Tag: FASERIP

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Having a Hway Old Time

A new alien race for use with FASERIP.

Fish people. Think Deep Ones but smarter and prettier, in a fish sense.

The Hway are generally religious cultists that use Lovecraftian warp entities to power their spaceflight and advanced technology.

Having enslaved the other races in their own system they are looking for new territories to expand to, convert and gain fresh young genetic material for experimentation.

Hway need special strains of mutant tomato family plants for their navigators to expand their consciousness enough to be able to control the strange and unreliable space travel. If a Hway Navigator fails a piloting roll, roll again for the warp entity they are controlling to see if it can break free. Generally they have been so abused they have Willpower at Poor(3) so will need an Oustanding Success. If they do and are near a planet the Warp Entity will crash the ship, causing catastrophic damage that can and will obliterate continents. Something that your local superheroes will try and stop.

The Hway will create genetic hybrids using other race DNA. For instances warriors with +2CS in Physical abilities and -2CS in Mental abilities. Or shadow warriors similarly, at +1CS and -1CS. Other creations are certainly possible, such as bioorganic powered attack drones. The Hway themselves have specialists much as do humans. So field agent spies would have superior physical abilities, increased Awareness and lowered Reason for example.

The Hway approach will be to offer technological gifts to leaders and nations they believe can be turned into collaborators and slowly spread their influence and control from their.

Normal Hway

Fundamentalist cultist
Propaganda and economic takeover first, shoot second

F: Poor (3)
A: Typical (5)
S: Good (8)
E: Good (8)
R: Good (8)
I: Poor (3)
P: Good (8)

Resources: Feeble (2)
Popularity: Good (-10)

Damage: 24
Fortune: 19

Other Skills

Water Breathing – The Hway are completely amphibious and can breathe water and air.
Science Good (10)

Stunts

They have Poor (3) resistance to cold
Feeble (1) Body Armour versus physical damage thanks to having tough scales.
Fire and heat attacks gain +1 RS to damage.

Plot Hook

To give advance warning of intending insidious invidious invasionary inveigling, a Hway rebel hero has come to the home of the heroes. Possibly to prevent spaceship crashes.

Plot Hook

To give advance warning of intending insidious invidious invasionary inveigling, a Hway rebel hero has come to the home of the heroes. Possibly to prevent spaceship crashes. He’ll definitely be willing to make a deal and help all he can, especially if it involves knowledge of normal, Euclidean interstellar space travel.

Squishy

Alien atheist rebel genius with a cause
Hyperspace or bust
Mutant tomatoes are the best
Standard explosive option
No other race can pronounce our real names
Loud omnishirt wearer

F: Typical (6)
A: Good (10)
S: Excellent (20)
E: Excellent (20)
R: Incredible (40)
I: Poor (4)
P: Excellent (20)

Resources: Remarkable (30)
Popularity: Good (10)

Health: 56
Karma: 64

Other Skills

Water Breathing – The Hway are completely amphibious and can breathe water and air.
Physics and Electronics – Squishy has Amazing Reason in these areas.

Stunts

Squishy has Typical (6) resistance to cold
Typical (6) Body Armour versus physical damage thanks to having extra tough scales.

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MHAC-07: Concrete Jungle – Many New York Nogoodniks

Another MH-0: Marvel Super Heroes Role-Playing Game accessory, this supplement is similar. It lists the protagonists and antagonists of Marvel New York at the time form the Kingpin and Gladiator to the Porcupine. Also includes supporting cast like the other similar books, so Foggy Nelson, Mary Jane Watson, etc. Plenty of miscreat in this exceptional value Basic Game supplement.

