Metahumans Rising uses the Open Action System. However, there have been a number of updates to help create the feel of a good comic book. We say goodbye to combat skills and boons and hello to a new Background System, Powers and Willpower.
Backgrounds:
At the start of character creation the player will make a few important decisions that will help shape the nature of their hero. Each of these decisions will impact both character creation and game play. Where you come from, what you’ve been through and what you care about matter.
- Origin: This is the source of a hero’s powers. Are they a mutant by birth, did they gain their powers through experimentation or is it simply their dedication and determination that allows a normal human to battle against super powered villainy.
- Catalyst: Just because someone has power’s it doesn’t mean they are a hero. A hero’s Catalyst represents the moment when they decided to fight for something more than themselves.
- Drives: Everyone has motivations. Drives of those motivations that push the hero to go beyond their limit. To fight on in the face of defeat and overcome the unstoppable.
Powers
Gone are the narrowly defined abilities. Instead Metahumans Rising allows the player to define the concept of a power then select boons that act as both a narrative descriptor and mechanical bonus.
Lady Night is capable of creating blades of darkness from any shadow. So her player selects Ranged, Devastating and Defended B y: Quickness Boons for this offensive power. Conventional armor provides no protection to this cunning hero’s blades as they appear from the shadows.
Willpower
Also new to Metahumans Rising is the introduction of Willpower allowing heroes to push themselves harder or perform amazing feats. While Lady Night’s shadow blades were conceived as a direct attack her player is able to spend Willpower to make thematic adjustments on the fly?
Chasing a fleeing villain Lady Night spends a point of Willpower to changer her blades into a cage of shadow englobing the crook in darkness.
Wondering what happened to combat skills like Melee or the Martial Arts styles? Embracing the uniqueness of superheroes Metahumasn Rising uses the same powers framework for fighting styles. This means players are free to create the fighting style that best fits the hero they have envisioned.
