Character Guide

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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 Do not enroll a character that is overly violent, withdrawn, or unable to work with others.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!

[Lagomorph]

Science Origin
You received your powers either through purposeful scientific inquiry or some accident gone awry. You have since learned to harness your newfound abilities, becoming a powerful force in the world.

Many Science Origin characters will fit in just fine with the themes of SJS. Deliberate experimentation concepts can sometimes be tricky, but accidental empowerment works well. As long as the character has experienced some kind of dramatic, permanent change, that character may be a good fit in Saint Joseph School.

Clear Concept Examples

• Lifesaving alteration. The character was forced to undergo a radical treatment to save their life. This might be a cancer-curing trammaton radiation treatment with unexpected results, or a full synaptic download into a lab animal or fully prosthetic body. Example: The Hulk (Marvel Comics)
• Misguided super-scientist parents. The character was altered purposefully at a very young age, or possibly in utero. In an effort to eliminate human “weaknesses,” the character may have been soaked in the Achilles formula, had their genes resequenced, or had their subatomic structure blended with that of a komodo dragon. Example: Dr. Julian Bashir (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
• Wrong place, wrong time. The character was suddenly exposed to something that has granted them powers, be it cosmic radiation, toxic chemicals, bitten by a genetically altered shrew, or struck by lightning. The character has been forced to abandon their old life, and seeks to build a new one for themselves. Example: The Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics).

Problematic Concept Examples

• Voluntary continued exposure. If the character must deliberately re-expose themselves to super-science to keep their powers, the concept is inappropriate. Remember that a hero who can choose to return to a normal life is not appropriate for SJS. However, this concept can be fixed simply: if the character must be re-exposed or die, then the character has no choice—in which case, the concept is a fit for Saint Joe’s.

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Mutation Origin
You were born with abilities which set you apart form the rest of humankind. Your powers manifested at birth, puberty, or possibly adulthood. Mutants are often viewed with awe and fear by those who don’t understand them.

Almost without exception, Mutation Origin heroes fit comfortably into the SJS community. Mutants consistently face the sort of dramatic themes that we look for at Saint Joe’s.

[Lagomorph]

Magic Origin
You receive your powers from a magical source. These abilities might come from a mystical artifact bestowed upon you, the mastery of numerous magical spells, or pacts made with powerful dimensional entities.

Magic Origin heroes are occasionally problematic at Saint Joseph School.

Clear Concept Examples

• From belief comes power. The character has adopted or has been raised with beliefs from which has flowed a wellspring of power. This can be a belief in God, voodoo, or a pantheon of ancient or tribal gods. The powers will not go away unless the character loses their faith: and in most belief systems, the character will feel blessed, chosen by the object of their belief to be its instrument. Such faith is hard to shake.
  Example: Shaman (Marvel Comics).
• Made by magic. The character is actually a magical being. Whether from a world of magic, a lycanthrope or a summoned creature, this character toes the line between the magic and natural origins. The character may be a stranger to our world, created for some forgotten purpose, or simply trapped by circumstance.
  Example: Goliath (from the TV Show Gargoyles).
• Once learned, it cannot be unlearned. The character has uncovered information that the character cannot forget and has forever altered their abilities. This might be ancient secrets from a musty tome or dark knowledge from a mysterious benefactor. The character might research further, but the initial knowledge that granted the character’s powers will not ever go away.
  Example: John Constantine (DC Comics).
• Child of destiny. The character has a purpose, directed by otherworldly forces. Perhaps a family tradition, a magical artifact that was fated to come into the character’s possession, or the character was chosen by the previous child of destiny. The character has no choice in the matter: once providence has made its choice, there is no way to undo it.
  Example: Devil Hunter Yohko (Anime).
• Bonded by magic. The character is irrevocably bound to a source of power. This could be an object that fuses with the character or a spirit that possesses or directs them. The bond cannot be broken by any known means, and the character must learn how to survive in their altered state.
  Example: Ghost Rider (Marvel Comics).

