TEXT: Welcome to the city. I’m sure your
  stay will be eventful. If you thought
  that life here would be simple, you
  couldn’t be more wrong. I bet you
  figured that with all the superheros
  protecting our neighborhoods,
  crime would be low. You’re
  already a victim with
  that line of reasoning.
  A lot of people miss the old days and want to return
  to them. These are the same people that
  curse the mutants and heroes for not
  leaving law enforcement in the hands of
  the police and feds. There's also another
  reason they hate them—supply and demand. With
  the supply of superheros busting crime rings, gangs,
  and the like, a new breed of evil came into
  demand—one that could compete with the heroes
  and offer average criminals the chance to make a
  dishonest living once again. Yes, you guessed it—
  supervillains for hire. They keep the heroes occupied,
  while the old-time crooks plunder, and then they
  split the takings.
  This is what superheros did to our fine city. Now,
  the police can't even protect you against some of the
  bad guys. They just don't have the power.
  Welcome to the new reality.
  Welcome to the…
  Back in the day, when criminals
  mugged you at the ATMs and ripped
  off banks, we had only the police to
  protect us. Back then you knew who
  the good guys were and they always
  carried badges. Now... forget about it.
  We've got some colorful costumes
  flying around and they couldn't care
  less about licenses. In some cases,
  they don't even care about legalities.
  They're thugs and vigilantes, but,
  they could save your life.
  
  PRICE OF POWER
  PRICE OF POWER
  Written and everything else by Brett M. Bernstein. More goodies at http://www.pigames.net.
  ©2004 Brett M. Bernstein. All rights reserved.
  
  PAGE 3
  Teaser......................................1
  Getting Started........................4
  Traits.......................................5
  Aptitudes.................................5
  Slants ......................................6
  Powers ....................................6
  Doing Things.........................10
  Using Slants..........................14
  Creating Heroes ....................15
  Creating Powers....................16
  Weaknesses ...........................17
  Improving Heroes..................18
  Creating Villains ...................18
  Creating Innocents................18
  Sample Heroes ......................19
  Hero Sheet.............................20
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  I failed to meet the 24-page minimum in order to call this a success,
  but still, I’m happy with the results. I could have easily reached the 24-
  page mark, but I didn’t want to make the fonts larger or spread the text
  out too much. By the way, this is the only portion to be added outside
  the 24-hour period—I don’t really consider this part of the game, but
  if you’re one of those people who does, simply rip off this half of the
  page and dispose of it in your nearest trash receptacle. I even supplied
  a dotted line for you.
  When I started this, I had no idea what sort of game I’d make. I
  thought about all the television programs, movies, and ideas I had
  floating around in my head. Then it came to me…a superhero game.
  Yes. I liked that idea, but could I do it in twenty-four hours?
  Needless to say, I did. It wasn’t easy though. I had to think up a
  system. Luckily, there were a few concepts I had been playing around
  with some time ago. They came in handy, but they’re not actually
  present in this game. Instead, they inspired other ideas, and I soon had
  the basics of a system. This really hasn’t been tested all that much, so
  I hope it works well enough to make the game enjoyable. I have some
  faith in it, but, come on, how flawless could it be in twenty-four hours
  worth of design. Don’t forget, I also had to do the the layout, dig up
  some clip art, and look for typos.
  I also wanted to add some flavor text, a sample adventure, and
  ready-made villains, but ran out of time. Staying true to the spirit of
  the 24-hour competition, I didn’t want to add anything onto this game
  which wasn’t completed in time. There was also an additional aspect
  of powers which didn’t make it. Oh well. It was fun and worth the try.
  Enjoy!
  Brett M. Bernstein
  AUTHOR’S NOTES
  
  PAGE 4
  Price of Power is a roleplaying game. In
  fact, it was created in only twenty-four
  hours as part of a challenge undertaken by
  others, as well, in order to see what exactly
  was possible in a limited amount of time
  and with no pre-conceived notions of
  design. You really need to have experience
  with roleplaying to proceed, but if you’re an
  evil genius, come to take over the world,
  you’ll probably do just fine.
  This game requires some six-sided dice
  and two or more players. It is meant to be
  simple, yet functional. Since twenty-four
  hours is very little time, the latter remains
  to be proven. Please abuse and beat the hell
  out of the rules, and let me know how they
  work for you. Send all feedback to
  brett@pigames.net.
  GETTING STARTED
  First things first. One player must direct the course of the game.
  He is, therefore, called the director. This is who sets the stage and
  tells the story
  If you are not the director, you are a superhero. At least you
  portray one while playing this game. If you are the director, you
  don’t get to make up your own superhero. Instead, you can create
  all the innocents and villains in the game. Basically, you get to take
  a power trip and screw with the superheros. Make sure you’re fair,
  though, because the players may be stronger than you in real life.
  As a superhero, you are better than the average person. Better at
  what? Well, that all depends on how you spend the hero points
  allocated to you. But, before we get to that, let’s talk about what
  makes up a superhero first…
  
