Aberrant RPG - Quantum Vampire

[ChildofHaqim]

I'm trying to make a character and I've got more concepts in mind than I can count. Unfortunately most of them are either impossible to do without being pretty darn tainty,possibly beyond the powers described, Unoriginal as far as powers go, uninteresting, overly focused, overly broad blah blah blah you get the idea. Anyway this all leads me to a couple questions, and I would really appreciate the input of more experienced players.

1. What are some places you've looked for inspiration. Coming up with the personality of the character isn't a problem but powers wise. I feel like most everything I'm thinking of has probably "been done".

2. What is the average starting taint you go with. I usually build a character on 0 taint and so I'm curious what you have done.

3. I've never really had a problem playing someone with Wits 5 or Int 5 or Cha 5 or Manp 5 before in other games, but mega attributes are a whole new ballpark. Any suggestions on properly portraying someone like that? Hard to wrap your mind around the thoughts of someone who is "smarter than any human has ever been".

4. Quantum vampire is said to be capable of takeing any power, attribute or trait the play states it can at the beginning. One of my concept would have a weak sort of life draining effect, do you think that appropriotely fits the spirit of the power?

5. From what I understand thats Mal on the cover of the aberrant core book. Isn't a cape a bit to much of a "super hero cliche" for Mr.We are a seperate and superior species from the monkies.

6.Whats that Monster looking thing in the background on the Null Manifesto page in the aberrant core, or should I say who?

7. The description of Immolate mentions "raw quantum forces" as an option for the manifestation of the power. Is there any place I could find more of a description of what such an effect would look like. For some reason that has stuck with me since I first read the powers section. Also do you think "raq quantum forces" would be a suitable "element" for elemental anima or mastery?

8. Are some concepts in general to cliche to play? I really think my idea for a nova with hypermovement might be pretty fun to play but I dread it because it seems so utterly unoriginal.

I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but thanks a lot to anyone who finds the time to answer one or more of these.

YOU TOO CAN BE AN INCARNATE GOD! Thats right kids, not only Novas are baptized in quantum fires. Answer my questions and through my worship be deified! Deitified? They both look wrong, you get my point though....

[Slagheap]

4. There are rules at the end of Quantum Vampire for vamping health levels and being a life drainer. It sounds like this is what you are looking for.

-Slag

[phoenix]

Grammar-man to the rescue! It's deified.

[ChildofHaqim]

Thank you both very much! I'd tell you what Question answering gods you are but I'm very busy beating my head off the wall for somehow missing the information on the next page that continues quantum vampire. Thanks again

[phoenix]

Thank you both very much!

De nada.

Now this one interests me, because I have problems with it even in Trin:

3. I've never really had a problem playing someone with Wits 5 or Int 5 or Cha 5 or Manp 5 before in other games, but mega attributes are a whole new ballpark. Any suggestions on properly portraying someone like that? Hard to wrap your mind around the thoughts of someone who is \"smarter than any human has ever been\".

It kinda bothers me - how could you know what a superintelligent person would do? So what I ended up saying was that Intelligence only represented previous knowledge and memory. Anyone got an idea?

[BillionSix]

Larry Niven wrote a book called Protector, which was about a guy who ate a magic potato-thing and became immortal and superhumanly intelligent. (a rather silly oversimplification) It was actually pretty good. Niven pretty much said that the way to write a super-smart character is to plot out his actions and potential reaction months ahead of time, then assume the character figured that out in the blink of an eye. Not much help in a role-playing game, I'm afraid.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Ahhh Mr.GM type person... can I have the power 20/20 foresight, Please???

[ProfPotts]

1. What are some places you've looked for inspiration. Coming up with the personality of the character isn't a problem but powers wise. I feel like most everything I'm thinking of has probably \"been done\".

Put that way, pretty much any character anyone could think of has \"been done before\", the important thing is to make a character you can play well, will enjoy playing, & will be entertaining to the others in the game as well. Personality has a lot to do with this, & you say you're fine with that. Powers-wise I'd first see what everyone else is going to be playing, then make sure you don't step on anyone's toes - i.e. don't make a super-intelligent inventor if someone else has already got one, don't make a super-strong fighter if that's another guy's baby, etc.. For unusual powers, think about the power's special effects, not so much the actual power - Elemental Master: Fire has been done to death, but Elemental Mastery: Wax, or something, could be a bit special.

2. What is the average starting taint you go with. I usually build a character on 0 taint and so I'm curious what you have done.

Think less in terms of Taint, & more in terms of aberrations. Taint 3 means you still have no aberrations, or penalties, at all. Higher Taint means more aberrations, & that starts to become an important aspect of the character, so think about if you want to be a wierd-looking guy or a normal-looking guy, & whether you want to get on with baselines or not.

