Monday 10 June 2013

MARVEL MSH Options and Character Gen Stuff



I used these mods for years - will do a fantasy one too sometime. Some times these were just add ons to character gen, other times they were character gen.

Phaze1 80s Used self as basis all get powers and meldsuit and had same origin, heroes secret and rare, built from player descriptions and interests

Phaze2 90s All had same origin packages to pick, meld suit plus one other. Gave basic stat mods and one Remarkable and one Excellent power from type list and good one based on package. Other choices included immortals and mystery men who got lots of options and another type for temporary empowered folk like green lanterns with a unipower.

Phaze3 2000s All built on options any origin and magic allowed. One Amazing or can swap for two Incredible. Swap 2 Incredible for 2 Remarkable or swap a remarkable for two excellent or a excellent for two Goods. These can be taken as stats or powers. With 4 options for all.

Stats Progress...
Feeble (Hospital patient)
Poor (Child or elderly or a bit crappy)
Typical (normal healthy person, veteran fighter)
Good (very above average, elite)
Excellent (olympic, world class, peak of human ability)
Remarkable Lift 1T House Cow, small car
Incredible Lift 10T Vehicle, Steer, Tree
Amazing Lift 50T Railcar, small passenger aircraft
Monsterous Lift 85T Yacht, crane, bulldozer, 
Unearthly 100T Big crane, Whale

I added charisma early on becase Proffessor x and Steve Rogers and Matt Murdoch actually have some charisma that popularity should not be a factor in some cases. You can ad popularity rank to your charisma and enhance wth use pop score in public hero I.D. milking your fans and being persuasive. Your wife and granny dont fall for your fame either. It fits in fine and reflects comic fame better.

Create a normal

Primary Attributes

Fighting
Agility
Strength
Endurance
Charisma
Reason
Intuition
Psyche

In most games normal people have typical all stats but poor for fighting and strength

As a proto hero you are a elite sort of human
May add five ranks to above stats
Poor +1 = Typical (Vetran if fighting and strength)
Typical +1 = Good (Elite)
Typical +2 = Excellent (Olympian) max at this step

Secondary Attributes
Health = F+A+S+E
Karma = C+R+I+P
Popularity = Charisma, may be modified by talents
Resources = Typical, some professional talents raise to Good

2 starting talents +1/per attribute point spent on a mental stat (CRIP)
2 starting contacts +1/per attribute point spent on Charisma
2 Starting Background Options

May only take a starting martial art for rank of Fighting above poor
May only take a starting meditation for rank of Psyche above Typical

Mystery MenMystery men are Olympic or better humans

All stats start on Gd, select four attribute points to raise good stats to Excellent
Starting Resources are Good
8 starting talents +1/per attribute point spent on a mental stat (CRIP)
4 starting contacts +1/per attribute point spent on Charisma
May select exotic contacts, talents and any martial arts or meditations
6 Starting Background Options
Ill do superheroes characters and powers some other time soon

Normals
are typical workers with one talent in their profession
poor strength and fighting
Veteran
Has had experience around violence and will use lethal force if they need to
has typ strength and fighting
Elite
are special forces, top troops, commandos, best survivalists, extreme athletes
Have at least four Good stats
Olympianare the best ever on earth, compete with best on planet
Have one or more excellent stats.

MARVEL
Background
Options

These could be purchased like powers for 3000 points and some could be group purchases like a team base.

Battlesuit
A Rm standard suit or mecha with three heavy equipment hard points, Inc material. Experts can mess with them and possible to have stolen or destroyed.

Combat Master
Choose weapon specialist (+2 one weapon and +1 Initiative), weapon master (all Melee weapons +1), or marksman (all Ranged Weapons), or two martial arts or other fighting talents like, blunt, edged, thrown, bows, oriental weapons, guns, fast draw etc. +1 Contact master, fellow students, craftsman, ninja clan. Start with single Rm weapon or kit of Ex weapons or crate of military kit

Cyborg or Symbioses
Ex Alien Cybernetic parts rank provide armour and a single rank ability with stunts based on cyborg parts or variable weapon mounts +1 contact. Could be used to get a hyper attribute or ultra attribute. The power can be interfered with difficulty by technical expert. Possession from a spirit or fused with demon or werewolf for supernatural version. Stunts based on tech of the prosthesis or implant.

