Superhero emulator

[Senevri]

Okay, first this is PFRPG, not M&M.

Second, I'm skipping 'ultimate power at 20th level' builds - The idea is to play from level 1 onwards, sort-of organically.

Third, directly arcane or shapeshifting types do not need much effort, so I'm focusing on the human-looking, non-monstrous types.

Fourth, I use 'emulate' instead of 'direct translation'. This means, I intend to use spellcasting.

Fifth, no nineties anti-hero traits.

Heroic traits:
- ability to succeed. This is kind of important. If you constantly fail, it's no good. Requirement: High check in what you're doing, Rerolls and such.
- athletic nature: strong or agile or both, usually. Requirement: High stat, skill, check
- gets up after a beating. Requirement: Healing, second chances, loads of hit points.

Problem with casters:
- Too many spells. You're effectively limiting your range of abilities, so if you get a grab-bag of everything, you're golden age superman after power creep :P
-Piddly physical ability. As PF doesn't have any of the old rewrite stats stuff, abilities matter... and you're going to start, at best, with them at around 14.
-Low HP

In general, avoid OBVIOUS spells for things you don't want to be explicit 'superpowers'. You also want power trees, that follow logically. Jump, levitate, fly, teleport are the same line (flight), as are expeditious retreat, haste and time stop(super-speed).

1. Looking at Sorcerer.
Bloodline:
Either 'celestial' or 'destined' bloodline in core fits the best, although 'arcane' can be made to work. Let's look at 'destined'.
* bonus spells: 'alarm' can be mental, so it can be seen as keen senses/danger sense effect. 'blur' is bad, unless you can refluff it as high-speed dodging. 'protection from energy', 'freedom of movement', 'break enchantment', 'mislead''spell turning', 'moment of prescience', 'foresight' all fit without problem.
* bonus feats. All good.
* bloodline arcana: meh, but helps success in saves, and succeeding is superheroic.
* bloodline powers are GREAT. You're unlikely to end up with CHA less than 24, so 10/day, +10 insight on attack, skill, ability check, save... Burst break DCs are STR checks, attack can be used to hit with a spell, and so forth.

APG:
Elemental lines fit various types. Deep Earth is particularily good for powerhouses. Starsoul for cosmic (silver surfer) types.

Feats: Still and Silent. You'll probably want Spell Perfection on some stuff. Arcane Strike at first level is a good pick. Power Attack.

Spells:
As mentioned you really want spell _trees_ so that it seems like you only have few abilities which improve over time, or non-obvious ones. I'm skipping blast line since that's kinda obvious.
Cantrips: Detects are okay, for every level. and resistance. Rest are problematic or depend on the type.

Flight:
-------
1st: Feather Fall, Jump
2nd: Levitate
3rd: Fly.
4th: Dimension Door. From now on, there's overlap between flight and speed.
5th: Teleport, Overland Flight.
6th: -
7th: Greater Teleport
8th: TK Sphere
9th: -

Invulnerability
---------------
1st: Mage Armor, PfE.
2nd: Protection from Arrows->DR line and Resist Energy->energy line. False Life, Bear's Endurance.
3rd: Protection from Energy,
4th: No stoneskin due to (M). Resilient Sphere instead, perhaps Lesser Globe.
5th: -
6th: Globe.
7th: Spell Turning,
8th: Mind Blank, TK Sphere, Iron Body, Protection From Spells

Super-speed
-----------
1st: Expeditious Retreat
2nd: Cat's Grace
3rd: Haste
4th: Dimension Door, maybe. Teleportation or not is a decision you'll have to make.
5th: Teleport
6th: Disintegrate - at touch range, or you did it so fast you went there and back in single action :)
7th: Passwall, Greater Teleport
8th: Moment of Prescience.
9th: Foresight, Time Stop

