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BRUTE
MOVER	SHAKER	BRUTE	BREAKER	MASTER	TINKER
BLASTER	THINKER	STRIKER	CHANGER	TRUMP	STRANGER

Brutes are some combination of big, strong, and tough, with very high innate durability or self-protection methods through one mechanism or another. Brute powers are a very low level power, easy for the entities to explore, as they continually refine their ability to persevere. Very select brute powers and brute powers that perform exceptionally are actually attempts on the entities’ parts to devise a form of immortality, both for perpetuating the cycle and for their end goals.

Brute triggers generally involve being physically harmed. The nature of that physical harm, the degree or type of damage, and the contextual factors all inform the resulting ability.

Type - Secondary Brutes- Brute Bonuses (not done)

	Intro	Trigger	Types	Elem’t	2ndary	B&A	Ex.
BRUTE	✅	✅	⅓	❌	½	✅	⅙

Trigger Breakdown

Physical, Energy, and Other Types of Harm

Physical based harm involves crushing, smashing, collisions, cuts, gouging, disembowelment, impalement, stabbings, abrasion, scraping, tearing of flesh, dismemberment, broken bones and more in that vein. Powers derived from physical damage will tend to be more physical as a result, emphasizing raw strength, biological alterations, armor, shields, and size.

Energy damage includes extremes in temperature, energy based damage like burns from fire, radiation and steam, electrocution, low temperature burns from cold or vacuum. Powers derived from energy-based harm will often be more energy based, with personal telekinesis, forcefields, energy manipulation, and some more concrete manifestations of time, space, or reality warping.

‘Other’ damage includes chemicals (ie. acids), poison, drugs, disease, and ambient damage from genetic issues, and serves as a ‘misc’ category for sources of harm that fall outside this spectrum. Powers relating to growth, phasing, constructs, and more esoteric manifestations of time, space, or reality warping all fall into this category.

Degree/nature of damage

Surface damage tends to create surface level protection. Damage limited primarily to the skin or to sensitive areas of the body will tend to produce powers along the lines of personal forcefields or exterior armor. This provides a degree of protection that may be penetrated, accessing the flesh within, which often isn’t protected more than a typical unpowered person (or only marginally so).

Deeper tissue damage will involve more thorough changes and restructuring. Brutes along these lines may more closely resemble Breakers, drawing from endless fountains of muscle mass (deep physical harm) or energy to repel or stand firm against attacks. Such brutes are often hurt more, but have a capacity to keep going despite this harm, and/or they get stronger while injured.

Sources of harm that do gradual damage (some poisons, being on fire, being immersed in chemical, drowning) will often provide regeneration in some capacity, or biokinesis of a more intentional sort than might be seen in deeper tissue damage.

Finally, sources of harm that don’t come from the outside but from within, will often grant a form of brute power that ties into absorption and/or expression of forces. This might be kinetic energy, light, electromagnetism, or something more abstract like time or inertia. Absorbing one form of energy to power defenses or taking damage to charge a battery and then lash out with an offensive application of the power would be example cases. Gross impalement (to a degree where the shard may be confused as to whether the object is going from the outside in vs. the inside out) may also fall under this category.

Brute Types

When figuring out the framework of the trigger and how it applies to the power, take note of the two categories below that stand out the most, and combine them. The detail sheet has suggested powers for cross-interactions.

Muscle brutes offer raw mass and offensive tools.

They manifest from physical, focused damage to a part and struggle.

Armor brutes offer external protection and reactive tools.
They trigger from physical, surface level damage and physical helplessness.
Shield brutes offer partial protection, and utility.
They come about from physical, massive damage and awe.
Intensity brutes offer raw elemental power and defensive tools.
They trigger from energy-based, focused damage to a part and pain.
Field Brutes offer temporary layers of invulnerability or extreme durability.

They arise from energy-based, surface-level damage and stress/time constraint

Dynamic brutes offer skill-based defensive measures and redirection.

They trigger from energy-based, massive damage and despair.

Sunder brutes offer aggressive defensive measures that weaken foes.

They arise from other, focused damage to a part, and from diminished strength.

Repression brutes offer abstract or indirect measures that moderate harm.
They arise from other, surface-level damage, and from emotional helplessness.

Negate brutes offer all-or-nothing measures, often with matching offense.

They arise from other, massive damage, and from horror.

Regen brutes offer benefits over time, and healing abilities.

They arise from damage over time, and from self-harm.

Transfiguration brutes offer transformation and revival abilities.

They arise from situations where death is sought or held at bay.

Immortal brutes offer singular, massive benefits, but do not heal easily.

They come about from cases where the harm laid in wait or was delayed.

Muscle Brutes

Muscle brutes are those who rely on size, physical strength, and some tenacity for their brute disposition. Biokinesis is often a factor, or their power might run through their bodies and have a sort of changer effect on them, with veins of fire and surging size and proportion. Where brutes fall somewhere on a sliding scale of raw strength and raw toughness, the Muscle brute fall rather heavily on the ‘raw strength’ end of the sliding scale. In execution, they tend to gain a lot of raw stats. Examples might include:

The Ogre brute, who adds a few hundred pounds of raw muscle and a couple of feet of height to their stature. Mutations, if any, are minor.
The Dragonscale brute, who gains size, strength, and a covering of armor scales, with more emphasis on natural weapons. Not necessarily dragon-themed.
The Hammer brute, who modifies hands and arms to block incoming attacks (that she or he is aware of) and deliver incredibly powerful slams. The nature and shape of the hands may vary.
The Thick Skin brute, who has an organic layer (skin, wood, callous, tumor, shell) that blocks incoming damage. As the layer is broken away, they gain added powers or raw strength, which diminishes as the layer is replaced.

