Powers & Possibilities

An Average Inheritance

2011-12-26T08:36:00.001-08:00

In Villains and Vigilantes, characters who roll Inheritance on the Knowledge Areas chart can acquire in dollars 1d3 +2 percentile die rolls multiplied together.

That means that the average inheritance is $(50.5)⁴. When calculated down to one-tenth of a penny, that amount becomes $6,503,775.063.

Always Outnumbered

2011-12-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

Now available from Fantasy Games Unlimited, Always Outnumbered is the latest collection of solo adventures for Villains and Vigilantes.

The module includes three core adventures, best suited for a player-character who is just starting out or has a moderate amount of experience (levels 1-4):

No Crime Like the Present

Survival of the Fittest

True Believer

Also included:

Photo Opportunity, a short scenario that works as an epilogue to the core adventures.

An appendix with a two-page chart to help characters with Illusions B keep track of Solid Energy Creation Stats.

Hyper-Flight Calculations

2011-04-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

In V&V, characters with the power Flight who can travel at least 450 miles per hour can spend one action to shift to hyper-flight, which means they can travel at least 45 times the speed of sound in the Earth's atmosphere.

The speed of sound at sea level is 761.2 mph, which becomes 3350" per turn within the game.

That's especially impressive considering that the distance of a mile is 1056" in game terms (or 5280 feet in real life).

Escape from the Micro-Universe

2010-11-25T19:14:00.000-08:00

Here's the marketing information about the latest Villains and Vigilantes adventure module from Fantasy Games Unlimited (which includes a built-in sequel titled Return to the Micro-Universe).

The strange murders of prize-winning researchers rocks the scientific community on the eve of a spectacular symposium event hosted by some of the most brilliant minds on earth. What sort of chaos could be afoot? When the heroes are contacted by a terrified professor, they are drawn into the very vortex of a madman’s plot!

Can your heroes...
ESCAPE FROM THE MICRO-UNIVERSE??!!!

Magical Spell: Mend Armor

2010-11-10T23:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a spell designed to offset the high repair costs of Amor B in Villains and Vigilantes.

Mend Armor: Range = touch, requires one action, each Power Point spent repairs 1 ADR of damage to Armor B (up to the starting ADR for the armor).

Superheroes and Supervillains

2010-09-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

My gateway into RPGs was the paint-and-play Dungeon Dwellers game produced by Heritage.

Back in 1981, I missed my opportunity to buy a related Heritage game called Superheroes and Supervillains (and am now trying to track down a copy).

In retrospect, it's interesting to see how closely two of the Heritage characters resemble characters who later appeared in Villains and Vigilantes adventures: Hornet (Crisis at Crusader Citadel) and Behemoth (Death Duel with the Destroyers).

By that same token, the character Dr. Death in Superheroes and Supervillains gets called Dr. Doom in one spot in the game materials. It just goes to show how hard it is to come up with new ideas.

Gene Pool: Motivations

2010-08-28T17:40:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite sections in the Living Legends rules lists motivations for heroes and villains.

Because instructions are available for converting V&V characters to Living Legends, I decided to assign motivations to the villains from Enter the Gene Pool.

Drifter		Greedy/Egoist
Invisible Menace		Belligerent/Carnage
Persephone		Greedy/Egoist
Professor Phylum		Glory Hound*
Roadkill		Thrill Seeker
Serenade		Thrill Seeker
Sunscar		Greedy/Egoist

*Professor Phylum is motivated by a Glory Hound version of Need to Know (from the list of motivations for heroes).

TV hero Cap'n Cape has Utopian motives. while actor Scott Capuletti is something of a Glory Hound.

With Lowered Intelligence and Low Self-Control, the Plant-Thing has Insane Survival motives.

Spotlight on ... Roadkill

2010-08-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

In the V&V rulebook, 20% of randomly generated characters with Natural Weaponry have a bonus ability associated with that power. The villain Roadkill from Enter the Gene Pool is an example of this combination.

Natural Weaponry: +3 to hit, +6 damage kicking, with a bonus ability to leap up to 8" high and 16" across.

Costume Trivia: Illustrator James Bishop's design for Roadkill prompted the following bit of characterization to enter the manuscript: Roadkill has recently taken to painting a large red cross mark on his chest after each successful job. This is best understood as being a "checking off a box" on a score sheet or card.

