Algernon Files 2.0 previews

[Dominique]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

I start a thread, take off for a couple of days, and look at the hornets nest I seemed to have stirred up. As far as the previews go, what do you guys think of them so far? On the subject of M&M to Hero, I really don't think it can be done with one simple little "formula". I believe you have to take it n a case-by-case basis, and work out each character's stats based on the original concept for the character. Maybe Dave will be kind enough to post an "official" answer on how he came up with each character's stats.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

1-to-1 conversions are not that practical, mainly because M&M handles damage far, far differently than HERO. However, they are frequently all you've got if you want to do a lot of conversions in a hurry.

 

I would like to see a set of back-and-forth tables out there, actually, with the caveat of "Alter as necessary" to fine-tune things and avoid utterly riduculous results.

[Twilight]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Out of curiousity, is the stuff in the Algernon Files set in the same universe as that of Freedom City? Both are Mutants and Masterminds but one doesn't seem to mention the other, that I've seen.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Out of curiousity' date=' is the stuff in the Algernon Files set in the same universe as that of Freedom City? Both are Mutants and Masterminds but one doesn't seem to mention the other, that I've seen.[/quote']

 

It can be, or it can't, depending on how the GM wants to use it. It is essentially a setting book, meaning it works perfectly well without any material from Freedom City, META-7, or the Champions Universe (for the HERO version).

 

That may or may not be the official answer, but that's how the book is likely to be used in any event.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Not that you'd *want* to cross it over with META-7. Lordy lordy, did they have to make their "default" setting that piece of iron age crap? At least Freedom City gets all the attention. . .

[Guest Black Mamba]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Out of curiousity' date=' is the stuff in the Algernon Files set in the same universe as that of Freedom City? Both are Mutants and Masterminds but one doesn't seem to mention the other, that I've seen.[/quote']

The information in The Algernon Files is set within its own universe, but the book is four-color and the characters are easily added to any game setting with minimal adjustments required.

[Guest Black Mamba]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Not that you'd *want* to cross it over with META-7. Lordy lordy' date=' did they have to make their "default" setting that piece of iron age crap? At least Freedom City gets all the attention. . .[/quote']

Freedom City is the default setting for M&M 2E. Meta-4 has never had any additional information published except for the characters in Crooks. Meta-4 was never intended to be the default setting in M&M 1E. The characters used in the Core book were put there to be non-specific to any game world.

 

As for your Iron Age reference, the upcoming Iron Age Source book is generating a lot of buzz on the M&M forum. Iron Age is an extremely popular genre; and while it might not be my genre of choice I would not go so far as to call it "crap."

[mattingly]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Just as an interesting snippet' date=' Magog can do a maximum of +22 Damage in M&M and a maximum of 22d6 in Champions [both without pushing'], so it would seem Dave is converting over 1 for 1.

Not exactly, as OddHat notes. Remember that Magog can generate an extra 4d6 with his Combat Skill Levels (sort of the equivalent of doing an M&M Power Attack), and that he has Find Weakness, which can drastically alter the damage. Also, when you get to higher levels, in M&M an extra point of damage is just an extra 5% chance of knockout, but in HERO, once you get past campaign defense levels, the extra d6es all go straight to damage, making knockout MUCH more likely with each added d6.

 

That being said, I generally added 25% to damage levels, and 50% to defense levels, but each character was statted from the ground up, with whatever made the most sense at the time.

[mattingly]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Is the HERO version of this out?

 

It will be in a few weeks. We're waiting on the proof copy from the printer (which I'm hoping will be here today or tomorrow), and once we give the okay, printing will begin in earnest. Figure a week to print, a week to ship from the distributors to the retailers, and throw in another week for fudge factor, and the book should be in stores by the end of the month, and just maybe before Christmas.

