EldritchFire Press

This is just my little corner of the internet, where I babble on and on about table-top role-playing games...and other things, too, when the itch needs scratching!

[eldritchfire-blog]

The FATE of Weapons and Armour

I know it's been a while since I've talked about FATE, but the Kickstarter for FATE Core is almost done, and we're in the final week, so I decided to babble a bit about it.

One of the things I really like that they did with FATE Core is assumption of competency. It's assumed that you have the right tools to use your skills, unless something happens to change that. So you have a car to use your drive skill, a tools he'd for the crafts skill, a gun for the shooting skill, etc.

However, chapter 11 does have rules for extras, including weapons and armour rating as seen in Dresden Files RPG. I don't like those rules, so I'm going to share my own version.

Why not use the Current Rules?

The main reason is because big weapons with high skill can cause you to take a severe consequence really quick. If you beat their defense by 2 with a weapon:3, that's 5 stress you have to absorb! Oh, and the most stress boxes you can have is 4. So unless you're Mr. Buff, you probably have 2 or 3 stress boxes. Ouch.

So now we have an arms race to get the best armour available, because the best way to negate a weapon:3 is with armour 4! All of the sudden, everyone is playing a Space Marine instead of Indiana Jones.

What's My Fix?

I'll tell you a secret, it's not mine. It's stolen from Brenen Taylor's Bulldogs!

Weapon rating isn't added to your roll, it becomes the minimum stress you inflict on a successful attack. So a weapon 3 will do 3 stress on a tie, or if you succeed with style! Of course, if you succeed by, say, 5, you deal a 5-stress hit.

However, in Bulldogs! armour rating did the same thing it does in Dresden Files: it reduces incoming stress. I'm not a big fan of that method, and here's why: weapon ratings are situationally useful, whereas armour ratings are always useful.

A weapon 2 doesn't matter if you succeed with style, but as long as you fail a defense roll, your armour reduces the stress you take each and every time. So I need a way for armour to be situationally useful, too. The answer came to me when I was reading the preview for CAMELOT Trigger, specifically the rule that says you can shutdown a system to reduce stress like a consequence.

So what if the situation that armour helps with is consequences? I mean, consequences are when the attack actually hit you, right? Stress is just the close calls. So armour increases the stress absorbed by consequences!

That's it?

Well, no, it's not. We can't just have a strait 1-4 armour rating, with super heavy armour letting you absorb 6 stress with a mild consequence. Go with an armour rating of 1-2, and then give it a minor consequence of its own.

The key is to have the armour rating low, or else only minor consequence are going to be taken, while giving more utility in the form of one or two additional consequence.

Example, Please!

Ok, so here's an example of my weapons/armour rules in action.

Light weapons: 2 Medium weapons: 3 Heavy weapons: 4

Light armour: consequences absorb +1 stress Medium armour: consequences absorb +1 stress, and gain another minor consequence Heavy armour: consequences absorb +2 stress, and gain another minor consequence

Closing Thoughts

I know it's not perfect, nor is it going to please or impress everyone, but it's mine, so I like it. I saw a problem in FATE that I think needs changing, so I changed it.

If you get a chance to try it at your table, I'd love to hear how it went!

[eldritchfire-blog]

Marvel Heroic Interaction

One of the few downsides of Marvel Heroic Roleplaying is the lack of differentiation of social-type interactions. It usually comes down to rolling Affiliation + Distinction + Specialty. Which specialty depends on the discourse, but could easily be any of them, depending on the type of discussion being had.

Not always a bad thing, but I’d like to delve a bit more into the nuances of heroic interaction.

Background

One of my favorite genres is magical girl/sentai, specifically the middle/high school shows like Sailor Moon, Bleach, Ronin Warriors, Rosario+Vampire, even to some extent the various Macross story lines.

So what?

So, one thing that they all have in common is that they have a transformation scene where they get all super-powered. Before that, they were just regular kids who had regular problems.

I really enjoy the mundanity of the heroes lives before—and even after!—they transform. Transform now, fight bad guy, miss class…again. Transform later, fight bad guy, miss your date. Tough choices. A lot of this interaction has some nuances that don’t quite get harnessed in MHR. So how do we capture this aspect of the characters mundane lives?

Personality Power Sets

To capture the fun and intrigue that can happen between the super-powered slugfests, give the heroes a mundane power set!

Start out small, say a d8 and two d6 personality traits. Make sure they’re different from your distinctions, and say more about who your hero is and what their interests are. From there, give them a few traits, SFX and a limit or two, one of which is the mutually exclusive with their super-powers. You either kick-ass and take names, rotor try to talk it out, not both.

For example, let’s look at a possible personality set for the popular girl.

Most Popular Girl in School Gossip Mill d8 • Designer Clothes d6 • Daddy’s Car d6 SFX: Did you hear…? When using Gossip Mill, step back the highest die in your pool by -1, add a d6, and step up the emotional stress caused. SFX: An Outfit for Every Occasion. When creating an asset, add a d6 and step up your effect die. Limit: Daddy’s Car, not Mine. Shutdown a Most Popular Girl in School power to gain a PP. Participate in a transition scene to recover.

Closing Thoughts

So there you have it, my personal Marvel Heroic Interaction add-on to any MHR game. Now you can add some spice and intrigue to any game, or start your own Super Sentai Magical Girl game, complete with the mundane school-time complications that accompany it!

[eldritchfire-blog]

In Defense of Durability

A month or so back, there was a discussion over on the MHR forums about when Durability applies in reaction rolls. This cam up because of the differentiation between Durability, Mystic Resistance, and Psychic Resistance.

So today, I’m going to try to tackle the differences.

The Question

The question that came up was this, “can I use Durability in a reaction against magical attacks?”

The answer we came to agree on was yes. However, as with most things in Marvel Heroic, that’s only part of the answer.

Why?

Durability, to me, is how you resist physical stress of all types. Whether from a hammer, a bullet, a repulsor beam, or even a mystical blast, Durability is the answer. The Durability power trait deals with the results of an action: Physical Stress.

Think of it like the invulnerability SFX. It protects against physical stress, no matter the cause. Compare that to immunity, which protects from vectors of attack. Human Torch is immune to fire, period. No matter if it’s stress, a complication, or whatever, if it’s fire-based, he can safely ignore it.

So on that thought, Resistance is akin to immunity. Mystic Resistance can be rolled against any magical attack, if it is Dr. Strange trying to entrap you in a magical cage, or Thor blasting you with magical lightning, you can still Resist it. Resistance deals with vector, not results.

So Why Won’t Durability Protect from Mental Attacks?

The answer to that question is simple! It’s because Psychic Blast doesn’t do physical stress, it does mental stress! Remember that Durability protects against physical stress, so an attack that does mental stress—or even complications—can safely ignore that trait.

[eldritchfire-blog]

R.I.P. Aina Nightbringer: 2005-2012

I’ve been hemming and hawing about whether to post this or not for a few weeks now, but I decided to so so. I think it would be a disservice to my fictional hero and the game that made it all possible.

What?

Good question! Aina Nightbringer was my first successful character in City of Heroes. She was a darkness manipulator who used the power the Netherworld to aid her allies. The game has closed it’s servers at the end of last month, so we will never again adventure together in this incarnation. In game terms, she was a Dark Miasma/Dark Blast Defender. I never managed to get her past level 38, but she will always be my favorite. You never forget your first, right? I wish I had a picture of her to share, but I got rid of my laptop a longtime ago, having switched over to my iPad, and didn’t have time or opportunity to get a screencap of her.

