Superhero Sunday -- Who is in?

[thormagni]

I think Jason and I are going to have a character making session around 7-7:30 Sunday night at my house. If anyone wants to come...

We were going to do it tonight (THursday) but I got buried at work and won't be able to do it.

 

[Fyrestryke]

I will post on here later a new Attribute that will allow the characters to be a little more customized in the Stat area.

I'm waiting for that...-----^

 

[thormagni]

I'm waiting for that...-----^

Well wait no more:

MORE CAPABLE
Cost: 1 Point/Level
Relevant Stat: Varies
Required PMVs: None
Optional PMVs: None
Progression: Linear: Each level gives +3 bonus to a Major Aspect or +6 bonus to a Minor Aspect
Reduction: None
Restrictions: None


Currently, the three game Stats indicate the same level of ability in all aspects of each Stat: the Body Stat represents all physical aspects, the Mind Stat represents all mental aspects, and the Soul Stat represents all spiritual and willpower aspects. Some characters may have one or more aspects of a Stat at a more proficient level than the rest of the Stat aspects, however, and this is where the More Capable Defect comes in.

For example, a bulky brawler might have low dexterity, so-so endurances, slow running speed, an average immune system, but unusually high strength. This would fit a character with a Body Stat of 6 or 7, with the More Capable (Strength) Attribute at 2 BP. Similarly, a mentally slow, non-perceptive, and average academic that happens to have a surprisingly good memory might have a Mind Stat of 5, with the More Capable (Memory) Defect at 1 BP.

Every Stat has a multitude of aspects associated with it, that are considered either Major Aspects (aspects that arise frequently in a game) or Minor Aspects (aspects that arise infrequently). For each BP Level of the More Capable Defect, Stat or Skill checks for which the specific Major Aspects is important receive a +3 bonus, while Stat or Skill checks for which the specific Minor Aspects is important receive a +6 bonus. More Capable can typically extend to 6 BP for Major Aspects or 3 BP for Minor Aspects. Derived Values are not recalculated.

Characters may only take More Capable twice per Stat: once for a Major and once for a Minor aspect. Any uses more than that should instead raise the entire Stat and apply the Less Capable Defect.

Each Stat has three Major and three Minor Aspects listed below. Players may create additional Aspects with the Game Master's input.

BODY

Strength, Agility, Endurance (Major); Manual Dexterity, Running Speed, Immune System (Minor)

MIND

Intelligence, Wits, Perception (Major); Memory, Intuition, Savvy (Minor)

SOUL

Luck, Willpower, Charisma (Major); Presence, Empathy, Composure (Minor)

(Note: This is essentially a rewrite of the Less Capable Defect, going the other way.)

 

[InzeladunMaster]

I am a little leary of running a Justice League game, 'cause the power level of the characters is so off the map. I mean, how do you make a game challenging for Batman AND Superman. Or Martian Manhunter AND Hawkgirl.?

The comics pull it off. Regardless of powers, a crime has to be solved, right?

It is a point-buy system? No random generation of stats? Superheroes are expected to have a level playing field? I would rather trust to my dice than to spread out a bunch of points. Is there a method for that available in this game?

 

[thormagni]

The comics pull it off. Regardless of powers, a crime has to be solved, right?

Well, the comics pull it off by generally ignoring the abilities and powers of the superheroes in question whenever necesary. If Batman and Superman have a crime to solve in a comic, they work together cooperatively and figure it out without any one hero hogging the spotlight.

If Player-Batman and Player-Superman have a crime to solve, Player-Superman uses his microscopic vision to instantly identify the trace DNA of the criminal, then uses his near-light speed movement powers to surreptitiously take a strand of hair from everyone in a 50-mile radius, then he applies his super-genius intellect to examining each of those hairs. Within moments he has identified the person who committed the crime, flies to the person's hideout (identified with telescopic and x-ray vision), punches the villain in the nose with his planet-breaking fists and flies him off to jail. An hour to solve any crime, any time, any where.

Meanwhile, Batman dusts the room for fingerprints.

