Let's Talk CvK

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Let's Talk CvK

 

I'm not up to date on modern comics' date=' but back when Cap had to decapitate Baron Blood he sure looked like he was having to make an EGO Roll to manage it (and almost lost his cookies afterwards).[/quote']

 

And many would classify a vampire as "not alive" for C vs K, as well. MU Cap has developed a Code vs Killing, evolving from "Super-Soldier" to "Super Hero". Ultimates Cap remains a soldier, and has no code vs killing. [Toss Banner out of the plane - if he doesn't change, we're no worse off.]

[Guest rbezold]

Re: Let's Talk CvK

 

For what it's worth...

 

In my younger days when I was playing with some pretty young players, I was constantly tryong to convince them that Wolverine HKAs were not the answer to every social problem. One of the 'solutions' I came up with was to double the value of CvK and tell players that while someone who had CvK might kill if in a desperate enough situation, no way could they handle having a KA with them at all times.

 

Sadly, they agonized over it for awhile, then went with the KAs.

 

I hate Wolverine.

[JmOz]

Re: Let's Talk CvK

 

I have not read all of the thread but some random thoughts anyways:

 

1) The disad described should be "Opposed to war", during the VERY PATRIOTIC times of WWII I could see it being a common disad...I would also require a couple of hunteds and a nasty little rep to go with it (Damb TRAITOR)

 

2) I have been recently re reading my All-SS issues, many of them really did not have CvK

 

3) My current character has "police Code vs Killing" at 10 points. Will allow for surender first, will give warning, will shoot to wound if safley can, etc...

[Koshka]

Re: Let's Talk CvK

 

1) The disad described should be "Opposed to war", during the VERY PATRIOTIC times of WWII I could see it being a common disad...I would also require a couple of hunteds and a nasty little rep to go with it (Damb TRAITOR)

 

I was thinking a Social Limitation myself, but Reputation might work better. The character is female (that player always cross-genders), so it's not like she could be considered a draft dodger ....

 

And many would classify a vampire as "not alive" for C vs K, as well.

 

Given that Cap knew beyond any doubt that Baron Blood was a real vampire, I'm certain that's what let him do it.

 

And after watching the Mythbusters holiday special the other day, I'm thinking the "don't barf" look on his face might have been as much from the aroma of decay as anything else. We'd never seen the full "Stinky Car" test, but the clips in that special almost had my friend heaving.

[Wanderer]

Re: Let's Talk CvK

 

I once ran a vigilante with this sort of attitude. However' date=' she didn't have a CvK. What she had was a Code Of Honor that wouldn't let her escalate force over what her opponent was using. So, go after Steel Demon hand-to-hand and she would just beat you up with Kung Fu. Pull a weapon on her, and she'd draw on you. If that meant you wound up dead, you should have known better than to draw in the first place.[/quote']

 

That's one of the ways I use to eschew traditional 20-pts. CvK (which I loathe) and still have characters look somehow "heroic" (no casual killing for convenience's sake, no gratuitous uses of force, etc.). Pick some Code Of Honor that mandates things like fairness in combat, letting redeemeable opponents live, proprtionate uses of force, etc. and/or Protective of Innocents, so that innocent "civilians" are to be kept safe (that still allows heart-wringing situations like having to kill demon-possessed housewife to stop word-destroying baddie entering reality). In a way, I use Honorable as a substitute for Code of the Hero, and Protective of Innocents for CvK as the defining superhero disadvantages.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Let's Talk CvK

 

That's one of the ways I use to eschew traditional 20-pts. CvK (which I loathe) and still have characters look somehow "heroic" (no casual killing for convenience's sake' date=' no gratuitous uses of force, etc.). Pick some Code Of Honor that mandates things like fairness in combat, letting redeemeable opponents live, proprtionate uses of force, etc. and/or Protective of Innocents, so that innocent "civilians" are to be kept safe (that still allows heart-wringing situations like having to kill demon-possessed housewife to stop word-destroying baddie entering reality). In a way, I use Honorable as a substitute for Code of the Hero, and Protective of Innocents for CvK as the defining superhero disadvantages.[/quote']I think those are perfectly valid alternatives to CvK. Not every hero is going to have CvK, although it will probably be fairly common in Golden Age or Silver Age games.

 

Of the 8 player characters in our campaign, I believe 6 have CvK to some extent. But our game is very Silver Age.

[Wanderer]

Re: Let's Talk CvK

 

I think those are perfectly valid alternatives to CvK. Not every hero is going to have CvK, although it will probably be fairly common in Golden Age or Silver Age games.

 

Of the 8 player characters in our campaign, I believe 6 have CvK to some extent. But our game is very Silver Age.

 

I have no real issue with limited forms of CvK (say 5-10 pts.), like the ones detailed in DC, that allow killing in self-defense, to protect or avenge an innocent third party, a loved one, etc. and let the character work more like a "good" super-soldier and less like a sainteish boyscout. It's the "I won't kill 1 to save 10.000" Com Total CvK that I can't really stand or empathize with enough to properly RP. I find limited forms of CvK fine for Bronze/Iron Age stories, my preferred default, at least for those characters that don't have the full "judge, jury and executioner" vigilante mindset (and in those cases, along with it, the disadvantages above are a fine balncing tool). Well, even Code of The Hero might be a fine defining Superhero lim, as long as it can be redefined as "fearlessly heroic: feels dutybound to put his/her life on the line", and not as "must act as traditional four-color hero").

 

IMO the "with great power comes great responsibility" theme can be easily reinterpreted in a non-Silver Age way: since destiny has given the character godlike power, he feels a duty to use it responsibly to act as judge and jury (and or not executioner according to personal morality and background) for the world according to the best guidelines of his conscience and judgement, just because his personal power is comparable to the sum of millions.