  PAGE 5
  Each superhero (or any other character is this
  game, for that matter) possesses four traits—
  muscle, prowess, senses, and knowledge. These
  traits are basically numerical representations of his
  skill and ability in certain fields.
  MUSCLE represents all things relating strength and
  brute force. If you’re trying to break down a door
  or hold on to a ladder for dear life, you’ll want a
  high muscle rating.
  PROWESS is everything related to coordination,
  movement, and reflexes. You’ll want a high
  prowess if seeking a hero who can outrun a
  bullet or shoot a coin held between a person’s
  fingers.
  SENSES measures hearing, vision, taste, smell, and
  touch. Tracking someone by scent or hearing a
  conversion across the street are things you can
  do with a high senses rating.
  KNOWLEDGE is a hero’s general education and
  common sense. Make sure you have a high rating
  in this trait if you want your character to be able
  to compete on a game show or understand more
  advanced studies, such as the sciences or
  corporate law.
  That’s all the traits. Each one is rated on a scale
  from zero (0) to five (5). Be warned: if your hero
  has a trait rating of zero, he’s essential disable. Only
  go this route if you’re sure you can handle the
  necessary roleplaying challenge (good luck).
  SCALE�TRAITS
  0
  DISABLED
  1
  WEAK
  2
  AVERAGE INNOCENT
  3
  STRONG
  4
  VERY STRONG
  5
  LIMIT FOR  INNOCENTS
  6 +
  SUPERHEROIC
  TRAITS
  Now that we know what traits are, we can move
  on to special training which compliments them.
  This special training is called aptitudes. A selection
  of sample aptitudes are listed below, but feel free to
  add your own.
  ATHLETICS includes acrobatics, swimming, sports,
  and all things gymnastic.
  COMPUTERS is the art of programming and
  hacking computers.
  DIPLOMACY is the art of negotiation, arbitration,
  and politics.
  GADGETS is the art of designing new inventions
  and building mechanical, electrical, and
  electronic devices.
  INVESTIGATION includes doing research and
  interviewing people.
  MAGIC is the art of sleight of hand tricks,
  distraction, and trickery.
  MARTIAL ARTS
  includes advanced fighting
  techniques.
  SCIENCE includes chemistry, physics, and biology. 
  I can’t stress enough that the aptitudes above are
  not set in stone. If you want your hero to have one
  not listed, just take it, but make sure the director
  gives his approval.
  APTITUDES
  
  PAGE 6
  This is where things really take off. Slants are the
  elements which really separate superheros from
  innocents. They represent sparks of potential
  which fuel a hero’s powers.
  HEROISM: All heroes have a spark of bravery and
  integrity. This slant is the epitome of that spark.
  VILLAINY: All heroes also possess a spark of
  cowardice and corruption no matter how
  upstanding they are. This slant represents that
  spark.
  STYLE: Not all heroes are cool, but those who are,
  tend to get more things done. While this is
  probably just due to the public’s perception of the
  hero’s actions, it epitomizes the effectiveness of
  style.
  PERMANENT SLANTS: Some powers will provide
  heroes with permanent slants. These function in
  the same manner as regular slants, except they
  are replenished after the dispute or contest in
  which they were used.
  Like aptitudes, slants are rated on a scale from
  one (1) to three (3), although this can change
  during play. They also influence traits differently,
  but we’ll get into that later.
  Ticks are related to slants, but we’ll cover their
  use later in this book (see page 14).
  SLANTS
  We can’t forget about all those strange powers that make mere innocents
  into superheros. These powers are quite varied, but follow a simple system
  of application, limitation, duration, effect, and cause. Rules for putting all
  these together to form a power can be found on page 16.
  APPLICATION
  Application represents any one of the following methods:
  SELF: The effect only works on the superhero himself.
  TOUCH: The effect only works on a target when the superhero touches it.
  PROJECT: The effect may be projected to work on another target.
  AREA: The effect may be present in a director-defined area encircling the
  target (the target may be created by using any of the other applications).
  LIMITATION
  There’s always something that gets in the way of victory. Limitations
  decrease the effectiveness of the power. Limitations are optional for powers.
  GADGET: The power may only be used with the proper equipment. Should
  this equipment break, or otherwise not be accessible to the hero, he cannot
  create the effect.
  ACTIVATION: The power must be activated before it can be used to create an
  effect. While this is simple enough to do, it requires extra time and could
  allow a villain to strike the hero before unleashing the effect.
  FLAW: The power is ineffective against a specific material, element, or force.
  SIDE EFFECT: Every time the power is used, it unleashes an unwanted side
  effect (this is left up to the discretion of the director).
  STRESSFUL: Every time the power is used, the hero receives 1 point of
  fatigue.
  POWERS
  
