House Rules - Ideas

[Paul]

I know the game hasn't started, or if it will but here is my ideas.

Character creation is based on the ultimate powers book.

For Origin:
You can roll a form 3 times and choose one of the three.


Stats: FASERIP
To avoid a god character, or a weakling I am going to do this. Roll 4d100 and take the average. This average is your roll for that ability. The same goes for the power rank of powers.

Powers / Talents / Contacts: (PTC)
Roll 3d100 and take the average, that average is the amount of PTCs you receive.

Powers and talents are then rolled (talent categories not the skills, the player can choose the skills), contacts are chosen. Always do one power at a time because many of them have touch powers and optional powers. You can select

A wide variety of Touch Powers are possible, as this Power can combine with most of the other entries in this book. The key to it is playability; if you can figure out a rational explanation for a given combination, then you should try it. This can generate a myriad of unique Powers.

At the start of the game we will not have a karma pool. If one is to be created then it must be done in game.

[delwugor]

Does this mean we can not even select our powers or talents?

I would prefer to play what I want as part of a group not what some random dice decide.

[Paul]

When rolling for your powers you can select any optional powers of a power you roll rather than rolling another power. The talent categories are the only thing rolled, if you roll a scientific category, then you can pick chemistry, biology, etc etc. Other than tech heroes, most marvel people didn't get to choose their own powers anyway.

[delwugor]

Then I would suggest we look into another system where the players have control over what they play.

I don't like being negative and critical (especially as the new guy) but ... now I am completely turned off by it.

[Paul]

What would you consider a compromise for choose / rolling skills?

There has to be some limitations, some powers are just too strong to be outright bought. I don't think those powers should be excluded, but if powers are going to be chosen, then they will start at a lower level than powers that are rolled.


There is still enough control by picking optional powers, and many ways to mold your character, not your stats or powers.

I couldn't find any character that picked his own powers in the marvel universe, excluding machines (iron man) or magicians (Dr Strange).

[delwugor]

Like I said I don't want to be an ass (testing to see if the board will let me swear ;D ) so I'll keep with the attitude of "Give it a try".

Another possibility would be to get a basic idea of what people would like to play and then pre-generate them yourself. This way the players would be able to play their ideas and you would not have the concern of unbalanced powers.

[randy]

UGH! I just typed in a long response, but the internet ate it. Ok, I'll try again, though this is probably going to be a bit long. I agree that choosing powers would be preferable than random determination, but I dislike random character generation in general. If a power, or power combination is too powerful for a player to choose, then it's still going to be as powerful or overpowered if it's randomly rolled. I don't see why we should let a character that people think is too powerful in the game because the dice decided that the character could have those powers, rather than the player. I also think the type of hero and power origin for characters should be part of their backstory, but shouldn't affect their abilities. There isn't any reason why a hero that used to be an angel or deity should be more powerful than the rest of the characters, just because the player rolled that for their origin. I would suggest using a point buy type system for character creation, rather than rolling. I have an idea that I think would work pretty well for character creation. The base that I'm going to outline could also be easily modified to create more or less powerful characters, depending on what power level you'd like for the start of the game.
I would point buy the attributes, with each character having 20 points to buy attributes. I would start each attribute out at Good, and buying up a category to Excellent would cost 1 point, up to Remarkable would cost 2 more points, up to Incredible would cost 3 more points and an attribute of Amazing would cost 4 more points.
So it would cost 0 points for Good, 1 for Excellent, 3 for Remarkable, 6 for Incredible and 10 for Amazing. This should keep characters relatively balanced with each other, but give each player the flexibility to create a character they like. I would generate the secondary attributes a little differently as well. I would generate Health in the usual way, but each character should start with the same amount of Karma, rather than have it determined by starting attributes, 100 points should be a good starting amount. I would start each character off with Good Resources, and 10 or 5 popularity as is standard. I would start each character off with the same number of Powers, Talents and Contacts. Looking at the table, 7 powers, 3 talents and 3 contacts looks good to me. That would allow everyone some flexibility in creating their character, but not have an overwhelming amount of abilities. For powers I would limit each character to one power with an *, as those are the more potent powers, and have those powers either count as 2 powers, or all of the characters powers as the power descriptions indicate. I would also suggest each character be based on 2 or 3 base powers, and have the remaining power selections be taken from the bonus and optional powers, that should keep each character with a theme to their powers instead of a random collection of abilities. For power ranks, Remarkable is the average result when rolled on the table, so I would have each character choose one signature power, and start that at Incredible, and have all the remaining powers start at Remarkable. I would also allow talents to be selected, but limit the character to starting with one talent with an *, and counting that talent as two selections. I also think starting contacts should be relatively mundane. Picking Charles Xavier for a business contact seems a bit much. We could allow 1 contact to be a superhero or supergroup contact, but the rest should be normal people with useful abilities. I'd also suggest having each character looked over and approved before we play, just to make sure none of the characters look too unbalanced by their choices. If a player wanted to have more resources to start with, we could allow them to sell off powers/talents or contacts for higher starting resources, but I would suggest against allowing characters to sell off starting resources for more choices. This character generation could also be easily modified, and I could log on AIM some night if anyone wanted to brainstorm ideas. Having a standard power level for characters would also make generating enemies much easier, every character would have the same base power level, and the expected abilities as far as power of attacks and defenses would all be around the same level, so that should make it much easier to anticipate how strong villains should be. Anyway, this is just a basic outline for my idea, and it could be easily modified by changing starting ranks or numbers of powers, etc. to suit the power level that was desired for the game.

