Marvel or DC Comics Characters

[Needles]

I was wondering where to put this question! Have you used any of the Marvel characters in your games? Has highly mutated Wolverine torn through your Trinity wildness or The Dark Phoenix become a threat to your Trinity campain? I've been wondering at the potential of these characters in your games? Have they helped or hindered your games in the past? ::happy

[Bahamut810]

I have never tried to convert them to the system, but it would be easy enough to do.

[Needles]

Well since the Tsr Marvel system is within the public domain at the present I've been looking over some of the older characters. The Rexxon oil has always had a special place in my heart for the number of times its created Novas. The Brand Coporation had a special mugentics branch. The Dark Phoenix was the poster child for out of controlled taint idled novas. I'am looking through quite alot of the systems & such. Theres also a degree of nostaglia involved too. With the release of things like the X-men movies the number of people who have been exposed to super heroes increases. So does the potential for new players. Something that WW should have been aware (Sorry old wounds run deep people & I'll try to control my ranting). It also means that as GMs we also have the same opportunities to introduce our twisted take on the genre.

With Marvel continuty being the cheese cloth that it is theres no reason not to follow through on the eruption of superhumans etc. The only thing is to decide where you want to go with it. ::ultracool

[Blue Thunder]

Marvel and DC characters best fit into the Aberrant era, simply because of thier variety in powers.

To convert them over just takes a little tweaking of thier actual abilities.

[Needles]

Marvel and DC characters best fit into the Aberrant era, simply because of thier variety in powers.

To convert them over just takes a little tweaking of thier actual abilities.

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Well yes this is true but it used to be so nice to go onto the WW boards & see how many of the characters had been converted. It was enjoyable read.

One question I've always had with signature characters ala Star Wars & such is your characters interacting with the likes of Hon Solo or Mal etc. How do you handle this type of thing in your game? ::sly

Its always boiled down to the same type of thing with someone like Captain America in the post-Adventure era. He was the nova on a plate back in WW II in the Marvel universe. ::blink In a world where novas were quite rare to begin with Cap was it. Or at least the Nova with the best PR machine. ::biggrin

The 1940s superman was another nova whose powers seemed to increase as he got older. It always seemed to me to be a question of just how super was superman. In some of the cartoons he's seen lifting trains & yet writhing in pain as electricity courses through him. Was his quantam running low? Was his node not properly adjusted? All of this is part of the fun of Novas. My thought about all of this is what happened to these heroes in the aberrant era? What if abbies were around alot longer than even the timeline in the Eon continum suggests. ::devil Things could get down right ugly really fast. What if the cause of the Aberrant war wasn't the heroes of today but the heroes of yesteryear coming to knock on your door today.

[Bahamut810]

The 1940s superman was another nova whose powers seemed to increase as he got older. It always seemed to me to be a question of just how super was superman. In some of the cartoons he's seen lifting trains & yet writhing in pain as electricity courses through him. Was his quantam running low? Was his node not properly adjusted? All of this is part of the fun of Novas. My thought about all of this is what happened to these heroes in the aberrant era? What if abbies were around alot longer than even the timeline in the Eon continum suggests.  Things could get down right ugly really fast. What if the cause of the Aberrant war wasn't the heroes of today but the heroes of yesteryear coming to knock on your door today.

Actually thats caused by DWS. Different Writer Syndrome. Basically each writer has an idea of what said person (Superman in this case) can and can't do. Its the reason that Doomsday was able to kill him, while other just as powerful threats weren't.

[Needles]

Actually thats caused by DWS.  Different Writer Syndrome.  Basically each writer has an idea of what said person (Superman in this case) can and can't do.  Its the reason that Doomsday was able to kill him, while other just as powerful threats weren't.