How?

Aina came from humble origins, being evicted from her home in the Rogue Isles by minions of Arachnos. She did what she had to do in order to survive the slums, including participating in “medical trials” for paltry amounts of money.

It was in one of those trials where she found her confidence—and her freedom. Arachnos was doing experiments on her and others of her volunteer group to see if they could give people an affinity for manipulating Dark Energy. It was torturous for her and he companions, but it’s not like they had a choice.

After long weeks of experimentation, Aina was in for a long night. Fortunately for her, the scientist was a bit too groggy, and upped her exposure to dangerous levels. Combined with the prior weeks tweaking with her genetics, Aina took to the energy in a flash—figuratively, of course, since darkness doesn’t flash! She used he newly given powers to free herself and the others in her test group.

With her new powers as yet untested, she made her way from the Rogue Isles to Paragon City to throw in her lot with the heroes sworn to stop Arachnos.

Who?

Aina Nightbringer

Solo d6 • Buddy d10 • Team d8

Life Ain’t Fair • Hero-in-Training • Street Rat

DARK MIASMA Dark Blast d8 • Darkforce Control d8 • Enhanced Stamina d8 Invisibility d8 • Psychic Resistance d6 • Teleport d6

SFX: Darkest Night. When creating vision- or fear-related complications, add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1. SFX: Embrace the Shadows. Step up or double any Dark Miasma power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die. SFX: Moonbeam. Against a single target, step up or double Dark Blast. Remove the highest rolling die and use three dice for your total. SFX: Twilight Grasp. Add Darkforce Control to your dice pool when helping others recover stress. Spend 1 PP to recover your own or another’s physical stress or step back your own or another’s physical trauma by –1. Limit: Conscious Activation. While stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Dark Miasma. Recover Dark Miasma when you recover that stress or wake up. If you take mental trauma, shutdown Dark Miasma until you recover that trauma.

Specialties Covert Expert • Criminal Expert • Menace Expert

Daughter of Arachnos 1 XP … when you mention the Arachnos origin of one of your powers while using it. 3 XP … when you cause stress to an Arachnos-allied villain. 10 XP … when you either destroy the research on you, or give Arachnos the opportunity to study you in exchange for the safety of innocents.

Fledgling Hero 1 XP … when you ask a teammate or elder super hero for advice. 3 XP … when you follow orders from a teammate. 10 XP … when you take on a villain single-handed, proving you’re a real hero, or hide from a villainous threat, showing you’re not ready for the title “Hero.”

[eldritchfire-blog]

[MHR] Long-Term Play Part 2

Last time, I talked about using milestone to unlock new powers, SFX, etc. without using XP. Today, we talk about using XP in a slightly different way than is shown in the Operations Manual. today is all about unlockables!

How is this different than normal?

That is a good question. OM 109 has a nice list of ways to use XP. Add new SFX, add a new power, step up a power, and so on. This time around, though, there is no such thing s adding or stepping up new traits. Sure, we're going to keep the 5 XP list pretty much untouched. I mean, except for adding a limit, it's all about swapping around what is already on your datafile, it doesn't add anything.

New Power Sets

If your player wants a new power set, we take a look at the What If? Thor Bonus Content available for free download from Margaret Weis Productions. On page 03 it talks about the difference between wielding Mjölnir and wielding it proficiently. In brief, Mjölnir has 6 power traits, 3 SFX, and one limit. Grabbing the hammer gives you two of the power traits, one SFX, and the only limit. If you have appropriate specialties, you gain additional powers and SFX.

Or if we look to CW25 we have some great power sets unlocked from being cozy with Wakanda. Blessing of the Panther God gives you two d8 traits - either reflexes and senses, or stamina and strength - along with the dangerous and burst SFX, and the growing dread limit.

Also on CW25 is Wakandan Arsenal for 5 or 10 XP. In brief: senses, wall crawling, and weapon a d6 and durability at d8, along with the boost SFX and gear limit. For 5 XP, once the limit is used, the gear breaks down and is gone for good, while the 10 XP option lets you recover the gear as normal.

Improving Traits

CW36 has a nice unlockable for S.H.I.E.L.D. called Stark Industries Upgrade. It's 10 XP and it lets you step up two traits from one power set by +1. However, it comes with a cost: all opportunities you generate when using those powers are stepped up by +1 as well!

How Does That Help with Long-Term Play?

Good question! For the most part, you won't have to worry about your players gaining new powers or power sets. They should have all they want at the beginning. However, some players will want to give, say, their brick some reflexes or senses. That's cool. Using the Wakandan example, build a power set that has two or so powers with one or two SFX and decent limit. Or, taking the Stark Tech example, add a power to an existing power set but give it some limit all its own.

Same goes with upping power traits or specialties. Have them add to the doom pool, step up doom dice, or even cost PPs when they normally wouldn't. Remember, these new traits are new, meaning the hero doesn't have a firm grasp on them yet.

Other Uses

Using the above examples, you can also give players unlockables to toy with for a base of operations! Do they want an infirmary that does more than just let them recover physical stress? Is there a player who wants the main computer to be more than just an excuse to do research? Have each one be a new, unlockable, power set!

For example.

For those heroes who want to do more, they can spend 10 XP to unlock the infirmary power set. They gain both powers, the healing touch SFX, and the locational limit. If the hero has medical expert, they also get the fully stocked SFX.

Infirmary Enhanced Stamina d8 - Senses d6 SFX: Healing touch. Add enhanced stamina to your dice pool when helping others recover stress. Spend 1 PP to recover your own or another's physical stress or step back your own or another's physical trauma by -1. SFX: Fully stocked. When you create a medical resource representing a medkit, you may add a d6 to the doom pool to step up that resource by +1. Limit: Locational. Shutdown Infirmary power set when you leave your base. Recover Infirmary by returning to your base.

Rinse and repeat for other power sets and power buffs. Just look at what is currently available and tweak as you see fit.

Anybody want to see some other unlockable power sets?

[eldritchfire-blog]

[MHR] Long-Term Play Part 1

There has  been quite a bit of people asking about how to do long-term play in MHR in regards to XP. I've voiced my thoughts a number of times and I figured it's time to sit down and collect it all in one place. This is part 1 of many, so keep your eyes peeled for more!

No XP

Wait, what? How are we supposed to do long-term games with no XP? Well, easy, really. Change the milestones to have 1PP/2PP/3PP triggers instead of 1XP/3PX/10XP. Because one of the basic uses of XP is for PPs, so we're cutting out the middle man.

Improvement Milestones

So how do you increase your traits if you have no XP? Specific milestones that, when you hit the 10XP trigger, you're able to increase a trait. This means you can, at most, attempt to increase 2 traits at a time, since you're not allowed more than two milestones. Also, it encourages the player to use said traits thus showing in-game the training time.

For example, let's say you wanted to increase your strength. Take the STRENGTH TRAINING milestone:

STRENGTH TRAINING 1PP when…you cause physical stress or a complication when using your strength die. 2PP when…you use your impressive strength to intimidate someone, causing emotional stress or complications. 3PP when…you stress out a villain who's strength is greater than yours, or you loose such a fight, dedicating yourself to be more for the rematch.

