Overpowereds, as a culture and as an organized force, are the apex creatures of all Existence. Resilient, imaginative, curious, mostly intelligent, and mostly eternal (but not immortal, save for a few), Overpowereds are the ultimate expression of sentience, form, and function.
They are also glitches in a degraded system, having only come to pass because of the System’s infancy, the Author’s oversight, and Theomnis’s warped desires to continuously cycle without end.
The nature of an Overpowered is the be-all end-all, even as they are thwarted by the notably stronger Primevals or the underestimated, bastard-assed Slayers.
WE ABOVE, SO BELOW
Until certain Retcons, it was believed that no one could actively interact with or damage an Overpowered. This belief bled into the Modern Era towards Primevals; however, new evidence suggests that anyone can interact with or damage an Overpowered entity, provided they bear the “Slayer” tag. There are very few routes to this (certain classes, certain beliefs, certain activities, items, or structures), but these routes can be applied to anyone under 1000g of Elan. While the Overpowered Slayer phenomenon is still in its infancy, it has brought about a noteworthy shift in how all Overpowered individuals view this long-standing rule of thumb. Due to the nature of the Overpowered Slayer and how to make them, there are no known methods on the side of Theomnis and the Retconners.
PAST KNOWLEDGE, MODERN KNOWLEDGE
It was once believed that no one could interact with or damage an Overpowered; however, an Overpowered could not easily interact with or damage anyone under 1000g of Elan. In both cases, both rules have been proven either wrong or changed since the last Retcon: now Overpowered Slayers can affect or damage Overpowereds; however, the Hyperdimensional Balance still demands that Overpowereds not directly affect or damage anyone beneath them. That does not mean there aren’t loopholes that the System allows, but it’s still well known that any Backstage activity (or even using System Menu) during a Main Setting may bring forth old, negative results for either side.
While the Overpowered Slayer phenomenon is still relatively new, it’s well known that Theomnis tends to adapt quickly once the Setting or Media have changed and will eventually adjust to take advantage of any new content provided.
While the Dianic Sisterhood still exists, they have long since been absorbed by the Strata Commission. Unless otherwise noted, all past histories (filtered by Retcon) are maintained and available to TDI’s with proper clearance.
PARADOXES
Overpowereds are, by nature, a paradox in and of themselves. At first, it was believed they were spawned somewhat randomly through luck and chance (those who have successfully navigated up the Elan system without settling for any single level), but it is now known that Overpowereds are a foregone conclusion by the System and the Author. “DM Fiat” is literally the M.O., and thus, an Overpowered is known to be an entity that was always going to become one. Trying to manipulate time or odds is meaningless since the System regulates this list of Overpowereds, both known and unknown, and keeps track of the dead so their Domains may be properly mantled to new Overpowereds.
EXTREME EXISTENCE
The long history of Extreme Existence, as an organization, plays a central role in the multiverse due to its significant influence on its history. Because of the nature of what he’s suffered, JDW (one of the original founders of the organization) changed his name to “Mister X” to better separate himself from his creator, once the Final Retcon occurred.
LEGACY ERA
Before the Final Retcon, it was believed that the ultimate antagonists of Extreme Existence was a nebulous organization known as “The Retconners,” fanatic cultists who worshipped either extreme of Chaos or Order who endeavored to either force a Retcon directly through increasingly esoteric means or simply erase all of Existence in order to indirectly create a situation that would give rise to a Retcon once the Extreme Existence organization thwarted it.
This would then give rise to a certain backdoor to the Backstage known as the Nemesis Project.
NEMESIS PROJECT
After a while, Extreme Existence would take it upon themselves to thwart the Retconners simply by producing antagonists of their own. This provided successful results, as these anti-villains, presented from their own Numbers or Shadows, could pose an Existence-wide hyperdimensional threat while providing an easier way of dealing with them. For the near immortals among them, this became an essential part of their duties, but especially so for those who had once been an Antagonist before during the Legacy era.
During the Final Retcon, however, this project has been cast aside since there should be no more need for such a thing.
