Aberrant RPG - Storytelling Help

[Ammonites]

I have a couple questions for those of you who have run games before.

1. How do you handle someone's turn who plays a nova with Clone?

2. Do they all share the same initiative? It is even worse when they have the extra to create 20+ clones.

3. Any general tips to speed up combat?

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

1) Unless they were created recently or are obviously taking orders, all Clones will probably decide to do the same thing.

2) Yes.

3) Mostly this isn't needed. Abby combat tends to be brutal and short.

RE: Clone

Keep in mind they all share the same q-pool, and the same node.

[Neil Preston]

1) I usually ran the Clones as NPC's unless they were somehow mentally linked. Try to keep it in the spirit of their creator and have them follow any orders that seem reasonable. I also didn't have clones be suicidal (unless the character creating them was). For the duration, they are lifeforms with their own (shared) identity.

2) Different initiatives. Not that a Q:6+ game is very different. Also remember the shared node and q-pool.

3) Combat against novas is usually fast and deadly. Combat against extras was usually handled cinemaically, not through dice rolls.

[Sphere]

After many years of walking in the wilderness I return!

But only to mention that, even with mental communication, the clones are still under GM control (effectively NPCs that do whatever the PC says). So I'd say that the clones act at least a couple of levels of Initiative after their creator as he relays commands to them.

[Hutch]

Remember though that the Clones can think; they do have an intelligence score . Most likely they will act in the general best interests of the Original Nova unless he gives specific directions to do something else.

I take a page out of Mutants and Masterminds when working with massive ammounts of characters (Clones or not). That is, the majority of the clones will be doing aid type actions. In M&M there is a specific mechanic for that but I don't remember off hand if Abbie has rules like that.

Still a bunch of Clones swarming, flanking, backstabbing, tripping and just generally getting in the way of an opponent is quite useful. It can also be quite confusing. How's the opponent going to know he hit the Original Nova when there are 20 + copies on the field?

[Sovereign]

I realize that not all of you, if any, play the d20 version of Aberrant.

However in that version of the rules the Nova in question is limited by level as to how many clones he or she may create. The maximum allowed by the power, barring homerules for epic level campaigns [level 20+], is 5 clones.

This means that the character can only have 6 simultaneous "turns" as it were. That also means combat doesn't get bogged down too much.

Hope that helps a lil bit.

[Blue Thunder]

I know this doesn't answer any questions, but I just wanted to add this in...

Clones + Mega-Strength + Mega-Dexterity + Mega-Stamina + Mega-Wits = Awesome

Basically, you create a mini-army of Agent Smiths.

And if you have powers like Armor, Invulnerability, or Psychic Shield they're always considered permanent and all go to your clones. They cost no quantum, making the strain of a shared pool less. Then you can concentrate on spending your q-pool on Mega-Attribute enhancements or powers like Flight and Quantum Bolt.

As for how the clones will act, that all depends on the character's concept. Some clones may act exactly like the nova personality-wise. Some clones may act more like subservient robotic version of the nova that obey his every word. Some clones may come out looking slightly different to help tell them apart (like different skin color, hair style, or clothing).

And then you have to decide if when you make clones, you always make new ones or if you bring old ones back. Do the clones have names and remember everything that happened since the last time they were summoned?

With a character I created, his clones each have personalities of their own that reflect the personality of the nova. One is quiet and calculating, one is an attention hog and party animal, one has temper problems, and so on.