Category: M20

Microlite 20: Power Packages

I finished that project I started back in the fall. The one thing that most superhero RPGs have that Microlite 20 Costumes didn’t is a list of power packages, or combinations of abilities and skills ready to plug in to an existing template. Microlite 20 Costumes features six templates, generic character types at different levels:

  • Pulp (level 4)
  • Street Level (level 6)
  • Sidekick (level 8)
  • Typical (level 10)
  • Advanced (level 12)
  • Superior (level 15)

Each leaves between 20 and 90 Power Points available to spend on powers and abilities. And with the new Power Packages collection, you can pick your favorite power set, adjust them for number of Power Points you have to spend, and go. No need for a lot of math to calculate your superhero. Here’s the Power Packages available:

  1. Aquatic
  2. Battlesuit
  3. Brick
  4. Construct
  5. Cosmic
  6. Demon
  7. Duplicator
  8. Elemental Controller
  9. Energy Blaster
  10. Gimmick
  11. Jungle Lord
  12. Lucky
  13. Martial Artist
  14. Mimic
  15. Mind Controller
  16. Paragon
  17. Plant Avatar
  18. Psychic
  19. Rage Monster
  20. Secret Agent
  21. Shape Shifter
  22. Size Changer
  23. Sorcerer
  24. Space Explorer
  25. Speedster
  26. Stretcher
  27. Summoner
  28. Teleporter
  29. Vigilante Detective
  30. Weapon Master

That covers most of the superheroes found in the Big Two’s books, and makes getting started with Microlite 20 Costumes a lot quicker. The Power Packages are a separate document from the Costumes rules, though found in the same place here on the web site. Next up: a little road-testing of these rules, with an all-out superhero slugfest brought to life on the tabletop.

Microlite 20: Costumes Templates

To make character creation faster, I wrote six “templates” for the Microlite 20 Ultimate Costumes rules, from the low end (Pulp) to the middle (Typical) to the high end (Superior). I noticed the math was wrong on the templates, though — only after it was included in 2017 Microlite collection! Ah well, the rules are still the same. Here’s a revision of the templates, though I’ve included it in the latest revision of the Ultimate Costumes rules, along with a handful of cosmetic changes.

Each template leaves about a third of the Power Points available for players to spend on powers and ranks for those powers. I’m going to make that simpler too, by creating “Power Packages.” It’s a brief description of a set of powers as seen in comic book superheroes, with ranks where appropriate. Each adds up to 50 Power Points (i.e., the amount you have left to spend if you take the Typical template). You’ll have to add or subtract powers and/or ranks if your character isn’t level 10.

Some superhero abilities, like toughness or incredible reaction time, can be replicated in the game rules with more hit points, a higher Initiative bonus, or by increasing another characteristic, not necessarily by adding more powers.

The Power Points cost for Super-Agility, Super-Intelligence and Super-Strength is the difference between what the Power Package suggests as a score and the Power Points already spent in the Typical template (4 for a STR of 14, 7 for a DEX of 17 and 2 for a MIND of 12). For example, a Power Package listing a STR of 20, which costs 12 Power Points, will cost 8 Power Points in a Power Package (since the character has already spent 4 Power Points to get that STR of 14). Remember that changing stats affects other abilities, like attack bonuses, which you’ll have to calculate yourself.

Iron Man and Sub-Mariner
There are more images of these two together than I thought I’d find. Play them in your Microlite 20 Costumes games. (image: marvel.wikia.com)

Here’s a few Power Packages to start with, with plenty more to come. For most powers, first the base Power Point cost of the power is listed, then the number of ranks of the power, if ranks can be purchased. As noted in the Microlite 20 Ultimate Costumes rules, not every power needs ranks. Other powers, skill bonuses and abilities are also listed with the Power Points spent on them.

