"Necessary Evil" - supervillains save the world!

Game Master ZenFox42

So - a few things...

Please create a new PC if you haven't already, and dot in. Please include your backstory, and costume description. Please make sure that you've included any needed changes I pointed out in your Powers!

In your "summary line", please include your Parry, Toughness, and your "Ranged Attack TN" (RATN, 4 by default, but modified by Deflection and Uncanny Reflexes superpowers, and the Dodge Edges). If any of these change because you have a "normal" form and a "super" form, please include both, separated by a slash, human first (Toughness 4/9). Also your current number of Bennies and Wounds, and your Charisma modifer (default 0).

Also, I have an alternate identity of "GM_ZenFox42". One of my games is fine with ZenFox42, but the other prefers the GM version. Votes?

Also also, I'd like this to be a relatively "fast" (by PbP standards) game, with everyone committing to checking Gameplay *at least* every other day when out of combat, and *within 24 hours* of Initiative draws during combat. If RL gets in the way for a day or two or a week, no problem. I *will* be checking every day, and post when needed. Anyone not ok with that?

A Very Important Discussion - everyone please contribute!

So, I want the group to figure out beforehand How Evil is "Evil" (thanks, Atlas2112!)? To quote from the NE book :

Evil, not Psychotic! While villains may be murderous and megalomaniacal, they don’t tend to be mindless killers without purpose. The super-villain you make up should at least have the potential for working with other super-villains. While playing a completely anti-social psychotic does have its charms, it does not usually make for good team game-play.
Take some time to consider why your villain would cooperate with other villains, especially under the circumstances. Your villain could certainly murder his fellow compatriots at a later date to serve his own goals, but for the time being, he ought to realize he’s more powerful with others by his side.

But I want y'all to decide how "evil" the group is - will you kill innocent bystanders? Take out a city block to get away from the gang that's chasing you?

Remember, you're comic book supervillains - you're *supposed* to be badasses!

I'm going over all our changes now and building the profile, but I have the avatar made so I could check in.

I can check every day. If there are events happening that I don't have any actual participation in over a few days posting (such as the party splits up or one of us is healing slowly from nearly dying), should I just chime in with an "I'm still here" message each day?

Wolf Spider is evil, but he isn't by default a random killer. To him, killing is a very personal act, almost like a punctuation mark on a crime, and he dislikes doing it indiscriminately. He doesn't believe in killing innocent bystanders, a throwback to his early superhero days.

That said, he's willing to be practical if it comes down to survival. It's just not his typical MO. Assassination, difficult robberies, sabotage, etc. These are his primary methods of dealing with problems.

Wolf_Spider - no need to post an "I'm here" message every day, just posting as soon as it's appropriate is fine.

So, I like that he's "finicky" about killing others, and his backstory gives him an excellent reason for that!

I guess he's "evil" because he's *willing* to assassinate, rob, and sabotage, yes? Does he enjoy it? Do it when it's not necessary?

Wolf_Spider - no need to post an "I'm here" message every day, just posting as soon as it's appropriate is fine.

So, I like that he's "finicky" about killing others, and his backstory gives him an excellent reason for that!

I guess he's "evil" because he's *willing* to assassinate, rob, and sabotage, yes? Does he enjoy it? Do it when it's not necessary?

He's willing to do those things, and he actually feels gratification. People were assuming he was evil before when he tried to be good, and it just backfired on him. Now people fear him for the right reasons, and he enjoys that. He loves the money he makes from heists, and while he doesn't 'enjoy' killing the way some villains do, he doesn't hesitate anymore, and he takes pride in his work, at least. He is more than willing to steal, he's got the naturally sticky fingers for it, and it makes him richer so that's good too.

[EDIT] Oh! I discovered when I was going through my character and confirming everything I don't qualify to take Dodge until Seasoned, so I will be taking Brawny instead.

@ Wolf Spider.

See the setting rule "Born a Hero" SWD p94. During character creation we ignore rank requirements. So Dodge is fine.

Oh, good! I can fix myself up then!

Enkidu has the Heartless hindrance, but is not Bloodthirsty. He feels society at large treated his life as lacking value, and the bitterness that caused has kind of led to the same point of view towards others. Basically, the only people deserving of life are those willing to fight for it. Killing does not bother him, but it is something he does to serve a purpose, and not for its own right. Therefore, he doesn't go out of his way to kill anyone, but does not shy away from it if it seems appropriate.

Some individuals, like Drones, human colaborators, Fins, or V'sori, he would probably view killing them as simply efficient, as it would mean fewer of the enemy around to fight. Insurrection is at its core war afterall. He might change his mind about killing Drones, if he discovers they are made from humans, and are not just robots or clones as everyone assumes.

Question: I've not played savage worlds in PvP before; how are things that refresh per session handled? Things such as Bennies, or edges that allow an action once per session? I have a hindrance that requires a once per session check, which is part of the reason I ask.

PWO here. I think This avatar will work. The list is short on super-types

First a thank you to Zen Fox for running this and letting me in. I am a fan of NE and this group looks good.

On to the issues.

1. I have no preference as to which avatar/name you use Zen Fox so go nuts!

2.The question of Evil. One of the reasons I like this game is that it really points attention at the 'What is evil' question. Does our behavior have limits? Should it? What do we accept, walk past, participate in? Pretty deep waters for a RPG that encourages hitting people with Buicks.

Jack has some issues with Evil. Jack has been around the criminal fraternity most of his adult life. He understands that there are rules that the criminal world runs by. If you are big enough you can ignore them but they are still there. One of the big rules is you do not hurt
civilians. Gang members, Cops, Capes of any stripe are fair game. To paraphrase Super Chicken, They knew the job was dangerous when they took it. Family/friends/bystanders are not in the game so it is very poor form to involve them. Well apart from conning and robbing them of course.
That said killing, even for those in the game, should be avoided. First it closes doors, it is much harder to convince a boss to work with you if you just cut through half her crew. Robbing the boss or beating up half their crew is just adding things to your criminal resume. Killing tends to spark a revenge cycle and that goes nowhere you want to be.
Secondly killing is bad press. Criminals are parasites on the larger culture. So long as we do not trouble or alarm the host we are tolerated, supported and even romanticized. Annoy the host, loose the tacit support of the public and jail is the best outcome. Nothing annoys people like killing their friends and relations.

