Champions Now House Rules

[ideasmith]

When I get interested in an RPG, I write house rules for it. When said house rules reach a certain point of development, I seek feedback on them. So here’s a thread for Champions Now house rules and some Champions Now house rules under construction for folks to react to. 

Powers

Images

The hero may decide what he is creating an illusion of after rolling the dice and adding up the total, but must do so before the GM announces the level of effect.

 

Mind Control

The hero may decide what the target is being commanded to do after rolling the dice and adding up the total, but must do so before the GM announces the level of effect.

 

Telepathy

The hero may decide thoughts to attempt to read or send after rolling the dice and adding up the total, but must do so before the GM announces the level of effect.

 

Elemental Defense

Choose a category of special effect, such as ‘poison and drugs’ or ‘magic’. Against that special effect, the hero receives the following protections:

- The hero has 1 point of resistant defense per level of Elemental Defense against such effects.

- The hero has 1 die of each form of Specialized Defense per level of Elemental Defense against such effects.

- Against such Severe attacks, if they are stopped by  ‘one textual power’ or ’one special effect’, and the hero has more points of Elemental Defense than there are dice in the attack, the hero is unaffected by the attack. Otherwise, use the normal rules for Severe attacks.

- Against such Teleportation attacks, the hero is unaffected by the Teleportation attack.

Cost: 10 per level of Elemental Defense, with benefits as listed above. Despite no costing Endurance, Elemental Defense may nevertheless be placed in an Elemental Control; all other requirements for Elemental Controls still apply.

 No END cost.

Modifiers

Area Effect

- Subtract ½  from Advantage value if the affected area must be centered on the hero, unless the power already has no range.

- Subtract ¼ from Advantage value if one corner of the affected area must be in or adjacent to the hero, unless the power already has no range.

Aura

Add Negation and Weaken to the list of Powers this Advantage can be applied to.

Lethal

Add Negation and Weaken to the list of Powers this Advantage can be applied to.

Reactive

Add 1 to Advantage value to make power aimable at any target. (This replaces the reference to Usable Against Others.)

Strike

Subtract ¼ from Advantage value if Power counts as a distinct maneuver for such purposes and Find Weakness and Skill Levels. The maneuver the Power is attached to must be Punch, and this only applies to the ¼ version of Strike, not the ¾ version.

Treated As Having Redundant Limitation

A power with this advantage is treated as having a specified Limitation (or Limitations) for purposes of determining whether all the powers in a framework have that limitation or for purposes of meeting campaign parameters. Limitations which are only redundant due to another advantage may not be chosen. 

Advantage value: Total Limitation value of Limitations power is treated as having.

Modifiers, meet Frameworks/Power Pools

The required Limitations Limitation may also require advantages, such as Separate.

Experience

SPENDING XP MID ADVENTURE

If a player wants to spend experience points in the middle of an adventure, roll 3d6, add the hero’s Radiation Factor, and add 10 if the hero is dying. If the result is at least 20, the hero’s experience points may be spent. If the result is at least 40, the hero may be rewritten. This does not affect whether the hero is dying, even if the hero gains abilities which would have prevented the condition.

 

Determine the hero’s Base Radiation Factor by dividing the hero’s unspent experience by five and then rounding.

Edited April 19, 2020 by ideasmith
Fixing Formating

[PeterLind]

I have considered a couple of house rules so far:

 

If the special effect of Flight will be "Gliding" or "Swinging", then there will not be an Endurance cost.

 

To allow Recoveries to be taken without a penalty to DCV.  In essence, I am allowing someone to take a step back and to maintain a defensive posture while taking a breath, but I am open to other views on this.  I have also considered the following:  1/2 recovery at full DCV, full recovery at DCV 6.  

 

 

[ideasmith]

Character Name

A character based on a fictional character or real person may not have the same name as that character.

 

Density Increase

Per 2x mass, permitting simultaneous effect on other characters and objects: +5 Power Points

Usable as a close-range attack to affect a target: +15 Power Points

 

Desolid

Per 2x mass, permitting simultaneous effect on other characters and objects: +10 Power Points

Usable as a close-range attack to affect a target: +60 Power Points

 

Growth

Per 2x mass, permitting simultaneous effect on other characters and objects: +5 Power Points

Usable as a close-range attack to affect a target (this use costs Endurance every phase): +15 Power Points

 

Invisibility

Per 2x mass, permitting simultaneous effect on other characters and objects: +5 Power Points

Usable as a close-range attack to affect a target: +15 Power Points

See Usable On/For Others below.