Spotlight on ... Persephone

2010-08-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

The villain Persephone from Enter the Gene Pool has this personalized version of Ice Powers.

Body Power: With an "icy stare," Persephone can direct cold-beams from her eyes, attack type = Ice Powers, range = 9", damage = 1d12 plus ice generation (see rules, p. 13), PR = 5. Her skin automatically defends as Ice Powers but does not generate any ice armor, PR = 0.

Persephone's origin states that her hair turned snow-white and her skin turned light-blue when her powers first manifested.

Costume Trivia: Illustrator James Bishop designed Persephone's insignia. The symbol adapts elements from a symbol for Hades, the Greek god of the underworld.

Spotlight on ... Invisible Menace

2010-08-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

In the V&V rulebook, 5% of randomly generated characters with the power Invisibility are permanently transformed.

The Invisible Menace from Enter the Gene Pool may be the first published V&V character who is permanently invisible. Here is how the adventure describes his variation of that power.

Invisibility: Permanent. Standard clothing becomes invisible after only one phase, but most carried objects remain visible unless he can enclose them in his palm. PR = 0.

Enter the Gene Pool

2010-07-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here's the back cover teaser from Enter the Gene Pool, an exciting, new Villains & Vigilantes adventure module available from Fantasy Games Unlimited:

A super-scientist, a formula to induce mutations and super powers, a villain team using kidnapping to obtain resources for experiments and build "street-cred" add up to a challenge for the heroes—can they stop the Gene Pool?

Enter the Gene Pool is available for purchase at RPG Drive Thru and RPG Now.

New from Fantasy Games Unlimited

2010-07-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

New V&V products are available for sale this year from Fantasy Games Unlimited, beginning with Citizen Report.

Six free V&V supplements released early 2010 are available as well.

I especially recommend County Precint Police Station and Truth Seeker Weekly News.

Carrying Capacity and Movement Rate

2010-05-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

The 1982 rules explain that Carrying Capacity is the "maximum amount of weight in pounds a character can lift and remain standing" (p. 7).

But how does using Carrying Capacity influence Movement Rate?

I suggest that while lifting an object, a character should lose a percentage of Movement Rate equal to the percentage of the character's Carrying Capacity the lifted object weighs.

Let's say a character has a Carrying Capacity of 400 lbs. and a Movement Rate of 50". While the character lifts 40 lbs. (10 percent of Carrying Capacity), the character loses 5" of speed (10% of Movement Rate).

When characters use 100% of their Carrying Capacity, they remain standing but also lose 100% of their Movement Rate.

Charisma and Experience Points

2010-05-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Charisma plays an important role in V&V. It provides a defense type against emotional and metal attacks, and is just as important as Intelligence when calculating Cash under standard rules.

The traditional rules use the following formula to calculate experience points for a captured opponent: (Hit Points + Power Points) x2 Level—with the option of getting more experience points when donating reward money (based on opponents' charisma and level).

Because opponents with higher charisma have better mental resistance and more resources, Charisma should join the other four ability scores when calculating experience points.

To simplify matters—and because many campaigns bypass the reward money aspect of the game—I'd like to try using this formula to determine base experience points for captured supervillains:

(Hit Points + Power Points + Charisma) x2 Level

When I started playing V&V...

2010-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

When I started playing V&V, it had no competition.

There were no other super-games on hand when I bought the first edition.

As time went on, other games came and went—there were so many to try.

But I still came back to V&V, and here are the reasons why.

Power Points sealed me on the game; they were like a dream come true!

The revised rules added Hit Point Mod. My calculator likes this too.

Strength and Endurance provide the backbone for Carrying Capacity.

But Agility is the ability that has the most tenacity.

Even though it took me a year to figure out that combat chart,

There's no complaining when you're master-gaming in the midst of Jeff Dee's art!

So let's play a session of V&V: There's a Crisis at Crusader Citadel.

I've had so much fun with the adventures I've run against the Crushers (they're so formidable).

You can spend one of your Inventing Points when an emergency arises.

Yet with a five-percent chance of "unexpected" results, watch out for more surprises.

Power Blast damage is one-die-twenty; Lightning Control does two-die-eight.

Those nuanced conventions show the special attention that makes V&V so great!

Save vs. Carrying Capacity

2010-02-02T10:54:00.001-08:00

A character’s Strength score is proportional to mass (weight) in V&V, and this system has many advantages.