Note: This 'only in the game/life' rule only applies to folks who observe the same rule. If someone starts pressuring your friends and relations to put pressure on you then they just exposed their friends and relation to retaliation.

In short, Jack's Loyal and Pacifism (minor) hindrances will prevent him from killing the innocent or the helpless. Threaten, humiliate, rob, set up, sure but if someone dies it means something went very wrong. Unless of course they are acting like a mad dog. Mad dogs are put down. The V'sori are currently considered mad dogs until proven otherwise.

Toxie is no longer human, but he's not completely evil. He craves exotic substances. It's not enough to weaken him, but enough to get him to steal. He is upset at the world for what's done to him. Still, he doesn't kill people who don't oppose him.

Another rules question here: I know Stackable has been placed out of reach until Seasoned at least, but I am wondering how this ruling applies in the case of a shape shifter. As I see it right now, one of my major shortcomings is a reliable way to damage heavy armour (and many of the baddies wear armour that is considered Heavy). I was considering shuffling around some points to get the Heavy Weapon Attack power option.

Most of the predator forms I can assume get Str+d6 claws or bites, so what I would like to figure out is whether those would be considered a "Hand Weapon" as far as the power is concerned, and thus need Stackable for a Attack option to work, or whether it would be more like a Level 1 attack power that is included in the price of Shape Change, meaning that a second level could be purchased to work in concert with the first (he grows his claws out disproportionately large and sharp).

Basically, what I'd like to do is take Attack, Melee (1 Level), Contingent on Shape Change, Heavy Weapon (+1), and Lethal (-1). This would then add a d6 to the natural weapons damage value of his shifted form (Str+2d6 for a bear instead of Str+d6). Let me know your thoughts on it, and if you rule favourably, I'll shift the points.

Is the Power Points Edge banned? Poor Wandering One (a Gilbert and Sullivan fan?) said so in one of his posts, but I don't see it mentioned in ZenFox42 OP guidelines.

Hmmm I thought for sure I saw ZFox had banned it.

Interesting. I suspect this was an oversight given the changes to advancement. But I do not see an explicit ban......

And yes I do love G&S

And yes I do love G&S

My mother was an opera singer during my formative years, so I have fond memories of G&S, as well as others; Carmen (by Bizet) was her favorite I think.

Checking in.

1. Don't mind which alias you use, just hope its consistent.

2. Alpha is a merc by choice and biology. He has the Ruthless (minor) and Vow (Major) hindrances, which make him driven to complete any contract he accepts, even if circumstances change. He'll do almost anything, provided he remembers the vow and can actively work towards completing it. It's given him a reputation of "someone who always gets the job done."

As far as evil goes, Nature is not, strictly speaking. She's more like a natural disaster in person form. She thinks of herself as a good person trying to protect something important (in this case, the planet itself) from the depredations of humans.

She is willing to work the other villains against the V'Sori because if anything they're even MORE destructive to the planet.

I'm also going to get an alt built shortly.

Edit: and alt is go!

Dark Angel checking in.

Attitude: Dark Angel is above human concerns. She will do what needs to be done and if that means that means attrition, then that's the way it will be. She doesn't kill innocents indiscriminately, but neither does she let moral concerns keep her from getting the job done. V'Sori deserve absolutely no mercy!

Background: When Angela Simmons died in a vehicle accident, she expected to go to heaven. She did, but what she didn't expect was to be reborn as an angel of vengeance. She was sent back to Earth to punish the guilty and fight the constant battle against the forces of Hell.

Angela did her job well, perhaps a bit too well. Her punishments were severe, sometimes fatal, even for relatively minor crimes. She was indiscriminate and ruthless in her judgment. Some called her a hero, but to many others, she was a villain.

Some would ask why God did not revoke her powers. The answer is that she, like all beings, was gifted with free will. The decision was hers alone to make.

With the invasion and occupation, Angela has found a new outlet for her vengeance.

Appearance: Angela wears a black bodysuit and boots, with a scabbard at her waist and a yellow sword insignia over the left breast. Her wings are jet black and her hair is blonde.

Tactics: Angela is not a very subtle fighter. She typically wades into combat heedless of the danger, trusting her divine powers to keep her safe.

Hmmm I thought for sure I saw ZFox had banned it.

Interesting. I suspect this was an oversight given the changes to advancement. But I do not see an explicit ban......

And yes I do love G&S

Raise your hands if you now have "I Am A Super Villain And A Cunning, Evil Mastermind" running through your head right now.

Endiku - in PbP, "per session" is up to the GM. I'll tell you when a "session" has ended, and a new one is beginning. Probably after several "scenes", which are easier to define.

Regarding the Power Points Edge - sorry, it isn't available either. I wasn't thinking of SWD PP as the "same" as SPC2 PP (and arguably they're not, since SWD PP apply to Arcane Backgrounds), so I didn't mention it.

Regarding Stackable...I wanted to avoid obscene damages at Novice level, like d12(Strength)+d10(weapon)+4d6(Attack, melee). So far, the highest damage I've seen is d8+d10, which is about where I want it to be for now. And I don't have access to PEG's forums to see what others think about a "natural" attack being considered a "hand" attack, but it does follow the same pattern : (Strength damage)+("weapon" damage), so I'm going to say you can't add Attack, Melee to your build (yet). But what I *will* allow is that if you put a +1 modifier into your Shape Change power, your attacks can be considered Heavy. Is that a good compromise?