Muscle brutes arise from scenarios where the damage done is to one body part, where this is meaningful enough to register to the victim, and where the source of the damage is physical and solid. A man takes an arrow to the vitals when he is poaching on parkland and strays into the path of another poacher. A woman has her eyes torn out of her skull by her fundamentalist religious husband. A child has her hands destroyed with a ball-peen hammer for daring to strike back against her golden child brother.

In some cases, the Muscle brute arises from an instance of a struggle, or a struggle is compounded by the damage to the one body part. The struggle part of the trigger feeds into the offensive (and Striker-ish) lean of the Muscle brute. Non-brute triggers that have the struggle might have the strain or frustration of the body tapping into the brute executions of the shard. The ‘I’m not strong enough’ damage to self-image affects the changer element in execution. The shard may well draw inspiration from the struggle in relating back to the power, or draw cues from the frustrated self-image to mess with the trigger recipient. Failing this, it’s liable to make the triggeree ugly or horrifying.

Examples of secondary or minor Muscle powers include limited biokinesis, and surges of strength and power that become more intense with injury.

Armor Brutes

Armor brutes piece together a shell around themselves, producing raw armor that will absorb blows up until it is cracked or penetrated, at which point the brute becomes easier to injure. The armor often regenerates and/or provides additional capabilities. Heavily defense-leaning, but often provided with a weapon of some sort, raw stats, or their offensive potential is interlinked with their defense, in a retaliatory sense. Examples might include:

The Plate brute, who summons up exceedingly heavy armor around themselves, becoming indomitable so long as their armor holds up.
The Armadillo brute, who gains nigh-impenetrable armor, but only to attacks from the side or rear, with lighter defenses on their front-facing side. When the Armadillo brute absorbs impacts with their heavy armor, retaliates with projectiles.
The Gargoyle brute, who has a layer of invulnerable shielding that absorbs a set amount of damage before the shell breaks and the brute is vulnerable. Comes with secondary power or a brute bonus.
The Scrapper brute, who uses a power to draw material of a certain type from the environment, forming a loose shield and using it to augment attacks.

Armor brutes occur when the damage is largely surface level and physical, with damage being primarily slashing, piercing, or bruising, or the rare burn that is caused by physical objects (ie. abrasion). This surface level abuse targets the skin while not penetrating a great deal deeper, or where surface level damage is particularly intense in conjunction with other damage. Examples might include a backpacker caught in a sandstorm, a person being stoned to death, or a gang initiate being whipped with bike chains.

The damage suffered can go hand in hand with physical weakness. This kind of damage leads to blood loss and faltering strength. This low point is driven home by the fact that these kinds of triggers tend to impact appearance in the long-term, which feeds into the changer aspect of the resulting power (the armor that is pulled forth oft being changer-ish). Self image is deeply affected. The shard might well find leverage in the difference in self image before and after, with the armor’s aesthetic taking on a dark interpretation drawn from the triggeree’s subconscious, becoming a subtle, dark reminder of the event, or, inversely, pushing them to go out in costume by making the armor beautiful while its wearer, within, remains scarred.

Secondary Armor powers include a light shell of armor that regenerates when conditions are met, or imbuing armor of certain materials with an effect to give it a retaliatory edge.

Shield Brutes

Shield brutes draw heavily on a defensive feature that is direction-dependent or is based around an object or field that is moved around at will. Their defense is typically top class… when it is situated to block the attack in question. Alertness, careful orientation and/or positioning may be necessary to make the most of the power. In many cases, where the defensive feature needs to be raised to meet an incoming attack, Wits may become a key statistic, with a 4+ or higher Wits roll being needed to react in time. Often comes with minor defensive augments to the parahuman. Examples might include:

The Buckler brute, who maintains a floating shield they can move around them at will. Blocking incoming attacks with the shield has a beneficial effect, shield itself has limited offensive use in that it knocks foes away.
The Knight brute, who has a defensive field or impenetrable armor that covers only one half of their body; often the front-facing half or one side.
The Callisto brute, or Satellite brute, who has floating objects that rotate around their person, deflecting some hits. While in the midst of a melee, they can collide with terrain and foes like a wrecking ball.
The Catcher brute, who maintains a black hole or pocket reality that they can use to store incoming projectiles, to be later released, sometimes in the same form they were captured, other times as a specific kind of attack.

Shield brutes come about from visceral, massive damage from a solid, physical entity. Blades, heavy objects, stone, machinery and the like. The damage done destroys an entire area/section of the body, with surface and internal parts being annihilated beyond hope of recovery. Could include a factory worker who is caught in a pneumatic press, an embezzling gang member that is fed into a wood chipper, or a soldier who is shot by a rocket propelled grenade that slams through his lower face but does not go off.

