Blood and Vigilance tweak: suggestions?

[Vigilance]

So, inspired by the "boss for a day" thread I'm doing a NPC book for B&V and I'm also tweaking the rules themselves.

So far I have:

Tweak Advanced Training Origin and add rogue-type powers to allow people to nullify/mimic/steal powers.

Any other suggestions?

Chuck

 

[Roudi]

This is less a tweak and more of a suggestion: but C.Baize wrote up some damn good powers, some of which are considered "core" whenever I run a B&V game. If a second edition of B&V is in the works, I would definitely suggest incorporating some or all of them.

 

[Vigilance]

This is less a tweak and more of a suggestion: but C.Baize wrote up some damn good powers, some of which are considered "core" whenever I run a B&V game. If a second edition of B&V is in the works, I would definitely suggest incorporating some or all of them.

I'm not really doing a second edition, more of a "version 1.1". CB's powers were nicely done but I think it would be better to just leave them in the dispatch. I *think* there's a B&Vigilance bundle, including CB's and Paul King's fine B&V stuff.

If there isn't a bundle, I'll recommend we make one.

Chuck

 

[ledded]

We added a version of power nullification to our BnV game that was a ton of fun, so I second the whole Rogue-like thread.

Other suggestions...

Add a "sidebar" for powers such as Absorption and Deflection that gives a quick-n-easy system of converting "mundane" damage for use with those powers (i.e. non-powers related damage, such as from a 2d8 gunshot vs. physical absorption, etc). It's can be a fun option for a "grim-n-grittier" game.

Add a guideline for special cases where a superhero's power and a piece of gear are intertwined and not really seperate, such as Captian America's shield, etc, that can be used without too much hand-waving. We used a homespun addition to the way Disadvantages worked that did the job fairly nicely for us, but the system we used by itself could be easily taken advantage of by the cheesier of metagamers.

There were a few other things that escape my mind right now, I'll post up more if you dont mind me going on about 'em.

 

[Vigilance]

We added a version of power nullification to our BnV game that was a ton of fun, so I second the whole Rogue-like thread.

Other suggestions...

Add a "sidebar" for powers such as Absorption and Deflection that gives a quick-n-easy system of converting "mundane" damage for use with those powers (i.e. non-powers related damage, such as from a 2d8 gunshot vs. physical absorption, etc). It's can be a fun option for a "grim-n-grittier" game.

Add a guideline for special cases where a superhero's power and a piece of gear are intertwined and not really seperate, such as Captian America's shield, etc, that can be used without too much hand-waving. We used a homespun addition to the way Disadvantages worked that did the job fairly nicely for us, but the system we used by itself could be easily taken advantage of by the cheesier of metagamers.

There were a few other things that escape my mind right now, I'll post up more if you dont mind me going on about 'em.

All good ideas.

On the issue of equipment-heavy heroes, I have added some help on that front but since I did an entire book (Blood and Circuits) about item creation and gadgeteering, mostly I have made sure B&Vigilance meshes as well as possible with B&C, then pointed those interested toward that other book.

I have taken steps (I think) to make advanced training characters like Cap much easier to stat up though.

As for the rest, post away, I'm here to listen.

 

[jezter6]

Suggestions away...

1) More options for non-powered heroes in a supers setting.

2) Ability to 'trade off' PP for something else, so that you can have a 10th level person with only 4 levels worth of powers. Unfortunately, Powers...like skills, are an all or nothing deal. If you play a smart hero, you have a billion skill points, even if it doesn't match the concept...and since there's nothing to do but put them in other skills, you become competent in something unrelated to the char. That's sort of why I like point buy type systems.

3) Ability (or at least a how-to) on becoming a super AFTER level 1. (That would sort of tie in with #2)

4) Expanded power stunts! Can't have enough of them.

5) An alternate gadget power that allows you to procure normal items, instead of gadget rules that require building unique items and skill checks. The alternate one that I created used a power bonus to modern's 'on hand' wealth checks and allows you to break some of the on-hand rule limitations.

 

[jezter6]

And might I add...

Any tweaks that may be necessary to run B&V with Grim Tales rules.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Fast Healing. This is sort of a must-have power, to the point that, IIRC, most of ledded's folks take a disaded out Fast Healing of some type for every super. It's cheap and totally game-changing.

Maybe just start at Fast Healing 0.01 that pips once an hour, then FH 0.1, FH 1.

The guy that took Fast Healing in my B&V game totally destroyed party challenge cohesion since he was ready to rock five minutes later and everybody else took a day. In D&D Fast Healing per round works because the party cleric can slap down a 4d8+7 Cure spell on you, while a standard modern game you get the 1d4 from TE once a day.

In the regular Modern milieu, Fast Healing 1 is huge ... 2, 3, 4, etc is just gravy once you have to ability to be perfectly fresh for combat after a few minutes of down time while everybody else needs a dedicated healing super to tend to them.

EDIT: It's a sticky wicket because FH1 is the huge power jump. FH2+ should actually cost LESS than getting to 1/rd. I think we finally had my guy where he had a time limit on it. It kicked in automatically with damage, but only remained on during combat.

--fje

 

[Peterson]

Suggestions away...

3) Ability (or at least a how-to) on becoming a super AFTER level 1. (That would sort of tie in with #2)

4) Expanded power stunts! Can't have enough of them.

Quoted for truth. I recently hit this snag today when trying to set-up a Supers one-shot. I want to have the characters 5th level, and play out their Origins (and since its an one-shot, I'd like them to have more "power" than a 1st level Super). The idea I'm thinking about using is that the power points just apply "retro-actively", almost like an increase to your Constitution does for hit points (if that makes any sense).

As for the expanded power stunts...yeah baby! Can't never have enough of them. Also, something related to this - I, personally, have a difficult time determining if a Power I have requires the expenditure of an Action Point to activate it or not. Maybe a little line on each power (and sub-power) that says "Requires use of an Action Point to activate, unless Stunted" or "Does not require the use of an Action Point".... Just something to make it a little more...clear.

 

[Peterson]

add rogue-type powers to allow people to nullify/mimic/steal powers.

Any other suggestions?

Chuck

Not trying to tell you how to do your job, Chuck, but my first thoughts regarding this (especially the Bold/Underline text) is to always require the spending of an Action Point. Just a thought though, and not necessarily a thought in the right direction.

Peterson