[DC Adventures] new shiny

I am enjoying my pre-order PDF! Apart from the quirky repetition of the Power Level text from p.33 on p.198, I am very impressed.

Reading the hero and villain descriptions reminds me of the conclusion I draw a while back that actual comic book universes are far too messy and loaded with legacy issues for my tastes. That said, I am very impressed by the effort that went into distilling the "iconic" version of each hero.

Despite some core changes, the new game looks highly compatible with M&M 2e.

Could you perhaps answer some questions for those of us on the fence?

I'd like to know how they changed Growth/Shrinking, if any. And I'd like to know the basics of how Affliction works.

SilvercatMoonpaw2 said:

Could you perhaps answer some questions for those of us on the fence?

I'd like to know how they changed Growth/Shrinking, if any. And I'd like to know the basics of how Affliction works.

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I don't have the original Growth/Shrinking memorized, but I'll summarize the new version. Growth basically increases your Strength and Stamina (the artist formerly known as Constitution) while decreasing dodge and parry, and every four steps increases your size category. There is also a gradual speed increase and Intimidation bonus. It is PL limited. It can be permanent. Basically it looks like a balanced equivalent to Enhanced Abilities. Shrinking simply reduces Strength and Intimidation while increasing defenses and Stealth; retaining your Strength is an optional extra.

Affliction now has a three tier effect, based on degrees of failure. Each step allows a menu choice from possible conditions, such as fatigued or dazed for the first step. There are a number of modifiers, which can do everything from limiting the degrees of failure to increasing the number of conditions inflicted. It looks like you cannot inflict powerful conditions without the target getting three degrees of failure. It looks like it can cover virtually any of the similar powers in 2e, EXCEPT the ones that take out a target with a single save against a standard DC. Looks like win to me. Recreating Slow looks like Affliction (hindered), Limited Degree -2. A fairly deadly petrification might be Affliction (hindered, immobile, transformed), Progressive +2, meaning that a character may only be slowed rather than petrified at first, but will slowly turn to stone if they keep failing resistance rolls.

pawsplay said:

Affliction now has a three tier effect, based on degrees of failure. Each step allows a menu choice from possible conditions, such as fatigued or dazed for the first step. There are a number of modifiers, which can do everything from limiting the degrees of failure to increasing the number of conditions inflicted. It looks like you cannot inflict powerful conditions without the target getting three degrees of failure. It looks like it can cover virtually any of the similar powers in 2e, EXCEPT the ones that take out a target with a single save against a standard DC. Looks like win to me. Recreating Slow looks like Affliction (hindered), Limited Degree -2. A fairly deadly petrification might be Affliction (hindered, immobile, transformed), Progressive +2, meaning that a character may only be slowed rather than petrified at first, but will slowly turn to stone if they keep failing resistance rolls.

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Sounds like it's the various 2e conditions with a mix-and-match option.

Combat. How is it?

Or, if you prefer, how is it different. Whichever is easier, or more appealing perhaps.

Active defenses are an option, but passive defenses are assumed. Combat is overall very similar to 2e, but Affliction has been de-escalated and many remaining vestiges of 3e have been excised. Distances are mostly in feet, but the game does not require any particular level of precision; it's probably no accident that the ranges are named and you could probably just stick with "close," "long" etc. for mapless combat. I'm a map kind of guy myself, however.

One thing I think is not wholly positive is how PLs have been rebalanced. Your sum of defense + resistance cannot exceed 2x PL, generally. What this means in practice is that Agility and Fighting both have to be compared to Toughness, which complicates some designs. I was playing around converting a 1st level Pathfinder guy to DCA and I had trouble fitting him into PL 5 because of the combination of modest Stamina and Fighting with the addition of a shield and chainmail. Keep in mind that the SWAT member listed in the book is PL 5 and has a higher Fighting than what I was playing around with. Still, it's more of a occasional annoyance than a breaking thing; you can work around it easily using the Close Attack and Ranged Attack advantages to fix your offense if your defense has to be kept somewhat lower (end result: CA + RA costs the same as Fig, so you are basically sacrificing points of Dodge or Parry at the same price).

Because my last game of 2e turned into a snarl due to a stunning, grappling villain I introduced, I'm going to say DCA looks like a good upgrade, even if the changes, individually, are fairly modest. Also, despite the Ross cover, the book is full of good, mostly Bronze-era art in the style I associate with my favorite runs of the JLA and the Avengers.

pawsplay said:

Affliction now has a three tier effect, based on degrees of failure. Each step allows a menu choice from possible conditions, such as fatigued or dazed for the first step. There are a number of modifiers, which can do everything from limiting the degrees of failure to increasing the number of conditions inflicted. It looks like you cannot inflict powerful conditions without the target getting three degrees of failure.

Click to expand...

Are the degrees of failure in increments of 5? I ask because I'm looking at 2e stun right now and a simple fail just makes one dazed. Five or more gives you stunned, and failure by 10 graduates to unconscious. Nauseate similarly is sickened/nauseated/helpless. If that's the case, this sounds like the old mechanics just unified, which is cool.

Is mind control an affliction or its own thing?

Samnell said:

Are the degrees of failure in increments of 5? I ask because I'm looking at 2e stun right now and a simple fail just makes one dazed. Five or more gives you stunned, and failure by 10 graduates to unconscious. Nauseate similarly is sickened/nauseated/helpless. If that's the case, this sounds like the old mechanics just unified, which is cool.

Click to expand...

Affliction is based around the structure of something like Stun. The effects are very tweakable, though.

Is mind control an affliction or its own thing?

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The Psionic archetype's Mind Control is Affliction (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Cumulative, Perception Range. Cumulative means that once you have imposed Dazed, a second Dazed gives you Compelled, and so forth. It's quite powerful, but you would need a 10 point spread to get Controlled right off the bat.

pawsplay said:

Affliction is based around the structure of something like Stun. The effects are very tweakable, though.



The Psionic archetype's Mind Control is Affliction (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Cumulative, Perception Range. Cumulative means that once you have imposed Dazed, a second Dazed gives you Compelled, and so forth. It's quite powerful, but you would need a 10 point spread to get Controlled right off the bat.

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Cool. Thanks, Paws.

I heard that the pdf lacks the sample power section. Someone posted an index without it. Only a rumor? If yes, can you give the page the sample powers start?