Super-strength
--------------
1st: Ant Haul, Stone Fist
2nd: Bull's Strength, Shatter(use at touch range)
3rd: Keen Edge, sort of.
4th: Shout
5th: Transmute Rock To Mud.
6th: Move Earth. Just use it at touch range, in the punch ground sense.
7th: Teleport Object. Stick to your movement as a limitation(teleport object to target location, use a move to get there ) or 'throw' it.
8th: Greater Shout, TK Sphere
9th: -

Agility/coordination - 'ABILITY'
--------------------
1st: True Strike
2nd: Spider Climb, Cat's Grace
3rd: Heroism
4th: -
5th: -
6th: Greater Heroism
7th: Finger of Death, in the kung fu sense. Limited Wish.
8th: Moment of Prescience. EVERYONE gets this.
9th: Foresight

Hulk out / transformative (overlaps Super-strenght)
--------
1st: Stone Fist, Enlarge Person
2nd: Alter Self. Now you can get Green. Shatter.
3rd: Rage
4th: Shout
5th: Elemental Body II
6th: Transformation. Elemental Body III
7th: Elemental Body IV, Giant Form I
8th: Giant Form II, Iron Body, Greater Shout
9th: -

Senses:
-------
Mostly, the detect line + see invisibility + true seeing.
Also, darkvision, owl's wisdom.

Skills:
A bit of a problem. You have Intimidate and Fly, but could really use Acrobatics and other physical skills.

Prestige Classes:
* eldritch knight. 'nuff said. After getting enough 3rd spells is a good spot, as 4th is sort of lacklustre. You only really want 2 9th level spells, Foresight and Time Stop, so with APG, you can afford to lose 2 CL. Build is straightforward Sorcerer 6/Fighter or paladin or ranger 1/EK 10. The rest must be full casting, so it's a pick between Sorcerer and Loremaster. I recommend Sorcerer for bloodline advancement.

2. Looking at Bard
- Eschew Materials is obligatory. Vanilla Bard isn't that good...
APG: Arcane duelist, Detective. Magician in some cases.
Now, there are certain types which can work with Bard, but not the flying brick archetype.

3. Looking at Cleric
Clerics are very good for this. A right pick of domains does wonders, and the spell list is by default inclined towards buffing. Here's some Domain recommendations.
- First of all, ANY domain can work for some concept. Focusing on the awesome/flying brick line.
* Glory/Heroism.
* Nobility/Martyr
* Protection/Defense
* Strenght, Strength/Resolve
* Sun/Day
* War, War/Tactics

4. Looking at Paladin
- Paladin fits very well thematically, albeit it's a bit lacking in ability. Fortunately, you can enter Horizon Walker to get Flight and few other goodies and only lose 3 levels of paladin.

5. Others:
A Monk, Fighter, Rogue, Ranger and Barbarian all have various abilities which help. A Horizon Walker 3/Stalwart Defender 10 is a good finale for tough types. Horizon Walker is very nice, let's take a look:

Horizon Walker: Every 3 levels, a Terrain Dominance.
- Air: +4 fly, 3+WIS times per day FLY sla.
- Astral: +30 fly spd in no gravity, Dimension Door.
- Desert: Immunity to exhaustion and fatigue
- Swamp: +4 perception. Tremorsense 30.

Coincidentally, this highlights the problem in 3.x rules, as well as some issues in comics - Why is Daredevil adventuring with Superman? How can he even be of any use.
I guess you could pull of a decent and more sensible Batman with Master Craftsman usage.

[Realmwalker]

As to your question why would "Daredevil" adventure with "Superman" that question is easier to answer than you think.

Skills
Daredevil knows how the justice system works better than Superman.
Superman is not known for using intimidation Daredevil is.
Powers do not always define a Superhero it is more a mix between powers, skills, personality etc.

Remember Superman's greatest foe is a very intelligent non-powered human, funny that Daredevil shares a common archvillian (Superman-Lex Luthor and Daredevil-Wilson Fisk.