The sort of trigger that leads to a shield brute will demand some attention or focus from the subject. In the moment, there is often shock, the mind fighting to wrap itself around what has just happened and how catastrophic the damage is. The scene, the nature of the entity that did the damage and surrounding elements or factors will be reflected in the theming, any elemental applications, and style of the power, rarely directly, but serving as a reminder of the event. That attention and focus informs the power, as the Shield brute has to use attention and focus to get the most out of their power.

Secondary powers might include a shield or aspect of the power that rotates around the cape, blocking projectiles, or armor over just one part of their body.

Intensity Brutes

Intensity brutes lean very heavily on an element - a particular force or sub-power, that could include flame, ice, radiation, time slowing, light, vacuum or the like. They have a very pronounced offensive lean, but that lean is very short range if not requiring touch, and requires them to get into the thick of things to utilize it. To assist this, they get some defensive powers, which aren’t the focus but do keep them in the fight for long enough to tear down their enemies… and oftentimes a great deal of the surrounding property. Examples include:

The Rampage brute, who grows over time, gaining defensive power every time they smack an enemy down, and offensive power the longer they go without taking damage. They lean offensively toward muscle and defensively toward their element, vice versa, or blend it. Only sustained assaults take them down.
The Shatter brute, who gathers layers of fragile armor. While easily broken and broken through, each break creates retaliatory blasts of [element] and leaves the shards of the armor rotating around the brute, giving them ammunition for projectile attacks, that grow more intense as the collection grows. Armor repairs with these same fragments.
The Aftermath brute, who sports a distorted and rippling forcefield of loose [elemental] energy. Wherever they walk, they leave a trail behind them, and when they strike, they spread the effect around the impact site.

Elemental brutes arise from targeted, elemental damage to a single (oft important) body part. Elemental damage, in this case, indicates energy, such as fire, electricity, steam, low temperature burns like those from cold or vacuum. As such, triggering individuals might be a child who disobeys a parent about playing in a kitchen and has their hand held down against an oven burner, a lab worker who loses his protective mask and stares into a light intense enough to sear his corneas, or a snitch in prison that has live wires placed against either side of their tongue.

The pain of a burn is often the worst kind of pain, and alongside the damage to a vital part, this draws intense focus from the victim. In execution and flavor, the resulting power might have a lean toward the damaged part. A damaged hand might become the focal point for projecting blasts, a damaged heart the point where armor manifests from. The element itself is rarely a direct translation, but is often related.

Secondary powers might include the ability to draw on inner reserves of energy to ripple with power and overcome something (auto pass Guts), or explode when damaged.

Field Brutes

Field Brutes maintain a personal forcefield, or durability that is very potent but temporary or readily broken. They may sport bursts of power, utility, or other benefits that are very short lived but powerful. Timing is key, both in controlling the amount of harm one sustains in a given span of time and in utilizing any offensive abilities. Examples include…

The TK Layer brute, who has a telekinetic field surrounding them, pushing back against outside forces, frequently with other effects. The TK Layer power comes with a nigh-unparalleled ability to perform feats of strength, but is dependent on the status of the shield.
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Secondary Brutes

Parahumans with another power as a primary or with multiple powers, the brute power being one of the secondaries or multiples, are considered Secondary brutes. Secondary brutes are simpler, with a lot of the extraneous stuff stripped away. New powers generated from milestones or power development tend to be secondary ones.

Secondary brute powers include:

Flex (Muscle) - Gain two ‘floating’ points of stats that can be allocated between Brawn, Guts, and a third option, by way of biokinesis. Moving a point over from one to the other is a move action. The third option could include: points in Athletics, ability to alter appearance and maintain privacy, or ability to increase recovery time outside of combat.
Gall (Muscle) - Gain one point of Brawn for every wound sustained, and a bonus wound slot over and above that which Guts would provide.
Clad (Armor) - Gain a point of armor and partial armor on another body part, with no encumbrance penalty. Recovered at a moderate rate (see below).
Spur (Armor) - When costume is made of a particular power-related material, it regenerates itself if damaged, and if the parahuman is wounded or blocks an attack, foes must make a Guts check or suffer a lesser wound. Armor quality takes 4x as long to regenerate.
Half (Shield) - Reroll on this chart. Said defense only has defensive benefit and applies only vs. attacks from one direction, but is doubled in intensity.
Gyre (Shield) - Fragment or object, levitated by power, orbits the parahuman. Offers a 1 in 3 chance of intercepting an incoming ranged attack, 1 in 6 for incoming melee attacks. If that attack would do more than a moderate wound, a moderate wound is subtracted from the damage done. Moderate recovery.
Huff (Intensity) - Auto-pass a Guts roll. Next use of main power is stronger. For every two wounds the parahuman has already sustained, effect carries forward for additional power use (2 wounds = next two uses of main power are stronger). Recovery of this option is difficult (See below).
Snap (Intensity) - On being wounded, explode, affecting all individuals within 10’. Can, if aware of the incoming attack, narrow effect area to a 180 degree semicircle, or 135, 90, 45, or single-target cone, to spare allies. Those in area must make an Ath and Guts check, suffering a lesser wound if they fail one roll and wound & elemental effect if they fail two. Easy recovery.

