Aberrant RPG - New story line

[Sidious]

Hey all, my rifts game is still underway but now I'm playing with a second group that is looking for a game that can hold their interest. I've put forth the ab idea but really want to change the setting so that it could , concievably, run with my rifts game.

what I have for an idea is a world like the old Vailant one mixed with the old (pre-ellis) wildstorm verse.

somethings I've thought of were a Nova registration act, at least int the US, Novas that do not comply are hunted down and brought in by force. (harbinger foundation)

Also I'm twisting Pax into a Supreme Replica, and adding a Solar type guy (Q:8 etc). NO MAL.

The characters will, of course, be part of the Foundation already. (read: I need a way to get the party together.) I figure I'll put them in the "trouble" class. the "we're good enough to be major players but we're screw ups." class, now the question is what next? do I lead them through it and let them loose all the fun, or do I let them do what players are want to do and mess with everything under the sun.

for my part I'm going to be playing the game, luckily we have someone who wants to run and learn the game but i've convinced and showed that a cannon game would suck ass. He's all up for playing a new universe game but wants detail. so once again I'm off and running with my imagination to be original again.

if your not quite sure what I'm asking here, don't worry I'm just trying to get a sounding board for what i have in stor for me and a more reliable means to keep a record of what I'm doing.

if you have any input for it. that's cool. i'm going to be posting stuff later on about what I'm thinking.

[Sidious]

character notes:

characters are allowed to have powers from a variety of sources this includes aliens, high-tech, Natural Nova powers, psions.

max quantum is set at 5, only galatic powerhouses and GODS may have higher. Taint is Static.

types of characers:

alien race: character is a normal/mutant member of a non-human race. the race is from "somewhere else" this could be another dimension or planet. bonus: their quantum is also used as their node rating. limitations: no node background, resource max on earth is 2, may have unusual appearance (subject to player desires)

Hi-tech: Character's powers are derived from technological enhancments. Cyborgs and exo-armor fall into this as well as gadgeteers.

Nova: standard Aberrant character.

Psion: follow rules found in pg on psychomorphs. Doyen created psions are undergound at this time and would number no more than 100 total. Trash the Psi vs Quanta idea.

[Sidious]

Time periods: Novas have been around for centuries, due to availibe quanta permanating the planet their power levels have fluctuated.

Pre-history: this is the span of time during which humanity was clawing it ways up. Stoneage - early roman/greek civialition. large amounts of Quanta full novas similar to today's abounded. many of the ancient gods and heroes were novas or their offspring.

period ended mysteriously, no record of the ancient novas continue to exist except as myth and legend.(actually i know what happened to them. )

Dark ages - Colonial(1700's): Few novas, much of the earths ambient Quanta is dormant. Only those born near natural radioactive deposits ~may~ possibly become novas. Many a burnt witch could have been a nova.

1800's - 1920's: the rise in Earths natural Quanta begins. novas are few and far between. Not enough Quanta for Dramatic displays of power (mega-atts only max of 1 dot, no Quantum powers)

The age of Adventure!: Pretty much the same as the Book. waiting on it's release to define it.

The War years - 60's: Quantum engeries begin to stir due to vasts amounts of death. Max: quantum rating is 4, Quantum powers are limited to levels 1 & 2. After the war the Earths quantum energies begin to build slowly.

60's - present: durring the 60's the planets energies dramatically rise. this is in part due to the cross-dimensional migration of Solar. his crossing releases the combined energies of his ruined universe and ours. Quantum energies not seen since the days of the ancient gods are released, and notice is taken.

[Sidious]

Latent Novas

Latent Novas are people with The MR Node but it is only semi active. They have only a fraction of the power they would if they erupted. The way to create them is simple and pretty standard for making a nova. They, however, are extremely limited.

Character Creation:

 Attributes: 7/5/3

 Abilities: 21

 Quantum: 0

 Backgrounds:5

 Willpower: 3

 Freebie points: 21

 Nova points: 30

As you can see the character starts with No points in quantum and therefore no powers. It must be bought using freebie or Nova points.

Quantum & Power:

Latents are limited to a max of 3 points in quantum and a starting of 2 quantum. As such they can only use powers of level 2 and down. They also cannot use Mega-attributes. They may use the less powerful Hyper-attributes. Overt displays of Quantum power are also not allowed (Q-bolt and powers, which are flashy like that.) Powers are also limited to a maximum rating of 2, except Hyper-Attributes that may go up to 5

Freebie points:

 Attribute: 5/dot

 Abilities: 3/dot

 Quantum: 10/dot

 Backgrounds: 1/dot

 Willpower: 2/dot

Nova points:

 Attributes:

 Abilities:

 Quantum: 15/dot

 Level 1 power: 5/dot

 Level 2 power: 7/dot

 Hyper Attribute: 5/dot

 Enhancements: 3

 Backgrounds: 1/3 dots

 Willpower: 2 dots/ 1 point.

Flaw:

Latent Nova: 7 pts. you have the MR node but for some reason it hasn't errupted and with this flaw never will. it does allow you to manipulate quanta to a small degree however (see latent rules)

Hyper Attributes:

Hyper-Attributes is similar to Mega-Attributes but much less powerful. For every 2 dots in an attribute the nova may purchase 1 enhancement. No enhancements are provided initially and must be bought separately

The additional dots provided are only usable as extra dice and may not be used to reduce difficulties. These powers are meant mainly for Latent Novas, not fully erupted one.

