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This is an old revision of HeroesMmoCharacterCreation made by ConradWong on 2018-08-07 19:26:25.

 

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Mu Factor/Character Creation


In the Mu Factor character creation system, as with most MMOs, players are presented with a handful of choices at the outset. More choices and options to customize their characters will be presented as they play.

Origin


The following origins are available:

Child of Power


The character was born in the gleaming futuristic arcology of New Olympus, either to corporate citizens or Licensed mutants. She attends one of the best prep school for mutants-- think Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. Her mentors expect great things of her, and have spoken of fast-tracking her career. But first, she must claim her License... And no amount of patronage can influence the notorious Testers.

Enclave Child


The character was born in one of the crowded enclaves or to poor citizens or 'proles' and attends a state-run school for mutants, one that was far more 'reform school' or 'school for delinquents' than 'Hogwarts'. For her, getting a License is her ticket out of the slum. But is she prepared to do whatever it takes to pass the Testers' stern criteria, or will she wind up fleeing to Zeus's Rogues?

Rogue Upbringing


The character was born in the Dregs, the decaying old city of Olympus that was once a flourishing port before the sea level rose. Her parents never submitted her for Mu gene testing; she went to school among norms, and when she triggered... There was quite a scandal. She fled rather than be taken in by the Licensed, fearing that she would be enslaved or imprisoned. Now she has managed to find fellow mutants, ones eager to share what they know and cooperate in a mutual struggle for survival... And with Zeus's help, strike a blow for mutant freedom.

Appearance


Players may choose a variety of human body shapes, skin colors, hairstyles and colors, and preferred clothes, but as mutants they are also encouraged to choose ways in which their mutation manifests, making them visibly different. Players may change these later, but the cost of doing so will be higher the more they wish to change their character appearance.

Players may appear completely human if they wish, but they can never completely eliminate visible manifestations of their mutant origins when using their powers-- at the very least their eyes or hands will glow.

To give some ideas, here are some random tables for selecting appearance:

Gender

Roll 2d6Result
2Ambiguous (androgynous or deliberately mysterious)
3Female (butch or tomboyish)
4Female (ladylike)
5Female (professional)
6Female (flirty)
7Male (macho)
8Male (professional)
9Male (gentleman)
10Male (scruffian)
11Male (bishonen)
12It's Complicated

Skin Color

Roll 1d6Result
1Pale White
2Healthy Pink
3Asian/Indian
4Burnished Bronze
5Black
6Other. Roll again: 1. Red, 2. Orange, 3. Green, 4. Blue, 5. Purple, 6. Roll Twice.

Body Build


Roll 2d6Result
2Short and squat, midget-like
3Significantly obese
4Slightly obese
5-6Slim and gracile, dancer-like
7-8Muscled, movie star-like
9Tall and thin, beanpole
10Heavy-set, muscled build
11Charles Atlas muscles
12Brute-like physique, hulking and hunched over

Body Form


Roll 1d6Result
1Practically human except for glowing eyes or hands when using powers
2Normally human but transforms visibly when using powers i.e. 'Flame On!'
3-4Near-human, proper clothes or simple disguise could conceal differences
5Demi-human, would require poor lighting and heavy disguise
6Obviously not human, practically impossible to disguise

Hairstyle


Roll 1d6Result
1Military crew cut or even bald
2Short pageboy or bob
3Medium, swept over one eye
4Medium, curls, braids, or dreadlocks
5Long and straight
6Masses of flowing curly or wavy hair

Hair Color


Roll 1d6Result
1Black
2Brown
3Golden
4White or silver
5Auburn
6Roll again. 1. Bright red, 2. Orange, 3. Green, 4. Blue, 5. Purple, 6. Roll Twice.

Regional Stereotype


Roll 2d6Result
2Roll again. 1-4. Isle of California, 5-6. Hawaii
3China
4Japan
5Australia
6New England City i.e. Chicago, New York
7Wild West i.e. Arizona, Texas
8Europe; roll again. 1. UK, 2. France, 3. Portugal, 4. Spain, 5. Germany, 6. Greece, Italy, etc.
9Southern or Cajun i.e. Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee
10Canada
11Africa
12Mideast

Outfit


Roll 2d6Result
2-3Archaic costume or uniform
4-5Heavy armor/combat loadout
6-8Standard uniform
9-10Light armor/combat loadout
11-12Wildly designed personal uniform

Note: these randomizers are designed for random NPCs encountered. Players will be much more likely to choose distinctive personal outfits but it should be possible to recognize the faction of most powered beings at a glance even if one has never encountered them before.

League uniforms are blue with gold trim, while Rogue uniforms are black with silver trim. Even when wearing armor, the armor will be painted with appropriate colors.

Origins


Origins affect how the players' powers operate, and thus how they can be opposed. These follow a kind of rock-paper-scissors logic:
psychic origins are most effective against technology, technology is strong against natural origins, and natural origins are strong against psychic origins. Unpowered persons will use either psychic (magical) artifacts or technological gadgets, or may be highly trained (natural). Players who have the Unpowered origin will be able to mix and match their equipment.

Roll 2d6Result
2-3Unpowered
4-6Psychic
7-10Natural
11-12Technology

Archetypes


Players select a major archetype which represents how they most want to play. They are not restricted to taking powers from this archetype, but these powers will be the most effective for them.

Roll 2d6Result
2Summoner (uses pets or conjured entities)
3-4Controller (manipulates the environment to attack or hinder one's enemies)
5-6Scrapper (strong melee damage, medium defenses)
7-8Blaster (strong ranged damage but weak defenses)
9-10Guardian (strong defenses but medium attacks)
11Defender (buff allies, debuff enemies)
12Healer

Players then select from a range of supported 'Elements', which reflect the special effects of their power. Elements are stronger or weaker against other elements, i.e. a mutant with fire-based powers would be weaker against one with water-based powers, but their relative levels and strength with any given power will weigh more heavily, so a strong fire attack might be able to reduce a water shield to steam. Players may choose only one Element. Not all Elements are compatible with all Archetypes, i.e. many Elements don't offer obvious ways to heal others.

Roll 2d6Roll 1d6Result
21-3Light
24-6Darkness
31-3Nature (plant control or transformation)
34-6Wildlife (beast control or transformation)
4Ice
5Water
6-7Fire
8Earth
9Rock
101-4Air/Weather
105-6Lightning
111-2Metal
113-4Machinery
115-6Cybernetics/Computers
121-2Gravity
123-4Space
124-6Time Control

Note that all mutants have access to high-tech items and physical fitness/martial arts.

Powers


Players gain access to a set of powers based on their chosen archetypes and Element. Some powers will have prerequisites, i.e. before a player can select 'Fly', she must take 'Hover'. Powers may also have multiple levels, so 'Fly 1' could allow a player to move at running speed, but 'Fly 2' would boost their speed to 30mph, 'Fly 3' to 100mph, and so forth.

Note: telepathy, mind control, precognition, time travel, and many other 'gamebreaking' powers are not available in 'Mu Factor' to players.

Example powers:


Note that players are not prohibited from taking powers outside their archetypes, i.e. an Ice Guardian might find value in taking melee or ranged ice attacks. However archetype powers will be strongest for players having those archetypes-- the Guardian's attacks will always be weaker than the Scrapper or Blaster's.

A new player will have five abilities: at least one from Scrapper or Blaster, one from Guardian, one movement power, and two powers of any archetype the player finds useful.
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