Starting power level for a superhero game

[mallet]

This is probably a simple question, but one I would find helpful to get some opinions on.

 

What CP point totals (and AP levels, DC levels, etc...) would you start a Champions campaign at, given that it will have 3 Players (+1 GM of course) and be mainly based on the DEMON sourcebook, but still using villains from other Hero books?

 

I've only ever GM'd Lower powered Hero games (Star Heroes mainly, with a bit of low fantasy Fantasy Hero, and a few other odds and ends) so I want the Players to be able to fight it out with the villains from the books, but not get crushed nor have it too easy for them.

 

So what point "levels" do you guys use when starting out a new campaign?

[薔薇語]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

Depending on the villain power levels of course. I would generally say that the levels stated in the book are generally good. The Standard from the book is at 200 base with 150 disad. I might go with lower disads and higher base (250/100) myself but that is all personal choice.

 

It is a good starting value in that it will allow them a good range of possibilities but with room to grow. Also 3-4 at that level can normally take on most threats in the book (assuming of course that they are a good team with a nice balance of abilities).

 

End of the day, it is all subjective to your tastes as the GM. If anything you might start them off at 300 to see what it like and if they are underpowered then add on 25pts. Keep doing this until you arrive at a happy balance.

 

Best of Luck with the campaign,

 

La Rose

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

I suggest soft caps of 12 Damage Classes and 75 Active Points (which can allow for more interesting concepts).

[Zed-F]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

Depends on the tone you want to take. If it's Dark Champions, focusing mainly on agents, conspiracies, investigation, and so forth, with the occasional supervillain thrown in here and there somewhat sparingly, then I'd go with 150+100 for the PCs. If it's going to be full on Champions, facing multiple supervillains at once, large numbers of agents, less grit and less lethality, then I'd go with 200+150. DEMON works well as a primary antagonist at either point level.

[DocMan]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

We used to do 250 point characters with 150 disads, but it seemed like it took forever before we could build our characters to the point where they were useful. We started using the 350/150 standard before it came out as official, and our characters made much more satisfactory superheros. We couldn't do everything, but there was at least one thing that we felt we could do well. Typically we use a 60 Active point cap on powers, unless the GM gives his approval.

 

Lately we've been doing more "build to concept" type characters. We still aim at the 350/150 range, but it isn't a hard limit. We just started a game where my character has 190 points of disads because that was what was appropriate to the character concept. So I'm starting with 390 points of powers. So far it has been working well, and since I have the same power cap, my character isn't more powerful, he just has more tricks up his sleeve.

 

Doc

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

I would strongly suggest you err on the low side. If the characters are having trouble built on 250 points, it is easy to give them extra points with lots of experience, extra equipment, or a radiation accident or something. I have never met a player that got upset because I gave them extra points to work with. If the characters are too powerful at 350, you can't take the points away without making for some very unhappy players.

[bubba smith]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

Depends on the tone you want to take. If it's Dark Champions' date=' focusing mainly on agents, conspiracies, investigation, and so forth, with the occasional supervillain thrown in here and there somewhat sparingly, then I'd go with 150+100 for the PCs. If it's going to be full on Champions, facing multiple supervillains at once, large numbers of agents, less grit and less lethality, then I'd go with 200+150. DEMON works well as a primary antagonist at either point level.[/quote']

or a DCTAS campaign [low power ]which might be the best of both worlds

[Split Decision]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

200 + 150 is the "normal superhero" level we refer to here on the HERO boards. And yeah, 350 is about the right number of points to build a starting superhero on.

 

For DCs, 12 ought to be a soft cap. 60 active points of a power ought to be a hard cap... except for one power that caps at 80. This way, each character can have something they excel at, or a player can build a really wonky power that just wouldn't be effective at 60 Active.

 

I used to do the 100 + 150, then switched to 150 + 100... it wasn't as satisfying as a 350, and I didn't know why until I switched.

 

Definitely, keep it under 600. 600 point characters generally are so versatile, their schticks will overlap. Requires a higher level of attention to RP to keep players from making each other unhappy by hogging the spotlight, etc.

[CTaylor]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

Starting lower powered gives you more room for the characters to grow into their powers and abilities, and lets you control that growth more. It also opens up a lot of scenarios that otherwise wouldn't work (like the mob getting mad at them and sending hit men, or street gangs). I prefer low powered games.

 

However, if you're going to use printed materials, you'll need more points in the characters, because the builds presume that power level. More powerful characters can tend to be broader and more flexible in build, with more background abilities - depending on the concept and player. They also will be able to deal with scenarios like alien invasions and huge cosmic events which street level guys have to sit out.

[Peregrine]

Re: Starting power level for a superhero game

 

We used to do 250 point characters with 150 disads, but it seemed like it took forever before we could build our characters to the point where they were useful. We started using the 350/150 standard before it came out as official, and our characters made much more satisfactory superheros. We couldn't do everything, but there was at least one thing that we felt we could do well. Typically we use a 60 Active point cap on powers, unless the GM gives his approval.

 

Lately we've been doing more "build to concept" type characters. We still aim at the 350/150 range, but it isn't a hard limit. We just started a game where my character has 190 points of disads because that was what was appropriate to the character concept. So I'm starting with 390 points of powers. So far it has been working well, and since I have the same power cap, my character isn't more powerful, he just has more tricks up his sleeve.

 

Doc

 

As DocMan illustrated here, don't mistake CP total for power level. The chart in the rulebook is for starting characters at the listed power level. You can still use the power level recommendations with higher CP totals; the result will be what Doc has described - characters that are still at the same power level, but have more options to choose from. This also allows for characters that have more background, as opposed to characters who are brand-new to "the scene".