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Mind you that this happened within the same 1940s cartoon. ::blink It was great.. I used it to illustrate the "You've run out of quantam." bit ::biggrin

Another topic that seems to bother Abby storytellers is Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Has anyone used him & could someone post stats please.. ::confused

[Finbar]

The problem with Tony Stark (or any powered-armor suit type of character, for that matter) is that WW has a definite pref for people over machines. That said, the problem is that the gadget system is...unweildy when it comes to making power suits. Also, you can't exactly shift easily between power levels (you need to add powers to the suit, but the number of successes needed starts getting prohibitive).

To do a full suit (Armor, FF, Flight, some offensive options) could take several hundred successes, easy. Even with Fast Tasks, that's some serious time expenditures. Throw in that you know it's going to go boom within a year (unless you spend more successes to lengthen it), and you either worry about botches while building it or losing track of how much time you have left.

It definitely explains why Tony spends so much time in the lab...

FR

[Nullifier]

The level 1 dynamic knack Mad Scientist from Adventure! reduces R&D time from days to hours. If it were allowed as a mega-intelligence enhancement and used in conjunction with Fast Tasks, a character could build a few hundred success suit in less than a month, probably only a couple weeks with mega-stamina+adaptability so the character could work without sleep. I could see it working, 'cause it'd be possible for the character to do the upkeep and even upgrading in their spare time. Of course, you'd need a high resources and/or backing to be able to build and maintain such a thing, but I don't see why this couldn't be allowed or work. ::biggrin ::ultracool

[Finbar]

Keep in mind that, as the roll is once every 24 hours, going without sleep or food won't help...Also, as there is little R&D (three hours per dot studied for the effect), I'm not sure that the Mad Scientist knack would help much (it would save you day per ability at best).

However, Temporal Manipulation may help, if you could con the ST into allowing a technique that cuts down on time used.

Obvious question: Would I need to re-study each time I built the same effect, or would I only need to do it once?

FR

[Nullifier]

Erm. Wouldn't Mad Scientist make it to one roll per hour? That was the whole point, I thought. R&D is Reasearch /and/ design. That's the whole thing from concept to final product. Unless I'm missing something? ::unsure

[Finbar]

Nope...A! uses a three-step process: R&D, Construction, and Field Testing (this is sort of an in-joke). Each has a different amount of time required that adds to the total time it takes to actually make the thing.

It's worth noting that there are three knacks that apply, and only two can be used (Mad Scientist and Scientific Prodigy can't be used at the same time (MS doesn't allow the use of assistants, and SP gives you a bonus for them). There's also Gadgeteer, but that just allows you to use your Intuitive facet...

Sorry!

FR

[Ayre el KaBeer]

I've moved the thread as I felt it was more apropriate in the Aeon Continuum general discussion, if people disagree let me know and I'll move it back. ::wink

[Finbar]

Aw, but I liked it where it was...just off the beaten path...

But could I get that Temporal Manipulation technique? ::blush

Just realized: Tony would also a few Mega-Socials, but that's just him...

FR

[Needles]

Aw, but I liked it where it was...just off the beaten path...

But could I get that Temporal Manipulation technique? ::blush

Just realized: Tony would also a few Mega-Socials, but that's just him...

FR

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Ok so hows the Iron Man Armor done? Ohhh now the hard question. ::laugh

[phoenix]

Flight, Mega-strength and Stamina, and high levels of armor, combined with Dormancy.

[Alex Green]

RE: Time Control

I think it's temporal accelleration. It's the same one that gives you extra actions in combat. The point is that it is a maintenance power, so it could be used per scene out of combat.

RE: Iron Man

Iron Man can be done in several ways.

1) Use Multiple Gadgets.

There is support for this in the comics, one part of the armor gets broken and the rest goes on.

2) Make him a standard Abby for the most part. He always has flight, enhanced vision, armor, forcefield, energy absorbtion, etc. Give him Dumbo Syndrom or Anima Banner: Random Technology as aberrations (or perhaps q-flaws).

