Character Creation Notes

The character creation guidelines for Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Edition, found on d20HeroSRD, work for creating a player character for The Horizon Event Campiagn. However, there are some different focuses and adjustments that need to be taken into consideration.

Hero Concept
Your PC will have been affected by the Horizon Event in some way or another. In this way, the specific origin and nature of your powers have already been determined, but there are a great many other details to work out. These are phrased as questions to the character.

I. Who were you before the Horizon Event?
Prior ro November 27, 1998, you were just a normal person, but what kind of person were you? What was your occupation? Did you have hobbies? Family? Close friends? Pets? What were you doing that fateful Black Friday?

If you need some ideas, check out these idea generators on Seventh Sanctum:

Quick Character Generator

General Person Generator

How, exactly, were you affected by the Horizon Event?
The vast majority of those affected by the Horizon Event fell into a coma-like suspended state for between two and nine weeks, but not all. Some underwent transformation without the benefit of this state (although, this has led to mental instability in a large number of these cases). Others were comatose for less or more time. How long were you unconscious? Were you hospitalized? Kept at home? Left in your apartment, alone? Did anyone care for you? If so, whom? If not, why?

If you didn't fall unconsious, how did the traumatic experience of undergoing transformation affect you, mentally.

A large number (more than half) of those affected exhibit some obvious physical effects. This can range from unusual eyes and strange skin tone to additional limbs, scales and fins, and even appearing to be a gorilla (this individual, Vince Schlyer, actually beleives that he has always been a gorilla). Do you have any? If so, what are they?

What powers do you possess?
This is pretty much the main question from this phase of character generation for M&M3E.

It should be noted that this would be when you might take a look at the archetypes. A handful of these archetypes are not appropriate for starting characters in the Horizon Event Campaign or may need some specific modification.
 * Battlesuit: No technology to develop this kind of weapon exists without some means of Horizon Event origin. The character must have powered resources (superhuman intellect, mechakinesis, etc.) for having built the suit, himself, or a connection with someone who has this ability. Conversely, it's possible that the suit is simply an exhibition of the individual's superhuman abilities. Negating Removable on the powers can represent this.
 * Construct: Like Battlesuit, the technology to design fully-capable constructs does not exist. However, this template can be used to represent someone who ends up with construct-like abilities. In addition, the character could be a 'ghost in the machine' or 'brain in a jar' or similar.
 * Crime Fighter: As long as the character has some form of superhuman capability. For example, the base archetype has a Fighting of 12, which can easily be considered high enough to be superhuman. As another example, Resilient is mostly a Crime Fighter archetype, but with the power to be invulnerable to all harm (and fairly ineffective combat skills, overall).
 * Energy Controller: Perfectly acceptable, as is. It's notable that many varieties of characters can be built off this template by simply altering the type of energy.
 * Gageteer: As with Battlesuit, the technology to create these miraculous devices does not exist. However, a character with superhuman intellect and the right resources could apply this template.
 * Martial Artist: As with Crime Fighter, this individual simply can't be a 'normal.' Rather, some level of superhuman ability must be applied. Again, this template includes abiltiies that can be exactly that.
 * Mimic: Perfectly acceptable, as is.
 * Mystic: Not allowed.
 * Paragon: Perfectly acceptable, as is.
 * Psychic: Perfectly acceptable, as is.
 * Shapeshifter: Perfectly acceptable, as is.
 * Speedster: Perfectly acceptable, as is.
 * Warrior: Perfectly acceptable, as is.
 * Weapon Master: Like Crime Fighter, there must be some variation of superhuman capability for this kind of character. For the most part, this template could be better represented by one of the superpowered ones with some minor modification.

Why did you decide to use your superhuman abiltiies to be a hero?
Whatever the abilities may be, what was your reasoning for using them in a way that would be considered heroic. This will tie directly into your Motiviation Complication, as well as your reasoning for forming the first team of superhumans.

Once these questions have been answered, present your concept to the GM.

Gamemaster Guidelines
Laid out, primarily in Step 1. Concept, there are a couple of other notable things to consider:

Descriptor  Limits. As the source of superhuman abilities is the Horizon Event, the following descriptors are not allowed: Any allegiance descriptor, chi, divine, magic, mystic, and preternatural.

Power  Limits. The power Magic is not allowed.

Skill  Limits. There is no limit to skills.

Advantage Limits. Artificer and Ritualist are not allowed.

Power Level
The campaign starting power level is 10.

Abilities
Short of power level limits, there are no limitations on ability scores.

Skills
The character should have some skills relating to his background. It is recommended that at least 5 character points be spent on skills related to those abilities the character learned prior to gaining superhuman abilities.

Advantages
Characters may have a wide variety of advantages, based on background. Combat training advantages should be restricted to characters with combat experience in their background (police officers, soldiers, MMA fighters, etc.)

Powers
Besides the above restrictions on powers, players can determine whatever powers they would like. It should be noted that the vast majority of power sets resulting from the Horizon Event revolve around one, specific theme (flight, invulnerability, light generation, etc.). You are encouraged to develop your character around this idea, maintaining a single power set, but in no way are you restricted to this.

Complications
All characters may take between 0 and 2 complications, besides the character's motivation. Complications will come up and will enable story awards, as well as awards for overcoming them, so choose carefully.

Details
Fill in the details of your character: who he is, what he likes, outfit, etc. A great deal of this should come from concept, but this is the point where you can fill in the specific components of the character's personality.

This is also where you will make sure all the points add up.

Gamemaster Approval
The last official step. Don't worry, I can be reasonable.

Special I: Gamemaster Character Creation
I realize that there are some people that are new to this game who may not want to take the time to learn all the rules prior to making a character. In these cases, simply work with me through step 1, and I will design your character the rest of the way. I'll then submit a draft with all the rules intact, which will enable you to determine if you would like to tweak it.

Special II: Alternate Player Character Creation
Rather than the Gamemaster, players are welcome to connect with other players to have them create their characters.

This can result in some oddness.