Welcome to the Motor City Madness campaign for Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition. Below are some guidelines and information for players to consider. Please review and feel free to PM me with any questions. Please be respectful to the other players while playing and on the forum.

Character Creation
All characters should be built on 150pp (PL 10) when starting the campaign and may have up to 2 Complications to begin with (along with GM approval). In addition, characters should be created with comic book superheroes in mind, as well working on a team. I've provided a Recommended Media list below to help if needed.

Combat
In this campaign, we use damage rolls, as well as Toughness saves, allowing for more variables in game.
For example: If Kimera is battling a thug and hits with a side kick, he would roll d20+STR, and the thug would roll d20+TOU to resist.
Otherwise, combat works the same way as in the Second Edition rules.

Hero Points
All heroes start with 1 HP and may purchase up to half of the campaign's current Power Level (currently 10) using the Luck feat. All HPs are restored to their beginning amount at the start of a session. Temporary HPs may be issued during a session for acts of heroism and good roleplaying, but must be used before the session is finished, otherwise they fade.

Experience
Experience Points are given at the end of an arc and may be spent at anytime other than during play. Please inform me of changes that are being made, as I update them within the program I use. Experience awards are issued depending on play, opponents and motivation of plot.

Blue Booking
This method of play allows a hero to work on a solo plot, or to continue investigations beyond the chat game. Not all heroes will be Blue Booking, but anyone interested should submit an idea to the GM for their consideration. Blue Booking usually has something to do with a character's background or a back plot of the main game. Think of it as a back-up or mini-series for the character and a chance to gain an additional point of XP

Mutants & Masterminds Third Edition Changes FAQ

Defenses? WTF?
Defenses are one of the new rolls. Many of them serve a dual purpose of being a Defense and a Save (now Resistances). When an attack is made, the attacker must roll above a target's Defense+10, while when resisting damage, the target must resist with the appropriate defense. DCs for various resistances vary depending on the effect.

What Can I Do With Extra Effort?
Action: Gain an additional standard action.
Bonus: Perform one check with a +2 bonus or improve an existing bonus to a +5 major bonus. This could also negate a penalty (making it a check with no modifier), or reduce a major penalty to a -2.
Power: Gain a +1 to a power's rank until the hero's next turn.
Power Stunt: Gain a temporary Alternate Effect, which last till the end of the scene.
Resistance: Gain an additional resistance check against an ongoing effect. If the extra effort incapacitates the character, they cannot make any other resistance checks until recovered.
Retry: Some effects require extra effort to retry a degree of failure.
Speed: +1 to Speed until the start of the hero's next turn.
Strength: +1 to Strength until the start of the hero's next turn.

What Can I Do With Hero Points?
Edit Scene: You can edit a scene to allow your hero and advantage by adding/changing certain details. Final decision on such changes are at the GMs discretion.
Heroic Feat: Gain a rank of an advantage you don't have until the end of your next turn. You must be able to use and cannot choose a Fortune advantage. If the advantage has prerequisites, you must adhere to them.
Improve Roll: You may re-roll ant die roll you make and take the better of the two. Any roll 10 or below in this fashion, add 10 to the roll. Anything 11+ remains as rolled. You must spend the point before the result is announced and you may only spend them on your character (unless you have Luck Control).
Inspiration: Gain sudden inspiration in the form of a hint, clue or help from the GM.
Instant Counter: Spend a point to attempt a counter effect used against you as a reaction.
Recover: Spend a point to recover faster. One Hero point soaks a dazed, fatigued or stunned condition without taking an action. It also allows using extra effort without fatigue.

How Do I Get Hero Points?
By performing acts of heroism, roleplaying and having complications occur during a game.

What Does 'Stunned' Mean?
One of the results that can occur is having a Condition set upon your character. Things like 'Stunned', 'Dazed', 'Bound' and such all carry various penalties to your characters health and actions. Luckily, Green Ronin has provided folks with a Reference Sheet to, well, reference when something is imposed on your character. This sheet also describes various maneuvers and actions, making it invaluable for players and GMs alike.