Gaining Traits

The same basic structure works for gaining traits, not just improving them. For example, say your character wants to learn first aid, so is looking to gain the medical specialty.

MEDIC IN TRAINING 1PP when…you spend a PP to use a push die, representing your fledgling knowledge of medicine. 2PP when…you assist a fellow hero or civilian during a transition scene to reduce their physical stress. 3PP when…you  successfully remove a fellow hero's physical stress during a battle.

Changing Traits

So now that we know how to improve what you have, or gain what you didn't, how do we change what is? Changing distinctions, affiliation dice, or limits is easy enough. They all cost 5XP, so each time you hit the 2PP trigger, you're able to change something at your next transition scene.

Event Unlockables

But with no XP, how can we unlock event unlockables? Just like with changing traits, set a goal for 2PP for things that require 5XP, and 3PP trigger is required for each 10XP unlockable. Or just make each unlockable a milestone in and of itself!

Closing Remarks

Well, I think that covers it. Increasing traits, gaining traits, changing traits, and unlockables. Am I missing anything? What do you think?

[eldritchfire-blog]

Creating a Marvel Heroic Roleplay Event

I've been working on a mini-event for a friend who wants to try out MHR with one of his friends. So I set about creating a mini-event to run for the two of them. It's not complete, but it was complete enough to do a test-run!

On Monday night, I got the chance to play my #MarvelRPG mini-event! Follow the #MHREvent until Friday for my mini-musing!

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Christopher R.

Wed, Jun 13 2012 15:30:38

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It was designed as an intro game, so I grabbed two players who weren't all that well versed in MHR. Sandchigger had only played once or twice, and Kathulhu hadn't played at all!

Special thanks to @sandchigger & @kathulu for playing in my #MHREvent! All in all, it went really well from my side & they've said the same

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Christopher R.

Thu, Jun 14 2012 07:30:32

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@EldritchFire your scenario was a great introduction to the #MarvelRPG game. :) #MHREvent

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kathulhu

Thu, Jun 14 2012 08:06:42

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So it looks like I know what I'm doing after all! 

For my first #MHREvent, I followed OM124-125. Being twitter, I'm going to be brief in my bullet points. Premise/Idea: Bank robbery!

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Christopher R.

Thu, Jun 14 2012 09:30:32

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One of the players I am building this event for is an old City of Heroes friend, and we loved doing the bank missions, so that's where I started. Pretty straight-forward, right? I mean, that's what heroes do, stop bank robberies!

I decided to do an intro event, so it's only 1 act. For organization, I made a MindMap to keep everything in order #MHREvent

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Christopher R.

Thu, Jun 14 2012 11:30:24

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I've fumbled around with different ways of taking notes, and bullet points just didn't seem to cut it. So I tried a mind map. Below is a screenshot of my mindmap done on my iPad.

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Cubby

Thu, Jun 14 2012 11:24:52

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Setting/Hook/Buildup: Setting is a bank. Hook/Buildup depends on the heroes. At the bank, patrolling, or hearing "something's up" #MHREvent

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Christopher R.

Thu, Jun 14 2012 13:30:25

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As recommended in the OM—and taking a cue from Breakout—I had a list of a few different options of how/why the heroes were able to foil the robbery. As you can see from my mind map, I came up with three different options:

•The Spider-Man 2 approach (they're there when it happens)

•The "stumble upon a robbery in progress" approach

•The tried and true "your contacts tell you something is going down" approach

The doom pool started at 2d8, per OM14 for a high-stakes but standard act. I didn't want to start at 2d6 since there was little time to grow it, and wanted to be able to create a scene distinction right away if need be.

3 scenes: bank heist, chase through downtown, & boss fight. I made scene distinctions for scene 1, but forgot the other two >_< #MHREvent

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Christopher R.

Thu, Jun 14 2012 15:30:07

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@EldritchFire you didn't forget the second one. I used "busy traffic" or something to my detriment.

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sandchigger

Thu, Jun 14 2012 15:37:13

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@sandchigger what I meant was I didn’t plan the distinctions, I made ‘em up when we got to the scene

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Christopher R.

Thu, Jun 14 2012 15:38:09

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Bank Robbery: 2 enemies: 1x 3d8 mob & 1 minor character. 2x scene distinctions, mob grandstanding to add a 3rd: Hostages #MHREvent

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Christopher R.

Fri, Jun 15 2012 07:30:21

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The first thing that the bad guys did was grandstand a d8 to immediately spend to add a new scene distinction. This shows off grandstanding, adding scene distinctions, and how watcher characters don't have to roll dice to do things.

Chase Scene: 1 major character. No scene distinctions, teleporter villain, need movement powers for heroes #MHREvent

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Christopher R.

Fri, Jun 15 2012 09:30:26

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The second scene was a chase. The major character had teleport as his main power. However, I didn't think about heroes who don't have movement powers. @sandchigger originally wanted to play Luke Cage, but changed to Iron Fist when I mentioned the chase and needing a travel power. 

I'm thinking I should come up with a side-story for times when characters don't have a travel power. What do you think?

My Monday group didn't get to the final scene, so I have nothing to add at this point. I'll get back to it when I write more #MHREvent

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Christopher R.

Fri, Jun 15 2012 11:30:17

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With it being late and @kathulhu needing to put some children to bed we called it after the second scene, so I have nothing to report on the final showdown. However, it is a large-scale threat designed to show how on character can be a challenge to multiple heroes!

[eldritchfire-blog]

Blog Post: Minions vs. Mobs

There has been a bit of a discussion on various message boards about using multiple specialty characters in a fight. The default response is "why do it that way? Just use a mob!" Sometimes, however, having multiple specialty characters is a better idea than just one mob.

[[more]]

#MavelRPG #minionMob If you need more Watcher characters to act, it's best to have multiple minions instead of one mob

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Christopher R.

Sat, May 05 2012 15:30:25

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One of the most strategic aspects of the Marvel RPG is the action order.  It encourages players to mix up the order and let Watcher characters have a go. If you're interested, here's a link to a really good blog post by Fred Hicks on the action order:

Accidentally Designing Marvel's Action Order System » Deadly Fredly

Feb 24, 2012 ... So, back at the GenCon where Margaret Weis Productions announced that they'd gotten the Marvel license, I had an o...

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Deadlyfredly

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So what are the benefits of many specialty characters vs. having a mob?

#MavelRPG #minionMob Having multiple minions gives Watcher more actions per page, increasing tactical options

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Christopher R.

Sun, May 06 2012 07:30:16

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Basically, if you have, say, three specialty characters instead of one mob, you have three times as many opportunities to act. The more characters Watcher has to play with, the more intense the conflict will become.  The players have to pay more attention to the turn order because if they get lax, Watcher can lay the hurt on the player's heroes.

#MavelRPG #minionMob Having only one mob gives the heroes time to shine, since the heroes get more actions before the mob can act

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Christopher R.

