I tend to prefer characters that have a common unifying theme in mind. Feel free to make your character as simple and straight-forward or as complicated and abnormal as you like; as long as it all makes sense and is built around theme first, I'll probably like it.
Characters don't have to have any established ties to the DCAU, or any DC canon; feel free to make up whatever backstories suit you. Please also include in your backstory about how well-known your character is by the public (or any other parties). Again, no real limits here, just let me know if you've been doing the super-hero gig for years or just donned the cape yesterday.
House Rules/clarifications are as follows:
Power Level:
- Power levels can be traded for 15pp, and vice-versa; no more than 2 power levels higher or lower.
- Max Save DC can be traded off for extra attacks per round, instead of max Attack Bonus. (see Iterative Attack Advantage)
Abilities:
- Each rank of Presence grants one free interaction based Advantage (i.e. Fascinate,Teamwork, Set-up).
Powers and Modifiers:
- Ability-Based (1 Flat Point)- Allows for any one ability modifier to add to an effect's rank for determining its save DC.
- Impervious works like in 2e, Penetrating stays the same.
- Regeneration costs 2pp/rank.
- An effect's duration or action can be changed with Extras/Flaws; +1/-1 pp/rank to go up/down one step for either.
- Enhanced Strength can now be Limited to Lifting and Grabs (as opposed to just lifting).
Existing Advantages:
- Ranks in Defensive Roll can be added as a circumstance bonus to Dodge checks made to avoid area effects, but if so, won't apply to Toughness checks for actually resisting the effect. Also, you can avoid losing the benefits of this advantage while vulnerable by succeeding on a Concentration skill check (DC 10 + damage bonus).
- Jack-of-all-trades does not apply to Knowledge/Expertise skills. For that, use Eidetic Memory.
- Languages is replaced by skill use (see Skills).
- Luck now gives straight hero points, like in 2e.
- Tracking will require Survival checks, instead of Perception/Notice.
- Trance functions like it's 2e version as well, requiring a DC 15 Concentration check to activate and adding your Concentration bonus to your Stamina rank to determine how long you can hold your breath, as well as making Concentration (instead of Stamina) checks to resist suffocation.
Additional Advantages:
- Attack Specialization from 2e is back, but think of it as having the same flexibility as the 3e combat skills.
- Iterative Attack- Grants one additional attack action per round, per rank. It takes a full-round action to use all attack actions. Extra iterative attacks count as extra ranks towards your attack bonus for the purpose of determining Power Level limits. So for example, a PL 10 character with Iterative Attack 2 could have an effect with a +13 bonus to hit, and +5 ranks towards its Save DC. A character may only take Iterative Attack if his/her highest Save DC is below the character's power level.
- Rapid Iterative Attack- Allows for one extra attack from the Iterative Attack advantage to be completed in a standard action per rank. So in order to use all extra attacks in one standard action, your rank in this advantage must equal your rank in Iterative Attack.
- Iterative Move-by Action- Allows for extra attacks from the Iterative Attack advantage to be split up between your normal movement for the round. You must have the Move-by Action, Iterative Attack, and Rapid Iterative Attack advantages to take this one.
- Dynamic Charge- You can change directions before charging, as long as there's still at least 10 feet between you and your target before your final straight line of movement. Each rank in this advantage allows you to change directions one more time before completing your charge.
- Niche Protection- Allows for one (and only one) trait to exceed it's normal Power Level limit by 1 rank. Niche Protection can't be applied to Toughness, any Attack Bonus, or any Save DC. Niche Protection can't be taken more than once.
- Snatch Arrows- You're able to catch and hurl back slow moving projectiles. When someone attacks you with a slow projectile (thrown weapon, arrow, etc.), you may make an immediate opposed check against their attack check as a reaction, using your Snatch Arrows rank as your modifier. If you succeed on this opposed check, you can immediately redirect the attack at any target within the attack's normal range, making a normal attack check with your own attack modifier. You must be aware of the attack in order to use this advantage. Your max rank in this advantage is limited by Power Level in the exact same way as Dodge and Parry.
Built off of [Deflect, Reflect, Redirection, Increased Action 3 (Reaction), Limited (Doesn't Add 10 on Rolls of 10 or Less), Limited (Doesn't Affect Others), Limited 2 (Slow Projectiles), Reduced Range (Close)].
- Sneak Attack- Adds +1 to the Save DC of all effects resisted by either Toughness, Fortitude, or Will (choose one) when attacking a Vulnerable or Defenseless target. Additional ranks either increase this bonus, or apply to the Save DC of effects resisted by different defenses. Power level still limits max Save DC, as usual.
Skills:
- We'll be using 2e skills in their entirety, including the return to costing 4 ranks/1pp. Max skill bonus is still PL + 10.
- Acrobatics and Stealth will be tied to Agility; Drive, Escape Artist, Pilot, Ride, and Sleight of Hand will be tied to Dexterity.
- You can disregard Investigate, anything it might be used for can be chalked up to either Search, or an appropriate Knowledge skill.
- Athletics from 3e will be in use, but only for the jumping, running, and tripping aspects; climbing and swimming will be governed by their individual skills.
- Treatment will also function as it normally does in 3e, except that the Revive and Stabilize functions both require a full-round action.
Combat:
- Full-round actions are back, and effects can be increased to full-round actions through the use of flaws.
- Charging is a full-round action, and functions just like it did in 2e.
- All Grab checks are now opposed checks (including the initial check to establish a Grab), using a Grab modifier of [melee attack bonus + Str bonus]. You can also take Attack Specialization (Grab) (see Advantages) or a Limited version of Enhanced Strength (see Powers and Modifiers) to increase your Grab modifier.
- Escaping from a Grab requires either an opposed Grab or Escape Artist check, instead of Acrobatics or Athletics.
- The Recover action takes a full-round.
- When either attempting or opposing a Trip, a Strength check may be made in place of Acrobatics or Athletics.
- Any maneuver that takes a standard action and has an opposed roll against the target (i.e. Feinting, Tricking, Demoralizing) can be performed as a move action with a -5 penalty.
- Multiple modifier-changing maneuvers can be used at once (i.e. All-out Power Attack).
- Knockback Rules: Any time a character fails a Toughness check by two degrees (inflicting a Dazed condition), they may suffer knockback. Subtract the character's Knockback Modifier (Toughness rank + Growth rank + relevant Feature rank) from the rank of the damaging effect. The target is knocked back that distance value. A result of –5 or less results in no knockback. –4 or –3 means the character falls prone in roughly the same spot. The character suffers additional damage equal to the knockback rank or the Toughness of any obstacle, whichever is less. The obstacle suffers damage equal to the knockback rank; if this breaks the obstacle, the character keeps going the remainder of the knockback distance. If the obstacle is another character, both suffer damage equal to the knockback rank. The character ends up prone and must get back up normally.
Current Applications: Beltran- Crime Fighter by Aerlwyn
The Flash- Speedster (derp) by Adventure Dan
Titan- Powerhouse by Mark Reuter
Rift- Teleporter/Portal Opener by jemal
Draconica- Dragon-like Warrior by SilvercatMoonpaw
Garret Fleaman- Bite-sized Hero by Ashathor