Previous Thread >>>>96341983The thread to talk about Super Heroes/Villains/Spies/Agents/Rogues be it in spandex or not.Popular Choices for Games:>Mutants & MastermindsCurrently the most played one, uses a d20 resolution for everything, has powers building and rules for tactical combat.>Marvel TSR/ FASERIPClassic Supers game from the 80s, still has a lot of fans and various retro-clones. Uses a d100 with an universal resolution table to decide the degree of success, has random character generation and abstract rules for powers and combat.>Masks (PbtA)Rules light game with focus on narrative. Less rules reading more making stuff up on the moment. Game is built on the concept of playing as young heroes but you can use it for more mature settings.TQ: How big are the rogue's gallery in your games?
>>96441201>TQ: How big are the rogue's gallery in your games?Not too big since my group usually runs short five session mini campaigns, there are a few proper villains but the big capital V villains are usually a big payoff at the end of the campaign.
>>96441201What are some villainous archetypes besides the petty crook/thug with powers, the evil CEO, the mad scientist, the eco-terrorist, the alien invader, and the evil AI? And what types of villains do you prefer, and what have you done with them?
>>96441626>What are some villainous archetypes besides the petty crook/thug with powers, the evil CEO, the mad scientist, the eco-terrorist, the alien invader, and the evil AI?The assassin, the cultist/cult leader, the fallen hero, the femme fatale, the strawman of the ideology I don't like.>And what types of villains do you preferThe villains have to A) challenge the playerB) Be memorable and fun>what have you done with them?Mostly small campaigns with big payoffs. One of the games I was in used the cultist and assassin archetype to great effect.
>>96441626>>96441753I'm a sucker for the flirtatious thief.https://youtu.be/aI4mhfcMF9M?si=5hQI6Ayk4whg9-PuBlack Cat and Catwoman immediately spring to mind. Mutants and Masterminds has Magpie, Sentinels of the Multiverse has Ermine...
>>96441201>animal morphingHow can you keep this power relevant in the big leagues? Like, maybe not take on someone like Superman one on one, but able to stay alive and be relevant in fights at that tier?
>>96441989>How can you keep this power relevant in the big leagues? Like, maybe not take on someone like Superman one on one, but able to stay alive and be relevant in fights at that tier?Why turn into one animal at a time? Why not 10? Why not 100?
>>96441201What mad scientist villains have you included in your supers setting? I've done thinly veiled copies of these two in the past, but I want to do something more original going forward, especially since my next group has some people more likely to notice. Speaking of, what are the most important things to consider with mad scientist villains, especially where and how they get the resources they need to be legitimate threats? Because I can't keep hand-waving that. Tried asking last thread but it died before anyone responded.
Here's some less popular superhero games that might be worth checking out:>Silver age Sentinels/Absolute Power (Tri Stat System)>Aberrant/Trinity Continuum (Story Teller System)>DC Super Heroes (MEGS) >Champions (HERO system)
>>96441989Why wouldn't it be relevant?
>>96442391Owning a corporation, misappropriation of grant money, and organized crime are the usual ones
>>96442391Yeah, how does Wily always have a new castle ready or the stuff he needs to make his robots while on the run? He’s got to have a way to make money somehow. Same for similar villains.
>>96441843>I'm a sucker for the flirtatious thief.>Black Cat and Catwoman immediately spring to mindDoes Gambit from X Men count as a male version of this trope or am I reaching?
>>96442391The mad scientist doesn't have to be an everything expert, you can have a mad biologist, a mad chemist, a mad nuclear physicist, mad psychologist or even a mad dentist. One of the characters I want to use in a future game is a mad scientist obsessed with uplifting animals to human intelligence, while enhancing his own beyond humanity so he can rule over a kingdom of sentient walruses as a god king.
>>96445084If he were allowed to be a thief and foil to a hero like Rogue, yeah, he's got the personality and the charm for it. Unfortunately, mutants are their own...genre of hero. The Flirtatious Thief usually only interacts with a more solitary type of hero that patrols a city.
>>96445894
>>96444269Thanks! Though I have to say that, while the former two might work to help my mad scientists get off the ground, that won't work as well later in their careers, and dealing with organized crime would be difficult if they want to keep a low profile while working on something big, it's a good start!>>96445894>so he can rule over a kingdom of sentient walruses as a god king.Why specifically walruses of all creatures?>>96445067Yeah, that's what I need to consider, especially if one of my players is going to be a detective-type hero like Batman. If you can think of anything new it would be a great help please!
>>96447923>Why specifically walruses of all creatures?Walruses are adept at surviving in cold climates, the mad scientist wants to drastically cool the planet to destroy humanity as it exists now, clearing the room for our future semi aquatic overlords.
>>96447923Try describing the context in which your character exists and what his goals are
>>96447923Why would owning a corporation stop producing money?
>>96448115>Why would owning a corporation stop producing money?I was talking about after they make their villainous debut and/or the heroes finding proof of their actions and forcing them to go on the run.>>96448107A renegade scientist on the run trying to create an army of artificial minions to conquer the world, trying to build their resources and forces while limiting their villainous actions and ties to major criminal groups so they fly under the radar of heroes focused on more immediate threats until it's too late for the heroes to easily stop them.
