Hero System Power Packages – the Cowboy, the Werewolf, the Cartomancer, the Eldritch Horror, and the Giant Land Octopus – with system commentary.

And for a few posts it’s forty-point Hero System power packages – either “pulp hero” powers or highly limited superpowers to be wielded by fairly normal people. That’s pretty atypical for the Hero System, where characters tend to be fairly well-rounded, with a mix of heightened attributes, defenses, and powers – but it’s perfectly typical for settings revolving around people who have some fairly specific ability and who are otherwise fairly normal. We’re using fourth edition, but it’s fairly easy to translate between editions – so for today we have…

The Cowboy

The Cowboy – at least as commonly portrayed – is borderline mythological. And, as usual with legends… the power of those myths can be tapped into. This particular version doesn’t have a gun. He (or she) doesn’t need one – he can use his rope (of which he carries extra coils) in pretty much every way imaginable. He’s got no need to shoot his target when he can just land a noose around said target’s neck and give it a haul. A gun is not nearly so versatile. Sadly, however, ropes aren’t that much use as armor, so that light armored clothing has a heavy load to carry.

So why are some things on charges? It’s because they use up rope – so eventually you’ll have to stop using those effects until you get some more rope. The character is set up to have lots of rope available though. So it shouldn’t be uch of a problem.

40 Cowboy Powers

(15) Rope Multipower (45-pt reserve); OAF (Rope): -1; Only things you can do with a rope: -½; Activation: 14-, -½

• u-1 4d6 Entangle (All Tied Up) (DEF 4); Range: 200; Charges: +12, +0; Clips: 2; 0 End.
• u-1 Missile Deflection (Rope Spin) (All Ranged Attacks, None, OCV 8); Deflect Attacks: Adjacent, +½; Deflection Bonus: 5, 10; OCV: 8; -½ 0 End.
• u-1 Hand-to-Hand Attack (Rope Lash) (10d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• u-1 Telekinesis (STR 20); Range: 225; Manipulation: Coarse, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; -½ 0 End.
• u-1 Swinging / Zip-lining (+25″, NC: 100″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×4, +5; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• u-1 3d6 Killing Attack (RKA) (Noose); Range: 225; Charges: +12, +0; Clips: 2; 0 End.
• u-1 2d6 Energy Blast (Strangulation); Range: 225; Versus: ED; Continuous: +1; No Normal Defense (Need not Breathe,,Hard Neck Coveringm Force Field): +1; Uncontrolled: +½; Reduced END: Zero, +½; No Range Penalty: +½; 0 End.
• u-1 7d6 Energy Blast (Whip); Range: 220; Versus: PD; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 1 End.
• u-1 3d6 Suppress (Movement) (Entanglement); Range: 225; Affect: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Continuous: +1; Charges: 12, +¾; Clips: 2; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 3d6 Suppress (Dexterity) (Entanglement); Range: 225; Affect: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Continuous: +1; Charges: 12, +¾; Clips: 2; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; 0 End.

(6) +2 Skill Levels with Rope
(3) Follower (Horse) (1, 42 pts, -25 Disad. = 17 Points, /5 = 3 Point net cost); Number: 1, +0
(6) Armor (4 PD/4 ED); Activation: 14-, -½; Focus (Leathers): Obvious Inaccessible, -½

17 Horse
(2) Attributes: Attributes: Str 10 (39), Dex 11, Con 13, 9 (12) Body, 3 Int, 3 Ego, 15 Pre, 15 Com, PD 5, ED 3, Spd 3, Rec 8, End 26, Stun 28 (31). Net Cost: 2 Points. Net Cost: 2 Points.
(2) Elemental Control: Horse Powers (10-pt reserve); Always On: -½; Side Effects (Is a horse. No hands, no human language, no civil rights, everyone knows what a horse is, trained property, etc.): 60/All, -1; Horse Powers Only: -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½
a-5 Growth-3 (×8 mass, ×2 height); Mass: 480 kg/1,056 lbs; Height: 344 cm/11’3″; Extra STR: 15; Knockback Reduction: -3; Extra BODY: 3; Extra STUN: 3; DCV Penalty: -2; PER Penalty: +2; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; 0 End.
b-6 Running (+10″, NC: 40″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×4, +5; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Visible (Horses running are fairly noisy): -¼; Vastly reduced on unsuitable surfaces: -½; 0 End.
c-2 +14 STR; Reduced END: Zero, +½; No manipulative limbs -½, 0 End.
d-3 Hand-to-Hand Attack (Hooves, 5d6. 11d6 total); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
e-3 Enhanced Perception (all) (+7 to PER)

(2) Immunity to Mild Weather Extremes; Frequency: Fairly Common
(8) Armor (4 PD/4 ED); Focus (Tack): Obvious Inaccessible, -½
(5) Mind Link (Rider); Minds: One Specific Mind, +5; Number of Minds: 1, +0; Distance: Single Planet, +0; Dimension: Current, +0; Link with: Anyone, +0
(2) Professional Skill: Horse Tricks 11-
(2) Professional Skill: Riding Animal 11-
(-25) Disadvantages: It’s a horse. Pick whatever limitations you don’t include in the elemental control side effects. There are PLENTY.