 

Incidentally' date=' if you pierce someone's jugular vein with fangs, regardless of whether or not you actually drink anything, is there [i']any[/i] way to save the victim from death by exsanguination? If not, and if you're NOT going to drink, what do you DO with all that blood?

Freshen up your lipstick? Paint your barn?

[mattingly]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Out of curiousity' date=' is the stuff in the Algernon Files set in the same universe as that of Freedom City? Both are Mutants and Masterminds but one doesn't seem to mention the other, that I've seen.[/quote']

No, the books are put out by different publishers without the rights to use each other's stuff. But both are intended to be very open and flexible, so they should be pretty easy to mesh together.

[MitchellS]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Remember that Magog can generate an extra 4d6 with his Combat Skill Levels (sort of the equivalent of doing an M&M Power Attack)' date='[/quote']

Actually his 9 levels would allow him to add +12 stun damage, not 4d6 and when he does that he loses his ability to hit and defend. His 5 OCV and 3 DCV make him a walking target if he uses his levels for damage.

 

and that he has Find Weakness, which can drastically alter the damage.

As does his improved critical in M&M.

 

Also, when you get to higher levels, in M&M an extra point of damage is just an extra 5% chance of knockout, but in HERO, once you get past campaign defense levels, the extra d6es all go straight to damage, making knockout MUCH more likely with each added d6.

In a game which doesn't use a bell curve the 5% is a substantial difference.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Freedom City is the default setting for M&M 2E. Meta-4 has never had any additional information published except for the characters in Crooks. Meta-4 was never intended to be the default setting in M&M 1E. The characters used in the Core book were put there to be non-specific to any game world.

 

As for your Iron Age reference, the upcoming Iron Age Source book is generating a lot of buzz on the M&M forum. Iron Age is an extremely popular genre; and while it might not be my genre of choice I would not go so far as to call it "crap."

 

Perhaps I should be kinder. After all, META-4 is at least nowhere near as bad as "The Bad Guys". . .

 

( free netbook for M&M. Look it up if you want to lose a few pieces of your soul. I've heard people describe it as "the FATAL of superhero gaming". . . )

[Metaphysician]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Not exactly, as OddHat notes. Remember that Magog can generate an extra 4d6 with his Combat Skill Levels (sort of the equivalent of doing an M&M Power Attack), and that he has Find Weakness, which can drastically alter the damage. Also, when you get to higher levels, in M&M an extra point of damage is just an extra 5% chance of knockout, but in HERO, once you get past campaign defense levels, the extra d6es all go straight to damage, making knockout MUCH more likely with each added d6.

 

That being said, I generally added 25% to damage levels, and 50% to defense levels, but each character was statted from the ground up, with whatever made the most sense at the time.

 

I think part of the problem is that, in Hero, any and all vehicles and objects are exceedingly durable, because they ignore Stun entirely. Thus, the same level of defense can be both simultaneously low for a superhero, and nearly impervious for a tank.

 

I've repeatedly considered an option wherein Stun taken inflicts Body damage for every Body worth of Stun taken, on vehicles and perhaps also on people.

[mattingly]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Actually his 9 levels would allow him to add +12 stun damage' date=' not 4d6 and when he does that he loses his ability to hit and defend.[/quote']

 

Nice catch -- I never realized that the CSL rule had gone standard effect from +1d6 to +3 STUN.

 

His 5 OCV and 3 DCV make him a walking target if he uses his levels for damage.

 

His 22d6 is generally enough to do the job, but against tougher characters, he'd immobolize them with his neurotoxin before putting all his levels into damage.

 

As does his improved critical in M&M.

 

Ah yes, I'd forgotten that the M&M version had that one.

[Guest Black Mamba]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Perhaps I should be kinder. After all, META-4 is at least nowhere near as bad as "The Bad Guys". . .