But when it comes to saving throws, sometimes the number of pounds a character can lift is all that matters. In these cases, try making a saving throw versus Carrying Capacity instead of Strength.

When the feat should challenge normal humans, roll 1d100 x 10 lbs. If the total matches or is below the character’s Carrying Capacity, the saving throw succeeds. But if the total is above the character’s Carrying Capacity, the saving throw fails.

When the feat is almost impossible for anyone without heightened strength, save vs. Carrying Capacity by rolling 1d100 x 100 lbs.

When the feat is impossible to normal humans and challenging to those with heightened strength, roll 1d100 x 1000 lbs.

Body Power: Disguise Voice

2009-12-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a minor ability I've seen on film often enough to give it a V&V write-up.

Power Description:
The character has an extraordinary ability to imitate the accents and speech patterns of others. PR = 0.

When using this power to impersonate others over the telephone or somewhere out of sight, only those who are very familiar with the person being imitated receive a det. hidden roll to discern that the speaker is an impostor (GM's discretion). Otherwise the disguised voice will sound authentic.

Passing a voice-recognition scan when impersonating someone else may require the character to save vs. Intelligence (d20).

The character may have other speech-based abilities as well, such as ventriloquism (others require a det. hidden roll to see the character's lips/throat move if they try discreetly "throwing their voice").

Mute: Vow of Silence

2009-12-27T00:35:00.000-08:00

The weakness Mute often means that a character cannot speak. Here's a variation that allows the character to talk—but not too much.

Weakness Description:
Characters with this weakness pledged never to reveal important aspects of their powers or past. Maybe they were trained by an isolationist or enemy organization. Or perhaps their powers derive from an extra-dimensional source that wants to remain unknown.

Whatever the case may be, the vow of silence must be significant enough to interfere with a character's personal life or interactions with others beyond the usual limitations of a secret identity.

Breaking the vow of silence (even due to mind control or torture) will make the character distrusted or demoralized, possibly changing this weakness to Prejudice or Reduced Charisma (GM's discretion).

Depending on the circumstances, the character may be prosecuted by authorities or hunted down by someone from their past if they reveal their secret to anyone—even in private.

Low Self-Control: Unreliable Device(s)

2009-12-26T23:32:00.000-08:00

Here's an idea for Low Self-Control adapted from early D&D rules for magic weapons with an ego/will score.

Weakness Description:
One or more of the character's devices has a technological glitch (or secret stubborn streak) that prevents it from working 3d6 percent of the time.

Whenever the character spends one action trying to use an afflicted device, the GM rolls 1d100. If the number is above the device's "unreliability" score of 3-18, the device works as planned.

If the 1d100 roll is equal to or below the unreliability score, the device does not operate. The character still looses one action in this case, but no charges or power points are lost. The character can make another attempt to use the device on a later action.

With ongoing powers, such as flight or adaption, the GM rolls vs. "unreliability" when the device is first activated, then checks again between each turn to see if the device spontaneously shuts off.

Poison/Venom: Degeneration

2009-12-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here's an idea for poison/venom. It could also work as a magical curse.

Power Description:
This poison attacks as Chemical Power and turns opponents' recuperative abilities against them. PR = 3 per attack.

With a successful hit, victims immediately lose Hit Points equal to their Healing Rate. Those protected by Armor A also lose ADR equal to five times their Healing Rate (the amount normally healed in one day).

Armor B and Invulnerability usually will not defend against this poison (GM's discretion), and victims cannot roll with damage.

Between turns, victims continue to take damage based on Healing Rate until they save vs. Endurance (d100).

Characters with the power Regeneration are particularly susceptible to this poison, and take damage between each phase until an Endurance save is made.

A Hero without a Thesaurus

2009-12-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Of all the comics that show the challenges of selecting a codename, none did a better job than Captain America #180, when Steve Rogers took on a new costumed identity.

About two pages of the issue included internal dialogue, with the character mulling over his possibilities.

Steve Rogers:

I'm pretty different from what I was, and I'll need a name that reflects it.

Since I'm getting away from red, white, and blue--I've already picked this all-weather fabric in somber tones--so the name should be something dark--mysterious.

I hope a bat doesn't fly in my window--or Ill be in big trouble!