MODERN ERA
The current Modern Era is focused on the Neo Tokyo part 2 main setting. As such, this is an Existence-wide, hyperdimensional threat that has allowed for Interruptions as of World 5. Though Order and Chaos were functions of the original World 3, they have long since been cut off from the setting due to Karma, The Overpowered Primeval of Conquest, having reconnected with the setting. As of World 4, none of Theomnis’s forces (Order, Chaos, or Retconners) can be involved until certain conditions have been met.
ORGANIZATIONS
There are four known Organizations for a modern Overpowered to consider:
Extreme Existence
Theomnis Group
The Shop (notably allied with Extreme Existence)
Independents (split evenly half and half between Theomnis and Extreme Existence)
PLAYING AN OVERPOWERED
Overpowered characters who have fulfilled all Ascension Rites get to enjoy many benefits; however, there are clear sides to the situation. Currently, there are no plans for any player characters to side with the Theomnis Group. At worst, they may consider Independent status but making a move that benefits either side may bring down the wrath of the System, resulting in immediate redaction/zero-summing/retconning.
An Overpowered player should be aware of the limits of their domains but must also have a rationale that their DM can accept regarding how far-reaching that domain’s power is.
Fresh, Modern Era Overpowereds are perfectly fine to create and play; however, Legacy Era characters can also be shoehorned in, so long as the player and DM agree to it.
Currently, the best way to address how an individual Overpowered character can be created and played is to simply create them as normal, then apply changes whenever they activate a Mode. This allows for greater individual expression among Overpowered characters, forcing them to pay attention to their builds.
While it’s true that an Overpowered can “learn anything, do anything, be anything,” it is also true that the System regulates compatibility. A hyper-generalist character may not be as good as a hyper-specific character, nor can a hard melee style character suddenly be able to start casting spells, however a GM should always have in mind the chance for a melee-based character to gain the spark of magic/psychic/whatever, just as they should give a magic-type character the chance to improve through simply FARTLEK training, should they find a trainer and have the patience to do so in-game. While it’s true that an Overpowered with proper Backstage training can simply “AbDefine” themselves to immediately know something, it’s also true that training outside of the System (or perhaps because of the System, as always, “unless noted otherwise” and “DM Fiat” applies) produces stronger results for the individual, especially while doing their thing between settings.
As such, Overpowereds are more or less not just their starting race, class, or even stats, as it should only be a beginning for them. Activating “Overpowered Mode” is what allows them to genuinely access their true depth of powers, including access to the Backstage should they have knowledge of it.
Internalizing knowledge and training are something any baby Overpowered (or Legacy, for that matter!) should focus on since every Absolute, Lesser, and other forms of knowledge need to be internalized by the entity in question, or they lose access to it at the end of a session. In the very least, internalizing System-acquired data and content saves them time in the long run.
THE BACKSTAGE
If you, the GM, want the Overpowered player in question to be able to create their own worlds, artifacts, avatars, or people, then go for it! Just remember to have it written down and accessible in a transparent location/platform for all players to see.
It’s always best to ensure the Overpowered character has the understanding and knowledge internalized and accessible to do this, though. Keep in mind that baby Overpowereds, freshly Ascended, are actually at their weakest since they haven’t had a chance to even access the Backstage, let alone their own powers and true capabilities.
KEY TERMS TO UNDERSTAND
Imagos – imaginary resources spawned by either Darkons or Photons (aka Darkinos and Photinos). A naturally occurring state of Darkons and Photons is that they are infinitely spawning – the more you use them, the more they spawn, forcing Existence out further in all spatial dimensions. May also refer to the “true self” found only on the Overpowered plane of existence.