Also, please see Recruitment for more discussion about your power activation...

Nature - there's a few problems with your build : you can't put more than 6 points in a Power (Storm+Lightning Strike = 7), and you can't take more than 2 levels of Toughness. In addition, your current total is 22 PP. If you drop Lightning Strike and one level of Toughness, that gives you 2 more PP to play with. Perhaps put them into the Parry superpower, because with a basic Parry of 4, you're *really* easy to hit!

Hi everybody! =)

Buncha stuffs! =D

1) Please open the Gameplay thread so we can put up a post and add it to our Campaigns tab.

2) I recommend using a GM alias to post GM posts. When I see a GM post, I think 'okay, some game stuff just happened, some of which wants to brush my teeth with a chainsaw. I better take this serious.'
When I see ZenFox's normal alias post, I want to pick him up and rub his fuzzy tummy. Who has a tummy? Who has a soft widdle tummy-tum? Who wants a cookie? Yes you do. Yes you do.

3) I see a lot of talk about killing, but don't forget that there's more to not being nice to someone than just killing. Like, can we threaten to rape someone? How about maiming? Destroying property? I'm not saying we have to hammer out a definitive pact right now, but just get a solid mental attitude of how far your character will go.

4) Remember, the game is basically Shadowrun. That we're "Super" anything just means that all the normal humans are so vastly outclassed that we're the only ones who actually can do anything, but if we try to do anything too big, too early, it will go poorly.

So, on being "evil"...

Out of the 7 of 9 PC's that have posted so far (I started this before Thomas Roland made his post), we have :
4 seem to be "Heartless" (a NE Hindrance) - they don't 'enjoy' killing but don't hesitate when it's needed. And 2 of these will actively avoid killing innocents.
3 who are "above" the concerns of collateral damage (which I assume means that killing innocents is ok if it gets the job done).

Jack of Clubs - I'm going to call bul****t (in a nice way) on your "all criminals know not to kill innocents" claim - what about street gangs, whose drive-by shootings not only take out their enemies, but anyone else who happens to be nearby? And I would argue that killing within "the community" (of villains) is also considered acceptable - got a weak link that you think might squeal to the cops if he's caught? - kill him! Or what about violent struggles between organized crime gangs over territory? Once you get above the level of larceny, it seems to me that any villain faces a high risk of death from a competitor (or maybe even a comrade).

And Thomas Roland makes a good point - what things are you willing to actually do if it would help your situation? Even if you don't post it, please get a good idea of just what your PC is and isn't willing to do, in *all* areas of what's considered "criminal".

BTW, Thomas, what's *your* stance on killing, and killing innocents? :)

I feel life certain "darker" themes can be avoided all together by the agreement of the group. For example, I would prefer rape or threats of rape to not occur as well as violence towards small children and infants. We may be evil, but could we put a pg 13 limit of sorts on things?

I don't know - for Nature and Dark Angel, it sounds like anything goes!

And you yourself said that "He'll do almost anything" to get the job done. So, where do you draw the line? Killing innocents is ok, as long as they're adults? What about teenagers?

It's not so much as "is he willing to do anything?"

It's more of a "can we tastefully avoid disturbing topics while maintaining the atmosphere?"

Like how super villains in marvel and D.C. Would probably do a lot of terrible things, but we don't have to actually show them to make that point. When they do those things, it makes them all the more abhorrent, but those instances are usually very specific claims in characterization.

If need be, I can amend my character to include a bit about no child milling. Something about making your own choices before you're killed by them.

1)@AlphaOne. Oh, yeah. Let's all agree that everyone we see in Gameplay should be above 17. After that, you've had your swimming lessons and sometimes you get tossed in to the deep end of the pool. Mind you, I think the arena of "talking about or threatening" to do something can be a bit more inclusive than the things we actually do.

2) ZenFox, I think when JackOC says "criminal fraternity" he means "organized crime". As in, Mafia, etc. And, at that, the idealized "1930's" version of the mafia.
We all know that the modern versions of organized crime like MS-13, etc, does not take such a view, and normal, un-organized crime has almost the opposite viewpoint.

But the fundamental point is sound, wherein any amount of damage/murder of people that don't have anything to do with what you are trying to do (your illegal gambling ring, numbers racket, insider trading, protection scheme, etc,) than is absolutely necessary does just add more police attention. ...the question of how just how much violence is necessary is big question. =)

3) Oh. Yeah. I forgot to add that. Thomas doesn't feel normal emotions and completely lacks empathy. Stabbing a person means as much to him as cutting a piece of paper. It's not that he wants to kill people, he just lacks any instinctive regulator telling him not to, and needs to rely on learned behavior, which is not as powerful. Hence, it's good to set ground rules at the beginning. =)

Quick tip: you can "dot" into a gameplay thread and delete the dot, but the game will still be in your campaigns for easy access.

ALL - One thing I forgot about your "summary lines" - it's traditional in SW to list your total Toughness including Armor, then include Armor separately in parenthesis. So if your "natural" Toughness is 7, and you wear 4 points of Armor, you'd write "Toughness 11(4)". That helps when AP (Armor Piercing) weapons come into play, which they will a lot in this game...

I recommend using a GM alias to post GM posts. When I see a GM post, I think 'okay, some game stuff just happened, some of which wants to brush my teeth with a chainsaw. I better take this serious.'

When I see ZenFox's normal alias post, I want to pick him up and rub his fuzzy tummy. Who has a tummy? Who has a soft widdle tummy-tum? Who wants a cookie? Yes you do. Yes you do.

This is a feature. When Dr. Leatherface, DDS comes at you from that unflinching reptilian eye, you might take that personal. But from that thoughtful looking fox, I just feel that he's rooting for me to escape.

Wolf spider doesn't condone rape, or other degrading acts. It goes against his style, and he views it with distaste. He might maim someone in order to force a hero to choose between chasing him or saving an innocent, but thats a calculated risk and he doesnt go for the kill in those instances. In these regards, he considers himself to have some class.