 

Instant Change

Per 2x mass, permitting simultaneous effect on other characters and objects: +5 Power Points

Usable as a close-range attack to affect a target (this use costs Endurance every phase): +15 Power Points

 

Shrinking

Per 2x mass, permitting simultaneous effect on other characters and objects: +5 Power Points

Usable as a close-range attack to affect a target (this use costs Endurance every phase): +15 Power Points

 

Specialized Defense

There are five forms of Specialized Defense, each of which affects multiple powers and each of which is purchased separately. These replace the forms of Specialized Defense in the rulebook. If more than one of these apply to a given attack, they are all applied to that attack.

 

▶ Corporeal Integrity:

            Versus Drain: Negates the highest-value die

            Versus some Weaken (those which weaken hero’s Strength, Speed, or Dexterity): Negates highest-value die

            Versus Density Increase, Desolid, Growth, Instant Change, and Shrinking: Hero Counts as 2x mass

            Versus some Negation (those which negate hero’s physical power): Negates highest-value die

 

▶ Locational Stability:

            Versus ordinary Knockback:-1d6 hexes (read the value showing on the dice)

            Versus High Impact: negates the advantage and the ordinary Knockback rules are applied

            Versus Desolid, Telekinesis and Teleport: Hero Counts as 2x mass

            Versus some Negation (those which negate hero’s movement power, including Surfaces): Negates highest-value die

 

▶ Mental Cohesion

            Versus Images, Mind Control, and Telepathy based attacks: Negates highest-value die

            Versus some Weaken (those which weaken hero’s Ego or Presence): Negates highest-value die

            Versus some Negation (those which negate hero’s mental power): Negates highest-value die

 

▶ Obscured Weaknesses

            Versus Find Weakness: Negates highest-value die of an attack enhanced by Find Weakness           

            Versus some Negation (those which negate hero’s defenses or sensory concealment power): Negates highest-value die

 

▶ Sensory Resilience

            Versus Flash: Reduces the duration of Flash by 1 Segment

            Versus some Weaken (those which weaken hero’s Intelligence): Negates highest-value die

            Versus Invisiblity: Hero Counts as 2x mass

            Versus some Negation (those which negate hero’s sensory or communication power): Negates highest-value die

 

 

Expanded Scope

Expanded Scope on Flight is always on 5” of flight. Expanded Scope on Teleport is always on 10” of Teleport. There would be no benefit to purchasing more “, though other adders might be applicable.

 

Usable On/For Others

The basic version is also usable for Elemental Defense.

The basic version with Invisibility generally does not work on unwilling, conscious targets, and is therefore generally not usable for preventing communication between enemies.

 

Power Pool

A character with a Control Skill may also have one or more Routine Uses at a cost of exactly one point each. A Routine Use has the same build (including modifiers) and special effects each time it is used, and takes up points in the pool according to this build, even if not being used at full power.

If using a Control Skill to create an array that consists entirely of one or more Routine Uses, no skill roll is needed.

 

Grab

The OCV/DCV penalties for being grabbed are the same as the penalties for grabbing, but are  not cumulative with them. (That is, grabbing an opponent while already grabbed by that opponent is at -1 OCV/-2 DCV not -2/-4.)

Squeeze

May only be done while maintaining Grab. Target takes damage based on attackers Strength used. No attack roll is required, but attack action and Endurance cost apply. Modifiers for Grab apply.

Throw

May only be done if maintaining Grab, and target is no longer grabbed after being thrown. This follows the same rules as throwing an object. If the target hits a suitably hard and immobile object or surface, damage is inflicted based on the attackers Strength used. Softer or more easily moved reduce the damage taken. Modifiers for Grab apply.

 

Movement Attacks

Move-Through and Move-By each allow making a full move while attacking. Your velocity is equal to the number of inches the hero can move this phase. Failing to pay full required Endurance will lower the effective velocity, but being stopped – or stopping – short of one’s full movement does not.

Move-by: Once the attack is made the hero finished moving, with no special restrictions from having attacked.