Cause versus Effect
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 1:15 pm
Since the earliest days of Super Hero Role Playing Games, the biggest question has always been: how best to emulate super-powers?
I've seen many such games over the years, and it seems to me that there are two main approaches to this. I call them "By Cause" and "By Effect."
The first refers to when powers are designed based on how they work in the comics (or cartoons, etc.) For example, a Fire Blast can be expected to do heat-based damage but require oxygen to burn.
While that makes sense, some people felt that it limited them to the designer's interpretation of specific powers. Players of superhero RPGs like to do two things: convert their favorite characters, or make their own totally original powers. So it's understandable why the Cause approach might be seen as limiting. In addition, back in the day, the only way to get these games was in print form, and that meant that page count had to be taken in consideration; why give room to two or more powers if their effects where essentially the same?
And thus came along a new approach, the "Effect" one. In this case, the "power" was just a description of an effect, and it was left to the player to decide how it worked and looked. Example: a "Ranged Attack" could be a Fire Blast or a Lightning Bolt, as long as the effect was the same (damage caused at range). These games often provide methods of customization to have further flexibility. BASH is an example of this kind.
So which approach is best? It's a matter of personal preference, of course, after all these are just games. Let's look at the Pros & Cons:
By Cause:
-Pros: Easier to create characters; just pick the provided powers that fit your vision eg. Fire powers for your fire-using hero.
-Cons: Not as flexible as the By Effect approach.
By Effect:
-Pros: Maximum freedom for building powers.
-Cons: May not be as intuitive for some people.
Personally, I like a middle point the best- specifically, ready-made powers as in the "Cause" approach with customization options also available. Fortunately, thanks to the Awesome Powers book series, BASH has been growing in that direction.
I've seen many such games over the years, and it seems to me that there are two main approaches to this. I call them "By Cause" and "By Effect."
The first refers to when powers are designed based on how they work in the comics (or cartoons, etc.) For example, a Fire Blast can be expected to do heat-based damage but require oxygen to burn.
While that makes sense, some people felt that it limited them to the designer's interpretation of specific powers. Players of superhero RPGs like to do two things: convert their favorite characters, or make their own totally original powers. So it's understandable why the Cause approach might be seen as limiting. In addition, back in the day, the only way to get these games was in print form, and that meant that page count had to be taken in consideration; why give room to two or more powers if their effects where essentially the same?
And thus came along a new approach, the "Effect" one. In this case, the "power" was just a description of an effect, and it was left to the player to decide how it worked and looked. Example: a "Ranged Attack" could be a Fire Blast or a Lightning Bolt, as long as the effect was the same (damage caused at range). These games often provide methods of customization to have further flexibility. BASH is an example of this kind.
So which approach is best? It's a matter of personal preference, of course, after all these are just games. Let's look at the Pros & Cons:
By Cause:
-Pros: Easier to create characters; just pick the provided powers that fit your vision eg. Fire powers for your fire-using hero.
-Cons: Not as flexible as the By Effect approach.
By Effect:
-Pros: Maximum freedom for building powers.
-Cons: May not be as intuitive for some people.
Personally, I like a middle point the best- specifically, ready-made powers as in the "Cause" approach with customization options also available. Fortunately, thanks to the Awesome Powers book series, BASH has been growing in that direction.