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.

Here is the no-frills Character Sheet that I created for my game. Please feel free to improve and modify, and I hope someone does so . . . Champions Now Char Sheet_1.xlsx

When I was trying to build an Ego Attack type power, I saw two basic approaches (not including the method under Mental Discipline): Blast with the Ego-Based advantage. This allows a character to use Ego for the attack value, but the attack is still against the target's normal Defense. Blast with the Severe advantage. The Blast is still based on Dexterity, and the textual defense is defined as Ego Defense. However, any amount of Ego Defense will completely stop the attack. Of course, these could be combined for a total +1 advantage, Ego-Based and Severe.

It seems that emulating "killing attacks" is not really being encouraged in Champions Now . . . perhaps this is a good thing. But what do you think about buying a hand-to-hand weapon as a Blast power with the Piercing Advantage and the Strike Advantage as well? Would there be any advantage in linking this attack to the Punch (or Martial Punch) maneuver for +1/4?

> The Champions Now Focus limitation is intended only for items that will often be taken away in play < Thanks for your comment. I will change the write-up I posted for Wisp, the mentalist character, who had a costume as an inobvious focus for some points of DEFENSE. I will at this point just change it over to the Amulet she already has for her Awareness power, though this could be changed by anyone who wants to use the character.

In terms of recoveries, one thing we noticed with Champions Now is that there is no risk of losing your recovery. This is unlike regular Champions, where if you are hit on the same segment/phase while recovering, you end up losing your recovery. Hope this helps.

Sure, modules don't sell, but in the long-run, they might help you to sell your core rules. Some folks will not buy into a game until they know that it is being supported, and actually played. So modules can have their use. . .

Yes, thank you. The discussion in p. 207 to 208 about guns leaves them undefined, but also acknowledges that a GM may want to "pull the realism cord." This also relates to the discussion on p. 188, Hazards You Can Fight. I think that this discussion is helpful to GMs when the characters have to deal with mobs of people or hordes of agents. In essence, rather than treating them as individuals to deal with, they are being abstracted into a "hazard." So I get that and it can be a useful guide in some situations. But there also is the other end of the spectrum, from abstraction to the realism side of things. If as a GM I would like to set up a situation where the characters have to take on agents who have training in dealing with paranormals, then I don't mind writing them up as individual challenges. Sure they won't be as tough as characters, and they might be using regular guns, but hey, I am just exercising a bit of GM perogative here. I believe that the Champions Now game can handle it and take this kind of language in the book as advisory, and not as game rules per se. Thanks.

>The rules indicate that the die roll in question failed.< Perhaps a slight misunderstanding here. Scott's quote, "I may toss a single D6 to determine the quality of the results behind the screen, assuming a success but how good of a success," is not based on a failed die roll. Instead, this is a way to adjudicate a degree of success in situations where the GM determines that there is no chance of failure, and thus a skill roll is not required to be made. EDIT: Otherwise, I generally agree with your comments.

Yes I think you have it about right. I was taking a look at the weapons table in Champions 3E and thinking that a straight conversion of 1d6KA to 3d6 Piercing would be a bit high. So I think you have it right at 2d6. As for detailed list of weapons? Not really what I am looking for. The list of guns in Champions 3E works for me, where a gun is described as "pistol," "heavy pistol," etc. Thanks.

> That is another form of fudging < Perhaps another way to put it is that the GM is using a die roll to determine a degree of success. This is not fudging, which is to ignore or modify a die result. I suggest that this is more in line with the GM's role, as a judge and a storyteller, to determine the result of a player's action in game.

Yes that sounds great. Something like this: When the heroes are investigating something, consider putting your useful information/clues into tiers. "We search the apartment." This kind of thing will result in obtaining some useful information, if it is there, regardless. However, something hidden might be discovered with a successful die roll. Hence, the game doesn't stall just because of a bad roll. Just my two cents and I am sorry if this is a slight divergance . . To get to the main point. IMO, the genre emulation can be readily handled through role-playing. On one hand, we have the players and what is called "player agency." On the other hand we have the GM, and the course of the game, the "narrative", whatever you want to call it. If I have things correctly, the basic purpose of a HAP/metacurrency would be for the players to start taking on the GM's role, and to start determining the narrative. I am not persuaded, yet, that this is really a necessary thing, but I remain open to some kind of optional rule that will make things fun and interesting at the game table.