OK, it amused me to make a multipower full of the things you can do with rope. This, in fact, dates back to first edition where questions like “how much do I have to pay for rope?” came up surprisingly often (the multipower for “things you can do with a knife got very long indeed). Regardless, rope is surprisingly versatile. How many other inventions are still in regular use after thirty to fifty thousand years? (Fifty thousand is believed to be the earliest known trace, but thirty thousand is pretty definite. Still, who knows how far back into prehistory rope goes before that?).

The Werewolf

Werewolves are very classic. Almost passe. Everybody knows what a werewolf is. They usually have some animal instincts or behaviors, a bit of a reputation, tend to be agitated during the full moon, and do have some minor vulnerabilities to silver and/or fire which are already included below. They aren’t, however, necessarily monstrous. They’re basically big wolves crossed with humans – and wolves with human tendencies are better known as dogs. Dogs and wolves are generally pretty loyal to their friends and families. That’s one of the major reasons that werewolves make perfectly good pulp heroes. On the other hand… they aren’t all that dangerous to even a minor superhero or a serious SWAT team; they’re about as formidable as a bear in a fight, although their regeneration and resistance to body damage will let them last longer and recover more quickly. Their biggest asset as heroes isn’t their fighting ability; it’s their enhanced senses. “Animal Powers” are a popular idea, but who are you going to bet on? The guy with the “Power Of A Lion!” or Iron Man?

40 Werewolf Powers

(2) Elemental Control; Werewolf Powers (5-pt reserve); Mystically conspicuous, classical werewolf indicators in human form: -¼; Always On: -½; Werewolf powers only: -½; Powers reduced by roughly 50% in full human form.: -0.25

• a-4 Armor (7 PD/4 ED), only 50% effective versus Fire; -0.25
• b-6 Regeneration (1 BODY/5 min.); Regenerate: From Death unless slain by Silver, +20; Activation: 11-, -1;
• c-4 Density Increase (Gets slightly bigger and much bulkier)-2 (×4 mass); Mass: 240 kg/528 lbs; Extra PD: +2; Extra ED: +2; Extra STR: +10; Knockback: -2″; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0
• d-2 Combined Powers Slot – Supernatural Senses;
  • (2) Enhanced Perception (all) (+2 to PER);
  • (2) Ultraviolet Vision;
  • e-4 Enhanced Scent;
  • (4) Tracking Scent;
  • (2) Discriminatory Sense (Smell); 0
• g-3 Running (+4″, NC: +8″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0
• h-7 1d6 Killing Attack (HTH) (Total 2d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0
• i-2 Power Defense (10 pts); Automatically protects against any attempt to remove werewolf disadvantages or abilities only: -½;.
• j-2 +5 CON;
• k-2 +5 BODY;

Why are there limitations for the types of powers allowed in the Multipowers and Elemental Controls? It’s because those ARE pretty limiting. Compare what you can put in a multipower full of “spells” or “the power cosmic” (almost anything, like the Cartomancer below) and one that is restricted to “Rope” or “Werewolf Powers”. Is this fair to people who don’t buy a Multipower or an Elemental Control? No it isn’t. And that’s is a good thing. This way Multipowers and Elemental Controls reward character builds that have a coherent theme and which have enough limitations on their powers to leave the other player characters with something to do. Even characters who are just “big, tough, and strong” should have something to back up those high attributes.

The Cartomancer

The Cartomancer draws on the power of ancient archetypes. This version uses the Major Tarot, but versions using runes, or the heiroglyphic symbols of ancient egyptian gods, or dozens of other variants work just fine. While Cartomancy is prone to backlash, and difficult to use, it is also one of the most powerful and versatile abilities on this entire list – allowing it’s users to heal wounds, raise the dead, summon forth mythic vehicles, cast illusions, bind targets in the chains of hell, peer into the past, create mighty barriers, alter the environment in weird and wonderful ways, and much more – even being able to raise the dead. Unfortunately, however, Cartomancers require foci for their powers, cannot move around or evade attacks while bringing them into play, and can be seriously injured by the backlash of their own misbehaving powers if (when!) they fumble a spell. That makes them relatively poor solo heroes, but potentially decisive backup for a group.

