New Aeonverse Game Idea: The Argonauts

[Kazuo]

I've been thinking about running a game now for a while, and I thought I'd go ahead and put this idea out there and see if there's any interest.

The basic idea was to run a game that fully acknowledges the past from which the world of Aberrant comes - that past, for those who aren't sure what I'm talking about, is the world that was presented in the Adventure! RPG setting.

In other words, a game that takes into account the fact that, once upon a time, heroes explored hidden worlds under the Amazonian rain forest, treated with tribes of intelligent and scientifically advanced gorillas in the jungles of Africa, and battled mad barons of the sky, nefarious kingpins of crime, and vampires in the Borgo pass. A game that takes into account that the Aeon Society was founded by a man who not only had a vision for the future, but who had actually seen the future with his own two eyes! That takes into account the fact that novas really have been around since before (long before) the Galatea explosion - along with one, possibly two other varieties of superhumans, and that these beings have been operating behind the scenes of the Aberrant world for more than a century.

Essentially, this would be a game that takes place smack in the middle of the Aeonverse continuity, and that not only takes into account where that universe will be going (which, arguably, is something that most Aberrant games do), but also where it has been and how that past has impacted the present day and in what ways it might impact the future.

For those of you familiar with it, this game will have a lot in common with the Planetary comic book series. For those of you who aren't familiar with the series (and are too lazy to click the link), Planetary follows the exploits of a group of superhuman "archeologists" as they attempt to uncover the "secret history" of the 20th century. Like the world in Planetary, the world of Aberrant also has a secret history. A history that has deeply influenced the current and future fate of novas and psions alike, but a history that has been so effectively swept under the rug that it almost might never have existed at all.

How would you like to play in a game where you get to dig that secret history back up, and uncover a host of other secrets and mysteries besides?

The game would take place in the modern day (the year 2010) Aberrant setting, with only a very few - mostly behind-the-scenes - modifications or additions to the canon timeline. The characters would be recent recruits working directly for the Aeon Society, as part of the ultra-secret and ultra-mysterious "Project Prometheus", a group so far off the books they make Proteus look positively annotated. As part of Project Prometheus, the characters would form a field team that I am currently calling The Argonauts, and their stated mission would be to investigate anything "strange, mysterious, or unexplained", anywhere in the world such things might occur.

A small village deep in the forests of inner Bulgaria goes incommunicado. People who go in to try and reestablish contact never come back out again. Local police, regional authorities, military teams, and finally even Project Utopia Team Tomorrow personnel: they all go in - and vanish. Local baseline "sensitives" and Utopian and Directive nova psychics alike all begin reporting strange, apocalyptic visions and mysterious "emanations" coming from where the village should be. Bulgarian and UN military now have the surrounding area quarantined and locked down and so far the local and international media have been successfully shut out of the story, but no one knows what to do, they know the story's going to get out soon, and even worse - the mysterious area of effect seems to be growing. What now? Send in Pax to tear the place up and hope he doesn't vanish as well? Firebomb the whole place and then try to forget all about it?

Possibly. But first you and your team, The Argonauts, get sent in to investigate - and probably save the day while you're at it. Not that the world at large will ever know it - if the story ever does get out, it'll be those Utopian klutzes who get all the credit. But you'll know better. You'll know what really happened.

What has caused an entire village to vanish? Why does everyone who ventures into the surrounding woods - including highly trained Utopian novas - vanish as well? What is the source of the strange and ominous visions that nova psychics and precogs throughout the region are experiencing? Why are you standing around asking questions? Get in there and find out!

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

Players would get to choose between playing a nova, a psion (actually a psiad), or a daredevil.

Yes, you read that right. Inspired, novas and psions, all working side by side in one game, as part of the same team.

Only Daredevils would be available from the list of Inspired-style characters, since Mesmerists are really just Psions and Stalwarts are really just Novas. Psion characters will actually be Psiad characters, and will use the slight modifications to their abilities and limitations that are presented in the Aberrant: APG. Novas will work as they always have. Most likely, psiads and daredevils will receive a slight boost over novas in starting points, to help offset the obvious disparity in power.

So, does this sound interesting? Any takers?

Once I know whether or not this idea is likely to even get off the ground I'll start putting up actual rules, chargen stuff, and setting info. For now I'd just like to know what folks think and if they're interested.

Ok then, discuss.

[Dawn OOC]

Taker!

[Stargaizer]

starting np's for the novas?

color me intrigued... but possibly stretched thin enough.

[Sonja Bahaar]

I'm such a sucker. Have very little knowledge of Adventure, barely remember Planetary, in more than enough games already, and I'm still interested. Plus, possibility of dropping kicking rhinos across the Grand Canyon -

Yeah, that's right, I like Jakita. Big shock, I know, but there it is.

[Kazuo]

Stargaizer: Higher than starting level.

I'd love to give you a straight answer on that right now, but I'm debating using a mix of starting points and a pool of experience points. My thinking is that this will help increase the starting capabilities of the Inspired and Psiad characters, but I'm still tinkering with this.

Assuming that I do go with just starting Nova Points? 50. Which, I realize, might seem a bit high, considering that they'll be operating alongside of the noticeably weaker psiads and daredevils, but I have thoughts on that, too. If it turns out that I really do need to reign the novas in a bit, then expect that number to drop to the 35-40 range.

In any case, that should give you an idea of the power-level this game will be operating at.

Please note: I am not planning on beginning this game until late August at the earliest, early September at the latest. So please don't feel that there's any rush to start whipping out character sheets or backgrounds yet. I'd like us to take some time to discuss options, ask questions, etc. And, once I've started putting up specific rules and setting stuff, it will also give you guys lots of time to put together well-crafted characters with, hopefully, lots of ties to both the game world and to each other.

Something for everyone to bear in mind, since I'm thinking about this. Both psiads and daredevils will have strengths that novas have no access to, and have a lot to bring to the table. In general, psiad abilities, while weaker than nova abilities, are much more variable and versatile within their specific areas of influence. And daredevils have Dramatic Editing, which more or less makes up for whatever else they lack, if used correctly.

Also, I do mean psiads, as in the so-called "proto-psions" that are elaborated on in the Aberrant Player's Guide. We will be using the Trinity rules presented there for them (not the adapted, "here's how you create a psion using nova points" rules). If anyone doesn't have the Player's Guide, but is interested in playing a Psion, please let me know and I'll be happy to explain the differences.

[BlueNinja]

I'm assuming by the Psiad rules you mean the box in the APG on page 61?

Can a Daredevil take the Psi Sink (I think that's the right name) merit from the Trinity PG? Or a comparable version for quantum? For that matter, can Daredevils take Merits/Flaws at all, since there is no official Adventure! list? (the one I wrote on Eon is as close as I've seen)

Which set of backgrounds is considered 'default' since all of the games have different backgrounds? Can I steal Azura (or any other Inspired creature from a 5-dot Menagerie )? Will psiads have biotech weapons? How about gadgets and super-science? (Especially since 1-3 point gadgets are awesome for anybody, if background mixing is authorized)

Will Appearance be done the Adventure! way (more dots = more noticable) or the Abby way (more dots = more beautiful)? Will we run with Virtue/Vice or with Concept/Nature?

[Mel Grimson]

I liked this idea Cent, but my fear is that daredevils are ultimately underpowered compared to psiads or novas. If we can discuss this, then I'd be happy to go daredevil. The reason this is an issue is because I want to reboot Mel again, and daredevil seems the most thematically appropriate char concept. If worst comes to worst, I will play him as a daredevil even if he's outmatched.

