Beauty and the Beast

[PerennialRook]

As a newbie to the Hero system I've only ever had one GM, and the only things he ever uses the COM score is for my characters' "Sucker for a Pretty Face" disadvantages and to explain how attractive particular people (the hot dates of our NPC employer in a supermercs campaign) are. Looking through the rules there are no rules that really deal with the stat. So the question is:

 

What do you use Comliness for in your campaigns?

 

-Preston

[Trebuchet]

Complementary Skill rolls for PRE based skills is one thing a high COM might be useful for. It might also justify a character's career as a model. For the most part, it seems to be a concept thing. I've never played a 10 COM character; even my powered armor hero Ranger had a 12 COM.

[PerennialRook]

If that's the case, why not just say "my character is particularly gorgeous" or "the troll is hideously ugly, enough to make you check your vomit reflex" and define it as represented in a character's PRE. If it has no REAL in game effect, why stat it out?

[OddHat]

As I mentioned in another thread, I allow for a few uses of COM, all as house rules;

 

1) Standard background. As in any campaign, COM has intangible benifits; if your character has a high COM, they'll get more positive attention from NPCs who might be physically attracted to them, be able to work as models or celebs, etc.

 

2) Complementary skill rolls. Roll vs. 9+COM/5 and you can add half of your success level to your roll with any PRE skill where being good looking might help.

 

3) Skills based on COM. You can base any PRE skill on COM. As these skills are now based on how physically attractive your character is, they can only help in situation's where you're dealing with people who might reasonably find your character physically attractive; on the other hand, COM is half the price of PRE, which tends to even the usefulness of the two stats out.

 

4) COM attacks. A high COM character can attempt a COM attack , rolling one die for every 5 points of COM and comparing the results to the PRE attack chart (target resists with the higher of PRE or EGO). Only targets that might find the character physically attractive are affected.

 

Example:

 

Buxom Lass knew she was no match for the Ultimates, and that the rest of the team needed time to regroup. With her COM of 60, she had one chance.

 

"Hey boys!" she shouted, and struck a pose.

 

12d6, -2d6 for being in combat, +2d6 for skimpy costume, +1d6 for the pose, 13d6 total, roll of 72.

 

The Ultimates were still staring when the Amazon broke out of Binder's glue trap and hit Blackstar in the back of the head with a car.

[PerennialRook]

1) Standard background. As in any campaign, COM has intangible benifits; if your character has a high COM, they'll get more positive attention from NPCs who might be physically attracted to them, be able to work as models or celebs, etc.

 

2) Complementary skill rolls. Roll vs. 9+COM/5 and you can add half of your success level to your roll with any PRE skill where being good looking might help.

 

3) Skills based on COM. You can base any PRE skill on COM. As these skills are now based on how physically attractive your character is, they can only help in situation's where you're dealing with people who might reasonably find your character physically attractive; on the other hand, COM is half the price of PRE, which tends to even the usefulness of the two stats out.

 

4) COM attacks. A high COM character can attempt a COM attack , rolling one die for every 5 points of COM and comparing the results to the PRE attack chart (target resists with the higher of PRE or EGO). Only targets that might find the character physically attractive are affected.

 

Though I think Buxom Lass would be an awesome character to have in XMen3, I still don't see COM's usefullness.

 

1) Still, why not just be able to say "Buxom Lass is incredibaly beautiful, as represented in her insane PRE."

 

2) I can spend the same points I would spend on COM on skill levels for my PRE Rolls.

 

3) Still if your usefull COM is Just PRE why not just have PRE?

 

4) Isn't that still just a PRE Attack with a very creative special effect?

 

I'm not saying that I think a COM score is a bad idea, I love it, but I don't like making COM PRE's little buddy is the answer. I think COM should be a stand alone score.

 

-Preston

[OddHat]

As it stands in the standard rules, COM is a stat that doesn't have much effect on game play. If you'd prefer to replace it with three perks (Good Looking for 3 points, Beautiful/Handsome for 5, Unearthly Beauty for 10), it won't make much difference as far as game effects go. Any stat could be represented differently or replaced by perks.

