Paragons: Old is the New New: Difference between revisions
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Power Level 12, 200 power points. | Power Level 12, 200 power points. | ||
=Background= | |||
Gifted have always been with us, men and women who were almost certainly the inspiration for the legends of Beowulf and Grendel, Achilles, the Odyssey, King Arthur, Roland. Magic has always been with us. But it was rare, difficult to master, found only in the darkest shadows of secret societies and shadowy conspiracies. In either way, they have shaped the world in their own methods, often in the shadows but sometimes overtly, sometimes allies, sometimes butting heads. | |||
And then something changed. Sometime in the 1980s, someone blew the lid wide open on the magical world, on the secret demesnes which hosted the rich and powerful in the world of dreams. On the fact that many could have this talent and use it. Where there had been perhaps a few hundred real sorcerers and and their apprentices and lackeys, much less powerful, now millions of people wanted in on this hidden world. The Imageria, built and bolstered by belief and fantasy, its stepping-stones magic, became ever-easier to access, with people capable of now fully stepping through into an umbral realm that defied all expectations. | |||
The Gifted started changing too. Something in their makeup stopped keeping them limited. Their powers became, to some extent, contagious. Like a disease, they spread like wildfire. The vast majority of 'infected' manifested little but allergic reactions and discomfort. A handful of those, perhaps 3%, gained something from it. Enhanced strength, speed, intellect, charisma. Mild telepathy. Armored skin. A smaller handful, perhaps one out of every twenty-five to fifty thousand, became like gods among men. | |||
=Rules Changes= | =Rules Changes= | ||
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==Archetypes== | ==Archetypes== | ||
You can be someone with (or who channels) magic, someone with strange mutant paranormal not-a-nova-really powers, an alien, or someone whose enhancements stem from magical ritual or hypertech. Want to be Batman and beat up guys with superhuman ability while just being normal human? Zannen desu ne. | You can be someone with (or who channels) magic, someone with strange mutant paranormal not-a-nova-really powers (the Gifted), an alien, or someone whose enhancements stem from magical ritual or hypertech. Want to be Batman and beat up guys with superhuman ability while just being normal human? Zannen desu ne. | ||
===Magic=== | ===Magic=== | ||
Revision as of 02:04, 13 February 2012
Basics
M&M 2E game based on the Paragons setting gone crazy-Aberrant meets Shadowrun while surrounded by the Umbra.
Power Level 12, 200 power points.
Background
Gifted have always been with us, men and women who were almost certainly the inspiration for the legends of Beowulf and Grendel, Achilles, the Odyssey, King Arthur, Roland. Magic has always been with us. But it was rare, difficult to master, found only in the darkest shadows of secret societies and shadowy conspiracies. In either way, they have shaped the world in their own methods, often in the shadows but sometimes overtly, sometimes allies, sometimes butting heads.
And then something changed. Sometime in the 1980s, someone blew the lid wide open on the magical world, on the secret demesnes which hosted the rich and powerful in the world of dreams. On the fact that many could have this talent and use it. Where there had been perhaps a few hundred real sorcerers and and their apprentices and lackeys, much less powerful, now millions of people wanted in on this hidden world. The Imageria, built and bolstered by belief and fantasy, its stepping-stones magic, became ever-easier to access, with people capable of now fully stepping through into an umbral realm that defied all expectations.
The Gifted started changing too. Something in their makeup stopped keeping them limited. Their powers became, to some extent, contagious. Like a disease, they spread like wildfire. The vast majority of 'infected' manifested little but allergic reactions and discomfort. A handful of those, perhaps 3%, gained something from it. Enhanced strength, speed, intellect, charisma. Mild telepathy. Armored skin. A smaller handful, perhaps one out of every twenty-five to fifty thousand, became like gods among men.
Rules Changes
Human Maxima
The human maximum/maximum modifier for any attribute is 18/+4 and human normal skill limit is +6. Past that, humans need to take Enhanced Ability (there is no equivalent for skills, so skills above +6 are allowed if you have a good explanation). Similarly, base attack/defense bonuses above +6 need an explanation (typically Enhanced Dexterity, some form of Precognition, or something else). Aliens, weird mystic creatures, and the like do not suffer from this issue.
Archetypes
You can be someone with (or who channels) magic, someone with strange mutant paranormal not-a-nova-really powers (the Gifted), an alien, or someone whose enhancements stem from magical ritual or hypertech. Want to be Batman and beat up guys with superhuman ability while just being normal human? Zannen desu ne.
Magic
Magical powers stemming from actual sorcery use the "Magic" descriptor in addition to whatever other descriptors they get (so a magical chain lightning zap is Magic and Lightning) and can be nullified by something that nullifies either-on the other hand, this means magic-users can counter other magic-users at will so it evens out. Magicians should probably take Magic as their primary power and just take everything else as alternate power feats.
Guys whose enhanced abilities come from being a dragon/demon/angel/elemental/tentacle monster should either take naturally high abilities or just slap Innate on their Enhanced Abilities. Guys whose enhanced abilities come from magical buffs shouldn't.
Mutants
Mutants just use one descriptor for their abilities (Lightning, Mental, blah blah blah). You've played Aberrant, you know how it works. If it isn't obvious enough yet when I talk about Aberrant, mutants run on the same rules that Novas do as to their power themes (broad thematic, but what they do has to fall under that thematic).
Aliens
No there are no aliens who have naturally evolved the ability to shoot lasers out of their eyes or fire bullets out of their ass. Aliens get their 'powers' from advanced equipment, genetic engineering, artificially induced psionics, using magic (what, did you think humans were the only people who figured out how to say fancy words?), and so on.
Gadgets
Gadgeteers are probably mutants (or mystics) with the ability to make devices for themselves (enhanced Intelligence and high engineering/scientific skills). The assumption of this game is that technology is more advanced than 21st century Earth, sometimes incredibly so, but it is also consistent. This precludes Iron Man as a unique concept (due to the fact that you don't make nearly as much money as nations do and if you can build it, maintain it, and have spares they probably can do the exact same).
Similarly, constructs are almost always capital-D Devices built via super-science and super-engineering that violate precepts of science and/or engineering and cannot easily be mass-produced. Which isn't to say that all robots are one-offs that don't get built en masse... just that PL12 ones are.
Characters
This is a lonely section :(