No--something that means "Adventurer"--like "Daredevil!"

What about "The Privateer"? "The Swashbuckler"?

Nope … not quite right and everybody'd call me "Swash" for short.

"The Freebooter"? That has more of a ring to it--I am free--but no, it sounds too much like a pirate. Come to think about it, most words for "Adventurer" sound like pirates!

Maybe I should change "Captain America" to "Captain Blood"!

Later:

It could be that I'm looking in the wrong direction. Instead of thinking "Adventurer"--I should brainstorm a bit with "Wanderer."

Yeah … I've cut myself loose from the ties to the past--made myself a "Man without a Country." Well, there's "The Gypsy" … Darn! I wish I'd thought to bring a thesaurus.

Uh … "Vagrant." "Miscreant." "Hobo." "Bum."

After adding a cape to his costume, he settled on "The Nomad!"

I wonder how much of that internal dialogue for Steve Rogers described the process that writer Steve Englehart went through in choosing the hero's new name. And even if Rogers didn't use a thesaurus, I wonder if Englehart did.

Most Wanted: Criminal Dossiers

2009-12-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

Some of my earliest players wanted information about the super villains at large. That seemed like a reasonable request. So I decided to adapt an idea already in place on the covers of the Most Wanted volumes.

The idea is to prepare for the players basic dossiers of known major villains, with their pictures from the modules when possible (or general costume descriptions).

Villains who have been arrested or covered extensively in the news will have more information available than lesser known foes. Dossier information might include any of the following.

Identity: when known (or aliases used)

Sex: male/female (or question mark for shapeshifters, etc.)

Age: when known (otherwise a question mark)

Weight: usually the character's actual weight (or a question mark if their powers might somehow obscure their proportions)

Powers: names of established powers; or basic descriptions of known body/mutant powers and special weapons

Weaknesses: usually unknown

Background: nation of origin; knowledge areas; source of powers (when known)

Criminal Record: crimes committed

Robotic Body: Modifications

2009-12-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

Standard V&V rules say that characters with Robotic Body multiply their weight by 2-5 (1d4 +1).

To add variety, I'll give a player character with Robotic Body the option of randomly rolling weight 1d4 more times, and adding the totals to the character's starting weight to determine the robot's weight. The robot still weighs as much as 2-5 people, but not necessarily 2-5 times the original amount.

Part of the reason for this decision is because I can think of a number of characters in comics who became robots (Cliff Steele, Roger Bochs), and were heavier as robots, but not exactly 2, 3, 4, or 5 times their original weight.

Micromegas Manuscript

2009-12-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

In his classic tale from 1752, Voltaire wrote how a size-changing interplanetary traveler known as Micromegas gave the Earth's leading philosophers a book written in minute characters telling all that can be known of the ultimate essence of things. The scholars brought the book to Paris and laid before the Academy of Sciences. But when the academy's secretary came to open it, the pages were blank.

"Ah!" said he. "Just as I expected."

But did the story of Micromegas really end there? Were the book's pages really blank? Or were they simply written in letters too small to read at the time? Letters that might be decipherable today?

Did one of philosophers take out the inscripted pages—or steal the book altogether and replace it with a fake?

Where is the original book now? How is it guarded? What would happen if super-villains stole the original? What scientific secrets would they find inside? What danger might that cause to the world today?

Illusions A: Applications

2009-12-03T22:41:00.000-08:00

After reviewing the way characters use Illusions A in many of the published materials, here are some guidelines I'd suggest for this power.

Each of the following requires one action per turn.

Use illusions to hide one's location, such as Mirage from Most Wanted Vol. 1. In this case, I would allow Player Characters the same Detect Hidden chance they normally receive when facing opponents with invisibility (revised rules, p. 14).

Maintain one significant illusion, such as an imaginary monster used by Sprite in Pre-Emptive Strike or one of the illusionary creatures included as counters for Dreamweaver in Crisis at Crusader Citadel.

Maintain a group of nearly identical illusions, such as the duplicates Celeste might create of herself in Alone into the Night. I suggest limiting the number of mirror-images to 1/3 the illusionist's Intelligence (round up). This would also apply to the number of opponents Mirage can appear to inflict with imaginary wounds at one time.

