Detailed Power Classifications and Rankings

Okay, all the general power classifications in this setting, as used by most westernized nations.

Brawler: Close Quarters powersets. Touch or near-touch range attacks. Super strength, poison touch, claws, superhuman combat instincts, close range probability manipulation, and so forth.

((Tend to be treated as less threatening than other powers at its classification level. Normal people at least *understand* this sort of power. Doesn’t mean it’s not scary to know a guy can rip a truck in half, but they need to get up close and personal, and can’t kill you any more dead than a psycho with a knife, so there’s an upper cap for intimidation. As compared to other powers like mind control or various powers that make death look like a blessing.))

Breaker: Short for “game breaker”. Powers that nullify other powers or otherwise have unique advantages over other Imbued, such as power copying. Tracker or Esper abilities that find Imbued or are specially able identify or counter those powers. Potentially less dangerous against normals than against Imbued.

Esper: Means to obtain information seemingly from nowhere, or through a method that cannot be countered with reasonable precaution. Remote viewing, precognition, mind reading or other impossible to replicate means.

((Field Manual Instructions: Assume target knows and is prepared for your countermeasures. Expect an Esper to avoid the field of engagement. Best method to deal with Espers, unless you have a specialized Breaker or other Espers to counter them, is having several individuals and multiple layers of separation planning counter operations against the target simultaneously. Espers tend to have upper have limits to how much they can anticipate and counter.))

Escapist: Powers that make the opponent significantly harder to contain. Teleportation, turning into energy/mist/air/water/etc, the ability to move through walls.

((Rarely a classification used in the field- usually an operation is just going to say what the actual movement power is. You know not to get in close range with a Brawler. You know a Summoner will be throwing barriers in your way that might try to kill you. You don’t know if an Escapist is going to teleport a bomb into your lap, or going to walk through a wall and slit your throat from behind. And you can’t fight them with the same strategy.))

Gadgeteer: A subclass of Maker that produces devices or equipment readily usable by others. Often has subclassifications because their devices can often emulate other powers. The Gadgeteer rank itself typically gives you an idea of how rapidly the individual can produce new devices. While the other ranks explain just what to expect of those devices as currently known. Gadgeteer objects are usually simply called Gadgets. Capitalized.

((People with this power were was called Artificers up until the 20th century- and old school Gadgets were, and sometimes still are, called Artifacts. The modern Gadgeteers are  trying to get ‘Gadgeteer’ replaced with ‘Technician‘ (or ‘Tech‘ for short, and Gadget replaced with Tech.))

Gifter: Not typically threats on their own, these are powers that make others more dangerous or otherwise powerful. Usually both temporary and voluntary. Expect other classifications depending on how precisely the power works.

((Up until the late 60s, Gifters with the ability to grant (mostly) permanent powers were called Gurus, instead. Some ‘incidents’ in the 60s and 70s involving certain cult leaders has made the term politically unpopular. Now Gurus are listed as Gifters with a Maker subclass.))

Infiltrator: Powers that tend to work directly against the (human) mind. Including hallucinations and mind control (if humans are controllable). Espers that have a high penchant for bribery or blackmail can earn themselves an Infiltrator rating. Any form of mind reading is automatically an Infiltrator.’

Maker: A subclass of power that means the user creates permanent effects from their power. Usually applies to Summoners, and sometimes others.

As a rule, the Maker rating on a power indicates level of difficulty in dealing with the aftermath of a power, not the immediate danger level of the power itself- which is addressed in that power. Maker-Infiltrators are regarded as especially terrifying.

((Someone who manifests spears in the air that hurtle forward and can pierce stone walls might be a Sniper 3-4, but only a Maker 1 (very deadly, but no long term risks), but a Gadgeteer who creates a breeding colony of piranha-rats could be ranked Maker 7, despite only getting Gadgeteer 2 or so.

Very rarely do you have Maker *alone* as a power. That would require the ability to generate something that is both completely nonthreatening and of limited utilitarian value. Someone whose only power is to call a (gentle) rain, or use the D&D Create Food&Water spell(s)… then you could be considered Maker Only. If you can generate something fast enough to make it a threat, then you’re a Summoner.))

Sneak: Hiding abilities that tend to work on the environment itself. Camouflage, cloaking, transforming into objects, cosmetic shapeshifting. Counter with infravision, echolocation, and other exotic senses.

((Requires superhuman stealth or disguise powers… simply being clever or skilled isn’t enough. Kitten, for example, is a Sneak for her shapeshifting, not her other tricks.

Once called Stealth, but was changed to Sneak because hard ‘e’ and ‘k’ sounds are more audible to the human ear.))

Sniper: Ranged or remote targeting powers- including some subconscious or AoE fields. Often found packaged with other power types. Strategy is to avoid line of sight.

Summoner: Powers that alter the landscape or generate secondary targets/threats in the area. Battlefield Control powers and forcefield users who can shield objects or other people, and individuals who can control objects or animals. Control of humans is dealt with as an Infiltrator.

((For a time, Summoner was two classifications: “Shaper”- terrain alteration, and “Controller”- monster creation, or animal control… but there was debates over some subpowers like forcefields or some illusion powers were one or the other. Since the combat methods are generally identical (fighting the environment is a battle you will lose- find the Summoner and put them down) in all cases, they were grouped together.))

