bigdamnhero

The costume looks good, so we will complain because it mixes the same colours as other costumes.
 
I'll be happy if it simply turns out that Wally is not the Season 3 "Speedster who infiltrates the team as a friend but turns out to be the Big Bad Guy for the season". Why couldn't Jay Garrick actually BE Jay Garrick?

I picked up a D20 anicent mythic chinese sourcebook and as a class it has alchemist in it and it looks like your write up would be a solid base if I ever did a conversion. Thumbs up!

Heh, I can't believe I didn't catch this before, but Prince Kor, Steve's version of the Antichrist in Post-Apoc Hero, is built on 666 points.

Star Wars game, referring to our captain:
"She's sticking with her core competencies: hurting people and breaking things.'
"Don't forget threatening to hurt people and break things."
"What about her piloting?"
"That would also fall under threatening to hurt people and break things..."

I forgot this one from last week's fantasy game. It's the night before their quest begins. Several members of the party are off to the tavern to bond over ale, while The Pious PC spends the night in his room praying for God to bless their voyage.
 
PC 1: "Are we going?"
PC 2: "You & I are going. [Pious PC] has to hold his vigil."
PC 1: "Oh, is that what they're calling it now?" <Snap!>

Here's the system for divine miracles, which Father Edmondo is using:
 
Miracles:
With enough faith and God’s favor, some people can perform miracles, ranging from minor blessings to epic Old Testament-style CGI spectacles. [This section is written from a Christian viewpoint, but a Muslim or Jewish version would probably work much the same, just with different “flavor text.” For that matter, it could probably be adapted to most pagan religions if you wanted.] [For game purposes I’m calling this a magic system. But keep in mind that Christians (et. al.) don’t think of their miracles as “magic,” and would in fact be quite insulted at the comparison.] Miracles are accepted as a normal part of the world of Revelations 1001, tho physical, tangible miracles are fairly rare and impressive. Note that the ability to perform miracles is not restricted to the clergy. Kings, great warriors, and even commoners have been known to perform miracles. People who perform miracles are generally revered rather than feared, so being able to perform miracles rarely qualifies as a Complication per se. However characters that perform miracles will often have other religion-based Complications such as Psychological Complication: Pious Believer, Social Complication: a Muslim in Christiandom, or the like. Characters known for performing miracles may have (or develop) Positive Reputation. Faith (Skill): This EGO-based Power Skill is used to control the Miracles VPP. (It’s not really a learned skill, but we’ll treat it as such mechanically.) Various religious Knowledge Skills may also be appropriate. Miracles VPP: The ability to perform miracles is built as a Variable Power Pool.Individual VPP slots do not have to be defined in advance, and are frequently made up on the fly. (Tho common blessings and the like should be statted out in advance whenever possible to speed up gameplay.) The most common miracles are variations of Aid, Healing and so forth. Overt attacks like fireballs or lightning from heaven are rare, but not unheard of. The VPP takes a +1/4 “Miraculous” Advantage to reflect the following:Changing powers out of combat requires a Full Phase Action and a Faith Roll at -1 per 20 Active Points in the effect. Changing powers in combat requires a Half Phase Action and a Faith Roll at -1 per 10 Active Points