Here are my issues:

1. Thin Knack list

2. Mega-Attributes, Quantum Powers, and Aptitudes can handle many situations more effectively and are very versatile.

Since we have time for this, I'm sure we can discuss the daredevils and how to make them effective.

Jeremy.

[Kazuo]

BN: You asked a lot of really great questions there, and I promise I'll answer all of them, but right now I'm a little short on time, so I'm just going to address a few of Mel's questions/points real quick, and then come back to this again later today.

Mel: The knack list is a bit thin, and I have no problems with discussing fan-made additions to that list, provided they stick to the spirit of the canon list.

Having said that, you should realize that Daredevils - even within the Adventure! setting - were no match, in terms of raw power, for the other two varieties of superhumans. Their strengths lie in their versatility (and they are very versatile) and the extremely low cost of using and purchasing their knacks (lower xp costs, overall, and none of them even require the expenditure of Inspiration points to use). This frees them up to make extensive use of the Dramatic Editing system explained later in the book. Proper use of Dramatic Editing should allow a Daredevil to succeed and survive in situations that even a nova might find challenging.

Beyond all of that, some of the Daredevil knacks are really stinkin' great. A Daredevil pilot or getaway driver is virtually unstoppable. An Instant Expert can keep up with or exceed the abilities of many novas when it comes to simply "getting the job done". With Untouchable, even novas with high Mega-Dex are going to be impressed with the Daredevil's ability to escape harm in violently chaotic situations.

There really is a lot to commend them already. But, seriously, if your goal is to make a Daredevil who can go toe-to-toe with a nova or a psiad in a fistfight, I don't really think I can help you. That's not what they were designed for, even in the original game environment.

[Mel Grimson]

Not suggesting that. Maybe I need more time to really ingrain the system into my mind, but it seems to me that Dramatic Editing and the knacks are NOT as versatile as you say they are.

Anyway, I'm choosing daredevil because I don't see MG as a nova or psion. This is ultimately a character-based choice, I assure you.

And yes, some knacks are really great. Complete Privacy is FTW.

Let's talk by PM about the Knacks/Dramatic Editing, and perhaps my head can get tuned to the right understanding.

[Dawn OOC]

Originally Posted By: Mel Ganker

Let's talk by PM about the Knacks/Dramatic Editing, and perhaps my head can get tuned to the right understanding.

Actually, if these are 'how do they work' questions, I'd love to see those conversations. I have a character type in mind, which I know how to build in Abby, but not a clue in Adventure or Trinity. Any instruction or even advice that someone could give would help me a lot. Could you post the questions publically (at least those questions that aren't going to give away character secrets)?

[Dave ST]

Why play anything but a nova? A nova can handle any social/mental/physical situation (often with no resistance) and their powers cover any physical/mental/social situation. With damage and soak scores ten times (literally in some cases) better, instant travel, weather control, etc...

I don't see a use for any other sort of PC. I'm not kickin' ya in the balls Kaz, I think this is a great idea, but you're the math guy here. Surely you have to see the statistical variances that will always favor the nova over any other kind of PC in a Trinity Universe game.

[BlueNinja]

Two of the Psion power groups come to mind that are more useful than Abby powers: Clairsentience and Warping. Even with the extra for x1000 range, no nova can go looking at other star systems short of Mastery 2 or higher. Without at least Mastery, reaching another star system is difficult at best, and a 5 dot Warp still can't fit a starship through it. Any other comparison between Psiads and Novas, I'll agree with Rev.

As for Daredevils, one of their biggest advantages is that they appear to be 100% completely normal. Their Knacks all function in such a way to be complete, absurd, luck, that yet is virtually impossible to overcome.

Now, where both Daredevils and Psaids cannot compete is on the combat side of the house. No Daredevil build that I can think of could match a M-Strength 3 punch, let alone a maxed out Q-bolt. For the Psiads, any kind of VARG would have to be custom-built, probably along the lines of a gadget, and likewise with Daredevil's pulpy-stuff.

Cent: I wasn't trying to jump on you, but I've had the idea before and those were things that came to mind that I never got around to answering myself. Feel free to Lobachevsky anything I've posted on Eon if it'll help.

[Mel Grimson]

Perhaps in the combat field in general is a nova's place. On the other hand, there is the interesting possibility of skills and boosted tricks that Daredevils can use to overwhelm novas.

Lobachevsky for you, BN:

http://www.eononline.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2572

[Kazuo]

Ok, strap yourselves in, kiddies. This one's a beast.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

I'm assuming by the Psiad rules you mean the box in the APG on page 61?

I do, indeed.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Can a Daredevil take the Psi Sink (I think that's the right name) merit from the Trinity PG? Or a comparable version for quantum? For that matter, can Daredevils take Merits/Flaws at all, since there is no official Adventure! list? (the one I wrote on Eon is as close as I've seen)

Re:Psi Sink: This merit is fine for Daredevils, yes. If someone can come up with a fair and balanced version for use against Quantum, that would be fine as well (I suppose you could just replace the word "Psi" with the word "Quantum" and that would do it...).

Re: Daredevils and Merits/Flaws in general: Yeah, they can take them. If I have to, I can put up a list of appropriate merits/flaws for Daredevils, but it should be pretty obvious which ones aren't.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Which set of backgrounds is considered 'default' since all of the games have different backgrounds?

Re: Backgrounds: The following is a list of the Backgrounds I intend to allow (at least in theory, any background requires a good reason for its presence on a character sheet, so this isn't a carte blanche to grab whatever you like for your character):

Backgrounds:

Allies (found in all three)

Attunement (Aberrant, novas only)

Cipher (found in all three)

Clearance (Trinity PG, pg. 125)

Contacts (found in all three)

Dormancy (Aberrant, novas only)

Devices/Equipment (Trinity, pg. 188, Aberrant: The Directive, pg. 53-54)

Eufiber (Aberrant, novas only)

Followers (found in all three)

Gadget (Adventure!, pg. 146)

Identity (Trinity PG, pg. 125)

Influence (found in all three)

Menagerie (Adventure!, pg. 147)

Mentor (found in all three)

Nemesis (Adventure!, pg. 148)

Node (Aberrant, novas only)

Reputation (Adventure!, pg. 148)

Resources (found in all three - but use the Aberrant system)

Sanctum (Adventure!, pg. 149)

Status/Backing (found in all three)

Background Enhancements:

Artifact (Adventure!, pg.149-150)

Enigma (Adventure!, pg. 150)

In Charge (Adventure!, pg.150)

Kingpin (Adventure!, pg. 150)

Legions (Adventure!, pg. 150)

Renown (Adventure!, pg.150-151)

Sanctum Sanctorum (Adventure!, pg.151)

Wealth Beyond Avarice (Adventure!, pg.151)

It should be obvious at a casual glance that some of these are touchy and will require a dialogue between myself and the player who wants them. The list of these includes (but is not limited to): Clearance, Devices/Equipment, Followers, Gadget (this one's a biggie), Identity, Menagerie, Nemesis (also a biggie), Sanctum, and Status. All of the Background Enhancements will require significant discussion between you and me, and I make no guarantees that anyone will get approval for any of them. They're there in case one or more of you comes up with a truly brilliant idea that I would never have thought of and that requires a Background Enhancement to pull off.

