I thought a good way to share our thoughts on random character generation was actually to do it, and talk about it as we went through. And we’ll comment on each other’s work as we go too.
So before we get started, I think one aspect of how random supers generation can be successful is because in superhero comics there’s a pretty solid core story - you fight supercriminals and evil bastards in a cool looking outfit. You’re not making something in a vacuum. Ron and I are always talking about how important it is to do campaign design with others in your group. This is especially true with random character generation.
I’ll be demo-ing the random character generation rules from the newest Marvel game, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. You can download them from the Margaret Weis website for free. (And you can buy the game for the stupidly cheap price of $13 at rpgnow.)
First, Origin! I roll 1d12 and get an 8. Hmm, I’m a non-human with 2 Power Sets, the primary Power Set has at least 2 SFX and 2 Limits.
- I do like non-humans in the Marvel Universe. SUPER SKRULL 4 LYFE. Maybe not as much as my beloved, I mean filthy muties, but still. Anyway, this might not even be the Marvel Universe, so whatever.
Next, Affiliations! Affiliations are how well your hero functions in various contexts and relationships with other PCs. I roll 1d6 and get a 4:
Buddy d10, Team d8, Solo d6
- This is a character who is best when paired with one other person, but does all right in a team, yet when alone his efforts generate a lot of problems and maybe he isn’t at his best.
Next, Primary Power set! I roll 1d12 and get a 5:
One Power Trait at d10 and two more at d8. Don’t forget I have to do an extra SFX and an extra Limit on this one. This is like my main deal, and it has a fair number of pretty sizeable effects. Emma Frost’s Diamond Body Power Set has 3 power traits like this. And Wolverine’s Weapon X Training set only gives him 2, what a loser. But I have another big power!
Secondary Power set! I roll a d10 and get a 6:
One Power Trait at a d10 and another at a d8. Hmm, okay, cool.
Next, the big moment, I roll up what the Power Traits are!
For my Primary Power Set, I roll a 5 on a d10, classifying this set of powers as Uncommon. For my Secondary Power Set, I roll a 3, that power set is more Common.
The Primary Power Set contains (assigning from largest tdie to smallest)...
I roll a 5: Animal Control! I have Animal Control at d10. Wow, I was thinking of an alien hero, but now....maybe not! Maybe a nature themed guy. Wait, stop, don’t get ahead of yourself!
I roll a 2: Intangibility. Intangibility d8.
I roll another 5. There’s no additional choices for Animal Control, so I roll again and get a 6. Plant Control. I got Plant Control d8. Did I say nature was getting ahead of myself?
My Power Traits in my primary Power Set is done! I have:
Animal Control d10, Intangibility d8, Plant Control d8
The Secondary Power Set contains (in order from largest die to smallest):
I roll a 3: A Movement Power! I step back the die type to d8 and choose between Airwalking, Burrowing, Flight, Leaping, Speed, Swimming or Swingline. What the hell kind of choice is that, I’m a superhero, right? Flight. It’s Flight d8, dur.
I roll an 8: Strength. Strength d8.
So my Secondary Power Set contains:
Flight d8, Strength d8
The character is really shaping up at this point! Now, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying doesn’t let you roll your SFX and Limits randomly because, well, some of them just don’t make sense together. So I have to pick some of my own. My Primary Power Set has (at least) 2 SFX and 2 Limits, my Secondary Power Set has (at least) 1 SFX and 1 Limit.
SFX are special abilities that can improve my stats in various areas in exchange for other problems. Limits are times when my powers don’t work so well or at all.
- It’s time to solidify that concept, at least a little bit. I see this guy as maybe being a nature spirit of some kind. I like the mythological aspects of the Marvel Universe. Maybe like Thor, my guy was bound into a body - which gives him the second power set? The Asgardians are played out, let’s get some more Greeks up in this piece, Hercules! How about the Master of Animals? Say my guy is a young zoologist who falls afoul of poachers while investigating some lost species. He is almost killed, but fate brings him into contact with the Mycenean Gem, which imbues him with the power and personality of the Master of Animals!
We’ll call the primary power set Master of Animals and the second the Mycenean Gem.
Master of Animals:
Animal Control d10, Intangibility d8, Plant Control d8
SFX: The Hunt: Step up Animal Control when you are pursuing a prey who isn’t immediately nearby.
SFX: Chlorophyll: May use Plant Control to recover physical stress or trauma if in a location with sunlight and soil.
Limit: Mutually Exclusive: Cannot use Intangibility and any Mycenean Gem power at the same time.
Limit: Animal Rage: 1s and 2s are both opportunities when rolling Animal Control.