[reginald]

Before we go to much into systems and house rules, I want to know more about the background? Where are we set at, the standard New York City or somewhere else. Marvel revolves around New York, but had the West Coast Avengers and Alpha Flight, and dabbled with some other areas. Are we looking at standard New York or something like Franchisie of the Avengers, like "Great Lakes Avengers Assemble!"
And what era are we looking into play in? Golden? Silver? Iron? Present? Should we step back into Timely Comics and fight Nazi's along side the big three (Captain America, Namor, and the android Human Torch). Journey into the beginnings of Marvel with the cosmic radiation and mutants, and push into the "Racial" superheroes of the Civil Rights era combined with the popular sub-cultures of the time (ugh disco). Or rub shoulders with the dark and gritty street, playing the likes of gun totting vigilantes and "complex characters" who see just shades of grey and justify murder. Or go with current trends in comics, we are all students attending Xavier's school after he opened it to the public; a new Nextwave group rebelling against H.A.T.E.; facing zombie superheroes or being zombie superheroes; dealing with the House of M or M-Day and the lost of mutants heroes and villians; of the Superhero Civil War? Revist previous story lines, like the Secret Wars, What-If's, Infinity Crisis?
Some of these really define what we are going to want to play. If we go with just the original 80's setting, random rolling is fine but if we are going with say the dark Punisherish setting, obvious the less powers and more contacts and talents is the way to go. So what have you got so far, and then we can hammer out the house rules for creation?

Just my two-cents worth

[Paul]

Randy -
I think we should start a little lower.

Using this I've come to the conclusion that we could easily be more powerful than the guys we shouldn't be.

So it would cost 0 points for Good, 1 for Excellent, 3 for Remarkable, 6 for Incredible and 10 for Amazing.

For example, 20 points to spend for 7 ablities.

F = RM 30 - 3 Pts
A = RM 30 - 3 Pts
S = RM 30 - 3 Pts
E = RM 30 - 3 Pts
R = RM 30 - 3 Pts
I = EX 20 - 1 Pts
P = RM 30 - 3 Pts

19 Points spent - 1 left over

Health = 120
Karma = 80

I would start each attribute out at Good, and buying up a category to Excellent would cost 1 point, up to Remarkable would cost 2 more points, up to Incredible would cost 3 more points and an attribute of Amazing would cost 4 more points.

Maybe we should move that back to typical.