I prefer not to get too graphic, since this is a public post. I also suggest that if anybody has any particular triggers and doesn't want to post it, they can PM our Fox and he can then just list it as a rule. something like, "No harming canines"

------

We should probably list if we view aliens as different than humans.

Doctor Toxic usually incapacitates his targets. He mostly uses the Acid for breaking in, non-biological targets, dissolving protective gear and such. But if somebody is using lethal force against him, they are fair game.

The alien invaders started a war through deception. They are enemy soldiers and he has no qualms against killing them.

Wolf Spider - I like it! Classic evil/villain thinking : "I'm only hurting the civilian, not killing them, so that's ok..."

ALL - I've opened up the Gameplay for PC introductions (with a WALL-o-text to read first), but let's not forget about the discussion here...

So, on being "evil"...

Jack of Clubs - I'm going to call bul****t (in a nice way) on your "all criminals know not to kill innocents" claim - what about street gangs, whose drive-by shootings not only take out their enemies, but anyone else who happens to be nearby? And I would argue that killing within "the community" (of villains) is also considered acceptable - got a weak link that you think might squeal to the cops if he's caught? - kill him! Or what about violent struggles between organized crime gangs over territory? Once you get above the level of larceny, it seems to me that any villain faces a high risk of death from a competitor (or maybe even a comrade).

A valid call. This is how Jack sees things and Jack very much sees crime in an 'old fashioned' way. The image the Yakuza tries to foster or the paternal image of the godfather caring for 'his' people. The gentleman bankrobber. Rule by respect and fear, rather than just fear.

Street gangs may well bleed into 'mad-dog' territory. Have to see how they have reacted to the new management in Star City.

Me
Jack
Alpha
Enkidu
Doc Tox
Wolf_S
Nature
Dark Angel

I'm counting 8 PCs, yeah?

Is..........it too early to start talking about our HQ? Some would say that it is definitely too early to start talking about our HQ. Those people would have a point. So about our HQ... =P

So, our HQ gets 5 pts per PC, for a whopping eleventy bazillion points.
Or 40, if you like real math.
******
A Large HQ is 5 pts right there. I'm thinking abandoned warehouse. (Why? Because it's always been my dream to live in an abandoned warehouse....)
I'm assuming Urban, so 0 more points.
We've got the points, so let's go with Advanced condition. But not State of the Art. No need to be greedy. +5 pts

Command Center. We need it because COMMAND CENTER! +1 pt.
Garage, +2 pts. A second garage? +2 pts.
A Generator of our very own. +1 pt. 'Nuff said.
Kitchen, +1 pt. I also think we should have a primitive replicator that just makes us food because that is a FANTASTIC thing to have. Otherwise do you know how much time we're gonna spend grocery shopping? +1 pt.
Library/computer room because bonuses to things are awesome. +1pt
Medical Center is dumb. No need.
Personal Quarters, +2 pts gets us 8 lavishly advanced rooms.
Security Cells. At least one. +1 pt, because we're probably gonna take someone alive at some point.
Secure Access +1 pt so the GM can't randomly have small children showing up in our underwear drawers.
Oh, and Well-Hidden, +3 pts, so that even if some large PC that may or may not smell like chicken and wears a motorcycle helmet walks directly from an abandoned gang war into the building, they still won't be able to automatically find us. I'm not saying that this may or may not have definitely killed another game with a strangely similar title as this one, but I am saying that this would be a good idea to definitely consider. And then get. =)

That's still only a measly 26 pts. There are other options we can mull, like a specialized Library that gives us a bonus on one specific Knowledge skill, or more Security cells, so I think that this is a good basis to keep in mind...assuming we live through the intro. =)

How can you not have a laboratory!

Hello all. You've certainly been busy. =)

Shackle is not a serial killer, rapist, or anything like that. He was in it for the money, though he is Ruthless (minor). He doesn't see the V'sori and Fins as 'people' but he doesn't kill humans unless he has to usually.

& Shackle.

9 PCs.

Okay, fine, we can have a Lab. =)
(but then you have to sleep in it. =p)

Why is the medical centre dumb? Does everyone here have Regeneration? Even if they do (I do), recovery is still a roll, and it doesn't hurt to make the vest of every roll.

As for the facility in general, I vote retrofitted abandoned subway station (not a platform, but a full on station with grand staircases and such that was determined to be redundant and walled off at some point in the past. Erasing it from the city records eliminated all public knowledge of the structure. This would take +1 for Underground, and I'd upgrade it to Huge, since that only costs 2 more points as well, and at a 10 room limit, large probably wouldn't cut it for us.

I'd also go for a Teleporter (which may not actually be a Teleporter, but a concealed express elevator able to emerge at various points up to a mile from the base. (2pts for able to transport 10 at a time, and 2 pts for 1 mile range)

That's +2 for Huge, +2 for Med Lab, +1 for Underground, +4 for Teleporter, and +2 for Mr. Toxic's Laboritory/Workshop. That's +11 for a total of 37.

Nature - there's a few problems with your build : you can't put more than 6 points in a Power (Storm+Lightning Strike = 7), and you can't take more than 2 levels of Toughness. In addition, your current total is 22 PP. If you drop Lightning Strike and one level of Toughness, that gives you 2 more PP to play with. Perhaps put them into the Parry superpower, because with a basic Parry of 4, you're *really* easy to hit!

According to the Necessary Evil Explorer's Edition, the Storm power is 3 (+3 for lightning strike).

EDIT: I just checked the Super Power companion Explorer's Edition and it shows 3 as well.

Also, I know it's a bit confusing, but I only have 1 level of Toughness...The 3 is the amount of points I spent.

EDIT 2: I removed the costs, as looking at that I realized that I was going back and forth on a few things and I didn't update it. Sorry about that.

The med center is dumb because...hey, hand on a sec.

