This thread is now the Out of Character/Character Development thread for the Heroes Unlimited game I'm running. If you're curious about the system, want to comment that you're enjoying reading, or are interested in joining in to play, this is the place to speak up! This will also be the thread for players to discuss things out-of-character.
The Story: Some time in the near future, an organization utilizing advanced weapons and vehicle technology deploys across the globe, suppressing local law enforcement and implementing strict regulation on daily activities. They claim to be part of a secret organization that has existed for over a thousand years, working to protect human kind from the designs of another organization bent on dominating the world through magic. They claim that their global occupation is a necessity to stave off a ritual that would summon a cataclysmic entity that this other organization would use to tyrannical ends. Though this seems like poppycock, they have abilities and devices that far outstrip anything that can be matched with modern technology, and people have no choice but to abide by their decisions.
Over the course of about two weeks, the player characters are all contacted by a strange individual. He knows a little too much about each of them, and claims that within each of them is the seed of a great power that is needed to free the world from its new dictators. He's able to convince them all to meet at a predetermined, semi-private location in which to discuss just what that means.
Heroes Unlimited is a pen and paper RPG by Palladium Books, who are arguably best known for being the creators of RIFTS. HU is a non-Mega Damage setting featuring rules for all sorts of superheroes, from non-powered Super Sleuths all the way up to Immortal minor gods, and pretty much everything in between.
The system uses a variety of dice, with the most common being D20 (used for initiative, attack, and defense rolls), D10 (used for rolling percentile on skills), and D6 (damage and base stats). For online games, I prefer to use Invisible Castle's dice roller, as it provides the ability to easily link to the roll results.
Players have eight primary stats: IQ, Mental Endurance (will), Mental Affinity (charisma), Physical Strength, Physical Prowess (dexterity), Physical Endurance (toughness), Physical Beauty, and Speed. There are several secondary stats as well - HP (for life-threatening injuries), SDC (Structural damage capacity, a strange term for nonlethal damage), ISP (Inner strength points, used for psychic powers), and PPE (Potential psychic energy, used for magic).
Combat takes place in 'melee rounds'. each of which are supposed to represent approximately 15 seconds of real time. Characters get a number of actions during that time based on the type of combat training they have and how experienced they are. Talking doesn't take an action, but pretty much everything else - drawing a weapon, throwing a punch, using a superpower - takes at least one.
I feel my description may be running a bit long, so I'll cut it off here. I'm happy to answer any questions, though, so don't hesitate to ask!
Note: Before I go on, I'd just like to say that if you'd be interested in playing, but don't have the books and/or are completely unfamiliar with the system, I'm entirely open to presenting several premade character options for people to choose from or use as inspiration. Please don't feel you have to turn away because you don't know the game.
In regards to campaign ideas, I've been throwing around a few, and to a certain degree, they have some interchangeable elements that can be adjusted to suit player preferences.
Idea 1: This involves a mostly modern setting where superpowers are unheard of. Some time in the near future, an organization utilizing advanced weapons and vehicle technology deploys across the globe, suppressing local law enforcement and implementing strict regulation on daily activities. They claim to be part of a secret organization that has existed for over a thousand years, working to protect human kind from the designs of another organization bent on dominating the world through magic. They claim that their global occupation is a necessity to stave off a ritual that would summon a cataclysmic entity that this other organization would use to tyrannical ends. Though this seems like poppycock, they have abilities and devices that far outstrip anything that can be matched with modern technology, and people have no choice but to abide by their decisions.
Over the course of about two weeks, the player characters are all contacted by a strange individual. He knows a little too much about each of them, and claims that within each of them is the seed of a great power that is needed to free the world from its new dictators. He's able to convince them all to meet at a predetermined, semi-private location in which to discuss just what that means.
This idea would limit the player characters to the Mutant class, and as I envision it, feature the greatest degree of power development over time, starting from one minor superpower and growing significantly over time.
Idea 2: In the distant future, humanity has spread across the stars and colonized many planets. Along the way, various genetic mutations and strange cosmic phenomena have resulted in the development of a wide array of strange talents and abilities which, while rare, are no longer a cause for concern. While people with powers are often in demand in a number of careers, the biggest draw is entertainment, where people who can fire blasts of energy from their hands or withstand a barrage of bullets without injury help cut special effects costs to almost nothing.
In this campaign, the players would all have been recruited by a movie studio seeking to revive the ancient superhero movie genre. The campaign would consist of segmented episodes (basically, movie plots), and would allow for individual character arcs (solo movies) as well as group adventures. No Mega Heroes or Immortals here, but other than that, this one offers a greater flexibility in character class.
Idea 3: I write the story to fit the group. Everyone rolls up a character, we make some tweaks as necessary to ensure the group can work together, and I do my best to work on the fly and come up with an adventure that plays to everyone's strengths and weaknesses in turn. This one is the hardest for me, and is best suited to a group of players who are familiar enough with the system to come up with their own characters.
So, now I open the floor. Would anyone be interested in playing? If so, which campaign sounds the most interesting to you, and would you prefer a premade hero or one of your own design?