Tank: Super durability. Covers regeneration, personal forcefields, weapons passing through the target without harm, and other ways to counteract damage. Tanks aren’t considered a threat level on their own. A virtually unkillable Tank who has no other abilities, can have a very high Tank rating, but not be considered a significant threat if you can trust the police to capture him and keep him in a cell. There are few, if any, Tanks who don’t also have other classifications.

Tracker: Superhuman or nonhuman sensory powers that typically require some form of sensory input to work. Includes superhuman sight, hearing or sense of smell as well as infravision or echolocation and enhanced intelligence or mental processing.

Good counter against Sneaks. Trackers are typically very effective on the field but useless off the field, making them functionally the opposite of Espers despite having superficially similar information gathering packages. For purposes of power scale, trained dogs are considered Tracker 2.8.

Transit: Most movement powers that don’t simply bypass the terrain. Flight, wall climbing, superspeed, the list goes on. Expect other powers alongside it. Typically found in conjunction with Brawler or Sniper powers. If you can find a way to catch them, they should stay trapped.

Numbering System:

Imbued have at least two numbers. One for their power type, the other for overall threat level. They can be different.

The numbering system follows a Richter Scale logic, where each number is roughly ten times the threat as the previous number. Decimals are used to more finely rank Imbued with roughly similar potential.

0- Baseline human without special training or equipment. Either non-Imbued, or Imbued with ineffectual powers.

1- Little more dangerous than an baseline human being with rudimentary equipment. Brawler as dangerous as a man with a knife. Transit equivalent to a bicycle. Engage using standard police training to protect bystanders and arrest subject.

2- Effective equivalent of a skilled or trained human being, or one possessing dangerous but not exotic equipment. Individual with a gun or in a street legal vehicle. Use of lethal force by non-Imbued officers authorized if they feel their own or bystanders’ lives are in immediate danger. Imbued officers may not engage with lethal force except as necessary to save civilian lives.

3- Extremely dangerous. Beyond the capabilities of conventional police training or equipment. Use of special tactics or Imbued resources is preauthorized to engage the threat. Anticipate abilities capable of destroying a small building. Equivalent to a military squad with accompanying equipment and training.

4- Do not engage. Subject is beyond the capacity of non Imbued personnel to manage. Consider several miles to be endangered by the subject if given sufficient time to act. Contact National Guard and prioritize evacuation of civilians from the field of conflict. Equivalent to between one dozen and one hundred men equipped and trained with military capabilities. Imbued officers are pre-authorized to use lethal force to neutralize resisting target.

5- Citywide threat. Evacuate and wait for military response. Equivalent threat level of an invasion.

6- National level threat. Rapid military response no longer sufficient. Use of nonconventional weapons and Imbued abilities must be coordinated in anticipation of a protracted campaign to remove the threat in question.

7- Existential threat level. If other strategies fail, one must consider the possibility of using WMDs to neutralize the target. ((Theoretical power rank, to date no recorded Imbued has ever warranted this number.))

8- Consider diplomatic concessions to appease the threat. ((Theoretical power rank, to date only Tanks believed immune to atomic equivalent weapons have been ranked an 8))

Packages: Certain powersets tend to be found clustered in groups.  Brawlers, for example, tend to have Tank abilities. Most Trackers tend to have Transit powers. Escapists often have Oracle abilities. There’s enough overlap that people can shorthand four or five separate features in one word. Packages are typically unofficial, localized, and too numerous to give a comprehensive listing.

Armorer: Gadgeteer that can supply more than one or two allies.

Artillery: Usually Sniper/Summoner that can do damage on a large scale.

Assassin: Stealth (whether Sneak or Infiltrator) and Sniper combo features, perhaps other features, that blend together for highly discriminate lethal attacks.

Beastial: Animalistic powers, often seen in Altered. Capabilities resembling wild animals, but with the advantages of a human intelligence.

Dragon: A term for a big scary guy controlling minions through fear. Often people assume a weaker, smarter, power behind the throne. AKA- Enforcer or Thug.

Guru: It’s not “politically correct” (when has that stopped law enforcement?)… but it’s still used to refer to powersets that lend themselves to cult-making. Like certain Gifters, and types of Infiltrators or Gadgeteers.

Healer: Gifter or Summoner powers that can restore wounded. Rumors persist of ones who can raise the dead, but those are usually hoaxes exploiting the vulnerable.

Hunter: Tracker/Mover combo. Often includes some stealth ability.

MC: Mission Control (tongue-in-cheek ‘Master of Ceremonies’) Typically Espers with powers to superhumanly coordinate a team in combat.

Oracle: Espers and others with the abilities to predict the future or “alter fate” such as luck manipulators.

Psychic: Often, mind reading Infiltrators have a Gifter subclass to speak to others telepathically or through similar means. Also includes some Espers.

SNAFer: Based on “SNAFU”… informal term for Imbued whose powersets make them a pain in the ass to predict or counter, allowing them to win against seemingly impossible odds regularly.

Online, the term Main (Character) or (Mary) Sue has been used to apply to Imbued with an improbably long history of doing this. Even less formal than SNAFer. Usually attributed to the subject having an “secret backup power”.

TK: Telekinetic. A clumping of mostly-Summoners and Snipers whose power is to move other objects with their mind. Was once a “core” classification, but split and absorbed mostly into Summoner and Sniper.

Turtle: Tank that can protect others nearby- sometimes a Gifter, sometimes a Summoner.

Vamp: Exactly what it sounds like. Powers that involve feeding on other people. Vamp powersets are numerous and hard to fully classify.