@GMZENFOX: Does the bonus to the Medical Center's healing rolls also apply to my Healing power? This answer is going to completely shape my attitude of the usefulness of this thing. =)

Yes it is way too early to be talking about a lair.

The med center is dumb because...hey, hand on a sec.

@GMZENFOX: Does the bonus to the Medical Center's healing rolls also apply to my Healing power? This answer is going to completely shape my attitude of the usefulness of this thing. =)

I think not but I am frequently wrong. The center adds to healing rolls and natural healing your powers are Magic right?

I doubt access to a crash-cart and a positive room would make a great deal of difference to you.

Jack however has some basic medical training.

I would like to suggest we DO have a medical center. Cause most of us don't regenerate. (Well, I don't *yet*. Call me selfish.) It can also help if you get hit with something that halts regeneration or healing magic (like supertech bullets or cursed arrows, whatevs).

The rest of the points we have left over should go to a secondary base, one that we can use as a fallback.

I guess I could copy regen powers, but not sure if my "teammates" would be very keen on it unless it proved useful to the overall mission.

I should point out that while Dark Angel doesn't particularly concern herself with innocents, neither does she go out of her way to harm them. Likewise small furry things (she actually likes kittens); she won't worry over them in battle, but she wouldn't throw a basket of puppies in the river just for kicks. She is "above" street-level crimes and sexual crimes (though she preys on those who commit them, or did until the V'Sori came to town).

As for an HQ, Dark Angel's needs are few. She doesn't sleep (very often) or eat (though she can do the latter strictly for the pleasure of such). A medical bay would be appreciated, as I anticipate her getting hurt a lot.

Thomas Roland wrote:

The med center is dumb because...hey, hand on a sec.

@GMZENFOX: Does the bonus to the Medical Center's healing rolls also apply to my Healing power? This answer is going to completely shape my attitude of the usefulness of this thing. =)

I think not but I am frequently wrong. The center adds to healing rolls and natural healing your powers are Magic right?

I doubt access to a crash-cart and a positive room would make a great deal of difference to you.

Jack however has some basic medical training.

Meh. It says it adds to Healing rolls. With a power of Heal it can be said that I am doing Healing and thus rolling a Healing roll for Healing that Heals. It's also not outside the realm of possibilities that quiet area devoted to the healing art would provide a psychosomatic beneficial effect.

Y'all can work out the details of an HQ amongst (yes, that *is* a word, #%&!@$ spellchecker!) yourselves, I don't care. I will say this : you will be *given* a bare-bones, "fixer-upper" HQ for free. I know it's not in the rules, but how about just for fun, we say you'd need available *cash* to realize those points - say $4000/point?

And, generators are monitored closely by the V'sroi, so getting one could be an adventure all to itself.

Finally, the Medical Center says it adds to "ALL Healing rolls", so I'm going to say that it adds to the superpower Healing roll as well.

Nature - thanks for clarifying the Toughness issue. But, you still can't put more than 6 points *total* (including positive Modifiers) into a Power, and Storm=3 + Lightning Strike=4 = 7 total. You've got to drop Lightning Strike and put those points somewhere else. Put at least 2 into Parry, because with a Parry of 4 you're *really* easy to hit!

Also, how do you figure Toughness 8? With 5 from Vigor and +1 from the superpower, I get 6. I didn't see any armor in your description...

Nature - ignore the Toughness question, I forgot to add the standard 2 that's part of the formula.

Don't know if it has been done before, and I was thinking about how initiative, and other Card-Draw related elements would work in Savage Worlds in PbP, and I figured that it would probably translate quite easily to a d54 roll. Since each card represents both a card and a suit, and those suits have an in-game hierarchy, I figured that it would probably be simple to make a chart showing each possible card.

Arranged like this, with all four cards of a certain value ranked in the order of their respective suits, Edges like "Quick" are also easy to manage, as any roll of 16 or less on the d54 represents a reroll/redraw, without having to check the table to see which specific card was drawn. 53 and 54 would of course be the Jokers.

For Example:
1d54 ⇒ 22 = 7 Diamonds
1d54 ⇒ 28 = 8 Hearts
1d54 ⇒ 13 = 5 Clubs
1d54 ⇒ 23 = 7 Hearts
1d54 ⇒ 8 = 3 Spades

Of course, you'd only need to look up the specific card if you have an Edge or Hindrance that attaches significance to a specific card or suit, but the option is there.

Sorry if this has been done already in other Savage Worlds games, or was blindingly obvious to all, but it seemed like a good idea to me.

When I ran an SW game I just used a physical deck. Trying to put together a system that could account for what cards had already been drawn was way, way more difficult that just tossing a spare deck in my bag.
The bit that broke me was trying to figure how to account for things like Level Headed and figuring out how to know what cards have been drawn/discarded since the last joker. Remember you only shuffle the deck when a joker comes out. This can mean multiple combats/chases/etc before a shuffle. In a bpb that can mean pages of posts and days of time.

I did add an extra card with a different back to the deck to separate the draw from the discard pile.

I’d like to try running a Savage Worlds Necessary Evil (NE) campaign. Executive summary : the PC’s are super-villians, and are Earth’s last defense against a race of aliens that came to visit, wiped out all the Earth’s super-heroes, and are now taking over the Earth.

If you’re interested, you’ll need the SW Deluxe (SWD) core rules, and a copy of the Superpowers Companion, 2nd edition (SPC2). You do *not* need to buy the NE Player’s Guide (altho it’s only $4.99) - I’ll provide you with all the necessary background info.

You’ll start out as Novice humans (if you want to be an alien, see below), with 20 PP for superpowers (for free, no Edge needed).