Anaconda, Arnim Zola,
Black Widow, Becky Blake, — Baron Zemo, Black Cat, Beetle, Black Mamba, Bullseye,
Cloak, — Cobra, Crimson Dynamo,
Dagger, Daredevil, — Death Adder, Doctor Octopus,
— Elektra,
— Fly,
— Gladiator, Green Goblin,
— Hobgoblin, Hydro-Man,
— Iron Fist,
J. Jonah Jameson, — Jester,
— Kingpin, Kraven,
— Lizard,
Moon Knight, Misty Knight, — Madame Masque, Mister Fear, Mister Hyde, Molten Man, Moonstone, Morbius, Mysterio,
Nomad, Franklin “Foggy” Nelson — Nitro,
Paladin, Powerman, May Parker, — Porcupine, Professor Power, Punisher,
Joseph “Robbie” Robertson, Bernadette Rosenthal, — Red Skull,
Spider-Man, Stick, — Sandman, Scarecrow, Scorpion, Sidewinder, Shocker, Swarm,
— Taskmaster, Titanium Man,
Union Jack, Ben Urich, — Unicorn,
Mary Jane Watson, Colleen Wing, White Tiger — Will O’ the Wisp,

Could have multi-columned some more Morts in this 36 pages here though. However:

1.78 Character Density

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FASERIP Conversions

Want to use other games with FASERIP/4CS?  Here is a quick rough and ready conversion chart for you to get you started or give you ideas.

Table document download here :- https://docs.google.com/document/d/12OYrC6JC08SAAGXepfiJIhDvy1AP7_G4t7gjxYVKlgA/edit

 

4CS M&M V&V Icons Fudge Bash Traveller GORE OSRIC BB Hero MEGS
Fb <= -4 2 1 -2 0 2,3 <=5 <= 5 1 0-3 0
Pr -2,-1 3-8 2 -1 0 4-5 6-8 6-8 2 4-9 1
Ty 0,1 9-11 3 +0 1 6-8 9-11 9-12 3 10-14 2
Gd 2,3 12-14 4 +1 2 9-A 12-24 13-16 4 15-19 3
Ex 4,5 15-17 5 +2 2 B-E 25-35 17-18 5 20-27 4
Rm 6,7 18-23 6 +3 3 F 36-60 19-20 6 28-44 5,6
In 8,9 24-29 7 +4 3 61-80 21-22 7 45-54 7-9
Am 10-12 30-49 8 +5 4 81-90 23 7 55-57 10
Mn 13,14 50-59 9 +6 4 91-100 24 7 58-59 11
Un 15 60-69 10 +7 5 101-119 24 8 60-79 12
ShX 16 70-79 10 +8 5 120-149 25 9-10 80-99 13-19
ShY 17,18 80-89 10 +9 5 150-199 25 11-12 100-119 20-24
ShZ 19+ 90+ 10 +10 5 200+ 25 13-14 120+ 25+

 

V&V = Villains & Vigilantes, M&M = Mutants & Masterminds 3rd, BB = Bulletproof Blues

Use the Fudge column for Fate, of course.

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Children of the Atom – Fabulous Mutant Numbers value

The Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Set version of Project Wideawake, Children of the Atom called itself the official guidebook to mutants. That means the good and the bad. And there is a lot of bad in this one.

