The Hero's Journey (character creation)

[gamedave]

Designer's Note: There have been many attempts at "free-form" character creation in supers RPG over the years. In my opinion, they all wind up being complex and exploitable. You have to have "good faith" to create balanced characters, but that rather defeats the purpose of the complex point-based system. Added to that, I've always been a fan of modular and path-based character creation, and I really like the playbook approach found in Powered by the Apocalypse RPGs, so I've implemented something similar here.

SuperFATE uses a step-by-step, path-based method to create your Hero. You pick a Background (who you were before you became a Hero), an Origin (how you became a Hero), a Power Set (what you can do as a Hero), and a First Appearance (additional customization of your Hero).

Before your Hero begins down this path, you may want to have a general character concept. This can include some idea of your Hero's history and personality, and an idea of the kind of powers you want your Hero to have. Your concept can shape the choices you make on your Hero's path and create the kind of Hero you want. However, a word of warning. Since SuperFATE! uses path-based character creation, there are limits to the choices you can make. If you have a very specific idea of who your Hero is and what she can do, you may wind up frustrated. It's probably best to just have a general concept, or at least be willing to change your concept as you go, and treat the Path a source of inspiration. One of the strength's of a path-based system, though, is you don't really need a strong concept to start with. You can create your Hero as you go along the Path.

[gamedave]

BACKGROUND

Your Hero's Background is who they were before thet became a Hero. Mechanically, it sets your Hero's starting Abilities and Talents, but these will change and grow as you Hero continues down the Path, just like your Hero. Your Background also gives one Gift.

Adventurer
Your Hero combines a knack for derring-do with a bit of knowledge and learning. They might be a tomb raider, an adventurous archaeologist, or an international art thief.

Abilities
Adventure +1, Combat +0, Intellect +1, Social +0.

Talents
Athletics +2. Academics +1, Arcana +1, Evasion +1, Investigation +1, Perception +1, Thievery +1. Brawling +0, Shooting +0, Sneaking +0, Streetwise +0, Survival +0.

Gift
Pick one: Artifact, Contacts, In the Know, Sanctum, Wealthy

Brainiac
Your Hero is smart. Like, really, really smart. They might be a genius inventor, a brilliant academic, or a visitor from an advanced alien society.

Abilities
Your Hero's Intellect is +2. One strong Ability at +1, one weak Ability at -1, the remaining Ability at +0.

Talents
Pick one at +2: Academics, Arcana, Computers, Healing, Investigation, Science, or Technology. You have the others at +1. Choose one of the following Talent Arrays:

* Troubleshooter: Driving +0, Evasion +0, Perception +0, Piloting +0, Thievery +0.
* Problem-Solver: Command +0, Diplomacy +0, Evasion +0, Perception +0, and Thievery +0.
* Fixer: Command +0, Diplomacy +0, Fast Talk +0, Intimidation +0, Streetwise +0.

Gift
Pick one: Absolute Direction, Absolute Timing, Computer Brain, Leadership, Total Recall.

Bystander
Before your Hero was a hero, they were just an average citizen, nothing out of the ordinary. They don't have the specialized skills of most Backgrounds, but they are more grounded in "real life".

Abilities
Adventure +0, Combat +0, Intellect +1, Social +1.

Talents
Pick two professional skill at +1: Computers, Healing, Piloting, Science, or Technology. The other three at +0. Academics +1, Diplomacy +1, Evasion +1, Perception +1. Driving +0, Fast Talk +0, Investigation +0, Sneaking +0, Streetwise +0.

Gift
Pick one: Contacts, Extended Family, Innocent, or Lucky.

Criminal
Your Hero was a criminal. Hopefully, they're now a reformed criminal. They still have their old skill set, though. This Background also works for spies and secret agents.

Abilities
Pick one of the following:

* Focused: Adventure +2. One strong Ability at +1, one weak Ability at -1, and the remaining Ability at +0.
* Generalist: Adventure +1. One strong Ability at +1, and the other two Abilities at +0.

Talents
Thievery +2. Athletics +1, Evasion +1, Perception +1, Sneaking +1, Streetwise +1. Pick two other Talents at +1: Arcana, Brawling, Computers, Driving, Fast Talk, Melee, Shooting, Technology. Pick three of those Talents at +0.

Gift
Pick one: Contacts, Fast, Lucky, Night Vision, Zeroed.

Detective
Your Hero is a detective of some sort. They could be a police detective, a private investigator, a government agent, or a researcher.

