# Charge - Powers Extra
Rules for creating powered characters that can perform a wide variety of superhuman feats in the spirit of classic superhero stories.
- By Krister Svanlund
---
Dealing with *powered* individuals in a setting where powers comes in a lot of different individual forms can become quite a hassel when just winging it. Especially competing or collaborating between powered and non-powered characters can be quite tricky to get right, this extra is meant to offer an out-of-the-box set of helpful tools to solve some of these issues.
The main type of settings this extra attempts to emulate is the ones set in roughly modern times and earth-like circumstances where the powers don’t necessarily fit into a neatly ordered “magic-system” but rather come from a wide variety of superhuman abilities. Superhuman abilities in this context creates narratively tangible effects
The main concept in this Extra is the idea that a character can have `power talents` that either give them some extra narrative freedoms (such as flying, shooting spider webs, shaping shadows with their mind, etc.) or allow them to perform `powered actions` (such as superhuman effects from `muscle`) giving access to the effect rating `powered` that goes beyond what can be accomplished with the `great` effect rating.
## Rules for establishing Powers
When you create a character that has a “powered detail”, that is a `detail` that indicates that they have access to some kind of power or superhuman feat, you also get to create a set of `power talents` that later can be expanded.
> **Example of powered details:
*** *Bitten by a radioactive spider.
* Called by the gods to defend the righteous.
* Alien baby sent to earth and raised by humans.*
>
The GM always has the final say if a detail should allow for some kind of `power talents` or not and they should always be created together with the GM, and if possible the other players.
### Power Talents
`Power talents` is a list of talents that runs parallel to the ordinary `milestone talents`. Each `power talent` can have one of the following formats:
- **Using [action] to [accomplish a limited set of goals] is a powered action. (With +1 position)**
- **Use [action] to [perform superhuman feat]. (With +1 effect)**
Whenever an `action` is `powered` it can have a **level 4 effect rating** called `powered effect`. This allows the action to have effects that, by far, exceed the capability of ordinary people.
The fact that an effect is `powered` does not mean that the roll automatically starts out at that effect rating, it is still up to the GM to decide what the starting effect is and up to the players to help improve the effect to reach superhuman levels. But as an added bonus a `powered action` can be pushed for extra effect (2 momentum each step) as many times as necessary, but this is only for extra effect, not for extra dice or taking actions when being taken out.
> **Example of powered actions:**
**Player has the following power talents:**
* Using **move** to ***avoid consequences*** is a powered action. (With +1 Position)
* Use **move** to ***phase through the negative space*** ***when moving to a place within a radius of 10 meters***. (With +1 Effect)
*GM:* You see how the beast charges up for another one of its blast attacks and is aiming straight towards you, there is no way to move out of range (Effect rating: no effect, Position: Desperate).
*Player:* Since I have the power to **move** by phasing through negative space and it’s powered *when I’m avoiding a consequence* I want to do use that to avoid the attack.
*GM:* Ok, great, that means that you at least go from no-effect to limited effect to begin with (due to the second talent). And you’re desperate position becomes a risky one (due to the first talent).
*Player:* Great, I’ll push myself for four momentum for two extra effect levels, that should be enough for being able to phase behind the beast right?
*GM:* Yes, with Great effect that is definitely a possibility. Make the roll!
*Player:* *[rolls 3d6 for **Move**]* Ok! My highest dice is a 6 – A full success! Anyone looking just sees the blast striking the place I was just moments ago as I appear behind the beast with by sword drawn. Before they manage to figure out where I went I want to jump up on it’s back and wedge my sword down inside the neck plating...
>
An `action` used to perform a superhuman feat is not necessarily counted as `powered` unless a different `power talent` makes the action `powered`. This is the difference between being able to use `move` to be able to fly (a superhuman feat) and being able to break the sound barrier when flying (a powered superhuman feat). The latter is `powered` and would require two different `power talents`, while the former is not.
> **Example of power talents:**
* *Use **move** to climb or stick to any flat surface.
* Using **muscle** to **completely destroy something** is powered.
* Use **study** to gain supernatural insight into what has happened at this location recently.
* Using **command** to **make a character trust you** is powered.
* Using **move** to **fly** is powered.*
>
### Power talents when creating a new character
Depending on the setting and campaign the number of starting power talents can vary a lot, therefor the exact number allowed has to be a collaborative decision between GM and the players.