Maintain an halluscinary terrain, such as the pop art landscapes and illusionary boxing ring created by Od in Most Wanted Vol. 1. In this case, I would allow Player Characters standard detection rolls to discern any real traps veiled within the chaos—or to discern sensory clues (re: temperature, motion, etc.) that contradict their illusionary surroundings.

With halluscinary terrain and similarly complicated illusions, range/radius = Intelligence x 4 inches (following the guidelines for Phantasmal Forces in the original rulebook, p. 15).

When applicable, I may use the Phantasmal Forces attack/defense type on the original combat table for actions regarding Illusions A.

Physical contact with a visual illusion usually will reveal that it is not solid (unless the illusion covers an already solid object). In subtle cases, perhaps only a detection roll will be made. It is up to the character controlling an illusion to determine how the illusion responds when hit.

In the original rules, Phantasmal Forces has a base chance to hit of 16 against all defenses that convert into the revised rules except for Astral Projection (base = 0), Light Control (base = 3), Non-Corporealness (base = 0), and Willpower (base = 0; using the original defense type called Control of Self).

Here's how the Phantasmal Forces defense looks against the attack types converted into the revised rules.

CP	DR	EC	FP	FF	GC	HH	IP	LT	LG	MP	MC	PR	PB	SA	TR	VP
08	00	13	12	10	08	03	10	05	11	11	11	11	05	08	08	05

Armor B: ADR Examples

2009-11-29T09:18:00.001-08:00

Visuals can provide a clue about the Armor Defense Rating of a character. When she gets into uniform, the Iron Maiden from Death Duel with the Destroyers has Armor B: ADR = 88. Here are more V&V characters and their ADR scores.

Swamp Rat from Secret in the Swamp, wearing an apparatus like a bullet-proof vest, ADR = 45.
	Samurai armor from Honor, ADR = 63.
Cyborg of the Teen Titans, described by Jack Herman in Different Worlds magazine (Sept. 1983), ADR = 80, an average score for randomly generated characters with Armor.
	F.I.S.T. battlesuit from Crisis at Crusader Citadel, ADR = 99.
Armada from Most Wanted (Volume 3), ADR = 200, strong enough for two suits of armor.

Cover Art Homage

2009-11-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

John Byrne's cover art on Alpha Flight #11 (June 1984) was undoubtedly the inspiration for Patrick Zircher's cover treatment on the V&V module Alone into the Night (1985).

One of the three adventures in the module took place in Canada, the home of Alpha Flight. Characters within the module, however, bore no resemblance to characters from the comic.

Artwork Easter Eggs

2009-11-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Villains & Vigilantes modules remained distinct from most established comic book series. Yet it looks like Batman slipped into this back cover scene from Devil's Domain.

V&V co-creator Jeff Dee created much of the artwork that appeared in early Dungeons & Dragons products, including this scene from the D&D Monster and Treasure Assortment. Say, is that Magneto's helmet in the treasure chest?

Thieves' Skill: Move Silently

2009-11-20T22:36:00.001-08:00

Here's a classic D&D ability that I've adapted to work as a Body Power or form of Willpower.

Move Silently: The character can move with little sound and disturbance, even across a a squeaky floor. PR = 0.

With this skill, the character is only half as likely to fall into pits, quicksand, and similar traps. Adjust saving throws and other randomized rolls to take this into account.

When applicable, opponents' detection rolls are cut in half to avoid surprise or to track the character.

Mammal Power: Fur

2009-11-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here's an option I allow either as a Body Power or as a special Animal Power.

Fur: The character automatically defends as Adaption against cold/ice attacks and resists between-turns-damage when encased in ice. PR = 0.

Visually the power resembles the Beast (Hank McCoy) and Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski).

Willpower: Parameters

2009-11-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

Willpower is loosely described in the rulebook, and handled in various ways in the published adventures and sourcebooks. Here are my default guidelines for that ability.

Willpower A: PR = 1 per turn used as a defense. On the combat table, the willpower defense does not apply when the character is surprised.

After their Endurance (or applicable time limit) runs out, the character can continue holding their breath underwater, or remain conscious during a strangulation/suffocation attack. PR = 1 per turn.

The character can spot an unusual clue during an adventure or recall a important piece of information later. (I use this only when a published adventure specifically draws attention to a clue that the character might notice; this is not a sixth-sense.)

Willpower B: If used to permanently raise stats, the character adds 1d10 to two ability scores (for a skill) or 1d10 to three ability scores (for a power). PR = 0.

