Superhero Chat

There is one game tactic for dealing with the super-strength brutes and that is the feat Unbalance Opponent in d20 Modern-based supers games. Take away his to-hit bonus to strength and it's a different story.

Really, really annoyed my players with that one once or twice. ;^)
 

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Thoughts on this please

I writing an adventure that will introduce new players to d20 superhero gaming. I came up with 12 characters and I want to put 6 in it. I divided the group of 12 into (2) groups of 6. I just did it that odd numbered ones on one and even numbered in the other. Which group do you think is a better group to use a the "pre-rolled" characters for a introductory adventure? If neither is a good line up tell me which 6 would make a good introductory group of "pre-rolled" PC's

Group "A"

#1 - Armor Adept (Flying tank with energy weapons)
#3 - Gadgeteer (Humanoid girl from another planet with a knack for tech)
#5 - Stretcher (Purposely mutated to elongate)
#7 - Mage (Stage Magician turned Wiccan Mage)
#9 - Brick (Imbuned with the last fleeting might of Hercules)
#11 - Speedster (Speedy person with fire powers)

Group "B"
#2 - Shamanic Warrior (Is an agent/avatar of a Native American totem)
#4 - Blaster (Mutant who can fly and shoot enegery or something)
#6 - Pychic (Has mental powers and mind blade)
#8 - Martial Artist (Mysterious hooded martial artist with a Norwegian accent)
#10 - Playboy (Superstrong, flying, energy blasting pretty boy superhero)
#12 - Metamorph (An alien who's natural form is a puddle of silver goop)


Any replys are welcome

Aries
 

Aries_Omega said:
I writing an adventure that will introduce new players to d20 superhero gaming. I came up with 12 characters and I want to put 6 in it. I divided the group of 12 into (2) groups of 6. I just did it that odd numbered ones on one and even numbered in the other. Which group do you think is a better group to use a the "pre-rolled" characters for a introductory adventure? If neither is a good line up tell me which 6 would make a good introductory group of "pre-rolled" PC's

Some of the answer to your question may lie in which game system you are using. d20 doesn't tell us much, since there is more than one option here. Mutants & Masterminds is the only one I have used (or will use, to be honest), so I will try to respond in that vein.

BTW, M&M has absolutely zero rolling for character creation. It is all point based, and everything is rated in point cost. There are no classes and a very subtle level system that is basically used to figure how many points you have and the max level of any single power.

Group "A"

#1 - Armor Adept (Flying tank with energy weapons)
#3 - Gadgeteer (Humanoid girl from another planet with a knack for tech)
#5 - Stretcher (Purposely mutated to elongate)
#7 - Mage (Stage Magician turned Wiccan Mage)
#9 - Brick (Imbuned with the last fleeting might of Hercules)
#11 - Speedster (Speedy person with fire powers)

These are pretty easy. #1 is an armor suit, so his powers will all be basically one device. If you want to go the M&M route, I can explain how to do this will little or no pain. #3 has the Gadgets power, easy as can be. Maybe some Super-Int as well. #5 has the Elasticity power, plus probably Super-Strength and Protection I would imagine. #7 has the Sorcery power most likely, also very easy since it's pre-packaged in the rules. #9 has Super-Strength and Protection, maybe some Leaping too. #11 is likely based on Super-Speed, with Energy Control - Fire thrown in for good measure.

Group "B"
#2 - Shamanic Warrior (Is an agent/avatar of a Native American totem)
#4 - Blaster (Mutant who can fly and shoot enegery or something)
#6 - Pychic (Has mental powers and mind blade)
#8 - Martial Artist (Mysterious hooded martial artist with a Norwegian accent)
#10 - Playboy (Superstrong, flying, energy blasting pretty boy superhero)
#12 - Metamorph (An alien who's natural form is a puddle of silver goop)

These are a little more vague, but I'll do my best. #2... hmm Native American totem could be just about anything. Natural Weapon? Flight? Regen? Hard to say. #4 has Energy Control - Something, with some extras like Flight and Energy Blast. Easy. #6 has Telepathy, maybe Mind Control, Mental Blast, Telekinesis, who knows. The 'mind blade' could be Mental Blast with no range (a touch attack) or maybe a Strike with the Mental extra. #8 is pretty easy. Super-Dex, maybe Strike or Super-Strength, maybe even a bit of Super-Spd. Load em up with some cool feats like Rapid Strike, Move By Attack, etc. #10 would be Super-Strength + Protection + Flight with maybe some Super-Charisma thrown in. #12 has Alternate Form - Liquid - he can change back and forth if you want or make the liquid form permanent.