Domains – the sum culmination of an Overpowered’s power and can only be achieved by an Overpowered or Overpowered Slayer. Overpowered Primevals are those who have become consumed by their power and have a limited perspective on it. A Domain, however, is a trait that allows an Overpowered to define themselves and their powers based on what they believe – for instance, the Domain of Combat can freely view skills, abilities, energy forms, or gear are part of the Domain of Combat, thus has access to those as part of the Domain of Combat. Domains often have blurred lines between one another, solely based on the viewpoints and beliefs of the wielders, but are officially held by only one person at a time. Any Overpowered, Slayer, or Primeval (who once wielded a Domain) gains a “main” Domain upon Ascension. Domains are the first of a Legendsforce to be presented during the Clash. While Domains can be trained (mostly, unless otherwise noted), Main Domains cannot, at least at full strength. Weakened versions of Main Domains can be trained, though, but it will always be weaker than a Main. If a Domain disappears from an Overpowered’s list (alongside all information gained from that Domain, but not as a result of the Domain), then it’s because this Domain has become the new Main Domain of a freshly Ascended Overpowered.
Ascension (Ritual of Ascension) – the act of crossing from 999g to 1000g of Elan and having acquired the ability to freely cross dimensions in some way or other. Only then can the Ritual of Ascension be taken, allowing the person to figure out the “secret of Extreme Existence,” the secret shared by all Overpowereds.
Primeval Point (Ritual of Ascension 2) – it is currently unknown how an Overpowered may become a Primeval, though it is known that there is a second secret that only Primevals are privy to. Only those who have acquired this fourth requirement may begin the Primeval Point.
Subordinate – not all domains are the same, especially during the Clash. Few are generally equal, but there are a few of them that are “subordinate” (weaker right out the gate) to others, depending on their nature. Some are subordinate simply because they give rise to an offspring domain, such as Art, which exploded into various other domains once defined later on.
Those Above – there are those who do not exist and cannot be interacted with, regardless of the Elan one possesses. They are beyond all forms of Existence and non-Existence and cannot directly interact with the events of Extreme Existence unless otherwise noted. There is a theory that those who have achieved 1001g’s of Elan may have been turned into one of these, but there is no proof of this.
The System – known only to the highest of Elan, it is well known that all that exists (and doesn’t) is managed and maintained by a System, one that cannot be interacted with directly. The System is part of Those Above, and as such, retains extraordinary powers that are irresistible and unstoppable. If the System judges an individual to have broken a rule or law, then the System will ruthlessly redact them and/or zero-sum them out of existence, even Retconning the entirety of existence to do so, depending on how powerful or central they are to the plot of the Main Setting.
The Author – the creator of the System and a member of Those Above.
Obelisks – the true rules and laws of all Existence are encased within strange Obelisks of dark metal that cannot be interacted with. Once, the central point of Extreme Existence’s HQ (Paradisio) maintained the very first known Obelisk, but this Obelisk was somehow changed to the center of The Shop during the Final Retcon. Each Obelisk bears a single rule or message from The Author, which is backed completely by The System.
Retcon – any event that leads to the erasure of every point of current Existence, but then is thwarted or reverted, is treated as a “Retcon.” Retconning existence means to change it in ways that affect the fundamental nature of Existence itself, either its history or worse. This is an Existence-wide, hyperdimensional phenomenon that has been accepted by the System as canon. There is no way for any organization to actually control the content of the Retcon, and it is one of the most feared events in Extreme Existence. However, they tend to profit from it more than not, should they be the ones to thwart or reverse the erasure. Retconning may also harm Theomnis’s will and mentality, leading to further destabilization of the current Existence.
Final Retcon – During the events of The Generalist, a Final Retcon occurred that spanned all known media from The Generalist and was canonized in Neo-Tokyo Part 2. It is from here that the true Modern Era genuinely begins. All other media is recognized as Legacy media (including the stalled start of Neo-Tokyo part 2, at world 4).
Redact – this term can have two meanings. 1) The nature of [REDACTED] may mean that the information being regarded requires more gnosis of Elan by the listener or speaker, resulting in a black bar with the white lettering across it. There is no way to circumvent [REDACTED] information. 2) There is also the actual verb of Redaction, which means to delete or erase entities or content from the current main Setting. If the content or entity is of Overpowered status or can affect all the current Existence, then this may require either Zero-Summing or a full-blown Retcon.
