Default side-effects of super-powers

[Wanderer]

Regarding the interesting topic addressed in http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227,

 

I think the topic may be generalized to the fact that in the genre, the vast majority of characters typically seem to enjoy precise beneficial effects from their superpowered staus, namely retarded aging, excellent health (and top-human physical capabilities), and optimized metabolism (bestowing a "perfect body" and the kind of general attractiveness that comes with it), in most cases without leading the kind of hyper-focused active training and healthful lifestyle that might justify it in RL terms. The only rare exception seems to be when problems from aging or health or "bad" lifestyle (and unattractiveness) are an integral and important part of the character's concept.

 

Now, we all know the true reasons why these things exist (reader vicarious wish-fulfillment, easiness of drawing perfect bodies over and over, character histories stretchiong over decades, cheesecake fan service), but this being a very strong genre element, I wonder, maybe isn't it simpler to just assume that in your "typical" superhero setting, a default biological side-effect of superpowers activation is to induce "minor" physical changes leading to a) retarded aging (IMO a rate varying from 1/3 to 1/10 normal might reflect the way decades-old characters stay young(ish) over 30-50 years) optimized metabolism (which an ordinary active lifestyle, or even *any* lifestyle is able to maintain indefinitely) c) excellent health (effective immunioty from common diseases and everyday injuries).

 

After all, most origins are easily able to justify it: mutation, psi, magic, supoer-science, training... E.g. in the Marvel setting, it isn't really that farfetched to assume that a default side-effect of the X-factor gene complex 's activation is to induce biological longevity, improved health and physical potential optimization.

 

In Hero terms, this might be assumed to be a "Everysuperhuman" package, coming with pretty much any kind of superpowers:

 

Life Support (Longevity: 400 Years)

Life Support (Immunity: common cold/flu and diabetes/obesity)

+5 Comeliness.

[Chimpira]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Didn't they do something similiar to this in the Aberrant game from White Wolf?

 

What you are proposing seems to be more campaign specific, as very long lived supers would have a big impact on any world that they live in. Kind of hard seeing yourself as part of humanity as you watch most of your friends grow old and die. Imagine what the world would be like if all the buttkicking heroes and hideous villians from World War I and II were still alive and robust. It is all well and good to say that you have a society of near immortals on a mountain top somewhere that hide out from humanity. It is another thing altogether to have them living, not so quietly, amongst us.

[Wanderer]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Didn't they do something similiar to this in the Aberrant game from White Wolf?

 

Sir, you are unveiling my sources

 

Well, I think that, notwithstanding any kind of issue one might have had with the game mechanics and the rest of the setting (which may alienate four-color diehards), Aberrant deserves a respectful nod from any serious fan of the genre for the well-thought-out effort to picture a unified superpower origin that justified or took account so many "bits" of the genre in a reasonable way: the incredible diversity of superpowers types and power levels, the existence and unconscious-wish-fulfillment nature of "accident" origins, the model-level attractiveness of the average super... That, and the thorough exploration of the "superhumans as celebrities" impact of supers on human culture.

 

What you are proposing seems to be more campaign specific, as very long lived supers would have a big impact on any world that they live in. Kind of hard seeing yourself as part of humanity as you watch most of your friends grow old and die. Imagine what the world would be like if all the buttkicking heroes and hideous villians from World War I and II were still alive and robust. It is all well and good to say that you have a society of near immortals on a mountain top somewhere that hide out from humanity. It is another thing altogether to have them living, not so quietly, amongst us.

 

Campaign specific ? Depends what you mean. That it does not fit *every* setting, sure. Nonetheless, it closely fits the situation in the typical mainstream setting, especially the Marvel Universe, where you have the vast majority of superpowered characters being no older than WWII, the typical veteran super dying by violent causes or retiring because of psychological burnout, not old age decay or inability, average super not aging noticeably past young adult or physically fit early middle age over 30-40 years. I think hypothesizing activation of the "super gene" slows aging by 1/5 as an explanation fits the realities of the genre much better than ridiculous "sliding time" tricks. And a minority sporting 1/5 longevity over a generation or two may be somewhat noticeable, but not so world-altering or conspicous. After all, just how many superheroes stay in close contact with highschool pals over their decade-long careers ?

