Character Concept

Saint Joseph School has a firm concept, rooted in the traditions of comic books like The New Mutants, but crafted and developed communally by all the members of the SG. Players seeking to enroll in SJS should have an idea of what this concept is, and how their character can contribute. Read more about our themes here, but keep the following in mind:

Saint Joseph School is set within the world of superhero comic books. We are not an anime high school. While there is a place in City Of Heroes for anime-style superhero concepts, Saint Joe's is not one of them. While inspiration for a character can come from any source, anime conventions are at times radically different from and incompatible with the conventions and sensibilities of American superhero comics. Do not enroll a character whose personality, roleplay or behavior is drawn from the world of maho shojo or other distinctive anime genre.

Create a high school aged teenager. Do not create a child, a college aged adolescent or an adult. While Saint Joseph School educates students between the ages of 12 and 18 years old, the majority of our characters are 14 to 17. A character outside that age bracket may have trouble integrating with the SG. Depending upon the nature of your concept, some flexibility is allowed.

All young people have issues, especially super-powered ones. However, your character’s in-game issues cannot make it impossible for the rest of the SG to team with you. Do not enroll a character that is overly violent, withdrawn, or unable to work with others.

Your character must have something to gain from being enrolled at Saint Joseph School. It may be as simple as the need for an education, but this might not always be the case. If the character has no reason to be at SJS, the concept is inappropriate.

The most important rule for character concept is this: Saint Joseph School exists primarily to help young people who cannot function or exist in a normal school environment. If the character has a choice to no longer be different, then the concept is generally not acceptable. This is different from the choice to not act. Anyone can choose to ignore their abilities or sit on the sidelines. A reluctant hero is sometimes even more interesting than a confident one. The choice to not act is fundamentally different than the choice to be normal.

Origin

Because of the themes of Saint Joseph School, not all Origins are appropriate in all cases. As Origin can affect concept, and vice-versa, it is especially important to make sure your concept and Origin choices can fit in with the SJS community. Please click on the different Origin icons to learn how to avoid common concept problems and get helpful suggestions on making your concept work. The examples given are by no means all-inclusive, but are meant to be helpful suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.

Science Origin is acceptable in most cases.

Mutation Origin is almost always appropriate.

Magic Origin can be problematic in some cases.

Technology Origin is in most cases forbidden.

Natural Origin can also cause problems.

Powers and Powersets

You can choose any powers or powersets you wish, as long as your choice fits both your concept and the larger themes of SJS. Specifically, approach the ‘item-based’ powersets (assault rifle, katana, war mace, etc.) with caution. Simply having a gun as your powers is problematic at Saint Joe’s. Items can be put aside, allowing the character to lead a normal life. Please look over the Origin examples to find suggestions on how to incorporate the ‘item-based’ powersets into strong SJS character concepts.

Costume and the School Uniform

Your costume is completely up to you. Though you may find yourself enrolled faster if you generate a hero wearing our official school uniform, it is not required until you are ready to seek promotion. When you are off doing hero work or on patrol, you may wear whatever costume you wish.

Names

If you are generating a new hero, names are not restricted in any way except by common sense and the etiquette of our themes and concept. Please do not generate a hero named “deathkill”, “Slutmaster” or “klklkl237”. You may use a more classic “super” moniker (such as Screaming Mimi), or name yourself with a more common “secret identity” (like Francis Cross): it’s up to you!

Biographical Information and Backstory

Having your in-game bio is not a requirement at the time of enrollment, but it is necessary for every student to have their bio written as soon as possible. Students will not be able to rise in rank without both an in-game bio and a more complete backstory posted on our forums. When writing your bio, keep in mind that Saint Joe's has scholarship students, regular students, boarding students, alien students and just about everything else! We even have students who had to choose between Saint Joe's and juvenile detention. Think about your concept, and feel free to be creative!