3. I've never really had a problem playing someone with Wits 5 or Int 5 or Cha 5 or Manp 5 before in other games, but mega attributes are a whole new ballpark. Any suggestions on properly portraying someone like that? Hard to wrap your mind around the thoughts of someone who is \"smarter than any human has ever been\".

Try http://members.aol.com/talonstudio/brainwaves/ (I think) for the closest we get to the 'official' word on this subject.

Basically there are guidelines within the Mega-Att descriptions, & the system also grants all those extra Mega-dice so that the character can succeed at the most improbable tasks, as well as the specific traits that Enhancements cover - & those things combined help to 'portray' such a character.

For a Mega-Int guy just figure you remember most stuff very clearly, & can reference encycolpedic style data at will. For Mega-Wits picture a guy who percieves the world in \"bullet time\" (as seen in 'The Matrix', 'The One', 'Smallville', etc.), even if he can't actually move that fast - he just has more 'time' (from his point of view) than most to make his choices. Just being 'smart' doesn't give the guy an agenda or motivations, that's a function of his personality - a Mega-smart Nova may be happy tending his garden, using his vast brain-power to spot potential harm to his flowers, to think up ways to prevent that harm, & to remember every detail of every plant he owns. No big leap away from human-level thinking, just really good at what he's choosen to do.

Also, remember that an Intelligent guy may not have common sense or a cool head (Wits), or be perceptive (Per), etc. - Mega-Atts tend to cover pretty small areas of personality when you think about it.

For the Mega-Socials the emphasis is often on the ST & other PCs to correctly portray the reactions of others to your character - if you've got Mega-Man & casually say, \"Why don't we hit the town tonight?\", pretty much everyone present should suddenly realise what a good idea that is, & be all for it!

4. Quantum vampire is said to be capable of takeing any power, attribute or trait the play states it can at the beginning. One of my concept would have a weak sort of life draining effect, do you think that appropriotely fits the spirit of the power?

This one's been answered, right?

5. From what I understand thats Mal on the cover of the aberrant core book. Isn't a cape a bit to much of a \"super hero cliche\" for Mr.We are a seperate and superior species from the monkies.

P.64 of the Teragen book has a picture of Mal in jeans & T-Shirt. He doesn't always dress in his pseudo-Egyptian / superhero garb, that's just a \"costume\" for impressing people. Despite his philosophy, Mal doesn't reject all of baseline society - otherwise he'd fly around naked all the time (he hardly needs clothes to protect himself from the elements, does he?).

6.Whats that Monster looking thing in the background on the Null Manifesto page in the aberrant core, or should I say who?

Leviathan, leader of the Harvester faction of the Teragen.

7. The description of Immolate mentions \"raw quantum forces\" as an option for the manifestation of the power. Is there any place I could find more of a description of what such an effect would look like. For some reason that has stuck with me since I first read the powers section. Also do you think \"raq quantum forces\" would be a suitable \"element\" for elemental anima or mastery?

Despite being mentioned in the book in a few places there is no such thing (as far as I'm aware) in the \"real world\" as \"raw quantum forces\" - \"quantum\" being a description of properties that many (all?) different energy types have - something to do with \"quanta\" of energy (descrete \"packets\" of energy) I think, but I'm no physicist. I disallow \"raw quantum energy\" as a special effect in my games, 'cos it's just like saying \"energy\" with no more definition than that (\"He throws an energy bolt at you.\", \"What type of energy?\", \"Um... just 'energy'.\", \"So, does it glow? Is it hot? Cold? What?\", \"Um... er...\"). Think what you want the effect to look like, & pick a suitible energy type (or just describe what it looks & acts like - who said your character has any idea what he's doing in terms of physics?).

8. Are some concepts in general to cliche to play? I really think my idea for a nova with hypermovement might be pretty fun to play but I dread it because it seems so utterly unoriginal.

Role-playing games are built on clichés, just like comics! It's how well you play a character, not so much how original it is. In some games (e.g. WoD games) it's quite refreshing to have a "cliché" character turn up - too many guys want to be "the last of the White Howlers", or "a True Brujah" or something, instead of the more "normal" character types. The same can happen in Aberrant, although the scope for characters makes it less of a compulsion. As for Hypermovement - what type of movement (running, flying, swimming)? Does he have related powers (Mega-Dex, Mega-Wits, Mega-Sta & Adaptability to survive the high speeds, although the power should protect him, or, for really fast speedsters, Temporal Manipulation; how about Adhesive Grip to run up walls)? How does the power manifest (does he trail lightning, al la the Flash?)? Does he have Attunement (vital to carry anything safely at high speeds)? There's a lot of questions & ideas that a simple concept can generate.