>>96441201I’m thinking that the heroes and villains in my supers setting will draw their power at least partially from the collective unconsciousness of humanity, almost always with realizing it. In doing so, they align with one or more archetypes/patterns that powers can fall into. There’s super-tech heroes like Iron Man, mad scientist villains, flying bricks like Superman, chessmaster villains, size-changers like the Atom, psychics, speedsters like the Flash, elemental manipulators, plant controllers, ones with animal-themed aesthetics/powers like Wolverine, magic users and others who get their abilities from the supernatural side of things, etc. Obviously there’s some overlap in a number of cases, like Reed Richards being both a super genius and stretchy, but what other archetypes can you think of?
>>96441201In my world all supers are some variety of psychic, drawing from an infinite plane of mental energy, but where do ‘your’ heroes and villains derive their powers from? The energy for all those lasers and shit has to come from ‘somewhere’, doesn’t it?
Wherever the player decides it does, obviously.
>>96448336>>96452778>>96454383I see retardposting has replaced imagebumping on these threads
I'll stop when I get an answer, and not one millisecond before.
I suppose Zorro comes close enough to a superhero that I can say I really like how the Zorro RPG handles vigilante's secret identity. Character may gain up to three hero points (used for re-rolls, result doubling, stun avoidance and character advancement) in his civilian persona by reinforcing the secret identity, publicly acting in a way his vigilante persona would not act. Character may alternatively gain instant hero point by intentionally walking on the edge in a way that reveals clues of his vigilante alter ego. Suspicion rating climbing high makes exposure more likely, and when it happens the character can either just go public as a vigilante and live in the fringes, or try to clear his name in some major undertaking. This of course requires kind of a setting where PCs stand out in their civilian personas.The game is up on the current share thread.
>>96442391Doctor Zero is one of my setting's major villains!>>96441989Animal Man, Beast Boy (Changeling, Menagerie) and Vixen are all very powerful characters who can contribute hugely to a team dynamic because their powers and abilities are non-static. While they might not be the most powerful member of their team at every given moment, the sheer variety of abilities at their disposal makes them hugely useful almost all the time.
>>96441989BB's awesome.
Has anyone checked out the M&M4e playtest yet? What are your thoughts?
>>96459133>Doctor Zero is one of my setting's major villains!I'd love to hear more about him please!
>>96459269He's generally a background villain, operating mostly through one of those smaller ARGUS drones you see hovering behind him. Primarily a roboticist, he is responsible for accidentally creating his heroic arch-nemesis, Apex, and has become consumed by the idea of replicating the circumstances of that transformation for himself. He has become increasingly desperate to achieve that goal over the years, as Apex seemingly resists the ravages of time in a way that Zero cannot.Pic related is Apex, but I'm in the process of redesigning him to be less obviously "Superman."
>>96459473Oops; I forgot to attach Apex. I took a few minutes to redesign him a little bit; he used to be wearing a blue costume and have an exposed face.
>>96459256I like the return to six attributes and how skills are handled now; they were too expensive in 3rd edition.
>>96459473>Primarily a roboticist, he is responsible for accidentally creating his heroic arch-nemesis, Apex, and has become consumed by the idea of replicating the circumstances of that transformation for himself.How did he accidentally create Apex?
>>96461176>>96459805>>96459133In a standard cape-setting origin: an experimental nuclear dynamo exploded, bathing Apex in a wave of bizarre energy, altering his physiology and granting him superhuman abilities.
>>96441201>Mutant (in Marvel universe)>doesn't like either the X-Men nor any other mutant supremist groups>still considers himself human with just some extra bitsThoughts?
>>96461508I think that while it is an mildly interesting question, it has very little to do with games, and would probably be better suited to /co/.
>>96462307What question? He didn't communicate anything.
>>96441989Beast Boy gets mythical creatures and alien wildlife to hit harder, though that's a little too "random bullshit go" for me, the restriction of real animals breeds innovation
>>96441989Animal Forms is quite strong for its cost, it's nearly as versatile as a narrow Omni Power while only costing two thirds as much, and doesn't have the unique drawbacks of Omni Power. What would prevent it from being relevant at any power level?
>>96465012In M&M2e, a Variable Power is 8 points per rank, with each rank giving you 5 points to spend more or less however you want. Beast Boy limits that by, 1, being only able to transform into animals, and 2, only ever being green. This turns an 8p/r power into a 6p/r, which is enormously more affordable and only barely less powerful.
>>96465085Okay? Is this supposed to be answering my question? I don't get why you replied to me.
>>96442391I put much stock in a super-genius character whose arc starts like silver age Lex Luthor, but mellows out into more of an anti-heroic doctor who. It's a lot of fun to write over the top schemes/adventures with sophisticated (hard) sci-fi gadgetry.>resources Half his income is from extorting pharmaceutical companies with an omni-cure for all diseases he threatens to release unless paid regularly. Corporate assassins are occasionally sent after him but he is always prepared. The rest is grand larceny, shell companies, and selling inventions on the black market. Also his tech is powered by dark energy he collects with casual space travel.
How do you come up with interesting powers?
>>96468052That's irrelevant. The key is to come up with interesting characters.
>>96469021It'd be less insulting if you just told me to fuck off.
>>96469046You deserve to be insulted. Stop shitting up the thread with retarded questions.
>>96469059bitter lil fella aren't you
>>96469076No, not at all. Stop shitting up the thread.
>>96469021I'm sorry; I wasn't intending to insult you. Can you tell me about a character you have in mind, and maybe I can suggest some powers that fit them?
