From: seah@fraser.sfu.ca (Simon Seah)
Subject: HERO Solo PBEM :  House Rules
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 06:27:42 GMT


MACHINATIONS OF MECHANON :  HOUSE RULES


POINTS
     400 Base, up to 100 Disadvantages (excluding package
deal bonuses and disadvantages).
     
     
POWER RANGES

PTS  RANK           ROLL CV  GEN  DEF TDEF  SPD
===============================================
1    Amateur          8   3   20    4    8    2 
2    Novice          11   5   30    6   12    3 
3    Skilled         12   8   40    8   16    4 
4    Veteran         14  10   60   12   24    5 
5    Expert          16  13   80   16   32    6 
6    Master          18  14  100   20   40    7 
7    GrandMaster     20  15  120   24   48    8 
8    Prodigious      22  17  140   28   56    9 
9    Incredible      24  18  160   32   64   10 
10   Unbelievable    26  19  180   36   72   11 

Points are assigned to the following categories :
     CV :  OCV, DCV, ECV; use largest possible value in each
          category
     Damage :  Base points in largest single attack,
          including all linked powers
     Defense :  Use higher of Resistant Defense or Total
          Defense; average primary categories; Damage
          Reduction :  consult "GEN" chart and convert to
          additional points in defense
     Movement :  Base points in largest movement powers,
          including points in non-combat and acceleration
          modifiers
     Skill Rolls :  pertinent/primary skill area(s), and/or
          global skill ability; highly subjective category
     SPD
     Variable Power Pools :  multiply points in Reserve by
          1.5 before consulting "GEN" chart, but for largest
          possible VPP Reserve, consult chart without
          factor.
     
     No category may have more than 5 points without GM
approval.  No category may have more than 7 points.  VPPs
use extended table and have maximas of 7 and 10 by GM
discretion.
     Character must round out to between 3 and 5 points.
     
     Notes :  In terms of average points, agents are Novice
to Veteran; supers are Skilled at entry level, Expert at
high-end.
     
     
MANDATORY :  4-color code of heroism for 0 points;
supporting disads can provide points
     
     
HOUSE RULES
     For Elemental Controls, EC Bonus is the average of Base
Points in each power; no power may have Base Points less
than or close to the EC Bonus.
     For Multipowers, Reserve consists of Real Points, not
Active Points.
     
     
WORLD
Post Destroyer world :  (GURPS Tech Level-8)

1993  World unable to strike at Lord Dire (lack of
      superheroes after losses in defeating Doctor
      Destroyer, and ballistic missiles destroyed by Lord
      Dire before they reach the Anti-Matter Cannon
      satellite) and gives in to his demands; Lord Dire
      becomes Lord Protector, and assumes role of Global
      Dictator; Paranormal Registration Act modified and
      passed
1994  Lord Protector's world-restructuring well-advanced : 
      world under single government (Lord Protector) advised
      by the United Nations (now including every country in
      the world); need for money (thus poverty) eliminated;
      world resources under UN control; all oppressive
      factions reformed for crushed by UN (and Anti-Matter
      Cannon); famine eliminated following re-distribution
      of food; ecologically safe manufacturing and
      power-generation installed following distribution of
      advanced technology from Lord Protector; urban
      redevelopment to conserve space and create larger
      wildlife preserves; elimination of pollution (via
      Anti-Matter Cannon); world functions under single set
      of laws; Project SafeGuard initiated (see below : 
      Paranormal Registration Act)
1995  First batch of Global Military Police trained; sent to
      major cities to begin retraining of police and army
      into GMP; UN secret service formed; Anti-Matter Cannon
      installed with extensive defensive systems to prevent
      capture; Lord Protector abdicates dictatorship and
      hands control of earth to UN; Anti-Matter Cannon still
      under his control but now solely employed for
      destruction of pollution otherwise unsafe for
      disposal; Solar Power made viable
1996  VIPER resurfaces after own internal restructuring;
      captures South America and begins manufacturing
      military supplies
1997  Mech units assigned to GMP and for space-exploration;
      Project SafeGuard slowed to simultaneously produce
      cheaper GMP mech units
1999  South America in contest with mech support, but VIPER
      goes underground and spreads out for attrition
      warfare; VIPER sponsors urban gangs which are
      eventually recruited as new agents
2000  Present


Credit System :
     No one has to work, but those who do not only receive a
number of credits per week just enough to survive decently
(ie. adequate housing, food, clothing, etc..., no luxuries).
     Those who work receive a higher wage based on materials
required to practice trade and value of trade.
     Credits (and copy of personal ID and stats) recorded on
a Credit Card (CC) and used to resolve all credit-related
transactions.  Credit transactions require personal codes to
be entered before credits from a card can be removed; all
transactions updated via computer network.


Gangs :
     Armed theft sponsored by VIPER.  Gangs either rob banks
or stores (force establishments with credit-manipulation
devices to give credits to their CCs, or join with VIPER and
receive military supplies and a contraband credit-theft
device which strips the transaction code from a CC.
     
     
Paranormal Registration Act (PRA) :
     The PRA consists of two parts :  actual Registration
and Project SafeGuard.

Project SafeGuard :
     Giant robots are under construction (ref. Sentinels
from X-Men; that sort of nastiness).  By year 2000, five
have been created and carefully programmed with artificial
intelligence.  Actual abilities and construction is top
secret.  None are field tested yet.

Registration :
     All known supers must either register or be considered
outlaws.  All beings who manifest powers not previously
detected must register or be considered outlaws.
     If Registered :
          Super must surrender true ID to police, and
     indicate all known powers.  Super must undergo
     psychological evaluation (possibly required to subject
     self to mental probe by psionicists or other means if
     available); if deemed unstable, super is required by
     law to live a secluded and/or surveyed life to ensure
     no abuse of powers.
          Super is NOT obliged to use powers to help others,
     but if super wishes to do so, super must be deputized
     and must obey the law as any other officer.  Training
     in criminal law and formal deputization (KS :  Criminal
     Law, Perk :  Police Powers (local, federal, or
     international).
          Psionic 'evidence'/interrogation is NOT acceptable
     in court.  Any power that cannot be verified to present
     truth that cannot be forged is NOT acceptable in court
     (ex. Mirago the illusionist claims he can 'record and
     play back' scenes; he might be forging the scene, hence
     whether he can or cannot record and play back the
     scene, such evidence is not admissible).  No exceptions
     for ANY superhero.  These restrictions usually affect
     supers not using foci.
          
     If NOT Registered :
          Super is an outlaw.  For technological supers,
     'super-tech' is ANY piece of technology or otherwise
     unidentified focus that, in the OPINION of the
     arresting officer(s) is above the world tech level
     and/or hazardous to civilians and/or not commonly
     available even to the military.
          Police are obliged to apprehend (but not
     necessarily arrest) Super.  Police may detain super
     indefinitely and with any means available and in the
     OPINION of the arresting officer(s) necessary.  Super
     will receive counsel prior to trial (and such).  Super
     will receive priority in legal proceedings.  Further
     stronger action against super may not be taken unless
     super and counsel agree, OR, an officer of Captain or
     greater rank authorizes it with just cause AND due
     process.
          Should a Super in custody actively resist arrest
     and/or manages an escape, that Super may thereafter be
     subject to any measure which, in the OPINION of the
     arresting officer(s), is deemed necessary to protect
     the public.
          
Simon

Xref: sparky rec.games.pbm:3565 rec.games.board:13158 rec.games.diplomacy:836