  PAGE 7
  DURATION 
  Powers can create effects which remain active for
  different amounts of time.
  MOMENTARY: The power creates an effect which
  lasts for one turn or less.
  SUSTAINED: The duration of the power is
  determined by its rating.
  PERMANENT: The duration of the power is always
  in effect or becomes ongoing once activated and
  is stopped when cancelled.
  EFFECT 
  An effect is what the power actually does. Some alter trait ratings, some act
  as slants (adding a die to the roll), and others have unique properties. Some
  effects also use multiple levels—each level increases is potency.
  INJURE: This power inflicts one point of injury on a target for each level
  taken.
  FATIGUE: This power inflicts one point of fatigue on a target for each level
  taken.
  INCREASE TRAIT: This power increases a trait’s rating by one point for each
  level taken.
  TOUGHNESS: Each level of this power counts as one point of armor.
  RESISTANCE: This power makes it impossible for a hero to contract any
  disease or illness.
  IMMUNITY: This power makes the hero impervious to any one substance—
  he receives no damage from it. Some example would be fire, extreme cold,
  and bullets.
  REGENERATION: This power removes one point of injury for each level
  taken.
  GRACE: This power adds one permanent grace slant point for each level
  taken. Grace may be used for actions relating to balance, such as
  acrobatics and martial arts.
  PRECISION: This power adds one permanent precision slant point for each
  level taken. Precision may be used for actions relating to hand-eye
  coordination, such as aim, using tools, and drawing.
  SPEED: This power adds one permanent speed slant point for each level
  taken. Speed may be used for actions relating to reflexes and movement,
  such as initiative, climbing, running,and flying.
  CLIMBING: This power allows a hero to climb and cling to sheer walls. All
  climbing actions rely on the prowess trait.
  DURATION�SUSTAINED
  POWER IS BASED ON TRAIT
  TURNS: TRAIT X 2
  POWER IS A SLANT
  TURNS: SLANT ROLL
  OTHER
  DIRECTOR’S DISCRETION
  
  PAGE 8
  FLIGHT: This power allows a hero to fly. All flying actions rely
  on the prowess trait.
  LEVITATION: This power allows a hero to float in mid-air, but
  he cannot direct his movement or control its speed. All
  levitation actions rely on the prowess trait.
  GLIDING: This power allows a hero to glide long distances in
  mid-air, but he cannot change direction without affecting his
  inertia (rocket thrust, wind, etc.). All gliding actions rely on
  the prowess trait.
  JUMPING: This power allows a hero to jump long distances,
  but he cannot change direction until landing. All jumping
  actions rely on the muscle trait.
  INCREASE HEARING: This power adds one permanent hearing
  slant point for each level taken. Increase hearing may be
  used for actions relating to hearing.
  INCREASE VISION: This power adds one permanent vision
  slant point for each level taken. Increase vision may be used
  for actions relating to vision.
  INCREASE SMELL: This power adds one permanent smell
  slant point for each level taken. Increase smell may be used
  for actions relating to smell.
  INCREASE TASTE: This power adds one permanent taste slant
  point for each level taken. Increase taste may be used for
  actions relating to taste.
  INCREASE TOUCH: This power adds one permanent touch
  slant point for each level taken. Increase touch may be used
  for actions relating to touch.
  ECHO LOCATION: This power allows a hero to discern objects
  around him by way of sound waves. All echo location
  actions rely on the senses trait.
  NIGHT VISION: This power allows a hero to see in the dark. All
  night visions actions rely on the senses trait.
  TELEPATHY: This power allows a hero to communicate with
  other people without speaking or gesturing. All telepathy
  actions rely on the senses trait.
  ANIMAL TELEPATHY:
  This power allows a hero to
  communicate with animals. All animal telepathy actions rely
  on the senses trait.
  EMPATHY: This power allows a hero to detect the emotional
  states of other people. All empathy actions rely on the senses
  trait.
  DANGER SENSE: This power adds one permanent danger
  sense slant point for each level taken. Danger sense may only
  be used for initiative.
  LIFE SENSE: This power allows a hero to detect life forms and
  identify their species. All life sense actions rely on the senses
  trait.
  MOTION SENSE: This power allows a hero to detect motion.
  All motion sense actions rely on the senses trait.
  ENERGY SENSE: This power allows a hero to detect energy
  patterns and identify their sources. All energy sense actions
  rely on the senses trait.
  RECALL: This power adds one permanent recall slant point for
  each level taken. Recall may be used for actions relating to
  trivia and general knowledge.
  