in the effect. Note this means most miracles will generally take at least a full Phase: ½ Phase to change the slot, and then ½ Phase to “cast” it. All slots take the following Common Limitations, which can be abbreviated as “Miracle, -1”:Conditional Power: Only If God Wills It (-1/2) Incantations (Audible Prayer, -1/4) Unified Power (-1/4). Most miracles will have very few other Limitations. For simplicity, things like taking extra time, use of a holy symbol, and the like are generally handled as bonuses to the Faith Roll, rather than Limitations per se. Typically, the only Limitation that can be ignored with the Overcoming Limitations Maneuver is Incantations [-1 to the Faith Roll an additional x1 END]. Although miracles rely on Divine power rather than that of the caster, channeling that much energy is still tiring; normal END costs usually apply. Divine Aid: This Talent allows a character to occasionally perform miracles that exceed their VPP Pool. Divine Aid costs 10 points.Excess Hero Points can be banked as “Grace,” representing extra bits of divine love and mercy you have earned. HPs can be converted to Grace at any time, and there is no limit to how many you can bank or carry over. (If things get ridiculous, we may have to revisit this.) Using Divine Aid requires spending Grace. Each point of Grace applied grants 1d6 Aid  to the user’s Miracle VPP. (Mechanically, this increases both the pool and the slot simultaneously.) The GM reserves the right to limit how many points of Grace may be fed into a given miracle to maintain game balance. Other characters of the same religion may donate one Hero Point to be used as Grace by a character performing a miracle, but it must be used immediately; it cannot be banked or saved for later. In extreme cases with GM approval, a character may go into “negative bank” on Grace by swearing an oath to do something specific to earn the points back as soon as possible afterwards. You’re essentially asking Heaven for a loan. Example oaths might include swearing off alcohol, making a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, or whatever. The character then suffers 1d6 of Unluck for every point they’re in the red, and is unable to accumulate positive Grace until they have fulfilled their oath. ItemsA standard (ie - free) cross or other holy symbol has no in-game effect. Or you can buy one that gives a bonus to Faith Rolls. [Holy Cross:  +1 with Faith Roll; OAF; Cost 1 CP] Holy relics, mostly of the Saints, are hugely popular and sold/traded shamelessly throughout Europe. The vast majority of these are fakes, but a handful are real and have genuine power. Genuine holy relics can do anything from giving bonuses to Faith rolls, to increasing the effectiveness of Grace, to providing stand-alone abilities like basic blessings. While it is possible to build a character’s entire ability to perform miracles around their possession of a holy relic (ie – making it a required Focus), we should talk first about what your character would do if they ever lost that item… Blessed or holy weapons may have OCV bonuses, damage bonuses, or even advantages like Armor Piercing. Sometimes just the fact that they’ve been blessed may make them more effective against demons and other forces or darkness. Generally, if you want to start the game with a holy or enchanted item, you need to pay points for it. Items acquired in game are usually free and distributed by GM. Some relics or holy items can only be used by those able to perform Miracles; others can be used by anyone with enough Faith. People Of Faith cannot normally use sorcerous or pagan enchanted items, and vice-versa.