Sun, May 06 2012 09:30:20

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On the flip side, if you only have one mob, they players get to feel heroic as they lay waste to a mob of enemies! Think of all the opening pages/scenes of Spider-Man comics, TV shows, and movies. There's a couple of dudes robbing a bank, stealing an old lady's purse, or something like that. In no time at all, Spider-Man has them webbed up, waiting for the cops to haul 'em to jail. That's what a mob looks like. They're fodder for your players, a chance for them to feel heroic, saving the day fast and looking good while doing it! One thing to keep in mind, though, is the number–and size–of dice in a mob. If the mob is d6 or d8, you should have one die per hero so they each have a "target" to stress out. For d10 mobs, don't worry about 1 for 1. They're not guaranteed to go down with one hit. Just be sure to adjust for your group! Obviously throwing around d10 effect dice with step-up SFX will change the playing field!

#MavelRPG #minionMob Mobs are good as backup to major villains. It gives the heroes an obstacle to overcome, but isn't the main threat

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Christopher R.

Sun, May 06 2012 11:30:05

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Mobs make great backup for your big bad. I mean, what villain who claims the title "super" doesn't have hirelings or henchmen? It's required by the Super Villain Charter, Section 3, §42A. Anyway, giving a villain a mob increases the tactical options available during a conflict. A decent sized or trained mob can give the heroes pause. Do they take out the help first, then pile on the big bad? Do they ignore the mob? Divide and conquer? All good questions, with no right answer! Also of note is that, in this context, a "villain" doesn't mean main character. The super villain could have a trusted lieutenant who has a small force at his command.

#MavelRPG #minionMob Don't think that you can only have one or the other! Use both to call out the coolness of the minions!

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Christopher R.

Sun, May 06 2012 15:30:19

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As mentioned above, you can have both in one encounter! In my previous post on making villains—Inverse Law of Ninja—I made note of using a specialty or minor character for the "leader" of the mob. Say you have three heroes, and want to give 'em a good fight, but not too long. So you use one 3d6 mob and two d8 specialty characters. You now have two elites leading a squad of rank-and-file troops. Or two summoners with their demonic horde. Don't be afraid to throw in some variety, too. Your specialty characters don't need to have similar traits to the mob. Have the specialty characters be special!

[eldritchfire-blog]

Meet The Avatar

Origin 6: Altered Human, 2 power sets. Let's face it, no matter how much one trains, if they're not a bender, they will never be a bender. Also, I decided on two power sets, one for his bending, and one for his staff.

Affiliations 1: Solo d10, Buddy d8, Team d6. He thinks that he has to do it all himself, but does team up with Katara when he needs to.

Primary Power Set 5: One at d10, two at d8. Also, because of the origin, he gets an additional d8 power.

Secondary Power Set 1: Two powers at d8. Airbending Power Set 1: Rolling on Common Powers table 9; 1: Air control mastery d10 4: Enhanced Reflexes d8 10; 9; 3: Airbending blast d8 3: Leaping d6 5: Air resistance d8

Bending Staff Power Set 8: Tech Powers 1: Weapon d8 4: Subsonic Flight d8

Special Effects Since each power set has one SFX and one limit, we have to be a bit picky. I can see several SFX that would make sense: area attack, burst, counterattack, focus, unleashed, and versatile. For his primary power set, I'm going to go with Focus. For his staff, that's going to get area attack.

Limits For his Airbending set, exhausted is looking good, because on some occasions, he did get too danged tired to to much bending. I think that gear is a duh limit for his staff, since he can't fly without it!

Specialties 3: One expert and one master specialty. Also, the chosen origin gives an additional expert specialty. 1: Acrobatic master d10 3: Covert expert d8 7: Psych expert d8

Yes, psych is an odd choice, but Aang does understand human behavior.

Distinctions 1: Personality trait—Insatiable Curiosity 4: Title—The Avatar 3: Backstory—A Boy Out of Time

Milestones 1: Solo Affiliation Milestone—He thinks he needs to do everything himself. 5: The Last Airbender—Let's face it, he pines for the lost nomads. I must note that this milestone is taken whole-cloth from Colossus.

The Avatar State One of the cool things that Aang can do is go into the Avatar State. When in it, he becomes uber and epic. However, he only goes into the Avatar State when all else fails, and he wins...well, except for that one time, but that's besides the point.

In Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, that sounds a lot like Watcher spending 2d12 to end the scene. If you want more mechanical representation, feel free to borrow Ancestral Boost from Armor.

That was quick! Here's Aang's full datafile.

[eldritchfire-blog]

Inverse Law of Ninja

Step By Step

As mentioned in the last post, we're going to follow OM114-115. It's so nice when all you need is 2 pages to make MASSIVE MONSTERS OF MAYHEM! Or, rather, just 2 pages of rules for easy opposition creation.

Minor Character

The first character we're going to make is a Jounin, or leader among the ninja. Jounin is more a title than name or rank, so feel free to give the Jounin a name.

As the Jounin is usually the last standing, I think it makes sense to give him or her Solo d8. Remember minor characters get d4, d6, & d8 for Affiliations. Also, since we know that when it's just 2 ninja, they always get into each others way, d4 Buddy. That leaves d6 for team, which is good, as I'll discuss later.

d8 Solo - d4 Buddy - d6 Team

Unlike heroes, minor characters only get two Distinctions. Lead by Example, is one, since you can never tell who the leader is. Patient Hunter is the second. They hide in the shadows, striking at the most opportune time.

Power Sets for a Jounin are pretty easy. The first is Ninja Training, the second is Tools of the Trade.

For Ninja Training, they have Enhanced Agility d8, Enhanced Durability d8, and Super Jumping d6. Ninja are fast, tough, and like to flip up.

Tools of the Trade is their gear. Weapon d8 for their sword and ninja stars - or even sectioned staff, sai, tonto, etc. Wall Crawling d6 represents their grappling lines.

After power sets, we need a few SFX. Ninja training is all about mastery of one's body, so Boost and Focus make sense. Tools of the Trade represent the versatile tools that ninja have at their disposal. Afflict makes sense for things like throwing the grappling hook to ensnare foes, or even using flash bombs to blind a target. The same thing can be said for Constructs. Climbing claws asset for scaling a wall faster, or pulling out a second weapon for a more versatile attack.

Limits for these all seem to fall into place quite well. Ninja Training gets Exhausted, while Tools of the Trade receive Gear.

Acrobatic, Combat, and Covert Expert specialties round out the Jounin.

Mob of Ninja

As we all know, ninja rarely ever attack singly. Indeed, they usually swarm their targets, so let's make a mob of ninja!

Most of the heavy lifting has been done for us, since we can use the Jounin as a stepping stone. Really, all we need to do is change the Affiliation and Distinctions.

Since our Jounin has a d6 in Team, that's a good die to use for a mob of ninja. Per OM66, a mob of a dozen or so is 3dX, so Mob of Ninja 3d6 it is! For distinctions, we should give them one that can be used negatively, to boost up the Doom Pool. So how about Quantity over Quality. When their expertise is brought into question, that's a d4! Hit and Run sounds good for the second. It can be used to describe how they dart in and out when attacking, and can also be used for trying to escape.

The Power Sets can be ported over no problem, since they are all given the same training and tools. For SFX, the mob should be given Area Attack, since they are many, and can attack more than one target at a time. Burst also makes sense, representing how the mob bum-rushes one target.

Jounin

So here is our Jounin, without all the fancy markup you'll find on other sites or official write-ups. I'm not that good with graphic design, sorry.