  PAGE 9
  INTERFACE: This power allows a hero to interact directly with
  computer systems.
  MENTAL INVASION: This power allows a hero to invade the
  thoughts of other people. All mental invasion actions rely on the
  knowledge trait.
  HYPNOTISM:
  This power allows a hero to put a person into a
  hypnotic state. Once this is done, the person will obey the hero’s
  commands. All hypnotism actions rely on the knowledge trait.
  LIMBS: This power adds one extra limb to the hero for each level
  taken.
  APPEARANCE: This power allows a hero to alter his appearance at
  will. This can be done by stretching limbs, changing facial features,
  or even taking the form of an animal of similar size.
  AIR: This power allows a character to control air, wind, and
  gases. All air actions rely on the prowess trait.
  WATER: This power allows a character to control water and
  liquids. All water actions rely on the prowess trait.
  FIRE: This power allows a character to control  fire and ignite
  flammable substances. All fire actions rely on the prowess
  trait.
  EARTH: This power allows a character to control rock, sand,
  and dirt. All earth actions rely on the prowess trait.
  ICE: This power allows a character to control ice, frost, and
  snow. All ice actions rely on the prowess trait.
  GRAVITY: This power allows a character to control gravity and
  acceleration. All gravity actions rely on the muscle trait.
  ELECTRICITY: This power allows a character to control
  electricity and lightning. All electricity actions rely on the
  muscle trait.
  MAGNETISM: This power allows a character to control
  magnets and magnetism. All magnetism actions rely on the
  muscle trait.
  ILLUSION: This power allows a character to create illusions
  with tricks of the light. All illusion actions rely on the senses
  trait.
  LIGHT: This power allows a character to increase and decrease
  lighting, or alter frequencies, thereby. All light actions rely
  on the senses trait.
  GILLS: This power allows a hero to breathe underwater.
  SELF-SUFFICIENT: This power allows a hero to survive
  without breathing or eating.
  
  PAGE 10
  CAUSE 
  The hero’s power must have come from
  somewhere. The cause is how it came to be.
  GENETICS: The hero was born with the power.
  While it may skip a generation, it is definitely
  part of his bloodline.
  EXPERIMENT: The hero either took part in a
  medical 
  or 
  science 
  experiment 
  or 
  was
  conducting it himself. Needless to say, something
  went wrong and now he has the power.
  UNNATURAL SOURCE: No one knows where the
  power came from. It just is.
  ALIEN: The hero is not from around here. He could
  be from an alien world or even from an unknown
  region of Earth, like below the surface, for
  example.
  You should have a swirl of numbers and powers
  in your head by now. It probably doesn’t make
  much sense to you yet, but that’s alright. We’ll get
  you up to speed in this section, so you can bust
  some caps on the bad guys.
  First things first. Whenever a superhero wants to
  do something, it’s called an action. Anything can be
  an action—shooting a gun, picking a lock, or
  throwing a car. There are two types of actions
  though. These are scene-based actions and turn-
  based actions.
  Scene-based actions are used when time and
  initiative is not important. Doing research while
  riding in a car or carving a doll from wood, for
  example, would be scene-based. It doesn’t matter
  when they are performed in relation to other
  heroes or villains, and they don’t directly affect
  anyone else either. Since scene-based actions can
  be performed anytime, we don’t need to worry
  about when the superhero gets to act.
  Turn-based actions rely on detail. Each turn is
  dependent on the order in which people act and
  each action must either be completed in the turn or
  as part of a sustained action, which continues for
  several turns. This type of action can affect other
  people and there is most likely a direct relation to
  all parties involved, whether by proximity or
  interaction.
  DOING THINGS
  