Abilities
Choose one of the following arrays.

* Clever: Intellect +2. Social +1. Either Adventure or Combat at +0 and the other at -1.
* Smooth: Social +2. Intellect +1. Either Adventure or Combat at +0 and the other at -1.
* Balanced: Adventure +0, Combat +0, Intellect +1, Social +1.

Talents
Investigation +2, Perception +2. Academics +1, Diplomacy +1, Intimidation +1, Streetwise +1. Three other Talents at +1: Arcana, Brawling, Computers, Driving, Evasion, Fast Talk, Science, Shooting, Sneaking, Technology, Thievery.

Gift
Computer Brain, Contacts, Empathy, Presence, Total Recall.

Occultist
Your Hero comes from a decidedly weird background. They might have grown up in an isolated cult, a wizarding school, or a monastery that teaches ancient kung fu secrets. They are generally very knowledgeable about things that People Were Not Meant to Know, but not so much with the everyday stuff.

Abilities
Choose one of the following arrays.

* Focused: Intellect +2. Either Adventure or Combat at +1 and the other at +0. Social -1.
* Balanced: Intellect +1. Either Adventure or Combat at +1 and the other at +0. Social +0.

Talents
Arcana +2. Academics +1, Healing +1, Investigation +1, Perception +1, Sneaking +1. Two of the following Talents at +1: Athletics, Brawling, Evasion, Intimidation, Melee. The other two at +0.

Gift
Pick one: Artifact, Familiar Spirit, Illuminated, Sixth Sense, Turn of the World.

Privileged
Your Hero grew up as one of the elite. They come from wealth, or be a member of an aristocracy. Or, they have grown up among the servants of such a household. Even if they grew up among opulence, they aren't necessarily wealthy and privileged now. Their life of privilege means that they never really had to excel at anything, but they had plenty of opportunities to dabble in a lot of different things.

Abilities
Choose one of the following arrays.

* Courtier: Social +2. Intellect +1. Either Adventure or Combat at +0 and the other at -1.
* Balanced: Adventure +0, Combat +0, Intellect +1, Social +1.

Talents
Academics +1, Command +1, Diplomacy +1, Intimidation +1. Pick four Talents at +1: Arcana, Athletics, Fast Talk, Melee, Piloting, Science, Shooting, Technology. Pick any four Talents at +0.

Gift
Pick one: Companion, Extended Family, Leadership, Titled, Wealthy.

Student
Your Hero is a teen or young adult, still in the process of learning about life. They might be a student in a high school or college, a cadet in a military training program, a novitiate at a martial arts monastery, or a sorcerer's apprentice. Your Hero has a broad but shallow pool of Abilities and Talents, but plenty of room to grow.

Abilities
Intellect +1. One other strong Ability at +1. The other two Abilities at +0.

Talents
Academics +1, Investigation +1. Pick three academic specialties at +1. Pick any 10 other Talents at +0.

Gift
Pick one: Animal Companion, Extended Family, Familiar Spirit, Innocent, Sixth Sense.

Survivor
Your Hero grew up rough, whether it was on the streets, in the wilds, or as a refugee. They have learned to cope with a variety of situations, but

Abilities
Choose one of the following arrays.

* Hardened: Adventure +2, Combat +1, Intellect +0, Social -1.
* Balanced: Adventure +1, Combat +1, Intellect +0, Social +0.

Talents
Survival +2. Athletics +1, Evasion +1, Perception +1, Sneaking +1. Pick two of the following Talents at +1: Brawling, Healing, Melee, Shooting, Streetwise, Thievery. The other four are at +0. Pick any one other Talent at +0.

Gift
Pick one: Absolute Direction, Animal Companion, Animal Friendship, Fast, Night Vision.

Warrior
Your Hero is a warrior. They may be a soldier in a conventional military force, or a barbarian from a lost civilization, or self-trained vigilante. But, above all, they fight.

Abilities
Choose one of the following arrays.

* Combat Monster: Combat +2. Adventure +1. Either Intellect or Social at -1, and the other at +0
* Balanced: Adventure +1, Combat +1, Intellect +0, Social +0.

Talents
Pick one at +2: Brawling, Melee, Shooting. The two you didn't pick are at +1. Athletics +1, Evasion +1, Intimidation +1, Perception +1. Pick one at +1 and three at +0: Command, Driving, Gunnery, Healing, Piloting, Sneaking, Survival.

