The Power Empath

(Version 1.00 - Last Modified: 03/14/2008)

• Introduction
• Abilities of a Power Empath
• Other Stuff

Introduction

The Power Empath has a very unstable genetic structure that can bend and twist and change at the desire of the Power Empath. This enables the hero to duplicate the effects of many super powers, but only if the Power Empath can learn enough about how the power works. With enough exposure to a wide variety of super powers, a Power Empath will have become incredibly versatile and will have a power to use for nearly any occassion. However, without such exposure, a Power Empath will remain limited and vulnerable. This has created a dangerous situation where many Power Empaths scour the world tracking down known super heroes and villains to gain their powers. They are always on the look out for descriptions of exotic and strange powers to add to their repetoire.

Older Power Empaths, often with a large number of available powers are considered extremely dangerous and many governemnts have placed on the lists to exterminate immediately. Even worse for people that wish to confront Power Empaths, sending in super-powered operatives will often just expose the Power Empath to more powers that he can turn around and use against the people that are trying to stop him. For this reason, most young Power Empaths often keep to themselves, quietly gaining powers, or passing themselves off as regular super heroes or villains. They are even despised by other super-powered heroes and villains, most of which cherish their sense of individuality and sense of uniqueness in the world, only to encounter a Power Empath that effortlessly duplicates that powers that they feel makes them unique.

Abilities of a Power Empath

1. Sense Super Powers:
   A Power Empath can sense people with super powers within a radius of 10' (3.1 m) per level of experience. The character instantly knows when a being with super powers is within the radius, and by spending one melee action, he can pinpoint the direction and distance of a being he detects. With a second melee action, he can determine which being within his line of sight is the one he pinpointed.
   
   
2. Exposure:
   A Power Empath stores the information of all super powers that he becomes exposed to. At all levels, to be exposed to a super power, the character has to be able to sense the super being with his Sense Super Powers ability. Whenever a Power Empath becomes exposed to a new super power, he is instantly aware of it and knows all of the details of the new power.

   At level 1, the character has to see the power in action to become exposed to it, making it impossible to be exposed to passive super powers like Immortality.

   At level 4, the character has to have line of sight to a person with a super power and he has to know what super power that person has, either by being told about it or by seeing it in action.

   At level 8, the character has to have line of sight to a person with a super power, but he doesn't need to know what super powers that person has to be exposed to them.

   At level 12, he has to be able to sense a being with a super power to be exposed to it.

3. Manifesting Super Powers:
   A Power Empath can manifest a small number of super powers that he has been exposed to, but he is able to change which of his stored powers are manifested. Any power that the character chooses to manifest may be active indefinitely.

   From levels 1 to 5, manifesting a new super power requires five minutes of concentration. From levels 6 to 10, accessing a new power requires one melee round of concentration. From levels 11 onwards, accessing a new power requires one melee action of concentration. During the period of concentration, the character cannot take damage or any defensive actions without breaking his concentration. When changing which super powers are manifested, each changed super power requires its own period of concentration.

   The number of super powers that can be manifested simultaneously varies depending on the level of the character:

   • Level 1: 1 major power or 2 minor powers.
   • Level 3: 1 major power and 1 minor power or 3 minor powers.
   • Level 5: 1 major power and 1 minor power or 4 minor powers.
   • Level 7: 2 major powers or 1 major power and 2 minor powers or 4 minor powers.
   • Level 9: 2 major powers or 1 major power and 3 minor powers or 5 minor powers.
   • Level 11: 2 major powers and 1 minor powers or 1 major power and 3 minor powers or 6 minor powers.
   • Level 13: 3 major powers or 2 major powers and 2 minor powers or 1 major power and 4 minor powers or 7 minor powers.
   • Level 15: 3 major powers and 1 minor powers or 2 major powers and 3 minor powers or 1 major power and 5 minor powers or 8 minor powers.

Other Stuff

• Alignment:
  Any alignment can be chosen, but heroes should generally be of a good alignment.
• Insanities:
  Power Empaths are just as likely as any other hero to develop insanities.
• Level of Education and Skill Selection:
  Standard, a Power Empath can come from any walk of life, although they tend to come from backgrounds that lead to a lot of interaction with other people.
• Hand-to-Hand Combat:
  Combat skills are not automatic. They must be selected as a learned skill.
• Attacks Per Melee (Hand-to-Hand):
  As with all superbeings, the character automatically gets two attacks per melee round. Any additional attacks must be developed through combat skills.
• Weapons and Armor:
  Unless the character is extremely wealthy, only conventional weaponry and body armor would be available.
• Structural Damage Capacity (S.D.C.):
  All power empath characters have a base S.D.C. of 35, which can be increased by selecting certain physical skills.
• Available Financial Resources:
  The character has 6D6x100 dollars available in ready cash. This is in addition to a possible life savings (see optional rules in the Heroes Unlimited 2nd Edition Main Book). There is a 01-88% likelihood that the character owns his or her own car; 1D4 years old and in excellent condition.