  PAGE 11
  Before we get into specifics, let’s discuss how we
  determine if an action is successful or not. When a
  player attempts an action, he must declare his
  intent. At this point, the other players and the
  director can dispute his action if any of them feel it
  is not within his ability. A hero with average
  muscle, for example, is not likely to lift a car above
  his head—something like this would be disputed.
  If the action was disputed, the player must roll
  one die and add the relevant trait to the result. If
  the hero also has an aptitude which is appropriate
  to the action, add another three points to the
  result. What is a relevant trait or aptitude? If the
  action is something covered by a specific trait
  (lifting cars would rely on muscle, for example),
  then it’s relevant. Only one trait and aptitude can
  be used in an action, although the use of an
  aptitude is optional. If the final result is equal to or
  greater than the difficulty value assigned by the
  director, the action is successful. Difficulty values
  are covered below.
  Slants can also affect an action, but instead of
  adding their value directly to the result, another
  die is rolled per slant point expended. The results
  of these additional dice are then also added. Once
  a point is expended for this purpose, it is lost until
  additional points are gained. Slants may only be
  used in specific circumstances (see Using Slants on
  page 14).
  CONTESTS
  Contests are actions when two or more parties are in direct competition. This
  includes arm wrestling contests, sword duels, and public debates, for example.
  One type of contest is the instant contest. This competition is resolved in a single
  turn and usually ends either because one side relents or the other wins due to
  overwhelming power. This contest is simple to resolve. All players involved
  proceed as if the action is disputed—they roll one die, plus additional dice if
  using slants, and add their relevant trait rating (and another three points if an
  aptitude applies) to the result. The player with the highest result wins the
  contest. Ties automatically become sustained contests as explained below.
  Another form of contest is the sustained contest. Sometimes people just won’t
  give up. After an instant contest is completed, any player may choose to extend
  the action into the next turn (a tie will automatically do this). At this point, other
  players may choose to either relent or maintain their position. Players who relent
  loose the contest, while those who do not, must continue the action during the
  following turn. They may not perform any other action in the new turn, but they
  may expend slant points in order to add additional dice to the existing result.
  This may be performed for as many turns as necessary.
  It is also possible for players to work together during a contested action by
  expending slants to add extra dice to the competing player of choice. Players
  who assist other players may not perform another action during the turn in
  which a slant is used.
  AUTOMATIC ACTIONS
  The last type of action is an
  automatic one. This occurs if an
  action is not contested and not
  disputed. It is automatically
  successful.
  DIFFICULTIES
  How do we know what difficulty
  value to assign to an action? Good
  question. 
  You 
  can 
  use 
  the
  benchmarks below to interpolate
  values. Please note that difficulties
  are only necessary when an action
  is not a contest.
  
  PENALTY DICE
  While difficulties are used by the
  director to describe the difficulty of an
  action, penalty dice may also be applied
  due to a hero’s lack of ability. For
  example, if a hero has been restrained by
  net and cannot completely move, he
  receives a penalty die, which essentially
  restricts his movement. Penalty dice are
  subtracted from the total instead being
  added to it like slants. The use of penalty
  dice are at the director’s discretion, but a
  good rule of thumb is that if something
  restricts the relevant trait in an action,
  throw in a penalty die.
  A triumph occurs when a hero’s result
  is twice as much as his opponent.
  Triumphs allow a player to describe not
  only his hero’s actions, but also those of
  innocents which have yet to act, and his
  opponent (the one who lost the contest).
  If the action was assisted, the player may
  also pass the narration of innocents or
  opponents to any player which assisted
  him, but he must still narrate his own
  hero’s actions.
  When players narrate the actions of
  innocents or opponents, they may not
  describe any action which inflicts harm
  or puts anyone else in danger apart from
  the heroes.
  The director always has the option to
  penalize players for abusing their control
  over innocents or villains by adding
  villainy ticks  (see Using Slants on page
  14).
  OUTCOME
  The nature of an action determines
  how the outcome is produced. 
  An Automatic action allows a player to
  describe what his hero does. The player
  has the freedom to narrate however he
  would like, provided he sticks to only the
  actions of his own hero. and that of any
  innocents in the area which have not yet
  acted. The director describes all actions
  by the villains.
  Disputed and Contested actions may
  only be narrated by the director, but he
  may not stray from the intent originally
  described by the players for successful
  actions. He has the freedom to change
  any part of the original intent for failures,
  however.
  SCALE�DIFFICULTY
  2
  EASY
  5
  ROUTINE APTITUDE
  8
  HARD
  10
  HEROIC
  15 +
  SUPERHEROIC
  SCALE�MUSCLE DIFFICULTY
  7
  BUSTING DOWN A DOOR
  11
  LIFTING A CAR
  15
  BUSTING DOWN A STEEL DOOR
  17
  LIFTING A TRUCK
  SCALE�PROWESS DIFFICULTY
  3
  GUN SHOT AT SHORT RANGE
  6
  BALANCE ON A LEDGE
  8
  GUN SHOT AT LONG RANGE
  9
  BALANCE ON A TIGHT ROPE
  16
  DODGE A BULLET
  SCALE�SENSES DIFFICULTY
  1
  NOTICE A BIG HOLE IN WALL
  3
  IDENTIFY FOOD BY TASTE
  4
  IDENTIFY FOOD BY SMELL
  7
  READ BRAILLE-LIKE LETTERS
  9
  SEE A DIME ACROSS STREET
  SCALE�KNOWLEDGE DIFFICULTY
  4
  ALGEBRA
  6
  RECOGNIZE AN ANTIQUE
  8
  GAME SHOW TRIVIA
  10
  KNOW OBSCURE FORMULA
  PAGE 12
  
