The Algernon Files
Aaron Sullivan's "The Algernon Manifesto"
As he puts it, The Algernon Files 3.0 will be based around a few assumptions:
1. Everything builds around the player characters.
You might not be the most powerful characters in your game, but you’re certainly the most important ones at your table. In line with that, there are far fewer heroes to get between your PCs and the glory in this iteration. Oh, there are still some hero-types, but they are included as potential complicating factors, things to make plots and actions more complicated for the PCs. There are also a few characters firmly in the gray area, people or teams that can either just make life more difficult or slide completely into the opposition camp, all depending on how you interact with them. Generally speaking, background references to heroic characters will be kept vague or generic enough that it should be easy to say that the “hero” or “a team of heroes” reference is referring to one or more of the player characters at your table. In other words, the villains aren’t firmly set already as members of some other hero’s rogue’s gallery and other heroes are only there as resources for the players and GMs (not as rivals for the limelight and the glory). That being said, given the tradition behind this line and the continuing product identity, we’re still keeping the fictional conceit that these are files compiled by ALGERNON, the AI created by Doc Steel and working with The Sentinels super-group; also, I don’t want to have to think up another set of titles, none of which would have any recognition value building on our former work.
2. Plug-and-play works best for the most GMs and their groups.
These write-ups are designed to be self-contained and presume as little of a pre-established “universe” or timeline as possible. That means they don’t reference other characters or places or events unless that material is also going to be covered in these volumes. If the reference is for material from another volume, a sidebar will give the bare bones needed to use the element (or how to ignore it completely, should that be your choice instead). This also means that references to fictional cities and sweeping global pre-established elements simply won’t be presented, as those establish too much “baggage” a GM or players might then have trouble divorcing from the characters in these books for easiest adaptation to their home games. Along those lines, and in order to streamline some material for easier use and just generally “fix” or tweak some things I wanted to change around, astute readers will notice that there are some differences between the material presented here and that presented in the versions written for earlier editions of M&M; this is intentional. As will be referenced in select character’s entries, the “Algernonverse” suffered through one of those big, intra-company, massive summer crossover plotlines that ended with a soft reboot. This doesn’t throw everything out that you guys might have read in the previous first and second edition iterations, but it does make room for some minor changes and re-shuffling here and there. Also, Jon Leitheusser, the developer for M&M over at Green Ronin, has very kindly given me permission to occasionally offer up suggestions on how to integrate The Algernon Files material (on an entry by entry basis) into GR’s own Earth-Prime setting (home to Freedom City and Emerald City, among many other locales), the most popular published setting for the game by far; again, those will be the stuff of sidebars and not the basic assumption for any entry at the outset.
3. Access to core books outside of the basic Hero’s Handbook published by Green Ronin cannot be assumed.
This iteration of TAF will not include builds with optional rules from The Gamemaster’s Handbook, Power Profiles, or Gadget Guides (all also published by Green Ronin). All people need to use these volumes is to have these volumes. See how simple that is? If new Advantages or other optional material is presented by me (i.e., stuff not already presented in the core rulebook), it will be included or summarily explained in sidebars inserted in the entry of the build using them; if there is a really important rules element I think Green Ronin clarified somewhere other than the core book and that plays into a particular entry, I will refer you to that book so you can go appreciate the work Green Ronin has done for this game. Otherwise, it’s just RAW. (That’s “Rules as Written” for those non-grognards out there.)
4. The vast majority of GMs run games set in the modern day (2014 as of this writing), on Earth, and in a universe operating around many of the comic book tropes we all know and love.
Oh, and generally in the 9-12 PL range, too. The material in these volumes will be written to be usable in as broad a context under those ideas as possible. That means for those of you running The Great Spaghetti Monster Worshipping Purple Amphibious Ape-Mutants combating the Dinosaur-led Romus Impericus on an alternate three-mooned Earth where Man never evolved, these books probably aren’t for you. Sorry about that, and best of luck with your campaign.
Hopefully, these assumptions will enable everyone to get the maximized utility out of the characters presented here. Good luck, enjoy, and good gaming!