Here are the Sorcery rules, which borrow a lot from the Valdoran Age. None of the PCs went for it, so looks like this is just going to be used by NPCs.
 
Sorcery:  Dark powers obtained by summoning or bargaining with demonic forces.
Most Europeans regard sorcery as straight-up evil. Most sorcerers believe (or at least tell themselves) sorcery is just a tool that can be used for either good or ill. They talk about fighting fire with fire, and the poetic irony of manipulating evil beings to do good deeds, and there is some truth in that. However, bargaining with demons is the original slippery slope to the Dark Side. Most sorcerers eventually wind up corrupted and/or insane no matter how well-intentioned they start out. Assuming they live long enough, that is.  In addition to Summoning per se, a wide variety of Powers can be created with “summon a demon” as the sfx, ie – “I send a demon to go look and report back” built as Clairvoyance, or “I summon an infernal spirit to protect me” bought as Resistant Defense. All sorcerers must buy Sorcery Skill (INT-based Power Skill) and KS: Demons (11- or better). Spell Research (aka Inventor) is needed if you want to create new spells or modify existing spells. Most sorcerers take Social Complication: Sorcerer (Infrequently or Frequently depending on how visible your powers are, Major Effect). Negative Reputation may be appropriate for characters that are commonly known to be sorcerers. In extreme cases: Distinctive Features: Demonic Aura might even be appropriate. Sorcery MP: Spells are typically purchased in a Multipower. Adding new spells (slots) requires in-game learning/research, as well as XP expenditure.Common Limitations: All sorcery spells must take at least -2 worth of Limitations, including:Requires A Sorcery Roll (@ -1 per 10 AP; -1/2) Side Effect  (Minor, on failed Sorcery Roll; -1/4) Unified Power (-1/4) Plus at least -1 of the following additional Limitations: Concentration, Gestures, Incantations, Extra Time, Foci, Increased END, or Charges. The following Limitations cannot be bypassed with the Overcoming Limitations maneuver: Requires A Roll, Side Effect, Unified Power, Charges, or Increased END. Sorcery Roll: Casting a spell requires a Sorcery Roll, at -1 for every 10 AP in the spell. The Sorcerer may get the usual bonuses from taking more time, excellent equipment, etc, and may also spend Obligation to add to the roll (see below). Side Effects: If you fail your Sorcery Roll, in addition to incurring Obligation (see below), the GM will roll on a custom Spell Failure table (TBD) to determine the consequences. Most failure results will be relatively minor, but can increase in severity based on how much you missed your roll by.  Trigger: Some experienced sorcerers have mastered the ability to complete the bulk of a spell ahead of time, leaving only a final key word or gesture to activate it quickly. The number of spells a sorcerer may carry prepared in this manner is equal to INT/3. Spell Research: Most sorcerers learn their spells from other sorcerers, musty old grimoires, or from demons themselves. But sorcerers with the Spell Research Skill can attempt to create new spells, or modify spells they already know.Spell Research typically takes 1 day of research per 10 AP in the spell. Creating a new spell requires a Spell Research Roll at -1 for every 10 AP; the roll for making changes to a spell the character already knows is only at -1 for every 20 AP. (The GM has final word on what constitutes a “new” spell vs. modifying an existing one.) The Sorcerer may take the usual bonuses from additional time, etc, and can spend Obligation to add to the roll (see below). Failing a Spell Research Roll has no Side Effects. The sorcerer can usually try again later, but failing three times generally means the desired spell is impossible or beyond their abilities. The sorcerer must pay XP for new spells or any increase to the cost of existing spells. Obligation: Invoking demonic forces is a decidedly two-edged sword. While demons can sometimes be commanded outright, much of sorcery involves bargaining with them for favors, knowledge, power, and ultimately souls. To reflect this, each sorcerer keeps track of their Obligation, a running total that reflects how much leverage they have over their demonic contacts…and vice versa. While narratively Obligation is typically spread among different demons or entities, for game purposes we’ll treat it as one “fungible” account.Obligation is earned by:Exceeding a required Sorcery Roll: +1 Obligation for