Kal El’s random character generation system
Context
This was the final version of early 2010s experiments in having a DC Heroes RPG random character generation system. It was fun.
Writeups.org has ten examples of characters generated using this method, done as tests.
There’s also Peter’s system for generating mystical characters.
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Let’s roll ’em bones (v3.02)
Step #1
Roll 1d10 for each Attribute.
| Roll | APs |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2-4 | 2 |
| 5-6 | 3 |
| 7-8 | 4 |
| 9 | 5 |
| 0 | +1 and roll again |
At this point we’ll have something along the lines of a “normal human”.
Step #2
Make the character “special”. The player has one of three options:
- Add +1 to each Attribute and proceed to Step #3.
- Distribute six additional APs, as desired, then proceed to Step #3.
- Roll 1d100 twice for every attribute.
- On the first roll there’s a 40% chance of getting an increase. Roll 1d10: 1-2 = 1, 3-4 = 2, 5-6 = 3, 7-8 = 4 9-0 = +1 and roll again.
- On the second roll there’s a 10% chance of getting upped. Roll 1d10 = 1-9 = add the number rolled to the attribute. 0 = +2 and roll again.
- Any given Attribute can be affected by both enhancements.
Step #3 – Mold
Roll to determined the character’s Mold.
| Roll | Mold |
|---|---|
| 01-20 | No powers. |
| 21-30 | Super-abilities. |
| 31-48 | Metahuman, Low. |
| 49-75 | Metahuman, Medium. |
| 76-83 | Metahuman, Powerful. |
| 84-89 | Mystic. |
| 90-99 | Gadgeteer. |
| 100 | Roll twice and apply both. |
No Powers
Skip to Step #5.
Super-abilites
The character has no super-power per se. But they have Powers that can be explained as borderline abilities of human beings. Good memory, being huge, running fast, etc..
Roll 1d10/3 to see how many (10 = +1 and reroll). Then follow the general system for “Metahuman” molds taking into account, to see how many APs, the limits of what is “human” in that Power.
The player can choose, instead of a “Superability” to get a +1 to an attribute or skill, proven it doesn’t surpass human limits (GM discretion).
Metahuman, low
1d10/3 powers (0 = +1 and reroll) at 2d10/3 APs (rerolling doubles).
(I’d assume that all fractional results in this system are to be rounded down — Ed.).
Metahuman, medium
2d10/2 powers at 2d10/2 APs (reroll doubles in both cases).
(Kal is presumably doing 2d10/2 rather than 1d10 to have a bell curve distribution — Ed.).
Metahuman, powerful
2d10/2 powers at 2d10-4 APs (reroll doubles in both cases).
Mystic
1d10/2 mystic powers at (2d10/2)-1 APs and 1d10/3 (0 = +1 and reroll) mystic linked powers at 2d10-7 APs.
Gadgeteer
Reroll and apply to a gadget/artifact. For this roll, 90-00 is treated as “Mystic”.
Body of the gadget “free roll” (2d10/2, non italized to begin).
If a power AP rating coincides with its Link Attribute value, there’s a 50% the power is linked.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
Step #4 – How to roll powers?
Look at the final index of powers on DCH3rd Edition. Ok, do you see the three columns? Right.
For each power, roll 1d10: 1-3, first column; 4-6, second column; 7-9, third column; 0 = attributes (1d10 to choose which; AP math of the APs allowed for what you were rolling (2d10/2 for a medium metahuman, 2d10-4 for a powerful metahuman, etc) and what you already had on that Attribute. 0 = Add to HPs).
Then on each column, roll 1d100/2, and start counting the powers there, skipping what your GM considers “too powerful” (Sorcery, Omni-Power…), as well as “Mystic Link” and “Self Link”. You can access those by rolling a 100 when selecting powers.
I used another rule: after rolling the column and the d100/2 for the power, I rolled another dice just to see if I started to count upsides or downsides the column (so there weren’t powers that couldn’t appear).
Step #5 – Skills
A character has a 20% to have each Skill. If they have a given Skill, they have a 50% to know each Subskill.
Each Skill they possess has a 50% odd to be Linked. If not, then it’s at 2d10/2 APs (rerolling doubles).
Special cases:
- “Unpowered” characters add 2 APs to each skill or, if linked, raise the link attribute by 1.
- “Mystic” characters have a 70% odd instead of a 20% odd of having the Occultist Skill.
- “Gadgeteer” characters have a 40% odd instead of a 20% odd of having the Gadgetry and Scientist Skills.
If you do not roll any Subskill for a possessed Skill, start rolling again until you get one.
Step #6 – Advantages and Drawbacks
There’s a 75% any given character has at least one Advantage. If they do roll 1d100/4 and count down the DCH 3rd Ed backlist of advantages.
From there, there’s a 50% to have another Advantage, and a 25% chance to have another Advantage.
Likewise with Drawbacks. Just remember that Irrational Attractions and Irrational Hatreds are two different Drawbacks.
To choose objects of Scholar, Hatred, Attraction, Vulnerability, Connection, etc. I use the following system. Randomly skip through the rules book and pick the first word that catches my eye.
Step #7
Starting Hero Points: roll 2d10. Take as 1d100 if no doubles. If doubles, add and reroll. For the test characters I raised or lowered the amount to the closest multiple of 5.
Wealth: 2d10/2.
Closing notes
Whenever I got twice the same result (same Power twice or same Advantage/Drawbacks without “fill in the blank” object) I negated the first one.
So, if I got the Jumping power and later rolled again the number to give the character the Jumping power, I took it from him.
The same would happen if I got two “Mistrust” or two “Unluck” but not two “Alter Egos”, “Secret Identities” or “Irrational Attractions”.
Writeup completed on the 8th of October, 2012.