The Odds Campaign Setting

The Odds universe is one where every person has the potential to possess a certain genetic marker that labels them an Odd: someone with fantastic superpowers that other mere mortals don't possess. Here you will find information about running a campaign in this world.
==What is an Odd?==
The Odds are any human being who has been granted through some mutation of genetics which is as of yet not understood by science. What little is known is that it passes through the male line, so if a girl has superpowers then the responsible genes came through her father's side. A female Odd cannot pass her powers to her offspring, and if a male has a child with a non-Odd then the chances are good that his same powers will carry through the line. If two Odds have children together, however, the chances are good that the powers will either be the same as the mother's or will be completely random.
The origin of the genetic marker in question does not, however, have to be passed down. There is a very small chance it could spontaneously generate in the child's genetic code during the conception and growth process, which is why there are so many different powers and so many new powers being discovered every day.
==How do Odds Come About?==
An Odd will usually have their first experience with their power during puberty, much like Psionics. This is especially true when the puberty is especially stressful on the child. The powers will normally spontaneously awaken in a very violent and powerful manner, no matter how powerful the actual powers tend to be in the Odd afterwards. For example, in an Odd with fire-related powers, the person could literally "explode," causing major injury and property damage in a one-hundred-or-so foot radius. This normally does not injure the Odd, as most Odds are attuned to their powers in such a way that they cannot suffer injury at the hands of their own power. This is not always the case, however, and some Odds have awoken only to find themselves "awakening" months later in a hospital.
After the initial awakening, most Odds cannot fully control their powers, and the powers are either wild or extremely weak, or will not produce at all. Many Odds must train rigorously in order to obtain their true potential. As would normally be the case for a young person discovering that they have amazing powers, most recently-awoken Odds teach themselves how to use their powers with little to no difficulty, although some others need to find support and mentorship.
==A History of Odds: The World's Response==
The first known Odd was also the most infamous: Jeremy Dee Wrenn. Jeremy was a Telekinetic with Clairvoyance whose power was so strong that he decided to use it to live his life for him. He sat in his trailer for thirty-six years, using his power to steal food from neighbors and bring it to himself. Soon, as his body began to waste away from non-use, he decided to live fantasies he's had throughout his life... he would use Clairvoyance to see inside someone's house and then Telekinesis to lift knives into the air and assault them. It started with assaults, but very quickly escalated to murder and then dismemberment. When he realized that his exploits were making national news, he began to kill more well-known targets, including celebrities and politicians.
Finally, the second documented Odd came around: William Deangelis, whose power was sensing other powers and "turning them off." He came forward to the media and the police and offered his services to track down Wrenn. They were skeptical at first, but soon Deangelis became a high profile target for Wrenn and several attempts were made on his life. The team tracked down Wrenn after a three-month long search and several attempts to kill Deangelis, all of which were halted by his dampening power. Wrenn was found in his couch, where he had been lying for twenty-seven years, nearly dead from the exhaustion of trying to stop Deangelis. He was wasted away to skin and bones.
The third major Odd to become public was also a serial killer. Tangerine Lee Fields was a little girl whose Awakening had burned her terribly. From her hospital room, she found that apart from her ability to control fire, she could also control dreams. She allowed herself to sink into a coma from which she never awoke, and spent the next three years entering people's dreams and causing them to burn from the inside out. This phenomenon sparked interest in Spontaneous Human Combustion worldwide, but Deangelis once again stepped forward and assisted in the capture of Tangie Fields.
Sadly, the fourth Odd that became widely known was the one that killed Bill Deangelis. Although his name is forgotten, and may never have been known in the first place, his power left him with huge bony protrusions from his skin like claws. This was not a "power" per se, like the ones that William Deangelis could "turn off," and so when confronted with this Odd, he was unable to protect himself and was found torn to pieces in the warehouse where he had tracked the killer, who is still at large.
The streak of sad social commentary was ended by Thomas Coulter, who called himself Captain U.S.A.. He was, unfortunately, killed by flying at high speed into a building while attempting to apprehend a robber.
Category:The Odds
Category:Campaign
==The Odds in the ESPER universe==
While all Hero at Heart settings should be somewhat compatible, the Odds and the ESPER settings go hand in hand. The Odds can exist in a world where ESPER operates, and in this world they are much more secretive and much less widely known than in their original setting. ESPER agents would, of course, either want to contact them to become part of ESPER or silence/contain/destroy them if they posed a threat. Remember, part of ESPER's mission is to keep the world from understanding the existence of the supernatural and paranormal, and although there is science behind Odd powers, it is not understood yet and as such poses a threat. If people heard about superpowered humans, it would open up the doors to a whole new wave of belief, and the effects could be catastrophic. As such, ESPER seeks to have the monopoly on Odds and the knowledge of them.
Category:Campaign
Category:The Odds