[Senevri]

Realmwalker wrote:

As to your question why would "Daredevil" adventure with "Superman" that question is easier to answer than you think.

Skills
Daredevil knows how the justice system works better than Superman.
Superman is not known for using intimidation Daredevil is.
Powers do not always define a Superhero it is more a mix between powers, skills, personality etc.

Touché. Of course, you can also read that as 'not much in the way of combat help'

:P

[Dork Lord]

Senevri wrote:

Realmwalker wrote:

As to your question why would "Daredevil" adventure with "Superman" that question is easier to answer than you think.

Skills
Daredevil knows how the justice system works better than Superman.
Superman is not known for using intimidation Daredevil is.
Powers do not always define a Superhero it is more a mix between powers, skills, personality etc.

Touché. Of course, you can also read that as 'not much in the way of combat help'

:P

And we all know RPGs have little to do with combat (especially D&D/PF), right? >.>

[Senevri]

Indeed.
Still...
In yesterday's game, only one attack roll was thrown, and a superhero caster is significantly weaker than a standard caster, so it isn't that bad in actual game.

[Skeld]

Why not use a dedicated Superhero game instead of shoe-horning PF into a supers game? I recommend BASH Ultimate Edition (BASH = "Basic Action Super Heroes"). It's good for what it is: a super hero game.

-Skeld

[Senevri]

Skeld wrote:

Why not use a dedicated Superhero game instead of shoe-horning PF into a supers game? I recommend BASH Ultimate Edition (BASH = "Basic Action Super Heroes"). It's good for what it is: a super hero game.

-Skeld

The reason is contained in the very first line in my post.

Well, not really. The reason is being able to play a character that functions (does the same things and reacts to environment) as a superhero in an actual game. Involving dungeons, and possibly dragons.

A player thing.

[Dork Lord]

Actually M&M has a really cool book just for that kind of thing... it's for creating a swords and sorcery kind of game but you could just as easily use superpowers in it.

If you're really set on using PF, you're quite honestly going to end up with low-powered heroes. If you're cool with that, ok... just know what you'll end up with.

I think Templates work best for creating heroes in a D20 game. Just create your own template and go for it!

I've always wanted to play a superhero in a D&D world, personally... I think it could be very cool. Let me know how it works out for you. :-)

[QOShea]

Dork Lord wrote:

I've always wanted to play a superhero in a D&D world, personally... I think it could be very cool. Let me know how it works out for you. :-)

Wayyyyy back in the Dark Ages of Gaming, when TSR ruled the world and published both AD&D and the Marvel Superheroes game, they had a module that put your Marvel Heroes into the DND world for an adventure. It had conversion information and everything.

Was pretty cool.

Wish I still had it.

[Dork Lord]

*Is still MAJORLY into the old Classic TSR Marvel RPG... would LOVE to know the name of that module*

[Senevri]

Dork Lord wrote:

Actually M&M has a really cool book just for that kind of thing... it's for creating a swords and sorcery kind of game but you could just as easily use superpowers in it.

Let me just quote the first post:

Senevri wrote:

Okay, first this is PFRPG, not M&M.

Quote:

If you're really set on using PF, you're quite honestly going to end up with low-powered heroes. If you're cool with that, ok... just know what you'll end up with.

Well, low-powered... sorta. A Bardbarian/Dragon Disciple with Ant Haul can lift something like... 19200lbs. Lift off ground being 38400lbs. ;)

My method IS effectively crippling a caster. Could be fine when everyone plays something non-castery, though.

Quote:

I think Templates work best for creating heroes in a D20 game. Just create your own template and go for it!

Yeah, that's gonna fly with a DM really well. Besides, I don't think there are playable templates in PFRPG.

Quote:

I've always wanted to play a superhero in a D&D world, personally... I think it could be very cool. Let me know how it works out for you. :-)

I will. Albeit, it's like... oh, third down the line of potential characters on my list.