Jounin Solo d8 - Buddy d4 - Team d6

Lead by Example Patient Hunter

Ninja Training Enhanced Agility d8 - Enhanced Durability d8 - Super Jumping d6 SFX: Boost, Focus. Limits: Exhausted

Tools of the Trade Weapon d8 - Wall Crawling d6 SFX: Afflict, Constructs Limit: Gear

Ninja Mob

Team 3d6

Quantity Over Quality Hit and Run

Ninja Training Enhanced Agility d8 - Enhanced Durability d8 - Super Jumping d6 SFX: Area Attack, Boost, Burst, Focus Limits: Exhausted

Tools of the Trade Weapon d8 - Wall Crawling d6 SFX: Afflict, Constructs Limit: Gear

Another Fun Thing

Now that we have not only a mob of about a dozen ninja, but a leader, how can we make the Jounin jump out and say "BOO"? Easy!

Remember how we have the ninja mob building up the Doom Pool with its Quantity Over Quality Distinction? OM17 says that you can spend Doom dice to activate scene or event effects. For one of those scene effects: Spend a d8 from the Doom Pool to have a Jounin appear. Simple!

Closing Remarks

It seems that typing out took more time than actually coming up with them! That's pretty cool. For new Watchers, I would recommend having OM90-91 printed out along with the Watcher Cheat Sheet, so if/when you need to make up some baddies. That way, you can, at a glance, know what each SFX does. I find it useful, anyway.

[eldritchfire-blog]

Making Minions & Mobs

Well, it's been a busy week in the world of Marvel RPG! A good friend of mine, Adam, has a nice collection of links over on his blog. Check it out!

The Basics

OM114-115 has the basics already laid out for you. You can make major, minor, or specialty characters.

The big bad of the event is a major character. there's not much to say here, since it's pretty much just like making characters, except for no milestones.

Next up are minor characters. They're the ones who are not as awesome as major characters, but who still have names. They are similar to major characters, but with slightly less oomph. 

Then there are the rank & files troops, the specialist who is called in for their knowledge, but not fighting skill, and the girl next door.

Major Characters

As mentioned above, major characters are built just like player characters. Give 'em d6/d8/d10 Affiliation dice, 3 Distinctions, a power set or two, and a small number of Specialties.

I'm not going into any more detail about these guys, all you need to do is make a character, but stop at the Milestones, since major characters don't have any.

Minor Characters

Minor characters are those who have names, but are not as difficult to deal with as major ones. They're the "mini bosses," if you will.

They are very similar to player characters, with less dice, and smaller ones, too.

Since they only get d4/d6/d8 for Affiliations, they are already less powerful than our heroes. Remember that when you decide that their d4 is solo...and forget to give them a buddy or team to play with!

With only two Distinctions, they're not as flexible as major characters or heroes, but they're still not bad at what they do well.

The even get Power Sets, so the right powers at the right die size can help make up for their lower Affiliations! One of the big things to look out for when making minor characters is how you plan to introduce them. If their d8 is team, and they're always showing up in a team, don't go overboard and give them loads of d10 powers!

Specialties are last. Give them an Expert at what they're supposed to be good at, unless you think they deserve Master. For example, ninja would have Covert Expert, and probably Combat Expert if not Master. Hired thugs would be Menace Masters, and a witch would be a Mystic Master.

Specialty Characters

Also know as minions, mook, or grunts, specialty characters are really easy to run, and even easier to create!

The number one thing to remember when playing specialty characters is their reduced stress capability. Once any one stress exceeds their Specialty rating, they are stressed out. So a rookie cop (d6) is stressed out when they take d8 or more stress. Heck, even a Mystic Master d10 can't take as much stress as a minor character!

Back on track, sorry. Specialty characters are in no way designed to be a credible threat to heroes at all. Like I said above, they are the nameless SHIELD agents, the cosmic scholar they heroes go to for advice, or the UN ambassador the heroes have to negotiate with. Once specialty characters combine their powers into a mob, however, they can get dangerous. More on that next time!

Affiliations are, like minor characters, d4/d6/d8. Add on their Specialty at Rookie d6, Expert d8, or Master d10. To ice the cake, throw in a few power traits and you're done!

Note that they get power traits, not power sets. A minor difference, but a big one! Remember, when building your dice pool, you get one die from each category, and all their power traits are technically in one set. You still can spend a Doom Die to add another power trait, but you're better off adding a Doom Die to your pool instead.

So your specialty characters still get what I consider the default 3 dice - two to add together and a third for effect. However, that's about all they get. An Affiliation, Specialty, and Power Trait.

For deciding on power traits, keep in mind that a d6 is better than nothing. If you look at the specialty characters in Break Out, they have most of their gear at d6 or d8. Or, if the character doesn't use gear, feel free to throw in a cool named power trait to represent what they are really good at. A ninja would have enhanced reflexes, for instance, and a mystic master could very easily have psychic resistance. Heck, a bouncer who is more a menace than threat could have Deadly Demeanor d8. Be creative! But don't go overboard.

It's also a good idea to give specialty characters one, maybe two, SFX. A UN diplomat could easily have never back down that acts like second wind for mental stress.

With power sets and SFX, you'd think that limits are important. For these guys, not really. If it's a gadget-based trait, that's the Gear limit. Are they mutant powers? Again, Mutant limit. However, most of the time it's easier to not worry about it because they'll be taking less stress, and if the heroes want to turn off a trait they can always roll to do so.

Coming Up

Next time, I'll go through the process and make a minor character, a few specialty characters, and a mob or large-scale threat!

If you have anything you want to see, please post in the comments, I'd be happy to oblige!

[eldritchfire-blog]

Marvel RPG - Dynamic Doom Dice Dance

Ok, so I have a confession to make: I  love alliteration! Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk DOOM!

What the Doom Pool is

Basically, the doom Pool is a collection of dice that shows how crazy/hectic/out of control the situation is becoming. For specific discussion on the Doom Pool, see OM14-OM19.

It grows as the Players roll 1s, and it shrinks when the Watcher uses the dice from it. It's a source of Plot Points for the players, and a stand-in for Plot Points for the Watcher. Also, it's a stand-in for when the characters are acting against a  situation, not another character.

What the Doom Pool is not

The Doom Pool is not a malicious entity working against the players. It's a passive, "things are getting rough" yardstick. It isn't there to screw over the players. Quite the opposite, in fact, it helps give the players Plot Points!

Also, the Doom Pool is most definitely not a massive "screw you!" to the players. It's designed to aid in telling a compelling story, not making your players upset.

How Do You Use the Doom Pool?

At it's most basic function, Doom Dice are a source of Plot Points, both for players and the Watcher. How's that? Simple, every time a player rolls a 1, the Watcher can add a d6 (or larger!) to the Doom Pool. For every die added, the player who rolled a 1 gets a Plot Point. Also, as mentioned previously, Doom dice are used in place of Plot Points for Watcher characters.

You can also take a die, or dice, from the Doom Pool to add to a Watcher character's dice pool. Normally, that die is gone from the pool. However, if the Watcher gives that player a PP, they can put that die right back in the Doom Pool! The player and Watcher both benefit!

Adding to the Pool

As Players roll 1s, dice can be added to the Doom Pool. If more than one 1 is rolled, the Watcher has options:

Give the player 1 PP per 1 rolled, and add that many d6s to the Doom Pool

Give the player 1 PP, and add a larger die to the pool (a d8 for two 1s, a d10 for three 1s, or a d12 for four 1s)

Any combination of the above

For every die that is added to the Doom Pool, 1 PP is given to the rolling player. Stepping up a die is free, not costing a PP. There are other ways to increase the Doom Pool besides players rolling 1s.