[ChildofHaqim]

Thanks Prof Pots and others. Your list was really helpful especially because it's your game I'm designing characters for.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

- who said your character has any idea what he's doing in terms of physics?).

That's how i see it, for example a nova with Matter Creation needs a car so he decides to make one, from there it would depend on wheather or not he understood the mechanics involved or if he was pedantic enough that he felt he needed to know how to build a car before he makes one, then he gets to role engineering to see if it works... however if the character doesn't know or even care how a car works he just needs one then i'd treat it like the power Luck, and he just roles his standard Matter Creation role and if he gets enough successes he makes a car.

QUOTE 

8. Are some concepts in general to cliche to play? I really think my idea for a nova with hypermovement might be pretty fun to play but I dread it because it seems so utterly unoriginal.

Role-playing games are built on clichés, just like comics! It's how well you play a character, not so much how original it is. In some games (e.g. WoD games) it's quite refreshing to have a \"cliché\" character turn up - too many guys want to be \"the last of the White Howlers\", or \"a True Brujah\" or something, instead of the more \"normal\" character types. The same can happen in Aberrant, although the scope for characters makes it less of a compulsion. As for Hypermovement - what type of movement (running, flying, swimming)? Does he have related powers (Mega-Dex, Mega-Wits, Mega-Sta & Adaptability to survive the high speeds, although the power should protect him, or, for really fast speedsters, Temporal Manipulation; how about Adhesive Grip to run up walls)? How does the power manifest (does he trail lightning, al la the Flash?)? Does he have Attunement (vital to carry anything safely at high speeds)? There's a lot of questions & ideas that a simple concept can generate.

Dude you're killing me ::crazy ... See William in Quantum Zero!

[Finbar]

Gee...Prof. Potts, you're no fun....letting him in on our secrets.... ::halo ....

Well, if we covered the fun stuff, I got the annoying stuff ::dozingoff ...

I'm going to list some character types to avoid. Each sounds like it would be cool, but they're usually taken because the player wants to play something that hasn't been done before or something seriously twinked, but doesn't put much more than a few seconds thought into it. A good player can pull off anything, but usually it's not the good players who try these things. That said, my Bottom Ten List:

10) Last of His Tribe: Once this character is gone, there will be no more of his . He is on a solemn mission to either get revenge for his , or to find a final purpose. The bad version usually has this guy as so ready to die, that he tries to fight anyone; he's just an excuse for a borderline psycho. The good version has him sowing his oats or otherwise rebuilding his ...

9) "White Howler" Victim: Taken from the WoD lost tribe, this is essentially a member of an organization that has perished, and this person has been born well after the fact. The bad version is set up to get the powers of the old organization without having to pay many points for it. The good version tries to survive in a world against him.

8) Genetic Experiment: Known by many names, all ending in "Experiment", the basic idea is that you get a borderline psycho with a lot of power. Perfect twink material.

7) "My dad built my body up so that he could take it, but then I escaped": Actually had a guy try this in WoD, with the variant being that the father had sacrificed 10 souls to perfect his son's body, then was going to inhabit it, effectively sacrificing his son's souls. Although the point was made that the father was trying to take back the body, do you really want someone walking around with 50 points of Investments that HE didn't pay for?

6) Hammersmith Survivor: If they simply wanted to be that old, no problem. If they want Mercer or Mal power-levels, no. This is here just to head it off ::sly...

5) "Hyper-Intelligent Nova in an Android Body": English Translation: I have all these physical immunities and powers, plus a lot of mega-atts. No. I like the basic idea (gives an excuse for a nova to be around psions relatively undetected), but if done wrong, you've got a lot of power with no penalty, and I don't like that...

4) Demigod: "I want to be just like Thor!" When your character has been around millennia, we'll talk; until then....Keep in mind that we're not talking an abbie with a psych problem; we're talking soeone who wants to be a living god from his favorite pantheon. Just once I'd like to see someone play Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth, or Joey, God of Wicker (WotC joke, don't ask); but no, they always have to be the ones with the biggest weapon, longest track record and worst repuation for diplomacy. I mean, it's a fantasy game, but still... ::dozingoff

3) Conan Wannabe: You know you've been gaming too long when you debate breathing life into a person who can wield Deadly Spatulas of Death. Basically, this character is capable of using one weapon with such accuracy that almost anything he goes up against is dead in one hit, and, if it isn't, he complains. He gets even nastier when you take his toys away. This is just something that has been done way to death, and especially thanks to Wolverine and The Punisher...