 

The typical "super boom" character emerged in say '60s ? '70s ? in late adolescence or 20ish age. He/she may still look like a physically perfect 30 while his highschool date is fighting a losing rear-guard battle with wrinkles, weight, and dabetes. Oh, the angst. Isn't it at all like RL, with Hollywood middle-age stars which the average teen one-third their age would happily pay through the nose for a half chance to shag ? So, the vast majority of supers will end up having most of friends, loved ones, associates, dates, and drinking buddies among their peers. Again, nothing like RL subcultures, especially endowed ones. The typical child of a super ends up superpowered also. Just how much are the RL high society elite affected by the fact that people outside their subculture typically are in worse physical shape, and are able to take care of aging worse than they ?

 

Besides, IMO a modicum dose of alienation from the problems and worries of common man fits the supers just fine. They may protect (or threaten) us, but they never can completely be (or feel) like us. The average super in civilian identity can walk alone and unarmed in the most dangerous neighborhood and never really feel or be in real danger of serious bodily harm. Things like this set them forever apart.

[Chimpira]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Sir, you are unveiling my sources

 

Well, I think that, notwithstanding any kind of issue one might have had with the game mechanics and the rest of the setting (which may alienate four-color diehards), Aberrant deserves a respectful nod from any serious fan of the genre for the well-thought-out effort to picture a unified superpower origin that justified or took account so many "bits" of the genre in a reasonable way: the incredible diversity of superpowers types and power levels, the existence and unconscious-wish-fulfillment nature of "accident" origins, the model-level attractiveness of the average super... That, and the thorough exploration of the "superhumans as celebrities" impact of supers on human culture.

 

 

 

Campaign specific ? Depends what you mean. That it does not fit *every* setting, sure. Nonetheless, it closely fits the situation in the typical mainstream setting, especially the Marvel Universe, where you have the vast majority of superpowered characters being no older than WWII, the typical veteran super dying by violent causes or retiring because of psychological burnout, not old age decay or inability, average super not aging noticeably past young adult or physically fit early middle age over 30-40 years. I think hypothesizing activation of the "super gene" slows aging by 1/5 as an explanation fits the realities of the genre much better than ridiculous "sliding time" tricks. And a minority sporting 1/5 longevity over a generation or two may be somewhat noticeable, but not so world-altering or conspicous. After all, just how many superheroes stay in close contact with highschool pals over their decade-long careers ?

 

The typical "super boom" character emerged in say '60s ? '70s ? in late adolescence or 20ish age. He/she may still look like a physically perfect 30 while his highschool date is fighting a losing rear-guard battle with wrinkles, weight, and dabetes. Oh, the angst. Isn't it at all like RL, with Hollywood middle-age stars which the average teen one-third their age would happily pay through the nose for a half chance to shag ? So, the vast majority of supers will end up having most of friends, loved ones, associates, dates, and drinking buddies among their peers. Again, nothing like RL subcultures, especially endowed ones. The typical child of a super ends up superpowered also. Just how much are the RL high society elite affected by the fact that people outside their subculture typically are in worse physical shape, and are able to take care of aging worse than they ?

 

Besides, IMO a modicum dose of alienation from the problems and worries of common man fits the supers just fine. They may protect (or threaten) us, but they never can completely be (or feel) like us. The average super in civilian identity can walk alone and unarmed in the most dangerous neighborhood and never really feel or be in real danger of serious bodily harm. Things like this set them forever apart.

 

Oh no Aberrant is a fine game but I did not care for the organizational style of the source material. I had a few problem with the system but not something that would totally turn me off from the game.

 

What I mean by Campaign specific is pretty much what you said. Not suited for many games. However if this is a game that you are running and are more than willing to explore the ends and outs of the fact that you will have characters that will live for several centuries, well then, it sounds like an interesting game. However if it is just something that is there that is only given lip service, well, that does not sound very interesting.