Recommended Media

Comics
Fantastic Four, Avengers, Justice League, Titans, Teen Titans, Dynamo 5, Invincible, Young Justice

Cartoons
Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, Ben 10: Alien Force/Ultimate Alien, Generator Rex, Teen Titans Go

Movies
Fantastic Four, Justice League: Crisis on Two Worlds, Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2, Robocop (for city flavor)

Video Games
City of Heroes, Champions Online, Freedom Force, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 & 2

Blue Booking Example

During the night's chat session, Captain Amazing takes on Major Menace and discovers that they're power source is the same. So, thinking on that, Monty, Cap's player, decides that he'd like to explore that a bit more and, knowing that he won't have that much time in the main game, he approaches the GM with an idea for Blue Booking.

Monty sends the GM a private message with the following info:

“Since Captain Amazing has discovered that Major Menace uses the same power as he does, I'd like to explore that a bit in a spin-off. If possible, I'd like to have Captain Amazing volunteer to escort Major Menace to prison and was hoping that he could find some answers as to how the Major taps the power.”

The GM evaluates the idea and decides it'd make a great addition to the story, so he begins an arc in [Blue Booking] Captain Adventure's Adventures called Menace from Beyond and sets a three week limit to run the solo game (also explaining where it fits continuity wise at a later date). The adventure happens, Cap finds that they both tap into an alien/magic source of power and manages to pick up a new complication – Enemy: Major Menace – along the way.

==============================================================================================

Blue Booking should be something that ties into the main story, but effects a single character. In comic book terms, it should be looked at as a one-shot or mini-series and can be used to resolve things off the main camera, or even be available when a player can make a regular commitment to the game for a short time, but still wants to interact.
While a handy tool, it's not to be used to be an ongoing solo series for one character or be a replacement for the regular chat game unless the GM agrees to it. Suggested stories are just that, suggested, and shouldn't be fully plotted out when submitted to a GM. In all reality, it's a way for the player to deepen their character's story a bit more and bring that back into the chat game.

I actually forgot to post some of this, so please let me explain a few things ...

Campaign World Info

The world in which this campaign is run is different from our own. Below are some brief notes to keep in mind when playing:

Science & Technology
There are significant leaps in science & technology leading to a slightly different lifestyle for most people. Things like the internet and computers are now something that everyone can get with little to no cost to themselves. While paper is still available to some capacity, it's considered archaic by most and has been replaced with Datapads, a computer not unlike an iPad, but with more memory and capabilities. Gasoline & Oil have long been abandoned in favor of a cleaner, hydrogen fuel battery and most vehicles have more efficient engines, allowing for greater mileage. While not standard in most regions, even things such as hover vehicles have started to become available (but mainly to the idle rich who can afford them).
Science has also flourished, with concepts such as cloned body parts and stem-cell research being something commonly used rather than science fiction. Most cities have a branch of Herald Labs, a large science firm that studies everything from biology and chemistry to former fringe sciences such as extra-dimensional physics and meta-genetics. Cures for most of the medical plagues of the last 400 years have been created and human living in general has benefited from it.

