First of all, I have to say how grateful I am to those of you who are still reading this blog. I took quite a hiatus, but every post I've made since starting up again has had views, so thank you. I hope you'll take a look at my other blog project, 25 Years Later..., my retrospective on the 3rd edition D&D game.
Alright, now back to this Let's Read. We're into the Disadvantages section, and we're reviewing the Dependent NPC (DNPC) writeup. As mentioned last time, they are the normal people in the hero's (or villain's) life that have some sort of impact on their adventures, whether intentionally or accidentally. The more often they are involved, the more points they are worth. However, there are other factors to consider, such as how competent the character is and how many points they themselves are built on. Yes, NPCs are built on points, too. Anyway, you can have a competent DNPC (someone with some special characteristics and/or skills), which doesn't add any points to your Disadvantage. Lois Lane or Alfred, for example, would be competent; both would be built on at least 20 points thanks to their skills and characteristics. A normal is basically an average person built on 0 points; they may have some points shifted around (e.g., a higher STR at the expense of a lower INT), but they're more or less just there. Pepper Potts would be an example. Finally, there are the incompetent NPCs, the ones who actually have a negative point total (lowered characteristics, limited skills). The classic example is, of course, Aunt May.
So that's the DNPCs. Next up is the Hunted disadvantage. This will be one of the most common disads; it's the basis of the character's Rogue's Gallery. Again, Hunteds have evolved over the course of several editions, so this is different from what I am used to. There are three variables to the Hunted Disadvantage. First is the number of people involved in hunting the character. A single person is worth 5 points; a small group (less than 4 villains or 40 people) is worth 10, and a larger group is worth 15. So a solo supervillain would be worth 5 points; the original Enforcers (from Spider-Man), a group of three villains, would be 10 points, and the CIA (lots of agents) would be worth 15. This can vary depending on just how powerful the group actually is.
The next variable is the group's firepower. If they have advanced weapons or highly-trained personnel, that's worth 5 additional points. Hydra is an excellent example. If there are supers involved, that's 10 points. If the Hunted IS a super, that's worth 15 points. Finally, the frequency that the Hunted appears must be noted. The base is an 8 or less roll for the Hunted to show up in a scenario; for 5 more points, that becomes an 11 or less, and for 10 points it becomes a 14 or less. These are the fanatical stalker-types who just won't leave you alone. Use them with caution; it can be very annoying to have the same supervillain show up almost every session. Note that Hunteds can't be added later on in a game for additional points; that's just the benefit of gaming.
Our last Disadvantage on this page is Physical Limitation. This is a problem that hampers the character on a physical level, such as Daredevil's blindness, or Professor X being confined to a wheelchair. The points given for this disad depend on how serious the affliction is, and how often it affects the character. The frequency can be Infrequent (5 pts), Frequent (10), or All the Time (15). If it's a slight limitation (such as color blindness), there's no additional points. If it's greatly impairing (such as hard of hearing), it's worth 5 more points. And if it's fully impairing (unable to walk, or blind), it's worth 10 more points. Note that heroes often have powers that compensate for these disdvantages (such as Daredevil's enhanced senses and radar sense).
And that's another page done. We're moving on steadily, and we'll soon be done with character creation, believe it or not.
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