Escapologist
50 Karma can escape any  bonds or deathtrap 100  Karma escape even apparent death

Extra Attributes
+1cs to a stat (usually at the human generation stage with max of Excellent)

Extra Contacts: Friends Everywhere
+4 Contacts; such as friends, organisations, heroes to help you out, half price for new ones

Extra Power: Anomalous DNA
Gd alien racial ability with stunts based on alien physiology +1 contact Could also be minor telepath or mutant or part alien or oven other process to gain a power you cant have easily removed

Extra Experience
+1Talent, Stunt & Contact to represent general special op and hero training. Stunt is an additional one above normal max as if paid for extra slot with 1000 karma

Extra Power Rank
+1EX to existing power rank

Extra Resources: Millionaire
+Rm Resources from a corp, an inheritance, an invention, etc +1 contact

Extra Popularity: Celebrity
+30 Popularity; +Gd resources, +2 contacts, loved by the masses and media

Extra Feats: Power Prodigy
+4 Stunts, each power has one extra slot, +1 contact. Highly trained in power usage by self or some agency

Extra Talents
+2 Talents of choice and one professional talent; specialist training including meditations and martial arts +1 contact from trainer or agency or fellow student

Immortal
Has means to to return from dead or very hard to kill. Cosmic power and atomic blast in space or a volcano just keep you unconscious. A clone assembly line or hero is artificial. Replaced by alternate dimension version like an eternal champion, replace by another person with powers, born to new mother and accelerate growth to adulthood, uploaded into body, rejuvenating life fountain, curse, vampire or magical effect or bloodline. Usualy means to incapacitate you or require difficult but possible resurrection.

Karmic Blessing
+1000 points of karma to spend or save because your so lucky. Also add one other stat to the basic amount of karma (include choice physical one to base karma tally). Not that great but could improve a lower ranks.

I do a few diferent things with base karma and am going to experiment with more - i like new marvel game psychological effects to damage available karma of enemy and putting off enemy from making offensive feats or karma attacks.

Meldsuit
Gd symbiotic costume providing instant change and defense vs kinetic and energy. Stunts often bases around costume and personal enhancement like hidden pockets, glider wings, spinnerets, hyper senses, aqualung mode, spacesuit mode, stealth mode

Probability control: Luck of the Gods
Choose which dice first after you roll them and pick best result. If double numbers rolled a catastrophic probability event creates unforeseen effects. A catastrophic fail is a worst case comedic disaster for character and possibly anyone in area at risk or in crisis. Like a building collapses on hero. A catastrophic success is not such a danger but surprising, distracting event effects the area like a fire hydrant goes off. scaffolding collapses, sudden downpour, start a fire. Such dangers are mobility hazards, potential problems later, while catastrophic failures general damage immediately.

Resilient to Harm
Spend 50 Karma to reduce colour effect against you one lower

Sidekick
A loyal ally such as a meta human, robot, alien, pet, secret agent, monster, etc. Inferior but complimentary to hero and is capable in combat.

Student Prodigy
+1 Talent and +2 contacts, dont have to pay extra to learn more than one talent a year. Know teachers, institution or agency, school friends, visiting professor now turned villain

Super Science
Understand advanced tech and get no penalties for alien tech artifacts. Get two tech or science talents and +Ex Resources, ranks of inventions not capped by current world tech, saves one research step in most inventions. Have a Ex gadget every session if you maintain a lab or workshop

Unique H.Q.
A rich estate with a secret headquarters and lots stuff with 2 secret entrances. Has 10+3 major assets like labs, monitor station, vehicles, armoury, training room, computer, cell room, vault, etc

Unique Patron

A powerful sponsor with In wealth, +Gd personal resources & +2 Contacts

Unique Vehicle
A state of the art vehicle, exotic weapon mounts, or other unusual transport like a mount or teleporter beam or gate +1 contact a mechanic, inventor or even the vehicle

Unique Weapon
An Incredible strength weapon or tool with a remarkable power like a ring or alien gun or magic sword. +1 contact also is an expert of the weapon or possible even the weapon or its creator or managers

Utility Belt
Can carry 20 compact versions of real devices or good rank one off gadgets if in doubt. Or can carry 10 more advanced or Excellent devices. Could be magical, alien or self made. Have one spare belt at home. Have Ex(20) material strength to protect goods. Common ideas: Typical body armour suit, Machine Pistol, scarifying signal ring, disguise kit, flare pistol, special ammo, gas mask, grapple line, truncheon, shuriken, grenade, radio, ammo, restraints, fire extinguisher, smoke pellets, caltrops, bolo, lasso, claws. More powerful type could include magic rug of flying, jet pack, laser rifle, polycarbonate plate Armour, aqualung pack, flamethrower, Machine gun, rocket launcher, etc. Could stack with battlsuit for petty extra gadgets for suit.