every 2 below the needed roll. However, any bonuses from taking additional time, etc. (or from spending Obligation) do not count towards earning Obligation. Exceeding an EGO contest with a summoned demon: +1 Obligation for every 2 below what you need to command the demon. Giving information: Knowledge is power, and providing secret information to demons can buy Obligation proportionate to the usefulness and secrecy of the information. Performing tasks: Similarly, agreeing to perform a task for a demon can buy Obligation proportionate to the nature and difficulty of the task. Be wary… GM reward: As appropriate in game. Obligation is lost by:Failing a Sorcery Roll: -1 Obligation per 1 above the required roll. Failing an EGO Contest with a summoned demon: -1 per 1 you missed it by. Additionally, if a sorcerer loses control of a Summoned demon, any evil acts committed by that demon may reflect on the summoner’s soul as negative Obligation. Spending Obligation: Carrying a positive Obligation balance doesn’t accrue any direct benefits, but allows the sorcerer to spend Obligation on various things:Add to a Sorcery Roll before dice are rolled: +1 per 1 Obligation spent up to a max of +3. Overcome the results of a failed Sorcery Roll after dice are rolled: +1 per 2 Obligation spent. Note this is in addition to the loss of Obligation that accrues from failing the roll, and any Side Effects from the failure still occur. Add to EGO Contests with summoned demons before the roll: +1 per 1 Obligation spent up to a max of +3. Overcome the results of a failed EGO contest with a summoned demon: a sorcerer can spend Obligation to try and bribe the demon into voluntarily doing what the sorcerer wants. The cost will depend on the nature of the task requested, but at a minimum “Don’t attack me and return to Hell immediately” typically costs 1 Obligation for every 1 the Roll failed by. Sorcerers can spend Obligation to add to Spell Research Rolls, essentially calling on infernal powers to help them create/modify spells, at a cost of +1 per 1 Obligation spent. Obligation cannot be spent to overcome a failed Spell Research Roll after the roll. Spending Obligation can also reduce the amount of time required for Spell Research by 1 day per point of Obligation spent. (Time required cannot be reduced below 1 day.) Sorcerers can also spend Obligation to barter information from demons, as if they were Contacts. Cost varies based on the type and value of information sought. Results of carrying a negative Obligation balance:Being in debt to infernal powers shows up as a stain on the soul, which may be detectible by other magicians and practitioners of faith. Even those unable to consciously detect the taint may react to it subconsciously, making people less likely to trust the sorcerer. In game terms, this works as a kind of Negative Reputation, starting at -5 Obligation and increasing from there. As more debt accrues (typically starting around -10), the demons may call in the sorcerer’s marker by asking them to perform a task. These tasks can range from minor to epic, depending on how much Obligation the sorcerer owes. If the sorcerer refuses the task (or accepts it and then fails), the points in negative Obligation convert to additional character Complications – typically Distinctive Features, Social Obligations, or Hunteds. These Complications are permanent, at least until/unless they are bought off by a combination of XP and roleplaying. Keep in mind that Obligation is a practical measure of who’s controlling whom, not really an ethical comment on how good/evil the sorcerer is. Similarly, you don’t gain or lose Obligation for doing good/evil deeds; you gain Obligation by staying in command of your demons, and you lose Obligation by losing control. (Which may very well result in you being forced to commit evil acts, but that’s another matter.) Magic Items:Many sorcerers use enchanted items to assist their work: providing bonuses to Sorcery Rolls, boosts to certain Powers, Endurance Reserves, or enchanted weapons and armor. Most sorcerous items can be used by any sorcerer, but some are specific to the sorcerer who enchanted them. A few are specifically made to be used by non-sorcerers. However, religiously devout characters (to include those able to perform miracles) cannot normally use sorcerous items; conversely sorcerers cannot normally use holy items.   Generally, if you want to start the game with an enchanted item, you need to pay points for it. Items acquired in game are usually free and distributed by GM.

