a. Carry over (or not) game session to game session. Or is it issue to issue? Or story arc to story arc?
b. How to establish the beginning Points (Hero/Setback) for a campaign or issue?
Here's how I interpret it. Please tell me what you think. Explain if I'm going outside the rules. If that breaks them in a bad way. If you like my interpretation.... etc...
NOTE: I crave "Keywords" for games. They help me think for internal consistency. So I'm BOLD-FACING the Keywords used in the rule-text, that I assume matter for BASH!
I have decided that EACH issue needs a new "Campaign Scale" for determining the number of Hero Points and Hero Dice (or alternatively Personal Setback Points, group Setback Points and Villain Dice).
So... each Issue (i.e. Game Session) I declare to the players: "This Issue is an xx Point Scale ... Where xx is the estimate/average of the story adventure difficulty I determine based on the threats (the villains' Character Point build costs) and/or the traps, hazards, and overall plot threats (such as planned Extended Checks, etc...).
I do this for each Issue rather than the campaign (as I assume "Campaign Scale" is meant to cover) because I've found that each Issue (game session) in the story arc MIGHT be of different "threat levels".
For Example:
Last night's Issue (game session) was an opening of "Morts" (C-tier almost goofy Golden/Modern Age villains, al la "Paste Pot Pete" or "Stilt-Man" or "Captain Boomerang"). They were all Minions of varying levels and the story opening was primarily setting up the overall arc that would continue next Issue. So... I said: "This Issue's Scale is 25 pts." At THAT level EVERY PC-Hero had 2-5 Personal Setback Points for the Issue!! hehe...
However...
The forshadow/climax ending of the 1st Issue saw them jumping out of a news chopper to begin battle with "The Demo Squad!" (my version of Marvel's Wrecking Crew). This group was literally beginning to try to topple a 80 story skyscraper! And with 6-7 members (who will all have high ability in team-mate actions, all having Leadership!) as well as these villains most all being HIGH level Minions (50+ Hits) at or above the same Character Point build totals of the PC-Heroes.
So... Next Issue will likely be me saying: "This Issue's Scale is 35 pts.", due to the higher threats.
As for "Carry Over" of all the HPs, HDs, PSBPs, SBPs, and VDs...
I have decided that...
At the end of the Issue for the night I would ask the players to total up how many Points (of the various types) they have. Then subtract out whatever Points (either Hero Pts or Personal Setback Pts) they got at the BEGINNING of the night's Issue ... Then NOTE that down. That is the "Carry Over" points you get for all the cool actions/stuff you did to GAIN Hero Points during the game session.
As the beginning of next game session, those points carry over. However, I again announce the "Issue Scale" for the game session as noted above again and award points as determined by the Issue's threat level.
ADDITIONALLY...
For the Narrator.
I am considering HOW to be "carry over" and "reward" Setback Points and Villain Dice for the NPCs and Story use as Narrator.
I am considering this:
Narrators get 2 Setback Points per PC-Hero each Issue.
At the end of an issue, I am considering either:
- just carrying over ALL Setback Points each Issue until this "story arc" is complete.
- subtracting the total Setback Points left at the end of an Issue from the starting total, and carrying over anything left.
For the second point to work... I am also considering "awarding" Setback Points and Villain Dice in game to the villains, NPCs and overall story plot. I am considering doing so for these type things:
- when a PC-Hero spends a Hero DIE, the Narrator "keeps it" as a Villain Die.
- when a villain or event of something is especially fun/cool (i.e. when the players laugh, get excited, etc...) or when the villains get an overwhelming success at something... the Narrator gets 1-5 Setback Points, depending on the situation.
Okay...
what do you think?
How do you do it or use them?
-kev-