Good Idea: Balance him out with some interests and other skills. Bad Idea: His other interests and skills are just more ways to kill, sometimes in as many as three hits.

2) Geisha From Hell: If done right, this is so much fun. If done wrong (and it usually is, usually from a young woman new to gaming OR a guy (new to gaming) trying a female role), all you have is a character who charms someone's pants off, then, well, um, er, ah, goes for the uncovered area with a large blade. Call it Thelma & Louise backlash, but this idea just bothers me....

1) Neo Wannabe: Like you didn't see this coming ::nervous ....Seems like everyone has their variation of Neo, Morpheus, or Trinity that they just gotta try! ::dozingoff Just avoid, okay?

Well, there's my list of things to avoid...

FR

[harlequin]

::confused ran into every single one of those myself, with the exception of 7. that's a new one on me... once had three neo's at the same game ::crazy

i'd like to add to the list...

1.1 - The Maxed Character. Usually a physical attriubute and every related power has been bought or maxed. Stam, Mega Stam, Armour, etc. The good version of this character is the average joe who just happens to be immune to nukes and wins fights by being the only person still standing, although the character never once threw a punch. (yes I saw someone play a good version of this char. type once, yes, it confused me too)

the bad version, is tortured by whoever screwed up made them so powerful, nukes again, being popular "i was a soldier and they never warned me it was coming." and so brazenly demonstrates their one power and runs amok trying to get revenge because in one aspect they are unstoppable.

[Alex Green]

Many of these are actually playable if they are held to 30 points. For example, the "I was given this power" or "I'm a god" are viable, but make them do it with 30 points.

Almost any concept is going to cause problems if you give them 200 more nova points than the rest of the party.

[phoenix]

Niven pretty much said that the way to write a super-smart character is to plot out his actions and potential reaction months ahead of time, then assume the character figured that out in the blink of an eye. Not much help in a role-playing game, I'm afraid.

Yeah, and the Mega-Att descriptions in the core book aren't much help either - it's all totally meaningless stuff like "An auditorium full of professors doesn't have as much brainpower as you", and "Super-geniuses look envy you". ::crazy Duh!

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Yeah, and the Mega-Att descriptions in the core book aren't much help either - it's all totally meaningless stuff like \"An auditorium full of professors doesn't have as much brainpower as you\", and \"Super-geniuses look envy you\".  Duh!

Phoenix, prof is right brainwaves is a damn good read for playing mega mental character...

As for nova character's I think all these types are fine... that is to say that the player will learn soon enough that they made a terrible mistake and the instant that character dies, is permanantly imobilised, or even retired by the player ::biggrin they can get to work making a character that works. Oh and if they don't learn and happen to destroy your game, let the other players take out their frustrations on the offending pc.

By the way I think 33 Nova points is the ideal number, it gives the players enough points to make the pc they had in mind and allows them to pick up a few level 1 powers or other customization (brain stopped working can't think the appropriate words) for the pc.

[brilyn]

For Mega-Wits picture a guy who percieves the world in \"bullet time\" (as seen in 'The Matrix', 'The One', 'Smallville', etc.), even if he can't actually move that fast - he just has more 'time' (from his point of view) than most to make his choices.

I think you meant Mega-Perception for that one.... ("*perceives* the world").

And that's how a I run it too.

In my games, I usually limit a players turn to 20-30 seconds to decide what to do in combat. If the player has Mega-Int 1 or higher, then I increase the time.

Frankly, imo everyone is capable of reasoning the same things out. The more intelligence you have, the less time it takes you to think of something.

Other than that, I pretty much agree with the rest of what you said.

Regarding the Cliches, there's not a lot to them. At this stage, I've stopped trying to make the funkiest/maxxed char I can, and focused alittle more on personality (after all, the powers are just the charactor's toolset, *not* the char itself). This does NOT mean becoming one of those (whiney) players who are "oh, I don't have any powers, I'm just gonna be all angsty over here in the corner", just letting the powers take second stage, rather than the first. ::smile

[Ayre el KaBeer]

QUOTE 

For Mega-Wits picture a guy who percieves the world in \"bullet time\" (as seen in 'The Matrix', 'The One', 'Smallville', etc.), even if he can't actually move that fast - he just has more 'time' (from his point of view) than most to make his choices. 

I think you meant Mega-Perception for that one.... (\"*perceives* the world\").

Wits is more apropriate, you hear the term "think quick" not "see quick"...

[ProfPotts]

I think you meant Mega-Perception for that one.... (\"*perceives* the world\").