 

The reason why these characters have not aged is because the fans want their characters to live forever. Ok Spider-man has been around for quite sometime but so has J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Watson, Aunt May, Alfred, Jarvis and the list goes on. Not only is this metagene able to keep the super young but it seems to slap away the hand of death for anyone associated in the characters life. (Now we know the true reason wny Jarvis keeps working for the Avengers)

 

I would have a hardtime (and I can only speak for myself) playing a Superhero that would only associate with other supers, whom feels little connection to the common man. It would seem that I am trying to stop bank robbers from making life hard for the lesser beings. Now why am I doing this? Maybe instead of patroling I might just work in a soup kitchen around Christmas time to feel good or write a check to my favorite charity. Everyone has something that they are very good at. It would become a fault if I believed that my ability alone raises me away from humankind.

 

But as I said it sounds like a Campaign issue. If this makes sense to you and you have players that will not turn it into the New House of M, have fun.

[Wanderer]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Oh no Aberrant is a fine game but I did not care for the organizational style of the source material. I had a few problem with the system but not something that would totally turn me off from the game.

 

Oh, yes, the organization of the Aberrant Player's Guide. Oh dear. Well, the polite thing to say is it was "creative"

 

What I mean by Campaign specific is pretty much what you said. Not suited for many games. However if this is a game that you are running and are more than willing to explore the ends and outs of the fact that you will have characters that will live for several centuries, well then, it sounds like an interesting game. However if it is just something that is there that is only given lip service, well, that does not sound very interesting.

 

Well, speaking in a general sense, if one plans to run a multi-generational campaign that spans many decades and centuries (not the default, but not unheard of in the genre), then the longevity of immortality of the characters of the whole "meta" subrace is going to be a rather important and fitting element, as it may be with several other "high-powered" RPG subgenres.

 

If one keeps to the typical superheroic contemporary setting, with presence of supers harkening back to the 60s or WWII ay most (1-2 generations), then yes, supers' longevity or immortality is going to be a minor background element, worth some passing nods.

 

Nonetheless, I think it may be better to have it in the setting rather than not, because its presence helps justifying in reasonable IC terms a classic "bit" of the genre, namely the fact all supers enjoy excellent health, athletic potential, attractiveness, and longevity even when their specific powers and backgrounds do not immediately call for it.

 

The genre is chock-full of elements of questionable plausibility at best ("radiation accidents", punches able to go through steel that do not turn mundane meat into red mist...) and IMO it is always better to have decent IC explanations for them if present in the setting, rather than leaving them hanging into thin air.

 

The reason why these characters have not aged is because the fans want their characters to live forever. Ok Spider-man has been around for quite sometime but so has J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Watson, Aunt May, Alfred, Jarvis and the list goes on. Not only is this metagene able to keep the super young but it seems to slap away the hand of death for anyone associated in the characters life. (Now we know the true reason wny Jarvis keeps working for the Avengers)

 

Well, this one is a thoughie to justify. I can only mention that, if one gives a thorough glance to the continuity, many of these "mundane" associates have at least once been bestowed "temporary" superpowers (e.g. Betty Ross, Lois Lane), or are blood relations of some super (e.g. JJJ). So it is likely they have a smattering of the metagene themselves. And Aunt May, besides being a close blood relative of a major metahuman, is in good evidence a unrecognized super herself, with an healing factor rivaling the one of Wolverine. No normal human could survive 50+ heart attacks in a few years' row, then get up and cook biscuits.

 

I would have a hardtime (and I can only speak for myself) playing a Superhero that would only associate with other supers, whom feels little connection to the common man.

 

I wouldn't speak in absolutes. I was thinking of a situation resembling the one of many RL subcultures (e.g. celebrities, professionals, artists), where members typically end having *most* (but not necessary all) of their meaningful social relationships (close friends, confidents, dates and lovers) among their own peers. Truly, some significant persons will be outside the clique (close blood relatives, old friends, professional contacts which blossom in a friendship, occasional dates), but I daresay that every "special" person is likely to have enough meaningful S.O. among one's peers that the feeling of alienation from mundane humanity will be rather lessened, even if you see that you are going to outlive in good health and youth all mundanes of your age. Most people need what ? 10 close social relationships at most to stay psychologically adjusted, and by no means they have to be people you have known since childhood.

 

It would seem that I am trying to stop bank robbers from making life hard for the lesser beings. Now why am I doing this? Maybe instead of patroling I might just work in a soup kitchen around Christmas time to feel good or write a check to my favorite charity.