However, it’s *really* easy to build one-dimensional supers that are over-powered, so I’m imposing some restrictions on your builds :
- You can only put 6 points max, before negative modifiers, into any Power.
- You can only take 2 levels of Armor, Attack, Deflection, Explode, Force Control, Matter Control, Parry, Telekinesis, and Toughness at Novice level.
- The Stackable modifier is not available to Attack, Melee at Novice level.
- Heavy Armor, Extra Actions and Extra Limbs are not available at Novice level. Mind Control is not available at all.
- Failure on being Stunned or Paralyzed (via superpower or weapons) results in 1 Wound, not Incapacitation.
- Super Karma and The Best There Is Edge are not available.
- In addition, I reserve the right to suggest changes to builds I feel are overpowered.

I know these sound like a lot, but I’m looking for well-rounded, multi-faceted supers, not a PC with one extreme special ability. In addition, you’ll gain 10 PP per Rank (for free), and many of the above restrictions will be relaxed or go away.

Being an alien : you’ll have to have a credible backstory as to why you’re on Earth (and probably stranded). If you’re basically humanoid but with slightly different features (blue skin, forehead ridges, a slit for a nose, antennae, etc.), that costs you nothing. But if your form is *completely* different than two-arms-and-two-legs, see the Alien Form major Hindrance in SPC2.

If you’re interested, please create a PC and present them! It’s best to start with the SWD’s core creation rules, then add your superpowers. I’ll keep Recruitment open for about a week.

What's the starting power level? Street heroes, 4 color... pulp?

I'm working on a villain named Wolf Spider, that's going to be themed as if Spider Man gave in to all the crap in his life and turned evil part way through his career.

Ooh. Interesting. I've got another SW supers character to make, so I'll keep my mind open to see if my muse jumps on this.

Rungok - well, technically it's 4-color "Rising Stars", but you get 10 points free per Rank instead of having to take an Edge for only 5 points.

Okay, I'm just trying to figure out how many points we're starting with. I think that means we have 30pp to work with at novice?

I've got Wolf Spider all done if that's the case. If it's a different total I'll fix it.

Nope, sorry, 20 PP to start with. The 10 free PP per rank start at Seasoned.

Oh, okay. Here I fixed it

"Better living through chemistry! Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Beware the touch of Doctor Toxic!"

I have this old PC from a now defunct Necessary Evil game. Might need to power him down a bit as he earned XP but I'll look at that later when I have more time.

Rungok - the PC looks pretty good, but you can only take 2 levels of Parry and Deflection. Maybe put 2 of the extra points into Swinging for that true "Spider-Man" feel?

And, how did you calculate your Parry? I count it as 12 with 2 levels of Parry and Deflection, and including Acrobat and the "-1 to hit" from Dodge...altho I might have missed something.

Oh, I didn't take swinging cause wolf spiders don't use webs. I could perhaps try something else.

I can only take 2 ranks of each? Hmm... okay, my fault for missing that in the build rules. Let me fix that.
Okay with 2 parry, he has a parry score of 9:2+4 (half fighting)+2 from powers and +1 from acrobat edge. I think you missed acrobat, which gives +1 to parry whenever I'm unencumbered.

Okay, with the points I got back, I took 2 points of leaping and 1 point of speed, which are under the trapping of "Wolf Spider Mutation" they are a type of spider that run and jump on prey. They're pouncers, which is partially why they're called 'wolf' spiders.

@ZenFox: Not played SW before but am interested - are you looking for veteran's of the system?

"Better living through chemistry! Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Beware the touch of Doctor Toxic!"

Hey Philo - Black Dow (Mamon from our M&M game) - would you be interested in a collaboration? I'm mulling a muck-monster pitch (tentative codename: Sludge) - makes sense he might have some history (or owe his creation to) Doc Toxic

Here's Dr. Toxic, my little blob of goo.

Dotting for interest. Gogo team Normal Human!

Ooh! I've always wanted to play Necessary Evil!!

Do we need the companion if we already have the players guide?

Do we need the companion if we already have the players guide?

Id highly recommend it. It has a ton more powers and even fixes up some of the NE guide's powers.

Dot dot dot.

This is my first time playing around with the SPC2E, so I have a question and sorry if it's a dumb one. A modifier to a Power, is that a straight-up one-time cost, or for a power with levels, is that per level?

Like if I was buying, say, Animal Control with the Summonable modifier, would that be 6 power points per level then?

No they're straight adjustments to the cost.

Thanks! I started going through some of the villains in the back to run the numbers, lol

"You can only put 6 points max, before negative modifiers, into any Power."

Does that total include modifiers or just the cost of the power? I assume the former but wanted to make sure.

ie: The aforementioned Animal Control is 2/level and Summonable is a +4 so you could only have Level 1 in that power if you were taking that modifier?

Or am I reading that wrong?

(I'm not actually taking Animal Control, it was just an easy example in the beginning of the powers area)

I'll see what if I can think of something.

Yeah your example is correct. The most you can spend on a power before negative modifiers is 6, so positive modifiers will nudge that up to the 6 cap.

Wow - lots of activity overnight! :)

Rungok : I didn't realize that Dodge and Deflection only affected Ranged Attacks. And I didn't notice the "Contingent" on your Deflection, so that only effectively increases your Ranged Attack TN by 2 when your Heightened Senses are active, so TN 7 then (see next post).

However, making several things Contingent on Heightened Senses means you *have* to give Heightened Senses the Requires Activation Modifier. One of the game developers has said "Contingent doesn't work with permanent powers unless they have Requires Activation". So, the good news is, you have another PP to play with!

Thanks for answering the other players' questions, I agree with all of your answers.

Black Dow - newcomers to the system are welcome! I'll help you with anything you need.

Atlas2112 : if by "companion" you mean the SPC2, yes, all of your superpowers come from there. And as Rungok pointed out, their PP costs have all been tweaked from the NE player's guide (and for the better).

Vrog : you *can* play a normal human if you really want to, but honestly, he'll be very "squishy" and less useful in combat compared to the other PC's. I would strongly urge you to make him a Super. You can still stick with the same theme, but just make him "better, stronger, faster".

