Suddenly... a new and better you

[Hermit]

A bit of a weird topic I suppose, but my mind is meandering anyways...

One of the common 'orgins' is a sudden change in not just powers, but characterestics and appearance. This often seems double for Champions and other super RPGs, where there is a tendency to have your scientist with reflexes faster than his lifestyle would indicate ("Hey, suddenly I have a speed 5 to go with these laswer bolts!"), "Err, why would my mousy mystic suddenly have the CON of a marathon runner? It's magic!"). Etc. I really don't mind these myself, especially if one makes an attempt to explain why.

These are based on comic books after all.
However, the point is, sometimes gaining powers just seems to set the stage for being over all 'better' than your average joe. A lot of energy projectors could take out a street thug barehanded in their secret ID.

When someone gets turned into a 'freak' or 'monster' (In the vein of the Thing's self descrptions), well, it's pretty obvious that beside the super strength, or what have you, they have problems. A trade off as you will.

However, what goes on in the mind of the character who didn't just gain powers, he/she is stronger, faster, and even better looking (Often MUCH better looking, COM being such cheap stuff and easy to rationalize for more athletic bods). I know the basic answer is "depends on the character" but that's almost too easy. As Players, How do you folks play it? Does your character suddenly have new confidence? Do they feel self concious? Do they get giddy crazy for a bit? Does it cause them to change their life style even out of costume? ("You know something Bill, I Think I WILL try out for the company softball team")

As a GM, do you have NPCs notice the changes? ("Ralph, did you go to a spa? You look great!") ("Betty, not to be fussy, but how the heck did you run up that flight of steps like that, it nearly kills me, but you're not even winded") or do you allow them to hide it easily?
Does it affect relationships if/when it is noticed?

"Come on Gertrude, I love you, but ever since you became this super babe with legs out to here and a body that won't stop, well, I see the way those super guys on that team you're on look at you.. GOOD looking super guys and you seem to like it. I'm still plain Martin, how am I supposed to compete with... I'm... feeling a bit insecure here."

I was just wondering about how many folks incorporate the role playing aspects of 'suddenly being better' in their games?

[Chuckg]

Usually, I don't -- but usually, I don't have a Secret ID.

For example -- Starguard, my current character, has a COM of 20 defined as 'cuteness bordering on anime magical girl'. *Before* her transformation, she had a COM of 12, defined as 'fairly cute looking high school student'.

However, since she hasn't been back to her old life once since the game started (amnesiac... it took some time to find out even just who she was, and now that she's found out, she's hesitating on going back there because she /still/ can't remember, or feel any emotional resonance, about these people -- plus, superhero stuff keeps getting in the way...), I'm not really roleplaying the effects of the change, as she's currently in an existence completely away from the confines of her old life.

On the rest of the team -- we have a sun god, an alien princess visiting Earth, an android, an alien general who's a refugee from his people, and our only guy with Secret ID -- who's as rich as Bruce Wayne, and was born good-looking.

So I don't think any of us really have this problem...

[ArgentLupe]

My players typically have normal characteristics amoung their super ones. Just last game we had our brick mugged by a normal armed with a taser (Secret IDs are a disad for a reason). Another character playing a "returned from the dead" hero has a Dex of 11 and a Spd of 2 (The dead have a tendency to be a little stiff )

-ArgentLupe

[Hermit]

*Stands there akwardly for a moment*

So, just me then eh?

[Publius]

No actually it is a good idea, something I really should put into my games. So many times the little things get left out, heck stuff I have done in the past with very great results I have stopped doing as my gaming becomes less and less frequent.

In fact, this weekend I am playing for the first time with a new player so this might be something of an "origin" session; and I might very well integrate this sort of thing into my game. In my game world supers (Elites) do suddenly manifest powers, and it is noted (at least in the background) that it makes them more physically and mentally capable people. Having the NPCs notice it as well is a definite plus.

[Hermit]

Thanks, Publius (both for the compliment, and making me feel like I'm not the only one who might find this useful)

I've used it before somewhat, though there is a danger of suddenly turning someone's Secret ID disad into a 20 pointer instead of a 15 one.

Credit where credit is due, my players do a fine job of showing their characters enjoying their new powers and other 'gifts'. Kind of the "Whahooo" moment so many rookie heroes have in comics (and some film). A few portray a bit of embarrasment about it. I give extra XP for good roleplaying like that, so it's not like they're unmotivated, but...still, they do inspire me to thinking along these lines.

[Jinx999]

One series of Internet stories I've been reading have a power called Exemplar, which means that you are just generally better than human over the whole spectrum. Essentially, you change to match your idealised body template.

[Supreme Serpent]

It rarely if ever really comes into play for us. The occaisional "how'd you do that?" in SID.

