Superhero Bases in Fate
Whether it's the Xavier School for the Gifted, the Justice League's Watchtower, or the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building, many superhero teams have a base to call home. These rules present a way to model such a base as a power theme using the system for super-powers from Venture City, available for free at faterpg.com or fate-srd.com.
Super-Base
Your team maintains a facility that serves as a meeting place, workspace, information clearinghouse, and general sanctum. Each member can draw on the base's resources.
Basic Super-Base: Each member of the team that takes this power theme can invest stunt slots into the base. Slots invested can be used to buy both mundane stunts and powers. These stunts are communal; every member of the team has access to every stunt or power, but only when they are present at the base. If it makes sense, a team member can use a base stunt when in the field, but they must pay a fate point to access it.
Enhancements
Security Measures: Your base includes various defensive systems that help repel invaders. You get +2 to Athletics to defend against physical attacks made inside your base.
Super-Computer: Your base has a super-computer that is tied into various government and law enforcement databases. You gain +2 to Lore to create advantages on a villain based on information contained in those databases.
Common Synergies
While in theory a super-base could replicate almost any super-power, a few are more common and more useful when worked into a base.
Healing: A base with this power has a medical bay, rejuvenation chamber, or other tools for repairing physical damage. This is often accompanied by the Master Healing and Fast Healing enhancements.
Influence: This power may be more appropriate for more villainous groups (as a means of brainwashing) it is possible for heroes that regularly face mind-controlling villains to want a way to deprogram victims
Power Amplification, Power Nullification, Power Replication: These represent technology or other means of manipulating the very source of power themselves. Power Amplification and Power Replication are good for boosting the team before engagements. Power Nullification, meanwhile, can be used both for detaining powered enemies and for training purposes to show team members how to operate without relying on their special abilities.
Precognition: In a super-base, this power could take the form of computerized statistical models or an actual oracle, depending on the nature of the team and its members. Most likely, this power will have the Visions enhancement.
Telepathy: Basic Telepathy in a super-base allows team members to communicate with each other instantaneously while inside the base. Combined with the Long-Distance Telepathy enhancement, the team has a secure and untraceable communications system. This power also aids in the interrogation of villains.
Teleportation: A super-base with this power has an internal teleportation system that allows team members to move instantaneously from any part of the base to any other. With the addition of the Mark and Recall enhancement, the team also has an emergency escape mechanism that allows them to return to the base at any time from the field without paying a fate point. However, they cannot return to the team without some other form of transportation.
Drawbacks
- Your team is an established organization accountable to civilian authority. At least some parts of the facility are Open to the Public.
- Your base is a vehicle like an aircraft carrier. While the addition of mobility is certainly useful, it requires Periodic Maintenance that a building might not.
Collateral Damage Effects
Capacitor Overload: Your base stores energy that can be tapped by the team in times of stress. Give each team member an Empowered boost that they can invoke for any power. Unfortunately, the massive release of energy blows out the power grid for the surrounding area, causing random damage and malfunctions.