Veteran or Agent
 Start character generation process with Typical for all stats without reduced Fighting and Strength, +1 professional contact and a service base professional talent like Police, Army, Navy, Espionage, Agent, Detective,  Streetwise (each in turn provides an extra professional contact a feature of career talents). If still an agent +Good resources.

Legacy Option
Swap a chosen option for 2 random ones inherited from family or older hero with identity back in silver or golden age. You may have differences but you inherit two random legacy options. Oh and you get bonus enemies from the original hero.

First Roll
1 Battlesuit
2 Cyborg or Symbiote
3 Meldsuit
4 Utility Belt
5 Super Science
6 Unique HQ
7 Unique Weapon
8 Student
9 Unique Vehicle
10 Sidekick

Second Roll
1 Extra Contacts
2 Extra Atribute
3 Extra Power
4 Extra Resources
5 Extra Popularity
6 Exra Experience
7 Extra Feats
8 Extra Talents
9 Vetran or Agent
10 Unique Patron

Talents
Talents cost 1000. If you learn more than one per game year you pay +1000 for the second one +2000 for the third etc.

Professional Talents
(Each gives 1 free contact & perform basic tasks of occupation without a +1)
Animal Trainer, Athlete, Bouncer, Builder, Bureaucrat, Clergyman, Detective, Doctor, Agent, Espionage Op, Factory Labourer, Farmer, Fire, Officer, Gangster, Housewife, Mercenary, Musician, Nurse, Paramedic, Police Officer, Politician, Ranger, Reporter, Sailor, Security, Singer, Army, Navy, Airforce, Streetwise, Teacher, Terrorist, Thief, Convict, Astronaut, Lab Tech, Librarian, Artist, Scientist, Air Traffic Controller, Hunter, Fisherman, Nurse, Gardner, Mechanic, Carpenter, Electrician, IT Tech, Photographer, Musician, Model, Chef, Life Guard, Ambulance crew, Air Hostess, Publicist, Advertising

Education Talents

(+1 feat roll in field, mostly academic and theoretical)
Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronomy, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Criminology, Cryptography, , Forensics, Genetics, Geography, Geology, History, Journalism, Law, Linguistics*, Medicine*,  Occult, Philosophy, Physics, , Politics, Politics, Psychoanalysis*, Psychology, Theology, Zoology, Research, First Aid

Physical Talents
Acrobatics, Balance, Climbing, Dance, Drive Car, Drive Motorbike, Vehichle Master*, Horse Riding, Parachute, Pilot, Running, Sailing, Scuba Diving, Skiing, Stealth, Swimming, Swinging, Throwing, Tumbling, Weight Lifting, Spot, Track, Listen, Swinging

Special Talents
Acting, Concealment, Disguise, Escapology, Fast Talk, First Aid, Forgery, Gamble, Hypnosis, Interrogation, Interview, Intimidate, Jack of all Trades*, Leadership, Lip Reading, Mimicry, Ropes, Other Language, Performance, Research, Seduction, Shadow, Sign Language, Slight of hand, Surveillance, Tracking, Ventriloquism, Draw, Stage Magic, Grooming

Technical

Battlesuits, Computers, Construction, Cybernetics, Demolitions, Electronics, Engineering, Forgery, Locksmith, Safe Cracker, Mechanics, Metallurgy, Security, Armourer, Scavenge, Repair, Electrics, Jury Rig

Combat Talents
Archery +1 any kind of bow
Blunt Weapons + any blunt weapon
Edged Weapons + any edged weapon
Fencing +1 sword, sabre, foil, balance
Fast Draw - Never surprised unarmed
Guns+1 hit
Marksman* +1 any ranged weapon
Medieval Weapons +1 swords, maces, flails, spears, shields
Oriental Weapons +1 nunchucks, swords, kasuri gama, shuriken, sticks
Improvised Weapons - no penalties using found imbalanced objects
Primative Weapons - bows, spears, arrows, darts, bolos, boomerangs, rocks
Thrown Weapon +1 any throw object
Weapon Master *+1 any melee weapon
Weapon Specialist *+2 one weapon +1 initiative
Wrestling +2 grapple

Meditation (Max 1 per Psyche raised)
A Body Trance - slow metabolism, use less air, slow poison, fake death
B Focus +1cs 3 times/day or +2 once/day or +1cs on one stat or power once per rank of Psyche
C Mind Wall +1 resist mental domination or detection
D Healing Trance +1cs healing rate
E Iron Will - Add psyche to basic Health score
F Illumination +1cs vs illusions
G Second Wind - can convert psyche rank in karma to health score self once per day
H Stamina +1 feats of endurance and poison and disease and exhastion
I Sensory Trance + Initiative while meditating
J Stone Skin +1pt armour vs blunt
K Spirit Mastery- Add fighting to base karma
L Concentration +1cs on inventing, researching, translating rolls 
M Berserk +1cs attack, +5 damage, -1 Reason. Initiative, charisma, trouble stopping frenzy

