Superhumans Awakening [Powers/Supers]

[AlexanderHowl]

Gadgeteer is fine, as long as it is not given enhancements (there is no canon example of enhanced Gadgeteer that I am aware of, just limited Gadgeteer). If 2% of the superhuman were Gadgeteers, the chaos would be multiplied by 10 million (the number of Gadgeteers). It would be make Girl Genius seem sedate and peaceful by comparison.

For example, a TL12 metamorphic virus with plague and nanobots would cost a maximum of $8 million (before TL modifications). With Quick Gadgeteer though, the production cost would be reduced to $80,000 (before TL modifications) allowing mad scientist to release horrific metamorphic plagues upon humanity. At best, you get mad scientists that want to enhance the intelligence and longevity of prairie dogs. At worst, you get mad scientists that want to turn humans into unenhanced prairie dogs.

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

How much of an impact on society do you think would occur because of 1 billion people dying in a year? I know that the medical systems would break under the strain (2.5% of a population dying in a year would break most medical systems, and we are talking 5x as many people) and that the funeral system would likewise break for similar reasons. The restriction on trade and movement caused by the quarantine systems would cause their own trauma, as the global economic system would likely shatter (for example, the 'just in time' delivery system cannot function if every shipment is searched for sick undocumented immigrants).

Over a slightly longer term, with that many people dead there will be massive economic disruption from market shrinkage, production shortfalls, etc.

And that's before all the mess with the insurance and inheritance, where the existing legal systems will not be able to process all that stuff in a reasonable time. I foresee either martial law, or de facto nationalization where businesses get taken over by some government agency or the holding company they nominate. Yes, the assets will eventually be distributed to the rightful heirs, once we figure out who they are, but until then, someone has to be in charge of them, right?

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Gadgeteer is a cinematic advantage, similar to Trained By a Master, so I would not consider it a legal advantage for abilities, especially since there is no example of such abilities in Powers or Supers

Gadgeteer is mentioned throughout in Supers; Both the Dreadnought template and in the Techno template and elsewhere.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Gadgeteer is fine, as long as it is not given enhancements (there is no canon example of enhanced Gadgeteer that I am aware of, just limited Gadgeteer).

All the enhancements I suggested for Gadgeteer were canon;

Cosmic, No die roll required +100%; (Powers: the Weird page 4/Monster Hunters: Power-Ups 1 page 19)
Cosmic, No Bugs, +50% (Monster Hunters: Power-Ups 1 page 19)

I would have mentioned it if they weren't canon.


Ones I didn't use:
Variant Reliable +5%/level (Monster Hunters: Power-Ups 1 page 19/Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power Ups, page 17)
Cosmic, Items need not obey local laws of physics +50% (Powers: the Weird page 4)
Thaumaturgic Tinkerer/Spellsmith +50% (Pyramid 102, page 6/Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power Ups, page 18)

[NineDaysDead]

To put this in Aberrant terms, the Mega-Social, and Mega-Mental characters will have far more influence on the world than the Mega-Physical Characters.

[Culture20]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Gadgeteer is mentioned throughout in Supers; Both the Dreadnought template and in the Techno template and elsewhere.

Super-powered inventing also has a lot of genre precedent; Forge, Wiz Kid, Box, Tweedledumb. I can't think of a DC inventor whose gadgeteering stems from metahuman powers. It's usually alien tech or just someone really smart.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Culture20

Super-powered inventing also has a lot of genre precedent; Forge, Wiz Kid, Box, Tweedledumb. I can't think of a DC inventor whose gadgeteering stems from metahuman powers. It's usually alien tech or just someone really smart.

I probably wouldn't let a super with IQ 10 and no intelligence related advantages take it.

Maybe?:

Gadgeteer [25]
Prerequisites: Intuitive Mathematician [5]; Photographic Memory [10]; Versatile 2+* [10+]; IQ + appropriate talent = 16+

Gadgeteer: Quick [50]
Prerequisites: Enhanced Time Sense** [45]; Intuitive Mathematician [5]; Photographic Memory [10]; Versatile 4+* [20+]; IQ + appropriate talent = 21+

*Versatile being multi-level shows up in a few places e.g. (Monster Hunters: Power-Ups, page 17.
**Able to think really fast!

[Boomerang]

The supers will quickly rise to the top and become the new elite. It won’t matter what the previous social or political structure was, humanity is naturally hierarchical.

If in one year 6.25% of all people on Earth have super powers then every government and major institution will have a significant number of supers in their ranks within a short space of time. The old power blocks will likely remain, China, Russia, the US and Western Europe will continue to dominate.