40 Cartomancer

(18) Multipower (83-pt reserve); Focus (Tarot Cards): Obvious Accessible, -1; Focus Applicability: Personal; Focus Breakability: Breakable; Fragile Focus: -¼; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼; Activation: 15-, -¼; Side Effects (6d6 Energy Blast): 30/Half, -½; Visible (Hold up magical card): -¼

• u-1 The Fool, Infinite Potential: 13d6 Healing ; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Magician, Potential Given Form; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev;
  • (9) 2d6 Aid Magic (Fade/min., Max. 20); Range: 0; Continuous: +1; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; This basically allows the user to tap into minor effects – temporarily gaining any one magical power of up to twenty active points or boosting some other mages abilities. 0 End.
  • (5) Force Field (8 PD/8 ED); Active Points: 24; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 13d6 The Emperor Mind Control; Communication: Verbal, +0; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Chariot – Summon Vehicle (1 120-point creatures); Range: 0; Summon: Limited Group, +¼; Vehicle vanishes after one hour unless resummoned.: -¼; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The High Priestess – 13d6 Mental Illusions; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Empress – 1d6 Transform Environment (Major, Limited Class); Range: 0 End; Cumulative: +½; Area Effect (Radius): 128″ radius, +1; Autofire: 10 shots, ¾; Increased Area: ×64, +1½; Charges: 10, +½; Clips: 32; Only affects the environment. This can make walls, turn the area into a jungle, dump ten feet of snow, or turn the floot to lava, but it doesn’t directly affect characters.: -1; No Range: -½; 0 End.
• u-1 The Hierophant – 10d6 Telepathy; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 The Hermit – 3d6 Aid to Bases, Computers, and Equipment (Fade/season, Max. 20); Range: 0; Active Points: 80; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2; The supplied points are treated as a pool,. The spell will provide a total of 20 points worth of improvements to a base, 20 points worth of a computer, and 20 points worth of gear – but no more, no matter who you cast it on or how often.: -1; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Lovers;
  • (8) 2d6 Aid to Social Perks (Fade/season, Max. 20); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; Adds only one perk per casting, perks are treated as a pool, and only go away with the changing seasons, so if you need police contacts or a drivers license, they go against the total of 20 until the season changes and they go away: -1; 0 End.
  • (5) +15 PRE; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev;
  • (3) +20 COM; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 Strength (Combined Powers Slot):
  • (11) Density Increase-8 (×250 mass); Mass: 15,000 kg/33,000 lbs; Extra PD: +8; Extra ED: +8; Extra STR: +40; Knockback: -8″; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
  • (4) Force Field (8 PD/8 ED); Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
  • (2) 5″ Flight (NC: 10″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 37; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Only to reduce the user’s effective weight to normal: -½; 0 End.
• u-1 Death 1d6 Transform (Creatures to other creatures) (Major, Anything); Range: 410; Active Points: 82; Cumulative: +½; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Continuous: +1; Penetrating: +½; Armor Piercing: +2, +1; Activation (Rolled each phase): 11-, -1; 0 End.
• u-1 The Devil – 5d6 Entangle (Infernal Chains of Sin) (DEF 5); Range: 375; Area Effect (One-hex): 1 hex(es), +½; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; Activation: 15-, -¼; Side Effects (Summon Minor Devil): 30/Half, -½; 0 End.
• u-1 The Tower – 5d6 Killing Attack (RKA); Range: 375; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; No Knockback: -¼; 0 End.
• u-1 The Star – Telekinesis (STR 28); Range: 325; Manipulation: Fine, +10; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 Temperance – Force Wall (4 PD/4 ED); Range: 400; Width: 16″, +0; Variable Special Effects (ED, PD, Power, Ego, and Flash Defense): Certain Group, +¼; Autofire: 10 shots, ¾; Charges: 30, +2; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; All force walls must be stacked on each other: -1; 0 End.
• u-1 The Hanged Man 17d6 Dispel (Magic); Range: 320; Affects: Any Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 Justice – 2d6 Flash (Hearing, Sight); Range: 375; Area Effect (Radius): 12″ radius, +1; Increased Area: ×4, +½; Side Effects (User must pursue Justice): 30/Half, -½; Side effects cannot be avoided.: -½; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The World – Clairsentience (Hearing, Sight); See: Past, +20; Dimensions: Current, +0; Active Points: 81; Range: 2,000″; Charges: 2, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; 0 End.
• u-1 The Last Judgement – Regeneration (1 BODY/Turn); Regenerate: From Death, +20; Transdimensional (Across Time): Group of Dimensions, +¾; Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼; Ranged: +½; Charges: +3, +0; Continuing Charges: 1 Hour, -5 lev; Changes do not manifest until the current time: -½, Extra Time: 1 turn, -1. 0 End. This basically reaches into the past to bestow the Regeneration ability on your target just before their death. This, in turn, means that they never actually died – but the spell avoids paradox by being limited so that the change in status does not actually manifest until the time the spell is cast.
• u-1 The Moon – Images (Hearing, Sight, 16″ radius); Range: 360; Active Points: 72; Observer PER Penalty: 3, +9; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Variable Limitations: -½, -¼; 0 End.
• u-1 The Sun – 5d6 Energy Blast; Range: 375; Versus: ED; No Normal Defense (Immunity to High Heat, Ice Powers, Darkness Powers): +1; Area Effect (Radius): 5″ radius, +1; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; Works only in Daylight: -¼; 0
• u-1 The Wheel Of Fortune – Invisibility (Smell, Sight, Hearing, No Fringe); Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Variable Limitations: -½, -¼; 0 End.