Angel, Avalanche, El Aguila, Aurora, — Ariel, Annalee, Ape, Apocalypse, Arcade, Amphibus, Acanti, Astra,
Banshee, Beast, Binary, — Black Bishop, Black King, Black Queen [Selene], Black Rook, Blob, Beautiful Dreamer, Burner, Black Tom, Barbarus, Brainchild, Brood,
Changeling, Colossus, Cyclops, Rusty Collins, Cannonball, Cypher, Lila Cheney, Dr Valerie Cooper, Peter Corbeau, Corsair, Ch’Od — Catseye, Chance, Callisto, Caliban, Joseph “Licorice” Calhoun, Mr Chambers,
Dazzler, — Destiny, Devil Dinosaur, Darkstar, Diamond Lil, Deathbird,
— Empath, Erg, Willie Evans Jr, Equilibrius, Earthquake, Electron,
Firestar, Forge, Sharon Friedlander, — Alexander Flynn, Frenzy, Flashback, Fenris [Andrea/Andreas Strucker], Fang,
Peter Henry Gyrich, — Gremlin, Gypsy Moth, Gaza, Gladiators, Gladiator,
Havok, Stevie Hunter, Hepzibah, — Healer, Cameron Hodge, Hobgoblin, Hussar,
Iceman, — Imperial Guard, Impulse,
Karma,
— Jetstream, Juggernaut,
Lockheed, Lilandra, — Lorelei, Leech, Link, Lifter, Legion, Miss Locke, Lady Deathstrike, Living Monolith, Lupo,
Magneto, Mimic, Marvel Girl, Arthur Maddicks, Magik, Magma, Mirage, Moira MacTaggert, — Mastermind, Mystique, Madrox, Moon Boy, Masque, Mandrill, Mesmero, Magus, Morlocks, Magic, Manta, Mentor, Midget,
Nightcrawler, Northstar, — Michael Nowlan, Nekra, Nuklo, Nightshade, Nimrod
Phoenix [original], Phoenix [current], Polaris, Professor X, — Pyro, Piper [Morlock, Plague, Poltergeist, Peeper, Proteus, Piper [Savage Land],
Quicksilver,
Oracle,
Quasar,
Rogue, Judith Rassendyll, Raza, — Roulette,
Shadowcat, Storm, Sunfire, Skids, Sunspot, Scarlet Witch, Amanda Sefton, Sikorsky, — Spider-Woman, Spiral, Siryn, Sunder, Slither, Shocker, Sabertooth, Silver Samurai, Sauron, Smasher, Starbolt, Sidri, Sentinels [Mark I-VI, X, Alpha, Omega,],
Thunderbird (original), Tattletale, — Tessa, Tarot, Thunderbird [current], Toad, Time Bomb, Tar Baby, Timeshadow, Taskmaster, Larry Trask, Tempest, Titan,
— Unus, Ursa Major,
— Vanisher, Vanguard, Viper [and agents,],
Mariko Yashida,
Wolverine, Warlock, Wolfsbane, Waldo — White Bishop, White King, White Queen, Whirlwind, Warstar,

Compare 100 pages of this to 200+ of Champions Worldwide. Great value character density thanks to the triple column format and simple but descriptive game stats of MSH. Best value monster manual style supplement I ever came across that wasn’t a GHOTMU.

It wasn’t just my imagination over the years how good a deal this one was :-

1.84 Character Density [Otherwise know as The Leader]

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G-Core Deluxe Superhero Roleplaying Breakdown Review

G-Core Deluxe Superhero Roleplaying Breakdown Review – Jay Libby

71 Pages

Table of Contents – Page 2

Foreword – Page 4 – Reminiscences by Bob Cram

What is a Game – Page 5 – Some general advice

Character Creation Flow – Page 7 – Steps to Follow

1: Type
2: Origin
3: Assign Points to Physical and Mental stats
4: Pick your powers and assign points
5: Pick your Special Focus…assign points to careers and Power Stunts
6: Pick Flaws or Weaknesses
7: Determine your Resources
8: Buy any extras. Armor, gear, weapons.
9: Personal description.

Then a sample character generation, Mr Tinker.

HERO TYPES – Page 8

There are several, from Cop to Student to Genius and some Cosmic Hero types that have varying point totals to assign to Physical and Mental Abilities in 10 point blocks. They have different Special Focus and Flaws.

Modelling Nightblack again we’ll take Vigilante, Physical pool 60 and Mental Pool 50, Special Focus, Martial Arts or Weapon +10. So that works.

The FASERIP abilities here are Rumble, Agility, Might, Moxie, Smarts, Perception, Spirit. Doubling adjective start letters not so good perhaps.
RAMMSPS.

