Harliquinn
First Post
I was wondering if anyone else has had a chance to play the playlets rules for Rotted CapesMand what you thought. I finally had a chance to play the 'beta' (playtest) rules at GenCon. As a player of Arcanis for the past few years, I was already familiar with the core mechanics (attributes, fluid clock initiative, movement, etc) so adjusting to the changes for Rotted Capes was easy. There were people at the table who were new to the core system, but they were still able to quickly pick up on the core rules and start having fun.
For those unfamiliar, Rotted Capes is a game where the Golden Age of Super Heroes meets the Zombie Apocalypse with a horrific twist: Super Powered Zombies.
Most of the world's A-listers have been Z'ed (Zombified) or killed, so it's up to the B-listers to svpave what's left of the world. The Z'ed superheroes are cunning and intelligent but lack the ability to tell right from wrong.
I won't go into the heavy mechanics (but will answer questions if anyone has any) sincethose are extensive and similar to Arcanis. I will point out some of the highlights:
1) "Archetypes": The system has a good amount of primary archetypes to choose from. These should provide the foundation for a wide-range of superheroes. Archetypes cover concepts like the "Mover" (speedy character), the "Brick" (hardy character), the "Deadeye" (marksman style), the "Whiz" (computer/tech character), the "Infiltrator" (stealthy/invisible characters), and the like.
2) Flaws: Each character has a Trait or Flaw that gives them a disadvantage and helps create a more 3-dimensional hero. For instance, the "lone wolf" trait indicates that a character is better when not relying on others. In our play test, I wasn't clear if there would be actual mechanical rules for these (see #3 below) or if they were mainly for RP and Plot Points. Either way, they were fun to play.
3) Plot Points: As with most current systems, the game has a mechanic to give the characters control over the game and their actions. Plot points can be used to help set the scene ("I spend a plot point to have a bulldozer in the nearby parking lot") or help your character succeed by adding a 1d6 to your roll. There are bound to be other uses but those were the most common. You earn plot points by creatively and appropriately using your 'tagling' ("By the power of Grayskull!") or by adhering to your Flaw in some way that is a detriment to yourself or team. (e.g. Not using the Teamwork Attack when you're a Lone Wolf character).
4) Teamwork Attacks: One unique and interesting idea that I noticed in the game was the use of a Teamwork Attack. As in many superhero comics, a powerful adversary can't be beat by a single superhero fighting alone. Rotted Capes provides a Teamwork Attack which 'accumulates' the damage done by your teammates within a specified time in order to truly wound an opponent. This adds a nice dynamic and encourages group play and tactics that involve multiple characters.
5) Power Cooldowns: Since the heroes are generally B-listers, they have more restrictions on how often they can use their powers. Certain superpowers come with a 'fatigue' cost (I'm using the wrong words just for generality). If your hero uses too much of this fatigue, some of his powers are unavailable until he waits to recover the fatigue. With the fluid initiative clock from Arcanis, this is similar to Strain from casting spells. However, all characters are still able to fight and use some powers even when completely fatigued, so that no one has to sit out of the fight.
6) Super-Powered Zombies: Mashing up superheroes with zombies worked pretty well. The game felt dangerous and gritty (Since it's possible for superheroes to contract the "Z" and the variety of zombie powers was refreshing). We had zombies throwing fire, zombie cyborgs that hit hard, and a mimic zombie.
One thing I did not get to see:
1) One thing that's always been a mainstay in comic books is a superhero's vulnerability or weakness. Superman has cryptonite, green lantern has the color yellow, etc. While the characters are B-listers and might not have these, it would be interesting to have some of the more powerful Z'ed superheroes have vulnerabilities or weaknesses that could be exploited by the heroes. Something to do other than damage to cripple or disable them.
Those are some of the major highlights from the game I played. Feel free to ask any questions if you are curious. Overall it was a great time, and I think everyone at our 8-person table had fun!
For those wanting to get an early look and support the game, the Kickstarter is still going on! You can check it out at Rotted Capes Kickstarter
Hope to hear the thoughts of others,
John
For those unfamiliar, Rotted Capes is a game where the Golden Age of Super Heroes meets the Zombie Apocalypse with a horrific twist: Super Powered Zombies.
Most of the world's A-listers have been Z'ed (Zombified) or killed, so it's up to the B-listers to svpave what's left of the world. The Z'ed superheroes are cunning and intelligent but lack the ability to tell right from wrong.I won't go into the heavy mechanics (but will answer questions if anyone has any) sincethose are extensive and similar to Arcanis. I will point out some of the highlights:
1) "Archetypes": The system has a good amount of primary archetypes to choose from. These should provide the foundation for a wide-range of superheroes. Archetypes cover concepts like the "Mover" (speedy character), the "Brick" (hardy character), the "Deadeye" (marksman style), the "Whiz" (computer/tech character), the "Infiltrator" (stealthy/invisible characters), and the like.
2) Flaws: Each character has a Trait or Flaw that gives them a disadvantage and helps create a more 3-dimensional hero. For instance, the "lone wolf" trait indicates that a character is better when not relying on others. In our play test, I wasn't clear if there would be actual mechanical rules for these (see #3 below) or if they were mainly for RP and Plot Points. Either way, they were fun to play.
3) Plot Points: As with most current systems, the game has a mechanic to give the characters control over the game and their actions. Plot points can be used to help set the scene ("I spend a plot point to have a bulldozer in the nearby parking lot") or help your character succeed by adding a 1d6 to your roll. There are bound to be other uses but those were the most common. You earn plot points by creatively and appropriately using your 'tagling' ("By the power of Grayskull!") or by adhering to your Flaw in some way that is a detriment to yourself or team. (e.g. Not using the Teamwork Attack when you're a Lone Wolf character).
4) Teamwork Attacks: One unique and interesting idea that I noticed in the game was the use of a Teamwork Attack. As in many superhero comics, a powerful adversary can't be beat by a single superhero fighting alone. Rotted Capes provides a Teamwork Attack which 'accumulates' the damage done by your teammates within a specified time in order to truly wound an opponent. This adds a nice dynamic and encourages group play and tactics that involve multiple characters.
5) Power Cooldowns: Since the heroes are generally B-listers, they have more restrictions on how often they can use their powers. Certain superpowers come with a 'fatigue' cost (I'm using the wrong words just for generality). If your hero uses too much of this fatigue, some of his powers are unavailable until he waits to recover the fatigue. With the fluid initiative clock from Arcanis, this is similar to Strain from casting spells. However, all characters are still able to fight and use some powers even when completely fatigued, so that no one has to sit out of the fight.
6) Super-Powered Zombies: Mashing up superheroes with zombies worked pretty well. The game felt dangerous and gritty (Since it's possible for superheroes to contract the "Z" and the variety of zombie powers was refreshing). We had zombies throwing fire, zombie cyborgs that hit hard, and a mimic zombie.
One thing I did not get to see:
1) One thing that's always been a mainstay in comic books is a superhero's vulnerability or weakness. Superman has cryptonite, green lantern has the color yellow, etc. While the characters are B-listers and might not have these, it would be interesting to have some of the more powerful Z'ed superheroes have vulnerabilities or weaknesses that could be exploited by the heroes. Something to do other than damage to cripple or disable them.
Those are some of the major highlights from the game I played. Feel free to ask any questions if you are curious. Overall it was a great time, and I think everyone at our 8-person table had fun!
For those wanting to get an early look and support the game, the Kickstarter is still going on! You can check it out at Rotted Capes Kickstarter
Hope to hear the thoughts of others,
John
