[This is an account of my first time using the guided character creation system for the Sentinel Comics RPG. I had heard nothing but praise for it. It did not disappoint.]

All right, 2d10 for background options. That gave me Struggling, Tragic, or the two dice added together, which is Military. Struggling is interesting; I like the idea getting superpowers in a way that wrecks your life. Hmm. I’m supposed to pick a Principle, but I don’t really know anything about this character yet. Lemme cheat ahead a bit.

Struggling gives me 2d8 and a d6 to roll for power source. Two fives and a four. Huh, so only with four options, since two of the sums are the same: Experimentation, Mystical, Radiation, or Tech Upgrades.

Ooh,Tech Upgrades. What about a guy who gets injured doing some shady job, then gets cybered in a way that messes up his life?

Like if it left him without a face.

Oh, crap. I’ve got an idea.

He was working for one of those private military companies. Not as a soldier, though. Maybe in marketing, client relations, something like that. Reaching out to the kind of people that might want to hire mercenaries. He’s in a warzone, and he gets caught in an explosion. His face and skull are demolished, but somehow he survives. And this cybernetics lab that’s been waiting for just this situation offers him this experimental full head replacement. He’s in unrelenting nerve pain and under the influence of all these medications, so he agrees.

Thing is, the company overpromised and underdelivered on the facial animatronics. They’re uncanny. They’re horrifying. He was supposed to be their poster boy, but people are just disturbed. And when he physically recovers and tries to get a job, nobody wants to hire a sales guy with a robot head. He goes into a deep depression and slowly runs out of money. At some point, he gets the lab to strip off the horrible silicone face and leave him with bare metal.

Okay, I’m loving this. I’ll go with Principle of the Veteran for my background pick. This guy has definitely seen some stuff. Now, what powers does Tech Upgrades get me?

Ooh! Signature Weapon is an option! What could I — wait. Wait. What if he has an Omega Red-style tendril that’s like an interface for his cybernetics, but he can use it to send neural signals into other people?

Holy craaaaaaaaap.

[Furious debate over power selection follows. Then…]

All right. He can attack with the biojack, he has heightened senses, and he can manipulate his hormones to boost himself. Love it. Now — geez, I haven’t even gotten to the Archetype yet!

Okay, Tech Upgrades gives me 1d10 and 2d8 for archetype. So I can choose from… Speedster? Probably not. Marksman? Eh. Blaster? That could work. Close Quarters Combat? Maybe? Or, ooh, Elemental Manipulator. Let’s see what powers they get.

[Even more furious debate over power selection follows, punctuated with mad cackling. Then…]

Dude, yes. This is rad. So he can whip people with the biojack, mess with their brains, then shock them with electricity. And if he gets shocked, it heals him, because obviously, you can’t have a metal skull without proper insulation.

Braincase. I think this guy is called Braincase.

Oh, I need to pick a Principle from the Esoteric list… hmm. None of these really grab me. Guess I’ll take Principle of Electricity. That’ll give me a bonus to solve problems by zapping stuff. Might Retcon that later.

Now, personality. 2d10 gets me Impulsive, Distant, or Inquisitive. Probably go with Impulsive. But wait… ooh. Distant could be more interesting. This guy has been isolated from people. Maybe his story could be about emerging back into society. Yeah, let’s do that.

I get to make up a Quality and assign it a d8. They say it should be a signature aspect of your character. What should I — oh! Brain Hacker. Yesssssss.

Almost done. Just gotta pick two Red abilities. Of these options, I gotta go with more brain hacking and granting tactical advantages.

And now, the Retcon step. The only thing I really wanna change is that second Principle. Oh, cool, I can swap it out for any other one. What have we got… huh. A few possibilities that fit.

Principle of Equality, though… I like that. That could be his motivation for heroism. He went from relative wealth and privilege to being distrusted and ostracized because of his face. Something started to click for him, and he started to rise out of his cycle of self-pity. Now, he has major empathy when he sees discrimination.

Yeah. I gotta do it. Principle of Equality it is.

I think we’ve got a superhero.