Here's the system for divine miracles, which Father Edmondo is using:
 
Miracles:
With enough faith and God’s favor, some people can perform miracles, ranging from minor blessings to epic Old Testament-style CGI spectacles. [This section is written from a Christian viewpoint, but a Muslim or Jewish version would probably work much the same, just with different “flavor text.” For that matter, it could probably be adapted to most pagan religions if you wanted.] [For game purposes I’m calling this a magic system. But keep in mind that Christians (et. al.) don’t think of their miracles as “magic,” and would in fact be quite insulted at the comparison.] Miracles are accepted as a normal part of the world of Revelations 1001, tho physical, tangible miracles are fairly rare and impressive. Note that the ability to perform miracles is not restricted to the clergy. Kings, great warriors, and even commoners have been known to perform miracles. People who perform miracles are generally revered rather than feared, so being able to perform miracles rarely qualifies as a Complication per se. However characters that perform miracles will often have other religion-based Complications such as Psychological Complication: Pious Believer, Social Complication: a Muslim in Christiandom, or the like. Characters known for performing miracles may have (or develop) Positive Reputation. Faith (Skill): This EGO-based Power Skill is used to control the Miracles VPP. (It’s not really a learned skill, but we’ll treat it as such mechanically.) Various religious Knowledge Skills may also be appropriate. Miracles VPP: The ability to perform miracles is built as a Variable Power Pool.Individual VPP slots do not have to be defined in advance, and are frequently made up on the fly. (Tho common blessings and the like should be statted out in advance whenever possible to speed up gameplay.) The most common miracles are variations of Aid, Healing and so forth. Overt attacks like fireballs or lightning from heaven are rare, but not unheard of. The VPP takes a +1/4 “Miraculous” Advantage to reflect the following:Changing powers out of combat requires a Full Phase Action and a Faith Roll at -1 per 20 Active Points in the effect. Changing powers in combat requires a Half Phase Action and a Faith Roll at -1 per 10 Active Points in the effect. Note this means most miracles will generally take at least a full Phase: ½ Phase to change the slot, and then ½ Phase to “cast” it. All slots take the following Common Limitations, which can be abbreviated as “Miracle, -1”:Conditional Power: Only If God Wills It (-1/2) Incantations (Audible Prayer, -1/4) Unified Power (-1/4). Most miracles will have very few other Limitations. For simplicity, things like taking extra time, use of a holy symbol, and the like are generally handled as bonuses to the Faith Roll, rather than Limitations per se. Typically, the only Limitation that can be ignored with the Overcoming Limitations Maneuver is Incantations [-1 to the Faith Roll an additional x1 END]. Although miracles rely on Divine power rather than that of the caster, channeling that much energy is still tiring; normal END costs usually apply. Divine Aid: This Talent allows a character to occasionally perform miracles that exceed their VPP Pool. Divine Aid costs 10 points.Excess Hero Points can be banked as “Grace,” representing extra bits of divine love and mercy you have earned. HPs can be converted to Grace at any time, and there is no limit to how many you can bank or carry over. (If things get ridiculous, we may have to revisit this.) Using Divine Aid requires spending Grace. Each point of Grace applied grants 1d6 Aid  to the user’s Miracle VPP. (Mechanically, this increases both the pool and the slot simultaneously.) The GM reserves the right to limit how many points of Grace may be fed into a given miracle to maintain game balance. Other characters of the same religion may donate one Hero Point to be used as Grace by a character performing a miracle, but it must be used immediately; it cannot be banked or saved for later. In extreme cases with GM approval, a character may go into “negative bank” on Grace by swearing an oath to do something specific to earn the points back as soon as possible afterwards. You’re essentially asking Heaven for a loan. Example oaths might include swearing off alcohol, making a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, or whatever. The character then suffers 1d6 of Unluck for every point they’re in the red, and is unable to accumulate positive Grace until they have fulfilled their oath. ItemsA standard (ie - free) cross or other holy symbol has no in-game effect. Or you can buy one that gives a bonus to Faith Rolls. [Holy Cross:  +1 with Faith Roll; OAF; Cost 1 CP] Holy relics, mostly of the Saints, are hugely popular and sold/traded shamelessly throughout Europe. The vast majority of these are fakes, but a handful are real and have genuine power. Genuine holy relics can do anything from giving bonuses to Faith rolls, to increasing the effectiveness of Grace, to providing stand-alone abilities like basic blessings. While it is possible to build a character’s entire ability to perform miracles around their possession of a holy relic (ie – making it a required Focus), we should talk first about what your character would do if they ever lost that item… Blessed or holy weapons may have OCV bonuses, damage bonuses, or even advantages like Armor Piercing. Sometimes just the fact that they’ve been blessed may make them more effective against demons and other forces or darkness. Generally, if you want to start the game with a holy or enchanted item, you need to pay points for it. Items acquired in game are usually free and distributed by GM. Some relics or holy items can only be used by those able to perform Miracles; others can be used by anyone with enough Faith. People Of Faith cannot normally use sorcerous or pagan enchanted items, and vice-versa.

