Power Level

A crucial step in choosing a cam-
paign type is determining the number
of character points the PCs start out
with. This has a direct impact on the
campaign style: powerful heroes stam-
pede through realistic challenges with
cinematic ease, while a lighthearted
romp for supers might be a deadly
nightmare for normal humans.
As the GM, the surest way to
choose a suitable power level is by
“feel.” During the course of your first
few campaigns, you’ll learn how your
players spend their points – and how
their PCs cope with the adventures
you cook up. You can use this experi-
ence to choose a good power level for
your next campaign. But that won’t
help you this time, so you might wish
to choose the most appropriate power
level off the list below.
Some example power levels, with
suggested starting points for the
heroes:
Feeble (under 25 points): Small chil-
dren, mindless thralls, zombies, etc.
* For those who want a battle between the players and the GM, we recommend our Munchkin RPG series:
www.sjgames.com/munchkin/rpg/. Really.
Unsuitable for PCs in any but the
darkest or most humorous of cam-
paigns.
Average (25-50 points): Ordinary
folks, such as accountants and cab
drivers.
Competent (50-75 points): Athletes,
cops, wealthy gentry . . . anyone who
would have a clear edge over “aver-
age” people on an adventure.
Exceptional (75-100 points): Star
athletes, seasoned cops, etc. With a
little experience, these individuals
could become full-time adventurers.
Heroic (100-200 points): People at
the realistic pinnacle of physical, men-
tal, or social achievement; e.g., Navy
SEALs, world-class scientists, and mil-
lionaires. Most full-time adventurers
start their careers at around 150
points.
Larger-than-Life (200-300 points):
Leading roles in kung fu movies, fan-
tasy novels, etc. Typical of the profes-
sional adventurer who has already
made a name for himself.
Legendary
(300-500
points):
Protagonists of epic poems and folk-
lore. This is the best power level for
“gritty” supers and for mortals who
rub shoulders with gods.
Superhuman (500-1,000 points):
Those who have transcended humani-
ty (e.g., supers who can take on tanks
barehanded) and powerful creatures
of fantasy (e.g., dragons who can best
entire armies).
Godlike (over 1,000 points): True
demigods who can do as they please
most of the time.