Anyway, those are my thoughts should you go with Mutants & Masterminds. Making 12 characters should take you between 15-45 mins each, so perhaps 3-5 hours all told. Obviously, this would take much longer with one book and people with no prior knowledge of the system. My recommendation is to learn the rules yourself and make the characters ahead of time, let them learn how to play by using your characters, then let them make their own characters.
 

Insight said:
d20 doesn't tell us much, since there is more than one option here. Mutants & Masterminds is the only one I have used (or will use, to be honest), so I will try to respond in that vein.

Without giving too much away about the product. Okay....say you are using what ever system you are most comfortable with from the following list.

  • Deeds Not Words
  • Mutants and Masterminds
  • Four Color To Fantasy (does anyone play this system?)
  • Blood and Vigilance (that is the new d20 Modern supers RPG, right?)
  • Silver Age Sentinals
  • Hero/Champions (non-d20)

Now with that in mind what six characters would you like to see as the optional "pre-rolled" characters that are included with an adventure?

Insight said:
BTW, M&M has absolutely zero rolling for character creation. It is all point based, and everything is rated in point cost. There are no classes and a very subtle level system that is basically used to figure how many points you have and the max level of any single power.

I know. I have the system. In fact I have all the above systems and more actually. M&M has lots of strengths, but also weaknesses. It is my 2nd favorite system for d20 supers.

Insight said:
These are pretty easy #1 is an armor suit...

Yeah...I have a few more PC's better defined then others.

Insight said:
#2... hmm Native American totem could be just about anything.

This one depends on the totem. If for example it was of the "raven" then flight is a good power. If the totem was of the wolf then "scent" is a good choice. I figure I would make up a few totem aspects of more popular totems to give the player a choice in what the want to do.

Anyhow like I said. Which six characters would be a nice bonus to have as a set of pre-rolled characters for an introductory adventure? I can clairfy more about the PC's I am brewing up if anyone wants more info.

Thank you all for the support.

Aries
 

Aries_Omega said:
I writing an adventure that will introduce new players to d20 superhero gaming. I came up with 12 characters and I want to put 6 in it.
if it's not too much trouble, why not include all 12 and let the players choose which ones they want?
 

Aries_Omega said:
I writing an adventure that will introduce new players to d20 superhero gaming. I came up with 12 characters and I want to put 6 in it. I divided the group of 12 into (2) groups of 6. I just did it that odd numbered ones on one and even numbered in the other. Which group do you think is a better group to use a the "pre-rolled" characters for a introductory adventure? If neither is a good line up tell me which 6 would make a good introductory group of "pre-rolled" PC's

Well, whenever I check out a new superhero system, what I really want to see are some well-built characters that hit the standard comic book archetypes. I want to be able to see those sorts of concepts play out, and I like to have them as a starting point to disassemble when I'm working on my own characters. The example characters should also show some standard character-building tricks specific to the system - for example, in M&M it'd be nice to see an expert-type character who buys their high skill rolls through super-attributes.

So from your 12, the ones that strike me as the most useful based on your short descriptions:

Aries_Omega said:
Group "A"

#1 - Armor Adept (Flying tank with energy weapons)
#9 - Brick (Imbuned with the last fleeting might of Hercules)
#11 - Speedster (Speedy person with fire powers)

Group "B"
#4 - Blaster (Mutant who can fly and shoot enegery or something)
#6 - Pychic (Has mental powers and mind blade)
#8 - Martial Artist (Mysterious hooded martial artist with a Norwegian accent)

These are good, iconic concepts that cover a lot of the comic book basics. New players should be able to quickly figure out how to play each of them effectively, and hopefully find one that mimics their favourite comic book character. Seeing them in action should give a group of players a good idea of how a given system handles different aspects of superhero gaming.

Oh yeah, and I wouldn't want to see a huge amount of background for any of them - whether I was going to keep on playing the sample character or use them as a basis to make up my own, I prefer to come up with my own background.
 

