Spence Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 I am going to be running a new game soon. One of my only problems is figuring out how to model an effect of the game. I'm using the plot-mechanism where the Mechs are based on alien tech adopted by earth. PC's have control of their biomechs due to a very rare genetic marker, hence the need to use relatively young and inexperienced pilots rather than professional soldiers. Also the abilities inherent within the technology is not clearly understood by anyone. What I need help with is how would you write up/model capabilities/powers that the PC's do not know exist? Or better yet how would you trigger the new capabilities manifistation? I'd like something a little more than GM fiat if possible. Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. I dont know if this helps but you can place a trigger or condition on a power built in a mulitpower. When the character fulfills the condition the power activates. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNakagawa Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. Just don't show them the complete sheets for the biomech. They didn't buy it with thier own points, there's no reason they'd know exactly what they can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgrandjean Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. Sorry, can't help. Look, honestly it is going to come down to GM Fiat. The players aren't going to see the sheets for the mecha. If you tell them that they have X Spd, X" Movement, or Xd6 HKA then that's what they'll have... until you decide otherwise. If you don't want it to seem such an obvious manipulation on your part (ie you want to surprise yourself) write up the powers that you figure the suit should have but then decide that they are dormant until you roll an -8 per session. Then wait and see what happens and be ready to unveil the suits new powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robyn Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. Also the abilities inherent within the technology is not clearly understood by anyone. What I need help with is how would you write up/model capabilities/powers that the PC's do not know exist? Or better yet how would you trigger the new capabilities manifistation? I'd like something a little more than GM fiat if possible. Let the biotech integrate with the hosts' systems, the power suits adapting themselves to fit the character's spirit as well as body. As ideas strike you for powers that fit a character's personality, make a note of them, and then stat them out in between games. The suits basically reconfigure themselves to provide a custom suite of abilities (some unique) to each host. Let the abilities emerge by "reflex", in times of need (prepare a few generic "defensive" powers in preparation for these occasions), and whenever the character experiences strong emotions (or acts under the directive of one of their personality traits). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. Sorry about not getting back sooner. World Cup and an upcoming business trip have taken up my time lately. I was actually heading along the lines you have suggested. I am actually building the 4 forms each as a multiform. Normal with three versions of biosuit/mecha. "Normal" is at the heroic level. The small transformation, next up, resembles the suits in Bubblegum Crisis, only a tad less powerful. Each of the next two are correspondingly tougher. I will be "hiding" a lot of the abilities until they are "activated" or "discovered". I was just hoping for a way to do it that used the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinDangaioh Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. Silver Age Sentinels and the El-Hazard RPG had something that could handle this effect. A player sets aside some XP to buy the Unknown Powers power. A 50% bonus(rounded up) is assigned to the XP that was handed over to Unknown Powers. Say if the person set aside 50 Xp. The amount of that could be bought by the GM for that player is 75 xp worth of abilites Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. ShinDangaioh's suggestion is similar to a concept that's been around in HERO since the first edition of Champions: the "Radiation Accident." A character can have a pool of unspent Experience Points that are not assigned to any particular ability. When appropriate circumstances arise these points can be used to buy new abilities, according to the desire of the player or the GM. If you want these points to be reflected on the characters' sheets, you can give them a Disadvantage, "Doesn't Know Full Capabilities Of Mech," which they can "buy off" when they do discover those abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Anime based game prep help. After a LONG delay.... I already use the "hidden xp" concept along the line of what ShinDangaioh and Lord Liaden referred to. I withhold a small amount of earned experience in secret and use it to pay for hidden abilities. Robyn's "bio-integration" idea is actually what I was going for, but hadn't figured out how to express it. Thank you Robyn But my idea was a bit more detailed. Not only have additional "abilities", but actually morph into another form. For example: The first form is basically just human with extra abilities. No outward indication that they are any better than a regular human. Each additional form retains the abilities of the previous one while adding more. The second form is like the power suits from Bubblegum Crisis. Form fitting and not much larger than then person wearing it, 6-7’ tall. Each additional form is larger and more mecha-like, with correspondingly more powerful abilities. It is the "reflex" I want to model within the rules. But I wanted each new ability or form change to be “triggered” the first time. After the first time abilities would be controlled by the PC, but changing “forms” would be controlled via an activation roll. I also want to simulate the suits/forms as being part of the PC's rather than a separate item they wear. I want the PC to take proportional damage when in one of the more powerful forms. I have been playing using Hero for a number of years, but there are somethings I just never tried to do before, and truth be told, I am just not 100% with revised... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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