  PAGE 13
  COMBAT
  We’ve covered actions, so now we can move on to
  something more detailed like combat, which is
  turn-based.
  Initiative is the first step in combat and
  determines the order in which heroes and villains
  act. Each player rolls one die and adds his prowess
  and senses ratings to it. He may also expend slants
  to add additional dice. Each player announces his
  intention in the order from highest result to lowest.
  Now, just proceed with the actions. Successful
  attacks will inflict damage, which is applied after
  all narration in a turn is completed.
  Each hero or villain can sustain an amount of
  fatigue and injury equal to his muscle rating (some
  powers may also affect this number). This is called
  the breaking point. Reaching the  breaking point
  for injury means the hero or villain is incapacitated
  and requires medical treatment. Reaching the
  breaking point for fatigue means he falls
  unconscious and does not regain consciousness for
  a number of turns equal to the roll of two dice.
  Once he regains consciousness, fatigue is reduced
  by two points. When a hero or villain has sustained
  half his maximum limit of injury (but not fatigue),
  he receives a penalty die.
  The amount of damage inflicted by an attack is
  determined by the weapon. Every two points of the
  trait used by a power inflicts one point of injury for
  power attacks. Every two points of muscle inflicts
  one point of fatigue for brawling attacks. Every two
  points of muscle increases the amount of damage
  for melee attacks. When armor is worn, it negates
  an amount of damage equal to the armor rating.
  DAMAGE�WEAPONS
  CLUBS
  1 FATIGUE
  SMOKE
  2 FATIGUE
  ELECTRICITY
  3 FATIGUE
  POISON
  1 INJURY
  KNIVES
  2 INJURY
  SWORDS
  3 INJURY
  SMALL GUNS
  3 INJURY
  FIRE
  3 INJURY
  LARGE GUNS
  4 INJURY
  ENERGY RAYS
  5 INJURY
  GIANT GUNS
  6 INJURY
  
  While all heroes begin play with a certain
  number of slants, these values will change
  throughout the game (unless they are permanent
  slants)—points will be expended to help disputes
  and contests, and points will be gained by
  performing certain actions. You already know how
  to expend slant points, so let us discuss how to
  gain them. Before we do, know this—a slant
  cannot be raised above three (3)
  PERMANENT SLANTS: Permanent slants are
  derived from powers and do not change in
  value—they are not lost and cannot be increased.
  HEROISM: Whenever a hero performs a heroic action in a contest or dispute
  without using slants, he gains one point of heroism. This shows how
  dedicated he is to helping people even if it means walking into dangerous
  situations.
  What is heroism?
  • self-sacrifice
  • rescuing or protecting the innocent
  • preventing crime and violence
  • verbal arbitration between warring parties
  VILLAINY: Whenever a hero performs a villainous action in a contest or dispute
  without using the villainy slant, he gains one point of villainy. This is a display
  of his lack of virtue.
  What is villainy?
  • harming or threatening the innocent
  • placing the innocent in harm’s way
  • refusing to help the innocent
  • intent to kill
  • illegal, immoral, or unethical activity
  • inflaming the situation between warring parties
  • rejecting authority
  • acts of cowardice
  STYLE: Whenever a hero does something really cool in a contest or dispute, he
  gains one point of style. This is an indication of how the public will idolize
  him.
  What is style?
  • acrobatic stunts
  • amusing banter while saving the day
  • emerging from the rubble after everyone already thinks he’s dead
  • making donations to the needy when given awards
  • making public appearances for good causes
  • fulfilling the wishes of the needy
  • flirting with innocents while saving the day
  USING SLANTS
  PAGE 14
  