Flexor the Mighty! said:
I looked over some of the d20 supers games and I kept finding one major flaw IMO. If you take say a PC at the Juggernaut level of strength, or the Hulk level. They will never miss an attack. When you have a +60 attack bonus due to super strength you will hit everything, nearly everytime. Now in the comics there are tons of "bricks" who lumber and miss a lot of shots that more agile heroes can dodge. How does a supers game based on D20 avoid that? How do you make it easier for fast small characters do dodge a +60 or higher attack bonus from a slow lumbering brute? In M&M it's easy, the max STR is 20(+5), and Super-Strength doesn't modify your attack bonus. Plus I find the Damage Save mechanic far better than HP's in supers. Hell I'm not gonna beat around the bush, M&M is easily the best D20/OGL game I've seen. No classes is a huge plus in this genre IMO.


In SAS D20 you do not use your strength to figure out your "to hit" for melee/hand to hand combat. You use your base attack bonus, your skill level in the type of combat (unarmed, melee, ranged, special, etc) and any other modifiers from your attributes (think feats).
 


Spiderman DNW style

I am submitting this to a web site that deals with fan based conversions. This version is one part movie version one part literature version. Anyhow check it out and let me know whatcha all think.
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Spiderman
Human/Accident 3rd Adventurer/3rd Champion
Str 32 (+11/+26*) Dex 40 (+15) Con 18 (+4) Int 18 (+4) Wis 18 (+4) Cha 12 (+1)

Alignment: Lawful Good
Languages: English (S/R)
Hit Dice: 3d8+12+3d12+12 (58 HP) Power Dice: 3d8+12+3d8+12 (60 PP) Hero Points: 10
Initiative: +12 (Dex) Speed: 30 ft./ Climb 30 ft./ Swing 60 ft.
Armor Class: 30 (+12 Dex, +4 class, +4 powers, +1 bombastic aura, +3 dodge) DR/BDR: 6/6
Base Attack: +8/+4


  • [*]Melee Attack Bonus: +19/+14
    [*]Ranged Attack Bonus: +23/+16

Fortitude Save: +9 Reflex Save: +22 Willpower Save: +12

Advantages: Connection (ESU Science Lab) (2 EP), Connection (Daily Bugle) (2 EP)

Complications: Blue-Collar Hero (2 EP), Dependent (Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson) (2 EP), Foresworn from Firearms (2 EP), Hero's Code: Law and Order (2 EP), Hero's Code: Mercy (2 EP), Lone Wolf (2 EP), Nemesis: Media (J.J. Jameson of the Daily Bugle) (4 EP), Nemesis: Villain (Doctor Octopus) (4 EP), Nemesis: Villain (Green Goblin II/Harry Osborne) (6 EP), Ostracism (Perceived as a mutant by the media) (2 EP), Unreliable Power (webbing works 75% of the time) (1 EP)

Feats: Awesome Will, Dodge, Improved Unarmed Damage, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mechanical Genius, Mobility, Stunning Fist

Armor & Weapon Proficiencies: Edged Weapons, Impaling Weapons, Trauma Weapons, Thrown Weapons, Improvised Weapons

As Peter Parker/ Spiderman
Fame: 0/9 Reputation: 0/-9 Resources: 3

Skills: Balance +15, Bluff +8, Climb +11, Command + 3, Craft (Mechanics) +9, Diplomacy +3, Gather Information +6, Hide +14, Intimidate +5, Jump +28, Knowledge (Chemistry) + 9, Knowledge (Physics) +5, Listen +12, Move Silently +16, Pilot +4, Profession (Photographer) +12, Repair +8, Ride + 13, Search +6, Sense Motive +7, Spot +11, Swim +8, Treat Injury +5, Tumble +13

Class Abilities: Trade In Proficiencies (5), Class Ability Trade In (1), Fabled Luck (1/session), Adventurer’s Instincts (+1 Fortitude), Field Experience, Jack-of-All-Trades, Uncanny Dodge, Bonus Feat (1), Bombastic Aura, Iconic Attack +1 (Spider Strike), Iconic Presence

