Comics used to be cool (AIM edition)

Yes, that's what strikes fear into the hearts of men: yellow bee-keeper outfits.

RPGObjects Podcast #5

Head on over to the official site where we talk about Iron Man, Supers20, the new RPGObjects website, Modern20, a Darwin's World novel, and more!

Sample Power: Blast

Blast (one energy type)
You can release a damaging attack at range
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: 20 ft. times your power level
Effect: You inflict 1d4 points per power level on your target. Characters struck by this power may save for one-half damage. If you attack a target with your blast multiple times, only roll one saving throw and apply the results against all attacks that round.

There are three types of damage that can be inflicted by a blast: energy, physical or psychic. You must choose one type of damage when this power is selected.

In addition to deciding what sorts of defenses will protect against your blast, the energy type you select determines the saving throw used to resist the aura’s damage as follows: energy (Reflex), physical (Fortitude) or psychic (Will).

Blast attacks are not fine-tuned enough to effect a specific part of the body, meaning you cannot make called shots and do not have to roll for hit location when making a blast attack.
Stunts
Accurate: Your blast power is fine-tuned enough to make called shots against specific hit locations (though you still do not roll a random hit location- you can just attack a specific part of a target if you desire). This functions as the Called Shot perk found in the Modern20 core rules, except the Power Control skill is used in place of the Firearms skill.
Area Effect: Your blast power can cover a wide area and affects all characters in a single square if you desire (you may still attack a specific target if you desire).

If you take this stunt a second time your blast can affect all characters in 10-foot radius (friend and foe) or you can attack a specific character.

You may take this stunt as many times as desired, adding 10 feet to the radius affected each time.
Autofire: You may attack with your blast 5 times per round regardless of your level. This functions as the Burst Fire perk found in the Modern20 core rules, except the Power Control skill is used in place of the Firearms skill.
Power Specific Limitations
Scattershot (PL +1 or higher): You must have Area Effect stunt to take this limitation. You cannot choose to attack a single target with your blast, only an area. If you take the Area Effect stunt once (meaning your blast affects an entire square) the power level of your blast is increased by +1. This bonus increases for each additional time you take the Area Effect stunt (meaning the wider area your blast affects the greater the limitation bonus).


This should give folks an idea where we're heading design wise.

To be clear, power level is determined by your Power Level feats. How many times you take this feat determines your overall power level.

So if you had taken the Power Level feat three times, the power level of all your powers would be 3.

Individual powers might have a higher power level through limitations.

Modern Dispatch 119

All right, so Modern Dispatch 119, Modern Supplement #1 is out!

This is a selection of alternate rules for Modern20 covering such topics as hit locations and eliminating class skills, along with a new perk, some new FX skills and 4 new occupations.

Pick up this handy Modern20 edition here.

Supers vs. "normals": Does it matter?

So I've talked a bit about this before, but it came up again with my players last night as we talked about our first Supers20 characters:

I am not doing anything to balance supers against normals in Supers20.

Ok, maybe nothing is a strong word. Supers will be spending all the same resources as normals, for different things.

There are no power points added into the mix in Supers20.

Your powers are, well, powered, by the Power Level feat.

The powers themselves? Feats.

You also will find ranks in the Power Control skill (posted earlier) handy, and power stunts are now perks.

To illustrate this with a comics example, Superman is spending all his feats, a good chunk of his skill points, and all his perks on his powers.

Batman is a very high level Modern20 character, already a pretty frightening and cinematic type, who might have a few "invisible" powers, such as Superhuman Dexterity, as well as some tech-based abilities, but basically, he's a modern20 character.

And the game gives him no special merit badge-style bennie for eschewing the flashy shit like Time Control or Flight or Energy Blast.

When my players got that "he's gone over the deep end again" look they give each other, my first question made them think I was REALLY nuts:

Does it matter?

Batman couldn't take Superman in the comics (he couldn't, FUCK YOU Frank Miller, your little kryptonite-powered battlesuit was the dumbest fucking story ever).

And he couldn't take him in Modern20.

People LOVE Batman in the comics.

Why do they need "power parity" in Modern20? Will not being able to have a 50% chance to beat up a fellow player matter?

In my mind, it shouldn't.

The skills guy (like Batman), should be just as valuable to a group in different ways. We're playing the Justice League, not a solo book.

And again, I'm not sure it's a problem anyway.

If you were to make a 300 point skill-based character in Hero, he would not be able to take out a 300 point min-maxed power blaster.


Of course, I also removed some of the artificial limitations Blood and Vigilance imposed on normals. They had artificial caps on ability scores supers didn't.

In short, Supers20 handles the question of origin and balance the same way Hero does. Your origin is pure backstory, totally in the hands of the GM and player. Your powers are your business. Anything goes within the rules.

By contrast, Blood and Vigilance took a more Marvel Superheroes approach, with origin affecting your character like race in D&D.

So for right now, I'm tentatively ok with leaving things as they are.

Powers might be flashy, but they're a choice, a niche.

Skills are also a niche.

Supers20: a little taste

Power Control
Con
This skill represents training in the use of your superhuman abilities. This training is not necessarily formal. Patrolling the streets and teaching thugs about justice will do.

This skill appears on no class skill list. It is only available to those who select the Power Level feat (see new feats below).

Push: In times of stress, you can call on reserves of energy to push your powers to greater heights. On a skill check of 15 or higher, your powers operate at a higher power level for one minute. If this skill check fails, you are fatigued until you have 1 hour of rest.

Pushing affects all your powers, causing them to operate as if you had more Power Level feats than you actually do. The bonus to your power level is determined by your ranks in the Power Control skill, as shown in the table below.

Alternately, you can push your power level by double the amount on the table below, for a single round.

At the end of this time (10 rounds or 1 round) you are fatigued until you have 1 hour of rest (no combat, movement at greater than one-half speed, investigating or other taxing activities can be undertaken during this time).

If you are fatigued, you may still use this skill to push your powers, but the skill check DC is 20. Failing this skill check causes you to become exhausted. If you successfully use this skill to push your powers, you are exhausted when the duration ends (either 10 rounds or 1 round).

You cannot use this skill use if you are exhausted.

Stunt (requires perk): Skilled power users can get more out of their powers than unskilled users. Most of the power feats below have stunts listed in their descriptions. Each time a character selects this perk, he can select one stunt for a power feat he possesses.

D.N.A. The RPGDesign quick and dirty review

The Skinny: If you like puzzle games, you should check out DNA for a new take on a classic genre.

The Spice: DNA has three modes, an action mode which is timed, throws all sorts of nasty obstacles your way and even has something of a story to bring it altogether. If you want a twitchy, fast reflexes tetris-like puzzle experience, this is for you.

Puzzle mode has you attempting to remove all the pieces from the board and is a strategy game more than anything.

Eternal mode is extremely mellow and just lets you play (this is the mode that has sucked so much of my time since discovering this game).

Taste Check: DNA has something for every puzzle fan. If you like Bejeweled, Zuma or Tetris you should definitely give it a look.

Chuck's Score: 8/10

Chuck's Reasons: Eternal mode is a great way to pass some time while listening to a podcast. Alternately, with the music on, it's a trippy mellow experience while I try to figure out what hit locations a half suit of armor should protect.

Find out more: Including a free demo, at the game's official site.

Almost Done

So the Hit Location dispatch issue has turned into a Modern20 miscellany issue, though still with more information on hit location than anything else.

It has a new perk, rules for grappling and hit location, cover and hit location and armor and hit location, along with the two new skills that have appeared in other products.

My idea is that every so often (maybe every year?) these rules miscellanies will get folded into Modern20 proper.