Then, in addition to that, give him M-Int (Pro:Engineering) and let him make gadgets or throw powermaxes for everything else.

[Finbar]

Pheonix: That's cheating! Besides, you forgot the Mega-Str and different versions of Q-bolt (at least three, to represent the repulsor beams, chest beam, and missiles)...

Alex: The only problem is that that technique can only used for extra actions, unless you rule that it can be used as a bigger version of Fast Actions (the time needed to complete a task is divided by the number of successes). In which case, to keep relevant, you need quite a few scenes to be meaningful ::biggrin . That's why I was suggesting a technique, such as:

Satori Labor

Dice Pool: Stamina+Temporal Manipulation

Range: Self

Area: (10xQuantum) meters

Duration: Special

Ideal for when a nova has a specific task he wants to accomplish quickly. A "bubble" surrounds the area, shutting it off from local time. Multiply the number of successes by four; the nova (and anyone with the bubble) has that much time to accomplish, as that much time passes (with appropriate effects, including possibly sleeping) within the bubble. In actuality, one hour passes.

However, any attack on the bubble disperses it, causing [bubble's Creator's Quantumx2]levels+(Temporal Manipulation)d10B on all the bubble's occupants. Time passed in the bubble is proportional to how much time passed outside the bubble.

[Gadgeteering Notes: This allows one roll per 6 successes).]

[Note: Has no effect on Temporary Taint recovery. ST's option if a sleeping nova regains Quantum Points; the nova originating the bubble will not, however.]

Sound cool?

FR

[Needles]

::cool Excellent suggestions folks I love this. One character that seems to cause alot of problems is the Hulk. I'd like to hear your suggestions on the Hulk from the comics. He's always been a huge problem for Aberrant fans. Why?

Great concept for an aberrant hunt though. The mysterious green nova in the desert. ::nuclear ::nuclear Don't make Doctor Banner angery... You wouldn't like him when he's angery!

[Finbar]

Why? Hulk is the poster child for Dormancy. Throw Mega-Str (with most of the enhancements (Thunderclap and Quantum Leap are trademarks)), Mega-Sta, Armor, and Regeneration takes care of him fairly easily.

If you need to, throw in (for Hulk), the Multiple-Personality, Rage, and Bulging Muscles aberrations.

Puny human. Hulk easy. Now, Iron Man, Doc Doom, and Spidey? They're much more interesting as rule-issues...

FR

[Nullifier]

I thought that the Hulk had the Uncontrollable Transformation (anger) aberration. The picture is even hulk-like.

[Finbar]

Yeah, yeah. I forgot, okay? ::blush Just making the point that Hulkie's not that hard to do compared to others. Spidey, for example, may look easy, but his webbing (is it better as a gadget or an elmental control?) and gadgeteering make him a bit interesting to do.

FR

[phoenix]

I'd treat Spiderman as having a power suite, tendrils and some megaphysicals.

I think the all-time easiest Marvel hero to create is Wolverine, of course, just slap together some Megaphysicals, megaperc+bloodhound, claws, regen, psychic shield, and you're all set. ::cool

[Nullifier]

Well, I suppose that'd depend on which version of Spidey we're talking about. I don't think either Elemental Mastery or Control quite cover it though. It'd probably either be a level 3 power or a gadget with an associated skill to use it. Here's a rough write-up of the power, partially cribbed from the old WoD sourcebook Freak Legion, p. 40.

Webbing

Level:3

Quantum Minimum: 5

Dice Pool: Dexterity+Webbing

Range: (Quantum + power rating) meters

Area: N/A

Duration:Permanent

Effect:The character has an organ on their body capable of producing massive amounts of webbing similar to that of a spider.

Multiple Actions: Yes

Description:A nova with Webbing has an organ located somewhere on their body capable of producing massive amounts of webbing similar to that of a spider. This power is always active and requires no quantum pointss to use, although its use does count as an action, and the ST may apply a cost in quantum points under certain extreme circumstances. The organ can be located anywhere on the nova's body, and its use is instinctual.