[Realmwalker]

Skeld wrote:

Why not use a dedicated Superhero game instead of shoe-horning PF into a supers game? I recommend BASH Ultimate Edition (BASH = "Basic Action Super Heroes"). It's good for what it is: a super hero game.

-Skeld

I have never seen the BASH system but I do like the 4 Color revamp of the old Marvel FASERIP system.

With a bit of modification to their skill system you can make just about any character.

Senevri also look at the Genius Guide to the Godling and Mystic Godling I think you will enjoy how they are set up and actually would work well with what you are trying to do.

[Senevri]

Looks like it might be useful. Thanks for the heads up.

[Goth Guru]

Senevri wrote:

Realmwalker wrote:

As to your question why would "Daredevil" adventure with "Superman" that question is easier to answer than you think.

Skills
Daredevil knows how the justice system works better than Superman.
Superman is not known for using intimidation Daredevil is.
Powers do not always define a Superhero it is more a mix between powers, skills, personality etc.

Touché. Of course, you can also read that as 'not much in the way of combat help'

:P

DareDevil's radar vision is impossible to fool.

An object has to have mass to register.
Don't rule out mutant superheros.
Partial Polymorph or Mutation Table
For your post appocolypse game or wild magic chart. This applies to physical changes that affect
the character temporarily or permanantly.

Partial Polymorph Table:
01:Grow fur, 5 damage resistance against cold and +X natural armor.
02:Grow Gills, must find water or suffer 1D4 per minute from drying.
03:Webbed Hands and Feet. +X swim, +10 swim speed.
04:Scales. +4 natural armor. +X escape artist.
05:Gain 1D6 Tenticles, can grab with suction cups, and add 2 per tenticle to grapple and climb.
06:Second Head, can perform mental actions at same time. Can cast and move at same time.
07:Eyes in back of head, unflankable.
08:Wings, fly 50 but cannot wear armor.
09:Taller but not wider. Double height only. 10 foot reach and +half speed.
10:Fat. Double weight and width.
11:Claws. All hands and feet do 1D3 on hit. If claws already exist, use next larger dice.
12:Spines. Like armor spikes but attacks automatically against ordinary touch attacks or grapples.
13:Toothy Maw. Mouth becomes bigger and teeth sharper. Bite attack 1D4. See claws.
14:Hollow fangs. Can use vampiric touch non-magically.
15:Slimey. +X escape artist. Target becomes less appetizing.
16:Prehensil Tail. Can hold weapon, tool, or support weight such as a tree branch.
17:Balencing Tail. +6 balence and tumble.
18:Striker Tail. As club. Can also deliver touch spells or powers.
19:Bushy Tail. +4 effective charisma. Can conceal tracks.
20:Hair Color. Random Color chart. Yellow is blonde.
21:Skin Color. Random Color chart.
22:Eye color,Iris. Random Color chart.
23:Eye color,So called White. Random Color chart.
24:Batlike ears, can eccolocate. Can see in the dark. Blocked by silence or sufficient noise. +6 listen.
25:Snout. Add scent ability. +6 tracking.
26:Tiny suction cups. Can climb walls if nothing worn on hands and feet.
27:Dissassembler: See below.
28:Two More Legs: +50% land speed. Double carrying capacity.
29:Two More Arms: Can carry shield (or other object) without interfearing with attack or have two more
offhand attacks. Can wear magic ring on extra hands, but only get extra ring slots if permanant mutation.
30:Stoney skin: Soak 10 points from each non-adamantium attack.
31:Extra thumbs: Dexterity +6 only with hands.
41:Psionic Power:
42:Dense Flesh: Add 4 to Strength, Constitution, Natural Armor, and double weight. Outward appearance
does not change.
43:Barkskin: Add X to natural armor.
44:Cloraphil: Flesh turns green. Sunlight removes hunger, fatigue, and all subdual damage.
45:Biolumenesence: Normally like fairy fire but can be brought to torchlight strength with concentration.
46:Psudo Monster: The subject looks like something the same size, but with none of the powers or
weaknesses. For example, psudo-elf, psudo-orc, psudo-zombie, psudo-demon,