Zero-Sum – Zero-Sum cannot be performed actively by anything under Those Above. Zero-Sum is a result of action taken. Unlike Redactions or Retcons, Zero-Sum cannot be reversed or otherwise circumvented. Reaching 1001g of Elan equates immediate Zero-Sum of the entity or content involved. This is backed by the System as set forth by the Author.
Backstage – a special plane of existence accessible only by Overpowereds, Overpowered Primevals, and certain Slayers. The Backstage is the programming phase of all Existence, allowing the user to access Existence-wide commands and abilities that can only be found here (both Absolutes and Lessers are input here) to affect all understood and internalized levels of Existence.
System Menu – allows the user to input commands through the Backstage while their sentience is currently on a Prime plane of existence. This includes Overpowered Level as well. Using the System Menu while interacting on the Prime plane of existence, particularly in a Main Setting, may allow for Hyperdimensional Interruption or outright Breaking, unless otherwise noted.
Clash – “Clash” can refer to a direct presence battle of Overpowereds and Primevals on the Overpowered Level, usually represented by enormous, ethereal, and supreme versions of their selves. Also known as a “True Battle,” even though most actions take place in the Prime planes (physical, spiritual, psychic), since most Overpowered and Primevals view this as their “true selves.” (NOTE: see Imagos) During the Clash, all forms of strength are compared, and the Legendsforce of each individual determines whether one is greater or weaker than the other. No matter the outcome on the Overpowered Level, the actual actions on the Prime planes can determine the outcome of the Clash; however, there are more than a few Overpowereds, Primevals, and even Slayers who specialize in dominating the other planes of existence purely through the results of the Clash.
Legendsforce – the sheer power, presence, history, and prestige of the individual Overpowered involved in a clash. By their very existence, an Overpowered is a hyperdimensional entity that generates Legendsforce simply by being, affecting reality on an Existence-wide Scale. Whenever two Overpowereds Clash, their Legendsforce is technically what is actually Clashing, seeking to dominate the other and either proving they’re greater than the other through deed, actions taken in the Prime layers of existence, or other methods.
Overpowered Level – Overpowereds and Primevals operate on multiple levels, both internally and externally, and across multiple planes of existence at the same time (physical, spiritual, psychic). Overpowered Level is the name of a level of reality only Overpowereds and Primevals can perceive and interact with, where their “true selves” reside. NOTE: All Overpowered Slayers can affect this plane even without being able to perceive it, and may sometimes manifest on this level as well, though rarely.
Mode – as one progresses up the path of Elan, one gains access to named Modes. Modes must be activated (taking up at least one action), but there are myriads of ways to make this free or done as a reaction. Upon activating a Mode, the user gains the immediate benefits of accessing that Mode, as per the Elan System table (God, Higher God, etc., up to Overpowered Primeval).
NOTE: Modes can only be used directly on entities of at least one level or above you on the Elan table, unless noted elsewhere. In the case of entities two levels below your own, you may simply choose to ignore their attempts at interaction. Accepting interaction increases the chance of Hyperdimensional Interruption or Breaking.
Hyperdimensional Interruption – should any Overpowered utilize their powers openly at the highest levels they have available (including manipulating the Backstage), this invites any other Overpowered nearby or paying attention to interrupt the current Setting. The invading force may then deploy its own measures and become involved, which can allow other Overpowered entities to become involved as well. This is considered a better outcome than outright Hyperdimensional Breaking, which increases the chances of the System becoming involved.
Hyperdimensional Breaking – should more than a couple Overpowereds not native to a Main Setting get involved directly beyond mere Interruption will immediately cause a cascade of them on either side to break the Balance, causing the System to immediately zero-sum or Redact many of them to maintain that balance, even incurring a full-blown Existence-wide hyperdimensional Retcon. There is only one known Breaking to have ever occurred, resulting in the loss of many numbers on either side and forcing a slew of domains to become available to new Overpowereds. Due to the havoc this caused all organizations involved, none have dared a new Breaking no matter how wild or chaotic a character they are.
