FF7 Hero Game

[Mavnn]

OK, I'm thinking of setting up a one-on-one game set in the FF7 universe, but I wanted to detail and balance the rules sufficiently that I can add in extra players as I go along if desired. I'm planning to run it using Superheroic rules but starting at a low points total - so there's no NCM and fights are 'super' lethal rather than 'heroic' lethal, but characters will start at a reasonable power level before starting to escalate (much like the computer games where you go from taking on a couple of armed guards, to defeating dragons in a couple of blows...).

 

This also simulates the fact that characters in FF7 tend to have signature weapons, so it made sense to me to have them brought with points and getting more powerful along with their users.

 

Characters will not generally be able to buy powers except in the ways listed below, but Combat Luck is available (and highly recommended) and characters can buy up stats to superhuman levels (including Leaping, Running and Swimming, as well as actual characteristics). I might make the occassional exception for 'powered' skills, like stealth teleports and running without trace, but I haven't decided yet. Hopefully this should help create characters who are larger than life, but who you can still stab to death in their sleep *evil grin*.

 

In case you hadn't guessed, what I'm looking for is comments, blatent holes I've missed, and ideas.

 

...please?

 

Michael

 

Materia

Materia count as independent focusses that already contain the relevant power, and so spells themselves do not cost any points. However, the materia draw their energy from Mana (an END reserve) and invariably have a high END cost. They also all have the limitation 'Must pay full END cost, even if used at less than full power'.

 

So, for example, a 'Fire 1' materia might be a 8d6 Energy Blast, x3 END. As such, a character would need to pay 12 END from their Mana END Reserve to activate the materia (regardless of how powerful a blast they wished to use). This also means that a character with a (say) 10pt Mana Reserve wouldn't be able to use the materia at all.

 

As well as requiring the mana to activate the stone, you also need to set it. Characters can't use the power of the materia directly, but must channel the energy through specialised equipment with materia 'slots'. Generally this means a weapon or armor of some kind, as materia are generally used for military applications, but there are exceptions running from earrings to walking sticks. Normally it's only possible to use one of two pieces of materia holding equipment before they start to interfere with each other, losing their effectiveness, and each piece of equipment generally only holds a maximum of 4 materia (with very rare exceptions going up to 8 materia). Some of these slots might in turn be linked into pairs, enabling the use of support materia (see below).

 

Spell and summoning materia are basically just powers, as described above. The final type of materia, support materia, are brought as naked advantages which only apply to a materia in a paired slot. For example, the 'All' materia would be brought as a naked Area of Effect (radius) advantage. Unlike other materia, support materia are always brought 0 END - so you still pay the END for the materia being supported, but you don't pay any extra for the effect being added. So a character who paired 'Fire 1' and 'All' in a weapon would be able to fire a 8d6 Energy Blast, Area of Effect 4" radius at a cost of 12 END. Once the materia are paired, you do have to use the pairing, though - you couldn't pair 'Fire 1' and 'All' and then cast a non-area of effect Fire attack. The exception to this is the 'Elemental' support materia, which are actually a naked Variable Special Effect advantage on the weapon being used, with the special effect being determined by the materia it's paired with. ?? I'm not sure how to do the added effect materia at the moment ??

 

Mana Reserve

Mana Reserves are brought as END reserves. REC for the reserve always takes the limitation 'Only while in deep sleep' (-2). This effectively places a limit on Materia usage for the day, and the GM should keep an eye on how large a reserve he allows characters to buy. ?? Maybe limit it based on stats or skills in some way? ??

 

Limit breaks

Characters can buy a Limit Gauge if they wish to buy Limit Breaks. This is brought as an elemental control:

 

Limit Gauge Elemental Control - 15 pt

Physical Absorption 3d6, +12 Max, Reduced Fade Rate (5pts/5min) +1/2, Shares Max with Energy Absorption (-1/2) - 31AP, 11 RP

Energy Absorption 3d6, +12 Max, Reduced Fade Rate (5pts/5min) +1/2, Shares Max with Physical Absorption (-1/2) - 31AP, 11 RP

 

for a total cost of 37 pts. The Gauge itself doesn't allow the character to do anything - all it does is feed points into a Limit Break END Reserve (GM's permission is given here to feed Absorption points in to a power the character doesn't have otherwise).