As he puts it, The Algernon Files 3.0 will be based around a few assumptions:
1. Everything builds around the player characters.
You might not be the most powerful characters in your game, but you’re certainly the most important ones at your table. In line with that, there are far fewer heroes to get between your PCs and the glory in this iteration. Oh, there are still some hero-types, but they are included as potential complicating factors, things to make plots and actions more complicated for the PCs. There are also a few characters firmly in the gray area, people or teams that can either just make life more difficult or slide completely into the opposition camp, all depending on how you interact with them. Generally speaking, background references to heroic characters will be kept vague or generic enough that it should be easy to say that the “hero” or “a team of heroes” reference is referring to one or more of the player characters at your table. In other words, the villains aren’t firmly set already as members of some other hero’s rogue’s gallery and other heroes are only there as resources for the players and GMs (not as rivals for the limelight and the glory). That being said, given the tradition behind this line and the continuing product identity, we’re still keeping the fictional conceit that these are files compiled by ALGERNON, the AI created by Doc Steel and working with The Sentinels super-group; also, I don’t want to have to think up another set of titles, none of which would have any recognition value building on our former work.
2. Plug-and-play works best for the most GMs and their groups.
These write-ups are designed to be self-contained and presume as little of a pre-established “universe” or timeline as possible. That means they don’t reference other characters or places or events unless that material is also going to be covered in these volumes. If the reference is for material from another volume, a sidebar will give the bare bones needed to use the element (or how to ignore it completely, should that be your choice instead). This also means that references to fictional cities and sweeping global pre-established elements simply won’t be presented, as those establish too much “baggage” a GM or players might then have trouble divorcing from the characters in these books for easiest adaptation to their home games. Along those lines, and in order to streamline some material for easier use and just generally “fix” or tweak some things I wanted to change around, astute readers will notice that there are some differences between the material presented here and that presented in the versions written for earlier editions of M&M; this is intentional. As will be referenced in select character’s entries, the “Algernonverse” suffered through one of those big, intra-company, massive summer crossover plotlines that ended with a soft reboot. This doesn’t throw everything out that you guys might have read in the previous first and second edition iterations, but it does make room for some minor changes and re-shuffling here and there. Also, Jon Leitheusser, the developer for M&M over at Green Ronin, has very kindly given me permission to occasionally offer up suggestions on how to integrate The Algernon Files material (on an entry by entry basis) into GR’s own Earth-Prime setting (home to Freedom City and Emerald City, among many other locales), the most popular published setting for the game by far; again, those will be the stuff of sidebars and not the basic assumption for any entry at the outset.
3. Access to core books outside of the basic Hero’s Handbook published by Green Ronin cannot be assumed.
This iteration of TAF will not include builds with optional rules from The Gamemaster’s Handbook, Power Profiles, or Gadget Guides (all also published by Green Ronin). All people need to use these volumes is to have these volumes. See how simple that is? If new Advantages or other optional material is presented by me (i.e., stuff not already presented in the core rulebook), it will be included or summarily explained in sidebars inserted in the entry of the build using them; if there is a really important rules element I think Green Ronin clarified somewhere other than the core book and that plays into a particular entry, I will refer you to that book so you can go appreciate the work Green Ronin has done for this game. Otherwise, it’s just RAW. (That’s “Rules as Written” for those non-grognards out there.)
4. The vast majority of GMs run games set in the modern day (2014 as of this writing), on Earth, and in a universe operating around many of the comic book tropes we all know and love.
Oh, and generally in the 9-12 PL range, too. The material in these volumes will be written to be usable in as broad a context under those ideas as possible. That means for those of you running The Great Spaghetti Monster Worshipping Purple Amphibious Ape-Mutants combating the Dinosaur-led Romus Impericus on an alternate three-mooned Earth where Man never evolved, these books probably aren’t for you. Sorry about that, and best of luck with your campaign.
Hopefully, these assumptions will enable everyone to get the maximized utility out of the characters presented here. Good luck, enjoy, and good gaming!
Razz0putin
Explorer
It all looks so good. I can't wait to read it.
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