An extraordinary skill, including those used by certain D&D classes, also might work as Willpower B.

Magical Spell: Hold Portal

2009-11-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

Here's one of my favorite spells from early Dungeons & Dragons, adapted for V&V.

Hold Portal: This spell magically seals shut a door, gate, manhole cover, chest, etc., preventing anything from forcing it open. PR = 2 to lock a 1" x 1" portal, + 1 power point per additional 1" x 1" area effected. Requires one action to cast, range = Intelligence inches. The effect lasts the number of turns equal to the magician's Intelligence + Level.

Option: adding 1 power point will extend the duration by 1 turn. A permanent "lock" requires an inventing point in V&V.

Reaction Table: 2d10

2009-11-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

There's a Crisis at Crusader Citadel reminds the GM to make random reaction rolls for two of the NPCs. Taking player characters through that introductory module soon taught me how capricious the rulebook reaction table can be.

Using the random table (rules, p. 27) , a hero whose charisma offers no reaction modifier has a 10% chance of triggering a response of "violent hostility" from journalist Jessica Anderson or police detective Victor Broyko (with a 5% chance of rolling either 1 or 2).

Granted, the module assures the GM that these NPCs will be professional toward the player characters just the same. But that being the case, the reaction table shouldn't deliver such a high probability of hostile emotions—before negative reaction modifiers might even come into play.

Therefore, I'm now tempted to use 2d10 when making rolls on the reaction chart, which makes a neutral score of 11 the most likely initial result. This method allows for the full range of emotions on the chart but takes the chance of "violent hostility" down to 1% (rolling a 2) and limits "very enthusiastic" to 3% of the reactions (rolling 19-20) before factoring in any reaction modifiers.

Roll:	Reaction:	Probability (2d10):
01.	Violent Hostility	00%
02.	Violent Hostility	01%
03.	Hostile though Non-Violent	02%
04.	Hostile though Non-Violent	03%
05.	Hostile though Non-Violent	04%
06.	Mildly Hostile, Suspicious	05%
07.	Mildly Hostile, Suspicious	06%
08.	Mildly Hostile, Suspicious	07%
09.	Neutral	08%
10.	Neutral	09%
11.	Neutral	10%
12.	Neutral	09%
13.	Agreeable, Interested	08%
14.	Agreeable, Interested	07%
15.	Agreeable, Interested	06%
16.	Enthusiastic	05%
17.	Enthusiastic	04%
18	Enthusiastic	03%
19.	Very Enthusiastic	02%
20.	Very Enthusiastic	01%

The 1d20 method is well-suited for melodramatic situations. But I don't imagine that Broyko gets tempted to throw his coffee mug at 1 in 10 people who walk into his office each day, or that Anderson wants to slap 10% of the people she interviews, even if they have modest charisma scores.

Postcognition

2009-11-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

This option for Psionics or Heightened Senses was inspired by Snowbird in Alpha Flight #3 and Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #261. Both stories were written and penciled by John Byrne.

Power Description:
By spending one action, the character can look backward through time, perceiving past events as they would have been seen from the character's current location. Postcognition is entirely visual; hearing and other senses are not involved.

During a postcognitive vision, the character makes detection rolls as they would if experiencing those events firsthand. This power does not allow the character to interact with or change the past.

The number of hours that will instantly replay equals the character's level. PR = 5. Postcognition is usable only once per day.

Robotic Bodies: Human Appearances (%)

2009-11-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

Mocker, the android leader of the Crushers from There's a Crisis at Crusader Citadel, has a 45% human appearance. Here are the percentages listed with robots from several other V&V resources.
	Apollo from Organized Crimes, robotic body with 100% human appearance (and human brain).
Futura from The Great Iridium Con, 68% human appearance.
	2166 from Most Wanted (Volume 3), 56% human appearance.
R.I.N.G. from Battle Above the Earth, 23% human appearance.
	R.A.M. from Opponents Unlimited cannot pass for human.

Android Body: Upgrade

2009-11-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

In the rules, androids determine their human-like appearance by rolling 1d100.

Since most androids in comics and science fiction look closer to human than not, I suggest adding 30 points to the android's roll (in costrast to robots, who subtract 30 points in the rules).

Androids that are 100% human looking can pass for human, appearance-wise even in a bathing suit.