 

Limit Breaks are then brought as powers with huge increased END costs to bring them as close to 60 END as possible. For example, a 'low' level Limit Break might be:

 

Flying Slash: Leaping +10, Increased END Cost x10 (-4), Linked to HKA plus HKA 3d6+1 (plus STR), Increased END Cost x10 (-4), OAF: Sword (-1) - Total AP: 60, Real Cost: 10, END cost: 60

 

The effect is that characters slowly build up power in their Limit Gauge until they hit the maximum 60 END, and then unleash a huge can of whoopass. Note that the Limit Break above is about as small as they get - more powerful limit breaks are built with smaller Increased END limitations so that they can have a larger AP total while still using 60 END. In theory, the largest limit breaks would be built using no increased END cost at all, allowing for 600AP attacks - in practice, I doubt that anyone is that powerful, even in the FF 7 world.

 

Limit Breaks are frequently put in Multipowers, with the Increased END cost limitation on the reserve dropping as the character gets more powerful. So in general, a starting character would buy a 60 AP Multipower with the x10 END limitation on the reserve for a cost of 12 pts. The individual Limit Breaks would be Ultra slots and would generally cost 1 pt. I would recommend that characters are allowed no more than 2-3 slots of each 'Level' before having to buy down the limitation on the Multipower and buy bigger attacks...

[Yogzilla]

Don't forget Items...

 

Potion (Healing, BODY, Only if BODY is greater than zero [0])

 

Ether (Healing, END [Mana] Reserve)

 

Soft (Transform - From Petrified to Normal)

 

Eye Drops (retroactive Flash Defense)

 

etc etc etc, and, of course, the most important...

 

Phoenix Down (Healing, BODY, Only if BODY is less than zero [0])

 

***The parantheses are just suggestions on how you might model these items; obviously you'd want to make them Foci with Charges or some such***

 

-Yogzilla

[Pteryx]

Wouldn't Eye Drops be Flash Healing?

 

Don't forget Independent materia and Command materia. The Counterattack independent materia would probably be a Triggered attack that has an Activation roll that's bought off gradually, just off the top of my head... -- Pteryx

[Mavnn]

Originally posted by Pteryx

Don't forget Independent materia and Command materia. The Counterattack independent materia would probably be a Triggered attack that has an Activation roll that's bought off gradually, just off the top of my head... -- Pteryx

 

Man, it's been too long since I've played the games... not sure most command materia would exist, but most independent ones should...

 

I'll have to think about it.

 

Most of them I can do on a case by case basis, though.

 

Michael

[megaplayboy]

So, what, "Fallen One" is worth a few hundred points right?

[Mavnn]

OK, here's the first draft of the starting PC. Slightly higher points total than I originally planned, but he's spent quite a few points in the limit break abilities (that won't help him too much till he's a bit tougher) and his equipment (which is all fairly 'heroic' level at this point).Comments welcome :)Oh, and yes he's an amnesiac...MichaelUnknownPlayer: Tim

Val	Char	Cost
15	STR	5
17	DEX	21
18	CON	16
15	BODY	10
13	INT	3
14	EGO	8
18/23	PRE	8
18	COM	4
14/24	PD	5
14/24	ED	4
4	SPD	13
7	REC	0
36	END	0
32	STUN	0