Hyperdimensional Balance – all Overpowereds are aware of other Overpowereds at any point in time, and this sense grows the closer they are to one another on a Prime plane of existence. Whenever a new Overpowered ascends, all Overpowereds become aware of the location and status of all other Overpowereds Existence-wide until the ascension is complete. Due to the nature of Overpowereds (this counts Primevals and Slayers as well), there is an unwritten and even unspoken Balance that must be maintained. This stalemate, of sorts, is backed by the System, which will immediately zero-sum AND Redact any who break the Balance in a Main Setting (or subsequently connected Setting); however, there are rare exceptions to this depending on what the System itself (or the Author) necessitates for the Setting itself. There is no way to determine what the System or Author considers Balance-breaking, so many Overpowered Characters will simply sit on the sidelines and wait for the other side to make the first move.
Setting – any current Adventure (no matter the media) is the “Setting” that is being focused on. Though other planes of existence, locations, or any other place may get involved, the initial “Setting” is considered the main Setting unless otherwise noted.
Niridium Metal – infamous “metal that doesn’t exist,” allowing one to exist in the Void even after the absolute erasure of all existence. Once Existence is back up and running, any source of Niridium Metal used in such a fashion is erased out of existence and cannot be used as such again.
Starmetal – strange metal found only in highly pressurized comets that have matured beyond 1000 interdimensional years. Starmetal is, famously, used by the Terracotta Soldier Statues of the Dreamworld.
Optimized Gold – currency that mimics all local currencies within any given planet/dimension/location in Existence. These are tracked by the Central Bank of Extreme Existence, and circulation is maintained and guaranteed by both Extreme Existence and The Shop. Once issued, the Optimized Gold currency values cannot be altered until they are reacquired and processed by the Central Bank. All Optimized Gold is traceable Existence-wide, and can only be traced and hunted by Central Bank agents.
NOTE: It is important to know that the illusory nature of Optimized Gold, once set by the Central Bank, cannot be perceived as anything other than what it was issued as by anyone under 1000g of Elan. Even Overpowered Slayers cannot see it as anything other than the currency it was issued as. If Optimized Gold takes on paper fiat form, then it is just as fragile as normal, local paper fiat currency.
NOTE: Central Bank strictly controls and regulates the usage of Bank Agent TDI’s. This is backed by both The Shop and Extreme Existence, as well as the Strata Commission.
Strata Commission – a department found in Extreme Existence that monitors, regulates, updates, and controls all TDI’s. Only one Undine-blood at any point in time acts as a cross-agent between Central Bank and Extreme Existence itself.
Central Bank – a hyperdimensional department within Extreme Existence that may operate outside of Numbers (but not Shadows) control. Technically not an independent group, so it does not count towards the current known organizations within Existence (Extreme Existence, The Shop, The Redactors/Chaos and Order/Theomnis, Independents)
Independents – until the Final Retcon, there was no one who hadn’t chosen a side. Now, there are those who have either decided to stay neutral or, at the very least, not take a side for now. Independents are grouped as a single organization for purposes of structure, and very few of them argue against it due to the insanely powerful influence of the other Organizations.
NPC’s – anyone who is not an Overpowered, Primeval, or Slayer. Considered a slur by most Extreme Existence-adjacent entities and even many Independents agree. There is an implication that NPC’s do not matter in Existence, something the Extreme Existence does not condone.
Ephemerals - anyone who is not an Overpowered, Primeval, or Slayer. The actual term used by any and all Extreme Existence-adjacent entities and organizations, based on the original belief that there was randomness to how and where an Overpowered comes from.
Battle Radio – no matter the media, there exists music to all things that Exist. The Battle Radio is a strange unifying force that represents this music and gives rise to the Kind Harmonics theory, which posits that any technique, spell, skill, or ability can be upgraded simply by associating it with a song, band name, or musician. There are a few DJs or talking sections involved with Battle Radio, though it is well known that DJ Chronos K (the current Overpowered Primeval of Time) is the one most people hear. Not all Overpowereds can natively hear the Battle Radio, but all those with TDI’s can.