Martial Art (Max 1 per Fighting raised at start)
A Stunning blows - stun anybody despite stat differences
B Strikes+1 unarmed hit
C Crushing Holds +1 grapple and +5 damage from grapple
D Throws - slam anybody despite stat differences
E Awareness +1 initiative
F Death Touch*- hands are edged weapons
G Mighty Blows +5 damage
H Multi Strike +1 on multi-attack rolls
I Blocks +1 to block or parry, +1 Strength or material rank for block
J Defence+1 dodge, evade, -1cs extra dodge effect
K Smash +1 on strength for breaking objects
L Spot Weakness 3 rounds observe, Reason roll+1cs, get +1 hit and initiative rest of fight
M Blind Fighting only -1cs mod
N Ambidexterity If making two attacks
O No Weakness - cannot spot your weakness or intent

Contacts
These cost 400 each. These are the broad types. Some earn you extra karma. A danger magnet is competent but keeps getting in villains plots and is used as a  way for enemies to press your buttons. They do end up exposing villains, escaping, calling for help and other trouble and sort of act as villain bait. A romantic connection is best. Friends could include a wife/husband, a college who helps you lots on or close to the scene - they are as compotent as a elite human.  Family in this case are sickly aunts, wheelchair veteran uncles, family dogs, kids and more vulnerablr tyches who get in scene and risk being smushed. A group might buy contacts.

Occupational - professional experts in some field
Danger Magnet - peer is always in danger and gets into every plot and scene
Friends - supportive friends or a wife or buddy earn karma  by hanging with you +10 per scene
Family - helpless relatives stick there nose in but help you earn more possible karma +20 per scene
Enemies - an enemy you can occasional deal with about dodgy things but still hostile
Media - journalist and other influential help keep you looking good
Finance- help manage financial affairs or deal with useful goods
Military - a soldier, officer. supply sergeant, air-force intelligence or some branch
Government- Someone in politics who can help with government affairs
Science or Academic organization like NASA, university, zoo, lab, think tank
Techie - supplier, operator, designer, dealer, driver, pilot
Underworld - criminal of any specialist type but informant or inmate handy
Legal - police, agents, judges, coroners, 
Medical - can be handy for treatment of yourself or innocent or consultation
Language - Any language and includes foreign culture knowledge
Area – city, state, nation, planet, university
Magical or mutant or psionic expert of some kind or even another hero
Charity - a regular provider of karma winning situations and good press and possible sidelicks

One System for stats and power ranks
One basic system for stats and powers plus this enough to make most of a character. Different PC generations systems were a big part of advanced edition MSH. Originally you pick a pregenerated character - i got to be the Thing cos he was my favorite in the 1st box set module and i was hooked from 1st adventure - two nerd hobbies in one in 1985! My first game phaze waa players as themselves describing their powers and tis was fine for a few years. Eventually all did new heroes by the phase two system. Basically used character classes which i will detail soonish.

Most recent game had this:

One enhanced Ability or Power 1xAm Power
or
Two enhanced Ability or Powers 2xInc
or
Three enhanced Ability or Powers 1xIn + 2xRm
or
Four enhanced Ability or Powers 4x Rm
or
Five enhanced Ability or Powers 3x Rm +2 Ex
or
Five enhanced Ability or Powers 1x In + 4Ex
or
Six enhanced Ability or Powers 2x Rm + 4 Ex
or
Eight enhanced Ability or Powers 8x Ex

Add these to the ability scores, resources, popularity or choose powers at rank you want
 

Will do......
powers
hero types - mid phaze hero types
karma

3 comments:

  1. Fantasy FASERIP sounds like fun. Take a look at ZeFRS if you haven't already.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually we tried and failed. Dungeons torn apart like cardboard, a monk would run about punching every roof structure down. Lift biggest thing and throw through ceiling above your enemies. Marvel great for destruction but thats not part of most fantasy fiction combat. Considered every player a god of a ancient city state and just ditch dungeons. Spells worked great - power was a basic type of magic - stunts were extra uses of same magic theory. Could do weird one off things. Will look at zeFRS - looks interesting. The best quick game was playing playing Kaiju game - stat up your 50-100 ft monster - and play human contacts for story stuff. Every monster gets a scooby gang. was big fun and system shined.

      Delete
  2. youve given me something to chew on thanks

    ReplyDelete

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