 

This mostly depends which type your powers are. If your abilities include super-strength, diamond skin, and plasma blasts, you are likely to be of greater overall benefit to mankind acting as a super-cop and super-soldier than working in a soup kitchen. Now, if we assume super-powers variety follows the expected distribution, besides the super-warriors, there are bound to be plenty of healers, transformers, and the like, who patrol hospitals and save terminal trauma cases, create gold and gems to fund charities, etc.

 

Comics and superhero RPG typically cover the activities of the former, because let's face it, cinematic action sequences and fights are much cooler to cover on the long term than Samaritan creating food for Ethiopian peasants. Even if having a sequence of the latter, here and there, yields a much welcome verismilutude to a world with superhumans around.

 

As a GM I always try to answer satisfactorily the question "what are altruistic and heroic superhumans doing to make the world a better place, besides figthing (super-)crime, helping with natural disasters, and overthrowing the occasional dictator ?", and as a Player, I assume that any superhero PC with non-combat powers of significant benefit to common man (e.g. healing, matter creation or trasmutation, cosmic or magical VPPs) is slotting a relevant percentage of his superhroic activities for non-vigilante, non-rescue, non-soldier humanitarian activities, too, or have a very good reason why he's sticking to the "combat" stuff only.

 

Everyone has something that they are very good at. It would become a fault if I believed that my ability alone raises me away from humankind.

 

What of Noblesse Oblige and Sense of Duty ? You may well feel bound to act responsibly and care for other people, even if in your heart of hearts you ultimately deem them lesser beings. Thor and Silver Surfer would gladly (and have, over and over) put their lives on the line to protect commoners of countless planets, even if they'd laugh at the notion that "mortals" are their equals. Everyone has its own value and has to be preserved from unnecessary harm, and this inner urge alone may sustain the motivation of a superhero. American notions of equality are not necessary to make a superhero.

 

As a personal note, it may be my elitist worldview, but I find the ideas of service to the common good, and deeming yourself superior to common person, perfectly compatible.

 

But as I said it sounds like a Campaign issue. If this makes sense to you and you have players that will not turn it into the New House of M, have fun.

 

Knowing pretty much to nothing of the House of M, I can only comment "uhuh ?!?"

 

In my country, Marvel continuity is currently reaching the very formation of the New Avengers and in the last published issue, they were going to the Savage Land: BTW, much better than I feared, even if they rather look like featherweights at present; great character interaction and drawing (see: Spider-Woman ), but I rather miss having cherished powerhouses like Thor, Wonder Man, Warbird, and She-Hulk in the roster. However, it's refreshing that after 40 years, Peter Parker, the Marvel poster boy for Unluck and Social Disadvantages, is finally getting a fitting place

[Chimpira]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Terry Pratchett created this character named Cohen the Barbarian. The man was ancient and looked it. He introduced himeslef to a wizard by the name of Rincewind and Rincewind told the old man that he could not possibly be Cohen the Barbarian. Cohen was strong, tall as a mountain, with long dark hair. Rincewind knew all about him because he had been reading stories about him since he....was.....a ...kid. Oh, right then.

 

The medium that we are trying to simulate is a business and the fact that no popular character seems to age or count time (Kitty Pryde had quite a few christmas specials under her belt between the time that she joined the X-men at, what, 13 and when she had her sixteenth birthday in the pages of Excalibur. Of course there is also the fact that she had two fourteen years old birthdays, was eighteen and then was sixteen again.) is what happens because they do not want to lose money on the notion that the reader would not want to see their beloved characters grow old and eventually die of natural causes.

 

All truth be known I WAS upset when Flint from Dragonlance died from a heart attack while chasing after someone. I threw the book across the room and would not pick it up for hours. It is sad to say that this still affects me to this day. I usually read the last chapter in every book first now to see what character is going to die so that I do not become attached to him. (Except in Terry Pratchett novels.) Sadly, it seems that I never quite got over the death of Flint. Hello. My name is Christopher. And dramatic pause I am a fanboy.