>>96469170Stop replying to yourself.
>>96469384I meant to respond to >>96469046.
>>96441201Batman: Caped Crusader got me wondering, what are some good ways for my villains to launder their illicit gains (and what methods do your villains use)? The Penguin of course uses their venue of The Iceberg Lounge, a boat in the cartoon, and even steals from a police gala she hosts, but what about the villains that aren't lucky enough to own businesses (fronts or otherwise) or be heads of corporations? Especially if they're mad scientist-type villains and need to purchase scientific equipment and/or materials without law enforcement catching on, same for terrorist villains. One minor villain in my setting uses their geokinesis to steal gold and then make it look like he "mined" it, and another idea I just had was that a duplicator could use his powers to counterfeit money by filling up his wallet then copying himself, having the duplicate buy things, and then dismissing the duplicate, causing the copied money to disappear with no evidence that could lead back to him. Asking this again since the last thread got deleted for some reason.
>>96469722I mean, do you want actual laundering? Dirty money in, clean money out? Because that only really applies to villains with a veneer of a civilian life. A lot of career villains are in it solely to finance the next big project, because their obsession, whatever it is, is more important than living like a normal human being. Scarecrow ain't trying to retire. He's robbing banks so he can buy more chemicals off the black market so he can make more fear gas.
>>96469722Define good.
>>96459256I think it's fucking ridiculous that they expect people to pay for the playtest. It's paid beta. A paytest.>>96459133>>96459805How are these images made?
>>96471847Yeah, I feel the same way. You'd think it'd be released for free, if maybe only in quickstart format. I guess corpos gonna corpo.I use Fabrica de Herois (Factory of Heroes) to generate them. It's essentially a paper-doll program that lets you dress templates.
>>96469722>>96469768Only villains bother laundering their money. Supervillains have bigger things in mind than legitimacy.
Why are Cape threads pretty consistently some of the worst threads on /tg/? Why are they so prone to spamming and other assorted off-topic foolishness?inb4 hurr durr comix r fer retards.
Not gonna stop until I get an answer. Blow me.
>>96469768>He's robbing banks so he can buy more chemicals off the black market so he can make more fear gas.Okay, but how does Scarecrow, or other mad scientist villains, get the materials and equipment they need, especially if they want to avoid the notice of the heroes and/or law enforcement? Not to mention if they're trying to avoid doing shit like robbing banks in public to avoid attention for something big.>>96472009What I said above.
>>96477502How do drug cartels get their grubby mitts on the guns, lab equipment to cook meth with, and other stuff?The answer is relatively simple — intermediaries. Everything from gun runners to "doctors without morals".Any capable villain usually attracts a swarm of various fixers, logistic specialists, and even street gangs.You're thinking too reductively. Villains don't exist in a vacuum.Rather, they find or create a niche for themselves within the criminal "ecosystem".Like any other ecosystem, it needs someone filling every level of it to remain stable.From street gang plankton, and all the way to the apex predators — the supervillains.
Which version of Marvel Super Heroes should I play, Basic, Advanced or Revised?
Why does Champions/HERO system always seem to bounce off people for superhero games?
>>96477725>Like any other ecosystem, it needs someone filling every level of it to remain stable.And, in fact, that's the way to track some of the more secretive villains. You're not looking for them, specifically, but the ripples they make, and triangulating from there.
>>96477725Are ecosystems all that stable and particularly in the this analogy with the context of superheroes?Forest fires, a particular transmissible blight or more aptly human influences like hunting play merry hell with ecosystems both in short and long term. It is only applicable to a virgin environment. Planktonic street gangs only make much sense in a grim setting like Gotham with poverty pushing people to crime despite Batman, a rich guy in a suit. In Metropolis' relative prosperity no one would brave the patrolling sky god.
>>96479206Nothing "plays hell" with an ecosystem. All ecosystem is just an environment and all the creatures living in it and all of the choices they make. There's no such thing a virgin environment, that doesn't mean anything.
>>96479338An*
>>96479338Don't be dense; Plays hell clearly means with the rate of change (or stability) of an ecosystem which is what is in question. A virgin environment also is in the analogy clearly before and after human interference so yes they do/did exist. To say they didn't would be a facetious claim Australia hasn't had rapid alternations to its evolutionary path due to humans and the other animals they brought, or that there was no difference to your brain before and after the worms started eating it away. Super Heroes do not generally subsistence predate any level of villain, their goal is total removal across the board. The analogy is flawed.
>>96479515There's no such thing as stability. I didn't say ecosystems don't change. That is, in fact, one of the defining features of an ecosystem. A wildfire isn't good or bad. It's just a thing that happens. The same goes for all changes. Don't be dense.
>>96479532>Like any other ecosystem, it needs someone filling every level of it to remain stable.Ermmmmm... what?
>>96479579Having a stroke?
>>96469722>what are some good ways for my villains to launder their illicit gainsIt's the casinos man, can't go wrong with a mob casino.
>>96476749>Why are Cape threads pretty consistently some of the worst threads on /tg/? Why are they so prone to spamming and other assorted off-topic foolishness?Several factors coming together to make things suck. The real reason is nu /tg/ doesn't play games anymore, so they fill their time with surrogate activities that let them be a part of the hobby tangentially without actually getting a group together and playing the damn thing. A particularly popular surrogate activity is arguing over systems. This type of anon will beat their chest to show you that their system is better or show you that other games suck which ever they are feeling at the moment. They do this because that's what they think a "real" grognard would do and looking like you play games is the most important thing to people who don't actually play.
lol he's so mad that his system sucks ass
>>96477883Personally I gravitate towards Advanced because it has a lot of options but to be honest I haven't looked into Revised. Also there are retro clones on drive through RPG that are worth looking into in my opinion.