I generally consider supers to be "infused with power" that often gives them benefits like having better reflexes and being sturdier than normal aside from their "real" powers.

On the other hand, I do really enjoy the comic bits (usually in X-men & Avengers) that showed training & exercise sessions, and implied or outright said that they pretty constantly work out - makes it more believable to me, and I try to incorporate some of that into my playing & GM'ing.

[nexus]

I like to play around with this idea. For example, one of my current PCs Valkeyrie was a skinny, bookish librarian before she got her powers. Not she's a 6+ foot Amazonian stunner with 20 Com. And doesn't realize it yet. She's quiet, mousy, dresses much like a spinster and is incredibly soft spoken, often hiding behind others on the team from cameras and the like.

[Speedball]

I wonder if this might be one of those areas where out of game journaling is tool for the job. I played a game with RDUNeil for a while in which my character was a homeless junky that acquired powers and his life, obviously, changed tremendously. We didn't really spend much time figuring out just *how* those changes filtered through to his regular life until after we switched to a PBEM game with additional journaling on the side.

Many of these kinds of topics (the slice-of-life stuff that Kurt Busiek does so well in Astro City, for example) aren't particularly interesting for the other players to sit around and listen to, but can be a fascinating for a player to explore if character development is what he or she (or the GM) craves.

On the other hand, I'll admit that some things of this nature can be a lot of fun to listen to--there's nothing like watching a fellow player squirm when confronted about hanging around scantily clad women other than his girlfriend. But only once in a while are players going to prefer that to "real" superhero gaming. After all, this is Champions, not Dr. Phil!

So the short version--the topics you raise are great. I'd recommend journaling.

[Hermit]

So the short version--the topics you raise are great. I'd recommend journaling.

Excellent points, it does suit better to small groups, solo, or blue booking.

Still, even in bigger groups it amuses me when I see a player incorporate things like the nervousness you mention in RP

[Lanith]

In one of my favorite all time games, two players would bring in "journals" from the previous game. One guy did a PoV sort of write up; "I watched as Cricket threw..." and another player did an underground newspaper; banner across the top, odd little stories from around town, the occasional reference to what the hero's had done.

Very funny journals to read back to back, the stories were about the same thing, but totally different.

[Beetle]

The closest I had to this problem was with my speedster character, Bolt. Prior to gaining his powers he had been a professional athlete (a pitcher for the Orioles) who was in a horrendous car crash that should've left him with permanent disabilities. During his 6-month coma, somebody (the campaign didn't last long enough to find out) experimented on him and he got super powers, and the super physique to go with it.

So in his regular ID he had to pretend to still be affected by his accident (even then it was considered a "miraculous" recovery). He also had to go to great lengths to fool his physical therapist, who was starting to get suspicious. Not to mention that he was bitter over the loss of his baseball career and the incorrect belief that he had been driving drunk at the time of his crash (due to falsified medical records). I think he had the best origin of all my champs characters.

(also it was fun to see how long it took the rest of the team to realize that you should never make a character team leader if it has the disads of "arrogant", "overconfident" and "impulsive" even if the player has more experience in the game than all the other players combined... good times )

[Hermit]

I generally consider supers to be "infused with power" that often gives them benefits like having better reflexes and being sturdier than normal aside from their "real" powers.

On the other hand, I do really enjoy the comic bits (usually in X-men & Avengers) that showed training & exercise sessions, and implied or outright said that they pretty constantly work out - makes it more believable to me, and I try to incorporate some of that into my playing & GM'ing.

Actually, one of the fun things I've seen done is the 'self made hero' martial artist glancing at the energy projector. Both are having lunch.

The Martial Artist is having Tofu and health foods, part of the regimen of honing his body to peek perfection, the price he pays for becoming a living weapon in his war on crime.

The Energy Projector is chowing down on greasy fries and a burger with everything... and a milk shake.

both are nearly equal in many areas stat wise, and ICly, it's clear that the EP is getting no paunch despite bad diet and over eatting. The logic is, all that END he uses does indeed 'burn calories'.

The Martial Artist takes an unsatisfying bite of his tofu.

The EP chews and tears at the red meat... making mmm sounds.

Finally, the MA simply states, "I hate you."

To which, the EP smirks, and munches a fry.


I imagine that sort of thing happening a lot between those who must work for it, and those that just 'got it for free'

[teh bunneh]

I had a powered-armor character who, outside of his armor, had pretty normal stats (nothing above a 13 or so). As we gained XPs, I started buying up my stats slowly, under the idea that this guy was working hard underneath his armor, getting stronger and healthier, more self-confident and better looking.

At one point, the GM had my character's students (he was a junior college professor) start asking him if he was working out, what gym he went to, if he had cut his hair or gotten new glasses, and so forth. It was a lot of fun.

Bill.