Power Levels
Before anyone rolls a stat, the table picks a scale. Campaign Power Level sets what your characters are capable of, what comes looking for them, and how far the consequences of a session can reach.
The world of Shadows is a dangerous place. Where you start determines what comes for you. Campaign Power Level sets the scale of threats, resources, and consequences your character faces from the first session.
The four scales
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Street Level
Scope Neighborhood → Borough
Where it all begins. Threats consist of thugs, small gangs, local hackers, and the occasional brush with something larger. Magic exists, but rarely crosses your path directly. Conflicts are personal and immediate.
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Heroic
Scope District → Sector
You've proven you can survive the streets. Threats escalate to gang leaders, coordinated hacking groups, and the attention of mid-tier corporate interests. The supernatural world begins to take notice. Actions ripple beyond a single neighborhood.
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Shadows
Scope Zones → Regions
You operate in direct opposition to corporate power, organized crime, and entrenched supernatural forces. Raids, counter-operations, and political consequences are common. Your actions reshape zones and regions, and may draw attention from powers beyond NYTE City.
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World Coming Down
Scope The global stage
The highest starting scale of play. Threats include the full weight of corporations, criminal empires, and supernatural entities capable of destabilizing entire regions — or the world itself. Conflicts operate on a global stage. Survival may not be the only question; what survives with you becomes just as important.
A note on Power Level: more power does not make your character safer. As your capability increases, so do the powers around you and their consequences.