Typical (0) , and buying up a category to good(1) would cost 1 point, up to excellent would cost 2 more points(3), up to remarkable would cost 3 more points (6), an attribute of incredible would cost 4(10) more points and an attribute of amazing would cost 5(15) more points.

So it would cost 0 points for typical, 1 for good, 3 for excellent, 6 for remarkable, 10 for incredible, and amazing would cost 15.

F = EX 20 - 3 Pts
A = EX 20 - 3 Pts
S = EX 20 - 3 Pts
E = EX 20 - 3 Pts
R = EX 20 - 3 Pts
I = GD 10 - 1 Pts
P = EX 20 - 3 Pts

19 Points spent - 1 left over

Health = 80
Karma = 50

Maybe using 21 points instead of 20, that left over point is annoying. I'm goint to mess around with this more later.

---I'm going to post this before the web eats it --- I'm still replying

[Paul]

Looking at the table, 7 powers, 3 talents and 3 contacts looks good to me.

Um no.
Most characters in the back of the judges book average 3-5 powers.

A roll of 42-55 results (50 being half way point)
4/6 - Powers
2/4 - Talents
2/4 - Contacts

I would start each character off with Good Resources, and 10 or 5 popularity as is standard.

Ok

I'll look at this more when it isn't 3am

[Paul]

Meet

The Tank:

21 Point Buy

F = RM 30 - 6 Pts
A = RM 30 - 6 Pts
S = RM 30 - 6 Pts
E = TY 6 - 0 Pts
R = TY 6 - 0 Pts
I = EX 20 - 3 Pts
P = TY 6 - 0 Pts

Origin: Diety

All primary abilities are raised +2CS. Deities automatically possess at least one Travel Power. Deities gain two additional Powers. Deities have increased Popularity (+2CS) with the public but zero Popularity with the hierarchy of the major established Earth religions.


F = AM 50
A = AM 50
S = AM 50
E = EX 20
R = EX 20
I = IN 40
P = EX 20

Health = 170
Karma = 80

Resources: GD
Popularity: RM

Powers - 6/8

P2: Body Resistance - IN 40
P9: Regeneration* - RM 30
T10: Hyper-Running - RM 30
T13: Resist: Mental - RM 30
EC4: Darkforce Manipulation RM -30


Talents
2/4
Acrobatics
Martial Arts B

Contacts
2/4
Occult Lore
Mythology

[randy]

Reg, as far as setting, I believe we'll be doing a generic Marvel setting, close to the 1980's setting. I haven't followed the comics, so I have a gist of the general heroes, but no clue about the latest changes.

[randy]

As far as the The Tank sample character that you made, I brought up that the origin of powers should just be background, not have any mechanical effect. So he could be a deity, but that wouldn't make him any different stat wise than a mutant. So he'd lose 2 off each attribute, and lose 2 powers. The same would go if you were an Angel, you wouldn't have higher base stats, and if you wanted the sword power, you'd have to buy it with your regular powers.

[Paul]

May 27, 2009 16:35:35 GMT -6 @randy said:

Reg, as far as setting, I believe we'll be doing a generic Marvel setting, close to the 1980's setting. I haven't followed the comics, so I have a gist of the general heroes, but no clue about the latest changes.

I'm in the same boat, so there probably won't be too many comic references rather generic with a cameo here and there.

So far this is what I'm planning.
We (for whatever reason) are near Astoria Oregon. I only borrowed the name from The Goonies, I am not running us as the Goonies. Most of the youth of the town are rather limited in career choices. Tourism, timber, fishing, or signing up for Coast Guard Group / Air Station Astoria in near by Warrenton.
For many years the town has been protected by a superhero (Name yet to be created). A year ago, this hero was unable to rescue an entire family from a mysterious fire. Since then crime has been growing at an alarming rate and the once proud hero is becoming more reclusive.

[randy]

So it looks like we're going to be closer to the Great Lakes Avengers/Great Lakes Initiative, than the mainstream superhero groups. In which case, I call dibs on Squirrel Girl, or not. In that case, toning down the ranks of powers that we get might not be a bad idea. But the rest of the character generation that you were looking at doesn't look bad.