Variant RPGaDay2026 - Day 10, 11, and 12

I'm trying to make sure each of my batches of characters for this sequence are using different games, and while I'm running a couple of days late for this particular post, I really wanted to make sure I delved into the past of my gaming life for today's entry. It just took me a couple of days to find my "Heroes Unlimited" 2nd Edition book from the 1990s.

 

Batch 4 (Heroes Unlimited)

The range of character types in this game aren't necessarily "classes" but more the origins of the characters and the types of powers they have access to. Note also, that unlike a lot of games I'm referencing here, I love the idea of characters having weaknesses (Superman with his kryptonite, Batman with his code of honour), but Heroes Unlimited really never did that, so I'm going to be adding something interesting that I feel reflects the character and adds depth to them here.

Intellect – Secret – Far to Go (Alien)

The idea of an alien who is hiding among the citizens of the world is a fairly common trope in comics. In Heroes Unlimited, almost everything about the character is "rules-as-written" random, but I remember when I was playing back in high school, many of the players in our group would randomly make dozens of characters until they got something that they actually wanted to play. Then we found the find print on a couple of the tables that indicated "Roll (or choose)", so after that point we just chose what we wanted, so that's how I'll go with these characters.

"Xyr Pollux"

Goal: Xyr is one of the last survivors of a cataclysm that destroyed the culture of his homeworld. His goal is generally to find other members of his culture, with a later aim of establishing a new home. He's an insectoid humanoid, from a twilight world.

Obstacle: There is massive amounts of work to do as he hasn't found anyone left from his world. Xyr has also become aware that the group who were responsible for wiping out his culture have appeared on earth and they are intending to finish the job they started on his homeworld.

Strength: (I'm going with one major ad one minor power) Xyr's major power is the ability to mimic others, which he basically uses to look like the other humans around him, his minor power is adhesion which allows him to climb walls with ease. 

Weakness: Since he comes from a twilight world he's mostly active at night and doesn't like the intensity of the sun. 

 

Intellect – Tact – Loving and Giving (Hardware)

I'm going with a character like Riri Williams as "Ironheart" or Pepper Potts in the "Rescue" armour here.

Aurora "Dragonfly" Jackson 

Goal: In a world of super-powered beings, the wider community is suspicious of the people who walk among them like gods. Aurora wants to show that those with powers can make a positive difference in the world, and she is often outspoken on local news as a voice for hope and positivity in the world.

Obstacle: Her biggest obstacles are those who have shown time and again that that super powers can be a shortcut to power and problems in the world. She is regularly trying to work with those who want good in the world, but often finds her mtovies of championing the common citizens to be at odds with those around her.

Strength: Her strength is her armour suit which is capable of flight, and enhances her strength to superhuman levels. 

Weakness: The armour is highly experimental and always needs regular tweaking, especially after it has taken a bit of damage or is going into new environments. It feels like Aurora spends half her time working on the armour and trying to get it right rather than actually doing heroic deeds.

Intellect – Loss – Works Hard (Special Training)

Those who know me, would be incredibly surprised if I didn't incorporate some kind of "Batman" type into a set of prompts like this, so I'm not going to disappoint. So, with that in mind, we're going with the "super sleuth" variant. As I'm writing this, I'm now thinking of a character along the lines of Jessica Jones, but that's pushing beyond the scope of the game (so, yeah...ironically beyood the limitations of Heroes Unlimited). So we'll head back to the Batman-type...

Indianna "Ultra-Violet" Long 

Goal: A cross-dimensional anomaly took Indianna's family when she was young, she doesn't believe that they were killed ad still has hope that they are alive somewhere. She goes out of her way to find aliens, workers of magic, and super scientists who might understand the type of phenomenon that caused the family to disappear, but so far no luck.

Obstacle: There seems to be some kind of shadowy government organisation who don't want Indianna to discover too much about the anomalies. Every time one gets opened, there seems to be a chance that something dangerous emerges into the world. She is doing more research now, and has learned things that mundane citizens should never have been made aware of. 

Strength: Her network of contacts and understanding of supernatural powers is unrivaled in the world

Weakness: She has no inherent powers, which puts her below the power level of those she often finds herself around.