Spes Magna Games

Nota Bene: Those product links below are affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I get a few coppers.

For several months, I’ve played Kid Avenger in a Savage Worlds post-apoc campaign. Kid appears to be a normal lad in his early to mid-teens, but his speed, strength, and agility belie that appearance. He claims he’s the result of an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum created by Abraham Erskine, and that the truth of his origins are the subtext of his collection of pre-apoc comic books. Kid’s compatriots think Kid is insane, which he might be, but just because someone’s paranoid doesn’t mean nobody is out to get them.

I ended up with Kid Avenger as my character concept because I wanted to play a superhero game, but the majority of players wanted to play post-apoc in the U.S. South, and so I pretty much went with my original concept, tweaked to make him fit the setting. I’m getting a kick out playing Kid. He’s hell on wheels in combat, and his delusions (or clouded memories?) make him fun to roleplay as well.

Pinnacle Entertainment Group recently released the Savage World Super Power Companion, and I purchased the PDF. It’s my favorite expansion to Savage Worlds. It hits most of the right notes with the supers genre, and builds well on the core Savage Worlds rules.

And I say this as someone who has something of a love-hate relationship with Savage Worlds. What the game system does well, it does very well, but, ye gods, it can get fiddly and slow, especially in combat involving one or more villainous Wild Cards, at which point the fight degenerates into a contest to see who has the most Bennies. (But, this might be more a function of my erratic attention span than the game itself.)

All of what preceded really serves as an excuse to introduce two Savage Worlds supers: the Human Fly and the Fly. The former is built as a beginning character. He could be introduced into a street-level Savage Worlds superhero game as is. The Fly, however, is built as a villain, and so I wasn’t particularly worried about point costs. He’s roughly equivalent to a Power Level III character, but would likely give a Novice Power Level III hero a hard time in a fight.

Trivia Moment! Marvel’s Bill Mantlo had a hand in creating the Human Fly and the Fly for publication.

The Human Fly
Power Level II Hero

Rick Rojatt suffered serious injuries in the car crash that claimed the lives of his wife and children. A benefactor paid for multiple surgeries aimed at restoring Rojatt to health by replacing 60% of his damaged skeleton with metal bones. Even still, Rojatt was an invalid for years before a combination of physical therapy and raw will regained for him full mobility. Enhanced by his metal skeleton, Rojatt dedicated himself to training in order to develop the skills needed to become the world’s greatest daredevil stuntman. Costumed as the Human Fly, Rojatt is less a crimefighter and more of a philanthropist, using his abilities to raise awareness and money for a variety of noble causes.

Rank: Novice
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d10
Skills: Athletics d10, Common Knowledge d4, Driving d6, Fighting d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d6
Pace: 8; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8
Hindrances: Environmental Weakness (minor – electromagnetism interferes with metal skeleton), Pacifism (minor), Vow (major)
Edges: Martial Artist, Nerves of Steel, Super Powers (30)

Powers

Dodge (2): Direct ranged attacks are at -2 to hit the Human Fly. Trapping: Training.

Fearless (2): Immune to Fear checks. Trapping: Training.

Leaping (2): 4″ (8 yards) vertical, 8″ (16 yards) horizontal. Trapping: Training.

Pace (2): Base Pace and running die type +2. Trapping: Metal Skeleton.

Parry (2): +2 Parry. Trapping: Training.

Super Attributes (10): Agility +2, Spirit +2, Strength +2, Vigor +3. Trapping: Metal Skeleton.

Super Skill (7): Athletics +3, Fighting +4. Trapping: Training.

Super Edge (2): Nerves of Steel. Trapping: Training.

Toughness +1 (1): Trapping: Metal Skeleton.

The Fly

Richard Deacon, small-time thug, ran afoul of Spider-Man during an attempt to gain ransom for two kidnapped persons. Deacon was injured and fell into the river, and authorities presumed he died. Deacon survived, and he happened to overhear J. Johan Jameson and Dr. Harlan Stillwell discuss the creation of a new hero that Jameson hoped would get rid of Spider-Man. Deacon later forced Stillwell to transform him into a metahuman by grafting onto his DNA the genetic coding of a common housefly. Thus Deacon became the Fly, a supervillain who has met little lasting success despite his amazing powers. Nevertheless, even an experienced hero ought to avoid underestimating the Fly.

Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d12+6, Vigor d12
Skills: Athletics d16, Common Knowledge d4, Driving d4, Fighting d10, Focus d10, Notice d12+2, Persuasion d4, Shooting d6, Stealth d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 12 (4)
Hindrances: Distinctive Appearance (minor), Greedy (major), Mean (minor)
Edges: Alertness, Extraction, No Mercy, Quick, Super Powers

Powers

Armor (2): Augemented muscles and bones. Trapping: Mutation.