Particularly appropriate Backgrounds for a game like this include: Cipher, Clearance, Contacts, Identity and Resources - and more or less in that order, too.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Can I steal Azura (or any other Inspired creature from a 5-dot Menagerie )? Will psiads have biotech weapons? How about gadgets and super-science? (Especially since 1-3 point gadgets are awesome for anybody, if background mixing is authorized)

Re: Menagerie: As I mentioned above, this one's touchy. It's definitely possible to have an "above-average" animal, but in general it's not really appropriate - or more importantly, necessary - in a game like this. This will be a game that mixes elements of Sherlock Holmes stories and James Bond movies. Lassie would just be a distraction, and probably an unwelcome one at that. I've left the background in the list for the same reason I'm leaving the BG Enhancements - on the off-chance one of you comes up with a really stinkin' awesome idea that I never would have thought of.

But if a Lassie-style dog or a really annoying talking bird is the best idea you've got, don't bother submitting it with your char-background, ok?

Re: Biotech Weapons: It's difficult for me to imagine a good explanation for this, so I'm doubtful. But it's not entirely of the question. Bear in mind that advanced technology like this (it is the year 2010, remember) will be difficult to maintain, prone to being buggy, and downright primitive in comparison to what's available in the Trinity Era. If you think you've got a good idea involving this, submit it. But I make no promises.

Re: Gadgets: Also a bit touchy. I'm allowing it for all classes, but as a general rule I'm not going to be fond of particularly outlandish gadgets/artifacts. Also, simply for reasons of game-balance, I'm not allowing Psiads or Novas to take any Gadgets that mimic Adventure! knacks (though Daredevils are still allowed to).

Another thing about Gadgets (and this mostly applies to those of you who are thinking of playing Novas or Psiads): please bear in mind what kind of game this is, ok? Porting the Gadget rules over to the Aberrant setting means you could potentially craft yourself a really kickass BFG or railgun, but that doesn't mean it's even remotely appropriate. This isn't an Elites game, so please, no tricked-out Ultra-machineguns or customized VTOL Super Fighter Jets, alright?

One possibility I am open to is that of low-level cyber- or bio-enhancements for your character that provide a few of the Medical Advancements given in the Adventure! book. This is particularly suitable for Daredevils, not entirely out of the question for Psiads (perhaps as a beta-test bioapp?), but generally a good sign of twinkery if used with novas.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Will Appearance be done the Adventure! way (more dots = more noticable) or the Abby way (more dots = more beautiful)? Will we run with Virtue/Vice or with Concept/Nature?

Re: Appearance: The Adventure! way.

Re: Virtue/Vice system: We will not be using this, no.

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

Why play anything but a nova? A nova can handle any social/mental/physical situation (often with no resistance) and their powers cover any physical/mental/social situation. With damage and soak scores ten times (literally in some cases) better, instant travel, weather control, etc...

I don't see a use for any other sort of PC. I'm not kickin' ya in the balls Kaz, I think this is a great idea, but you're the math guy here. Surely you have to see the statistical variances that will always favor the nova over any other kind of PC in a Trinity Universe game.

Actually, novas don't generally enjoy the "no resistance" privilege that Scions seem to get a lot of. The majority of social mega-att effects can be negated through the expenditure of a Willpower point.

Having said that, there is simply no denying that novas are the powerhouses of the Aeonverse. That's the plain and simple truth, and there is no getting around it. So if you'd like to play a Daredevil or a Psion, you should probably get used to the fact that your character will never be as fast, strong, or tough as the nova next to you - and they're probably not going to be as good-looking, charming, or witty, either.

However, let me be real clear on something right now. I will be working very hard to make this game as much for everyone as I possibly can, no matter what sort of superhuman you've chosen to play and no matter what kind of concept you've gone with for your character. I can consider one of the primary responsibilities of any ST/DM/GM/Guy-Running-an-RPG to be making absolutely sure that every single PC in his/her game is getting real, regular use out of their character and out of that character's abilities/powers (wow, that was a lot of backslashes). STs who don't put this right up at the top of their list of things to do each chapter are not, IMO, doing their jobs.

Now, as to the math side of things, I plan on making a few modifications to the rules, particularly in regards to Psiads, who are otherwise a bit on the screwed side.

If you want to play a Daredevil, understand that while the Heroic Knacks offer your character some distinct and considerable advantages, your main weapon in staying alive and being extra-useful in the game will be Dramatic Editing, which no other player-class will have access to. Dramatic Editing is an incredibly powerful tool, and while it will never make your Daredevil as strong, fast, tough, smart, good-looking, or awe-inspiringly powerful as either novas or psiads, it will make your Daredevil insanely useful to the party as a whole, if you use it correctly.

If you would like to play a Psiad, here's a few things to bear in mind:

A) Psiads are not Psions. You will not be limited to a single Aptitude. Psiads choose a primary category of Aptitudes (i.e. Biological, which is both Biokinesis and Vitakinesis), and then consider all others to be "secondary" (not auxiliary) Aptitudes. This means that every Psiad has access to every Aptitude and Mode in Trinity (with the exception of Quantakinesis). Their only real limitation is that they're also limited to no more than four dots in their Primary Aptitudes, and three dots in their Secondary Aptitudes.

Moreover, it's worth noting that several of the Modes - particularly those within Clairsentience, Telepathy, Vitakinesis and Electrokinesis - are often more versatile and, in some cases, simply better than what is available to novas.

Re: Rules Changes: Honestly, I haven't finalized all of these yet, but a few things I'm considering are as follows:

For Daredevils: Heroic Knacks like Enhanced Impact, Fists of Stone and Universally Deadly will probably all receive some boost to their effects and functionality (for instance, Enhanced Impact will likely now add damage dice based on how far back the victim is knocked). Also, I'm not going to be limiting players to an Inspiration of 5 at game start, which means more Inspiration points to spend, as well as larger sizes for each of the three Inspiration Facets (and a concomitant increase to the benefits that each provides).

For Psiads: In the APG it already mentions that Psions/Psiads may add their Psi score to their soak ratings when dealing with nova powers, and that will be in effect in this game. Furthermore, at this point I am considering all Psiad powers to be the equivalent of Piercing against any appropriate defenses when used against Novas. I am also considering boosting the potential size of a Psiad's dice pool when using Psi powers. TBH, limiting the dice pool to "Psi" was never a very good idea. Right now, my thought is to increase the dice pool sizes to be (Psi + Mode Rating), but that may change, depending how this works out in my practice test-runs.

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

Ok, I don't know if that answers all of those questions to everyone's satisfaction, but hopefully it does a decent job of it, at least.

Now, here's some more stuff for your perusal:

General Mechanics:

Time: As Aberrant

Actions: As Aberrant

Movement: As Adventure!:

Walk: Dexterity + 2m

Run: Dexterity + 12m

Sprint: (3 x Dexterity) + 20m

Trait Ratings: Normally rated one through five. High-powered aberrant can exceed this maximum for Attributes, going all the way up to ten. Anyone can take Mastery in any Ability (maximum of 3 total), with costs as given in Adventure!

Rolling Dice and Dice Pools: As Aberrant

Default Traits: As Aberrant; use the parent Attribute as the dice pool, no inherent penalty for this.

Personality Traits: Each work as designated in the game system from which they originate.