R: 20
A: 10
M: 20
M: 10
S: 20
P: 10
S: 10

ORIGINS – Page 11

Alien, Android, Demi-God, Experiment, Cosmic, Evolutionary, Sentient Robot, Human, Human: Accident, Human: Cursed, Human: Cyborg, Human: Experiment, Human: High Tech, Human: Psychic.

Make him Evolutionary. 50 Power Points, 10 Gear Points, 30 Free Points. Starting Popularity is -10. 1d10 free points of 3 for 30.

R: 50
A: 20
M: 20
M: 30
S: 20
P: 10
S: 10

Darkness Generation: 50
Health = 120
Wild = 40

GAME MECHANICS – Page 15

1d10 * 10 is the roll used to add to statistics and compare to Static Difficulties or Opponent rolls. Easy task is 25 and a Super Task is 100.

Wild – Page 16 – can be added to rolls in multiples of 10. It refreshes between sessions.

Damage – Page 17 – also Stacking two people’s.

Finally some tables. Popularity, statistic benchmarks, and then descriptions following.

POWERS DEFINED – Page 22

Cosmic Powers – Page 39 – with ranks – Cosmic 2 Terraform can affect a Whole Planet.

Magic – Page 43 – with tables for necessary Spirit and Intelligence.

Vehicles, Armour and Weapons – Page 46+

With the relevant statistics and point costs.

GENERICS – Page 49

A list of NPC statistics for use. Cops, crooks, kids, alligators, sharks, rats, etc. Also an environmental effects table for breathing, fire, radiation, weather and that sort of thing.

Experience – Page 56

How to get it.

Villains and how to use them.

Levels of Game Play –

Street – Abilities up to 30
Classic Comic – Abilities up to 50
Super – Abilities up to 100 with a Major Weakness
Pulp – Only one over 30

Power Failure – Page 60 – Overloading and what happens when you do it.

Character Worksheets – Page 61

Genre Suitability: Any. Street level is perhaps the weakest point for FASERIP games and would need the most tweaking, but this point buy version might handle those slightly better. Colourful heroics are fine. There are rules in here for the really Cosmic as well. So should be able to take a crack at that.
Artwork: Poor computer modelled variety.

0 0ut of 10 Price (lower is cheaper per page)
3 out of 10 Length (lower is shorter)
5 out of 10 Complexity (lower is easier)
6 out of 10 Playability
1 out of 10 Artwork

5 out of 10 Overall

This takes the Marvel Super Heroes FASERIP game and gives it a 4CS inspired redo. With point-buy by character and origin type which is an interesting mix and match idea.

With eye-battering fluro green borders and somewhat messy layout raising the decipher the difficulty level. Using a d10+Ability opposition or target difficulty check to do away with the Universal Table, further diverging from the source. For an amateur production is understandably written and you can definitely play it. It could use some early table summary use when some game concepts are introduced and also perhaps as included handout/printout separate pages at the end. There is only one included character for use.

A playable game, but it isn’t easy being bright green when reading, so have to mark it down for layout.

2.5 out of 5

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4C System Breakdown Review

4C System Breakdown Review – Phil Reed

Public Domain, Free from Multiple places in multiple formats

e.g. there are character sheets, Master Tables etc., look for those too

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/50837/Four-Color-Syste…
https://archive.org/details/4cSystemSuperheroRoleplayinglibr…

4C SYSTEM – Page 1

A toolkit rather than a complete game system. Notes for gamers and publishers, emphasising the public domain aspect.

Hall of Heroes – Page 2

The Really Cool People that donated several years ago so that Phil could take the time to write this. Notes on Dice and Advanced breakouts.

Contents – Page 3 – Table of

Text is public domain, not the artwork.

CHARACTERS – Page 4

Character Origin – Robot, Alien, Skilled Human, Changed Human, Mutant, Technologically Enhanced – with Advanced Options that modify Traits.

Let’s create an example while going through:

Roll 54 = Superhuman.