Using negative distinctions. Remember how I said that Doom dice are like Plot Points? Well, when a player uses a Distinction as a d4, they get a PP. When the Watcher uses it in such a way, they can either add a d6 to the pool, or step up the smallest die in the pool.

I want to highlight that last part. You can't just use d4s to build up one die at a time to a d12. It's always the smallest die. So if you have a lot of dice in the pool, it's going to take a while to get lots of bigger dice. However, that's not too bad, since it's an easy way to at least get a few d8s in there! Remember, the smallest die size in the pool is always a d6!

Another way is "grandstanding" on the part of Watcher characters. In stead of rolling to cause stress, complications, or create an asset, your effect die goes into the Doom Pool.  I like to think of this as the "monologue" option. Why do super villains always monologue? It boosts the Doom Pool!

Spending the Doom Pool

Now we get to the fun part, using the Doom Pool! As mentioned prior, they are akin to Plot Points for the Watcher. All of this is talked about on OM16-17, but I want to highlight a few things.

Add a die to your pool. Whereas players spend PPs for stunts/push dice, Watcher characters just take a die from Doom. Don't discount this method, especially with the option to give the player a PP to return the die back to the pool. it's a nice economy that keeps on giving!

Also, you can spend a d8 or bigger to create a new scene Distinction! is the Human Torch throwing fireballs all over the place? Add an on fire Distinction! Did Iron Man just use his EMP indoors? Great, now the power's out and it's pitch dark in here!

Last but not lest, I want to talk about interrupting your players. If you're not familiar with the action order (read: initiative) in Marvel, here's a great blog post by Fred Hicks on the subject.

Anyway, don't discount the power of interrupting players as they bandy about back and forth as to who goes next. When it seems dramatically appropriate for a Watcher character to take their panel (read: turn), do it! That's what the Doom Pool is for!

Doom Pool & SFX

Ok, so now comes some personal tips on using the Doom Pool. Remember how you can spend a die from the pool to use another effect die, or add another die into your (re)action total? Well, I have a few tips for that.

Use your d6s! d6s are the most common die in the doom pool. However, a lot of powers, affiliations, etc are much larger than a d6. So how do we use the d6s in the Doom Pool? The easiest way is Specialties. You can "split" Specialties from 1d10 into 2d8 or 3d6 (or a d8 can become 2d6). So grab your Combat Master 3d6, and use some Doom dice to add to your total! Players will see why you're a master in no time!

Or take advantage of SFX. This came into play when I ran my fiancée through a short scenario to teach her the rules. Remember those raptors we met, back in the beginning of February? Well, they have a whole bunch of d8s, but can't use their Specialties unless solo, so what was a watcher to do with all the d6s in the Doom Pool? Why, Rip/Shred/Tear,of course! It allowed me to "Add d6 to your dice pool for an attack action and step back the highest die in your pool by –1. Step up physical stress inflicted by +1."

So not only did it give me a d6 to play with for free, but it stepped back my highest die (a d8) by one. Wait, so that one SFX just gave me 2d6 to use my Doom dice on! Area attacks are the same basic principle. Add some d6s for you to play with, and have fun!

Closing Thoughts

One thing I want to drive home is this: Don't let your Doom Pool stagnate! There shouldn't be more than one page (read: round) go by where you do nothing to your Doom Pool. Even if all you do is use a Distinction to add/increase the pool. Spend those dice like they're going out of style!

[eldritchfire-blog]

Marvel RPG Review, Part 2 - Personal Feelings

This is part 2 of my ongoing review of Margaret Weiss Productions Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. You can find Part 1 - Basics here.

My fiancée read my last post, and brought up a very good point about my last review: I never told you what I did and did not like! So today, I'm here to talk about my feelings.

Background

First off I think I need to let you know a bit about my background with super heroes and gaming, just so we're on the same page. My main exposure to the Marvel universe comes from the 80's cartoons: X-Men, Iron Man, and Spiderman. That's right, I'm not a comic book reader! Ahh... that felt good to get off my chest. I have been to see all of the Marvel movies that've come out in the past decade or so, so there's that, too.

Since then I've played many different super hero RPGs, including Aberrant, Wild Talents, SUPERS!, BASH, & Infinite Power. Heck, I even played City of Heroes MMO for well, let's just say I have surpassed the 51 month badge.

Also I've consumed a lot of media that most may not consider "super heroes," but I sure do. Dragon Ball Z, The Dresden Files, heck most anime is one form of super hero or another.

Wait. How is Anime "Supers"?

Good question. Let's face it, the main characters in most anime (and lost of popular fiction) are superhuman, if not super heroic in nature. The protagonists are a cut above the norm, willing and able to do what the Jones' next-door can't. Sure it's wrapped in a pretty "magical girl," "mecha," or "ghost ninja" packaging, but it's still super heroics being portrayed.

What's That Got to do With Anything?

Ok, I'll get to the point. I like over the top heroic action. No matter the medium, I love it. So now that you know where I'm coming from as a gamer and a Marvel fan, here's what I think about Marvel: Heroic Roleplaying.

Down to the Brass Tacks

In one word, stellar! There's plenty to do whether player or GM (Watcher), and the rules take a back-seat to the fiction. At first blush there are a lot of rules to try to keep in mind sure, but if you start out easy and add things in later it'll be easier.

The basic mechanics (as talked about prior) is grab a bunch of dice you can justify using and roll. Now your opponent does the same. Did they beat you? Yes? You didn't do what you wanted to do. Simple.

Pros

I like the narrative nature of the game, where what you describe has in-game ramifications. "I have this power, can I do X with it?" is most often followed by either a simple, "yes, you can," or a "I don't know, let's roll and find out!" I believe it's called "Say yes or roll the dice."

The basic rules are easy to learn. Pick dice that make sense and roll 'em. Simple as that! This basic mechanic does get a bit more clunky with dice tricks and stunts/resources, but I'll get to that in a bit.

The Doom Pool. I mean, it's a pool of dice that shows the players how crazy things are getting/have gotten. And it's to the Watcher what Plot Points are to the players. It's the monkey wrench the GM gets to use against the characters. And when the Doom Pool grows, the players more often then not get Plot Points as compensation, so everyone wins!

Milestones. Have you ever wanted to get XP for "but it's how my character would act!" moments? Yeah, that's what Milestones are all about!

Cons

While not a con for me, I've heard a fair few people bemoaning the lack of "core attributes" like is found in most other RPGs. "How much can The Thing lift compared to Spiderman?" is a common enough question. I don't care. They can both lift as much as they need to. If it comes down to rolling for it, they lift as much as the roll allows them to!

Dice Tricks aren't obvious to everyone. Some SFX - and Specialties - get confusing. Let's take Dangerous as an example: "Add a d6 to your dice pool for an attack action and step back highest die in pool by –1. Step up STRESS TYPE inflicted by +1," OM91. It's not apparent to all why you would want to use it.

Asset/Stunt/Push/Stress/Trauma/Complication. There's a bit of Cortex Plus specific terminology and for first time players it can be a bit confusing as to what's what. Luckily there is a glossary!