Conversely, a villain that could threaten Superman physically would absolutely destroy Batman in a physical matchup. And none of Batman's villains could pose any sort of physical threat to Superman. The comics get around it by conveniently having a Batman-level villain and a Superman-level villain attack at the same time. Batman and SUperman then concentrate on their appropriate villain level. But what if Player Superman took an extra second to punch out, say, Penguin, before he begins wrestling with Bizarro or Braniac or whoever? What would there be for Player Batman to do?

In summary, players of superheroes are unlikely to act as illogically as their comic book counterparts. If the power scale gets too out of whack, then it really is a very difficult genre to play.

 

[thormagni]

It is a point-buy system? No random generation of stats? Superheroes are expected to have a level playing field? I would rather trust to my dice than to spread out a bunch of points. Is there a method for that available in this game?

Well, point-buy gaming systems are expected to have a level playing field in a broad, general sense. But in a specific sense, no, there is no level playing field.

Allow me to try to explain:

Everybody gets the same amount of points, yes. In the give and take of things, that means that generally the characters are going to be equally useful in the game overall.

But in a specific sense in a point-buy system, the characters will be extremely different with widely different abilities and attributes -- much wider than in a class-based, but "random" game like D&D. Why? Because of the give-and-take nature of a point-buy system, you are making economic decisions to invest in areas of interest to you and not invest in areas of no interest to you. So, by making the choice to have an insanely dextrous martial artist, you are giving up the choice to have an insanely powerful psychic character. Being the strongest man in the world means you won't also be the fastest. You could even choose to be the most average man in the universe, slightly better than average at a wide range of abilities.

Which is really the illusion of a "random" but class-based system like D&D. Sure, your stats and hitpoints are nominally random but they are only random within a very narrow range of possiblities. And your actual powers, abilities and skill points (which soon take over defining the character's scope) are very tightly proscribed. VERY tightly. Want to take an extra feat in D&D? No flippin' way. Want to use that spell one more time in a day? Nope. How about choosing a spell that is actually a level higher than you are able to cast? Nope. How about allowing a first level character to have a 30 Strength? Or letting me have a couple extra hit die worth of hit points at first level?

(Obviously, a GM could overrule the rules in this case, but in general it would be a violation of any of the rules to allow those things to happen.)

But the parts of D&D3 that actually allow people to customize their character's abilities? Those are point buy elements. Choosing feats? That is a point-buy system. Buying skills is absolutely a point-buy system. And in fact, the way ability scores are assigned in modern D&D isn't very random either. 'Cause you pick where you want your high scores to go.

But allowing people to start off with widely-different number of starting points would be very similar to allowing people to start off with widely different level characters in a D&D game.

 

[thormagni]

All righty, our Character Generation Sunday went very well. All in preparation for Superhero Sunday this Sunday. Dave made a guy who was mutated by a genetically modifed strain of bee and Jason made a mutant who can change into electricity form and throw nasty lightning bolts.

Anybody else have an idea of what they might want to play? Craig, Chris, Vince?

 

[InzeladunMaster]

I am still trying to figure out the system and how to create Superman within the guidelines you mentioned.

(The Superman I am familiar with is not as powerful as the one you mentioned - after Crisis he lost a lot of his strength, lost his microscopic vision, and his x-ray vision is local only. A city-wide scan would involve a lot of harmful radiation that could hurt a lot of people. Nor is he the supragenius who could invent anything like the pre-Crisis Superman. Nowadays, he is as intelligent as a newspaper reporter. He also lost his dog, never was Superboy, and cannot break a planet with a punch. He is also completely susceptible to the supernatural - actually, more so than Batman.)

 

[Fyrestryke]

I haven't fully decided yet. I was considering doing one of my CoH characters. But, time will tell. All I know is that I won't be playing a Wolverine knockoff. I know...I know...you were sooo looking forward to that.

 

[Fyrestryke]

What's the setting gonna be like. Will it be like Paragon City where there's a LOT of superheroes/villains and they're pretty common or like that session we played before where we had to play on the down low?