Re: [BNW] Hello - powers package concept - please do!

[IronPen@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/5/99 12:14:04 PM Eastern Standard Time, a-
erikkj@microsoft.com writes:

<< In every game I play or GM, whether it be RPGs, wargames, computer games,
or
 whatever, I prefer to have as many options as possible. >>

Watch as I predict the future with mind-boggling accuracy:

Your character (a Delta) has his own personal, non-Super stats.  In that
respect, and in all other aspects of him other than his superpowers, you get
as much freedom as you want.  Now, the rationale behind the superpowers, I
think, is some kind of mutation or similar effect.  You are NOT playing a
"real" superheo, from a foreign planet, born with superhuman abilities.
You're playing an otherwise normal human being that has acquired a specific
set of powers from whatever their source happens to be (again, I suspect
radiation or something).  Now, this "Source" as I'll call it, can only warp
you certain ways, let's say.  Now, there may very well be upwards of 20 power
packages in the starting book alone (knowing PEG, I really wouldn't be
surprised).  In the BNW equivalent of The Quick and the Dead, you can probably
expect another dozen or so.  I doubt you'll be restricted to 5 or 6 "power
packages".  Assuming that in one "posse" (I'm sure PEG will coin a more
appropriate term, maybe "squadron") no two peopel have the same "package", it
really shouldn't be that restrictive.  I'm also thinking that these powers
won't be incredible, at least not as superpowers go.  I mean, I'm guessing a
typical power package might be something like:  x3 to strength, you can climb
any vertical surface, and you have a 'sixth sense' that allows you to detect
danger up to 100 yards away.  Or something like that.  There's no need to
adjust something like that.  It would be kind of like asking for customizable
Guardian Spirit rules in DL.  Sure, you might want to tweak one a little, but
their abilities are generic enough (a favored medicine way, 2 or 3 fate chip
abilities that are fairly balanced) that tweaking them wouldn't really serve a
real purpose, at least not enough of one to warrant including Guardian Spirit
creation rules in Ghost Dancers.  So, for a number of reasons, I think that
the "power package" system will work well in Brave New World.  

As to the fears of "class based" roleplaying, what's so scary about that?  The
stigma attached to class based roleplaying is that players would tend to only
roleplay their class ("I'm an Elvish Thief.  Er, I look for traps.  No traps?
OK, I let the Fighter go in.  What was his name again?  Oh yeah, Ragnar").
However, given the opportunity to highly customize the non-superpower aspects
of your character, I'd think that players could break out of the class
roleplaying barrier.  Additionally, if there are, as I predict, upwards of a
dozen "classes" of superhero, the class won't be as much of a class as just a
unique ability, which is what it should be.

In summary:  Power packages good, Pinnacle good, Matt Forbeck good, AD&D bad.

-jesse