Laws & Government
Government has possibly seen one of the biggest shifts in the last few decades. While every nation has their leaders, the United Nations has actually become the main seat of government in almost every country on Earth. Representatives, such as presidents, prime ministers and nobility work within the rules of the UN, using it as a forum to resolve issues, ask for aid and to better the people of Earth. The UN, in turn, protects the nations' interests and help distribute funding and aid when needed. President Barack Obama is the current president of the United States and has been since 2009.
The laws in place aren't all that different from the ones we know. Criminals are still convicted and usually sent to prison. Non-prescribed or over-the-counter drugs are illegal. And speeding in your car can get you a ticket. However, there have been some changes. Things like smoking have been outlawed in most areas (though, like always, there are those that break the law), and most foods have to undergo stricter rules before being sold (or, in some cases, before even being processed). However, things like Universal Heath Care is now a world-wide event and there are several programs in place to not only help people find jobs, but provide for their families and help them move into more job-rich areas.
As far as superheroes go, there are a few instances where the law aids them in their struggle against crime. First there's the Registration Act. Passed in 2002, the act dictates that any hero working in the interest of the world government should register their costumed identity and power set with a local government agency. In return, these registered heroes will enjoy the benefit of working within the structure of the law and be granted the powers that anyone doing such would have (ie: legal powers like an officer of the law). Anyone without said registration is considered a vigilante and may be persecuted if he or she steps outside the confines of the law.
In 1992, another law was passed called the Capes Act. According to it, any costumed individual without a criminal record is allowed to legally keep their autonomy. This means that, while a hero is being treated by a doctor or is even on trial, they do not have to reveal their identity unless they're convicted of a crime. Because of this, many heroes have different identity cards for their private life and their costumed life, allowing them to keep their secret and help defend the people.
The last law that was passed is a new one. In 2009, one of the first laws that President Obama got cleared was The Clubhouse Program. Knowing that many children have developed powers, this program was developed with them in mind. According to its mission statement, The Clubhouses allow for a training place for kids with powers, as well as helping them become a person of higher morale value like many before them. So far, there have been five Clubhouses throughout the US and countries such as Canada, England and Spain have all shown interest in creating such a program as well.

Business & Finance
Money as we know it is a thing of the past. Business transactions now use electronic credits which are usually transferred from employer to a bank and then to an employee. These credits are often kept on a card, along with their medical information and any other data that pertains to the person, with strict security measures to protect any party coming into any legal contact with it. There still is some physical currency, but this is usually in the form of gems and precious metals (gold, silver, etc.), which can be stored in a bank and used as collateral on an account.
The world in general has become a very business friendly world. And, while they don't have huge amounts of control over the government itself, most companies enjoy various contracts from the UN and their affiliated countries. Larger Corporations span several cities around the globe, while other smaller ones are usually confined to a smaller area (like states or provinces).

Military
While most countries have gathered under the UN's umbrella and strive to stop war, there are still threats to the freedom of the world, namely in the form of terrorism. But, unlike our definition of the word, terrorism in this case is more of a super-threat, coming from secret super-agencies bent on evil and occasionally a large group of super-villains. To battle this threat, the UN has an army that stands at the ready and is considered to be the main taskforce against such things. However, to double their efforts, most countries also maintain agencies to police super-humans and aid superheroes when needed.

The Social World
Things such as prejudice are more or less a thing of the past. Ethnic labels and hatred were quelled in the mid-80s and, with the exception of a few extremist groups, have become obsolete (and even outlawed in some areas). Things such as religion and sexual orientation have become personal preference rather than law in most parts of the world, and there's a strong hope for the future as Earth has begun making contact with species beyond its solar system. There are still laws for immigration, but they're a bit lenient as compared to the world we know, and have been expanded to fit not only people from other countries, but from other worlds as well.

Motor City
Population: 957,520
Mayor: Renee Rock

Named for being the largest manufacturer of US made cars, Motor City almost appears like its namesake. With large, industrial buildings decorating its skyline, the city has also been noted for how low-tech it can be in certain areas. Of all the cities in the US, Motor City is the only one that's still known for using gasoline and oil to fuel buildings and grease the inner workings of the city's understructure. And, while they use much of the tech that's common in the world, there's a sense of reluctance to give up what they've had. Some have blamed the corporations in Motor City, but most blame the escalating crime rate that's taken over the city in the last five years. From gangs to superhumans, there's been an such a steady increase in crime that the MCPD can barely handle themselves. While the city does have its protectors, the MCPD recently created a taskforce to recruit other superhumans to work in tandem with their precincts in hope of quelling the crime that plagues the city ...