I love the "extra limb" power, be it extra hands, legs, tentacles, wings etc. tell me about heroes and villains of your game who are rocking extra appendages!
>>96481035No you don't. Why did you bump the thread?
>>96479011>And, in fact, that's the way to track some of the more secretive villains. You're not looking for them, specifically, but the ripples they make, and triangulating from there.Do you have any more thoughts and advice on said secretive villains and how they'd hide, please?
>>96479011marvel even has a villain who exists primarily as an arms dealer for low-mid level villains, the tinkereron the DC side, intergang deals in alien weapons, which are a necessity to deal with superheroes
>>96485046Both Marvel and DC have had costumers that work both sides of the conflict. DC had The Carpenter, former Wonderland Gang member, who custom-makes hideouts, lairs, and abandoned yet thematically relevant factory deathtraps for villains.
>>96469768>>96477725Hey, I had the idea for a mad doctor villain who finances his larger plans (which is a spoiler, so don't ask, don't want my group to see it beforehand) in part by performing operations like transplants on rich folks that want to jump the organ donor wait list and shit like that, what are some ways that he can avoid drawing the attention of the heroes and/or IRS when getting paid or obtaining equipment, and what else should I consider with him or similar types of villains?
>>96441201Pubes status on your favorite and/or current capes character?
>>96487161Naturally doesn't grow them because they are an alien/ normal bush
>>96441201What do you do when you’re stuck on what on creating characters and/or powers for your supers that aren’t just thinly-veiled copies of existing supers like Gambit, etc.? And are there any random generators that you use or would recommend beyond the one below?>https://chaosgachaweb.onrender.com
>>96441201How do you feel about redeeming villains, and what are some of the best ways to do this/examples? I like the idea of villains trying to be better for love, like when Emma crushes on Cyclops.
>>96491289Because turning into an animal, no matter how strong, has limited applications if the foe is outright invulnerable to normal harm, etc. Next question.
>>96464182What even are the limitations of Beast Boy's powers? He can turn into an insect swarm, so can he be a herd of larger animals too? Can he turn into a green version of any other human, since we are technically animals?
>>96478389>HERO sysWow, no one answered to both mentions of this.I'm using it for my first campaign, it can be a lot to take in, but it looks fun af.
>>96497755So to make the power irrelevant you had to make the enemy invulnerable? Not doing a great job of supporting your position lol
>how to make animal polymorphing viable at top tiersMake their forms enhanced by mutation/magic. There, the question has been answered.
No, it's already viable as is.
>>96500056It was just an off the top of my head example. Still, this has gone on for a while, what are some powers that might have trouble dealing with foes in the big leagues?
>>96505332None. Every power is only limited by the trait cap, which applies equally to all powers.
bump
>>96487277>because they are an alienWhat kind of alien?
I thought about making a female clown/jester hero for the superhero setting I've been fiddling with. However, I can't really think of how to make her a good character and what powers to give her. "Dude, clussy" and "she makes people laugh to fight depression" seem too obvious. Any ideas, saars?
>>96441201What are some powers villains can have that are typically stereotyped as “heroic” abilities, or powers heroes can have with traditionally “villainous” associations? Besides picture related, there’s also blood manipulation like Vlad King in MHA, for instance.
>>96515107>>96515419what are you going to contribute in return?
>>96515453Um, you’re talking to two different anons. And if you really want more examples, the Butterfly in Miraculous Ladybug is meant to empower people into heroes but Hawk Moth uses it to to make villains, while the Black Cat can destroy pretty much everything but is used by a hero.I was mainly trying to reinvigorate the thread, but I was vaguely thinking of having a whole hero and villain team situation where the heroes all have “villainous” powers and vice versa.
>>96515534Yeah, I know. I was asking both of them.
>>96515453>what are you going to contribute in return?What are you going to contribute at all except for wannabe janny energy?
More than you, certainly.
>>96460206>I like the return to six attributesExcept that really hasn't happened at all. They removed Fighting and Dexterity, but added Attack and Defense, which are functionally the same as attributes but labeled differently.>skills were too expensive in 3rd editionThey're the same cost in 4e as they were in 3e.
>>96515419Luck powers, for starters.
>>96441201Has anyone here ever taken anything from City of Heroes for their own works? I was interested way back when, but I can barely remember anything about it now. Shame that it ended.
>>96528983There is like 4 different private servers for it though only one is populated
>>96528983What would you take? Endless sewers of faceless interchangeable stock asset goons? lol
>>96529930There are some good quest ideas, Ssuch as one really early on in the villain side. An ex-hero organization guy gets you to help him take down a base. It turns out the guy is really mentally ill.
>>96531510>It turns out the guy is really mentally ill.I'd love to hear more on this and some other quest ideas you really like please.
>>96528983I remember that they are suppose to release tabletop rpg and card games of City of Heroes.
>>96528983>>96529505>>96529930>>96535526Just wanna mention here that there's a server called Homecoming which has an official license from NCSoft to run the game. If anyone is still interested in it, check that out.