If they end up with 101-130% human appearance, they are more like a Philip K. Dick replicant. Even under routine medical inspections there is a 1-30% chance they can pass for human.

Androids can eliminate their Body Power (or inventing points) to boost their human appearance or self-repair scores.

Vespertilio-Homo (Bat-People)

2009-11-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

Level: 1
Side: unknown
Sex: females and males use the same stats below

Powers:
1. Mammal Powers:
A. Heightened Endurance: +8
B. Natural Weaponry: +1 to hit, +2 damage (noted below).
C. Wings; +3 Agility, max. speed = 75 mph, PR = 1 per hour of flight.

2. Heightened Senses: x2 det. danger. They may have knowledge of a planetary calamity that took place in the past or that could occur in the future.

Weight: 150 lbs.
Basic Hits: 3

Strength; 11
Endurance: 18
Agility: 15
Intelligence: 10
Charisma: 11

Hit Points: 11
Hit Mod. (1.1)(2.2)(1.6)(1.0) = 3.52
Healing Rate: 1.5

Power Points: 54

Accuracy: +3
Damage Mod.: +3
Basic HTH Damage: 1d4
Carrying Capacity: 235 lbs.

Movement: 44" ground, 330" flying

Det. Hidden: 8%
Det. Danger: 24%

Inventing Points: 1.0
Inventing: 30%

Origin and Background: (Extraterrestrial) Agriculture, Religion/Mysticism.

A series of articles in the New York Sun caught the public's attention in 1835 by reporting the discovery of life on the moon. In addition to plants and small animals, there resided a species of bat-winged humanoids. At the center of their society was a large temple with imagery of a planet surrounded by flames.

Though perceived now as satire, what if the famous Moon Hoax was indeed a factual account? What became of the bat-winged people? Do any of them still inhabit an apparently oxygen-rich area of the moon? Did any of them travel to Earth? What is their reaction toward human beings? And what is the planetary doom so central to their culture?

Special Expertise

2009-11-04T17:51:00.001-08:00

Countless magic weapons in D&D yield an additional TO HIT bonus against a specific category of opponents, such as giants, lycanthropes, or the undead.

A special weapon in V&V might be crafted in a similar way.

Power Description:
The weapon has +4 to hit against a specific defense type, power, or origin type. Examples: androids/robots; telepaths; insects (including opponents with Insect Powers).

Special Expertise also might derive from a character with Heightened Expertise and Special Requirement.

Magical Concealment

2009-11-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

Many characters in comics can make their magic swords/tridents/cloaks disappear (often to protect the their secret identities), but while still retaining their other super powers.

This ability seems built-in to many special weapons.

Power Description:
With one action, the character can make the special weapon or magic item disappear in their hands, effectively removing it from the physical world. Range = touch, PR = 0.

Though undetectable to infravision, sonar, and other senses, the weapon remains magically hidden at the character's side. The item cannot be physically harmed or separated from the character while concealed.

The character must spend one action to draw the weapon back out into the physical world to use it again.

Revealing and concealing a magic item allows the character to change in and out of costume at will.

Some advanced, extra-dimensional devices might have cloaking features that imitate the effects of magical concealment.

Inventing Points: Collaboration

2009-11-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

There are times when characters could use a one-shot invention to stop a threat or escape from a trap, but no one has a full inventing point to spare.

In these situations, I'm willing to let the characters collaborate—each spending all of their partial inventing points—so long as the grand total adds up to 1.0 (or more).

Perhaps one character has 0.6 inventing points available, another has 0.3, and someone else has 0.2.

The collaborating characters each get an inventing attempt. And if any of them make a successful inventing roll, the breakthrough idea goes through!

Since none of the characters had a full inventing point on their own, everyone involved loses all of their remaining partial inventing points. (They don't negotiate to decide who spends what percentage of 1.0 inventing point.)

The idea is that everyone is giving their all to accomplish something that none of them could do on their own. And as a result, their residual inventing potential is wiped clean.

Death Touch: Energy Drain

2009-11-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

I've adapted the energy-drain abilities of wights and spectres from D&D to develop a variant option for Death Touch. The effects are just as lethal for first-level victims, but allow more opportunities for role-playing (and survival) for experienced characters.