Success and Failure: As Aberrant

Complications: As Aberrant

Botches: As Trinity (total number of 1’s rolled on a Botch affect degree of botch in the same way as total successes affect degree of success)

Automatic Success: Standard; a dice pool totaling 7 or larger automatically succeeds at standard tasks outside of stressful situations, such as combat

Difficulty: As Aberrant

Extended Actions: As Aberrant

Multiple Actions: As Aberrant

Resisted Actions: As Aberrant

Teamwork: As Aberrant

Second Chances: As Aberrant

Knacks/Modes/Powers: As listed in their respective books

Character Creation:

Attributes: 7/5/3

Abilities: 23 (none higher than 3 at before BP or NP are spent)

Backgrounds: 7

Initial Willpower (novas/daredevils/psiads): 3/3/5

Starting Quantum: 1

Starting Inspiration: 1

Starting Psi: ([stamina + Wits + Charisma]/2, rounded up)

Initiative: Dexterity + Wits

(I haven't quite settled on starting BPs, NPs, etc)

Bonus Point Costs:

Attribute: 5

Ability: 2

Specialty: 1 (max of 3 per Ability)

Background: 1

Willpower: 2

Quantum: 7

Psi: 5

Primary Aptitude: 4

Secondary Aptitude: 5

Initiative: 1

Nova Point Costs:

Mega-Attribute: 3

Enhancement: 3

Quantum: 5 (max of 5 at this time)

L1 Power: 1

L2 Power: 3

L3 Power: 5

2 Quantum Points (Pool): 1

3 Attribute Dots: 1

6 Ability Dots: 1

Ability Mastery: 1 (max 3 Abilities, total)

5 Background Dots: 1

Background Enhancement: 2

Willpower Dot: 1

Transformation Point Costs:

2 Attribute Dots: 1

5 Ability Dots: 1

Ability Mastery: 1 (max 3 Abilities, total)

4 Background Dots: 1

Background Enhancement: 2

2 Willpower Dots: 1

Inspiration Dot: 1 (max 5 at this time (maybe higher?))

3 Inspiration Points to Pool: 1 (no limit)

Knack, Heroic: 2

Experience Point Costs:

Attribute: current x 4

Ability: current x 2

Background: current x 2

Mega-Attribute: current x 5

L1 Power: current x 3

L2 Power: current x 5

L3 Power: current x 7

Primary Aptitude: current x 5

Secondary Aptitude: current x 7

Willpower: current rating

Inspiration: current x 6

Quantum: current x 8

Psi: current x 6

Quantum Pool: 3 per dot

Initiative: current rating

New Ability: 3

Specialty: 1 (max 3 per ability)

Ability Mastery: 12 (max 3, total)

New Background: 2

Background Enhancement: 12

Knack, Heroic: 10

Enhancement: 5

New Mega-Attribute: 6

New L1 Power: 3

New L2 Power: 6

New L3 Power: 9

Primary Aptitude: 6

Secondary Aptitude: 9

[BlueNinja]

Originally Posted By: Kazuo

Ok, strap yourselves in, kiddies. This one's a beast.

w00t!

Quote:

Re:Psi Sink: This merit is fine for Daredevils, yes. If someone can come up with a fair and balanced version for use against Quantum, that would be fine as well (I suppose you could just replace the word "Psi" with the word "Quantum" and that would do it...).

Given that we're in the middle of the Nova age, Psi Sink should be somewhat cheaper (5 pts, I think) and a matching version for Quantum is going to be wickedly useful at 7 pts.

Quote:

Re: Biotech Weapons: It's difficult for me to imagine a good explanation for this, so I'm doubtful. But it's not entirely of the question. Bear in mind that advanced technology like this (it is the year 2010, remember) will be difficult to maintain, prone to being buggy, and downright primitive in comparison to what's available in the Trinity Era. If you think you've got a good idea involving this, submit it. But I make no promises.

Got it.

Quote:

Re: Gadgets: Also a bit touchy. I'm allowing it for all classes, but as a general rule I'm not going to be fond of particularly outlandish gadgets/artifacts. Also, simply for reasons of game-balance, I'm not allowing Psiads or Novas to take any Gadgets that mimic Adventure! knacks (though Daredevils are still allowed to).

I wasn't thinking of the power-duplicating ones, but rather just souped-up items, like super guns, cufflink computers, or a Bond-style submarine-car - all of those could be a 1-3 dot Gadget and valid for any PC type.

Quote:

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Will Appearance be done the Adventure! way (more dots = more noticable) or the Abby way (more dots = more beautiful)? Will we run with Virtue/Vice or with Concept/Nature?

Re: Appearance: The Adventure! way.

Re: Virtue/Vice system: We will not be using this, no.

Why not? IMO, the Virtue/Vice works slightly better than the Concept/Nature of Abby.

Quote:

Now, here's some more stuff for your perusal:

General Mechanics:
Trait Ratings: Normally rated one through five. High-powered aberrant can exceed this maximum for Attributes, going all the way up to ten. Anyone can take Mastery in any Ability (maximum of 3 total), with costs as given in Adventure!

I'm assuming that by 'going up to ten' you mean Att5+M-Att5. Or you're really nerfing the novas to make the game more balanced.

Quote:

Botches: As Trinity (total number of 1’s rolled on a Botch affect degree of botch in the same way as total successes affect degree of success)

I thought this was standard for all of the games. At least, that's how I've always seen it used.

Quote:

Automatic Success: Standard; a dice pool totaling 7 or larger automatically succeeds at standard tasks outside of stressful situations, such as combat

Likewise, I've almost never seen this rule ever used. Though that's because players generally want better successes from rolling the dice.

If anyone can take Ability Mastery and Background Enhancements, how do Psiads pay for it, since Daredevils have to buy them with Transformation points? Or would those they have to wait and purchase them with XP?

[Kazuo]

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Given that we're in the middle of the Nova age, Psi Sink should be somewhat cheaper (5 pts, I think) and a matching version for Quantum is going to be wickedly useful at 7 pts.

That's not a bad point...

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

I wasn't thinking of the power-duplicating ones, but rather just souped-up items, like super guns, cufflink computers, or a Bond-style submarine-car - all of those could be a 1-3 dot Gadget and valid for any PC type.

In answer to that, I'll just requote myself:

Click to reveal.. (Kazuo on Gadgets)

Re: Gadgets: Also a bit touchy. I'm allowing it for all classes, but as a general rule I'm not going to be fond of particularly outlandish gadgets/artifacts. Also, simply for reasons of game-balance, I'm not allowing Psiads or Novas to take any Gadgets that mimic Adventure! knacks (though Daredevils are still allowed to).

Another thing about Gadgets (and this mostly applies to those of you who are thinking of playing Novas or Psiads): please bear in mind what kind of game this is, ok? Porting the Gadget rules over to the Aberrant setting means you could potentially craft yourself a really kickass BFG or railgun, but that doesn't mean it's even remotely appropriate. This isn't an Elites game, so please, no tricked-out Ultra-machineguns or customized VTOL Super Fighter Jets, alright?

One possibility I am open to is that of low-level cyber- or bio-enhancements for your character that provide a few of the Medical Advancements given in the Adventure! book. This is particularly suitable for Daredevils, not entirely out of the question for Psiads (perhaps as a beta-test bioapp?), but generally a good sign of twinkery if used with novas.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Why not? IMO, the Virtue/Vice works slightly better than the Concept/Nature of Abby.

Because there's already enough new stuff going into this game, and I didn't want to add yet another new element to the game for those who aren't familiar with the A! system. If everyone would like to use the Virtue/Vice system, I'll be happy to switch to it, but I felt that the generic system would be best - or at least, simplest.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

I'm assuming that by 'going up to ten' you mean Att5+M-Att5. Or you're really nerfing the novas to make the game more balanced.

I'm referring to the fact that Novas with Quantum ratings higher than 5 can have Attributes, Mega-Attributes and Powers rated higher than 5. PCs will be limited to a cap of 5 at game start, so this isn't really a very important point, but I mentioned it anyway.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

If anyone can take Ability Mastery and Background Enhancements, how do Novas/Psiads pay for it, since Daredevils have to buy them with Transformation points? Or would those two classes have to wait and purchase them with XP?