 

I am not against your idea. I am just filtering it through my own head and what comes out is what I would wind up doing with it, not you. Noblesse Oblige or Noble Obligation is a beautiful thing. When you have the power one should use the power not only to benefit yourself but society as well. Unfortunately many use the term in a condescending way, well the ones that need to exercise it anyways, and that could be what separates a hero from a villian. Not that you feel compelled to do something but because you want to do something. But when one thinks of anyone as a lesser being no matter how you phrase it, all it means is that you are acting out of pity.

 

It is not the notion that all men are equal. That is a farce in the real world, let alone comic books. No what concerns me is when you have a sizable class of people who believe that you are lesser than them and have the power to do something about it.

 

It is all well and good to say that I can walk through a dangerous neighborhood unharmed but supposed I lived in that neighborhood because that is all I can afford. I go home and eat my can of SPAM and the landlord is bothering me about the rent. A truly Noble soul would not let this deter him. Unfortunately I am still thinking that everyone is a lesser being, if you do not have powers. Problems could arise.

 

Spiderman has lived in those conditions. He still goes out and fights the good fight. But he is primarily motivated by guilt and this is his penance. As a celebrity he let a crook run past him because he could not be bothered. Power had gone to his head. It took a death of a lesser being that was close to him to make him the hero that we love today. I wonder if Spiderman would have been the same character if his Uncle Ben was killed by someone that was completely unknown to Peter.

 

Celebrities, Professionals, and Artists (I will assume that we are talking about the high end here) may feel above everyone and truth be told in the aspect that they are good at, this is very true. But if they were not paid as much as they were, how would they feel? How would they feel knowing that everyone benefits from them but they themselves receive little reward. How would they react to the lesser people. Money does set them apart. I believe status changes people. On this point we agree. I think that it should, but the athlete was already above me in physical talent, the Professional was highly trained for whatever they do, and the artist was gifted with amazing talent. They might feel that they have this over everyone else and they would be right. But the greatest ones would be the people that continue to do the things that they do for no reward. The simple enjoyment is enough. Of course the larger number would not mind being paid for what they did and paid well. If they were not this could breed resentment. And then it all spires out of control.

 

Batman gets a lot of flack for coming up with ways to defeat his allies, but he is worried about the day when they all figure out that the world is populated by lesser beings that have done a bad job of managing the world.

 

Wanderer, I see where you are coming from and to an extent I am in agreement with you.

 

BTW I am reading the Avengers again. I still detest Avengers Disasembled but I like seeing Luke Cage and Spider-man on a team. The book makes me laugh.

[Guest daeudi_454]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Aging- is usually a side effect of the weird temporal mechanics in the comic book universe. As covered above with Shadowcat. (not to mention the horrendous crap fest they did to Valeria VonDoom/Richards)

Fitness and health- These character have CONs out the wazoo..... only in specialized genres like Wildcards does the reality you speak of happen. Otherwise, it is just a glowing neon sign in the sky that reads "GM PLOT DEVICE"

Noblesse Oblige- It was a bad idea when bluebloods started it, was a bad idea when 'colonizing', and is a bad idea in today's society. Any supers who acted like that should be stripped of their powers. (I am not referring to great power/responsibility- that is stopping immediate pain/violence/loss... I mean the social form of it.) Like The Authority, or a recent World's Finest set.

 

Heroes being heroes as referred to above with Surfer and Thor are good- but imagine supers taking the social version of this psychology? And really- does anyone (other than the Avengers) who lives in Marvel U not think Thor is a pompous twit?

[Springald Jack]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

See my thought to all of the whole time in comics thing is actually pretty simple.

 

Time in the comics isn't human time it's myth time. The events of a god's mythologies are ever-present rather than occuring at a point in History. And Supers are certainly mythological fiugures.

 

So what does that mean for gaming? Well there are two kinds of approaches

1. Games that also take place in myth time. Chronology is loose and fluid and not to be worried about.

 

2. Games that to a certain extent realism-ize comic time. A setting like this thread talks about where Supers age slower than normal is a realism-izing technique.

 

Mythology vs a created realism is actually applicable to any convention of comic books and a given universe may use mythology for one and realism for another freely...

 

There is nothing wrong with either approach a lot of people here seem to favor 2 whearas I prefer 1 for issues of time.