Problematic Concept Examples

• Wizard. A character who must learn and re-learn spells to be effective is not appropriate. Any character who can choose to return to normalcy is not usually a good fit with SJS. This is fixed pretty easily by permanently burning the spells into the character's brain, unable to be forgotten (see Once Learned, it Cannot be Unlearned above).
• He took his vorpal sword in hand. Simply having a magical sword is not enough, and a concept that revolves exclusively around an artifact is unacceptable, be it a weapon, an amulet, or a set of bracelets. Any of these objects can just be thrown into a closet. The easiest fix for a concept like this is to somehow bind the character to the item (see Child of Destiny or Bonded by Magic, above).

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Technology Origin
You derive your powers from technological devices, from suits of high-tech body armor to powerful energy weapons. Few have been able to duplicate the amazing technology that lies behind your gadgets. You need not be a brilliant inventor; you may have acquired these items from another source.

In almost all cases, Technology Origin is not appropriate for Saint Joseph School. By definition of the Technology Origin, it is based on devices that can be set aside, allowing the hero to lead a normal life whenever they choose. However, since the Single-Origin Enhancement for Technology Origin is called Cybernetic, it is clear that some concepts can permanently alter the character’s abilities.

Clear Concept Examples

• Cybernetic augmentation. Perhaps as a life-saving procedure, or because of the mad experiments of the doctor who abducted them from the orphanage, the character has been fused with powerful prostheses that grant them wondrous powers. Because of these enhanced parts, the character is unable to fit normally into society, either because the parts are obvious, or because the character does not have full control.
  Example: Cyborg (DC Comics).
• Child of the machine. The character is totally artificial. Perhaps an android pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence, or perhaps a secret military robot that unexpectedly gained sentience, the character is now in need of help to be integrated into the world. As long as the character lacks sufficient skills and knowledge to exist independently (and cannot simply gain these skills by downloading them off the web), Saint Joseph School can be a haven for the character.
  Example: Johnny 5 (from the film Short Circuit).

Problematic Concept Examples

• Cybernetic augmentation. How can a concept be both clear and problematic? If not conceptualized well, a character with cybernetic powers could easily be outfitted with less extraordinary parts. If the super-lab can make cybernetic hands that crush steel girders, there had better be a reason why they cannot make hands that look and feel like normal flesh. The easiest fix is to remove the possibilities of such upgrades: perhaps the cybernetics are from an alien world, or the lab that created them was destroyed.
• Bought and paid for. A character who has purchased the ability to be a superhero is not appropriate. No matter how much money a character might have, that does not make the character fundamentally different from other kids (or at least, not to the point where they are a good match for Saint Joe’s).
• Fused into the suit. Characters who are Technology Origin because they “cannot take off their suit” are typically not appropriate for SJS. This kind of concept sometimes seems more like an excuse than a reason. Unless the concept is particularly compelling, a character who has somehow become bonded to their equipment could also just as easily be re-conceptualized as another Origin. If you want your character to look different, and have their powers all the time, then ask yourself: why not be a magical creature? Why not be a mutant?

[Lagomorph]

Natural Origin
You aren’t ‘super’ at all; your amazing talents come from intense training and innate abilities. You might have been driven to physical excellence by some all-encompassing desire for perfection or revenge, or perhaps you are not human at all, and possess powers natural to your race. With your natural origin you have to rely on your cunning and skill.

Heroes of Natural Origin can be problematic for Saint Joseph School. Most “highly skilled” concepts do not fit with our themes.

Clear Concept Examples

• Stranger in a strange land. The character is from a place where everyone shares their amazing abilities. The character might be an alien, from a different dimension, or a member of a lost civilization with abilities far beyond the norm.
  Example: The Sub-Mariner (Marvel Comics).

Problematic Concept Examples

• I'm just that good. The character has no extraordinary abilities at all. Whether because they have extensively trained with ninjas, or because they're just determined to clean up the city with a baseball bat and a bad attitude, the character is a normal person. No matter what training or natural ability the character may have, it simply isn't a good fit for SJS. A character who can choose to be normal has no reason to enroll. Characters like this will unfortunately need to go back to the drawing board if they wish to enroll.
  Example: Batman (DC Comics).