Traits – Page 5

Primary – Melee, Coordination, Brawn, Fortitude, Intellect, Awareness, Willpower. MCBFIAW = FASERIP
Secondary – Damage, Fortune, Lifestyle, Repute = Health, Karma, Resources, Popularity

9 Rolls = 80, 25, 22, 39, 56, 41, 63, 33, 56 and 54

M: Incredible (40)
C: Good (10)
B: Good (10)
F: Good (10)
I: Excellent (20)
A: Remarkable (30)
W: Good (10)

D: 70
F: 60
L: Excellent (20)
R: 18

Rank Values – Page 7

Giving several examples…e.g. Extraordinary, Remarkable, Super for 30-39.
Points out that Advanced game uses 18 different ranks counting 0 compared with 12 for the Basic.

Skills – Page 7 – Number of and their use.

Roll 78 = 3 Skills

Contacts – Advanced option to replace a Skill with a Contact

Powers – Page 8 – Number of

Roll 32 = 3 Powers

Power Types – Page 9 – Includes Description

There are Basic and Advanced Power Selection Tables

Using the Basic Table

3 Rolls = 69, 67, 11

Shapeshift, Regeneration and Claws

PLAYING THE GAME – Page 20

Details how to use the Master Table and the results for various colours.
Black = Failed, Red = Minor Success, Blue = Success, Yellow = Major Success.
Then the Advanced Table and Row Steps for when you get bonuses and penalties to actions.

Altering the Dice – Spending Fortune – 25 points moves the result one colour for one roll.

Combat turns and Initiative which is optional…the side’s highest Awareness is a bonus to the roll. Melee attack description.

Movement – Page 21

Governed by Coordination rank – Advanced options on Page 22 with Swimming and Exhaustion.

Combat Tables – Page 23

What the colours mean for Melee, Slashing, Ranged, Rushing, Wrestlng, Dodging Attacks.

Multiple Attacks – Page 25

For Melee attacks – get a Yellow and affect everyone as if a Red was rolled. That is a Minor Success on everybody needs a Major Success roll.

Damage – Page 25

Explains damage and the additions from small and large weapons of +5 and +10.
Pulling punches – you can reduce damage or the result. e.g. aiming for someone’s leg with a gun so you won’t kill them by accident.

Advanced Combat – Page 26

Block, Evade, Catching and Waiting

Material Substances – Page 27

How hard it is to break things and Combat results from the above.

GAMEMASTERING – Page 29

A toolkit, so no lengthy digressions. Advice on using the table, character Health/Vitality, Fortunes/Karma and Lifestyle/Resources and how they are gained and lost. Tables and modifiers for Repute/Popularity interactions and modifiers.

Vehicles – Page 30

Handling, Durability and Combat. e.g. what happens if a character with Body Armour runs into your vehicle? Also a very short sample list.

Character Advancement – Page 32

A slightly out-of-genre thing for superheroes, it notes. The spending of Fortune to increase Traits, Powers and Skills. Even gain a new power at random with 1000 points if something happened in game to warrant it.

Master Table – Page 34 – A one page colour version to print.

Genre Suitability: Any. Street level is perhaps the weakest point for FASERIP games and would need the most tweaking. Colourful heroics are fine.
Artwork: Very basic minimal black and white.

0 0ut of 10 Price (lower is cheaper per page)
1 out of 10 Length (lower is shorter)
3 out of 10 Complexity (lower is easier)
6 out of 10 Playability
5 out of 10 Artwork

6.5 out of 10 Overall

A free public domain gaming toolkit is an excellent thing for the community to have available. So bonus points there. Even more so when it is from one of my favourite games. For such a short game it covers the basics in old school fashion. None of the lengthier playing the game or gamemaster sections exist.

A very simple descriptive percentile dice Universal Table mechanic with great freedom of action that can easily be taught to people as an introduction. The table enhances superheroic flavour in its nomenclature. An admirable thing. The game plays quickly. There’s a nice free character sheet available that actually has the table on the Character Sheet as well.