  PAGE 15
  TICKS
  Ticks are representations of a slant’s effect on the
  public. Each time a non-permanent slant is used
  successfully, a tick must be placed beside it (see
  hero sheet on page 20). However, it is not exactly
  that straight-forward. Heroism and villainy ticks
  negate each other—if a hero receives a heroism
  tick, for example, but already has two villainy
  ticks, instead of marking down for heroism, he
  simply removes one villainy. In other words,
  villainy and heroism ticks cannot exist side by side.
  Style is not affected by this, but once a hero loses a
  contest with a villain, he loses one style tick (if he
  has any).
  Ticks are theoretically limitless, but they can also
  be used to gain new powers and aptitudes (see
  improving heroes on page 18).
  When it comes to heroism and villainy, the slant
  with the most ticks is the perception innocents
  have of the hero or villain. The more style ticks a
  hero has, the more of a crowd he will draw in
  public. This can be a good thing and a bad thing,
  because it’s always nice to see support for your
  actions, but a lot of innoncents means a lot of
  opportunities by villains to exploit the situation.
  Having to save hostages or stop a truck from
  hitting obervers is the last thing you’d want.
  CREATING HEROES
  Let’s make a hero. The first step is his real name.
  Does he have a boring, everyday name, or he well
  known in the public eye. Maybe he’s a newspaper
  reporter or sells subway tokens. He could be on the
  city council or even an assistant district attorney.
  You decide, but remember, if he’s got a job, he’d
  better make sure he shows up for it in time. If not,
  he’s going to get canned.
  TRAITS
  Next, we’ll assign trait values. You have 12 points
  with which to distribute among the four traits.
  Don’t be a fool and go below one, and bear in mind
  that you can’t go above five.
  APTITUDES
  Now that we know what he’s good at, we can
  choose an aptitude. If you don’t see one listed that
  you like, work with the director to come up with a
  new one just for your hero.
  SLANTS
  You can distribute three points between the
  slants. It doesn’t matter where at this point.
  POWERS
  This is the tricky bit. You must assemble powers
  for your hero by spending 200 points on
  application, limitation, duration, and effect (the
  director may choose to increase this number). You
  must also choose a cause for each power, although
  this does not require any points.
  
  PAGE 16
  WEAKNESSES
  You can choose up to three weaknesses. These
  will give you extra points for powers, so you can go
  back a step and beef up your powers.
  FINISHING TOUCHES
  Does the hero wear a costume, uniform, or other
  official dress? What does he call himself? Do
  people know his real name and identity, and if so,
  who? Does he have a sidekick (this should be
  another player)? Is he part of the superhero union?
  Does he have any history with some of the villains
  in the city? Think about all the superheros you’ve
  seen in the comics and try to come up with an
  interesting back story.
  CREATING POWERS
  The lists below provide point costs for all the
  elements, so that they may be custom assembled
  for each hero.
  APPLICATIONS
  Only one application may
  be used with a power,
  except for area, which may
  be combined with another.
  LIMITATIONS
  Each power may have any
  number of limitations.
  DURATIONS
  Only one duration may be
  used with a power. Each
  level costs the amount
  shown.
  COST�APPLICATIONS
  0
  SELF
  5
  TOUCH
  10
  PROJECT
  15
  AREA
  COST�LIMITATIONS
  -5
  GADGET
  -5
  ACTIVATION
  -5
  FLAW
  -10
  SIDE EFFECT
  -15
  STRESSFUL
  COST�DURATIONS
  0
  MOMENTARY
  10
  SUSTAINED
  25
  PERMANENT
  
  PAGE 17
  EFFECTS
  Only one effect may be
  used with a power.
  *
  represents that the cost is for
  each level chosen.
  **
  represents that the cost is for
  each level chosen. Each level
  adds a slant point. The maxium
  number of levels is thre
  COST�EFFECTS
  10
  INJURE*
  5
  FATIGUE*
  5
  INCREASE TRAIT*
  5
  TOUGHNESS*
  5
  RESISTANT
  15
  IMMUNITY
  10
  REGENERATION
  5
  GRACE**
  5
  PRECISION**
  5
  SPEED**
  5
  CLIMBING
  10
  FLIGHT
  5
  LEVITATION
  5
  GLIDING
  5
  JUMPING
  5
  INCREASE HEARING**
  5
  INCREASE VISION**
  5
  INCREASE SMELL**
  5
  INCREASE TASTE**
  5
  INCREASE TOUCH**
  5
  ECHO LOCATION
  5
  NIGHT VISION
  10
  TELEPATHY
  5
  ANIMAL EMPATHY
  5
  EMPATHY
  5
  DANGER SENSE
  5
  LIFE SENSE
  5
  MOTION SENSE
  5
  ENERGY SENSE
  10
  RECALL**
  15
  AIR
  15
  WATER
  15
  ICE
  15
  FIRE
  15
  EARTH
  15
  GRAVITY
  15
  ELECTRICITY
  15
  MAGNETISM
  10
  ILLUSION
  10
  LIGHT
  5
  GILLS
  10
  SELF-SUFFICIENT
  10
  INTERFACE
  15
  MENTAL INVASION
  5
  HYPNOTISM
  15
  LIMBS
  15
  APPEARANCE
  WEAKNESSES
  Some heroes are flawed. They have weaknesses
  which keep them from being all powerful. While
  these weaknesses may prevent them from always
  winning the day, they do add flavor, not to
  mention, give you more points for powers.
  Weaknesses may not overlap with a power’s
  limitations—they must be totally different.
  LOSS: The hero loses the use of one power when
  he is exposed to a specific element (fire, lead,
  rice, etc.).
  VULNERABILITY: The hero is susceptible to a
  specific element (fire, lead, rice, etc.) and
  receives double the amount of damage against
  attacks using it. Powers, such as toughness also
  cannot be used to protect him against the
  element.
  WEAKENED: All actions receive a penalty die when
  the hero is exposed to a specific element (fire,
  lead, rice, etc.).
  LETHALITY: The hero cannot be in the presence of
  a specific element (fire, lead, rice, etc.) and
  receives one point of injury per turn when
  exposed to it. Powers, such as toughness also
  cannot be used to protect him against the
  element.
  COST�WEAKNESSESS
  -5
  LOSS
  -5
  VULNERABILITY
  -10
  WEAKENED
  -15
  LEATHALITY
  