 

( free netbook for M&M. Look it up if you want to lose a few pieces of your soul. I've heard people describe it as "the FATAL of superhero gaming". . . )

Part of the problem of any third-party-published product is quality and consistency. Superlink has had its share of clunkers over the years. Fortunately the bad products released make the exceptional products like The Algernon Files that much more appreciated.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

I think part of the problem is that, in Hero, any and all vehicles and objects are exceedingly durable, because they ignore Stun entirely. Thus, the same level of defense can be both simultaneously low for a superhero, and nearly impervious for a tank.

 

I've repeatedly considered an option wherein Stun taken inflicts Body damage for every Body worth of Stun taken, on vehicles and perhaps also on people.

 

I've been thinking about posting my small list of HERO house rules for integrating published "non-super" things into a four-color supers world. Since I prefer house rules which extrapolate from existing system elements, and require little to no change in official writeups, they're very easy to add to existing Champs material.

 

When I get more time later I'll probably put them up.

[Longshadow]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

In addition, Iron Angel is an alien, and the Steele family members gain their abilities ( at least partially ) from an alien artifact.

 

I would also argue that the Lord of Mirrors is at least as much cosmic as mystic. Yeah, he partially fills the devil role of mystic tempter. . . but his origin ( the War in Heaven ) is more Kirbyesque New Gods than traditional mystic origin. ( Basically, there used to be two godlike alien races spread across the universe, the Acanthii and the Rha-Zha-Keth. Being that the former were benign space gods, and the latter were lovecraftian horrors, qeue the kung fu fight. In the end, the Acanthii were wiped out, and those RZK that survived, were trapped in various extradimensional spaces or isolated solar systems )

 

There's also Ex Machinae, an as yet unstatted cosmic being that seems to be incarnate order.

 

Mostly right: Iron Angel is an alien-human hybrid. Doc Steel was transformed by an alien device, but his sons are a combination of inherited traits and some secondary mutations.

 

You're dead on about The Lord of Mirrors. The more traditional devil-tempter role (with a dash of cenobite thrown in) gets filled by The Prophet of Tears, who will eventually show up in a later book.

 

Ex Machina is probably closest to a really perverse combination of galactus and Modrons-On-Crack.

 

 

 

Oh, and the conversion suggestions I made to Rubber Baron and the guys are based on the standard Damage (assuming most campaigns average 12-15 DC), DEF, and other ranges from FRED. They're mine and in no way are meant to represent what Dave did when he rebuilt all of the characters from scratch for TAF 2.0.

[Dominique]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Also, for those of you unfamiliar with the Algernon Files universe, Aaron Sullivan has been kind enough to post additional notes, and bacgrond material over on the Blackwyrm Games website. Most of it's posted in the "forums" section of the site.

[Twilight]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Some really good stuff. I'm already considering how to combine Freedom City, the Algernon Files and the Champions Universe for a game. Not sure who I'd run it for but the idea sounds pretty cool so far.

[MitchellS]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Some really good stuff. I'm already considering how to combine Freedom City' date=' the Algernon Files and the Champions Universe for a game. Not sure who I'd run it for but the idea sounds pretty cool so far. [/quote']

Check out this thread on the M&M forum: http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?t=17901

[Twilight]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Check out this thread on the M&M forum: http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?t=17901

 

Well I would if the moderators there would actually activate my account. *takes deep breath, counts to fifty two million*

[MitchellS]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Well I would if the moderators there would actually activate my account. *takes deep breath' date=' counts to fifty two million*[/quote']

Well you don't need to have an account just to look at it.

[Twilight]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

Well you don't need to have an account just to look at it.

 

True, but I had to vent a bit on that subject sometime. This seemed like the proper place for it.

[MitchellS]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

True' date=' but I had to vent a bit on that subject sometime. This seemed like the proper place for it.[/quote']

Send an email to evan@greenronin.com and he'll fix you right up.

[Twilight]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

 

The thread had some good ideas in it, though I sorta lost interest after thier "Eurostar as iron age superheroes" interpretation. Still, good ideas outnumbered the bad.