One day soon hopefully I can do a fleshed out version and have 4CSERIP and FATERIP mirroring each other. Genre rules a la DC Heroes is something I have in mind.

There is of course all the http://classicmarvelforever.com for all the old gaming material.

4CS is simpler than MSH so it is definitely in the lower complexity range while offering some tactical type options for those that like that sort of thing. Games in this moderate range appeal to me most as far as ratings bias goes. Plus I was a backer.

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Avengers Coast-to-Coast – Best Avengers Value supplement

An expanded Avengers heroes and villains book for the Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Set with more characters and information.

Heroes — Villains

Ant-Man I, Ant-Man II, — Absorbing Man, Ares, Armadillo, Arnim Zola, Attuma,
Beast, Black Knight, Black Panther, Black Widow, Byron Justinian Gamble, — Baron Zemo I, Baron Zemo II, Black Knight [Nathan Garrett], Blackout, Black Talon, Bob Cat,
Captain Marvel, Captain Ultra, — Collector, Controller,
Drax the Destroyer, — Deathurge,
Edwin Jarvis, — Egghead, Enchantress, Enclave [Carlo Zota, Maris Morlak, Wladyslav Shinski, Him,], Executioner,
Falcon, Firebird, — Fixer,
Guardsman, Giant-Man I, Goliath I, Goliath II, Ghost Rider [Hamilton Slade], — Goliath, Grandmaster, Graviton, Grey Gargoyle, Grim Reaper,
Hellcat, Hulk, Henry Pym,
Iron Man [Tony Stark, James Rhoades: Mark II, III, IV armours, — Immortus,
Ka-Zar, — Kang, Korvac,
— Lava Men, Living Laser,
Jocasta,
Mantis, Moondragon, Ms. Marvel, Mentor, Ms. Marvel, — Mad Thinker, Maelstrom [and Gronk, Helio, Phobius,], Man-Ape, Master Pandemonium, Melter, Mister Hyde, Modred the Mystic, Moonstone, Metallus,
Namorita, — Nebula [Gunthar of Rigel, Kehl of Tauran, Levan of Sark, Skunge the Laxidazian Troll,], Nekra,
Paladin,
Rick Jones, Red Wolf, — Radioactive Man, Rama-Tut, Ronan the Accuser,
Quicksilver, Quasar,
Stingray, Scarlet Witch, Starfox, Swordsman, Shooting Star — Sentry [Kree], Scarlet Centurion, Shocker, Scourge, Screaming Mimi, Space Phantom, Squadron Sinister [Doctor Spectrum, Hyperion, Nighthawk, Speed Demon], Stankowicz, Spinner, Fabian, Super Skrull, Supreme Intelligence, Spinner, Shadow,
Thor [update], Texas Twister — Taskmaster, Tiger Shark, Thanos, Titania,
— Ultron-5, Ultron-6, Ultron-8, Ultron-12,
Vision,
Yellowjacket, Yellowjacket II,
Whirlwind, The Wrecking Crew [Wrecker, Thunderball, Bulldozer, Piledriver,],

So a good deal as you can see…also has an adventure and The Avengers charter at the start among other things…hence some out of order characters…plus grouping them to save space in smaller print where the […] lists boost the bad guy numbers

I believe they leave out people like Captain America as they were in the Judges book…which maybe should get added..and the Thor is an update and Iron Man has various armour versions

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ICONS Hero Pack 1

Hero Pack 1

$10.00 – http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/87767/ICONS-Hero-Pack-…

This is a good one, done in the Hauser ICONS style…complete with Saguaro and friends at the end. A bunch of characters other people made up…with some standup cutouts included to print out, which is a nice addition. Lots of characters of different variety. Not really differentiated into Good vs Evil directly, only artistically.