  PAGE 18
  IMPROVING HEROES
  Villains may only be created by the director, but
  they follow the same rules as presented for heroes.
  CREATING VILLAINS
  Innocents are also be created by the director. The
  process is much simpler than it is for creating
  heroes, since no powers are involved. Skip the
  powers and weaknesses steps when creating an
  innocent. The slant step is optional.
  CREATING INNOCENTS
  Heroes may be improved by spending ticks. You
  may acquire a new power or increase an existing
  power’s level by expending all of the same type of
  ticks (heroism, villainy, or style). The costs are the
  same as those used during hero creation. New
  aptitudes may also be acquired at the expense of
  five ticks.
  When a player spends ticks to improve his hero,
  he gains one slant point of the relevant type. For
  example, if a player spends his villainy points to
  gain a new power, he gains one villainy slant point.
  But remember:
  • the slant cannot be raised higher than three
  • heroism and villainy slants cancel each other
  out
  
  PAGE 19
  SAMPLE HEROES
  SUPERBMAN
  Jonathon Crush was found by his adoptive
  parents when he was an infant and does not know
  how his powers came about. He fights crime—that
  is his profession.
  MUSCLE:
  4 [9]
  PROWESS:
  3
  SENSES:
  3
  KNOWLEDGE:
  2
  HEROISM:
  2
  VILLAINY:
  0
  STYLE:
  1
  APTITUDE:
  Athletics
  POWERS:
  Flight (self, permanent)
  Increase Muscle (x5; self, permanent)
  Regeneration (self, flaw: acid, momentary)
  Increase Hearing (x1; self, permanent)
  Night Vision (self, stressful, sustained)
  WEAKNESSES:
  none
  ELECTROBRITE
  Taylor Fulbrite was on a field trip with his students,
  conducting weather experiments. His powers manifested
  shortly after being struck by lightning on that day. Now
  he helps protect the city when not in the classroom.
  MUSCLE:
  3
  PROWESS:
  4 (1 slant for grace)
  SENSES:
  1 (3 slants for vision and hearing)
  KNOWLEDGE:
  4
  HEROISM:
  1
  VILLAINY:
  0
  STYLE:
  2
  APTITUDE:
  Teacher
  POWERS:
  Increase Vision (x3; self, flaw: not in rain; permanent)
  Increase Hearing (x3; self, flaw: not in rain; permanent)
  Gliding (self, gadget: fiberglass wings, sustained)
  Grace (x1; self, permanent)
  WEAKNESSES:
  weakened (electrical storms)
  
  TRAITS
  MUSCLE:
  PROWESS:
  SENSES:
  KNOWLEDGE:
  SLANTS
  TICKS
  HEROISM:
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  VILLAINY:
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  STYLE:
  ���������������������������������������
  APTITUDES
  NAME AND DESCRIPTION
  WEAKNESSES
  HEALTH (MAX = MUSCLE)
  FATIGUE:
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  INJURY:
  �����������
  POWERS
  APPLICATION
  LIMITATION
  DURATION
  EFFECT
  CAUSE
  ©2004 Brett M. Bernstein. All rights reserved.
  Please do copy this sheet for game use, but
  nothing else or I’ll send Electrobrite after you.
  PRICE OF POWER
  PRICE OF POWER
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Price of Power/Price of Power Corebook.pdf