The webs created with Webbing have a soak equal to (power ratingx2) and health levels equal to (power rating). The webs are an inch thick and difficult to see from far away, requiring a successful Perception+Awareness roll to notice. In order to actually do anything besides simply shoot out a continuous strand of webbing that cuts off at the limit of the power's range, the nova must make a Dexterity+Webbing roll with a difficulty determined by what the nova is trying to do. The more complex the web desired, the higher the difficulty. Webbing can be used to immitate a level 1 or 2 power, or a technique from a suite power when appropriate. If this is done, each success equals a success on the immitated power or technique's roll, with difficulty equal to the level of the power or technique being immitated and the duration treated as Permanent until the webbing is cut or destroyed. The Range indicates the maximum amount of webbing that can be created in a single turn, but so long as a roll is made, it need not cut off at the end of each turn. In every case, the ST is the final arbiter of what can be done with the webs created with Webbing. EDIT: The webbing can be sticky, sticking with a Might pool of (Quantum+power ratingx2) if the nova so wishes.

Extras: Extra Organ(the character has another webmaking organ somewhere else on their body)

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I think that makes more sense than trying to cram it into any of the existing powers. That's just me, though. ::biggrin ::wink ::ultracool

[Finbar]

Actually, Elemental Mastery works rather well, especially as he used shields, impact webbing (Blast), stuck people (Imprison), has slung people into walls (Crush), and swinging (duh! ::biggrin , an obvious use of Propel). Just figure he can create as much of it as he needs, and you're good.

The argument behind the gadget is that it has run out on a number of ocasions. How would this look (asuming Spidey has a Q5):

Uses/Scene(34): 8 (see note below)

Dice Pool (4): 4

Effect (68): 8 (Q4/Rating 4)

Quantum (8): Quantum 4

Power Rating(6): 5

Quantum Storage (17): 15, can be regained, comes back at 1/hr

Versatility (0): Self-Only

Duration (0): 7 months

Durability (0): Figure, what, 3 HL/2 Soak?

Uses: For Propel, I'm adding two successes to make it a Maintenance power.

Total: 139 successes.

Heh. Assuming Spidey has Int 4, Mega-Int 2, Engineering 4, and Scientific Prodigy (Engineering), and assuming he uised the Mega-dice to get a -2 DN (for DN 5), giving him +2 dice from SP(E), giving him an average of 6 sux each 24 hours, it's going to take 24 days to build new shooters (12 if we allow Fast Tasks ::rolleyes ).

Makes me feel sorry for Iron Man....

FR

Heh: Question on Gadgets and Dice Pools: How do you figure in Mega-atts? Spidey has Mega-Dex and Mega-Wits; how would that affect the Quantum Cost when using the shooters?

[Nullifier]

especially as he used shields,impact webbing (Blast), stuck people (Imprison), has slung people into walls (Crush), and swinging (duh!  , an obvious use of Propel).

O.k., first, Spidey's webs never did enough damage to kill someone in a single shot or blast through a concrete wall both of which the Blast technique implies the ability to do. His 'Crush' attack, as you would have it, involves at least two seperate actions, and involves his Mega-Str. The Shield technique make almost no sense. I suppose he could weave a medeval type 'shield', but it wouldn't protect his whole body. As for Propel, it's not just that he shoots out webs and they push him along, it's more like he shoots a web, swings ftom it, lets go, and shoots another before he falls to the ground. The same thing could be done with eufiber, the Adhesive Grip body mod, and a bit of Weave. In either case, the character's acceleration and movement speed is entirely determined by gravity, i.e., how far the character falls and/or rises in each swing partially converted to angular momentum depending on how long into the upswing the character hangs on. The only techniques I'd consider applicable from EA/EM would be Imprison and maybe Shaping.