When these secondary powers take time to regenerate, cool down or gather the necessary resources, they note that they are easily recovered, that it’s of moderate difficulty, or it’s arduous:

Easy recovery: One action mid-combat, two uses of primary power, or every three rounds.
Moderate recovery: Easily interrupted full round (finishing at start of next turn) of focus, with focus broken by taking damage or having to make any kind of reactive roll. Alternately, four uses of primary power, or once per five rounds.
Difficult recovery: One minute of focus, every ten uses of primary power, or automatically once per fifteen minutes.

Generating Brutes via. Die Rolls:

Determine the subtype. Gain the defensive aspect of that subtype, then roll a 1d20:

#	Results 1-10:	#	Results 11-20:
1	Muscle offensive aspect	11	Transfiguration offensive aspect
2	Armor offensive aspect	12	Immortal offensive aspect
3	Shield offensive aspect	13	Offensive aspect matching 1st subtype. (ie. Muscle x ___ )
4	Intensity offensive aspect	14	Offensive aspect matching 1st subtype. (ie. Muscle x ___ )
5	Field offensive aspect	15	Offensive aspect matching 2nd subtype. (ie. ___ x Muscle)
6	Dynamic offensive aspect	16	Offensive aspect matching 2nd subtype. (ie. ___ x Muscle)
7	Sunder offensive aspect	17	Offensive aspect counterpart to defensive power with one point of variation.
8	Repression offensive aspect	18
9	Negate offensive aspect	19	Generate secondary power instead of offensive aspect or is choice of aspect, depending on perk/flaw.
10	Regen offensive aspect	20

Alternately, can flip things around. Replace any reference to offense with defense and vice versa.

Points of variation should come up if the power is, say, an Plate defensive and Plate offensive pairing, which is inevitable as a result of a result of 17-18, has a 1 in 12 chance with a result of 13-14 or 15-16, and can rarely occur in other cases. The point of variation helps change things up and make a power a little more personal. The listed options should serve as suggestions, as in all things, and improvisation is welcome.

Because different categories and subtypes have a more offensive or defensive lean, the entries below have a percentage offered, to suggest the degree of lean. If the percentage doesn’t add up to 100%, then the GM should allow the brute to roll on the bonus & augment list for a boost, gain a free milestone, or give the power a little boost on one front. The potential beneficial aspects of a point of variation can often serve as the small boost.

If the bonus exceeds 100%, then the brute might be nerfed with a hit to movement speed, an anti-milestone (a penalty to skills or a stat), or a minor penalty to the power. The negative tradeoffs of a point of variation work as minor penalties.

On the result of a 19-20, determine the secondary after perks and flaws are rolled, to better avoid situations where a character is loaded down with secondary powers. In terms of the choice, if the character has more perks than flaws, GM might choose. If more flaws, player chooses. If balanced, might have GM choose 3 and player pick one of the three, or vice versa.