>If I was the GM? I would Ask the players what sort of campaign they want for next time, or if any one else wants to run. Then shelve the campaign on my book shelf when I get home. < My answer is that, for some of that stuff, I would not require a roll for success. First, in regards to investigations/planning, if the players seem to be working out a pretty well-thought out plan of operation, I will allow for a certain amount of success without them having to roll dice. Second, if there is a failure, then it will just mean that the narrative moves along. The characters might be put at a disadvantage this time around, but the game itself moves on. Third, as far as unbeatable, god-like bad guys are concerned, I am going to build into a scenario a way to foil their plan without necessarily having to defeat them in combat. In other words, as a GM I am going to treat the players fairly and impartially. I am not going to put them into a no-win scenario. Anyways, all of this can be handled with your gamemastering style, how you adjudicate what the player's do, how you adjudicate die rolls, and how you move the narrative along. Just my two cents .. .

Speaking of "pushing", Champions Now has some expanded options available to characters who want to push their Strength or a power. In addition to being able to add to their Strength or power, a character may also push to add a small area effect or to add a specific power advantage to make the attack somewhat more effective. This does not cross-over into a metacurrency but is something . . . Heroic Action Points as a way to help with genre emulation: From a player's perspective, my general response is that I do not need the help of a metacurrency, particularly if the purpose is to help me with my die rolls. I can already build a character to my specifications and am willing to live with however the dice may fall. From a gamemaster's perspective, however, my response is that I would be open to anything that enhances the play experience at the game table. This is one reason why I suggested a HAP as a kind of group award. One thing I have found is that some players may hesitate before contributing their hard-earned experience towards group projects such as bases or vehicles. So I thought maybe something like this could work if it promoted more of a group dynamic at the table. How this would work out in practice though . . . I am open to what you might have in mind along the lines of genre emulation . . .thanks

Scott has raised some very good points, IMO. If there was some kind of metacurrency, I would suggest being careful in implementation. > I have been in that exact same scenario, but the adventure had multiple points of failure. < Using the Mechanon narrative above, suppose the heroes fail all of their rolls, which would ordinarily be interpreted as "failure" according to the rules. How would you as a GM handle it? Would you treat the heroes as having failed in the scenario? Would you take some narrative license? If a kind of metacurrency was available and used by the players, would this enhance the play experience at the table? Or be more trouble that it is worth?

Sure. I do not think that the game will suffer from a bit more realism, for those GMs who might lean a bit more in that direction . . .

Perhaps not for everybody, but if I was going to have a hero attacked by a bad guy with a gun, I'd like to know how much damage a standard gun does.

I would have no problem with the concept of Heroic Action Points so long as the current Experience Point system is unchanged and the points are awarded by GMs to the group as a whole. So a kind of group reward, maybe call them Campaign Points, for example. They could be saved up and spent on things that the group wants to invest in, such as a base, vehicles, etc. During a game session, a player could spend one (or more) Campaign Point(s) as a metacurrency, but how this would work I would leave up to your discussion, thanks. . . .

Something I would like to see: a conversion of the weapons and armor tables in Champions 3E, pp. 83-85, to Champions Now.

A couple of comments on the "Situations." Yes, I did not include them in the builds because this is an area where they may greatly vary, from player to player. As a GM, I usually do not require them to be all that defined in the first game. I am content with having them become more and more defined as play proceeds.