Dodge (3): Direct ranged attacks are at -3 to hit the Fly. Trapping: Mutation.

Extra Limbs (2): Wings grant a +2 Gang Up bonus when used to fight. Modifier: Not Prehensile. Trapping: Wings.

Flight (8): 90″ (60 MPH). Trapping: Wings.

Push (3): Wind blast from wings. Cone template. Modifier: Strong (-2 Strength to resist and 2d6″ knockback). Trapping: Wings.

Ranged Attack (9): Sonic blast from wings. 4d6 damage. Modifier: Cone Template Optional. Trapping: Wings.

Super Attributes (16): Agility +3, Strength +3, Vigor +2. Trapping: Mutation.

Super Skill (10): Fighting +3, Focus +4, Notice +3. Trapping: Training (or Mutation for Notice).

Uncanny Reflexes (3): Excels at avoiding area attacks. Trapping: Mutation.

Wall Walker (1): Trapping: Mutation.

Tags: NPCs, Savage Worlds, superhero games

Back in 2016, I released my own superhero game, The Four Color Hack (TFCH). To date, it’s my only product available print-on-demand. It was mostly well-received. Since it’s release, I’ve netted a bit more than $200 from its sales, which for Spes Magna Games is a lot of money. Unfortunately, I sort of ran out of steam for its continued support, which is a shame. I think it’s a pretty good game.

Which brings me to Prowlers & Paragons Ultimate Edition (PPUE) from Evil Beagle Games. PPUE is a new, improved version of Prowlers & Paragons (PP) by Lakeside Games. PP was released about three years before I released TFCH, which is a game I wrote because I wanted to see what a superhero game might look like if it was written specifically for me.

(N.B. The PPUE and PP links are affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I get a few coppers.)

I’ve read in recent days both PPUE and PP. The latter is a good game. The former is a great game. And while neither was written by me specifically for me, they punch a lot of the same jaws that I was aiming for with TFCH. What’s more, PPUE is undoubtedly a better game than TFCH.

Heck, it might very well be the best superhero game on the market today. Seriously. It’s that good.

So, what’s so good about PPUE? Here’s a short but not exhaustive list:

1. PPUE has a unified task resolution mechanic that is easy to grok and is designed to assist the narrative. Everything is rated as X number of dice. You roll the dice, and you count 2s and 4s as one success and 6s as two successes. Subtract the target number from the total number of successes to determine the degree of narrative control the dice roller gets over the action’s results.

2. PPUE respects the genre. Color me pleased that PP and PPUE use comic book terms to describe the flow of action. A page is a round, for example. This sort of terminology found its way into TFCH, proving great minds think alike. The emphasis is on the action, but the comic book melodrama is not ignored. Instead, it’s built right into character creation in the form of Perks and Flaws.

3. PPUE can handle multiple power levels and comic book subgenres. Want to play star-spanning cosmic champions that fight planet-destroying threats? You can do that. Want to play gritty do-gooders who get knocked around in barfights? You can do that too. World War II heroes? Check. Swords and sorcery barbarians fighting evil wizards? Check. Angsty teenagers at an elite prep school for mutants? Yes, that’s possible as well.

4. PPUE has point-based hero creation, but with an emphasis on basic arithmetic. On the other side of the law, the GM can use the point system to make up villains, but that’s not a requirement. PPUE understands that it is not necessary for the enemies faced by the PCs to be made with the same rules as the PCs. Character creation rules are primarily intended to ensure that the PCs are relatively balanced against each other. The NPCs get to do things the PCs don’t get to do, and whinging that this is unfair is beside the point. (If things were fair, there’d be no need for heroes.)

As mentioned in a previous post, I return to campus this week. The students return some time after, and I hope to get my story game club up and running again. PPUE is a strong contender for the first system that I’ll teach the students who participate.

Also, I’ve made up three characters using PPUE. One of them is a hero suitable for play. The other two are villains. The last link is for a villain made using TFCH, just in case you want to do a little compare-constrat. Each link opens a PDF.

Enjoy!

Baron Samedi, a PPUE Villain.

The Galveston Giant, a PPUE Villain.

The Villain, a PPUE Villain. Duh.

Brutacles, a TFCH Villain.

Tags: Prowlers & Paragons, reviews, superhero games, TFCH

Super Bard uses magical music to fight crime and help others. Most of his powers focus on the latter. His oratorical powers inspire others to greater success, and his soothing songs heal injuries and boost willpower. When he needs to fight, his magical sonic scream serves as a ranged attack, while in close combat he relies on his fencing skills. Super Bard is multilingual, skilled in English, French, and Italian.

