Power Classifications

Power Classifications and the accompanying number ratings are used by the PRT to quickly identify parahuman threats and strategize accordingly, although the system is used in non-American countries as well, including capes in India. Each classification is matched with a number indicating severity, where higher numbers mean a greater threat to public safety.

In theory, power classifications are only intended to rate the threat posed by the power itself, and not the user's own skill or any other factors. The actual number rating depends on the impact/strength of the power, obviously. It’s perhaps an oversight, perhaps a deliberate action (or some combination of the two) that versatility of a power isn’t counted unless it’s explicit – and Taylor’s isn’t. An example on how this could be deliberate: a PRT squad that moves in on a situation with notice to expect a, say, Shaker-3 that was rated a three only because he’s too much of a dumbass to use his powers to their full potential? They could be really screwed if said Shaker-3 had a fit of inspiration or some guidance/orders from someone that knew what they were doing. So dumbass gets rated a Shaker-5. The flip side of the coin, the potential oversight, is that you get the opposite scenario. Taylor gets rated as a Master-5 based on a discussion & analysis of her power & it’s potential on a surface examination, even though she might be 1-2 points higher given her creativity, versatility and other factors that perhaps the heroes aren’t fully aware of (her range, ability to fabricate spider silk, etc). This sort of situation is mitigated by the fact that the PRT squads are instructed to expect the worst case scenarios, to expect that every enemy agent will be operating at peak efficiency, perhaps, but yeah. [...] Canary, had she gone evil, could have started an all out riot, turning any opponent into an ally within moments. Can anyone say whether she might have been able to use televisions, radio, speakers, to get hundreds, thousands, millions of people at a time? That, plus hysteria and the degree of control she appeared to exhibit (making someone mutilate themselves without them breaking free of the compulsion) all got factored into the 8.- comment by Wildbow  Power classifications are also not intended to rate the "power levels", usefulness, or raw strength of an ability; only measuring the threat the power poses to PRT personnel and civilians. However, in practice they are often used poorly, or simply to cut through "red tape" and justify treating a parahuman a certain way.Power levels - Breaker 2, Stranger 14, etc, they're pretty explicitly for the PRT. As in, the bureaucrats and the non-cape guys with the suits & mostly nonlethal weaponry. It's a shorthand way of warning the soldiers, for when there isn't time to say, "Electromagnetic shield, don't waste your bullets!" It is possible for a Brute 3 to be physically stronger than a Brute 5. Capes will use it too, but it's something vague that you use to get a general sense of a situation (see Weld with the dossier in Arc 9, chapter 1). Other cases where it matters are in terms of strangers and masters who require special precautions, and determining what kind of cell a particular parahuman goes into.​ ​ Tagg slaps a '2 of everything' on Taylor because it gives full authorization for all special measures, and it's a constant reminder to his people that she's a threat in every department. Capes don't have penis measuring contests over it, and it's rare for it to get adjusted unless there's information the PRT doesn't know or someone needs to cut past some red tape (I'd even say the latter case is more common). If a cape is developing fast enough to warrant big changes and it isn't because of the bureaucracy shortcuts, it's easier to slap a high rating on them to be safe and call it done (Going from Blaster 3 to blaster 6? Call them a nine, so your troops aren't surprised).​ ​ There are no numerical numbers assigned to a given rating. You aren't going to look at the guy who bench presses 9 tons and say "Oh, Brute 9". Way too much context involved. Barely even factors in. A guy that can bench press half a ton is just about as dangerous to the soldiers on the ground as the nine ton guy. It's less of a factor than natural versatility, the form that strength comes in, and what else is in the package. - comment by Wildbow

Current Classifications
In the modern day, the PRT has twelve different categories:Mover - the power moves the cape. Flight, speed, teleportation, etc. Mover triggers are provoked by a drive to escape, flee, run. Shaker - Area of effect powers. Shakers are generated from environmental danger or ambient danger. Brute - Enhanced strength, durability; armor, muscle, personal forcefields. Brutes are created from experiences of physical damage or pain. Blaster - Powers that provide a ranged attack. Blasters come about from hostile others, approaching or attacking from a distance. Breaker - Altered state, oft toggled, granting powers or altered interaction with reality. Breakers come from abstract stressors. Blend or ambiguous re: mental or physical lines. Master - Creates minions or has a means of compelling others to take certain actions. Masters come about from isolation, alienation, exile, or betrayal. Tinker - Building alien or advanced technology. Thinkers arise from solutionless problems over long periods, culminating in crisis moment. Thinker - Advanced perception, knowledge, data-collection, or skills. Thinkers manifest from emotional or mental strain, reaching a crisis point in a short time. Striker - Touch based and melee effects. Typically weapon’s or arm’s reach limited. Strikers result from immediate, in-your-face threat, usually a singular object or individual. Changer - Shapeshifting and alteration of one’s physical form. Changers arise from identity/body image issues, or conflict of role vs. social expectations. Trump - Powers that involve powers: picking from, add, remove, complicate, compound. Trumps have capes directly or indirectly involved in their trigger. Rare. Stranger - Powers specializing in infiltration, distraction, subtlety. Strangers gain powers from unwanted attention or social/collective pressure. - WD Rulebook: Character Creation - Trigger Capes: Classifications

It’s possible for parahumans to receive hybrid and sub-classifications. Hybrid ratings are issued if two or more aspects are irrevocably linked and are designated with a slash, while sub-ratings are given if a power has side-effects or applications that belong in another category. These are placed within parentheses. It’s possible for the number assigned to sub-ratings to exceed the number assigned to the main power.

History
The classification system was initially created by the PRT ground-patrol and response teams in New York to classify villains. Over time, the system was used to classify all parahumans, and as many thirty categories were added to account for all the different types. As the time passed, it was discovered that certain strategies were valid against broad groups of parahumans and classifications were condensed until twelve groups were left.

Only two of the older classifications have been expanded upon: The Shifter classification, which dealt with parahumans that could alter their appearance within human norms, and the Nuker designation, which covered Shakers with Blaster-like offensive potential and Blasters with Shaker-esque radius and potential for damage. Other named older classifications include Catcher, Brick, Shaper, Razor, and Controller.

Number Ratings
The numbers assigned to classifications are not an indication of raw strength of an ability. Rather, the number rating is a ballpark scale indicating the threat to a team. As such, the numbers also take into account the possibility of harm, but also panic.

Exceptionally high or low degrees of control are important to take into account: The first for the possibility of targeting specific team members or civilians, the second for the dangers of collateral damage or aftereffects.

While the number scale starts at one and rises up with no hard limit (still, 10+ are rare and denote very exceptional powers), it’s also possible to receive a rating of zero, or even a negative rating.

It is the responsibility of PRT operatives and parahumans to familiarize themselves with the current ratings for all relevant threats.

Trivia
Mover, Shaker, Brute and Breaker.
 * Weld was taught to remember the classifications using a rhyme:

Master, Tinker, Blaster and Thinker,

Striker, Changer, Trump and Stranger.