Chargen. Ok, so again, not a con for me. The chargen is basically write up a backstory for your hero, and pick & choose the powers you think they should have. Your table has the right to veto with nerf bats. It says specifically that chargen is an art, not a science. Loads of folks are up in arms because there's no points-buy. To each his own.

Closing Remarks

I hope that this review helps portray how I feel about the game, and all the cool stuff it has for you. In coming editions, I'll break down the fun stuff that I've found and hopefully have some good tips on futzing with Marvel: Heroic Roleplaying.

[eldritchfire-blog]

Marvel RPG Review, Part 1 - The Basics

Welcome back, true believers! Today is Part 1 of my multi-part review of the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying by Margaret Weis Productions. Part 1 deals with the basic dice mechanics of the system.

Basics of the Game

The game is pretty straight forward, for the most part. It's a dice pool, effects-driven system. That means the dice you roll depend on what you're trying to accomplish.

Dice Pool? You mean I have to roll multiple dice?

Yes, multiple dice. Like the other Cortex Plus games, the dice you roll vary from d4s to d12s. So if you only have one or two sets of D&D dice, you're not going to need that d20! You pick your dice, and roll 'em, looking for high numbers. Add two together, and compare to the other person's roll.

What Dice do I Roll?

Dice are grabbed from different "categories" on your character sheet. For a good example, please have a gander at Captain America's data file (read: character sheet) and follow along.

You grab one die from each of the four main categories: Affiliations, Distinctions, Power Sets, & Specialties. Also, there are three other places to grab dice from: stress/complication/trauma, assets, push/stunt/resource dice. 

Affiliation is how your hero is working. Solo, Buddy (you and one other) or in a Team.

Distinction is a defining background, trait, catchphrase, etc that makes you distinct. It adds a d8 if it helps, or a d4 if it hinders you - your choice, but if you go for the d4, you get a Plot Point!

Power Sets are the  cool things your heroes can do! You can add one die per Power Set. So in the case of Captain America, you can add one die from the Super Soldier Program, and one from his Vibranium-allow Shield.

Specialties are areas where your hero has exceptional knowledge or training. It's more mundane than a Power set, but just as important!

Roll Them Bones!

Now that you have your pool assembled, roll 'em! Set aside any that roll a 1, and add any two together that you want. I emphasized that last point because it's different than any other Cortex Plus game. In Smallville and Leverage, you add the two highest. In Marvel, you add any two you want. After you have your total, take another die (that didn't roll a 1) and that's your effect die, or how well you succeeded.

Your opponent makes their pool in the same manner, and generates a total and an effect die. If you rolled higher, you succeed! They take stress equal to your effect die, unless their effect die is higher. If that is the case, your die is reduced in size ("stepped down") by one. So a d12 becomes a d10 becomes a d8 becomes a d6 becomes a d4. However, if you got an Exceptional Success (5+ greater) you step the die up by one.

That's it? Just roll some dice and hope for big numbers?

That's not all there is to it, but that's the basics! There are plenty of dice tricks that you can play with. For example, spend a Plot Point to add another die to your pool from the same category. You think that your Enhanced Reflexes and your Enhanced Strength would help? Spend a Plot Point to roll both! Or spend a Plot Point to add a third die to your total!

Specialties can be broken down. Instead of rolling 1d10, you could roll 2d8 or 3d6!

Heck, all Power Sets have Special Effects (SFX) that let you have fun with the dice you roll. Let's look back at Captain America. For his Vibranium-Alloy Shield, he has the following SFX:

Ricochet. Step up or double Weapon die against single target. Remove highest rolling die and add 3 dice for total

So you can either Step up the Weapon d8 to d10, or double to 2d8. Remove the highest rolling die, and add 3!

Plot Points are Cool! How do I Get Them?

Remember the Distinction category we talked about earlier? If you use it as a d4, you get a Plot Point! Also, anytime you roll a 1, that's a Opportunity. The Watcher (GM) can buy that from you for their Doom Pool at the cost of 1 Plot Point. We'll discuss the Doom Pool in a later post.

Wait a Second, I See 'Milestones' on Cap's Sheet. What's That?

Milestones are how you gain XP. Unlike other games where you get XP for defeating monsters, or even XP for showing up to the session, in Marvel, all XP is player-driven. Each character can have one or two milestones that they're pursuing, and each one has three triggers that get you either 1, 3, or 10 XP.

The 1XP trigger can be 'hit' as many times as you can justify. The 3XP trigger can be hit max once per scene. The 10XP trigger can be hit once per act, and usually removes that Milestone from your character sheet. Good news is that you can replace it with a new one, or the same one! 

Milestones are a mechanical incentive for player to role-player their character! Act in-character, get XP! Also, milestones are really easy to create, so if you want to create your own and RP your character your way, you can!

Closing Remarks

Please be sure to check back in the coming weeks as I expand on my review!

Heroic Roleplaying, Cortex, and the MWP logo are trademarks of Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd © 2012

[eldritchfire-blog]

Marvel RPG Launch Party

Face front, true believers! The time of heroics is upon us! Don your mask, power up your armour, and flaunt your mutant powers! Today is a very special post! I have been given permission by none other than Cam "Boymonster" Banks himself to do a short review of the Marvel heroic Roleplaying game Launch Party!

What is the Launch Party You Speak Of?

Most of you are aware of the upcoming (or past!) launch parties going on all over the place. It's just an excuse to get together at your FLGS and play some Marvel Heroic RPG! Check with your FLGS and see if they're participating, or hit up the MWP website to see if there's a party near you!

What's in a Launch Party?

That is indeed a good question! It comes with a two-act adventure that was honed through many hours of playtesting, 10 Marvel heroes, cheat-sheets, a glossary of game terms, and enough of the rule book for Watchers to know what they're doing.

The Heroes

When you show up to a launch party, you'll have the choice of 10 iconic heroes from the Marvelverse, each with their own data file:

Black Panther

Black Widow

Captain America

Daredevil

Iron Man

Luke Cage

Ms. Marvel

Spider-Man

Spider-Woman

Wolverine

Wait, what's the "data file" I mentioned? A hero's data file is their character sheet. As seen here in Captain America's file, it's a two-page sheet with not only their game stats on it, but a brief history about the hero, as well!

Cheat Sheets, you say?

Indeed! There are two sheets, one for Watcher, and one for players. The Watcher sheet is 2 pages, since they have a bit more rules to remember. The player sheet is only one page. However, both Watcher and player sheets have notes in the margin telling you where to find more info about the topic, with page numbers and everything! If you want an example, check out Marvel Preview #3 over on MWP's site.

Rule book? I CAN HAZ RULZ!

No, you really can't. It's an abridged version with just enough to get you by. And just enough to make me want the full version last week!

Besides, this is a review of all the fun you have to look forward to on the launch party! It's not a review of the game itself! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a review of the full book!

Share Your Stories!

Cam wants us all to share our experiences with our respective launch parties. If you were in a launch party - as Watcher or player - please spread the word about your experience. Blog about it, post it to Facebook, live tweet during it (if that's cool with your group). But whatever you do, please post a link to it on the MWP Facebook page, or even leave it in the comments of this post.

Don't you worry, I have my own launch party coming up! One or two games, and I'm going to be blogging all about it when the time comes!

What's Next?