William Speares aka Super Bard
Power Level 6

Strength 0, Stamina 0, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 2, Intellect 2, Awareness 2, Presence 3

Powers:
Bardic Inspiration
Enhanced Advantage (Inspire 3) [Cost: 1 per rank, 3 pp]
Enhanced Advantage (Luck 2) (Flaw: Luck limited to Inspire) [Cost: 1/2 per rank, 1 pp]

Counter Charm
Immunity 10 (Mind/Emotion Control Effects) (Extras: Perception Area, Selective, Sustained; Flaws: Distracting, Half Effect) [Cost: 1 per rank, 10 pp]

Magical Music
Sonic Scream – Damage 4 (Extra: Ranged) [Cost: 2 per rank, 8 pp]
AE: Charming Lyrics – Affliction 2 (Dazed, Compelled, Controlled; Resisted by Will) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception, Ranged) [Cost: 4 per rank, 1 pp]
AE: Songbird – Flight 4 (500 ft.) [Cost: 2 per rank, 4 pp]

Song of Healing
Healing 5 (Extras: Perception Area, Selective; Flaws: Distracting, Others Only) [Cost: 2 per rank, 10 pp]

Advantages: Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll 4, Equipment 2, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Ranged Attack 3

Skills: Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+7), Sleight of Hand 2 (+3)

Offense:
Initiative +1
Rapier +5 (Close, Damage 3, crit 19-20)
Dagger +5 (Close, Damage 2, crit 19-20)

Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/1 (leather armor), Will 5

Power Point Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 34 + Advantages 14 + Skills 5 + Defenses 15 = 90

Tags: Mutants & Masterminds, superhero games

Once upon a time, I owned issue 42 of Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu. Via my Marvel on-line subscription, I’ve read or re-read about half of these remarkable Shang-Chi stories from the 70s. Doug Moench wrote the best of these stories with the help of Paul Gulacy’s astonishing pencils. The cover art shown in this post is by the legendary Gil Kane and Al Milgrom.

Not long after our gaming group got its hands on TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes Roleplaying Game, I created the villainous Volt, who was patterned heavily after Shockwave. I’ve written about Volt here. Here’s Volt designed for Villains and Vigilantes from Monkey House Games. (N.B. That last link is an affiliate link.)

Volt (Real Name Unknown)
Level 5 Villain

Strength 16
Endurance 26
Agility 27
Intelligence 13
Charisma 14

Height 6 ft. 2 in.
Weight 200 lbs.

Basic Hits 4
Hit Point Modifier 7.2
Hit Points 29
Healing Rate 2.8/day

Detect Hidden 10%
Detect Danger 14%

Damage Modifier +3
Accuracy +8

Reaction from Good -1
Reaction from Evil +1

Carrying Capacity 420 lbs.
Basic HTH Damage 1d6+3
Movement Rate 47
Power 74

Training +3 HTH combat accuracy, +2 Lightning Control damage
Inventing Points 6.5

Super Powers

Absorption (Electricity Only)
Heightened Agility A: +11
Heightened Endurance A: +11
Invulnerability (Electricity Only): 17 points
Lightning Control: 52 range, 2d8+2 damage, PR=4.

Tags: superhero games, supervillains

Over the past few days, I’ve tooled about a bit more with Green Ronin Publishing’s Mutants & Masterminds (M&M), which has a robust character creation system that so far has never failed to emulate whatever character concept I’ve come up with. (Caveat: Some character concepts, however, become problematic operating within a specific power point budget. If I’m like the government and just pretend budgets don’t matter, then even the sky’s not a limit.)

For example, I created Major Challenger, a Power Level 10 hero, who is an interdimensional astronaut who explored subatomic universes until his diminution device malfunctioned, trapping him on Earth as a 30-foot tall giant. Via the remaining functions of the diminution device, he can shrink down to one-sixth his normal size. Major Challenger is a “street legal” PL 10 character built with the standard budget of 150 power points. If you’d like to take a gander at Major Challenger, click here.

M&M can also be used to create specific effects that model a movie hero’s special abilities. Who can forget that time when Batman used his hypnotic dance skills to get the drop on King Tut and his goons? Don’t you wish your hero could do the Batusi? Of course you do.

The Batusi
Effect: Perception-Ranged, Concentration-Duration, Cumulative Affliction; Limited to Two Degrees with Instant Recovery. Cost: 2 points per rank.

You perform a stunning series of improvised but fascinating dance moves. Those able to see you get a Dodge resistance check. If successful, they suffer no effects from your dance (although that also means they can’t see you). Targets who see your dance must make a Will resistance check against your effect DC. One degree of failure renders a target entranced by your performance. Two degrees of failure makes the target helpless. In subsequent turns, if you take a standard action to continue dancing, targets who can see you must make new resistance checks. Those who watch your dance long enough likely end up defenseless due to the cumulative effects of your sweet moves. Affected targets recover at the end of the turn you stop dancing (no resistance check required).

Tags: Mutants & Masterminds, superhero games