ALL - regular characters have a Target Number (TN) of 4 vs. being shot at.

The Deflection and Uncanny Reflexes superpowers, and the Dodge Edges, increase this. Please note in your character description your PC's "Ranged Attack TN" (4 by default).

Rungok, by my count your RA TN is 5 normally, and 7 when your Heightened Senses are active - do you agree?

ALL - concerning "Requires Activation" : while the SPC2 says "Once activated, the power remains in effect until the hero decides to drop it. The power also deactivates if the character is Incapacitated, knocked unconscious, or otherwise cannot consciously maintain it.", there have to be limits as to how long you can *not* decide to drop it.

I'm going to say that any Power that requires activation stays on for the duration of the combat, then stops. Sort of like it's the adrenaline surge of combat that allows you to activate it. And while you can activate it if you think you're *about* to get into combat, or are in a nervous situation (like entering a darkened building) it deactivates once it's clear that you're in no immediate danger.

Sound good? Any concerns?

(Rungok - I think that means for you that you should take the extra PP from Requires Activation on Heightened Senses, and take Danger Sense at full cost, so that it can be useful *before* combat begins...)

"I think dead people."?

Doc Toxic's base Ranged attack TN is 4, 5 when he's squeezing down.

ALL - concerning "Requires Activation" : while the SPC2 says "Once activated, the power remains in effect until the hero decides to drop it. The power also deactivates if the character is Incapacitated, knocked unconscious, or otherwise cannot consciously maintain it.", there have to be limits as to how long you can *not* decide to drop it.

I'm going to say that any Power that requires activation stays on for the duration of the combat, then stops. Sort of like it's the adrenaline surge of combat that allows you to activate it. And while you can activate it if you think you're *about* to get into combat, or are in a nervous situation (like entering a darkened building) it deactivates once it's clear that you're in no immediate danger.

Sound good? Any concerns?

(Rungok - I think that means for you that you should take the extra PP from Requires Activation on Heightened Senses, and take Danger Sense at full cost, so that it can be useful *before* combat begins...)

Yes. That's all correct. My TN for ranged attacks is 5, by normal, and 7 when my heightened senses are activated. I'll move the free'd up PP into getting Danger Sense. Yay spidey sense!

OH! Here's a thing. If you're trying to shoot someone in melee range, you attack them at their Parry defense, not the default shooting TN. Just going to come up cause Wolf Spider gets up in people's grilles.

As for the Requires Activation, I always go to the Exalted tabletop time increment of 'One Scene'. Meaning that when you turn it on, it's on for the rest of the scene. So when you do a cut from where/when we are to move on to the next floor, or we drove downtown, or we rest the night, the 'scene' changed and therefore we've let our activated abilities lapse.

Dotting. Will submit a character later. It should go without saying, but...

ZenFox, please do not let the fact that you are in one of my games color your selection of PCs. If I don't make it in, there are no hard feelings.

Dotting. Will submit a character later. It should go without saying, but...

ZenFox, please do not let the fact that you are in one of my games color your selection of PCs. If I don't make it in, there are no hard feelings.

Why does this feel more ominous than not saying anything?

WhtKnt wrote:

Dotting. Will submit a character later. It should go without saying, but...

ZenFox, please do not let the fact that you are in one of my games color your selection of PCs. If I don't make it in, there are no hard feelings.

Why does this feel more ominous than not saying anything?

Zenfox, please do not let it influence you that you know who I am and you know that I have a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you...

So, y'know, no pressure. =P

I love this game, though I've never gotten to play it. I liked it enough to create characters for my local gaming group so they wouldn't have to. And later, I created more than a score of villains for a project for a friend. If anyone wants to play and doesn't have an idea of a concept or the mechanics, let me know.

Here's the one I want to use. Hopefully it will keep the formatting. The Gimmick is that he has a watch that teleports his armor onto him. Without the armor, he's a very squishy mundane.

H.I.E.N.A. (Heavy Infantry Experimental Nano Armor)
The H.I.E.N.A. project was masterminded and headed by Dr. Henry Nelson, a pre-eminent expert in the fields of nanotechnology and robotics. The concept behind the project was to develop an exo-skeletal suit of armor that an average soldier could don to effectively combat the so called “supers” that run rampant. In addition to high durability and survivability, the suit also had to be able to match the inhuman strength of many “supers” and provide adequate stopping power to nullify them.
Under the brilliant tutelage of Dr. Nelson, the prototype lived up to and surpassed these requirements. Incorporating not only fully body nano-armor of a lightness and durability unseen previously, but also a powered exoskeleton and integrated ballistic weapons, the H.I.E.N.A. promised to be the next generation of war machine.
Until it was discovered that Dr. Nelson was selling the secrets of his research to foreign powers. The rogue scientist was confronted by his superiors and escorted from the research facility and preparations were made to try him for international espionage.
Unfortunately, the authorities underestimated Dr. Nelson’s cunning and desperation and he managed to escape. That night, there was a massive explosion at the robotics lab and all of the data pertaining to the H.I.E.N.A. project was destroyed. Worse, the prototype as well as the P.H.eM. prototype from the neighboring lab came up missing.
For a time, it was hoped that Dr. Nelson and the missing prototypes were destroyed in the explosion. However, the fact that the H.I.E.N.A. prototype, with numerous upgrades has recently appeared and been used to commit a number of crimes shows that this is not true.
Codename: H.I.E.N.A. Civilian Identity: Henry Nelson (20 Points)
Height: 5’8” Weight: 170 Eye color: Blue Hair color: Brown
Attributes: Derived Characteristics:
Agility: d6 (d12) Pace: 6
Smarts: d8 Parry: 5[8]
Spirit: d6 Charisma: 0
Strength: d6 (d12) Toughness: 5 [12(6)]
Vigor: d6
Skills: Repair d8, Notice d8, Knowledge (Engineering) d8, Fighting d6[d12], Shooting d6[d12], Guts d6
Hindrances: Gimmick (Watch), Greedy (Minor), Quirk (Giggles when nervous or excited)
Edges: McGyver
Powers: Ranks Modifiers Results Cost
Armor 2 Device, Heavy +6 Armor 4
Attack, Ranged 2 Device 3d6 4
(Gatling Laser)
Super Skill 4 Device 3 Fighting 3 Shooting 2
Super Attribute 4 Device 3 Agility 3 Strength 4
Attack, Melee (Claws) 2 Device, AP 4 d12+2d6 AP 4 4
Toughness 1 Device +1 Toughness 2

WhtKnt wrote:

Dotting. Will submit a character later. It should go without saying, but...