Brute Bonuses

#	Result	Details
1	Fool	Brute gets +2 Skill points, then +1 Brawn or +1 Guts.
2	Magician	The brute gains either +3 or +5 skill points in Brawl, Blitz, Intimidate, Endurance, Willpower or Withstand. If they took the +3 instead of the +5, then they gain the ability to Roar. Roaring is an attack action and rattles the senses of everyone in earshot (alternately, can roar at foes in one direction, leaving allies behind the brute unaffected). The next time those affected would use a skill, they must pass a Guts check, or gain no benefit from the skill. Can be light or vibration if such suits the power. If the brute has a power that affects wide areas and isn’t perpetually active, they can choose to instead apply the ‘roar’ effect to that power.
3	Priestess	The passenger and the brute are in sync, operating on similar wavelengths. When the brute would gain a secondary power, roll on this table, or roll on the power perk table, they roll an additional time and discard an option. Alternately, the passenger drives the brute forward, working to ensure that the brute dies in conflict, not in ignominy. The brute gains two points of armor, and damage taken to this armor comes with no effects or penalties, but this is a special reserve representing the passenger’s focus, and applies only to wounds taken when the brute isn’t being actively observed. It serves to protect the brute from collapsing structures, traps, and other hazards. When the dust clears, the brute stands tall.
4	Empress	The brute gains the ability to channel energies through their costume to better convey the images they want. Power ripples through the material to show off, or the brute’s muscles and exoskeleton might grow and fold around costume elements. They gain +1 Social after a show of strength or taking any blow that would deliver a moderate or worse injury, and can choose the Dangerous, Emblem, Icon, or Style costume feature and have it be a permanent feature of any costume they wear. Alternately, they can make a Social roll vs. the nearest opponent’s Guts to intimidate as part of a display of a feat of strength (attacking, hurling a large object, destroying terrain). If successful, the opponent is afraid and suffers a -1 to rolls that would involve the brute. Opponents that are already unnerved or who would become unnerved by another means (namely, the threaten skill) are instead terrified and must pass a Guts check (beating the brute’s Social) to approach or take action against the Brute. Requires another two feats of strength to regain this bonus intimidation.
5	Emperor	The brute can choose a weapon trait and have it apply to all melee attacks thereafter. They gain an additional trait per milestone they have accumulated/pick up thereafter, but can only have three in total before they must start stacking one (ie. repeatedly taking added damage to scale up damage done). Traits can be chosen from different weapon types, with limitations only on ‘long’ weapons, which are only available if the Brute has increased size. As a second option, the Brute’s attacks are so intense they can’t be ignored, in part because of the brute’s personal augmentations flowing through the item. Missed attacks deliver a lesser wound effect (but no wound).
6	Pope	The brute gains +2 Brawn for the purposes of tearing through terrain, or, if they would already be able to, gains the ability to walk through most non-reinforced terrain (up to and including brick walls) without slowing or being otherwise impeded. Alternately, the brute’s power ripples through to help destroy objects. When the brute destroys terrain, any foes within 5’ of smaller props (microwave oven to mailbox) or 10’ of larger props (larger than a mailbox, cars, section of wall) stagger 5’ back from that terrain, with the staggered condition. If the destruction of terrain was a prelude to a follow-up attack, the foe suffers a -2 to dodge. Thrown terrain or cascading damage from the brute’s earlier actions does transmit this effect.
7	Lovers	From here on out, when the brute would target one individual with an attack, maneuver, skill use, or power, they can target two individuals, provided the targets are within 5’ of each other. If they would already target multiple foes by some mechanism, then they gain 5’ reach/radius for that attack/effect, in addition to the aforementioned effect. Alternately, the first time each round that the brute’s actions lead a foe to be knocked away, knocked down, thrown, knocked out, killed, or otherwise taken out of combat, gain an additional action for the turn. For every milestone after the first that the brute accumulates, they gain the ability to do this an additional time per round.
*8	Chariot	The shard keeps the brute on course. The brute’s movement cannot be readily restricted. At the very least, even if their stats are reduced, leg broken, wading through a sea of containment foam, the brute retains half of their movement speed. Further, slowing effects are half as effective, and the brute ignores the first 10’ of movement into a movement hampering (giant spider webs) or movement-penalizing (caltrops) area effect. Alternately, gain the ability to make gargantuan leaps. Add up the Brute’s Brawn and Athletics, and multiply the result by five; they can travel that many feet to a nearby point as a move action. Foes within 5’ of the impact site are staggered. If they could already theoretically make great leaps, by dint of stats or power, then they extend the range of the impact effect by 10’. Becomes available again after four rounds or after they perform three feats of strength, whichever occurs first.
9	Strength	The breaker-like structural augmentations that allow the brute to maintain their form or manifest their defenses flow through their body. If an attack would deliver more than a moderate wound, it delivers a moderate wound instead. This takes a few forms: they never take Critical wounds, one attack that would deliver multiple moderate wounds delivers only one. Further, if they would take multiple hits from one attack pattern (ie. three shots from a gun), the first deals damage (possibly being reduced), the second is reduced in severity by one step, and the third and any attacks thereafter are reduced by two steps. Alternately, the brute can tap into the shard for a ‘perfect defense’. They can enshrine themselves in armor or energy, throwing up a better defense that can absorb virtually any blow. Use of this in time to respond to an incoming attack is a Wits check, opposed by the attack roll. It lasts for one round, preventing all damage and effects that would hamper the brute, and swiftly falls away by the end of the effect. Recovery of this effect is slow, and takes one hour or six feats of strength (decided once and locked in as the requirement) before it is available again.
10	Hermit	Time is on the brute’s side. Facing down the brute requires a combination of strength, sustained firepower, timing, focus, willpower and footing, while the brute seems to have an edge in all of these things. Focusing a power or effect with the brute as the primary target or being the primary target of the brute’s actions imposes an accumulating ‘faltering’ effect on the target. For each [10 minus brute’s Athletics & Dex] such ‘stacks’ on the target, they suffer a -1 to Ath, Dex and Wits. They can skip a turn’s actions to swear copiously, panic, curl up into a ball or whatever on-the-spot coping mechanism suits their personality, and consequently shed 1d3+their guts modifier in stacks. They otherwise lose a stack every 5 minutes. Willpower applies. Alternately, pick two: Every third time they perform a feat of strength or take down an enemy, they recover all ‘cooldown’ abilities, re-enabling skill techniques and bonus abilities. Other augment/bonus and skill abilities have their timer reduced. Deleterious effects that would last 2 or more rounds on the brute are 1 round or 15% shorter in duration, whichever is more beneficial. Effects and cooldown that operate on a 12 hour or greater cooldown/timeframe are the brute’s choice of either twice as fast or twice as slow
11	Wheel	Expanded awareness gives a +1 to Wits and a thinker secondary if one of the following is true (picked once, applies thereafter): Has more wounds remaining than any other combatant. 3 cases of significant property damage nearby, or half of the terrain nearby is damaged. The encounter has been progressing for five or more rounds. Alternately, the brute becomes harder to track when one of the aforementioned conditions are met. Thinker powers may find it harder to look directly at the brute or train a thinker power on them for longer periods of time, or clouds of smoke and debris combined with disruptive power signatures make the brute drop off the radar in the wake of property destruction.
12	Justice	Every time the brute blocks an attack, absorbs an attack with their defenses, or is wounded, they gain a charge. When they have six charges, they can activate one of two special options. The two options are chosen from the list as a selection that is made when this bonus is gained, and locked in thereafter: Next foe successfully hit and wounded within the next two rounds is knocked 15’ back and is rendered helpless. They can only take their turn if and when the brute approaches or targets them in the round following, and can only take a partial defensive or movement action if so. They otherwise miss their next turn. The brute can create a shaker effect of environmental alteration within 15’ of themselves. Foes are pushed to the perimeter of the effect. Brutes without an element coloring their power simply crack the ground and make it difficult ground. Brutes with an element may alter the area nearby, expelling energies/material. The brute can take a free partial action against/in response to a foe they’re beating in combat. The brute can get a +4 to defensive rolls in functional invulnerability until the end of their next turn. They don’t generate charges while thus protected. The charge expenditures can be spent as a free action, even on other individual’s turns. In questions of timing, Wits is used to react to a declared action. This ability can be used multiple times in one encounter, but each time it triggers, the required number of charges increases by 1. It can be used in multiple encounters a day, but again, each time the needed charges increases by 1.
13	Hanged	The brute gains an element through which they can express their brute powers. If they already had an element, it’s related to it (Fire might become smoke, or magma, or sparks, or red hot metal, or steam). They can toggle between the two elements, with a 1d3 round transition period to swap where they don’t get the benefits of either, or get only the benefits that make sense for both. If they didn’t already have an element, they can crack their shell or allow energies to bubble forth from muscle, or something in this vein, changing the way they function for a limited time before returning to normal, with elemental augmentation to attacks or Brute effects. May last a set number of rounds (ie. 3), and persist a round longer for every round they continue to take damage or dish it out. New elements draw inspiration from the trigger.
14	Death	The brute’s powers make them a capable ranged combatant. They can use their physical augmentations or powers to better throw things. Either they can extend their mass to better hold onto things, or extend structural augmentations into thrown objects to ensure they hold together better, becoming better projectiles. Gain a bonus +1 brawn per total milestones acquired to determine if they have the ability to throw a given object or individual, how far they can effectively throw, etc. Gain a +2 to hit with large objects (200 lbs. or more), decreasing by -1 for every time this effect has been used in the last five minutes. Alternately, they don’t gain the ability to throw more, but can infuse elements and powers into objects they hurl. Element affects these objects, and if object is destroyed on impact, leaves a patch of environmental effect in the wake of the wreckage.
15	Temp’ce	Guts rolls to stay in the fight are no longer penalized for additional wounds (a 1 still fails if it would fail without this effect in play). In addition, the brute has a 25% chance to ignore any penalty to ability scores that would reduce an ability score to 2, a 50% chance to ignore effects that would reduce an ability score to 1, and a 100% chance to ignore effects that would reduce an ability score to 0.
16	Devil	The brute has gained an understanding of how the power is distributed across their body. They can shift the bias more toward offense, at the cost of offense. Should they do so, they gain more raw offensive capability or unleash a one-use effect, but their defenses are hampered, being reduced in efficacy. Either the cooldown to recover defenses is extended, layers of defenses are stripped away, a share of bonuses or stats are reduced (often 5% or 1 stat point), or (if using the models in the example brutes & brute generation below) the defensive aspect is weakened in the same way it might be to make room for a point of deviation. However, while so limited, they can do one of the following (choice made once and locked in): Manifest the offensive aspect of their defensive brute power for the duration. Gain +2 Brawn or double existing Brawn bonus for purposes of feats of strength, while any melee/thrown weapon blows knock foes 5’ back per point they lost the defensive roll by. Gain two of the limited use abilities: the second [Empress] intimidation ability, above, the [Chariot] leap, or any of the [Justice] charge abilities. As part of this action, or while the defenses are so stripped, can elect to sustain half of their remaining health in moderate wounds (treat any fractions as lesser, deals minimum 1 moderate wound) to double the efficacy of the bonus. This lasts 1d3+1 rounds. The wounds are healed as per normal. Recovery of standard defensive benefits requires first that the offensive boost is discarded, and is of moderate difficulty, counting from that point.
17	Tower	The Brute can scale up their size as they draw on their power. Physical powers add more raw mass, energy-based and esoteric defenses may surround the parahuman with a nimbus of energy that increases their effective scale while allowing them to float or move more easily. They gain 5’ of reach, strike first if charged, and strike any opponent leaving their reach, with a ‘roll an additional dice and keep highest result’ effect for any bash effects delivered. They suffer a -1 to dodges. If they already have reach, they become huge, with +33% to their total number of wounds, they move 150% as far, and they can respond/retaliate to any non-free action activity within 10’ of them, and successful hits stagger the targets/interrupt the movement or action in question. On the downside, they suffer -2 to defensive rolls, get half benefit from cover, and may be restricted or confounded by terrain that others aren’t; any space a 10’ diameter sphere wouldn’t pass through is considered impassable (but doorways can be broken, etc), and spaces a 10’ diameter sphere would scrape through are rough & hampers movement. In regards to the huge size, either the boost is temporary & the parahuman chooses if and when they become huge, or it’s a part of the brute powers being active from this point on, and the GM can choose if they reduce the defensive roll drawback to -1, get full benefit from cover, or if they’re not restricted by terrain.
18	Star	The character gets a minor secondary power in another classification, one of the subtler disciplines: Stranger, Changer, Tinker, or Thinker. The power typically touches on the blaster’s typing and power. Use of this secondary power is limited, with an hour long delay before it can be used again, if it is used outside of combat/conflict situations. Used in combat situations, has a moderate recovery period. Other options for drawbacks include the ‘difficult’ limitations under ‘ cooldown’ for secondary Brute powers.
19	Moon	The character gets a minor secondary power in another classification, one of the wider-reaching disciplines: Shaker, Blaster, Mover, or Master. The power typically touches on or relates the brute’s typing, power, or element. Use of this secondary power is limited, with an hour long delay before it can be used again, if it is used outside of combat/conflict situations. Used in combat situations, has a moderate recovery period. Other options for drawbacks include the ‘difficult’ limitations under ‘ cooldown’ for secondary Brute powers.
20	Sun	The character gets a minor secondary power in another classification, one of the more intense disciplines: Striker, Breaker, or Trump. The power typically touches on the brute’s typing, power, or element. Use of this secondary power is limited, with an hour long delay before it can be used again, if it is used outside of combat/conflict situations. Used in combat situations, has a moderate recovery period. Other options for drawbacks include the ‘difficult’ limitations under ‘ cooldown’ for secondary Brute powers.
21	Judge	The Brute gains a quality of life improvement, eliminating the need for food, sleep and sleep while they gain a partial immunity to manton effects, becoming resistant to effects that target organics only; powers that require die rolls are shrugged off on a rolled 5-6, and ones that didn’t allow dice rolls now allow them. Alternately, they gain a bonus in a realm respective to their subcategory: Armor, Muscle, or Shield brutes could gain added +3 stat points distributed across physical stats, for noncombat purposes and feats of strength only. Intensity, Field, and Dynamic brutes gradually change the environment around them as they fight, warping reality (ambient temperature gradually increases/decreases, moisture collects & runs down walls); grants a small attritional, element-based environment in combat and allows them to make their headquarters or place of rest a ‘attacking Russia in the wintertime’ proposition. Manton benefits extend further. Sunder, Repression, and Negate brutes grant a flat (say, 15%) resistance to parahuman effects that are not directly targeting them or that same resistance to effects that do directly target them. Regen and Transfiguration Brutes recover faster after altercations, and if they don’t need to utilize this recovery, they can draw on their vim and vigor. In short, if they finish a fight without needing to draw on all of their recovery power, they either gain bonus actions between sessions or they gain a bonus to non-physical stats (ie. Social, Know, Wits) or multiple perks, solely for the purposes of non-combat actions and only until their next combat. Bonus scales with how much recovery was used. A cape that can recover from death that didn’t die might get the full bonus, as would a regenerator who doesn’t get hurt. The bonus diminishes with successive uses and can be conserved. Immortal brutes can choose to gain three milestones of the general type of their choosing (potentially rolling thrice on this chart) and stop aging altogether, but gained milestones from that point on are a single option among recruits, swell ranks, resources and interest.
22	World	Choose another option (if multiple options were rolled) or roll two power perks and pick one.

