Basic Action Super Heroes!

This is just some houseruling I was thinking about, to fix a few nitpicks I have with the system. Yeah, I feel like houseruling a few minor insignificant things even though I have yet to actually play the game.

Mostly, it concerns advantages.

You can have the ability to change instantly between your superhero costume and your normal civilian clothes, but you can't do this to other characters even though there are plenty of examples of characters doing this in the comics. The power I was thinking of is essentially just 'changeling' with the 'affects others' and 'area (medium burst)' enhancements, with a limitation that you can only use to switch people between their civilian clothes and superhero outfits. But that would cost 4 points, and it feels rather silly to blow 4 points for one minor power.

I was also thinking of just improving my own 'sorcery' power that would essentially let a character do a variety of minor miscellaneous things like changing people's costumes instantly, cleaning up a room, creating a light source, that sort of thing. It would be cheap and be limited to things that you can't do with other powers, and that have no real benefit in combat (well, I guess being able to conjure a light source in the middle of a battle could be useful if its so dark you can't see anything, but you get the general idea).

Another one is how advantages are 'always on'. For example, if you have 'frightening presence', you're always scary no matter what. What if you're a character who looks like an ordinary person that can transform into a fearsome monster? He may not have 'frightening presence' in his 'normal' form, in fact he might even have 'appeal' instead. I was thinking of a power that would essentially let you have certain advantages but only in certain situations. I guess you could mimic something like this with the 'boost' power though.

What do you think? Do you think its worth it for me to create new powers like this, or am I just being too nitpicky about a system I've never actually played yet?

And for the record, I may get to play soon. I found a site a while ago called 'solo rpg', its essentially a website that can GM a game for you, like a computer version of the mythic game master emulator (which is obviously takes inspiration from). And it does let you calibrate the game to specific settings, including superhero. There is one guy who's run a few games using savage worlds. I plan to try the thing myself, if I can ever come up with a character to play. Also worried that I may have to create NPCs on the fly, which will probably be annoying considering how much time I spend pondering and tweaking characters I build.

Hey Blackwolf, I'm no expert but if you want my opinion: you should always try to work things out using the rules of the system, that's half the fun (and you paid for them after all!) On the other hand, it's a game so you should go with what is fun to you. And certainly, asking the game's makers is valid.

As for your individual questions:

*I'd treat the ability to change the costumes/forms of others as simply being the Instant Change advantage except bought by every character separately and the condition for the changes being "only changes when X character says so".

*X Mastery (Magic) can be used for all sort of minor effects, as the Admins here have already pointed out.

*Some advantages and disadvantages do interfere with others. For example someone with Instant Change has his powers at all times, he just changes his looks; but if he also has the Normal disadvantage, then he only has powers in his super identity.


I hope these comments have been helpful. And good luck with the game play!

I'd call this a "cantrip" of some of your existing powers. Basically if you can make a fireball, you can also light a candle or create a torch. The same principle applies to someone with powers of illusion or conjuration in your case to make a costume for somebody.

You can always choose for someone with Frightening Presence to be not using it at all times. It just means you can be scary; not that you always must be.

I'd call this a "cantrip" of some of your existing powers. Basically if you can make a fireball, you can also light a candle or create a torch. The same principle applies to someone with powers of illusion or conjuration in your case to make a costume for somebody.

You can always choose for someone with Frightening Presence to be not using it at all times. It just means you can be scary; not that you always must be.