Archer, Adamant Levinbolt, All-Star, All American Girl, Alchemist, Atomic Roach,
Bodhivajra, Black Box, Bombardier Beetle, Blacklight, Bramble, Blue Blaze, Ballerophon, Bubba Watley, Big Ben, Bilius Vert, Blakatoa, Blue Marble, Billy Powers,
Crashman, Captain Liberty, Centurion, Catalyst, Cougar, Calamity, Camazotz, Cloud, Collider, Conquistador, Crimson Circlet, Crude,
D’Bat-Set, Diamondstrike, Doc Pliable, Doc Ignus, Dr Axiom, Dark Impetus, Dr Barracuda, Dr Sinisterfield, Desert Storm, Dr Adharma,
Englishman,
Fire-Ant Man, Frostwitch, Fulcrum, Ferd Watley,
Green Knight, General Entropy, Gravedigger, Gauntlet, Galacticron, Grey, Graykallen,
Hellbrand, Hangman,
In43ction, iRon,
Jester, Jack of the Lantern,
Kinetic, Kali,
Lady Bug, LeTraceur, Landshark, Lady Omega, Landspatrioten, Lulabelle Watley,
Mazen Wilder, Mantis-Man, Monkey’s Paw, Magic Gecko, Mentuhotep, Mephiston, Miss Tikal, Mighty Saguaro,
Nocturnal Squirrel, Nighthawk, New King in Yellow, Nightstrike, Nightgaunt, Necromancer,
Omegutan, Old Man Watley,
Phoenix, Phoenix Knight,
rONIn, Red Mountain, Rex Radium, Revenant, Rex Monday,
Speed Demon, Saurian, Spider-Fridge, Scorched Irv, Sparke, Swami, Silvermoth, Sparky the Dharma Dog, Shock Value, Skromtet,
Tinman, Tempus Fugit, Tiger Tom, Talisman, Technologist, Tinman, Trigger Mortis,
Ultraviolet, Utburden,
Vengeance, Volcano,
Whiteout, Weaver, White Witch, Whisper,
Y’Nigma,
Zeppelin, Zeno Faraday, Zen Tao, Zeitgeist,

0.08 Character Cost
1.33 Character Density

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ICONS – An Interesting Game

An interesting game. Which you would expect from an experienced designer and more so an experienced superhero designer. See the Mutants and Masterminds Wild Cards books for an example.

This is what you get if you take TSR MSH Advanced game, trim it back a litle (or at least the 4CS public domain version) and add some parts of FATE.

The game mechanic is 1d6-1d6 (or 2d6-7) rather than 4dF or (4d3-8) to get a wider range of outcomes. Changing the dice result range would be a interesting genre tweak for superhero games I think.

The artwork is rather more cartoony than I like but would seem to be certainly fitting for a younger crowd, and the mechanics and writing is simple enough that it would work very nicely there, too.

Random power creation is included with the various character archetypes, so that is fun.

The FATE point and Karma pool for teams ideas are combined to be bit easier on the adding up front. The Leadership skill has a game function here.

Power levels are capped at 10 for the super mega cosmic type – or lift mountain ranges.

The strength of using a FUDGE type mechanic to replay the Universal Table is in ability opposition….a valid criticism of which is that the defense of both Daredevil and a thug as far as being punched by someone is the same. Which is great if you are a PC trying to hit someone and bad if the reverse.

Give I like FASERIP and FUDGE and FATE a lot.

So if any of those appeal, you will like this game, and could certainly hack a few bits into your preferred flavour. Suggests ‘reskinning’ the ability levels with your own favourite adjectives. Fantastic being a good and obvious one instead of Monstrous – especially given that is actually the Thing’s strength level.

Aspects for characters and teams completely fit superheroes with catchphrases, battle cries, mottos and more. So a natural. Compels also help to keep subplots and complications and disadvantages involved rather than forgotten about.

It is certainly good enough that I’ll have a look at some supplements.

Also, Cactus Man. Who actually gets used in a podcast game online!

There are print and digital versions.

4.5 out of 5

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