Heh, I can't believe I didn't catch this before, but Prince Kor, Steve's version of the Antichrist in Post-Apoc Hero, is built on 666 points.

Yeah, I wish it was a PBEM.

That sounds like so much fun to play in.

Wow...costume is perfect!
 

Here's my summary of the first session. Once we got the meta-plot introduced, the bulk of the night was spent with the PCs just getting to know one another and riffing off each other with minimal GM input.
 
Episode 1 – Rome: You have each been summoned to Rome to meet with Pope Sylvester II. His Holiness tells you they have been hearing troubling reports about a Khazar/Turk leader named Prince Kor, who has been uniting the steppes tribes in the area east of Byzantium and north of the Caspian Sea. Some claim Kor has mystical powers, and that his armies include many foul and monstrous creatures. The Pope confides he has received information from other sources indicating that Prince Kor may be more than he seems, and it’s possible he may in fact be the Antichrist foretold in the Book of Revelations. He needs people he can trust to journey east, investigate this Prince Kor, and report back if these fears are well founded or not.
 
Your journey is to be completely unofficial, but the Pope will support you with whatever resources you need. He introduces you to a trusted confidant, a merchant named Giordano Pironti, who will take you East to Constantinople, and can deliver messages back to Rome. If you need assistance or advice, His Holiness also says you can contact Arnulf, the Archbishop of Milan who is currently in Constantinople trying to arrange a bride for Emperor Otto III.
 
Afterwards, Tyri and Aeddan bond over drinks in a tavern, while Geralt holds vigil overnight asking God to bless your journey. Father Edmundo has some affairs to put in order before you leave. And Abida is invited to dinner at the estate of Gregory I, Count of Tusculum, who claims to be a friend of the Pope and is eager to support your mission if you’ll only tell him what it is…. Abida tells him little of substance, but he gives you some names of people you can contact in Constantinople if you need assistance.
 
The next day, you set sail on Pironti’s ship. A favorable wind takes you to the Isle of Rhodes in 10 days, where you put in for the night.

Here's my summary of the first session. Once we got the meta-plot introduced, the bulk of the night was spent with the PCs just getting to know one another and riffing off each other with minimal GM input.
 
Episode 1 – Rome: You have each been summoned to Rome to meet with Pope Sylvester II. His Holiness tells you they have been hearing troubling reports about a Khazar/Turk leader named Prince Kor, who has been uniting the steppes tribes in the area east of Byzantium and north of the Caspian Sea. Some claim Kor has mystical powers, and that his armies include many foul and monstrous creatures. The Pope confides he has received information from other sources indicating that Prince Kor may be more than he seems, and it’s possible he may in fact be the Antichrist foretold in the Book of Revelations. He needs people he can trust to journey east, investigate this Prince Kor, and report back if these fears are well founded or not.
 
Your journey is to be completely unofficial, but the Pope will support you with whatever resources you need. He introduces you to a trusted confidant, a merchant named Giordano Pironti, who will take you East to Constantinople, and can deliver messages back to Rome. If you need assistance or advice, His Holiness also says you can contact Arnulf, the Archbishop of Milan who is currently in Constantinople trying to arrange a bride for Emperor Otto III.
 
Afterwards, Tyri and Aeddan bond over drinks in a tavern, while Geralt holds vigil overnight asking God to bless your journey. Father Edmundo has some affairs to put in order before you leave. And Abida is invited to dinner at the estate of Gregory I, Count of Tusculum, who claims to be a friend of the Pope and is eager to support your mission if you’ll only tell him what it is…. Abida tells him little of substance, but he gives you some names of people you can contact in Constantinople if you need assistance.
 
The next day, you set sail on Pironti’s ship. A favorable wind takes you to the Isle of Rhodes in 10 days, where you put in for the night.