>>96535526>tabletop rpg and card games of City of Heroes.Details please, because that sounds based!>>96536448Any tips on accessing it please?
>>96539798Tabletop one was gonna be based on Unisystem (Same as AFMBE and Witchcraft) but got canceled midway, only a very beta fast-play version exists. The Card Game existed because everything had a card game around that time and lasted just as little as you could possibly imagine.
>>96441201What do you need to remember when creating super-smart villains, be they ‘just’ evil geniuses like Lex Luthor or Doom, or even super-intelligent AIs like Brainiac or Ultron? Especially if the heroes still need to be able to defeat them.
>>96535245It's been awhile since I really played the game, and I had a lot of fun just making characters, so I didn't get far in either the hero or villain sides. Some other in-game that I remembered and would make good campaigns:>Villain is trying to make clones of themselves, and there's another villain trying to stop them>Gang members are selling a drug that could give others superpowers>The Vahzilok are basically just Professor Pyg from Bamham>>96536448There's also another server, Thunderspy, which has way more customization options from what I've seen. Sadly, not as many people play it. Homecoming is still fun, though.>>96539798>Any tips on accessing it please?Pretty shrimple, bro. Just search City Of Heroes Homecoming on DuckDuckGo.
>>96539798>Any tips on accessing it please?There's a Homecoming discord ran by the people that run the server. Check out the "How to Play" channel.>https://discord.gg/cityofheroes
>>96539798>>96542874>>96542968I played on "Rebirth" for awhile, because that was the one that supposedly kept the game right as it was when it died. All of the others have made tweaks like custom powersets or costume pieces.
I've been playing a FASERIP game for the past month. One guy is a playing a female moisture magician, another guy is LARPING as a shadow master like Shikamaru and Raven, and I've been using a psychic. I think it's a solid system, I just wish it was a bit crunchier.>>96543721What's her lore?
>>96543825Shadowy tech company breaches a fairytale like dimension, experiments on the denizens, slaves one to a mobile weapons system as proof of concept. She, of course, breaks out. Not my best work, but a fun excuse to run around as a Mastermind with robots named after Wonderland characters. You know, M4RCH H4R3 and 4L1C3...
>>96540673>Tabletop one was gonna be based on Unisystem (Same as AFMBE and Witchcraft) but got canceled midway, only a very beta fast-play version exists.Why was it cancelled? And where can I find it? Assuming that no one has made a homebrew expansion of it? And does anyone have scans of the cards
>>96545030It's pretty obvious that NCSoft didn't give a shit about CoH past a certain point, especially compared to what they felt like their cash cows were or could be: Guild Wars and Wildstar.
>>96441201How do you design the costumes of your villains, besides giving them a lot of colors like red and black, and how does that contrast with the costume designs for the heroes of the setting? Heck, where do you look for ideas in general, what’s your process?
>>96546705I'd split it into two...maybe three camps. One, you've got the Functional Costume. The costume has straps because it's also a climbing harness, the costume has a utility belt because they need access to lots of small tools, the costume is bulky and insulating because it needs to be fireproof and blast resistant. Two, THEATER! When you want to make a statement. Maybe it's a badge of office, like a military rank, or maybe you're sticking to a theme, or maybe you just want everyone to know that you are the Avatar Of Plague Upon The World. Three is 'this is just what I wear anyways.' Usually reserved for psychopaths and otherworldly beings.
>>96546705purple = evilall villains should be 80s anime
>>96550851>purple = evilThere are plenty of purple heroes. Raven from Teen Titans, picrel from X-Men, etc.
You'll figure it out eventually, I'm sure.
>>96441626I'm using discarded PCs, like he did not liked what he rolled? into Villians Dossier it go
>>96554089Details please! Who are some of these discarded PC villains?
>>96469722Wouldn't it be really easy for a geo-kinetic to just dig up gold and sell it?>>96486569Anyone with that kind of money easily has the connections and resources to quietly make big purchases and hide money. Just have him ask them to help with that as part of his fee.
>>96486569Get paid in cash and don't make huge purchases all at once like a retard. Pay teams of people to buy the parts you need at different locations around the country, and leave periods of time between them. Basically, don't establish patterns. Patterns are evidence, and evidence is death.
>>96556144>Wouldn't it be really easy for a geo-kinetic to just dig up gold and sell it?That's assuming that they can sense gold (that is, specifically gold) at a distance. And are smart enough to do so, lol.Okay, and are there any good resources on doing that kind of thing for writers in stories?'>>96556701Okay, but don't medical resources have a lot of oversight/tracking still?>>96554089I would love to hear more on this.>>96552557Figure what out?
>>96441201For my setting I was thinking of focusing on a mad scientist villain who specializes in cybernetics and related technologies. The idea is that while he has some non-powered mooks, he also has several lesser villains either working for him or in a partnership with him, where he provides them with enhancements in exchange for their services. He can't outright give someone powers to be clear (yet, it's on his to-do-list). Of course, I'm trying to come up with ideas on what kinds of powers make the most sense for said villains. I've got a few powers ruled OUT already, like shapeshifting beyond surface-level changes (ouch), and invulnerability for the obvious reason that even if he could operate the natural flesh would be stronger, but powers that do mesh well with such upgrades are a bit harder, what are some options that would work well besides metallokinesis, maybe electric powers depending on the details, and technopathy?