A resurrection effect is actually fairly easy to build in the Hero System, at least if you get a little bit inventive about it – but a lot of game masters dislike the idea. If you want to complicated the whole “coming back to life” thing a bit go ahead and throw in some complications, such as the side effects including a trip to the underworld to bring back the desired soul, or Death demanding some sort of price, or some such.

Actual character death is pretty rare in a full-fledged superhero game anyway. The Hero System encourages it’s characters to do the comic book thing and fight at the drop of a hat by making the defenses cheaper than the attacks and by encouraging the purchase of spot defenses. Did some villain give them trouble through clever use of the “Drain” ability? The PC’s will soon find a reason to purchase some Power Defense, so that it does not happen again. After a while they start getting pretty hard to affect much in any reasonable way and the bricks – who are basically built for long slugging matches – tend to come into their own again.

The Eldritch Horror

The Eldritch Horror was either summoned by some eldritch tome or dread artifact (it doesn’t have to be the Necronomicon) or is the result of some foolish mortal meddling with such a thing. That focus may be hidden, but must always reside in a ritual space dedicated to the Outer Ones – and is thus an IIF. If someone finds it, and either destroys, contains, or simply removes it… the power of the Eldritch Horror will fade away. While it remains, however, the Eldritch Horror possesses considerable abilities. An Eldritch Horror doesnt have to be EVIL, but they are generally more than a bit incomprehensible, often cannot speak or otherwise interact normally, and rarely quite understand humans. Their power can have all kinds of side effects on them, and they’re rarely helpful socially. On the other hand, if the eldritch, unkillable, protoplasmic mass wants to devour the tainted souls of serial killers, I’m not going to get in it’s way. Even if it didn’t eat me for being in the way, it would just go around.

40 Eldritch Horror

(4) Elemental Control; Formless Body (15-pt reserve); Always On: -½; Side Effects (Attracts monsters, hunted by heroes, terrifying special effects, genderless, being made of goo, most medical treatments no working, vulnerable to holy magic, etc. ): 60/All, -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½; Visible (Eldritch Horror. Slenderman at BEST.): -¼; Focus (Necronomicon): Inobvious Inaccessible, -¼

• a-4 Regeneration (1 BODY/Turn); Regenerate: From Death, +20;
• b-4 Stretching (4″, NC: 8); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• c-4 Force Field (10 PD/10 ED); Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End. OK, being made of goo is an unusual special effect, but so be it!
• d-4 Shape Shift (Imitate Humans) (Limited Group); Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• e-4 +20 STR; Doesn’t Affect Figured: -½; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• f-5 Hand-to-Hand Attack (7d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• g-3 +30 PRE; Only for Presence Attacks: -1.
• h-4 Running (+10″, 75″, NC: 150″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 74; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• i-4 Clinging (Clinging STR +30); Reduced END: Zero, +½; Costs END: -½; 0 End.

  The Eldritch Horror pulls a fast one there; normally you have to have the various powers Persistent to take the Always On limitation – but these are mostly active effects, and so are not persistent. What the Always On effect does is make it impossible to turn off all those antisocial disadvantages: the Eldritch horror is ALWAYS a semi-formless lovecraftian monstrosity of writhing tendrils, oozng black slime, and alien horror. That seemed sufficient to qualify of “-1/2”. If you want to be technical. do what I used to do and call the limitation “physical” – real and permanent changes to the body which can’t be taken away readily. Basically the same way that you can’t do an area-effect “drain breathe in unusual environment” and kill all the fish in an area. After all, if that worked – if you could drain a creatures ability to live in it’s natural environment – you could build cheap, near-instant, large-scale, “kill everyone” effects. It’s not a good idea to allow that.