Star Wars game, referring to our captain:
"She's sticking with her core competencies: hurting people and breaking things.'
"Don't forget threatening to hurt people and break things."
"What about her piloting?"
"That would also fall under threatening to hurt people and break things..."

Star Wars game, referring to our captain:
"She's sticking with her core competencies: hurting people and breaking things.'
"Don't forget threatening to hurt people and break things."
"What about her piloting?"
"That would also fall under threatening to hurt people and break things..."

Star Wars game, referring to our captain:
"She's sticking with her core competencies: hurting people and breaking things.'
"Don't forget threatening to hurt people and break things."
"What about her piloting?"
"That would also fall under threatening to hurt people and break things..."

I forgot this one from last week's fantasy game. It's the night before their quest begins. Several members of the party are off to the tavern to bond over ale, while The Pious PC spends the night in his room praying for God to bless their voyage.
 
PC 1: "Are we going?"
PC 2: "You & I are going. [Pious PC] has to hold his vigil."
PC 1: "Oh, is that what they're calling it now?" <Snap!>

Star Wars game, referring to our captain:
"She's sticking with her core competencies: hurting people and breaking things.'
"Don't forget threatening to hurt people and break things."
"What about her piloting?"
"That would also fall under threatening to hurt people and break things..."

Star Wars game, referring to our captain:
"She's sticking with her core competencies: hurting people and breaking things.'
"Don't forget threatening to hurt people and break things."
"What about her piloting?"
"That would also fall under threatening to hurt people and break things..."

Principal Powers Is Moving Up In The World

Well...yes and no. There's a lot that happens between what the writer writes down and what actually gets filmed, including but not limited to: executive meddling from the studio/network, producers who want to put their own stamp on things, directors who go with what feels right to them in the moment whether or not it makes any sense overall, actors who think "My character wouldn't say that" or ad-lib their own lines,* and editors who have to piece the whole thing together within given time constraints. BTW, every person I mentioned there gets paid more than the writer and is generally regarded as more important. My understanding is the situation isn't quite as bad in TV as it is in movies, where the writer is treated as a complete nobody.
 
I once heard one producer type give his advice to new screenwriters: "Your script had better be perfect before it gets to me...cuz it's all downhill from there."
 
* And yes, there have been some hugely memorable lines that were ad-libbed. But then, actors seldom brag about the awful lines that were ad-libbed.
 
Edit: Another Hollywood adage I've heard is "If the line lands, the actor gets the credit; if it flops, the writer gets the blame."

Well...yes and no. There's a lot that happens between what the writer writes down and what actually gets filmed, including but not limited to: executive meddling from the studio/network, producers who want to put their own stamp on things, directors who go with what feels right to them in the moment whether or not it makes any sense overall, actors who think "My character wouldn't say that" or ad-lib their own lines,* and editors who have to piece the whole thing together within given time constraints. BTW, every person I mentioned there gets paid more than the writer and is generally regarded as more important. My understanding is the situation isn't quite as bad in TV as it is in movies, where the writer is treated as a complete nobody.
 
I once heard one producer type give his advice to new screenwriters: "Your script had better be perfect before it gets to me...cuz it's all downhill from there."
 
* And yes, there have been some hugely memorable lines that were ad-libbed. But then, actors seldom brag about the awful lines that were ad-libbed.
 
Edit: Another Hollywood adage I've heard is "If the line lands, the actor gets the credit; if it flops, the writer gets the blame."

This show is dead to me!
 
I'm just waiting to see if it's because there's too much Superman, or too little. 
 
Or possibly Lois Lane. It could be dead to me because they cast Lois the wrong way. Or if they don't cast her at all. Gotta admit, we sure are spoiled for choices in superhero TV these days. 

Ah, but that's on Earth 1. Having Ray Palmer's Earth ## Doppelgänger turn out to be Clark Kent would hardly be the silliest thing they've done. Tho in seriousness, the way they're talking about "who the next person to wear the cape will be" it seems obvious they're going to bring in someone new.