[SUPERS] My Unofficial Handbook to the DC Universe

[a humble lich]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

What kind of setting are you expecting this to be used in if freaking Superman is only recognized 50% of the time?

As far as I can tell canonically Superman is often misidentified as a bird or a plane... But seriously I like the idea of using alternate advantages for reputations that never interact.

As far as disadvantages go, whether you count some of those as quirks depends a lot on the play style. I have seen some people who feel like a single mental disadvantage should be a character defining issue which controls all their actions, and other GMs who are much more flexible about how mental disadvantages are played.

[CeeDub]

Originally Posted by Culture20

She's essentially a grown up supergirl with anger issues. Since she's a pacifist, she punches walls when she gets angry. All the other disads are classic superhero disads, so not wacky at all. I guess if you consider Ben Grimm, the whole package is a classic superhero disad list.

Well, at least Pacifism (Cannot Kill) and Code of Honour (Superhero) should probably be redundant. And punching walls when you get angry is a Quirk IMO. Bad Temper is lashing out at people, physically or verbally.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Hero: Superman

Alias: Clark Kent, Cal El

MINOR nitpick: It's Kal-El, not Cal El.

Have you come up with a straight Kryptonian/Daxxamite racial package?

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by CeeDub

I think that power level is appropriate for Golden Age kryptonians, but in most current versions, it should be (wait for it) OVER NINE THOUSAAAAND!

Silver Age Kryptonians were insanely powerful, even by modern standards: they can reshape planets into cubes, juggle moons, and contain nuclear explosions by sitting on them.

Post-Crisis/Bronze and Modern Age Kryptonians, such as the kind described here, aren't as powerful as their Silver Age counterparts, though I agree that they're still as powerful as the plot dictates. When translating "power of plot" to GURPS terms, judgement calls need to be made. One person's low-ball is another's too powerful, after all.

[Culture20]

Originally Posted by CeeDub

Well, at least Pacifism (Cannot Kill) and Code of Honour (Superhero) should probably be redundant. And punching walls when you get angry is a Quirk IMO. Bad Temper is lashing out at people, physically or verbally.

Well, she does also verbally berate people too, and she doesn't have a problem punching Kal or anyone else who can take it.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Culture20

Well, she does also verbally berate people too, and she doesn't have a problem punching Kal or anyone else who can take it.

Which shows how well she can control herself. Her Bad Temper is quirk level at best or Batman would have been pulled.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

If you don't take Reputation twice, you can't use it when you act as another person. If you do take it twice, you can use it when you act as one other person. That is the extra benefit.

Of course, keeping in mind that the alternate identity is a Disadvantage, there's extra drawbacks as well. Being recognized in his secret identity brings unwanted scrutiny (which is why Secret Identity is worth more if you have Status.) This more than balances out, IMHO.

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

Depending on how generous the hypothetical GM is, you might be able to convince them to let you buy the smaller Reputation as an Alternative Ability if they'd never apply simultaneously. I personally would find that reasonable.

I may end up going this way, but it still feels like I'm paying for a limitation.

If Superman had any other advantage only in his Superman identity, I'd be able to take "Only in Altered Form" as a limitation. Why should Reputation be different?

Especially when the Advantage already has a mechanism for only working part of the time!!

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Silver Age Kryptonians were insanely powerful, even by modern standards: they can reshape planets into cubes, juggle moons, and contain nuclear explosions by sitting on them.

Post-Crisis/Bronze and Modern Age Kryptonians, such as the kind described here, aren't as powerful as their Silver Age counterparts, though I agree that they're still as powerful as the plot dictates. When translating "power of plot" to GURPS terms, judgement calls need to be made. One person's low-ball is another's too powerful, after all.

I definitely went quite low on the power level here (as I warned I would) This is a matter of personal preference and what I think would make for a more fun game. I'd like to imagine a campaign where players might play the Justice League and Superman wouldn't completely outclass all the other characters.

It's also an impossible task setting the power levels for Kryptonians. They're all over the place!

One approach that would better approximate silver and bronze age abilities would be to make every one of his Powers a Wild Card Power! which would basically triple his point cost. I may end up doing this anyway, at least with some of his powers.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Culture20

Lois is also usually depicted with reasonable skills in longarms and pistols.

Good point. It fits her background as an army brat, too. I will change it. I also realize I need to give her a few more languages, too.

I'll probably have to adjust her value as a dependent for Supes, too. She's over 10% already...

Originally Posted by a humble lich

As far as disadvantages go, whether you count some of those as quirks depends a lot on the play style. I have seen some people who feel like a single mental disadvantage should be a character defining issue which controls all their actions, and other GMs who are much more flexible about how mental disadvantages are played.

You know, I probably will change some of her disadvantages to quirks, I was having trouble coming up with quirks for her that didn't just focus on her boob window.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

MINOR nitpick: It's Kal-El, not Cal El.

Have you come up with a straight Kryptonian/Daxxamite racial package?

Not as such. But one could easily be extrapolated from the character sheets. I'll probably do that at some point, as well as making the Kryptonian power modifier explicit.

Originally Posted by CeeDub

Overall, the IAs should probably be stronger, considering that a Kryptonian can easily bisect a modern MBT literally just by looking at it. My build is:
Innate Attack (burn) 20 (Cosmic: Irresistible Attack, +300%; Cosmic: Ignores Hardened, +50%; Increased Range (LOS), +40%; Rapid Fire (24), +150%, Variable, +5%; All-Out, -25%; Costs Fatigue, -5%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [605]

Well, like we discussed before, I'm going for much lower power levels generally here.
And, it might not be clear from the way the it exported from GCA, but I gave them the multiple projectile version of Rapid Fire, so the damage listed is per eye.

But you're absolutely right that it should have Cosmic: Irresistable or some other Armor peircing modifier. (Or a codified power stunt for using it along with penetrating vision). And the All-Out and Costs Fatigue disadvantages fit most portrayals very well, too.

I'll go back and edit these write ups a bit later, after the conversations have had time to develop some more and I have a better Idea of all the changes I need to make.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Silver Age Kryptonians were insanely powerful, even by modern standards: they can reshape planets into cubes, juggle moons, and contain nuclear explosions by sitting on them.

Post-Crisis/Bronze and Modern Age Kryptonians, such as the kind described here, aren't as powerful as their Silver Age counterparts, though I agree that they're still as powerful as the plot dictates. When translating "power of plot" to GURPS terms, judgement calls need to be made. One person's low-ball is another's too powerful, after all.

Golden Age Superman was quite reasonable by comparison.