Gift
Pick one: Berserker, Brawny, Fast, Leadership, Presence.

[gamedave]

WORK IN PROGRESS

ORIGIN

Your Hero's Origin is how they gained their special powers and abilities. Some Heroes are born, some are made, and some make themselves.

Origin

Construct
Your Hero is an artificial life-form. They might be a robot or android, or a magical golem. They might be life-like and difficult to distinguish from a regular human, or they might not even be humanoid.

You have the Unliving and Computer Brain Gifts. Pick whether your maker prioritized form or function.

Form: Pick two additional Gifts: Brawny, Extra Limbs, Fast, Natural Weapons, or Night Vision.

Function: Increase four of your Talents by one step.

Gifted
Your Hero was born this way. Your Hero might be a genetic mutant or the recipient of a mystical boon. Their powers can be both gift and curse. Your Hero's special abilities probably first manifested during puberty, but they have been set apart from birth. Pick whether you are gifted of body or mind, then pick three Gifts from that list.

Body: Aquatic, Brawny, Blind, Extra Limbs, Fast, Gorgeous, Natural Weapons, Night Vision, Scent, Wings.
Mind: Absolute Direction, Absolute Timing, Animal Friendship, Computer Brain, Empathy, Leadership, Presence, Sixth Sense, Total Recall.

You also gain one Stunt related to your Power Set.

Imbued
Your Hero was a perfectly normal person, until one day Fate stepped in and changed them. It might have been a freak accident, or a deliberate experiment. Perhaps they were chosen by an ancient wizard or a powerful spirit. Whatever it was, now they are a Hero.

Increase one of your Abilities by one step. Then, pick whether you were Imbued by magic, or science.

Magic: Increase one Talent by one step: Academics, Arcana, Intimidation, or Perception. Gain one Gift: Artifact, Brawny, Empathy, Familiar Spirit, Gorgeous, Illuminated, Presence, Sanctum, or Sixth Sense.

Science: Increase one Talent by one step: Academics, Healing, Science, or Technology. Gain one Gift: Aquatic, Brawny, Computer Brain, Extra Limbs, Fast, Gorgeous, Natural Weapons, Night Vision, Scent, or Wings.

Symbiosis
Your Hero somehow became merged with another entity. They might be a cyborg, partially possessed by a ghost, able to access the personalities of previous incarnations, been infected by an alien life-form, or merged with an energy being. Your Hero gained Powers from the merger, and is nominally in charge, but the other entity may have its own, quite alien, agenda, and your toughest fights might be against your Other Self.

Your Hero gains the Familiar Spirit Gift (to represent the Other that merged with you). Pick one of the following Gifts gained from your merged consciousnesses: Berserker, Computer Brain, Fearless, Illuminated, In the Know, Presence, or Total Recall. Pick one of the following Gifts gained from your merged physical forms: Aquatic, Brawny, Extra Limbs, Natural Weapons, Night Vision, Scent, Tough, or Wings.

Your symbiote has its own knowledge, skills, and experiences. Pick two Talents at +2 or four Talents at +1. Your Hero can act as if they have those Talents at those ratings.

Finally, pick one option for your Hero's Symbiote.

Experienced: Gain one Stunt for your Hero's Power Set.

Expert: Gain "The Best There Is" Stunt for a Talent that your Symbiote has at +2 and increase it to +3.

Your Weakness is My Strength: Increase your Hero's worst Ability by +1.

Training
Your Hero has been trained by the best, or perhaps they've trained themself to be the best. Your Hero relies more on their own skills than on their powers.

Increase one Ability by +1. Increase four of your Talents by +1.

You also gain one Stunt related to your Abilities or Talents.

[gamedave]

FIRST APPEARANCE
After determining your Hero's Background, Origin, and Power Set, the last step is your Hero's First Appearance. This is an opportunity to fine-tune your Hero. You do NOT have to make any of the following decisions right now. In fact, it's usually best to wait and add these modifications during play. But, if you have a strong concept, it's perfectly fine to make one or more of these decisions right now.

* Pick one Talent. Increase it by one step (gain it at +0 if you don't have it).
* Pick one Gift.
* Create one Stunt.
* Pick one of the following:

• Focused: Increase one Ability by one step.
• Talented: Pick four Talents. Increase them by one step.
• Gifted: Pick two Gifts.
• Tricky: Create a Stunt.
• Powerful: Pick an additional option from your Power Set.