Character Creation Guidelines - Version 1.1

Attack Formula
Attack powers should be between 8 & 12 DC, with at least one at 10 DC and no more than one NND/AVLD attack (although multiple special attacks may be allowed if they all target the same special defenses).  Characters with SPD 6 should limit themselves to 11 DC, while those with SPD 4 could begin with 13 DC.  Powers with more than -2 in Limitations may be allowed one or more additional DC that don’t count against the limit.  OCV+DC for the character's best attack should not exceed 22.  Mental attacks OECV+DC should be about three points less.
To figure effective DC for powers with Advantages, consider the following:
·    Include the DC added by STR for any HA, HKA, or other similar power.  Modify STR by any and all Advantages on the relevant base attack except for Reduced Endurance.
·    Reduced Endurance, Personal Immunity, Difficult to Dispel, Ranged, and similar abilities count as +0
·    Area Effect, Explosion, Accurate, and similar abilities count as +1/2 if they target DCV 3 and +1/4 if they target the opponent’s normal DCV, regardless of how large the area is.
·    Armor Piercing and Penetrating only count as +1/2, even if bought multiple times.  Find Weakness counts as a flat +2 DC to the attacks it modifies.
·    Variable Advantage counts at the maximum value it provides, not its total value.  Variable Advantage at +1 or higher must limit itself to ONE targeted special defense: NO EXCEPTIONS.
·    Variable Special Effects and Indirect count as +1/4, no matter how versatile.

Defense Formula
The character's best offensive (not Dodge, Block, or Disarm) DCV x3 + DEF (average of PD & ED) should total 55 or less.  ¼ Damage Reduction increases the effective defense type by one half (150%), and ½ Damage Reduction doubles it.  ¾ Damage Reduction may only be purchased if limited to one attack type (fire, non-magical weapons, etc.  i.e. anything the GM feels merits a -1 limitation or worse).  No more than half of either defense should be resistant unless the DCV/DEF total is low or the primary resistant defense is a non-persistent Force Field.  Each special defense chosen (Mental Defense, Power Defense, Lack of Weakness, etc.) in ANY amount (including Mental or Power Damage Reduction) reduces the DCV/DEF maximum by 5 points, but they otherwise do not figure into the calculation.  Hardened Defenses (at any multiple) for more than half of the total for both PD&ED counts 5 points toward the formula; Hardening only one defense or less than half of both counts as 3 points, and Hardening less than half of one defense counts as 2 points.  The amount of hardened defense counts, as the number of points hardened count one-for-one against the number of points Penetrating, and of course as normal against Armor Piercing.

Exceptions
Characters with an OCV/DC total 3 or more points below what they could have may be allowed a higher DCV/DEF total (typically +5).  Likewise, a DCV/DEF total 15 or more points lower may raise the OCV/DC cap by +1.
SPD 5 is standard.  Each point of SPD above or below 5 moves the OCV/DC maximum 1 point and the DCV/DEF maximum 5 points in the opposite direction.  (SPD 4 = OCV/DC 23 & DCV/DEF 60, SPD 7 = OCV/DC 20 & DCV/DEF 45)
Attack-only skill levels are figured into the OCV+DC formula normally.  Skill levels that may count for either offense or defense are applied as the player chooses, either all toward effective OCV, all toward effective DCV, or split between them.  Martial Art moves are considered case by case, with the best DCV bonus move that does damage (not Disarm, Block, etc.) counting toward DCV and the best OCV-DC total counting toward the offensive formula.
Characters with Invisibility bought so they may attack at full power while invisible are considered to have +3 OCV AND DCV for these formulas.  Darkness, Flash, and other similar abilities are not penalized in this way because they are performed in lieu of an attack and may inconvenience friends as much as foes.  Exceedingly “clever” combinations of sense-diminishing powers and the Personal Immunity advantage may move them into the Invisibility category.

Advancement
Every 25 earned experience increases the OCV formula by 1 and the DCV formula by 5.