Special Abilities: Retain his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. May once per game session if declared before rolling a d20 may then roll two twenty-sided dice, selecting the more favorable of the two rolled outcomes. May attempt Ability Checks using skills that are ordinarily “Trained Only.” However, in the event that a natural 1 is rolled during such an Ability Check, the action will result in a spectacular, picturesque, and far more entertainingly complicated failure than would have been possible under ordinary circumstances. May add his Charisma modifier to his AC rating. This bonus is not a dodge bonus, and thus is not lost when Spiderman is caught flat-footed. When striking with his “Spider Strike” (a uppercut punch attack) as the media has dubbed it, Spiderman receives a +1 attack bonus cumulative with all other feats and powers. Regardless of the number of attacks available to Spiderman, only one iconic attack may be made per round. Anyone fighting beside Spiderman (other player-character heroes) gains a +1 morale bonus to Will Saves, so long as they can see or hear Spiderman. Has a +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity caused when he moves out of or within a threatened area if he has his Dexterity bonus. May once per day for every 4 levels attained, once per round may make an attack roll (thus, a missed attack roll ruins the attempt) and forces a foe damaged by the character's unarmed attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the character's level + Wis modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. If the defender fails his saving throw, he is stunned for 1 round (until just after he loses his next action, be that in the current round or the very next). A stunned character can’t act and loses any Dexterity bonus to AC. Attackers get a +2 bonus on attack rolls against a stunned opponent.

Armor: None

Gear: Spiderman Costume (red and blue), MW camera with timer, flash and zoom lens.

Preferred Attacks: Spiderman prefers to attack at a distance with his webbing to entangle, incapacitate and distract his enemy. If the enemy grapples him or closes in for melee combat, he is competent in fist fighting to give most enemies a run for their money using his super strength fists if against a super-powered foe (+8/+4, 1d3+26) or he’ll pull his punch to do subdual damage (1d3+11 subdual). Once per day he may use his stunning fist feat and usually combines it with a powerful uppercut that the media has dubbed the “spider strike” (iconic attack that is +9 and does 1d3+26 or 1d3+11 subdual and stunning fist effect). Spiderman is not formally trained in combat but depends on his natural abilities to get by as well as creative uses of his webbing (such as using lines to slingshot himself at a foe).

Lt Load: 4,150 lbs. Med Load: 8,300 lbs. Hvy Load: 12,450 lbs. Max Lift: 24,900 lbs.

Super-Powers: Amazing Leap: +20 to Jump skill checks. (4 EP) Amazing Physical Skill (Tumble): +2 to Tumble checks. (1 EP) Catfalling: May fall up to 650 feet without injury. (3 EP) Danger Sense: Add Wisdom modifier to his Reflex Save score and his AC score. Any time Spiderman is flanked or sneak attacked, he may attempt a Reflex Save (DC equal to the attacker’s attack roll) to negate any extra damage that would result from a successful hit. This Reflex Save is a free action. Spiderman detects the looming presence of unknown “danger” within a thirty-foot radius of his position. Anything immediately dangerous or threatening to him (i.e., preparing to cause harm within a round or two) raises a tingly sensation on the back of his neck. The character is unable to define the nature of the danger or the direction from which it will come, but he knows it’s there. (3 EP) Enhanced Ability: +2 Constitution, +18 Dexterity, +15 Strength, +7 Wisdom. Instinctive Dodge: Subconsciously knows when to get out of the way gaining a +2 AC dodge bonus (4 EP). Instinctive Fighting: Subconsciously knows how to fight gaining a +3 BAB. (12 EP) Natural Damage Reduction (Subtle): His body is naturally resilient to damage giving a DR of 6. (6 EP) Surface Adhesion: Can mentally control electrostatic force between molecular boundary layers allowing the ability to move up walls at normal movement and double movement. (6 EP) Webbing: Can shoot a web that has a 24 Strength out to a 60 ft. range. Targets have a –8 Dexterity to escaping the webbing, as a full round action can sculpt items (4 Hardness) and may spend an additional 1 PP to evoke a net-like gout of webbing capable of entangling multiple opponents at once. Spiderman must pick a target point within the usual range of his webbing power. Anyone at that point or within 5 feet of it must make a Ref Save, DC Spiderman’s ranged attack roll total, or become entangled in the net. (17 EP)


  • [*]Total Value of Enhancement Package: 130
    [*]Compensated Enhancement Points: 36
    [*]Threat Rating: 17
    [*]Current XP: 15,000
    [*]Current Tithe: 142,500
 


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