AQUATIC (Namor, Aquaman)
Breathe (base 10 — 7 ranks)
Electricity (base 15 — 0 ranks)
Swimming (base 10 — 8 ranks)

BATTLESUIT (Iron Man, Steel)
+1 to Knowledge (3 Power Points)
Body Armor (gadget, 5 DR, 11 Power Points)
Breathe (gadget, base 6 — 2 ranks)
Flight (gadget, base 6 — 7 ranks)
Super-Strength 19 (gadget, 2 Power Points)
Weapon: machine guns (gadget, base 6 — 7 ranks)

VIGILANTE DETECTIVE (Batman, The Question)
Intimidate (base 10 — 2 ranks)
Stealth (base 15 — 8 ranks)
Weapon: darts (base 10 — 5 ranks)

USR Wednesdays: Social Combat

Given the history of RPGs, finding ways to use the “Action” and “Wits” stats in USR is easy; Action  is everything from acrobatics to yo-yo tricks (admittedly, the latter is not a common Specialism…). Wits can handle research and the supernatural, like magic and psionic combat. Ego, or social skills, are less used in role playing. A character may need to roll to intimidate, seduce or seek information listening to rumors. But the number of times Ego is used compared to the other stats means Ego almost shouldn’t even be a stat. Let’s change that, and give debaters, manipulators and schemers a chance to fight the good fight.

cersei lannister - USR Wednesdays: Social Combat
Social combat can be just as interesting when fought by a master.
(image: celebdirtylaundry.com)

The Song of Ice and Fire RPG, and my other game, Microlite 20, have rules for social combat. For ease of use, it’s basically like standard combat, except with different Specialisms in play. In fiction, social combat is usually over much quicker than battle, so each character begins with “social hit points” equal to the highest value of his or her Ego stat (i.e. 6, 8 or 10). Each attack and defense uses Specialisms like Bargain, Stir up trouble, Stubborn or Immune to her charms.

There’s no equivalent to weapons or armor, though one Ego roll can affect the next. For example, befriending a powerful political family can help quell (or stir up) a rebellion. Allow players to describe what their characters are saying in the conversation. If it’s convincing or inspiring, grant an extra +1 to the roll.

Make a simple Wits roll as initiative, to represent the planning of meeting times and places that best suit the character’s goals. Social combat usually “heals” immediately after the combat ends. Just like standard combat, a character that loses all of his or her social hit points is defeated, but this doesn’t have to mean death or unconsciousness. Instead, political foes can be humiliated, and enemies can be outwitted (it’s much easier to trick an ogre than to try and cut it to pieces). Adventures can be just as exciting, and a lot less hazardous to life and limb.


What are the best Specialisms for exciting social combat?

Playtesting

As I get back to working on my blog more often, it’s prompting me to take another look at my games. The role playing games will get special attention, since I have a lot of ideas for Microlite 20 and USR. They’re not dead games, especially since the latter just got a new book from its creator and the former is part of the d20 system, designed to never die (just look at Pathfinder).

So I’m going to look more at the other games I’ve put together, like Monsters Menace Monopoly, Plastic Attack and Mutant Hunter. Are those the best rules sets they could be? I “eyeball” my rules a lot, and don’t actually get people together to test them all that often. Solo playing games designed for multiple, competitive players, doesn’t always work. This is an ongoing project, but I can at least provide a more up-to-date version of the rules for people to enjoy.

Plus, I have hundreds of miniatures and dozens of maps, let’s make use of them somehow.

M20 and USR: Captain America

“Captain America: Civil War” was released on DVD this week, though if you’re reading this, you probably saw it in the theater. As Honest Trailers suggested, it really was Avengers 2.5, and a lot of fun to see all the superheroes together.

Captain%2BAmerica - M20 and USR: Captain America
The movies are great, but I miss the red swashbuckler boots. And the little wings on the mask.

I created stats for Captain America on the old, now long-gone blog, but I’ve since updated the rules for Microlite 20 Costumes, so this the revised version. His financial status is Sponsored, to go along with his position in the movies (as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.), and to simulate his long career in the comics I might update him to level 14 or even 15.

Microlite 20 Costumes: Level 12, 180 Power Points
STR 21 (+5), DEX 19 (+4), MIND 17 (+3)
Leadership 12, Weapon (Shield): Gadget 12
Physical 17, Subterfuge 16, Knowledge 15, Communication 17
Hit Points 81, Initiative +11, Melee/Hand-To-Hand +18, Missile/Ranged +16, Magic/Supernatural +15, AC 20
Heroism Points: 12, Financial Status: Sponsored
USR superheroes
Action D12, Wits D8, Ego D10
Specialisms: Icon Of Bravery +2, Star-Spangled Avenger +2, Super-Soldier +2
Hit Points: 20
Combat Gear: Body Armor +1, Vibranium Shield +2

Narrative Points: 4