Ogre			(Muscle x Muscle)
Description		Big, laden with muscle. There’s a biokinetic component here, as the Ogre brute activates their power and swells in height and raw mass. Mutations, if any, are minor and limited to the Ogre form. The quintessential ‘brute’, to many. Often involves minor, surface-level mutations reflecting the individual’s self image and emotions at the time of the trigger. Where stat bonuses are gained, gain 1 max to each stat each round that the power is kicking in, until caps are met. Additional bonuses & reach only take effect when all stat bonuses have been calculated (3 rounds in). When performing feats of strength, Brawn bonuses are increased 150% (rounding up). Defensively, only damage sufficient to get past granted max wounds from guts is long-term; other damage is discarded when returning to normal & not ‘remembered’ across Ogre transformations. Heals damage to real body twice as fast.
Offense %	60	Gain 1-2 feet in height, reach, +100% of base body weight (additive with other weight increases) in sheer muscle. +2 Brawn bonus, +1 Athletics, +1 Guts. Any melee or thrown weapon hits also append a bash effect (not wound) in addition to damage dealt, of severity matching damage dealt (moderate pierce = added moderate bash effect).
Defense %	40	Gain 1-2 feet in height, 100% of base body weight (additive with other weight increases) in sheer muscle. +1 Brawn, +1 Athletics, +2 Guts. On sustaining a wound, if Ogre has more health than the attacking foe after the wound is sustained, suffer either damage or effect, but not both. Each choice has cooldown of 2 rounds.
Points of Variation		Lose 1-2 points of the stat gain (GM discretion on the 1-2, chosen once & locked in), the offensive bash bonus, or the defensive damage dampening ability. Gain doubled effect for bash offensive aspect, have defensive aspect persist despite health total, added changer mutation to one body part, or get brute bonus/augment.
Example Trigger		Fighting with his mentally unstable and knife-wielding brother, a high schooler has his brother on top of him, using body weight and strength both to slowly slide the knife into his chest and heart.