If you liked the game, head over to MWP store to purchase your copy! With every physical book, you get a free PDF! Or, if you want to support your FLGS, pre-order it from them! If it's a preferred retailer, you can still get the complimentary PDF!

NOTE

Please note that there is no free swag to be had at the launch party. None of it is for you to take home.

Excelsior!

Heroic Roleplaying, Cortex, and the MWP logo are trademarks of Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd © 2012

[eldritchfire-blog]

Twitter Tools

Some of you may have noticed that I have a few new tools going on. Some of the tools are right here on my site, while the rest are on my twitter feed! Heck, two of them are "hidden" tools that you never see me interact with! Today, I'm going to talk a bit about my cool new tools.

The first tool is Buffer. You may have noticed the button up top, next to the tweet button. Buffer is a, well, buffer of your tweets. You put tweets in the buffer, and it posts them to either Facebook or Twitter at a set time.

During the set-up, you choose what times you want it to tweet, and as long as you have posts in your buffer, it'll shoot 'em out at the right time. There are tons of goodies available, like the Buffer button up top. But you can also install a plug-in for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, & Twitter! Heck, there's a generic bookmarklet, if that's more your style. Don't forget to get the iPhone or Android app, too!

If you're interested, here's a link to get started! The basic, free, account only has 10 slots. If you sign up with my referral link, we both get one more, free!

Ok, so buffering is pretty cool. But how do you know when to have it blast your tweets?

SocialBro does so many things. To be honest, I'm still learning it. The main thing I use it for is scheduling my Buffer tweets. It analyzes your Twitter stream, and lets you know when most of your followers are on, and helps you set up the most opportune Buffer times!

It also keeps track of your followers, friends, who you follow, your new followers, and a whole host of other things! I can't possibly name them all! Heck, why would I? Just go to their website, and find out for yourself!

Another new addition to my site is m Tywlah-powered page. It's in the menu bar, labeled My Tweets. It's my "brand page" that shows what I've been talking about, and lays it out very nicely.

One of the best things about it is that my tweets don't just disappear in the onslaught of other tweets in your stream. It's organized by category - not just a long list. It shows pictures and embeds videos. It's seriously sweet!

One thing to keep in mind is that it's still a start-up company, so they don't have many employees. I'm only mentioning this because it took me about 3 or 4 days to get my Twylah page up and running, and a few more days to host it on my site..

This isn't a jab at them, it's so you know to be patient. Kelly, the voice of Twylah, was very helpful and willing to talk to me when I was going through the setup process.

  The last tool is Summify. I hesitate to bring this up, because they're currently not open to new users since they got bought out by Twitter. However, it's still an awesome service that I hope opens up to the general public soon.

In a nutshell, it aggregates my Twitter feed over a span of time - I chose every 4 hours. So what does it do? It summarizes the most popular tweets in my feed, judging by retweets, favorites, etc. So the more something gets retweeted, the more likely it is to show up on my summery.

It's really nice for days like today where I'm not at work, so I don't have a Twitter client open most of the day. Summify makes sure I don't miss a beat!

Closing Remarks

So those are the tools I use to keep my Twitter life in check. What about all y'all? What Twitter tools do you use?

[eldritchfire-blog]

Rolling Dice - Opposed vs. Static

In most RPGs that I've played, rolls tend to be against static difficulty numbers. However, more recently, there have been more games that do opposed rolls. Today, I'm going to talk about the differences between the two, and which I like and why.

Definitions

To begin with, let's define opposed and static.

An opposed roll is where both parties roll dice and compare

A static roll is where one party rolls the dice, and compares that result to a target number

Examples

The classic example of static rolls is D&D. You make an attack roll vs. AC, or make a Heal check vs. the DC of the poison. Heck, in 4th Edition you roll Stealth vs. their Passive Perception. Again, only rolling on one side.

For opposed rolls, the most recent example I can think of is any of the Cortex Plus games: Smallville, Leverage, Dragon Brigade, or the up-coming Marvel Heroic Role Play. Anytime anyone rolls dice, it's opposed by either another character or the GM. Even when there's no character opposing you, the GM still has a pool of dice to roll.

Most games fall somewhere in the middle. For example, the old-school West End Games Star Wars RPG - you know, the one that uses d6s (how many of you didn't know there was a SWRPG that predated WotC?) - uses both. Most rolls are opposed: you rolled your Blaster skill vs. their Dodge, or Search vs. their Sneak. However, there are still static difficulty numbers, ranging from Very Easy to Heroic+.

Even FATE is a mixture. When there is another character opposing you, you roll off, otherwise roll vs. a static number.

Opposed Rolls - Positives

Opposed rolls are useful because they empower players and draw their attention. When your character is acting - or reacting! - it feels good to roll your dice; it makes it feel like your character's skill is important. Also, it keeps the player's attention. If they have to roll dice, they'll want to know what's going on so they know what to roll.

Another nice thing about opposed rolls is ease for GMs. As a GM, the thing that I dislike the most is trying to figure out "What's the difficulty of this?" With opposed rolls, you don't need to worry about it. You just pick up the dice and roll 'em!

Lastly, opposed rolls simulate strokes of luck really well. Even if the "difficulty" is the same, the dice won't normally give the same result twice in a row. Go ahead, roll 4d6 ten times. Look at that distribution. Some times it rolls high, other times not so much. Nothing in life is static, why should difficulty numbers be?

Opposed Rolls - Negatives

The major drawback of opposed rolls is time. For a fair number of games, you need to figure out what you're rolling. For example, in Smallville, what Value are you using, what Relationship? Are you challenging either of them? What about Assets or Resources? If you take any of the World of Darkness game, what attribute and skill are you using? Do you have any superpowers that add to that? Oh, don't forget about Willpower points!

It does take a while to get your dice together if you aren't paying that much attention.  In addition, you have to do this twice per roll - once for the actor and once for the reactor.

After you've rolled the dice, you still have to add them up. It doesn't matter if it's WoD-style counting successes or Cortex+ adding actual numbers, twice the rolling is twice the math.

Static Rolls - Positives

The good about static rolls are inversely related to opposed rolls. Static rolls are quick, the actor rolls the dice and tries to beat That Number. Less math, only one person rolling the dice, and most of the time you know what number you need to beat†.

Also, when doing the same roll a couple of times (for extended actions, for example), it goes quicker since you have all the math done.

Static Rolls - Negatives

My biggest problem with static rolls is coming up with difficulties. Either it's too formulaic (4e) where there's little room for eyeballing it, or it's really free-form (FATE) where it seems to be nothing more than "pick one and have fun!"

Another downside (for me) is the sameyness of static rolls. I don't have the best of memories, so sometimes I change the difficulties without meaning to. For those at my table with better memories, they'd be like "Why'd it change? What's made it harder/easier since last time?" To which I'd reply, "Umm...oops...?"

Static or Opposed?

That's not a question that can really be answered. All of the above blather has been from my experience and my preferences. As stated above, both have good points and bad points...usually, the good of one is the bad of another. In my experience, it's really a personal preference.

Heck, personal preference or not, most games lean one way or another by default, so it takes work to get it to lean the other way. I'm not saying it's too much work, I'm just saying each game has its preference.

†Of course, that's just my take on things. I don't see the point of hiding the target number from my players. Other GMs like to keep things secret. That's cool, too. Your table, your rules!