An effective guideline is to count “power sets” rather than specific power talents. A power set usually is 2-3 power talents that can be grouped together, such as; “Use shoot to shoot sticky spider webs you can swing from”, “Using move to precisly swing between structures is powered”, “Use move to climb any surface using your naturally adhesive fingers and toes”. The number of power sets is roughly equivalent to some kind of “power level”, so a “newbie” character should probably start out with one, and maybe even not have access to the whole set at the beginning of the game. A more seasoned superhero is probably a bit over powered with 3-4 power sets.
> **Wording of the Power Talents**
Power talents are not meant to be rule lawyered. Each talent grants the character access to some kind of super power, which means that they can be used in the narrative. If you have the power talent “*Use Sneak to wrap yourself in shadows to avoid being seen.*” this means that you have the power to wrap yourself in shadows and it is up to you and the GM to know how this can be used. This might mean that you can wrap parts of yourself in shadows for dramatic effect or that shadows constantly try to pull themselves up across your body. But the mechanical effects of it, that you can utilize shadows to remain undetected when sneaking with increased effect is only applicable if you actually are trying to hide from view.
>
### New Power Talents
To gain new `power talents` you need to establish a narrative reason for developing your powers, either through a mentor, a long term project of self discovery, or as a reaction to some kind of personal milestone or trauma. But new `power talents` should always be introduced in cooperation with the GM.
Just remember that to emulate things like traditional superhero comics; Getting new `powers` isn’t something that happens very frequently. Most heroes do not become better by collecting power sets, rather they find new ways to become better at the powers they already have and by developing mutually benefitial relationships with others. Most characters should go through a majority of their campaigns without getting more power talents.
### Permanent loss of powers
Rules for stripping characters of `power talents` is intentionally left blank. This isn’t really a question for the rule books but rather something that has to be left up to the GM and the narrative being told.
## Option: Power Weakness
Unconditionally powerful characters can be hard to keep interesting. To minimize that problem this is the option to associate the `power talents` with some kind of weakness. This can be especially interesting for characters who have some kind of regenerative or invulnerability-related power set.
A weakness is just another character `detail` and its main function is to conditionally remove access to the `power talents` or reduce their control of their powers, and thereby putting the character at risk.
> **Examples of power weaknesses:**
* *Mineral sensitivity* - Coming into contact with a very specific material blocks access to their powers and might even make them ill.
* *Righteous calling* - Acting against a very strict moral code makes their powers unpredictable until they have showed themselves worthy again.
* *Transformed powers* - The powers are only accessible when the character assumes a specific physical form (see “Powered Transformations” below).
* *Depletion* - Using a superhuman feat or performing an action with `powered effect` drains the character of energy and limits their access to their powers for a time.
>
## Option: Powered Transformations
Some powered characters have their `power talents` locked up behind some kind of transformation. This could be anything from something minimal like the fact that their eyes start to glow or they levitate slightly, to something more severe such as growing by 1 meter and changing colors, turning into a completely different person, or just having to change into a suit, as long as it’s something that tangibly changes *before* they have access to their powers.
The purpose of the transformation is to allow for more dramatic situations where the character is either powerless or very visibly powered. What these things mean depends very much on the setting but it could either allow opponents early warning or scare non-powered humans. Mechanically the transformation is only a transformation if it is required to access the powers.
> **Superpowered-tech**
A staple of superhero comics is the idea of a technologically based superhero, a person who doesn’t have their own power set but rather has access to technology that allows them to act as a superhero. These kinds of powered characters could be described using this extra, but there are more suitable alternatives out there, such as Keita Creations (**Personal Weapons Extra)**[[https://itch.io/t/1766912/extra-personal-weapons-extra-pending](https://itch.io/t/1766912/extra-personal-weapons-extra-pending)].
>
> **Superpowered-magic**
This extra could also be used to create magically powered superheroes since the “how” doesn’t really matter to achieve the mechanical effects. But if characters need access to more sophisticated magic the Charge RPG rules include an extra by Nugat for (**Magic**)[[https://fari.games/en/srds/fari-games/charge-rpg/magic-extra](https://fari.games/en/srds/fari-games/charge-rpg/magic-extra)].
>
<aside>
🎲 **Example**:
*Example of a game using the extra*
</aside>
## Credits
- #charge-rpg-talk @ The Fari Discord
<aside>
🎲 **Recap:**
*Abbreviated version of the extra to be used as a quick reference.*
</aside>