Why wear a costume / have a secret Identity? 

A Champions/HERO game discussion applicable to most superhero games

Why wear a costume / have a secret Identity?

1. The costume and the persona it creates have real existence in  the jungian subconscious, making it possible to evade mystical and psionic attack an detection dues to the "Seperate" existance of the super and normal self.
In Champions game terms if you wear a costume you have a +5 EGDCV against mind scans and similar means of detection while in your secret ID.

2.All people in costume have extra natural presence in the world owing to the super celebrity status of superhumans.  This extra presence can be lost by humiliation or defeat, but all people in a comic universe have , since their infancy , been raised to believe that the costume signifies something powerful and dangerous.
In Champions terms an extra +10 presence is automatic for a person in costume .

3.The obvious protection in a court of law it provides for both heroes and villains alike, preventing positive identification and thus providing at least some measure of defense against prosecutors. Many superhumans on both sides of the law

4.Protection of family and friends as well as the innocent bystanders that happen to live in the same building. Even if a person doesn't fear for themselves they might not want to bring the wrath of Professor Nutcrusher down on their neighbors and their Aunt Jenny will be far likelier to live to 80 if she isn't being tortured for information on where Captian Obvious keeps his Secret Power Source.
An un-costumed super human seen in the act has an 8 or less chance of being tracked down by the various powers that be (on 3d6).  The opposite holds true for most costumed folks, as the urban legends about people "accidentally" discovering the secret identities of villains and to a lesser extent heroes who then suffer grisley fates abound.


Effects of having a public ID (no costume)

1.Well it's not all bad, having a public ID automatically entitles you to one level (5pts) of wealth between the basic effects of merchandising and free promotions/gifts and other offers.

2.You automatically get an 9 or less hunted by random persons interested in your life.  This can include stalkers . charities, lawers with summons, papparazzi, the IRS, criminal's families, victim's families, star-fuckers of all kinds, mercenary criminals , enemies and low life parasites of every variety.

3.Everytime you publicly defeat a major menace and get good press your wealth is effectively raised one level for 1d6 days while you remain the Flavor of the Minute.

4.Vulnerability of family and friends,who all now have an 8 or less chance of being tracked down by the various powers that be, stalkers, charities, lawers with summons, papparazzi, the IRS, criminal's families, victim's families, star-fuckers of all kinds, mercenary criminals , enemies and low life parasites of every variety.

5. You get 2 extra presence attack dice as long as you are getting good press.

6. You get a +4 to all Seduction rolls , being a super has it perks.

7. The time it takes to get anything done is at least doubled do to the number of people , be they process servers, papparazzi, starfuckers, detectives, FBI Agents or other hangers on seeking "a few minutes of thier time".