[phoenix]

I'd hasten to point out that the Tendril body mod combined with Spidey's Mega-Strength and the Imprison power would be a good way to get the "smashing into walls" or "impact webbing" effects.

Nullifier, I'm still tempted to go with Propel instead of eufibre or whatever for the web-swinging bit, if only because you can only stretch eufibre (or a tendril, for that matter) so far, and Spidey's webs are usually portrayed as being really really long.

[Nullifier]

...Spidey's webs are usually portrayed as being really really long.

Yes, but they're also portrayed as being primarily webs. He can do all sorts of things with them during and after they're made that isn't implied with the Propel technique. Also, it's doubtful that Spidey reaches anywhere near 200kmph while moving around using his web-slinging. Propel's system isn't appropriate here, because movement would be a simple function of physics. It's not like the webs are pushing him along, like the Propel technique's text implies:

By creating a "blast" of the element behind himself, the character can move at rapid speeds...

p.195. The webs only provide a means to take advatage of gravity, they do not provide the motive power. My Webbing power takes all these things into consideration, and allows for considerable flexibility. If you're looking for a movement system, use the physics system to determine forward velocity based on the total conversion (assuming maximum effective speed) of the velocity picked up falling whatever initial or additional distance accrued at the (average) rate of 9.8 meters per second per second and treat it as a horizontal jump at current velocity if velocity is not imparted from gravity initially, with any additional velocity from gravity added afterwards at the above rate. ::ultracool

[Needles]

Yes, but they're also portrayed as being primarily webs. He can do all sorts of things with them during and after they're made that isn't implied with the Propel technique. Also, it's doubtful that Spidey reaches anywhere near 200kmph while moving around using his web-slinging. Propel's system isn't appropriate here, because movement would be a simple function of physics. It's not like the webs are pushing him along, like the Propel technique's text implies:  p.195. The webs only provide a means to take advatage of gravity, they do not provide the motive power. My Webbing power takes all these things into consideration, and allows for considerable flexibility. If you're looking for a movement system, use the physics system to determine forward velocity based on the total conversion (assuming maximum effective speed) of the velocity picked up falling whatever initial or additional distance accrued at the (average) rate of 9.8 meters per second per second and treat it as a horizontal jump at current velocity if velocity is not imparted from gravity initially, with any additional velocity from gravity added afterwards at the above rate.  ::ultracool

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What about Doctor Doom? Whats so hard about him in your opinion? Besides the "magic" & robots? ::huh

[Nullifier]

Um. This may come as somewhat of a surprise, or maybe not, but I was never really into comic books all that much. All I was doing was giving a possible Aberrant explain for Spidey's web slinging ability. As far as I know, except in the two recent movies, Spidey's spinerettes were devices he created. I really don't know anything about Doctor Doom, or his powers, though, so I coudn't begin to guess what would need to be done as an accurate Aberrant conversion. ::biggrin ::unsure

[Finbar]

1) Keep in mind that I was just re-tooling a power to fit the given. Usually easier than writing up a power.

2) Doom is just...difficult. Combine all the issues of Iron Man, plus Reed (minus the stretching), and throw in that he's got a small country behind him. Oh yeah, and he's also a major mage.

Basically, it wouldjust be a chore to fill out the character sheet...

FR

[Nullifier]

1) Yeah, but in Spidey's case I'm not sure any of the existing powers really fit.

2) Sounds difficult. Magic, in its purest form, is kinda un-Trinity Universe-like, which kinda lends and limits itself to the quasi/pseudo-scientific. Try Mage. I've seen crossovers, though, and they're usually kinda silly. Although, there were super-heroish characters at that Origins LARP that one year, and although they came in handy at the end fighting the big Cthuloid monster, they didn't unbalance the game unduly (my uncanny ability to predict what the other person was going to throw in rock-paper-scissors that weekend did that). ::wacko ::sly ::cool Of course, that was nearly a decade ago, long before Aberrant. ::biggrin ::rolleyes ::unsure

[Finbar]

Actually, with the Dumbo Syndrome (two lines of alliterative phrasing), Elemental Control (Specific Greek Element), and Quantum Construct (to simulate summoning demons), and Force Field (see previous), you can easily simulate most Marvel magic.