Novas and Psiads pay for it as I indicated in my charts. Novas can purchase it with their NPs or with Experience. Psiads don't really get the equivalent of Inspiration or Nova points, so they're limited to using Experience (though this is another thing I'm considering changing for Psiads - either they will get something similar to Nova Points, or I'll just give them a hefty boost of starting Bonus and Experience Points).

[BlueNinja]

Character concept (Nova):

Michal Wesson was born on Saturday, October 14th, at 5:33 in the morning. (He is greatly disappointed by the fact that he was six hours too late to be born on a Friday the 13th.) His name was originally supposed to be ‘Michael’ except that his father was so drunk he left out a letter on the birth certificate. He pronounces his name ‘Mik-ul’, similar to the US $.05 coin. He is the only child of Marcus Wesson and Marissa O’Toole. His father Marcus, is a barely functioning alcoholic who somehow manages to run one of the largest construction businesses in Illinois. His mother, before her death in a drunk driving accident, was a paralegal. His mother died when Michal was five, driving home from a party with his father in the backseat, when their car was struck by a drunk driver. Both sets of grandparents had died by the time he graduated college, and taking the trust funds from each side of the family as well as a decently-sized scholarship, Michal left Illinois, transferring to UC Berkley. During finals week of his freshman year, Michal erupted when his roommate spilled a bottle of Jack Daniels on his stack of term papers. With a tornado of books, papers, furniture, and the occasional vehicle, Michal chased his roommate halfway across campus before passing out. Thanks to his massive intelligence, he’s been recruited by the Aeon society. While most of his little time with them has been spent in the lab, he’s quite keen to take on some field work. His father, Marcus, has been using his construction business for the last few years as a money laundering front for the Church of Michael Archangel. While Marcus is basically a coward, and not taking part in any of the more public or violent events that CoMA arranges, he’s quite adept at using his construction sites as temporary hideaways, and ‘unexpected cost overruns’ and ‘petty vandalism and theft’ to channel money to the terrorists. Since Michal’s eruption, his father has been thinking of ways to redirect some hit squad towards his son.

[Mel Grimson]

Character Concept: Mel Grimson alias Mel Ganker (Daredevil)

Appearance: Mel is 5'8, 200 lbs. Though he does not appear a bodybuilder, his muscles are like solid metal and his brutal strength rivals Olympic competitors. His ruddy skin, short red hair and menacing brown eyes combine to inspire unease and spell trouble for people. He is a steely born survivor as also comes off as such.

History/Timeline:

April 14, 1970: Mel Grimson is born to poor white parents, Matthew Grimson and Melicia Grimson in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Childhood through Teenage Years, circa 1986: Matthew Grimson is a local mob enforcer, anti-Semitic, a rabid Daley and Democratic supporter. He is quick and harsh with his hand and words at times, but the family holds together. His maxim of fortitude and ruthlessness that Mel carries for the rest of his life is: "It's a damn hard world. Do whatever you gotta do to survive and smash the bastards. Don't fuck a woman if she doesn't want you to though. That's a coward's way." Mel takes to it and soon is smashing doors and shaking up the stingy with his father.

May 2, 1986- Caught fighting a close but failing battle against four Latino gang members, Mel is nearly down, but relentlessly exhorting himself to win. Knocked down at last, a last minute mental plea to himself brings a surge of adrenaline through his body, and his next kick from the ground sends the leader flying. The gangbanger following him trips over a brick and falls to the ground. During the rest of the fight, Mel has skill, strength and mysterious luck on his side, allowing him to win, then stagger home.

1986-1997: Mel becomes a trouble-shooter for hire for organized crime across the Northeastern US, and developing his skills and Inspiration, becomes a reputable criminal between mob bosses and hired goons. His mental will, strength, luck and tricks become near-legendary, and are sometimes compared to novas when they emerge. The alias Mel Ganker, used for criminal work, enhances his reputation through blunt menace. About 1990, in the early days of the Nova Age, Mel Grimson takes a long-term position with the Camparelli Mob Syndicate.

1991: Mel meets an older woman, widowed Cecilia Janet, and the two fall in love, they live together in New York City as companions until January 21, 1997.

January 21, 1997: Mel receives word that two thugs whose friend was killed by him are searching for him, vengeance on their minds. Mel goes into brief hiding and evades them, but they discover his home and turn their wrath on Cecilia. Though they are later arrested by authorities, Mel is grief-stricken over his girlfriend's death and leaves the syndicate, and his criminal life behind.

1997- July 2010: Mel takes the legitimate killer for hire route, and is employed by Blackwater, then after it folds, later DeVries as a mercenary for theaters of operation where novas are too expensive for the client's means.

June 30, 2009: Operating in a campaign against a warlord in the deserts of the Middle East, Mel is separated from his unit and nearly falls prey to the dangers of the heat and starvation. He is rescued by, to his surprise, a tribe of intelligent and advanced gorillas, who succor him as a guest for a few days. Enkidu the Younger, a venerable elder gorilla whose father once applied to join the Aeon Society for Gentleman, is a generous host and teaches Mel about the history of the Aeon Society in its early 20th century days.

March 11, 2010: Mel Grimson is contacted quietly by the Aeon Society, and informed of their interest in his joining a special top-secret project, thanks to a timely letter from Enkidu. Mel is convinced to join, and is entered into Project Prometheus and given special instruction and training related to his new position as an Argonaut.

Capabilities: Mel was determined by Aeon to be quite qualified for several reasons. He is at the peak of baseline capacity in the physical realm and mentally, in perception and quick reaction. A combination of his criminal past, service as DeVries mercenary, and daredevil nature has led to an impressive command of many skills (sometimes outright mastery) in combat, vehicular control, stealth, the capacity to subvert security systems, tactics and more.

Most importantly though, Mel's encounter with Enkidu and his tribe has given him a basic exposure to the wider world of secrets that Aeon is attempting to solve.

Character Connections:

- Carver's PC: (Possible) Mel is down in the Congo on a job. Injuries occur, as quite expected, and a certain doctor is there handling his unit...

- Daniel Ingersoll: (Confirmed) Mel was still a mercenary in 2008, and certainly far past his mob days. But he still has contacts and hears things from them. And although he doesn't know Daniel's secret or his connection to the plane 'accident'... Mel knows at the very least two things. One, it was no accident. Two, he knows who did was responsible.

[Stargaizer]

Question: Would novas have to be erupted/1st Gen or could they be 2nd Gen?

I'm waffling back and forth between wanting to send Joe into this game or Mr. Fox's OW-AU/MCoH game (however it turns out)... I think I'd much prefer this, being as it's ST...

50np's you said?

[Mel Grimson]

Star: I think 1st Gen is enforced here. Second, this ain't starting officially for a while. Third, the NP amount is up for question, according to Kaz.

[Kazuo]

Stargaizer: 1st-gen novas, only. You can, if you like, submit a pre-Galatea nova. So long as the background and history is good and believable I'll have no problems with that.

And as Mel mentioned, the NP amount may change. I'd like to keep it up around 40-50 NP, and I think that's going to work out, but I'm still testing builds for the other two types, ATM, to make sure that'll be balanced when played alongside of Daredevils and Psiads (who will, themselves, have higher than beginning-level Starting Points). I'll give you a straight answer on that just as soon as I can, but if you wanted to play it cautiously, I'd plan on something like 40NP, and that way you can just add on the extra NP once I give the go-ahead for it.

[Katalyst]

Oh boy I'm totally down for this game

[Justin OOC]

I'm in, probably with a gravity controlling nova.