Mycenean Gem:
Flight d8, Strength d8
SFX: Might of the Gods! Shut down Master of Animals and step up your Strength.
Limit: Jane, Stop This Crazy Thiiiing! 1s and 2s are both opportunities when rolling Flight.
Limit: Gear: Get 1 PP and shut down Mycenean Gem powers when someone curses, breaks or steals the Mycenean Gem.
Now for Specialties!
I rolled a 7 and have Three Expert Specialties. Specialties are skillsets that characters have, including resources, contacts and personal knowledge. I don’t have any Mystic, Psychic or Technological Powers technically, but it makes sense that a demigod would have the Cosmic Specialty. This character seems to be more of a utility hero than a straight-up powerhouse, so I’ll leave off the Combat for now.
My other specialties are (rolling a 3 and an 8): Covert and Science. Maybe my guy was a little bit shady in addition to being a zoologist!
So my Specialties are:
Cosmic Expert d8, Covert Expert d8, Science Expert d8
Then, Distinctions:
- Notice how this system is having me go backwards from the randomly rolled stuff to the more concept-related stuff. This is exactly what I said I should do earlier!
Distinctions are just what they sound like: ways my character is "distinct" from others. I rolled a 1, 4 and a 6, giving me Distinctions that relate to my Personality, my Catchphrase or Title, and my Profession.
Knowing that he’s a little shady gives me some help. He:
Fancies Himself A Player
A catchphrase or title, that’s easy:
Greek Demigod of Nature
And profession:
Avant-Garde Zoologist
Finally, Milestones:
Now, I’m a big fan of Event Milestones, or Milestones that relate to the player characters at the table. But let’s just stick with the random Milestones for now. I can always swap them out when we sit down to play an actual Event:
I roll a 7: A Milestone that relates to a Distinction
I roll a 10: A Milestone that relates to a Specialty
A good Distinction Milestone might be related to his connection to the Greek Gods. Because he’s from a sort of adjunct to the mythology, I think he might have some friction with them.:
I’m Mycenean, Dammit!
1 XP when you push back against the plans of the Greek gods and champion Earth’s cause against them.
3 XP when you fight Hercules.
10 XP when you force the gods to back down from their plan, or join them against the wishes of Earth authorities.
And a Specialty Milestone. Maybe the Science one?
It Belongs In A Zoo?
1 XP when you find evidence of a new species or subspecies, endangered by man’s expansion.
3 XP when you take up arms to protect your new species.
10 XP when you capture a specimen of your new species, or sabotage attempts to find it.
Then I just decide if they have a public or private identity, and give them a name! I think it would be cool to have his identity be private (except to the evil poachers who know about his transformation?) And of course his name should be Nelson. I don’t know if that’s first or last. Whatever.
Here’s the final character sheet!
Nelson - The Master of Animals
Buddy d10, Team d8, Solo d6
Fancies Himself A PlayerMycenean Demigod of NatureAvant-Garde Zoologist
Master of Animals:Animal Control d10, Intangibility d8, Plant Control d8
SFX: The Hunt: Step up Animal Control when you are pursuing a prey who isn’t immediately nearby.SFX: Chlorophyll: May use Plant Control to recover physical stress or trauma if in a location with sunlight and soil.
Limit: Mutually Exclusive: Cannot use Intangibility and any Mycenean Gem power at the same time.Limit: Animal Rage: 1s and 2s are both opportunities when rolling Animal Control.
Mycenean Gem:Flight d8, Strength d8
SFX: Might of the Gods! Shut down Master of Animals and step up your Strength.
Limit: Jane, Stop This Crazy Thiiiing! 1s and 2s are both opportunities when rolling Flight.Limit: Gear: Get 1 PP and shut down Mycenean Gem powers when someone curses, breaks or steals the Mycenean Gem.
Specialties: Cosmic Expert d8, Covert Expert d8, Science Expert d8
Milestones:I’m Mycenean, Dammit!1 XP when you push back against the plans of the Greek gods and champion Earth’s cause against them.3 XP when you fight Hercules.10 XP when you force the gods to back down from their plan, or join them against the wishes of Earth authorities.
It Belongs In A Zoo?1 XP when you find evidence of a new species or subspecies, endangered by man’s expansion.3 XP when you take up arms to protect your new species.10 XP when you capture a specimen of your new species, or sabotage attempts to find it.
So Ron, what kind of campaign are we gonna make our two characters for? Should we stick with the core superhero story and setting (a New York like city of some kind?) Or should we try something more outré to show off our skillz?
Click over to Ron's blog to find out...
