Using the old school program for a Superhero game?
Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:45 pm
That is the basic idea...classic style gaming...old school mentality...applied to the theme of superhero gaming.
Have you tried it?
Reason I ask is that I did, way back when...Villains and Vigilantes came out and then Champions...but back in the day I used the core of what I will say is available as Labyrinth Lord to run several versions of Superhero games...everyone was familiar with the system so it made the introduction of a new theme that much easier.
The most successful one, started in 1982...yeah I know, before you were born lol...ended up being quite close to Heroes or Alphas TV shows...
The characters started as mundanes...regular folks, usually it was us...kids in High School or just out of school...normal stats...we came up with a series of tests to build stats rather than rolling for them...that was one of the fun parts...any disagreement was voted on...
everyone started with baseline 11's and then took tests for more points...so no there was little chance of an 18 before considering powers/talents
STR...we did not have access to a gym so we used two 5 pound weights...held out at arms length to either side, four quarters were put on each hand...if a coin fell off either hand the test was complete (no rounding up)...1pt for each full minute...example: Joe held the weights up for 3 minutes and 59 seconds, +3 STR...so a 14 STR...an 18 would mean both arms out for 7 minutes without dropping a single coin
INT...we used GPA lol...4.0 +3pts, 3.5-3.99 +2pts, 3.0-3.49 +1pts...later we had a short IQ test with 10 questions and used this as +1pt for every 2 answers right (but this only works once because you would know the answers) so you would need a new one...but it was a speed test as well, no computer, no google...could even use the tough answers from Jeopardy lol
DEX...we had a series of tests...juggle 3 balls +1pt for 30secs without dropping any...balance a yard stick on finger tip straight up or on nose, +1pt for 30secs without dropping it...the coin snatch, place a single stack of quarters on elbow with palm on shoulder and in a single sweep down catch the coins, this was a one time test +1pt for every 2 quarters caught (an 18 DEX would mean +7pts or 14 quarters caught)...just one test or another not a combined score
CON...8 count body builders http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxQT-wZdP28 +1pt for each 10 reps...22 reps +2 CON...an 18 would be 70 reps
WIS...answer a series of philosophy questions...answer a handful of riddles...etc. most of us only got a couple right...15 seemed impossible much less 18
CHA...this was always a tough one...we actually usually accepted the 11 or rolled for it
(we had a couple cases were the person was unable to do a certain test...one guy was blind so he rolled his DEX)
After all this we would randomly roll for one power...just one.
The powers were grouped, so one power had options...for example
Flight...wings...twice character weight...x4 running speed
Flight...self +STR in pounds...x6 running speed
Flight...equal to running speed...endless use
Flight...life support while flying...x2 running speed
etc.
We had a large list of basic powers with the like extras...Strong, Tough, Fast, Fly, etc.
*****
Anyway I was curious if anyone else considered a Superhero game with old school rules?
Have you tried it?
Reason I ask is that I did, way back when...Villains and Vigilantes came out and then Champions...but back in the day I used the core of what I will say is available as Labyrinth Lord to run several versions of Superhero games...everyone was familiar with the system so it made the introduction of a new theme that much easier.
The most successful one, started in 1982...yeah I know, before you were born lol...ended up being quite close to Heroes or Alphas TV shows...
The characters started as mundanes...regular folks, usually it was us...kids in High School or just out of school...normal stats...we came up with a series of tests to build stats rather than rolling for them...that was one of the fun parts...any disagreement was voted on...
everyone started with baseline 11's and then took tests for more points...so no there was little chance of an 18 before considering powers/talents
STR...we did not have access to a gym so we used two 5 pound weights...held out at arms length to either side, four quarters were put on each hand...if a coin fell off either hand the test was complete (no rounding up)...1pt for each full minute...example: Joe held the weights up for 3 minutes and 59 seconds, +3 STR...so a 14 STR...an 18 would mean both arms out for 7 minutes without dropping a single coin
INT...we used GPA lol...4.0 +3pts, 3.5-3.99 +2pts, 3.0-3.49 +1pts...later we had a short IQ test with 10 questions and used this as +1pt for every 2 answers right (but this only works once because you would know the answers) so you would need a new one...but it was a speed test as well, no computer, no google...could even use the tough answers from Jeopardy lol
DEX...we had a series of tests...juggle 3 balls +1pt for 30secs without dropping any...balance a yard stick on finger tip straight up or on nose, +1pt for 30secs without dropping it...the coin snatch, place a single stack of quarters on elbow with palm on shoulder and in a single sweep down catch the coins, this was a one time test +1pt for every 2 quarters caught (an 18 DEX would mean +7pts or 14 quarters caught)...just one test or another not a combined score
CON...8 count body builders http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxQT-wZdP28 +1pt for each 10 reps...22 reps +2 CON...an 18 would be 70 reps
WIS...answer a series of philosophy questions...answer a handful of riddles...etc. most of us only got a couple right...15 seemed impossible much less 18
CHA...this was always a tough one...we actually usually accepted the 11 or rolled for it
(we had a couple cases were the person was unable to do a certain test...one guy was blind so he rolled his DEX)
After all this we would randomly roll for one power...just one.
The powers were grouped, so one power had options...for example
Flight...wings...twice character weight...x4 running speed
Flight...self +STR in pounds...x6 running speed
Flight...equal to running speed...endless use
Flight...life support while flying...x2 running speed
etc.
We had a large list of basic powers with the like extras...Strong, Tough, Fast, Fly, etc.
*****
Anyway I was curious if anyone else considered a Superhero game with old school rules?