6" RUN02" SWIM06" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 97

Cost	Power	END
12	Limit Breaks: Multipower, 60-point reserve, all slots: (60 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost 10x END (-4)
1u	1) Cleave!: (Total: 60 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 3d6 +1 (plus STR, 4d6 +1 Total) (vs. PD) (50 Active Points); OAF (Big Sword) (-1) (uses Limit Gauge END Reserve) (Real Cost: 25) plus Leaping +10" (16" forward, 8" upward) (10 Active Points); Linked to Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand (-1/2) (uses Limit Gauge END Reserve) (Real Cost: 7)	60
1u	2) Upwards Spiral: (Total: 60 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (plus STR, Total 2 1/2D6K) (vs. PD), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Area Of Effect (2" radius; +3/4) (60 Active Points); OAF (Big Sword) (-1) (uses Limit Gauge END Reserve) (Real Cost: 30)	60
10	Limit Gauge: Elemental Control, 30-point powers, all slots: (15 Active Points); Shared Absorption Max (-1/2)
11	1) Absorption 3d6 (Physical), Can Absorb Maximum of 30 Points, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes) (+1/2) (31 Active Points)
11	2) Absorption 3d6 (Energy), Can Absorb Maximum of 30 Points, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes) (+1/2) (31 Active Points)
5	Mana Reserve: Endurance Reserve (40 END, 4 REC) Reserve: (8 Active Points) REC: (4 Active Points); Only While In Deep Sleep (-2)
3	Anime Leap!: Leaping +3" (6" forward, 3" upward) (uses Personal END)	1
14	Big Sword: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (plus STR) (vs. PD), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), STR Min 15 (-3/4), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2)
6	That Sword's Big Enough to Hide Behind!: Missile Deflection (Bullets & Shrapnel) (15 Active Points); OAF (Focus (Big Sword); -1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2)
8	Bracers and Shoulder Pad: Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); Activation Roll (Covers locations 7-9) 8- (-2), OIF (-1/2)
2	Big Red Cape: +5 PRE (5 Active Points); OAF (-1)

Powers Cost: 84

Cost	Skill
0	Acting 8-
3	Analyze: Combat 12-
3	AK: Unknown (INT-based) 12-
1	AK: Unknown (INT-based) 8-
1	AK: Unknown (INT-based) 8-
1	AK: Unknown (INT-based) 8-
3	Breakfall 12-
3	Climbing 12-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
3	KS: Unknown (INT-based) 12-
1	KS: Unknown (INT-based) 8-
1	KS: Unknown (INT-based) 8-
1	KS: Unknown (INT-based) 8-
3	Paramedics 12-
3	Persuasion 13- (14-)
0	PS: Unknown 11-
1	Seduction 8-
0	Shadowing 8-
3	Stealth 12-
3	Tactics 12-
0	TF: Custom Adder, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles [Notes: Custom Mod is Everyman Skill]
8	+1 with All Combat
5	+1 with HTH Combat
6	+2 with Swords
4	+2 with Cleave!

Skills Cost: 57

Cost	Talent
12	Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED)

Talents Cost: 12

Val	Disadvantages
10	Distinctive Features: Mako Eyes (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses; Not Distinctive In Some Cultures) [Notes: Listed as 'Not Distinctive In Some Cultures' as only people with a military background would realise the significance.]
5	Distinctive Features: Handsome Enough to Remember (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
25	Hunted: Unknown 11- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence)
15	Hunted: Unknown 8- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence; Limited Geographical Area)
15	Hunted: Unknown 8- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish)
15	Dependent NPC: Unknown 11- (Slightly Less Powerful than the PC; Group DNPC: x2 DNPCs)
15	Susceptibility: Unknown 1d6 damage, per Phase (Uncommon)

Disadvantage Points: 100

Base Points: 150Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 250

Height: 6' 0"	Hair: Black
Weight: 180 lbs	Eyes: Green

Appearance: 6 foot tall, athletic build, long black hair undercut to stubble from the level of his temples down. Green (mako?) eyes. Clean shaven. Black leather pants, and boots. Tight black long sleeved t-shirt.

Solid looking bracers on forearms, big shoulder armour, and deep red cloak.

Personality: Quote:Background: UnknownPowers/Tactics: Real good with a sword, and seems to have some military training (tactics and some infiltration skills). He also has a powerful personality and good looks, but apart from that he doesn't really know what he can do - or what he knows.Campaign Use: 

[Pteryx]

Oh yes...

 

IIRC, the All materia didn't force you to use it; instead, its limitation was Recoverable Charges (starting at one, topping out at five). I remember finding that an interesting system. -- Pteryx