Where your superhero character gets their extraordinary powers is one of the most important pieces of background information in the genre, and when playing in the dark supers niche, it's arguably the most important. 

Unlike their traditional caped counterparts, dark supers characters often inhabit a grey area of their world, caught somewhere between good and evil or man and monster, and are forced to struggle against both society's perceptions of who they are and their own internal conflicts. And that fight typically starts with the origin of their powers. 

Did they stumble too close to eldritch entities in their pursuit of knowledge or were they chosen by some unimaginable force seemingly at random? Were they born a creature confined to the shadows or were they made a monster by a nefarious cabal? Are they a fallen angel or a risen demon? Any of those examples paint a very different picture of the sort of character that might develop from those catalysts.  

The below table contains fifty possible origins for your dark supers character that you can use if you need additional inspiration. Roll once and leave it to chance, roll a few times and pick your favorite, or simply choose the one you like. There are no wrong ways to use it when creating your character. 

d100

Dark Supers - Power Origin

01–02

Cursed bloodline (vampire, werewolf, elder thing, etc.)

03–04

Discovery of blasphemous site

05–06

Practiced ritualist

07–08

Manifested thought-form

09–10

Esoteric study

11–12

Summoned demon

13–14

Techno occultist

15–16

Child of celestial

17–18

Covert paranormal government program

19–20

Immortal guardian

21–22

Earthly embodiment of natural force (death, love, fear, etc.)

23–24

Extreme near-death experience

25–26

Ritual sacrifice survivor

27–28

Child of demon

29–30

Escaped demon

31–32

Holdover from an advanced ancient civilization

33–34

Blessed relic

35–36

Powerful patron entity (unknown)

37–38

Alchemical substance

39–40

Revenant created through foul science

41–42

Cosmic punishment

43–44

Chosen by Death

45–46

Otherworldly being (fey, spirit, jinn, etc.)

47–48

Techno occultic corporate asset

49–50

Possessed 

51–52

Rejected by Death

53–54

Fallen celestial

55–56

Forgotten minor deity

57–58

Awakened construct (statue, doll, scarecrow, etc.)

59–60

Indoctrinated into an ancient sect

61–62

Conceived to fulfill a prophecy

63–64

Transfigured by an eldritch knowledge

65–66

Sole survivor of a tragic supernatural event

67–68

Latest in a long line of hunters (demon, witch, monster, etc.)

69–70

Cursed artifact

71–72

Emerged from ley line

73–74

Bound celestial

75–76

Ritual sacrifice result

77–78

Avatar

79–80

Cursed attack (vampire, werewolf, poltergeist, etc.)

81–82

Primordial champion

83–84

Powerful patron entity (known)

85–86

Discovery of sacred site

87–88

Touched by the elder things

89–90

Revived by fate for a purpose

91–92

Latest in a long line of sorcerers

93–94

Mythological species

95–96

Born during an astrological conjunction

97–98

Tainted by occult exposure

99–00

From a dark and uncanny dimension

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