>>96545117>Wildstar.Ironic considering that they cancelled that one. They really have no idea what the players want, do they?>>96543721>All of the others have made tweaks like custom powersets or costume pieces.Are any of those any good? And do they have all the premium costume options?>>96542968Thanks.
>>96565033>Are any of those any good? And do they have all the premium costume options?Not a clue. I know on Rebirth, you could eventually get everything that was offered by just logging in each week.
>>96565190So it’s a completion bonus kind of thing. Do the revivals explicitly miss anything?>>96550851>all villains should be 80s animeNever watched that, what does that mean and why?
>>96562540what do you mean by "work well"?
>>96569221>what do you mean by "work well"?I thought it was clear, sorry. I meant powers that synergize well with cybernetics and/or other enhancements rather than being a downgrade, like with the shapeshifting example I gave, etc. That clear things up?
>>96562540What cybernetic enhancements do they have?
I don't want to jinx it but I might be getting my old group back together to play. It's been like 3 years, not like any of us have anything going on. But I want to run Marvel Multiverse since we all dig Marvel and stuff.Not sure how I want to run our universe though. Part of me wants to take 616 as a base and just go kinda nuts with it weird and surprise the players or whatever.
>>96568253>Never watched that, what does that mean and why?Not him, but something like pulp fantasy, maybe?
I really like the HERO system overall but I dislike how it's pathologically averse to improvisation in a way I don't think I've seen in a single other roleplaying game. I can't blame people for avoiding it because the way you need complex variable power pools or multipowers to simulate essentially any character concept if you're doing it "by the book" is autistic as shit.
nice blog
>>96571299Oh sorry, I was thinking that it'd be a mix of more generic enhancements like brain-computer interfaces, replacement limbs, synthetic muscles, artificial eyes, etc., and some specialized to the powerset of the villain. Like, if the villain has electric powers, assuming that they work with cybernetics in the first place, maybe they have implanted batteries and/or dynamos to boost their reserves of power. That clear things up?
>>96575251You haven't decided which specific enhancements they have? How are we supposed to answer your question?
>>96571285Not him, but maybe someone who can look like other people could have an implant in their brains to help them memorize who they’re impersonating?>>96575525His question was about figuring out what kinds of powers to give the villain minions, so he was working from that side of things first. But if that’s a problem, how about we try and figure out what kinds of enhancements go with what powers, like the shapeshifting one I mentioned?
>>96441626The showman. Thematic criminals.Prankster, Toyman, Joker.
>>96441626The warrior who seeks a good fight no matter what he has to do to get it.
>>96441201A villain I’m considering for my stuff can alter the biology of themselves or others at a touch. Assuming that outright giving new powers (or at least shit like flying without wings, shooting energy blasts, etc.) isn’t possible, and neither is taking them away or causing someone to die from organs suddenly failing or having their functions clash, not to mention turning people into masses of twisted flesh, what are some go-to options they can use besides turning their skin into scales/plates, or shifting their eyes to see wavelengths of light that can help detect invisible foes?
>>96583478I don't get it, armor and super senses are powers, can he grant powers or not?
>>96583678He can’t grant any powers that can break physics like his own, to be clear. So no teleportation, energy blasts, etc. Stuff like Captain America level stuff is possible. That make more sense now?
>>96583478Enhanced smell.
>>96583678>>96583774I think a better way to put it is that he can't grant powers, can create biomass out of nothing, nor rearrange tissues at large scale.But, there is still stuff like hormonal manipulation, which is a subtle, yet disturbingly powerful tool for someone skilled in biochemistry and psychology.It lets you do stuff that's basically mind control lite, or instill very strong conditioning that's practically impossible to break out of completely.You can brainwashing your captives into being your willing and eager servants that would gladly jump into a raging inferno for you.You can make someone feel anything you want, from soul-crushing despair, to the highest peaks of ecstasy, to an intense attachment that borders on love.You'd think someone who can't make flesh golems isn't very dangerous, but with the right know-how, he can mess people up inside worse than any fleshwarper can.Think Mule from Asimov's Foundation, only instead of psychic influence you manipulate chemicals in the brain.Mule managed to conquer the galaxy with it, your guy can take over the world if he keeps his influence subtle enough.
>>96586012I don't understand what idea you're trying to communicate. You say he can't grant powers, and that he can grant altered vision, which is a power. You say he can't alter flesh, and that he can grant scales, which is altering flesh. What do you actually want him to be able to do?
>>96587540Wasn't the anon you were talking to, I just suggested a use of bio-manipulation that wasn't either:>power-granting>major shapeshiftingBiochemistry manipulation is neither of those, so I reckon it fits.It can even grant short-living superstrength pseudo-power though overclocking various glands to flood the body with certain hormones.Stuff like adrenaline, cortisol, and a number of others would put a person into a fight-or-flight mode, with emphasis on the "fight" with the right mix.Simultaneously, it would temporarily lift the safety limits on force exerted by muscles, resulting in >100% performance at the cost of potential crippling injury.Bam! Hulk mode with tard strength, useful in a pinch as a power-up for your disposable henchman. Works even better with a bit of warmup and an overall good physique.
>>96441201What are your thoughts on the incarceration of villains? And how easily can villains break out in your setting, are breakouts relatively rare or do the prisons practically have revolving doors like Arkham?
>>96589317>or do the prisons practically have revolving doors like Arkham?How is that place even still open?