Plate			(Armor x Armor)
Description		The Plate brute summons exceedingly heavy armor around themselves, becoming indomitable so long as their armor holds up. The armor can take many forms, from stone to metal to bone, or more esoteric components, but acts as high-quality heavy armor. Costume features and any weapons gained from the Plate power remain static (chosen once and always the same from that point on), granted costume always has one to two points of armor quality pre-chosen, and no more. Character is immune to penalties from costume/armor, and in calculating how far they are pushed, pulled, or thrown, reduce distance 50% and then by 10’. Armor self-repairs with difficult recovery period (see secondaries); when use of primary power is called for, use melee attacks instead.
Offense %	40	Gain +1 costume tier, +2 Brawn, and a melee weapon with three qualities or four qualities and one detriment. Melee weapon can always have reach quality for one point. Melee weapon is considered an extension of the character and character cannot be disarmed so long as they have some intact armor, while they have instinctive knowledge on how to use it and can use it as they might a fist (hammer), open hand (sword, axe), or extended fingers (spear, sword).
Defense %	60	Manifest a tier 4 suit of heavy armor, which can be worn on top of tier 1 skin costumes without detriment. Gain +2 Guts. Power has confusing signature: if a power that normally be limited to organics would target the character or someone behind them, can roll 1d4. If result below current points of intact armor, character and those behind them should be treated as both organic and inorganic, whichever is most beneficial, for the duration of the round.
Points of Variation		Lose a costume tier, 1-2 points of stat gain (GM discretion, chosen once & locked in), two qualities from melee weapon, or the inorganic signature. Gain further increased reach & damage for melee weapon, inorganic signature roll is 1d2, gain a ranged or advanced weapon, 1-2 weapon/armor qualities are flexible, all weapon qualities are flexible, all armor qualities are flexible, or brute bonus.
Example Trigger		A stunt driver wearing a wireframe and plastic costume has an accident on the motorbike, as the framing degloves a solid third of his body, tearing away the skin.

