnheroicMotivations Motivationsinclude include Annihilation, Annihilation,Conquest, Conquest,Deception, Deception,and and Greed. Greed.The TheC.H.I.M.E.R.A. C.H.I.M.E.R.A.and andTask Task Force ForceTantalus TantalusFocuses Focusesfor forthe theTeam Team Training TrainingTalent Talentallow allow“heroes” “heroes”to totake take Unheroic UnheroicMotivations Motivationsas aswell. well. Heroes Heroesoften oftenstruggle strugglewith withone one another anotherover overcomplex complexsituations situationswhere where their theirMotivations Motivationsclash, clash,so sobe beaware aware that thatmixing mixingUnheroic UnheroicMotivations Motivationsinto into an anotherwise otherwiseheroic heroicCampaign Campaigncan can cause causeeven evenmore morestrife. strife.This Thiscan canmake make for forsome somefantastic fantasticroleplay, roleplay,but butififyour your Players Playersaren't aren'tup upto tothe thechallenge, challenge,be be aware. aware.

Invulnerable Tabletop Super Hero RPG Game Mechanics (Law): ■ Gain Determination Points: The Character gains 1d6 Determination Points when they uphold the law and prevent a major breach of law by someone else. ■ Lose Determination Points: The Character loses 1d6 Determination Points when they choose not to prevent a major illegal activity. For example, it's okay to ignore jaywalking if the Character is in pursuit of a murderer. If the Character ever breaks the law themselves for no good reason, they lose 2d6 DET.

Might Description: Might alone does not make right, but you've really dedicated yourself to plumbing the furthest borders of your power. Martial artists tend to refine their combat skills as a path to self-perfection and inner peace, and some Mutants have taken on a similar belief with their evolution-granted capabilities. Game Mechanics (Might): ■ Gain Determination Points: The Character gains 1d6 Determination Points when they permanently grow more skilled or powerful, or when they discover a new and exciting way to use their abilities. ■ Lose Determination Points: The Character loses 1d6 Determination Points when they ignore an opportunity to train, or when they fail to explore exciting new avenues of power.

Prestige

Image courtesy The Photoholic. Freedigitalphotos.net.

Justice Description: You believe that everyone deserves an equal chance, and that injustice must be opposed by the just, in equal kind. Law isn't the same as justice; you don't necessarily care about the rules, you care about doing what's right. Game Mechanics (Justice): ■ Gain Determination Points: The Character gains 1d6 Determination Points when they prevent a grave injustice, or bring the guilty in for trial. ■ Lose Determination Points: The Character loses 1d6 Determination points when they choose not to oppose a severe injustice. If the Character ever commits a severe injustice themselves, they lose 3d6 DET.

Law Description: You believe in rules, in law, in standards of behavior. The natural world has its own natural order, and humanity, even metahumanity, only operates correctly when all are held accountable. Many folks like you prefer to work for A.P.E.X. or Patriot Force, as their direct government sponsorship means they work within the structure of the law they so cherish.

Description: You have a powerful ambition for recognition and fame. What's wrong with that? America is the Land of Opportunity, and you're fighting to protect that, right? And everyone loves your breakfast cereal, and your clothing brand, and your energy drinks. Everyone that matters. Game Mechanics (Prestige): ■ Gain Determination Points: The Character gains 1d6 Determination Points when the Character permanently improves their popularity and Reputation. Just appearing in the papers isn't enough, if you've already been in the newsrags; the hero must receive awards, the key to the city, appear on Letterman, or score a major merchandising contract. ■ Lose Determination Points: The Character loses 1d6 Determination Points when they screw up in public. Even worse, if the public ridicules the hero, like if a video of them utterly biffing it goes viral online, the Character loses 2d6 DET.

Protection Description: Villains, natural disasters, and alien invasions all threaten innocent lives; but you're here to do something about that. Heroes like you have often lost a loved one to an evil force or a dramatic accident in their youth, and choose to focus on the positive as a result, protecting lives.

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