This is a new build. I decided to try my hand at a mentalist-type build. This is one is based on Marvel Girl: Wisp 2d6 STR = 0 pts. 3d6 PRE = 5 pts. 10 DEF = 0 pts. 0 Resist. DEF = 0 pts. 12 Body = 20 pts. 3 Speed = 20 pts. 12 DEX = 10 pts. 12 INT = 10 pts. 14 EGO = 30 pts. 12 Recovery -- 12 Stunned -- 24 Knockout -- 36 Endurance -- Total Char: 95 Detective Work = 5 pts. Mental Discipline = 10 pts. Awareness (mental/psychic) (IF Amulet -1/2) (Burnout 11- -1/2) = 10 pts. Multiform 45 reserve = 45 pts. Slot - Telepathy 9d6 = 9 pts. Slot - Telekinesis 45 STR = 9 pts. Slot - "TK Force" - Blast 6d6, Ego-Based (+1/2) = 9 pts. Special Defense vs. Ego = 5 pts. +5 Non-Resist DEF (IF Amulet 1/2) = 3 pts. Total Skills & Powers: 105 Total Points: 200

This write-up or build is based on Brick, which appeared in the Viper's Nest scenario. I have taken liberties with this build, as if I was creating the character for myself to play . . .) Sierra (yes, different name) 9d6 STR 35 pts. 4d6 PRE 10 pts. 15 DEF 5 pts. 5 Resist DEF 25 pts. 15 Body 50 pts. 2 Speed 10 pts. 12 DEX 10 pts. 11 Int 0 pts. 11 Ego 0 pts. 15 Recovery -- 15 Stunned -- 30 Knockout -- 45 Endurance -- Total Char: 145 pts. Climbing 5 pts. +1 skill level with punch 5 pts. Multiform 20 reserve = 20 pts. Slot - Density Increase 2x (+5 DEF, +1 Resist DEF) = 4 pts. Slot - Growth 2x (+2d6 STR, etc.) = 4 pts. Slot - Tunnel 2 hexes vs. 6 DEF = 4 pts. Life Support vs. Gases = 5 pts. Special Defense vs. Knockback = 5 pts. Total Skills & Powers: 52 Total Points: 197

This is a write-up/conversion of Starburst, from the 3E rulebook to Champions Now: 2d6 STR 0 pts. 2d6 PRE 0 pts. 10 DEF 0 pts. 0 Resist. DEF 0 pts. 13 Body 30 pts. 3 Speed 20 pts. 13 DEX 20 pts. 11 INT 0 pts. 11 Ego 0 pts. 13 Recovery -- 13 Stunned -- 26 Knockout -- 39 END -- Total Char: 70 Computer Programming 5 pts. +1 Skill Level with Blast 5 pts. Multiform 65 point reserve = 65 pts. Slot - Blast (light energy) 9d6 = 9 pts. Slot - Flash vs. sight 3d6 Explosion (+1/2) = 9 pts. Slot - Flight 45 hexes = 9 pts. Slot - Force Field 18 DEF = 9 pts. Slot - "Starburst" - 6d6 Blast + 1d6 Flash Explosion (+1/2), Burnout 11- (-1/2) = 8 pts. Special Defense vs. Flash 5 pts. Total Skills & Powers: 124 Total Points 194

This is a write-up/conversion of Crusader, from the 3E rulebook to Champions Now: 3d6 STR 5 pts. 3d6 PRE 5 pts. 15 DEF 5 pts. 0 Resist DEF 0 pts. 12 Body 20 pts. 4 SPD 30 pts. 14 DEX 30 pts. 12 INT 10 pts. 11 EGO 0 pts. 12 REC -- 12 Stunned -- 24 Knockout -- 36 END -- Total Char: 105 Detective Work 5 pts. Stealth 5 pts. Acrobatics 10 pts. Martial Attacks 10 pts. Martial Moves 10 pts. Find Weakness (Martial Punch) 10 pts. Luck 1d6 5 pts. Skill Level: +1 w/ Martial Punch 5 pts. "Shield" - Missile Deflection 1x (OF Shield -1) 10 pts. "Glider Wings" - Flight (as gliding) 10 hexes (OF Wings -1) 10 pts. "Boot Jets" - Flight 10 hexes (as flight) (IF Boots 1/2, Burnout 11- till recharge -1/2) 10 pts. Total Skills & Powers: 90 Total Points: 195

Champions Now is out on PDF. If you will, please post your character builds here . . .