>>96587685super strength is a power
>>96591619It's not super-strength though, it's an entirely natural, adrenaline-fueled overclocking.It doesn't make you a superman, just a teensy bit stronger, and a little bit faster.All at the low, low cost of lifted safeguards against permanently injuring yourself.You can count yourself lucky if you merely end up a sore all over after it.There's a high risk of torn tendons, ripped muscles, and broken bones when using this "overclock".It's why you don't to this to yourself, but rather some disposable henchman.
>>96591799nah
Problem I have always had running super-hero games is that everyone wants to be the Batman of the group or Deadpool. As a GM i prefer more of a Justice League cartoon/616 style. I think it is probably because the mindset of most D&D/RPGs players is too deep into the murder hobo zone to play as anything but edge lord anti-heroes in a game set mostly in civilization.Tried PbM (which has many problems as well) but in the last game I tried to GM one character randomly pulled out of their uncleared backstory they were a genocidal space terrorist and would mass murder again, another insisted on having a secret only-fans despite otherwise being very woke and the third used their cosmetic transformation power to play anime girl deadpool. Wanted to power through in the hope the bad players would drift away and I could keep at least the two decent players as a core but my word did it sap any will to play I had every time some fresh nonsense came up.tl;dr most people don't really seem to want to play superhero games even if they think they do
>>96441201What are some reasons that someone would willingly call themselves a villain instead of simply justifying their actions? I can see some of the hammier villains essentially role-playing, there are those who know just how immoral their actions are but simply don’t care, and then there’s those who are trying to say something about the heroes and their ideology like Tomura in MHA thanks to OFA, but what else can we think of?
>>96592648Perhaps do something set in a setting like that of Judge Dredd/40k hive city police?You catch the perp, then carry out a quick three-man trial, and possibly execute the perp.Understandably, it's not everyone's blood chalice, but it's something at least.Could limited (mostly for gameplay reasons) legal repercussions help?I.e. settlements that sap funds, gag orders that limit fame growth.Even PR problems that lead to boys in blue being less than cooperative.Act like a dickhead? This ain't The Boys — no corpo to bail you out if you fuck up.You get more leeway than a typical cop, but there are limits.This extends to collateral damage, both property and injured/dead civvies.There are also certain expectations, like trying to take the perps alive and with minimal possible injury.Gives villains something to throw at heroes too, i.e. corrupt politicians setting up roadblocks to investigations.Then you have the hostage situations, which are always a pain to deal with.Mostly because you have to play by the bad guys' rules or people start dying, at least for a while.Also, I'm going to say the obvious, but I'll do the needful anyway.Discuss what sort of campaign you're planning to run, and what sort of characters you expect, BEFORE you start it.This should sort at least some of those problems out. As for the rest? People will be people.For what it's worth, I empathize with you. A superhero game is very different from the usual "kill, loot, fuck" simulator.
>>96592821>What are some reasons that someone would willingly call themselves a villain instead of simply justifying their actions?PR and/or mental illness, unironically. That's it. I include LARP into the "crazy" category, since being a criminal isn't a fucking game, and you have to be a lunatic, or a retard to think otherwise.Everyone else is perfectly comfortable under the umbrella term of "criminal". Besides, it's usually a label given to them by others, namely the media and/or heroes.
>>96442391I once got to use a MS whose gimmick was he was flat broke, and using whatever shit he could carab together to make Cogs from ToonTown Online, who staunchly refused to admit that if he actually just tried to market his robots, he might just, y'know, make it rich.S'yeah, broke egocentric 'genius' (oh no!) roboticist, with a chip on his shoulder about 'the man' and how 'the man' was not in fact himself. He wasn't particularly original even back then, but I had fun while that campaign lasted.... Fuck that was like a decade ago, now.
You're supposed to play heroes in d&d too.
>>96592833Appreciate the sentiment but am at the point in my RPGing life as a forever GM that I am not willing to GM things when I have no real fun. Morphing a hero game into a villain game can be interesting if the game has had time to build to it but certainly not if the turn happens near enough the first time there is a fight. A pretty exhaustive baseline is always good to establish (and iterate on) for what will be GMed but quickly goes off the rails with your average RPer is my point. Even if they think they want in on the game you are setting out most of them tacitly do not, they do no know how to approach the setting without going for a Razzie with angsty narratives that do not mesh in a group game or just fall back on hack and slash. I suppose it's probably because the obvious comic book touchstones mostly revolve around the main character of a solo title and if they re-frame is as an avengers/ensemble thing the group tactical combat aspect naturally brings D&D attitudes and behavior.
>>96442582DC Heroes and Champions less popular. Can you elaborate?
>>96594516>DC HeroesThe MEGS DC Heroes game is out of print, thus it's not very popular unless we are talking about a specific niche of retro superhero RPG fans.>ChampionsChampions and HERO system don't get brought up a lot on these threads, HERO system having a reputation as crunchy and simulationist doesn't help help the matter, but it's still one of the OG superhero games.
>>96441201I’m thinking of having a major figure or two be able to copy and/or steal powers in my setting, what do I need to keep in mind with powers like that, especially if one wants to avoid them being too OP to beat? And does it differ between hero and villain?
>>96596227Nothing, they're already balanced. Just use the rules.
>>96486558A character who debuted as a seeming one-off joke finding a niche for themselves is always nice to see.
