Aberrant RPG - One-shot session

[NFVD]

Hi all,

I've just been shangaied into running a 6-hour one-shot session of Aberrant at a local mini-convention in about a month, so I have to come up with a memorable adventure.

I was thinking of making the PCs members of a T2M "backup team" which have to go on the field for the first time after the main team screws up or because they are the only ones around that can get there in time.

Now, while they aren't T2M Central material the PCs would have more muscle than your average 30pt Nova. How many nova points do you think they should have at a minimum? What about mandatory backgrounds? What do you figure the average Eufiber ratting of a T2M uniform is? How Tainted do you figure a Nova has to be before he is refused admission to T2M?

If anyone has run a T2M game, any ideas you wish to contribute would be helpful.

[AnonCastillo]

I would say, and this is as someone who's only been in one Aberrant game so far (Trans-D), one which hasn't involved T2M in the slightest, that they'd probably be limited to 4-5 taint max (anything more than very minor aberrations would be enough to keep them off the team), possibly 3 taint max (they may be a little more strict in screening entry-level nova positions while being more lenient towards the movers and shakers).

Probably 1 point of backing from Project: Utopia as a prerequisite, 2 points only for anyone holding a managerial position (team leader/captain and assistant/vice-captain/etc.). Eufiber should be recommended but I'm not sure it should be a requirement. If they've all got a decent position within T2M, maybe a couple dots of resources as a requirement, but that's probably unnecessary.

As for how many nova points to hand out, if they're going to be dealing with nova opponents, 40-45 is probably a good amount.

[Alex Green]

Are you going to making the PCs for them, or letting them make their own PCs?

Assuming you're going to make the PCs... and these are the reservists,

Give out 2 dots of Eufiber, backing, & influence. Have no more than one or two PCs have any aberrations at all (and have enough PCs available that they don't have to be chosen).

Make them 50 point novas or so... or just don't balance them. Give out 3-4 dots in primary theme power, 1-2 dots in two secondary theme powers, and 2-4 mega-stats. Give everyone 1+ offense, 1+ defense, 1+ mobility power, and 0+ misc.

Example:

1)

Mega-Str 4 (Shockwave, Q-Leap) (Primary theme)

Armor 2 (secondary theme)

Mega-Stam 2 (Durability, Adaptability) (we won’t give him regen because he’s already very dangerous) (2nd theme)

Mega-Chr 2 (Seductive) (2nd theme)

… and we won’t know if we want to give him anything else until we see the other characters. This guy is cheap with 30 points of powers (with Quantum and stats he’ll probably run 40), but he’s already brutally effective.

His soak is 14/11… if I had to give him something else it might be a dot or two in INV.

2)

Elemental Mastery: Iron 3 (Bolt, Shaping, ???)

Magnetic Mastery 3 (Flight, EMP, Shield)

Mega-Wits 2 (Artistic G, Quick)

Mega-Stamina 1 (Regen)

Forcefield 3

Mega-Perc 2 (X-Ray Vision)

…And this guy is pretty expensive, 54 points (with Quantum and stats he’ll run more).

3)

Mr Quantum 1, one mega-stat in everything.

[Blue Thunder]

The requirements from the base book say that every member of T2M needs Backing, Influence, and Resources 4 (if memory serves). Every T2Mer is going to be famous, they cannot avoid the spotlight at all, their images will be everwhere, and they'll be getting paid boatloads of cash, and they have considerable ability to do whatever they want when not on a mission. Looking at the books, pretty much every T2Mer has Eufiber 5.

[BlueNinja]

These guys are the backups, not the main T2M. Still, they are going to have a certain amount of public limelight.

I say that if they are making their own characters (not what I advise for a convention one-shot, but hey) they give them all +2 Eufiber dots, +2 Resources dots, and +1 Influence dot.

If you're making the characters ahead of time (which I'd recommend, and aim for 2x as many character sheets as you're going to have players) then make everyone 40 NP, with the above tacked on for free. You're probably going to want to double-side the character sheets, with background information on the PC on the back side, so that the players know who they're picking up beyond the stats.

[Blue Thunder]

Team Tomorrow Auxiliary is the back-up.

For a one-shot, I'd suggest a more light-hearted tone. Maybe go for a humorous angle, with the characters being considered mere jokes compared to the "normal" T2M novas, and getting into awkward social situations where they aren't taken as seriously as they should.

[SkyLion]

Team Tomorrow Auxiliary is the back-up.

For a one-shot, I'd suggest a more light-hearted tone. Maybe go for a humorous angle, with the characters being considered mere jokes compared to the "normal" T2M novas, and getting into awkward social situations where they aren't taken as seriously as they should.

Its called Teen Tommorow..... ::laugh

cant wait to play that one one these forums... ::happy

[BlueNinja]

Team Tomorrow Auxiliary is the back-up.

Yep. They're the minor leagues, the wanna-bes, and their Backgrounds should reflect that.

[Blue Thunder]

Well, not entirely. Skew is a T2M-Aux member. Auxiliary members are basically the "subs" of T2M who get thrown into whatever group or location they're needed in.

Now, if he were to make a new Team-Tomorrow, that solves everything.

Its called Teen Tommorow.....

cant wait to play that one one these forums...

I would rather go for a T2M-Aux campaign or something, that way I could fight alongside any of the other Team Tomorrow squads on any given day. Playing a combination superhero, media starlet/stud, publicity whore, terraformer, crises response specialist, celebrity icon, etc., would just rock. Just the whole part about having that degree of power and influence, while still having to pose for photos and make public appearances and state things in interviews you might disagree with, and all of the personal relationships between the T2M novas. Personally, I would ignore Proteus and the Aberrants almost completely just to focus on the ins and outs of being a beloved superhero icon.

But I wouldn't be able to run it. First, I already have a campaign running that takes enough time (Prometheans Unbound, bitches!).

Secondly, if I ran another game, I'd have to go with a Trinity campaign.

Thirdly, if I ever run a second Aberrant game here, I would like to make it street-level rules (15-20 NP), with the characters being "reject" misfit novas with wierd and bizarre powers and probably a Taint minimum. Like, they're all survivors of a Triton research facility, they all have to stay out of the spotlight, they're broke, have little resources, no affiliations, no friends, and must flee from Proteus and other dangers. I would make it somewhat dark and paranoid, but add plenty of humor to it; the characters would be complete oddballs and misfits, and probably not all "right" in the head. Wacky hijinks ensue. Also, I wouldn't adjust the power levels of any other novas in the campaign either. Everyone else would be 30+ NP, making encounters with other novas that much more dangerous and/or demeaning. I'm an ass.

But like I said, already busy...although if I did run it, I guess it could go alongside the Prometheans Unbound game or something, just to be cool.

[SkyLion]

T2M would be fun...Ive been saving the perfect character. Still think T2N would be fun though...Have the perfect character for that too...