PAST PROJECTS
It is well known and accepted in the beginning that the rise of an Overpowered only and ever genuinely came from the Ephemeral stock. However, there have been many attempts to change this, as it’s a long-held belief that the side with more Overpowereds will win in the case of Hyperdimensional Interruption or Break.
Eugenics Program – a long-running program by Extreme Existence to birth new Overpowereds. While this was not considered a success, new applications have been developed in the Modern Era, which gave rise to Undine Strata, Communication Overpowered, and Cash Dolmek, the Training Overpowered. There have been general degrees of success leading up to the Strata Commission, most of which have reached Empowered levels successfully. It is well-documented that individuals from the Krieg gene bloodline tend to be weeded out by Maximum Krieg himself; however, the bloodline’s potency and potential are still noted as a success of this program. Due to the program's side effects (increased bonding between married couples during their matrimonial contracts, increased synchronization afterwards, and general mood stability among Overpowered individuals), it is still maintained to this day by Extreme Existence. The brainchild of the Celebration Overpowered but taken over, updated, and maintained by the Strata Commission in the Modern Era.
The Overpowered Slayer Program – a strange program first mentioned by Matthews Davis, The Loyalty Overpowered, and then later taken up by others in a row of succession (Dictator, The Soldat Overpowered, Harkonnen Kraze, the previous Secrets Overpowered, and finally Granmere Baskerville, The Fanatic Overpowered) the Overpowered Slayer program proved to be extremely successful in creating ephemerals gifted with the ability, or perhaps potential, to break the old rules and actively allow them to interact with and, as the name suggests, slay Overpowereds. Although it originally began as part of the Eugenics program, Davis theorized that it could be applied to individuals through extreme forms of esoteric training. Later on, this would be taken up by the then-Soldat Overpowered, who opened the view up to distinct classes and jobs. Harkonnen Kraze would then steal this information and provide it to a splinter faction of the Dianic Sisterhood, creating the Chaingivers. Finally, it would fall into the hands of Granmere Baskerville, the Fanatic Overpowered, returning to her Dolanese roots and incorporating the techniques of her predecessors. She begat the Void Hounds as she also purified the teachings of the Hound Style of Fighting, finally delivering knowledge to the Extreme Existence organization on how to streamline the process of creating Slayers.
Cross Training Program – known as the roots of IDMA (Interdimensional Martial Arts), this program was held before the concept of Domains became established. During this time, many Overpowered individuals trained with one another in the hope that their powers would be compatible. With the rise of Domain knowledge, this became easier to do, but almost immediately had to halt for a while with the ascension of Cash Dolmek, The Training Overpowered. This Program would eventually become the catalyst that led to modern-day IDMA, the magnum opus of the Soldat Overpowered.
Gamification – taking a different angle at things, the Shop (of Neo-LA setting) would, instead, change reality to mirror an RPG game, hoping to grant 1g to all ephemerals and the possibility of growth. Any setting involved with the Shop immediately provides 1g to all ephemerals, regardless of time or location, as long as it’s set in the world of Neo-Los Angeles. From there, the setting itself may give rise to more Overpowereds as the System allows. NOTE: Although presented in this order, the following attempts are not in chronological sequence.
Meathooks, Inc. – the first attempts by The Shop to gamify existence, which gave rise to at least one Overpowered, if not two.
The Devil’s Dance – the second attempt by The Shop to gamify existence. This would not give rise to another Overpowered; however, the system itself would be condensed and perfected for their third attempt.
Crush ‘Em – the third attempt by The Shop to gamify existence. Here is where the gamification route would expand further, bringing in even more options to their attempts, but would still not yet provide a new Overpowered.
Gonzo Gaming – the ultimate attempt by The Shop and Extreme Existence to gamify existence. The most long-running and successful of all attempts, not only giving rise to new Overpowereds but also resulting in canonizing Legacy Era Overpowereds and providing them new histories and powers, revealing Those Above as well as providing the Final Retcon and the Phoenix Gates, which are being used to suppress Theomnis’s cancerous growth.