Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

[matrix3]

For those who built their own campaign worlds, have you given thought to the ratios of various archetypes? Will certain cultures or technologies encourage bricks versus mentalists versus blasters, etc.?

[Enforcer84]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

I have a lot of bricks cause they're my favorite. I could build a house.

[matrix3]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

I'm also fond of bricks, and use them a lot, but I rationalize it in game as being the most common expression of the human genome. I have physical powers in general (strength/leaping, durability, regeneration, speed, wings/horns/tails, or combo thereof) be two to three times as common as super smarts, which is about twice as common as actual telepathy/telekinesis/teleportation. I also have actual, wingless flight fall under a form of telekinesis.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

For those who built their own campaign worlds' date=' have you given thought to the ratios of various archetypes? Will certain cultures or technologies encourage bricks versus mentalists versus blasters, etc.?[/quote']

 

Not really. I don't want to paint myself into a corner by saying 'Country X only has Y bricks' then find myself needing to retcon or backtrack it later.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

As a general rule no, but it depends on the campaign and the origin of powers in the campaign. I would say that totalitarian regimes and organizations of mine tend to favor bricks and martial artists because mentalists and brilliant technophiles tend to be harder to control. Also it is easier to make a generic brick or martial artist.

[Arkham]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

I actively try to subvert the common stereotypes of archetypes by origin. The 'asian mystic', 'Japanese martial artist', or 'native shaman' are so very overdone I end up building counter to that type when making NPCs. When it comes to simply thinking of ratios, I just don't. Whether a character from a region exists doesn't matter until a name and/or character sheet for them is needed.

[matrix3]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

I mainly started it so that I had a reason for the heroes to wade through mook bricks. There are just more of them, so they're cheap. I didn't actually limit the heroes by making them pay more to be a mentalist, or say they couldn't be a combo, it was just a campaign world quirk. I started thinking it over and considered fiddling with ratios based on 1st world/3rd world, or African versus Asian background, but haven't written anything up on it.

[psyber624]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

It varies by genre of course, but generally in my "worlds" i think of mentalists as being fairly rare, true "gadgeteers" and highly uncommon. Most of the rest are really similar in ratio (in an abstract sense). Of course that is because of the way I view the powers. Mental powers are REALLY strong and cost effective in a non-mentalist game, but poor and alot weaker in a mentalist campaign. (I.E. if no one is buying MD mentalists are crazy powerful, if everyone does then they become really weak.) Gadgeteers on the other hand are uncommon because I generally don't care for VPP's. They are too easy to abuse, and if I am going to be reluctant to let a PC take one, it would seem unfair of me if they constantly had to fight against them.

 

And note, I do get how they work, and they are great for a number of things, so I am not CONDEMNING VPP"s by any means. They are just not something I would put in the hands of a player I was not really familiar with, as that can easily lead to contention between me and a player if they keep trying to find a way to use them to powergame over the rest of the party.

[Andrew_A]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

Not really. I don't want to paint myself into a corner by saying 'Country X only has Y bricks' then find myself needing to retcon or backtrack it later.

 

"Chavez and his lackey Dr. Radiation wanted you to think they only had 5 telepathic-speedster-bricks. The truth is, they bio-engineered 5000 in their sub-orbital, six-dimensional, radar invisible, sentient gulags.

 

"Meanwhile the covert, Syrian, Martial Artist-Gadgeteer, underground made plans to turn the Sahara into a tropical rainforest. All while keeping the alien mystic-weapon masters, who secretly control Norway, from finding out."

 

There's a difference between what the PCs think they know and the truth.

[Orion]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

Never even considered it. I make up whatever is interesting at the moment. Usually, that means coming up with a background, and then a general description of the powers. Only much later, if at all, do I actually stat the character out. If I happen to need a generic brick or blaster for a scenario, I am much more likely to pull one out of an old Enemies booklet than create something new.

[Clonus]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

For those who built their own campaign worlds' date=' have you given thought to the ratios of various archetypes?[/quote']

 

No, not really. I can't see much use for it in the over all scheme of things.

 

 

 

 

Will certain cultures or technologies encourage bricks versus mentalists versus blasters, etc.?

 

On the other hand, different nations produce different inspirations that will affect the ratios in practice. For example if I'm looking at China I'd look at their movies and that would suggest more, and more powerful martial artists. Do not fear the stereotype. The stereotype is your friend as long as you don't make a cage.

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

I'm using a limited-origin setting (supernatural, training, realistic hardware), so no laser eyes or guys who can throw aircraft carriers into orbit. Plenty of super-mages, monster heroes, and mystery men.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

"Chavez and his lackey Dr. Radiation wanted you to think they only had 5 telepathic-speedster-bricks. The truth is, they bio-engineered 5000 in their sub-orbital, six-dimensional, radar invisible, sentient gulags.

 

"Meanwhile the covert, Syrian, Martial Artist-Gadgeteer, underground made plans to turn the Sahara into a tropical rainforest. All while keeping the alien mystic-weapon masters, who secretly control Norway, from finding out."

 

There's a difference between what the PCs think they know and the truth.

 

It's not about what they know, it's about what I know. If I write down 'There are precisely 13 (X)s in the world', then I will stick to that.

[Andrew_A]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

It's not about what they know' date=' it's about what I know. If I write down 'There are precisely 13 (X)s in the world', then I will stick to that.[/quote']

 

Fair enough. That's not me though. I reserve the right to change stuff if I think it'll make a good story. Both approaches have their upsides and downsides.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

The last time I ran a supers campaign, they were rare enough in the game world that the players' choice of character types would actually have a significant impact on these ratios. So I didn't create the world or start the game with a preconceived notion of what types were "most common." I made the characters I needed for the plot (kinda like the "Heroes" tv series) and didn't worry about which types came up the most.

[Laundry Knight]

Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

 

I tend toward martial artists, detectives, gadgeteers, and power armors for NPC heroes and allow the PCs to set their own average.