tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post606533976120381413..comments2024-03-29T03:53:01.413-07:00Comments on B/X BLACKRAZOR: The Need to AchieveJBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-32119043536453863362013-01-24T20:55:26.562-08:002013-01-24T20:55:26.562-08:00I would say superheroes often do advance, just not...I would say superheroes often do advance, just not in raw power. Rather, they get more skilled, more experienced and can do more things with their powers. So Green Arrow will always be low powered but he can get better at what he does. That's where M&M breaks down - it feels strongly oriented toward increasing raw power with level. Level should measure experience, not raw power. If you wanted to do a class and level system, you could make low powered character like thieves - quick to advance - and high power character like B/X elves - powerful but very slow to advance. <br /><br />While superheroes are usually reactive it doesn't have to be that way. Green Arrow in the new tv series is actively hunting down enemies and a campaign could be run that way. You could also take a "Heroes for Hire" approach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-61990591384543506042013-01-24T13:04:38.062-08:002013-01-24T13:04:38.062-08:00My 20 year marvel game did have noteworthy advance...My 20 year marvel game did have noteworthy advancement and growth s part of the genre or at least change.<br /><br />Champions had the radation accident option - cash in your points and rearrange your character for a while or forever. Several characters changed names, equiptment and styles and achieved this by roleplaying. Events in play offered transformation. Spidey has been a human spider, had cosmic powers just in time to battle magneto, other weird stuff so its fun for a change and keep continuity. <br /><br />My players gained a few talents and i put limits on how many stunts you could buy Good (10)=1 - each extra rank = +1. Stunts do happen in comics and can make some characters gross so i had to cap it - very few capped a new power or got up to a new super power rank. Stats did improve with some wimps turning into commandos over the years. <br /><br />Horror tactic of evil players - spend all karma but a little bit - use that to kill annoying enemy. Arg must stop too many flashbacks!Konsumterrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18170560484656800416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-8223504325689785192013-01-24T06:48:26.731-08:002013-01-24T06:48:26.731-08:00"As such, it should follow game concepts as m..."As such, it should follow game concepts as much as comic book concepts."<br /><br />That's a specific example of one reason why I'm not a fan of attempts to emulate genre - the desire often gets in the way of the 'game'. Controversially (perhaps) it is why I think an Appendix N fetish can become a bad thing, and why my own, personal Appendix N is made up of games (and gamebooks). Andy Bartletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06683770320671028815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-60234160393263548032013-01-24T06:13:22.435-08:002013-01-24T06:13:22.435-08:00To me it's all about how you look at it or rat...To me it's all about how you look at it or rather, how you want to look at it. <br /><br />If you look at it as a fan of comic books, yes, their is little real 'level advancement' or 'power creep' in comics. Actually that's not even true. The Golden Age Superman of the 40's ccould leap tall buildings while the Silver Age Superman of the 60's and 70's could fly at light speed to other planets.<br /><br />Than there is the gamer perspective. This is not a comic book. This is a Superhero RPG. It is a game about comic book superheroes. As such, it should follow game concepts as much as comic book concepts.<br /><br />For another take on this subject, please feel free to check out this post on my blog:<br /><br />http://barkingalien.blogspot.com/2012/05/character-improvement-in-comic-book.htmlAdam Dicksteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-82412263549169218992013-01-24T02:17:12.329-08:002013-01-24T02:17:12.329-08:00Playing Necessary Evil (a Savage Worlds game) that...Playing Necessary Evil (a Savage Worlds game) that involved super powered beings with fairly rapid advancement seemed like a pretty good idea when we started out. After the first full rank though, people were struggling to justify where all the cool new powers had come from.<br /><br />Becoming a bit better at stuff is OK in most games, but suddenly realising you can fly needs some justification. On the flip side, I've played some contemporary set games with bugger all in the way of advancement, with survival being the primary goal. XP points were handed out, and could be used to but up skills that had been used, at a very expensive rate if I recall correctly, or hoarded and used to give a one off skill roll boost when you really needed it, on a one for one basis. Most players split their XP between these options, meaning next to no advancement, but the ability to stay alive in truly dangerous situations. It ended up being a fantastic game, even if I did go a bit crazy...thesethingsthatiwritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06983724061115538291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-76721292676471555402013-01-24T01:57:55.820-08:002013-01-24T01:57:55.820-08:00I wouldn't want to play a superhero game that ...I wouldn't want to play a superhero game that DID involve much advancement. Maybe increases to skills, RQ style, but not powers. After all, what was the Danger Room for, if not to improve skills.<br /><br />My main objection to running a superhero game these days is that I have sold all my original MSH stuff. No, actually, it is that a superhero game limits player choice in the way that a D&Dish game need not. Superheroes are largely reactive - they react to the evil schemes of Doc Ock and Magneto. Now, I am coming to think that I might be able to present a world with enough options, and the possibility of Player Hero goals, in order to keep it from being 'X is doing Y, stop him' every week.<br /><br />But then I think, if we want to maximise player choice in a superhero game, shouldn't we have them play the villains? They are the ones with the schemes and plans...<br /><br />But does that make D&D PCs supervillains in training? Andy Bartletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06683770320671028815noreply@blogger.com