 

I decided on my COM as PRE with a -1 limit approach a few editions ago, and I like it as a house rule; it lets characters that really have shown up in my games (The Siren, Adonis, others) have interesting ways of using influence skills and PRE attacks. They could be modled as high PRE with the -1 limit: Only vs People who are physically attracted to the character , but why bother when COM is already there?

 

If you don't want to use it that way in your game, don't. Your Game Your Rules.

[Talon]

I use it for virtually nothing, and set the cost at 0.

[DigitalGolem]

The Com stat serves the vital purpose of stroking the players' vanity. As such, I leave it at the horrendously expensive cost of 1/2 pt.

 

DGv3.0:D

[Hugh Neilson]

Originally posted by DigitalGolem

The Com stat serves the vital purpose of stroking the players' vanity. As such, I leave it at the horrendously expensive cost of 1/2 pt.

 

DGv3.0:D

 

Am I the only one who looks at his 150 in Disad's, and his 348 point character and says "14 Comeliness - DONE!

 

Only one in five characters neatly round.

[DigitalGolem]

Originally posted by Hugh Neilson

Am I the only one who looks at his 150 in Disad's, and his 348 point character and says "14 Comeliness - DONE!

 

Only one in five characters neatly round.

 

I don't know, but I've seen some look at their 351pt character, with a 16 or higher Comeliness, going crazy looking for something else to get rid of. Usually it's Endurance, the only other stat worth 1/2pt.

 

Ever split a point between those two? I could see it happening in games with Com-based rolls, with players going for the "perfect 13". (or 23!)

 

DGv3.0

[Hugh Neilson]

Originally posted by DigitalGolem

I don't know, but I've seen some look at their 351pt character, with a 16 or higher Comeliness, going crazy looking for something else to get rid of. Usually it's Endurance, the only other stat worth 1/2pt.

 

If comeliness is central, it makes it tougher to round!

 

Originally posted by DigitalGolem

Ever split a point between those two? I could see it happening in games with Com-based rolls, with players going for the "perfect 13". (or 23!)DGv3.0

 

The "technical" rule is that +1 still costs 1 point. I'm not sure how hard I would enforce that - the issue has never come up in my games.

[DigitalGolem]

Originally posted by Hugh Neilson

If comeliness is central, it makes it tougher to round!

 

 

 

The "technical" rule is that +1 still costs 1 point. I'm not sure how hard I would enforce that - the issue has never come up in my games.

 

I did it as a joke once; except for speed, the character had 23's across the board. (no 23 speed!) No reason, other than annoying the GM. All in fun, of course. He disallowed the character, but mercifully stopped short of killing me on the spot.

 

DGv3.0

[Ghost Archer]

Originally posted by PerennialRook

1) Still, why not just be able to say "Buxom Lass is incredibaly beautiful, as represented in her insane PRE."

 

2) I can spend the same points I would spend on COM on skill levels for my PRE Rolls.

 

3) Still if your usefull COM is Just PRE why not just have PRE?

 

4) Isn't that still just a PRE Attack with a very creative special effect?

 

I'm not saying that I think a COM score is a bad idea, I love it, but I don't like making COM PRE's little buddy is the answer. I think COM should be a stand alone score.

 

-Preston

 

A high PRE also indicates someone difficult, if not impossible to scare. COM is purely in the eye of the beholder and has little to do with defending the 'beautiful people' from another 'beautiful person'. Although there is always an Envy attack . . . "God, is she prettier then me? What if she is?" Is generating Self-doubt a proper attack for COM?

[mattingly]

Instead of running my games like a comic book, I run mine like a television series (with episodes and seasons, casting calls, soundtracks, bloopers that run during the credits, etc.).

 

For my games, I don't like having to roll off for DEX/SPD ties for initiative, so... COM is the tie-breaker. When two characters are evenly matched, the camera points first to the more attractive one.

[austenandrews]

COM Attack? That's brilliant! That explains Austin Powers and the Fembots. (Can you buy COM with Does BODY Damage?) Actually I kinda like the mechanic, though. I'll have to consider working that into certain genres.

 

As a GM, I use COM as a general indicator for getting favorable attention. I like the idea of a COM roll complementing a PRE skill under the right circumstances. I've never used it that rule, but I'll have to start.

 

Otherwise it's just a color thing. Vanity for the players, etc. The PCs in my games usually all look like supermodels.

 

-AA