Mutation Only. The following are permanant mutations. They stack with magic and often with themselves.
Mutations are not dispellable, but may be reverse mutated.
If they come up as temporary magical effects, treat them as not mutations.
47: Giantism: Mutant is one size catagory larger. Food and water requirements are 3 times more.
48: Midget: Mutant is one size catagory smaller. If human they can pass for a Halfling. They need
less food than a normal sized creature, unlike a human.
49: Dwarfism: Less tall but wider. They can pass for a dwarf but don't have the special abilities.
They do have wider bones and mussels. They have the same strength and con. bonuses as dwarfs.
50: Accelerated metabolism: Extra full round actions a round. Basic land speed is doubled. Ages
at double rate. Eats and drinks twice as often. Tire twice as fast such as with rage.

I'm still writing this. I hope to have 100 someday. This might be a side effect of people using Epic Magic.

[Goth Guru]

X is the mutation or spell level.

[Darkfell]

Easiest way: Get a copy of Aberrant d20 and use the "Nova" template and powers. No conversion necessary as it is 3.5e compatible...

That's what I'm doing... Planning on running kind of a PA meets Superhero meets Fantasy version of Eberron.

[SmiloDan]

We used "Blood and Vigilance" with d20 Modern for a supers campaign. It worked really well.
Basically, every super gets 3 power points a level (x4 at 1st) and can buy ranks in different powers, just like skill points and skill ranks (not psionic power points).
So you can specialize in 3 powers, or dabble in a bunch, or specialize in 1 and dabble in a few, etc. etc.

I had a Super Dex, Flying, Energy Beam user with some Invulnerability thrown in.

You also learned a Stunt every even level (I think), which was a custom trick with your powers.

[Senevri]

@people saying "Use something not-PFRPG":
I'm not thinking of running a game for the purpose of this thread. I'm thinking of participating as a player.

Just a FYI. Keep on suggesting different stuff. Someone else will find an use for it, sure.

@Goth Guru: Fun table.

@Darkfell, what's Aberrant D20? Conversion from a WW game?

[Dork Lord]

Senevri wrote:

@Darkfell, what's Aberrant D20? Conversion from a WW game?

Yep it's the D20 version of the old WW game. I haven't checked the D20 version of it out but the WW game revolved around the concept that superpowers were inherently "bad" and would "taint" you. White-Wolf just hates the idea of anyone gaining nifty powers without angst, I guess.

[Darkfell]

Dork Lord wrote:

Senevri wrote:

@Darkfell, what's Aberrant D20? Conversion from a WW game?

Yep it's the D20 version of the old WW game. I haven't checked the D20 version of it out but the WW game revolved around the concept that superpowers were inherently "bad" and would "taint" you. White-Wolf just hates the idea of anyone gaining nifty powers without angst, I guess.

Exactly... It's very easy to run the d20 version without the "taint," however...

[Goth Guru]

Part of the file didn't post.
Random Color chart
01-Black
02-White
03-Red
04-Orange
05-Yellow
06-Green
07-Blue
08-Purple
09-Grey
10-Roll 2D8 and combine. Red and white make pink.

Disassembler: The being becomes completely segmented. They can remove an eye and an ear, put them on a shelf, and spy on someone. They can put their eyes on a hand, and send them to get the key to their cell. The detached parts continue to give and receive blood and neural impulses. Damage to any detached parts causes them to snap back to the main body. So does a successful dispell magic or mutation suppression field.
Psionic Power: X level and X squared Psi Points
01: Telepathic: Can read minds.
02: Telekinetic: Can move things with their mind.
03: Clairvoyant: Can see things far away.
04: Clairaudient: Can hear things far away.
05: Precognitive: Can get bonuses from knowing what will happen.
06: Astral Projection: Can astral project. When it wears off they snap back.