[Stargaizer]

Joe Smith, the elementalist, controls earth, air, fire and water...

I'll make up a 40 and 50np version, then I just have to pick one.

[Zarthrax]

And here I was, trying not to get involved in any more games at the moment.

I'll keep an eye on the chargen rules, and when you finalize them, you can expect a Daredevil submission...lol

[Sonja Bahaar]

Okay, I was planning on making a Jakita-type Nova (a strong, fast, tough fighter - reasonably close to Sonja, actually) - I thought my subtle reference at the beginning was clear - but it seems we're already getting an over-abundance of them. Might switch to a Daredevil, if things don't equal out a bit.

[Courier]

Interesting.... and interested.

[Kazuo]

A Glimpse Behind the Curtain...

• On November 6th, 1977, a document is entered into Aeon's Babel Dossier with a "Minimum Security Rating" of "Epsilon". The document mentions, amongst other things, something called "Proteus", referring to its proposed activities as "wet works".

  The Galatea incident will not occur for another twenty-two years. The so-called "Thetis Proposal" will not be submitted for another twenty-three.

  On July 9th, 1998, another document is entered into Aeon's Babel Dossier with a Security Rating of "Theta". This document specifically mentions Project Utopia one month before the Project is officially unveiled to the world, further mentioning two other Projects - Tantalus and Pandora - each of which, it is claimed, focus on "possible offshoots of Homo Sapiens".

  No mention of these projects, or the evolved superhumans the document claims they are studying, has ever been made in the public press.

  "Theta" is only the eighth of twenty-four characters in the Greek alphabet, implying that there are another sixteen levels of Security above this, presumably containing records considered even more sensitive than that listed above.

  What these records might be remains unknown.

• On July 4th, 1997, the Mars Pathfinder mission successfully reaches Mars and deposits a probe on the planet’s surface. In the years since, eight other missions have been launched with the goal of landing probes on Mars.

  None of them have succeeded.

  All but two of them have been reported “lost” in transit, while the remaining two crashed upon reaching the planet’s orbit.

• On March 23rd, 1998, the Galatea explodes in orbit over the Earth. It is reported that its rapidly decaying orbit dumps massive amounts of radioactive material into the jetstream, leading to increased levels of radioactivity reported throughout the world over the next few days. Though it is initially thought that this event is what triggers the concurrent appearance of novas throughout the world, this theory later comes under much scrutiny and is now considered unlikely.

  To date, no satisfactory explanation for the research satellite’s explosion has ever been given. Neither has it ever been explained what, exactly, the Galatea was supposed to be researching.

  To date, no reports have come in from any quarter of the world of radiation-related illnesses, birth defects, or crop deaths/mutations that can be reliably traced back to the Galatea. Initial reports of elevated radiation levels following the Galatea’s explosion and descent into Earth’s atmosphere can no longer be found, except as second-hand copies, usually within the archives of local newspaper companies.

• On February 18th, 1999, Boris Yeltsin dies. The ensuing chaos within Russia causes a domino effect to cascade through the world’s financial markets, leading to the biggest economic crash in human history. By July of 2000, the UN is reporting a financial upswing, and each quarter thereafter it is reported that the global economy continues to steadily recover. By 2008, the “Moscow Crash” is considered a thing of the past.

  In September of 2009, it is reported that a “ghost fleet” of merchant vessels, larger than the British and United States Navies combined and the largest gathering of ships in maritime history, has gathered to the east of the island nation of Singapore. The fleet has no crew, no cargo, and no known destination. The initial report is immediately suppressed and no other news agencies are allowed near it, nor allowed to photograph it.

  No official reasons have been given by anyone, anywhere, to explain why more than twelve percent of the world’s mercantile shipping force sits inactive if the world's economy is, in truth, "recovering".

• On September 25th, 2003, a bomb is set off in downtown Sao Paulo, leveling over 30 city blocks in the process. Official news reports claim that “a terrorist” organization detonated the bomb, saying it was a “primitive fusion” weapon of some kind.

  No terrorist organization has ever stepped forward claiming responsibility for the Sao Paulo bombing.

  Within eight months, the UN grants Project Utopia’s Science and Technology Department authority to monitor, regulate and approve of all scientific developments around the world.

  Within a year, the Bahrain Rashoud Facility is opened for the housing of novas with “excessive quantum build-up”. No reports of such novas can be found, anywhere, before September 25th, 2003.

  To date, no groups or individuals have been officially charged with the Sao Paulo bombing.

On the Nature of Project Prometheus and The Argonauts

The Aeon Society for Gentleman that Maxwell Anderson Mercer originally founded in 1924 has gone through many changes over the decades, especially in those decades since Mr. Mercer’s disappearance. The Aeon Society of today has dropped the “for Gentleman” portion of its title (which was, admittedly, for the best), and has grown into something more closely resembling a large corporation than a close knit family of like-minded individuals. It is also a conflicted organization.

Originally founded on the principles of openness and trust, the Aeon Society of today is largely a closed book to the general public. Today’s common man (and woman) only ever hears about the charitable donations and disaster aid work the Aeon Society gives out to those in need, but almost never about any of the Society’s other pursuits. This fact does not sit well with everyone on Aeon’s Board of Directors, however, nor even with all of those who are not on the Board, but are in positions of authority or responsibility that might allow them to help steer the course of the increasingly unwieldy philanthropic organization. The result is an Aeon Society that is very nearly divided between those who would pursue their objectives clandestinely “for humanity’s own good”, and those who would return to a more open policy of sharing knowledge and information with anyone who would take the initiative to request it of them.

And this shows in the “special projects” that Aeon oversees. Of them, only Project Utopia has been revealed to the general public, while the remainder (whose total number is a mystery to all but a tiny handful – and they aren’t talking) have remained veiled in deepest secrecy. Even Project Utopia, the one project that has been brought out into the public’s eye, was partnered almost immediately with the ultra-black Project Proteus. Meanwhile, Project Pandora hovers on the edge of public exposure – never quite leaving the shadows, however – and the mysterious Projects Tantalus, Cyclops, Artemis, and others whose very names or total number are only rumors, remain deeply buried in layers of secrecy so black that even Proteus’ Director Thetis has trouble seeing them.

And it is out of this conflicted, secretive environment that Project Prometheus has arisen.

Ironically, considering its ultimate objective, Project Prometheus is perhaps the most secretive of all Aeon’s current projects. This is because, like the Greek Titan for whom it is named, Project Prometheus’ stated objective is to “level the playing field”, so to speak, and to take back all of those hidden fires that those in power in the modern world are hoarding, and to put them to use aiding humanity as a whole instead of the privileged minority. Project Prometheus’ founders know that this objective will frequently pit it against some of its own sister organizations, particularly Project Proteus, but even the more benevolent Project Utopia will occasionally fall within the crosshairs of the Prometheans. You see, the world is a much more marvelous – and mysterious – place than most have been led to believe, and those in charge of Prometheus know it, and they aim to share that knowledge with everyone.

The full extent and scope of Project Prometheus is impossible for even someone like Director Thetis to discern (in fact, she’s heard little more than vague rumors at this point), let alone the average citizen of the world of Aberrant in the year 2010, and so even its own operatives rarely know what is happening within the Project outside of their own area of operation. So while it can be implied that there are Prometheans hacking into the classified files of Utopia’s Science and Technology Department, searching for technology that should be making the world a better place but that has been hidden away out of fear, or that there are Prometheans working on a way to redirect all of those misdirected funds in the world that were meant to aid developing nations but have instead been used to pad the pockets of the wealthy, you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?