Strangely enough I meant what I said ::sly ! As Ayre el KaBeer pointed out, Wits covers the speed the character thinks at. Perception covers how good the character's perceptions are, not how quickly he can react to them, that's Wits again.

[Dormammu]

It actually doesn´t matter how many points they have. Right now i finished GMing a game evening for 150 NP Novas. It´s been a blast. For me and for them.

Yet, other games where cruel and .... well, you probably know what I`m talking of here. ::smiley4

But alas, the game continues and today my campaignworld has become a better place.

::bigsmile

This just being my opinion on Ayre el KaBeer`s post. ::smiley5

[Ayre el KaBeer]

I read over what i posted... I mean a starting 30 point nova... players will have an idea of what they want for the pc, but when it comes to numbers they sacrifice character individual powers or querks for the sake of *!POWER!*, I just think that 3 extra points gives the player enough freedom to grab those powers and to tweak the character as they'd like. I hope i said that right ::biggrin

[Dormammu]

Well, as I said it doesn´t really matter how many points they have.If they want to go to a freaking litlle schlachtfest of the weak, they´re gonna do it , no matter how many points those characters have. I have experienced that having stronger characters that seem to be above some lower needs, makes gamers more comfortable and caring for their characters.

This means: the stronger they are the better they behave.

only my experience here, though.

And I didn´t want to offend you Ayre el KaBeer. Sorry if I did.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Not affended at all, it's good to get people's opinions. ::thumbsup

[Bayne Antioc]

Divis Mal... cliche? HEATHEN! Nothing Divis Mal wears can ever be cliche or bad looking, because Divis Mal is TOO DAMN COOL. He could wear paisely spotted pyjamas and odd socks, and still look cool, because he is DIVIS MAL! FEAR HIM! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!...

Sorry.

I tend to think of Mega-Intelligence as enhanced memory, a greater comprehensive ability, and greater ability to apply that knowledge. Take, for instance, 3-Unit Maths. Trigonometry. A Mega-Intelligent Nova could quickly see patterns and relationships between trigonometric identities, of course being able to perfectly recall their summary sheet... and certainly score more than 28/60 on their exam.

By the way... ::malrules

[knave]

Arms? Wtf? ::tongue

[Jenacis]

Sorry to all these random topics that I'm bringing back. I browse the forums at work when I have free time, and naturally I come across older topics that interest me. Moving on...

1.) Inspiration comes from *anything*. There are obviously existing characters or ideas out there from movies and such, but each character doesn't need to be unique and amazing. There are many, many times IRL that I'd love to have even a single dot of mega dex, mega strength, forcefield, or telekinesis. I try to come up with a personality and then just shape powers around it - it's not what powers the character has, it's how they use them.

2.) Personally, I'm not a big fan of taint - at all. I used to build characters with heftier amounts of taint(First PC I ever created had 5 taint - which was totally out of his character, but none of us understood the game then anyway) - recently most of my characters have had 2 or less taint - preferably 0. I've become familiar enough with the power system and costs that I don't really spend nova points anymore when designing characters - I just create characters that fit a certain power level.

3.) For some rolls, we haven't had much trouble. For instance - there are a ton of insults, or even lies that people say that are just outrageous or sound so ridiculous, because they're so out of league. If someone says "Go to hell" with all the emotion they can muster, it often doesn't cut more than skin deep. However, someone w/ Mega-Wits saying "Go to hell" can lacerate your psyche without even giving it much thought. They're the same insult/retort, it's just that the char w/ M-Wits has more effect simply because the have mega-wits. Brainwaves covers intelligence pretty well, but as for manip and charisma - if someone didn't want to drive you somewhere, so you turned on mega-charisma to get them to do so, they do. Like quantum powers, while the method is important, the effect is what matters.

4.) Sure. Steal health levels.

5.) Eh, it is, but anyone who sees Mal wearing a cape wouldn't think so. When you've got Mega-Charisma of at least 5, you can dress however you want. Also - it may look like a cliche, but Mal is from an era when someone wearing a cape wouldn't be that unusual - perhaps it's a crossover from then?

6.) I've heard different things, but I thought it was Mal's Chrysalis shell. Could be wrong.

7.) Sure. In the sense the book uses it, it just sounds like made-up energy. I always envisioned "raw quantum forces" or something similar looking kind of like energy does on DBZ, but to be honest, it could look however you want it to. Quantakinetics manifest quantum "blasts"(Like a weak bolt) as glowing green rivets of energy, so take that how ya will.

8.) Like I mentioned in my first response above, it's how you act, and how you use the powers you have that matters... To me, at least.

*random*