>>96515107Fighting to make people happy is perfectly valid for her. Whether she's fighting her own pain could lend some pathos to her. Let her prove that a big enough heart is stronger than any "one bad day" can be.Make her part of an actual clown troupe as part of her day job (solo clowns doing birthday parties aren't "real" clowns). Make her troupe, if not the entire circus she travels with, her support network as she rights local wrongs.Make her a REAL trickster - don't just give her acrobatics, pale makeup and a manic personality and call it a day. She should be a cunning-type hero who outsmarts the bad guys and makes them look silly. She shouldn't make it a point to out-fight anyone, even if she could.
>>96593067There’s a mod for D&D that lets you do superheroes? Details.
>>96601162Why did you alter what I said to something I didn't say?
>>96601251NTA, but I think it was a misunderstanding.
>>96596227More restrictions, instead of just copying abilities the character needs to see the ability or have it used on him/her before the ability can be copied. If the power is the ability to steal abilities than have it be temporary etc. Bonus points if you have a copy villain who fights a team of heroes and gets all of their powers becoming their version of Super Scroll from FF.
>>96596227Why didn't you respond to anyone who tried to help you?
>>96596227Well?
>>96607001Alright thanks. What do you think of AFO in MHA then? Or a certain 1-B student?>96607657The first one didn’t really have anything helpful, and for the latter I hadn’t checked the thread yet.
>>96608338>Alright thanks. What do you think of AFO in MHA then? Or a certain 1-B student?Haven't kept up with "My Hero Academia" but I'm pretty sure All for One is like the final boss or nearly the strongest quirk user who ruled Japan like an overlord back when quirks first appeared? A character like that doesn't really need to be balanced and in the end, even "power balance" is a thing that exists to further the story and make it more interesting rather than for it's own sake. As for Neito Monoma (the certain someone from class 1B) his power copies quirks and comes with a time limit and a limit on how many quirks he can hold at a time, among others. He's overall more "balanced" if you will.
>>96608338The first one was obviously helpful. Try again.
>>96597540What book is this from?
>>96471847>>96471982It's because the publisher Green Ronin is in big trouble due to the Diamond (distributor) bankruptcy - a significant amount of their backstock was kept on consignment by Diamond but is now being claimed by Diamond's creditors, essentially robbing them of something like a million dollars in product they expected to sell.So, a different type of corporate greed threatening a small niche company. Maybe throw them a few bucks if you like their products?
>>96597581What are some other examples of that?
>>96618917Harley Quinn, unironically.Miss "fourth pillar of DC alongside Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman" famously debuted in Batman the Animated Series as a one-off henchman for the Joker. She was popular enough that she stuck around and developed more of her character, including her angle as a blinded-by-love abuse victim of the Joker and her friendship with Poison Ivy.
>>96618947For being a cartoon original, Harley would prove to be so popular that the cartoons would chase the dragon ever since, trying to catch lightning a second time with new characters. One of them was Roxy Rocket, a former stuntwoman who couldn't find work and so turned to crime to get her adrenaline junkie kicks.
>>96619025It wasn't even just Batman characters, either. Superman: the Animated Series tried their hand with characters like Livewire, the Metropolis shock jock with a bone to pick with Superman who, after a freak encounter with Superman and a lightning storm, gained electrokinesis.
Why are you replying to yourself?
>>96619053Because it was worth expanding on the original point, and you can only post one picture at a time, so you may as well make the most of it.
It definitely wasn't.
>>96619077Who are you responding to?
Retard.
bu mp
>>96441201>TQ: How big are the rogue's gallery in your games?Even if the party is an ensemble cast, I feel like each character should have their individual rogue's gallery, at least 1-3 that each can call their own.
>>96441201What do you need to consider when handling major villains, one that affect the whole of a setting, or at least close to it, like Thanos in the MCU?
>>96639018What does handling mean?
>>96639071Things like presentation and effective usage within the narrative.>Are they presented as a credible threat?>Are they beatable?>How do they act during combat?Things like that.
>>96639114All of those depend on your own personal preferences for your villains. Is that why you knowingly and intentionally made your question as vague as possible? Because you knew it was retarded, and you knew your post was low quality, and thus in violation of the board's rules?
>>96639123I wasn't asking the question, but asking for GM advice on how to control what is essentially your setting's biggest villain is not an unheard-of question.
>>96639144What are you talking about? No one else wrote your post for you. Of course you asked the question."How should I control my villain" is a meaningless question. We don't know anything about your villains. We don't know how they should behave.
>>96639155Have you considered there are more than two people in the thread?
>>96639176So why did you respond to a question that wasn't addressed to you, retard? I didn't ask what you thought he meant. I asked him what he meant. FUCK OFF.
>>96639186Because that's how open forums work. But clearly, you're interested in picking a fight and running the thread into the ground by creating a hostile atmosphere, so I'll leave you to it.
>>96639207No, that isn't how forums work. If you aren't being addressed, don't reply. Do NOT reply to me again.
>>96619046I remember her. Are there any other examples you can name?
>>96639211NTA, but I'm replying to you. What you gonna do about it anon?
>>96597581The way Batman says that…
>>96441201How do the heroes in your games keep villains from attacking them in their civilian lives beyond using secret identities?
>>96653953Worm has the Unwritten Rules.
>>96657477If fanon is any indication, those aren't worth the paper they're written down on. Oh wait, lol.
>>96467404>silver age LuthorI never read silver age comics, can you please explain this a little more?
why do you keep bumping this thread when it's so obviously shit?
>>96663909Not that anon, but should we let it die and make a new one then?