 

Just my $0.02

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

I have a character in one mutant setting who has a short lifespan due to a brain tumor in his head. (He had to develop his powers while falling out of an airplane and the stress caused a part of his brain to grow rapidly.) As a beneficial side-effect, his mind is like a sponge and can learn new skills rapidly.

 

But, eventually, the stress will wear out of brain, he will (all things being equal) have a aneurysm and that will be the end of him. He doesn't get any points for it, but it will be a major source of anyst if/when he finds out.

 

Of course, he could have it removed, that would take away his powers and he could live a normal life. Or he could help people as a superhero for as long as he could. "Tis a far far better thing I do than I have ever done. 'Tis a far far better rest I go to than I have ever known."

[OddHat]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Personaly I always drop the Superheroes Work For Free trope. We pay cops, soldiers, firemen, doctors, and every other vital public service provider. In a world where Supervillains exist, both the government an private industry would pay whatever they had to for the services of Superheroes. Young and idealistic metahumans may adventure for a while without expecting recompense, but sooner or later they will find a way to make a living, and those Special Powers will be in high demand. Some may be happy to live in dad's basement and eat macaroni and cheese, but I'd rather see my Supers getting a regular pay check. I don't think taking a salary makes a cop or fireman less heroic, and I don't mind the idea of the city or state sponsoring a few Super teams.

 

Anyone who wants their character to adventure while holding down a seventy hour a week "cover identity" is going to be politely asked to reconsider in my games.

 

As to being ageless as part of some power sets, I don't really mind. Doc Savage had his youth serum, Tarzan was immortal, it's not a trope that bugs me. However, in my own campains, most heroes age and eventually retire. Those that don't retire will eventually go MIA or be killed in action. I'm trying to tell good Superhero stories; I'm not trying to simulate the comics.

[MCMaenza]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

I've never had a campaign last long enough where we had to worry about characters' lifespans.

 

This kind of reminds me of what our AD&D DM did in college - every quarter (a 10 week period) we would have a new campaign within his world. Sometimes we'd continue from the previous quarter, other times we'd start in a different era in his world history (jump forward 100's of years, jump back, etc.). This allowed us to sometimes see how the world viewed our previous characters OR to provide the backstory for events that we had/would/did participate in other campaigns as different characters.

[Susano]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Going off the subject line, my Kazei 5 campaign has very specific side-effects for its super powers (and supers). All "super powers" in the setting are mental -- psychokinesis, to be exact -- and superhumans are called "espers." Espers tend to "warp" reality when they use their powers, leading to a lot of secondary property destruction. Pavement fractures, glass shatters, pipes bend and twist, and so on. The current working version of the side effect looks like this:

 

Side Effects (All nonliving objects within 6" affected by either 15 STR TK

or 1D6+1 RKA. Objects may be bent, twisted, overturned, pushed about, or

outright shattered. Effects depend on Active Points in power; -1/4)

 

I need to work the values over a bit, but the basic math is like this:

 

30 points of Side Effect [or equivalent] (-1/2)

Automatically occurs [x2] (-1)

Only affect the environment (-1/4 = -3/4)

Effects depend on active points in power (-1/4 = -1/2)

 

What do people think?

 

My fear is that certain characters (with 175-poinit MPs and 200-pt VPPs) will get huge cost breaks, so I'm struggling to get the proper final value. I also want to scale this to represent different levels of control.

[OddHat]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Going off the subject line' date=' my [i']Kazei 5[/i] campaign has very specific side-effects for its super powers (and supers). All "super powers" in the setting are mental -- psychokinesis, to be exact -- and superhumans are called "espers." Espers tend to "warp" reality when they use their powers, leading to a lot of secondary property destruction. Pavement fractures, glass shatters, pipes bend and twist, and so on. The current working version of the side effect looks like this:

 

Side Effects (All nonliving objects within 6" affected by either 15 STR TK

or 1D6+1 RKA. Objects may be bent, twisted, overturned, pushed about, or

outright shattered. Effects depend on Active Points in power; -1/4)

 

I need to work the values over a bit, but the basic math is like this:

 

30 points of Side Effect [or equivalent] (-1/2)

Automatically occurs [x2] (-1)

Only affect the environment (-1/4 = -3/4)

Effects depend on active points in power (-1/4 = -1/2)

 

What do people think?

