Here are two examples from my early gaming days.

NPC Hero
When I first started GM-ing, one of the reserve members of my Player Characters' superteam was an NPC with Disintegration Rays that fired the same type of radiation that originally gave her powers (like the cosmic rays that altered the Fantastic Four).

As a result, she also had a Mutant Power that meant there was a 5% chance of mutating anyone who lost hit points from her disintegration attack. A mutated opponent would lose all existing powers (when applicable) and randomly gain a new set of powers (and weakness), per standard rules.

My heroically cautious PCs didn't want their known enemies to suddenly get new sets of powers. So the NPC with disintegration-mutation-radiation rays tried to attack robots and make special attacks on villain devices. The few times she actually attacked a flesh-and-blood villain were very suspenseful. No one ever mutated (sigh of relief) as she retired early in her career.

Recurring Villain
A major criminal in my early campaign world was a high-stakes robber with a special cat ability that gave him nine lives. (He also had a weakness that cut his power points in about one-third.) When he was about to get caught, he'd do something to kill himself, knowing that he'd resurrect 1d100 hours later, about a mile away from his place of death, and without losing any experience points, as a result of this special ability.

Authorities finally captured the cat burglar on his 7th or 8th life. It's interesting how, at the time, his powers didn't seem gothic or suicidal, as they now do as I type up these notes.

polarboy wrote on Dec 5^th, 2009 at 3:09am:


These are both really cool ideas, polarboy!!!   

I let a player get four doses of heightened expertise.  He had +16 to hit with his fists!  He did 6d10 damage as he had size change and heightened strength.    That was a bit much.