Power Description:
If contact is made (i.e. a hit is scored) the victim is allowed two saving throws on 1d20: once vs. Endurance and once vs. Agility. If both saves are made the victim resists the Death Touch effects totally and the attacker expends no extra Power.

If only one save is made, the touch is partially successful and the victim loses all remaining hit points, at a cost to the attacker of 10 Power points.

Variation: If neither saving throw succeeds, then the victim loses all hit points and loses one level of experience. The attacker is charged 20 points of Power.

Characters reduced in level by "energy drain" may lose/forget the training/advancement bonuses they received during their last level advancement.

Examples:
If a fourth-level character loses both saving throws, experience points fall to 5000 (the beginning of third level).

If a third-level character loses both saving throws, experience points fall to 2000 (the beginning of second level).

A second-level character who loses both saving throws falls to first level, with zero experience points.

A first-level character who loses both saving throws dies instantly (mirroring the rulebook effects of Death Touch).

Body Power: Distinction

2009-11-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

Many characters in comics and science fiction have a distinctly unconventional appearance that doesn't help them in any discernable way—and that doesn't hinder them much either.

With that in mind, here's an option I now allow with randomly generated characters with Body Power.

Power Description:
If the players don't want living hair or blaster eyes or suction cup tentacles, etc., they can pick another power—so long as they give themselves a physical distinction (unconnected with the power) that makes them stand out in a crowd yet isn't severe enough to count as a physical handicap or prejudice.

A great example from comics is Doc Samson. When originally conceived, there was the perception that his long, green hair was tied to his strength. But as it turned out that's just not the case. Rather, the green hair is a side effect of the gamma radiation that also gave him his strength.

Ice Powers: Cold Defense

2009-11-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

The revised rules masterfully describe the mechanics for generating ice armor (resembling Iceman from the X-Men).

Because of the cumbersome movement cost involved in maintaining armor, I give ice-powered characters the option instead of using an armorless cold defense (as employed by a number of DC characters, and closely matching the original rules, p. 27).

Power Description:
With this option, the character's body automatically generates a cold defense, defending as Ice Powers on the combat chart but without the ability to create ice armor. There is no PR cost or movement cost for this defense.

Ice attacks still follow the revised rules.

Psionic Healing

2009-11-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

A potential side effect of Cosmic Awareness is slipping into a trance for an indefinite amount of time (rules, p. 11). But the accelerated healing that takes place during a trance is so advantageous that I offer it as a substitute power in and of itself.

Power Description:
The character can choose to enter a psionic trance, focusing inward (rather than the vastness of the universe). In this meditative state, the character regains 6 Power Points each minute, and heals Hit Points per hour (instead of per day). The character can awaken from the trance at will.

Characters have their normal chance of Detecting Danger before the opponent makes

Should someone try to attack the character during a healing trance, the character has normal chances of Detecting Danger before the opponent's first attempt to hit (non-moving target, save vs. Agility on 1d20). Otherwise the character will be caught off guard and unable to roll with the blow. The first attack, even if it misses, will awaken the character. (This follows rules for getting attacked in one's sleep outlined in The Great Iridium Con.)

Psionic Healing can work as an option for Body Power, Psionics, or Willpower B.

Pyrokinesis

2009-11-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a variation that I allow in place of Flame Power A or as Psionics.

Power Description:
The character can mentally generate heat/flames at a distance (rather than projecting flames with fiery breath, etc.).

Range = Intelligence + Charisma (instead of strength + endurance).

Attacks as Flame Power, Damage = 1d12, PR = 2 per attack.

With a special attack the character can hit an opponent through Armor B, Life Support, Invulnerability Devices, many force fields, and other barriers.

To use pyrokinesis as a Flame Power defense requires one action per turn (e.g. to melt incoming attacks), PR = 2 per turn.

CP	DR	EC	FP	FF	GC	HH	IP	LT	LG	MP	MC	PR	PB	SA	TR	VP
08	00	13	12	10	08	03	10	05	11	11	11	11	05	08	08	05

CP	DR	EC	FP	FF	GC	HH	IP	LT	LG	MP	MC	PR	PB	SA	TR	VP
08	00	13	12	10	08	03	10	05	11	11	11	11	05	08	08	05

CP	DR	EC	FP	FF	GC	HH	IP	LT	LG	MP	MC	PR	PB	SA	TR	VP
08	00	13	12	10	08	03	10	05	11	11	11	11	05	08	08	05