House Rules and Game Set Up

Mechanical Notes

We'll be using Mutants and Masterminds, 1e but with a couple of things borrowed from the 2e. For those of you who have those rules here are the notable changes:

• Immunity is a power, not a feat.

• Can trade off limits for certain things in order to better simulate certain kinds of characters. The possible trade offs are Dodge/Damage Save and Attack Roll/Damage Value. This allows a little better modeling for bricks and speedsters and for low/high probability attacks.

• Characters may attempt to counter a power with the same power (i.e. Energy Blasts).

• Skills are 2 ranks for one point.

• You will also get 15 ranks (not points) of skills to distribute in the misc column of your sheets to round out your character's background.

• I will be designing your characters, after the first session you can spend your points however you like.

General Notes

• I will be drawing powers and feats from some of the official supplements. As well, I'll be using the Power Corrupts pdf series for some things. They add some new powers; not all are applicable, but some are interesting.

• I will be doing up everyone's characters at PL10. I'll distribute an Excel sheet with your character's stuff on it. You'll be able to spend points as you want after the first session. If you want to see what the worksheet looks like, you can find it here: http://www.elyzium.net/mnm/index.htm

• Nearly all powers (except those coming from devices) will have general origin "Bloodlines". However, there will be some sub-categories for that which I will define at the first session. This is because some powers, notably the Drains and such can be defined as acting on powers of a single origin type and if nearly all powers are described by that type, it makes it a little too effective.

• A few setting notes. For those of you familiar with it, I'm borrowing a few general concepts from Aberrant from WW Also previous players in my supers games will notice a few familiar names; they are not the same as before. I just like those names.

• You will be members of a recruited superteam operating independently. You're being bankrolled by a patron who'd like a group independent of the government, the family organizations and the corporations. You're being paid, but the chance to be an independent superhero is also part of your payoff. You will be operating in the Midwest.

Midwest Cities

Detroit: A town notable for a high crime level and as a cross road for gang members in the region. The Foundry is said to operate out of here. In the past, the racial situation here has created some problems. The Sentrymen had one of their last bases in this city. Also a border point with Canada which of course has looser restrictions on certain goods.

Indianapolis: One of the smaller of the Midwestern bumper towns. It is however in the center of some of the larger meth production areas. The precesen of a variety of corporate HQs for smaller and mid-sized companies has meant that it has drawn White Collar crime. Redact is the most Anarch team that most recently hit the city.

Chicago: The most feared of Midwestern cities for both corruption and anarch presence. Most superteams avoid the area and it is believed that at least one government sponsored team that went in quietly was completely eliminated. Ravage and Synistry operate out of the city, and Chimera and the Shadow Margin have as well in the past. It also has become the place for lone anarchs to congregate to. Operations will not take place here.

Cleveland: A city of troubled inner-city neighborhoods and development at the edges in the wealthier areas. Cleevland has been notable as a gathering place for low-level diaspora with minor abilities who have floated into gangs or other pretty criminal organizations. Not really a site of major Anarch teams, but it does have a fairly competent police force trained to deal with Bloodliners.

St. Louis: The " Gateway City", the population of has been declining since the 1950s, as many have moved to the many suburbs in Saint Louis County , or to other parts of the metropolitan area. Like nearby Kansas City, St. Louis has a suprising number of corporate HQs. While no Anarch group is said to be based in St. Louis, a number have carried out attacks there and it possesses a largish number of independent heroes. For this reason it seems to have drawn the attention of Black Dawn who have made a series of attacks there in the last several months.

Kansas City: A widely spread out city that sits on the Kansas/Missouri border. It has a couple of major corporate HQ's there. The area includes a significant below-ground set of neighborhoods built into old mines and understructures. Team Tomorrow has a factility there which is said to be more for research than anything else. Pantheon may operate from the area. In the past they have hit the city three times in major events.

Milwaukee: A city living in the shadow of Chicago, Milwaukee has suffered a number of superhuman attacks from Chicago groups ranging outside and looking for ripe targets. The Milwaukee Art Museum was hit by Overrun a few months ago in a fairly spectacular raid that ended up in a running battle with a group of local independent heroes.

Minneapolis: In the 1990s, the murder rate and incidence of gang violence climbed in this city, almost entirely in poorer neighborhoods. The Phillips Community was particularly hard-hit. After reaching a record 97 homicides in 1995, the city gained an unpleasant nickname because of the violence: "Murderapolis." The term gained widespread use after The New York Times used it when reporting that Minneapolis had surpassed the per capita homicide rate of New York City. The murder rate retreated in the following years, but area residents often grow concerned that the nickname may make a comeback whenever there is an uptick in violence in the city. There are a number of fairly well-known independent Anarchs operating in the city as well as a potent local hero, Turing.

Cincinnati: Bordering three states, Cincinnati is said to be home to a number of low-key smuggling operations, including as certain human trafficking operations.

(I should note for those reading this that this was all a smokescreen to get them nervous about Chicago and misdirect them from the plot of the game.)

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