Hyper-Attributes cost 5 nova point to buy, and [Current rating X 3] to increase. Enhancements cost 3 Nova Points to buy and 5 experience to purchase after character creation

[Sidious]

ok so how does this look? I've got Pax done, think superbully/goon. and Solar most of the way.

---------------------------------------------

Caestus Pax:

Str: 5 Cha: 3 Per: 4

Dex: 5 Man: 3 Int: 2

Sta: 5 App: 3 Wit: 3

Abilities:

Brawl: 5; Might: 5; Athletics: 4; Stealth: 2; Linguistics: 3; Bureaucracy: 3; Intimidation: 4; Command: 3

Background:

Node: 5; Rank: 4

Willpower: 7 Quantum: 6 Taint: 5

Powers:

Mega-strength: 5(crush, lifter, shockwave, and thunderclap); Mega-dexterity: 3(accuracy, enhanced movement, fast tasks, physical prodigy); Mega-stamina: 4(Adaptation, health, hard body, regeneration, resiliency); Mega-perception: 3(Em vision); Armor: 4; Flight: 5; Force Field: 3; Hyper-flight: 5; Invulnerability – Kinetic: 4; Invulnerability – Energy: 4; Quantum Bolt – eyes: 5

Aberrations: Bad Temper; Completely Hairless

(Yeah he’s 2d, 4 color. Deal.)

---------------------------------------------

Solar, Man of the Atom:

Str: 4 Cha: 3 Per: 5

Dex: 4 Man: 3 Int: 4

Sta: 5 App: 3 Wit: 5

Abilities:

Background:

Willpower: 6 Quantum: 8 Taint: 8

Powers:

Mega-dexterity: 3(Accuracy, Fine Manipulation); Mega-stamina: 5(Adaptability; Durability; Regeneration; Resiliency); Mega-perception: 5(Em Vision, High End EM Scan, Hyper-hearing, Quantum Attunement, Ultraperipheral Perception); Mega-intelligence: 3(Eidetic Memory, Mental Prodigy – Science, Taint Resistance); Mega-wits: 3(Multitasking); Absorption – Energy: 5; Claws: 3; Clone: 2; Cyberkinesis: 4; Density Control – full control: 5; Disintegration: 5; Flight: 5; Force Field: 5; Gravity Control: 5; Healing: 5; Hyper-flight: 5; Immobilize: 4; Invulnerability - energy: 5; Matter Creation: 5; Molecular Manipulation: 5; Quantum bolt – explosion, jet: 5; Quantum Conversion: 5; Teleport – Safe port, Combat port: 5; Temporal manipulation: 5; Warp: 5; Crosstime Travel: 3; Elemental Authority – energy: 5; Quantum Awareness: 4; Quantum Supremacy: 2;

Aberrations: feeding Requirement – energy; Phobia – repeating the mistake over; Flashbacks – the destruction of his old universe; Multiple personalities (clone); Uncontrollable power – Clone.

---------------------------------------------

[Jager]

Why introduce the "Latent Nova"? While the concept is interesting, in the long run it would be difficult to play as the novas became more powerful. Change the condition that the player could never erupt to erupts only when the storyteller says they can buy off the flaw. First the character would have to pony up the points to pay off 'Latency', and then they would have to wait for the ST to fit it into the story.

One thing about the world: How long before the inmates are running the asylum?

[Sidious]

well, in a normal game buying off the flaw as the novas get more and more powerful would be a good idea. But i'm currently limiting quantum over 5 to only a few individuals (npcs).(meaning no player will, at any point in time, have Q:6 or better, trust me, I know these people. this is a GOOD thing.)so the chances of Latent novas actually not being outstripped by the active novas is slim to marginal, plus it means they will have to think more (yes that is the down side to the flaw, players are required to think their way out of problems and not just let the quanta fly.)

the original idea behind the flaw was to allow for the more Batman type of hero. I took the JLA as a model when devoloping it. they have gods, aliens, immortals, and guys with rings that make their fondest wish come true. yet they are scared witless about the one guy without powers in their group that can compeat & beat at their level. Super-normal novas are nice but I prefer enhanced normals like this.

The hyper-atts i came up with to bridge the gap i see between Att 5 and mega 1. the difference between batman and say... captain america, it'd still be one close fight after all.

Another note is I'm not limiting players to one set mode of power. Like another post said paraphrased "manipulation of quantum is the same for everyone, it's just how it is percieved by the indiviual that limits the scope." Meaning yeah I have magic, hi-tech, Novas, Aliens, gods the whole gammut of comics. They all run on quantum but how the use it, change it, manipulate it it's totally different. Would you expect a non-human alien to have a M-R node? no, so how do they do it? don't ask me. I just build the worlds.

as to the inmates.......bah-weep-grahna-weep-nini-boing. or that the inmates are running the show. it's the guards that are locked up. Now where the hell are my little white pills.

[This message has been edited by Sidious (edited 07-23-2001).]