Buckler			(Shield x Shield)
Description		Parahuman maintains a measure of protection that is telekinetically managed. With offensive aspect alone, ‘shield’ is limited to augmented hands (largely invulnerable gauntlets, glowing hands, etc, hereafter referred to a shield). With the defensive portion, extends to an actual barrier that is attached to one arm or floats just beyond arm’s reach, moving at the Buckler brute’s will. Use of shield to defend is a Wits check to beat attack roll. This is made in addition to any standard defense rolls. Negates damage. Shields generally do not have a limit to the damage they can endure.
Offense %	35	Shield (hand/hands) manifests, can catch/block incoming attacks with a 6+ wits check, made in place of normal check. Normal block check can follow a failed roll, but with -2 penalty. Can be used offensively, tagging an enemy with the energies inherent in the shield; applies only a lesser wound, but applies linked benefit (chosen from the defensive aspect below). Attack roll with shield is brawn-based, knocks foes back up to 5’ per point the attack roll beats the defensive roll.
Defense %	65	Shield manifests. Can block/deflect incoming attacks with a 5+ wits check. Defensive roll is made in addition to standard defensive roll. If offensive Buckler aspect is included, check is 4+, and ignore ‘normal block check can follow…’ text. Comes with secondary benefit. Benefit can include a ‘return to sender’ aspect for ranged fire, producing a splash of altered environment (based on an element), a +2 bonus to the next attack made using shield within 1 round, shield can be ‘thrown’ (Brawn roll to attack, 25’ range increment, moderate wound & element/effect on hit, can attack in a line or hit 1d3 foes within range), or a bonus/augment.
Points of Variation		Drawbacks can include more difficult wits roll, Clumsy or Heavy shield penalties (see shield entry under items), inability to make defensive roll in addition to the block roll, inability to attack with shield, shield having limited wounds, or loss of side benefit. Benefits can include various shield penalties (see shield entry under items), added side benefit, or bonus to wits roll to block.
Example Trigger		Out in the middle of nowhere, a homesteader with a homemade wood chopping contraption gets his sleeve caught in the chopper, his arm summarily wrenched off at the shoulder. He gapes in awe and horror at the wound for a moment, and then the pain hits.

Crag			(Intens. x Intens.)
Description		The character roars, and their body changes. Parts emerge or transform, becoming warped and harder, craggy or artificial, burying the individual within, and then something flares within. A kind of element-based breaker captive in a crude brute shell, this rough-edged powerhouse dishes out the hurt by way of element- based attacks. Determine the element at creation, it is then locked in - a character with the offensive or defensive Crag power can apply elemental effects with any melee hit that wounds. Can transform instantly, getting X rounds of activity, gains one more round per elemental hit (secondary or melee), per two instances of damage over time effect, per feat of strength, or per instance of property destruction. If they would sustain a moderate wound, they lose one round of activity instead of taking damage. If they would sustain a lesser wound, they have a 50% chance to lose one round of activity (but suffer the effect regardless). Critical wounds force them out of the state. 1d4 round cooldown before they can re-enter the state; each successive re-entry without 15 minutes of rest means the state lasts one round less and the cooldown is increased one round. If crossed with another brute aspect the Crag bonuses and state are mutually exclusive from the other aspect (the metaphorical fire is simply temporarily extinguished).
Offense %	70	Two elemental secondaries. Powers with ranges above 20’ have range (or range increments) reduced by 50% or moderate cooldowns (see secondaries, above). Melee hits deliver a bonus moderate wound. +1 Brawn for purposes of feats of strength only, and +1 Guts. Crag state lasts 2 rounds.
Defense %	30	One elemental secondary, as described above. Gain manton benefit, plus manton benefit of similar element. Guts +2. Duration of Crag state is 3 rounds (or is increased by 3).
Points of Variation		Lose one secondary, distribute three rounds of cooldown to secondaries, lose 1-2 points of Brawn/Guts bonus, lose a round of activity. Gain secondary option, reduced cooldown, one round of activity, added element to swap into, or brute bonus/augment.
Example Trigger		A thug captured by a rival gang has molten glass poured into his eye sockets.