FR

[Nullifier]

That may or may not be true, I've seen things in the new Justice League and JLU cartoons that wouldn't be possible without Mage-like magic. I'm not sue if you'd count that though, it not being a comic and all. The Aberrant power system, flexible as it is, doesn't approach the kind of flexiblity in Mage until you get to at least the Q7+ characters, and even then there are limits to what they can do.::unsure ::rolleyes ::wink ::biggrin

[Finbar]

Something to keep in mind is that DC magic and Marvel magic are two seperate things. DC magic tends to not follow any rules outside of whatever's convenient to theplot, whereas Marvel magic tends to follow its own rules. That is, any DC mage can do virtually anything, it just depends on the plot. On the other hand, different Marvel mages may have different rules, but they usually can't exceed those rules, and they have different things that they can and can't do.

If I had to do it ruleswise, DC uses Mage rules, and it seems that everyone has at least three dots in every sphere. On the other hand, Marvel tends to run by Sorcerer: Revised rules, with ocasional forays into Mage territory (but only rarely and with penalties).

Because of that, even Doctor Strange can be done as an abbie, and with almost no problems. Just give him EC, Teleport, Holo, Density Control (Decrease), and Qunatum Construct, and you have virtually every effect Strange normally does. Anything else, and he is more likely to use a Gadget than to use a spell...

FR

[Needles]

Something to keep in mind is that DC magic and Marvel magic are two seperate things. DC magic tends to not follow any rules outside of whatever's convenient to theplot, whereas Marvel magic tends to follow its own rules. That is, any DC mage can do virtually anything, it just depends on the plot. On the other hand, different Marvel mages may have different rules, but they usually can't exceed those rules, and they have different things that they can and can't do.

If I had to do it ruleswise, DC uses Mage rules, and it seems that everyone has at least three dots in every sphere. On the other hand, Marvel tends to run by Sorcerer: Revised rules, with ocasional forays into Mage territory (but only rarely and with penalties).

Because of that, even Doctor Strange can be done as an abbie, and with almost no problems. Just give him EC, Teleport, Holo, Density Control (Decrease), and Qunatum Construct, and you have virtually every effect Strange normally does. Anything else,  and  he is more likely to use a Gadget than to use a spell...

FR

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Thanks for the Strange help ok what about Thor? ::biggrin

[Finbar]

Thor? Dude! Take a brick (MegaSTr/Mega-Sta) with few enhancements. Add Flight/Weather Manipulation (Dumbo Sundrome: Hammer). You have the basics. Also, Dormancy 5, depending on which version you use.

If you really want to be serious, add on Universe Creation (using the Hammer), to simulate the trip across the bridge...

Heh. I just realized that a lot of DC heroes use the Dumbo Syndrome, at least to some extent (Wonder Woman's lasso, GL's ring, etc.). Also, a lot of Marvel and DC characters have at least one dot of Eufiber (instant change of costume).

Any way I can argue a Mega-App enhancement that acts as an identity invisibility, so as to explain how a domino mask hides someone's identity ::biggrin ?

FR

[BlueNinja]

Any way I can argue a Mega-App enhancement that acts as an identity invisibility, so as to explain how a domino mask hides someone's identity ::biggrin ?

Sounds like a clever use (or adaptation) of Mr. Nobody.

[Blue Thunder]

Hmm...I wonder what stats would be like for Dark Pheonix. That's a Quantum 8 at least!

[phoenix]

Technically, the phoenix force is a seperate, interdimensional entity from Jean Grey herself. Try writing that up if you want a headache. ::sly