Because you’re an Argonaut, a member of the only field team within Project Prometheus (that you know of, at least). You and your squad are all the best of the best, equal parts Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones and James Bond. And rightly or wrongly, you believe yourself to be a part of the most elite band of field agents in any organization anywhere.

And honestly? You’re probably right.

Unlike most of Project Prometheus, The Argonauts don’t simply limit themselves to taking back what’s been stolen from the world at large. They also move to discover – or rediscover, as the case may be – anything that might aid (or harm, for that matter) humanity as a whole before it can be hidden away by those who would hoard it for their own uses. Like the Argonauts of myth, you and your fellow agents are intrepid explorers and adventurers, in search of the metaphorical Golden Fleece – that one thing – or perhaps many things – that will put an end to the wrongful tyranny under which this world suffers. Along the way, you will encounter marvels, mysteries, impossibilities, and monsters, and if you’re lucky, you’ll live to see the end of the journey.

Welcome aboard.

[Dave ST]

Quote:

Actually, novas don't generally enjoy the "no resistance" privilege that Scions seem to get a lot of. The majority of social mega-att effects can be negated through the expenditure of a Willpower point.

This is incorrect. In fact, I'm not sure where people get this idea from. If the expenditure of a WP can be used to overcome a mental power then it is stated in the power's description. No more, no less.

You do not spend a WP and ignore Dominate. Iron Will is the only exception to this rule and every fuck wad usually has it anyway.

Quote:

Having said that, there is simply no denying that novas are the powerhouses of the Aeonverse. That's the plain and simple truth, and there is no getting around it. So if you'd like to play a Daredevil or a Psion, you should probably get used to the fact that your character will never be as fast, strong, or tough as the nova next to you - and they're probably not going to be as good-looking, charming, or witty, either.

You had me for a second there, until the whole part about: 'hey, get used to always being a second rate PC next to the nova'. Everyone should be important within the game and through you own admission the novas will be the important ones and everyone else should just stand behind them and just 'get used to the fact'.

You know as well as I do that novas are not balanced enough to be in league with Psiads and Daredevils dude. The nova will be handling everything while everyone else is reduced to their sidekick.

That's no fun for me, but you guys have at it.

[Kazuo]

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

This is incorrect. In fact, I'm not sure where people get this idea from. If the expenditure of a WP can be used to overcome a mental power then it is stated in the power's description. No more, no less.

You do not spend a WP and ignore Dominate. Iron Will is the only exception to this rule and every fuck wad usually has it anyway.

I think maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean by "no resistance". Dominate can be resisted (and isn't a social mega-att enhancement, either, so wouldn't have been included in my mental list of enhancements like Commanding Presence or Soothe that can be negated by spending a temp WP) using a Willpower roll. Even if Domination is successful in establishing control over a victim, they may roll Willpower and - if successful - spend a temp WP to reduce the command intensity. Small comfort, I know, but worth mentioning.

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

You had me for a second there, until the whole part about: 'hey, get used to always being a second rate PC next to the nova'. Everyone should be important within the game and through you own admission the novas will be the important ones and everyone else should just stand behind them and just 'get used to the fact'.

Don't be so negative, dude!

I did not say "hey, get used to always being a second rate PC next to the nova", nor was I implying as much. I did say that the novas in the game will generally be more powerful, overall, than the non-novas in the game, and that players of non-novas should know that going in, however. And I sure as hell didn't "admit" that the novas will be the important ones and everyone else should just stand behind them, etc, etc, blah blah blah.

Seriously... so negative...

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

You know as well as I do that novas are not balanced enough to be in league with Psiads and Daredevils dude. The nova will be handling everything while everyone else is reduced to their sidekick.

Um, no. I don't know that.

What I know is that if the non-nova players try to make characters who can go toe-to-toe with a combat-grade nova in a fight, they will most likely be sorely disappointed in that non-nova character's performance. This would be less true of any well made combat-grade psiads, but even they will be counting on luck more than anything else - that or they'll be double- or triple-teaming the nova - in which case their chances will look much better.

But seriously, if you're trying to make a lethal brick of a character, why would you go with a daredevil or a psiad? That's not their area of strength and it's foolish to think otherwise.

In regards to "the nova handling everything":

Psiads who choose to specialize in Vitakinesis, Clairsentience, Electrokinesis and few other Modes within some of the other Aptitudes will have abilities that quite simply outstrip what most novas will be capable of. Vitakinesis gives a psiad access to abilities that a nova would need Quantum 6 and the Biomanipulation power to equal. Clairsentience gives a psiad access to a whole range of abilities that would be difficult at best for a nova to duplicate. It would be possible, certainly, but it would require a much more extensive list of powers, mega-atts and enhancements, and some things (like the Farsensing or Remote Sensing techniques) would require Quantum 6 to duplicate. Electrokinesis grants techniques like Control, which are just as effective against novas as Domination would be against them (especially since I've already stated that I will be considering psiad attacks against novas to be the equivalent of Piercing against the nova's defenses - this is the tradeoff for the fact that a) psiads genuinely aren't as powerful and they suffer from being in the presence of strong "taint" fields), and while the Technokinesis Mode is in some ways inferior to Cyberkinesis and in some ways superior, it is in all ways cheaper. The Telepathy Aptitude, while it doesn't enjoy the extreme scanning ranges available to nova psychics, is quite simply more powerful - and more versatile - than what novas can call upon. Brainjack can only be resisted by targets with Willpower scores higher than 7, and Exacerbate has no resistance roll at all. Assuming the psiad has been able to successfully read the target's emotions, it just works. The Babel Effect is like instant Linguistic Genius combined with a maxed out Linguistics score (and then some) - and that's the first dot of Mindshare.

Daredevils are, as jameson was pointing out in chat last night, the "skill-monkies" of the group. Build them correctly, and you can have in excess of thirty dice to call upon for a specific task, even if only at critical moments. Use Dramatic Editing correctly and you can save the entire team from certain disaster, or even just make their lives much easier during a certain scene. Honestly, a well-built and used daredevil should wind up being something of an MVP on the team. Their Heroic Knacks are not only ridiculously subtle (I don't care how much Mega-Perception or Intelligence a nova has, trying to catch a Heroic Knack in use is like trying to catch Angel Hair), but many of them are largely or entirely narrative in effect. Death Defiance makes the daredevil harder to kill than a mutated cockroach. Forgettable not only makes the daredevil hard for people to remember, it actually makes it hard to even catch the daredevil on camera - and it's not like the daredevil has to do anything particular or even spend any Inspiration points to make that happen, either. Gadgeteer means that when the team finds some mysterious, ultra-advanced invention or artifact, the daredevil will already know exactly how to use it while the mega-smart novas and the technokinetic psiads are still hemming and hawing over it. With Instant Expert you're just that: an expert - at anything. Navigation Hazard? Forget it. It's just stupid to chase a daredevil with this knack. And Wheelman just ups the ante.

I could go on, but the point is that the other two classes most certainly have their uses. It's just a question of actually using them that way, and I'm going to have to depend on and trust my players for that.

----------------------------------
Having said all of that, I should probably state something right now, so that we can get it out of the way and deal with it, if need be, now rather than later.

If you guys would rather just go with an all-nova player troupe, I have no problem with that. I am not requiring people to choose between the three, I just thought it was a really neat idea and would like to use it. But if it's not something that you guys are comfortable with, please say so, and we can switch to a more standard Aberrant game with all of the PCs being novas.