The Giant Land Octopus

The rare (we think) Giant (for an octopus; lacking Growth, they’re about human sized) Land Octopus has an unusually wide environmental tolerance and a deceptive nature that transcends an Octopus’s usual limits to deceive those who see or hear them – making everyone who lacks the ability to pierce it’s illusion hear it “speaking” normally and see it as just another normal human- allowing them to mingle readily with human societies. As for what they do… they’re strong, they’re stretchy, and they stick to things with suction cups. They’re good at camouflaging themselves and can squeeze through very small places. They’re also surprisingly good with children, almost always being able to spot what they’re up to and invariably having a spare “hand” to stretch out and grab them with to keep them out of trouble.

40 Giant Land Octopus Powers

• (2) Tentacles – Extra Limbs (4); Number: 4; Side Effects (You’re an octopus. Cannot speak normally (relies on illusions to communicate), no fingers, etc)): 60/All, -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½; Always On: -½
• (5) Rubbery Flesh and No Bones – Damage Resistance (5 PD/5 ED)
• (4) Elemental Control: Landgoing Octopus Powers (15-pt reserve); Side Effects (You’re an octopus. Cannot speak normally (relies on illusions to communicate), no fingers, etc)): 60/All, -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½; Always On: -½; Octopus Powers Only: -1
  • a-4 Stretching (4″, NC: 8); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
  • b-4 Swimming (+20″, 22″, NC: 44″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 30; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
  • c-3 Clinging (Clinging STR +60); Actually limited to Str+30: -½;
  • d-3 Life Support (total); Only somewhat beyond what is reasonable for an octopus and doing OK on land: -1;
  • e-6 Images (Hearing, Sight, 1″ radius); Range: 0; Observer PER Penalty: 5, +15; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Only to make people see the user as a normal person: -2; No Conscious Control: -2; No Range: -½; 0 End.
  • f-3 Invisibility (Normal Sight); Reduced END: Zero, +½; Camouflage Only, +10 to Stealth when moving slowly: -½; 0 End.
  • g-4 +20 STR; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
  • h-2 Shrinking-2 (DCV +4, Reduced END: Zero, +½; Only for squeezing through small openings due to their lack of bones and rubbery flesh, no other effects: -2; 0 End.
  • i-2 Darkness (Normal Sight, 3″ radius); Range: 0; Charges: +3, -¾; Continuing Charges: 1 Turn, -2 lev; No Range: -½; Works only in Water: -1½; Active Points: 30; 0 End.
  • j-3 Enhanced Perception (Normal Sight, +15 to PER); Actually only +8: -½;
  • k-3 1d6 Killing Attack (HTH) (Mildly toxic bite) (Total 2d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Penetrating: +½; Only on targets that are currently grabbed.: -1. 0 End.
• (0) Knowledge: The Sea 8-
• (-8) Running (-4″, 2″, NC: 4″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; 0 End.

Now this sort of thing is why superhero worlds tend to have ever-changing histories. Lets say that some player decides that he wants to play a resident of Atlantis, or a Giant Land Octopus, or a Demigodling Son Of Uller, from Norse Mythology – but the setting has never made any provision for such things. Now what can you do?

• You can tell the player (or comic book writer) that there is no room for their nifty new idea. They may not take it well. There will certainly be at least whining if some other players ideas get accepted later on. Things become less fun.
• You can quietly assume that the player/writer (and possibly the character) are wrong about what they are and where they came from If you tell them, see #1. If you remain silent until later… now the player/writer is invested in their idea and it’s part of all their plans. This guarantees an angry explosion.
• You can accommodate the player/writer and quietly re-arrange some chunks of the setting and its history to fit in with their new idea. This can be a headache when it comes to continuity, and can clash with other player/writers ideas later – but it purchases peace NOW at the low, low, cost of agreeing that Giant Land Octopuses have been hanging around for thousands of years, and that there is a long history of sailors surviving two-hundred-mile swims to shore after shipwrecks, and of mysterious bystanders fishing people out of rivers, and so on that no one has ever paid any attention to because “it’s always been that way”.

Usually people wind up going with #3. It’s so much easier in the short run, and who cares that – likely after your game or job is over – there will need to be yet another reset?