ZenFox, please do not let the fact that you are in one of my games color your selection of PCs. If I don't make it in, there are no hard feelings.

Why does this feel more ominous than not saying anything?

Not my intent, I assure you. I honestly do not want him to favor me because I am his GM.

Love this game and would love to try again. I am a veteran of a couple of games that died.

If this is still open I would love to apply.

Good to see you back, Poor Wandering One.

And thank you.

For everything.

(Heh. I was just talking about you. =)

Thought I recognized that dragon.

Good to see you as well.

Okay, here is Biohazard.

Name: Biohazard
Race: Human
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d10
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Throwing d8
Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 7, Charisma: -6
Gear: Unarmed Strike d6 (Str)
Special Abilities:
•Bloodthirsty(*): Never take prisoners; -4 Charisma if known
•Distinctive Appearance (Walking disease factory): See notes
•Ugly: -2 Charisma; Shunned by opposite sex
•Gain the Super Powers arcane background
•Fast Healer: +2 Vigor for natural healing
Super Powers:
•Immune to Disease•: Your character is immune to disease.
•Immune to Poison•: Your character is immune to poison.
•Infection•Carrier: Requires a touch attack with a called shot to hit exposed skin. A target struck by the attack must make a Vigor roll.
•Poison•Lethal, Ranged Touch Attack (Throwing): On succesful Touch Attack, Vigor roll or Fatigue
•Regeneration(Lvl3)•: Make a Vigor roll every hour. If the roll is successful, your character heals one wound.

Personal Details: Victor Malaise was a two-bit petty criminal before he broke into a research lab looking for things that he could fence. During his visit, he was exposed to a super virus that ravaged his body but also amplified his immune system. As a result, he has become a walking pile of flesh-eating disease that constantly regenerates the loss of flesh.

Costume: A special bio-suit that prevents him from infecting those around him.

If selected, I will prepare an alias.

Philo Pharynx wrote:

WhtKnt wrote:

Dotting. Will submit a character later. It should go without saying, but...

ZenFox, please do not let the fact that you are in one of my games color your selection of PCs. If I don't make it in, there are no hard feelings.

Why does this feel more ominous than not saying anything?

Not my intent, I assure you. I honestly do not want him to favor me because I am his GM.

I was just teasing. There's no need to take my character idea. :)

:) I was thinking that you were going to be more a walking mudpile, but yeah, I can see the similarities.

Okay. I settled on a concept and I *think* I got everything.

Question though - with 1pt from Hindrances, is that an extra $500, or $1000?

Oh and as this is my first SW Supers character, I welcome any feedback. =)

Quick question: Are we Evil or are we Villains?

We are villains. Evil is relative.

Evil. Is. Good.

Just took a look at Philo's character (I hadn't up to now) and I see that we were both thinking along similar lines. Since he was first, I'll work up a different idea and post it.

Poor Wandering One - Atlanteans and Hybrids are built using the SWD Races rules, so they don't count as Alien Forms.

EbonFist - first off, I'm of split mind as to whether your armor is a Device with a -1 or a -2 Modifier. As a watch, it's -2, but as armor it's -1. Since you'd be in combat while wearing the armor, not the watch, I'm inclined to say it's -1. But if you want to add Requires Activation to everything, that's bring you back to a -2. Sound good?

Now, regarding your Powers :
Armor - the cost is ok, but in my OP I said that Heavy armor was not available. So that gives you 4 more PP to put somewhere.
Attack, Melee - no problems
Attack, Ranged - you forgot to apply the -2 Modifier, so that's 2 more PP to put somewhere
Super Skills - no problems
Super Attributes - *each* 3 die step increase costs 6 PP, modified down to 4 PP, for a total of 8 PP, not 4. Sounds like a good place to move the Heavy Armor cost to.
Toughness - +1 Toughness costs 1 PP, not 2, so you have another 1 PP to put somewhere.

So in short, you have 3 more PP to play with.

ignuspyre - The Superpowers Edge doesn't cost anything, so unless you spent some Hindrance points on Skills (I'm not going to figure all that out), you have another Edge coming to you. Your Powers look good (from a cost point of view)!

P.S. - I just noticed your question about applying Hindrance points to money (so ignore my comment about getting an extra Edge) : you'd get an extra $1000.

Philo Pharynx - I've noticed that you used some of the NE Power descriptions, whereas we'll be using the SPC2 descriptions.

In particluar, Altered Form's description is : "The hero can stretch or contort his body into basic shapes, raising or lowering his effective Size by 3. This isn’t actual mass, however, so he doesn’t gain or lose Toughness.
Altered heroes have no vital organs (or they’re very resistant, protected, or hidden). Called shots have no effect on them. They also take only half damage from falling or collisions, both of which can only Incapacitate—not kill them." No extending or compacting your body size by 50%, and no +4 to Armor!

And, Decay's description adds "Extremely thick clothing (up to Armor +1) absorbs a wound the first time the character is hit (unless circumvented via a Called Shot), and Armor +2 or more absorbs two. After that, the clothing or armor is effectively ruined."

Other than that, your point costs look good (which is weird, since two of the Powers changed point costs between NE and SPC2!).