----------------------------------
Ok, so assuming folks are still interested in using Daredevils and Psiads as playable character types in this game, here are a few of the things I'm planning on modifying as far as rules/knacks/modes/etc:

For Daredevils:
Knacks such as Enhanced Impact, Forgettable, (maybe) Indomitable Will, Navigation Hazard, Untouchable, and Universally Deadly are all going to receive minor to major overhauls to make them more useful, efficient and/or effective in the Nova Age. As I mentioned, Enhanced Impact would add damage dice based on how far the target was knocked back (as with knockback damage caused by nova attacks), and victims would not be able to spend Psi or Quantum to negate the effects (as Stalwart and Mesmerist victims could do, in the original A! setting). Untouchable will have a second level added to it that will allow the Daredevil to use its effects even if armed with a firearm, so long as that firearm is not capable of the Automatic Fire maneuver. The others mentioned, and possibly a few other Knacks as well, will receive more or less minor changes to their rules that will (I hope) make them more effective against Nova and Psiad opponents.
Starting Points will be higher across the board than standard chargen. This means a 7/5/3 spread for Atts (as opposed to the 6/4/3 given in the book), Backgrounds have 7 starting points, and starting Transformation points will definitely be above 20, possibly closer to 25 (I'm still play-testing this).

For Psiads:
Temporary Psi Pools will be at least (Permanent Psi x 2), probably (Permanent Psi x 3).
When rolling for use of Psi Modes, Psiads will not be limited to only their Psi scores. At the least, I will be allowing them to add their Mode rating to Psi for their dice pools, and I am playing around with other options to see if I can boost this a bit further in a workable and balanced fashion.
In addition to being able to add your Permanent Psi score to your Soak rating when dealing with a damaging Nova power, I am considering all Psi "attacks" to be the equivalent of Piercing when used against Novas (but not against Daredevils or Baselines).
Experience costs will not be those listed in the core Trinity source book. They will be those I listed here.
I intend for Psiad character creation to involve the use of "Psiad Points" that will work similar to "Nova Points" or "Transformation Points", and will be usable in most of the same ways (i.e. a "Psiad Point" will give you some number of Attribute Dots to add to your sheet, etc). The number of these points that Psiad characters will receive will be in the same general ballpark of what the novas wind up with (so between 40 and 50).

There may well be more forthcoming. Also, I am effectively combining three entire game systems into one here, and I am only human, so it's likely that I'll miss a few things here and there. If you don't see me addressing something that affects your character, please feel free to point it out to me. It's highly likely that I'm not ignoring it - I probably just missed it or forgot about it.

[Krul]

This looks fairly interesting to me, you folks get up to some interesting stuff during the weekends. Actually, if there are still openings, I would be interested in playing either a psiad or a nova... I'm not sure which, whichever one I find the most interesting concept for, I suspect.

[Telluris]

I'm interested in playing a Daredevil. Getting all sorts of idea-mojo.

[BlueNinja]

Originally Posted By: Kazuo

Having said all of that, I should probably state something right now, so that we can get it out of the way and deal with it, if need be, now rather than later.

If you guys would rather just go with an all-nova player troupe, I have no problem with that. I am not requiring people to choose between the three, I just thought it was a really neat idea and would like to use it. But if it's not something that you guys are comfortable with, please say so, and we can switch to a more standard Aberrant game with all of the PCs being novas.

So far, I've seen two people interested in making Daredevils and one person for a Psiad. Admittedly, my first idea was a nova, mostly because I'm only barely familiar with the Trinity rules and abilities. But I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone interacts.

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Untouchable will have a second level added to it that will allow the Daredevil to use its effects even if armed with a firearm, so long as that firearm is not capable of the Automatic Fire maneuver.

Might I instead suggest writing up a version for giving firearms wielders a bonus against melee, sort of a reverse of Untouchable? Call it Gun Kata, or Matrix Moves, or something like that.

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Backgrounds have 7 starting points

If you notice the Origin part of the character, that grants one background dot, so that Inspired types still get a total of 7 dots.

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I intend for Psiad character creation to involve the use of "Psiad Points" that will work similar to "Nova Points" or "Transformation Points", and will be usable in most of the same ways (i.e. a "Psiad Point" will give you some number of Attribute Dots to add to your sheet, etc). The number of these points that Psiad characters will receive will be in the same general ballpark of what the novas wind up with (so between 40 and 50).

While this would make character creation virtually the same as novas and inspired, why introduce a separate chart instead of just give Psions a massive stock of bonus points?

[BlueNinja]

And while I'm thinking of it, just as a recommendation from my slightly-better familiarity with Adventure!, 25 Transformation points would be roughly comparable with a 40NP nova. If you go with bonus points for Psions, ~50 would be about right. All of this IMHO, of course.

[Kazuo]

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

Might I instead suggest writing up a version for giving firearms wielders a bonus against melee, sort of a reverse of Untouchable? Call it Gun Kata, or Matrix Moves, or something like that

Feel free to write something like that up.

I'm not really sure what something like that would do? There's no stereotypes out there that I'm aware of dealing with gun-wielding adventurers who go up against guys with swords/clubs/stuff at close range and shoot them, but never get hit themselves. But maybe I've just never heard of that superhero.

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

If you notice the Origin part of the character, that grants one background dot, so that Inspired types still get a total of 7 dots.

Yeah, I did notice. I just didn't feel like explaining that you get the 7 dots all at once, you don't need to worry about choosing an origin or whatever. That's not to say that you can't, it's just to say that you get that 7th dot along with the other 6, not when - and only when - you choose your "origin".

Originally Posted By: Blue Ninja

While this would make character creation virtually the same as novas and inspired, why introduce a separate chart instead of just give Psions a massive stock of bonus points?

Because it's easier to deal with a pool of 30-50 "Psi Points" than it is to deal with the 200+ Bonus Points that it would require to accomplish the same thing. Part of the reason that novas are so much more powerful than Psions (and Psiads) is that they get 30NP as part of standard chargen, while Psions get 3 Psi points, which are usable only for buying Mode dots. By comparison, that's roughly the same as saying that a starting nova only gets 6NP, and can only use that to purchase mega-attributes or enhancements.

If, for whatever reason, you - and whoever else is wanting to create a Psiad (and are you even building one? I thought you were making a nova?) - would rather keep track of a small mountain of cumbersome BPs, then I suppose we could go that route. For some reason, I thought you guys might like a more streamlined process... ::shrugs::

[Kazuo]

50 bonus points is not the same as a 40 point nova, dude. I'm not sure what kind of math you're doing...

[BlueNinja]

I fully admit that my knowledge and experience with Trinity is sketchy at best. But an extra 50 bonus points is enough to start with 8+ dots in Psi, 3+ dots in primary modes, and still have points left over for some other things.

[edit] And yes, I'm making a nova, but I'm trying to learn more overall, and talking about the rules helps me get a better handle on psionic things in general. [/edit]

[Kazuo]

And 40 nova points is enough to start out with an extra 18-21 Attribute dots (6-7nps), above the base 7/5/3 spread, an extra 18-42 Ability dots (3-7np), above the base 23, an extra 5-20 Background dots (1-4nps), above the base 7, and still have points left over for some other things (that's a maximum total of 18nps spent so far).

Do you see the difference?

[BlueNinja]

OK. Don't take any of my comments relating to Trinity as being authoritative, I'm just trying to pick up both the specifics and your take on them by asking questions.

I'll re-read the A! knack and put some thought into a comparitive one like my suggestion that the two prospective Daredevils might want to use.

[Courier]

Given that we're supposed to be out of the public eye, I suggest no aberrations and no taint.

I'm also thinking this sounds like a good setting for Steve, a mega-int (Investigative Prodigy).