Ground Rules (again!)

Alright, I admit it, I'm a completionist. Shocking, I know.

But since the DCEU is getting ready to really take off with Dawn of Justice, I figured it'd be prudent for me to get my foot in the door earlier on (partially to avoid this catch-up game I'm playing with Savage MCU). So, as per the usual, here's my introductory post.

For those that don't know, my name is Donavon (more universally known as DoctorBoson). I'm the same guy that writes and runs the Savage Everything! blog and have been playing and GMing Pinnacle Entertainment's Savage Worlds game system for around four or five years now; very cheap and highly recommended if you somehow found me before you found them.

This is my third Savaging dump, dedicated this time around to DC characters in their cinematic universe only. Characters from comics or other DC movie properties don't count (like Nolan's Dark Knight).

A few ground rules and house rules that I personally use to make these folks work:

1. As usual, I am pulling information from the movies only. There may be some rare times when I pull from the DCEU-official tie-in comics to round out certain characters, but I won't be straying outside of the DCEU canon to build characters. Superman, as bullshit as he is, stays within the realm of his movie limits and doesn't have ice breath and hurricane sneezes, etc.
2. Also, as per the usual, these characters are being made as though I were a player and the movies were a campaign. Most characters are going to start above Novice (many of them beginning above Legendary, even), and I'm gonna be working to make it so that they are the lowest experience possible to recreate what the character is capable of on the screen. Arguments could be made to bring them up to a higher level but 90% of the time I'm sticking with what we've seen and not much more.
3. Most all of my information is going to be brought in from the Second Edition Supers Companion. The first edition was decent at the power levels it was shooting for, but given the massive power levels we see in DC films, that won't be enough.
4. Now, a minor tweak for characters here: Power Points are not solidified for some characters. This hasn't really popped up in the DC films like it has in Marvel, but I want it to be clear that Power Points aren't necessarily written in stone.
5. Joke cameos do not count for the purposes of tags, narrative cameos do.

A few Setting Rules that are in effect:

1. Characters with Super Powers may gain them for free and at any time appropriate to the narrative (not restricted to being a Background Edge). That said, if a character with a Rising Stars! Arcane Background may take Power Points every 20 XP, regardless of rank, up to their normal maximum. Super Karma may also be applied at any time, not solely at character creation.
2. Characters without Arcane Background (Super Powers) do not necessarily gain a free Background Edge. This is on a case-by-case basis but generally they don't.
3. Joker's Wild! is always in effect in my games and conversions (characters automatically receive a Benny whenever one of them draws a Joker).
4. All Comic Book Combat, Power Stunts, and Power Tricks Settings Rules are in effect with one exception: Unarmed Defender is modified. This is a tricky one on a character-to-character basis as to who is considered armed or unarmed, but the general rule of thumb is that if you have Heavy Armor, have a melee attack, or have any of the attack penalty powers (parry, speed, uncanny reflexes, etc.), or otherwise logically you don't care about weapons, you are considered an armed defender (this does not make you an armed attacker for the purposes of the rule). This means martial artists still must take the Martial Artist Edge. (A character with an unarmed attack, melee power adds that to their Martial Artist damage).
5. A character's Power Limit is one third of their total Power Points (rounded up), including Super Karma. A Four Color hero with Super Karma has a Power Limit of 19 instead of 15, for example.
6. There have been a few power changes that I've made, notably to the flight and speed tables, all listed in this document.

The last thing I'll be leaving here is a reiteration of how I judge skills. Keep in mind that this isn't what a character is implied to have: all skills and Edges are required to be seen for a character to have them. Most of these are just general guidelines, as appropriate Edges will modify how talented a character is.

• Unskilled (d4–2): A character is only vaguely capable of doing something and likely has never tried. A city-slicker that went camping 12 years ago would probably be Unskilled in Survival.
• Below Average (d4): A character that is familiar with basic principles of a skill but is sketchy on actually executing this. An avid flight-sim player might have a d4 in Piloting.
• Average (d6): This character is average at something involved in their particular line of work. Most cops would only have a d6 in Shooting.
• Above Average (d8): Among a group of friends, or people that are learned in a particular subject, this character is extremely talented in this. Link has a d8 in Smarts (puzzle-solving bastard).
• Expert (d10): This is the level where you will likely be actively pursued and paid high dollar for your abilities or services, or are otherwise just exceptionally skilled. House has a d10 in Taunt.
• Elite (d12): Simply one of the best in this particular field. The Mountain has a d12 in Intimidation (and by god did he earn that one).
• Legendary (d12+1): Stories of this characters' aptitude will be told for decades after he has passed away. Ezio has a d12+1 in Fighting (and a whole slew of Edges to go with it).
• Maximum Human Capacity (d12+2): This is the physical limit of the human body to be able to accomplish incredible feats. Louis Cyr had a d12+2 in Strength.

Here's to a good long while of Savaging. Hopefully this picks up traction and I can get a good snapshot of the universe before Batman v Superman drops and I have to kick into high gear.

—DoctorBoson