 

My fear is that certain characters (with 175-poinit MPs and 200-pt VPPs) will get huge cost breaks, so I'm struggling to get the proper final value. I also want to scale this to represent different levels of control.

 

 

I think it looks very good. Those huge cost breaks can be avoided by making it 50% of the active points used; you whip out your 20d6 PK Blast, you'll end up killing civillians. Or, 1/4 Active points, in which case it's -0 for everyone.

[Susano]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

I think it looks very good. Those huge cost breaks can be avoided by making it 50% of the active points used; you whip out your 20d6 PK Blast' date=' you'll end up killing civillians. Or, 1/4 Active points, in which case it's -0 for everyone.[/quote']

 

So I apply the Side Effect to only a part of the Active Points of the power?

 

What I'm trying to simulate is the AKIRA effect (seen mainly in the manga -- but shown to great effect in the fight in the nursery in the anime) in which epser powers wreck the surroundings when used (also seen in a slew of other anime & manga, especially DOMU).

 

Quick question -- does something like "Area of Effect" count towards the Active Points of a Side Effect? I mean, if your Side Effect is a 1d6 KA 3" Radius, is this 30 Active Points of Side Effect?

[OddHat]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

So I apply the Side Effect to only a part of the Active Points of the power?

 

What I'm trying to simulate is the AKIRA effect (seen mainly in the manga -- but shown to great effect in the fight in the nursery in the anime) in which epser powers wreck the surroundings when used (also seen in a slew of other anime & manga, especially DOMU).

 

Quick question -- does something like "Area of Effect" count towards the Active Points of a Side Effect? I mean, if your Side Effect is a 1d6 KA 3" Radius, is this 30 Active Points of Side Effect?

 

Side Effects are Minor, Major, or Extreme.

 

Minor Side Effects are 15 Active Points, or 1/4 the active points of the power, whichever is greater.

 

Major Side Effects are 30 Active Point, or 1/2 the active points of the power.

 

Extreme Side Effects are 60 Active Points, or the full active points of the power.

 

If the Akira Effect starts at 15 active points, and maxes out at 1/4 the active points of the power (say 30 points for a 120 active point power), it's worth -0.

 

Advantages do count.

[Beetle]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

If you're looking for a "rational" justification for the various common physical attributes of supers (no aging, perfect bodies, etc.) you can't get much simpler than the steps in becoming a superbeing in the Elementals universe:

 

Step 1 - die (preferably in a horrible way)

Step 2 - be hit by a major elemental or magical force at the time of death

Step 3 - come back to life

 

Voila! You have superpowers! (but normals find you creepy to be around even if you're a good guy ... after all, you are dead).

[Chimpira]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

If you're looking for a "rational" justification for the various common physical attributes of supers (no aging' date=' perfect bodies, etc.) you can't get much simpler than the steps in becoming a superbeing in the [i']Elementals[/i] universe:

 

Step 1 - die (preferably in a horrible way)

Step 2 - be hit by a major elemental or magical force at the time of death

Step 3 - come back to life

 

Voila! You have superpowers! (but normals find you creepy to be around even if you're a good guy ... after all, you are dead).

 

Ah, yes The Elementals is what started my love of all things Willingham. I played in a V & V game based off that concept.

[The Souljourner]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

Honestly, I don't think you need to model these common superhero abilities in game rules. How often do your competent normals get hit by the flu? How often do your campaigns span decades?

 

Comic book superheroes don't age because they're stuck in time. It's not like you ever hear superman talk about being a superhero 30 years ago. The environment might change to fit the times, but none of the people do. It's all just handwaving because no one wants Aunt May to die of old age.

 

And I think it should be handled in games the same way - handwaving.

 

-Nate

[Susano]

Re: Default side-effects of super-powers

 

But on the flip side, look at Astro City and how it is handled there. Characters do age, and talk about how they would have done "such-and-such" when they were young, or how Jack-in-the-Box first appeared 30 years ago, so the current one has to be a new guy... and so on. I rather like it, as it makes the world see more alive and real to me.