This TTRPG system can be understood, mechanically, to have 3 tiers of play.
Tiers are a shorthand way of describing how mechanically powerful something is in this system.
Tiers are not a synonym or parallel to levels in games such as D&D. This is a level-less system in which character advancement is directed entirely by the player.
This page provides an overview of the mechanics that determine tiers, and examples of these tiers in popular fiction.
Your game can begin play at whatever tier the GM wishes, which will be evident in the character creation kit they provide to their players.
There is a lot of grey area between tier 1 and 2, or tier 2 and 3. This is intentional. With the character creation kits we have provided, tier 1 player characters will be able to dip their toes into tier 2 for the skills & powers they are best at.
Tier 0
This system isn’t designed for play as Tier 0 characters.
These are the regular everyday people in any setting. They do not have special skills, powers, or equipment. They are not particularly well suited to adventuring. They are unlikely to live through any sort of real combat. There are other systems out there that portray these kinds of people as player character well, and we suggest you use them.
Note: every game will have plenty of Tier 0 NPCs.
Tier 1
Most TTRPG systems in the fantasy genre begin play here. The protagonists(player characters) are heroes, but you wouldn’t call them “godlike”. They’re well trained and well equipped, but they will not be single-handedly crushing massive armies.
Character Examples
A SWAT team police officer, a special forces soldier, a mortal hero, an adolescent dragon, Neo in The Matrix 1, Rambo, a level ~1-5 D&D character.
Tier 2
Things start to get a little bit crazy in tier 2. The protagonists(player characters) are veteran heroes who could fittingly be called “demigods”. Not only do the player characters have larger dicepools, they have powers that give them truly fantastic capabilities. For example, the Cataclysmic Landscaping power allows you to single-handedly perform massive landscaping projects on impossibly short time scales, like Paul Bunyan creating the Grand Canyon.
Character Examples
A demigod like Hercules, an adult dragon, most comic book characters(except Superman). Neo in The Matrix 2, a level ~6-13 D&D character.
Tier 3
This tier is the maximum power level (for player characters) in which character traits & statistics still have any meaning. Above this tier are entities so potent that giving them stats would only make them weaker. “Godlike” might be underselling the scale of power that a tier 3 character can achieve. In some settings, they will just literally be gods; powerful gods. Raising the dead, running faster than the fastest vehicle, and wiping out whole armies are a trifling matter.
Character Examples
A god, Superman, Cthulu, Neo in The Matrix 3, a level ~14-20 D&D character.
Kits & Tiers
GMs should seriously consider the tier that they wish their game to start at when building kits for character creation. Below are basic example kits for character creation in each tier.
Tier 1
Caps
Attributes: 6
Skills: 6
Assets: 6
To Spend
10 Attribute Points
25 Skill points
20 Power Points
12 Asset Points
Starting Potency: 1
Free Powers: Plot Armor, Mask
Tier 2
Caps:
Attributes: 9
Skills: 9
Assets: 9
To Spend
16 Attribute Points
35 Skill points
30 Power Points
24 Asset Points
Starting Potency: 3
Free Powers: Plot Armor, Passive Regeneration 1, Mask, Extra Health
Tier 3
Caps:
Attributes: 12
Skills: 12
Assets: 12
To Spend
22 Attribute Points
50 Skill points
50 Power Points
36 Asset Points
Starting Potency: 6
Free Powers: Plot Armor, Passive Regeneration 2, Mask, Extra Health