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05:08, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

Posted by Mr7oClock
steelsmiter
member, 2162 posts
BESM, Fate, Indies, PBTA
NO FREEFORM! NO d20!
Wed 13 Apr 2022
at 23:54
  • msg #9

80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

I actually do have an interesting character idea that I can't discuss here I think because I'm pretty sure it would count as character calling and I seem to recall that being disallowed. That being said, it's a little further off the wall that I don't expect to actually be admitted into the game.
Mr7oClock
member, 6 posts
Fri 15 Apr 2022
at 09:11
  • msg #10

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

In reply to LoonyLadle (msg # 8):


I am also interested in Cypher, and Cortex Prime. Fate is just one of the easier ones to get my offline players interested, because it's free to download

In reply to steelsmiter (msg # 9):

Just shoot me a private message. I am still workshopping the setting, and am not one hundred percent sure on what system I want to use
This message was last edited by the user at 09:14, Fri 15 Apr 2022.
Siran
member, 125 posts
Fri 15 Apr 2022
at 09:17
  • msg #11

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

If you went Cortex Prime or M&M I would be really interested. I've not tried Cypher so that would be nice to try.

I share the concerns over fate... I don't think there is a compelling pitch good enough for me to want to play in it.
Mr7oClock
member, 7 posts
Fri 15 Apr 2022
at 09:42
  • msg #12

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

In reply to Siran (msg # 11):

I'll try and narrow my selection down to Cortex and Cypher. Both are appealing, because they are a multi Genre system.

My basic backstory takes place on an Alternate Earth where history is pretty much the same until World War 2. In that worlds, the German's found a Legacy Drive, from a dead alien race. That is what they used to create the Die Glocke. They had also used what they had learned about genetics from the Legacy Drive to re create a being from that race, this worlds version of Superman. When the Allies were close to defeating the Nazi's, they used the Die Glock to escape through time, but crash landed in the wrong place and time, about twenty years before World War II, and the Legacy Child was the only Survivor. He was found and raised on a small farm, and ended up fighting in the very war that created him.

Due to the Legacy Drive, and The Die Die Glocke being found earlier history and technology take and different turn there, and by the time it's 1980, the culture is pretty much the same, but the technology is much more advanced. "Super Heroes" are more or less the law enforcement, military, and general emergency response. There is an Avengers/Justice League like base of operations in every major city around the world
Siran
member, 126 posts
Fri 15 Apr 2022
at 09:44
  • msg #13

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

Good backstory.

Are you planning on running it in 1980 (that's a great time for a game I think)
Mr7oClock
member, 8 posts
Fri 15 Apr 2022
at 09:51
  • msg #14

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

In reply to Siran (msg # 13):

That's the general plan. Most of the game will probably take place in a Cyberpunk like city, if Cyberpunk was in the 80's. I account for the technology being that advanced because of the Alien tech. That also accounts for whatever meta humans pop up.
Siran
member, 127 posts
Fri 15 Apr 2022
at 09:54
  • msg #15

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

Do you expect 'normal' tech to be at the 1980s. i.e. telephones are mostly landlines. Or do you think the alien tech has made it's way into consumer electronics? That decision makes a huge difference to the feel of the world
Mr7oClock
member, 9 posts
Fri 15 Apr 2022
at 10:10
  • msg #16

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

In reply to Siran (msg # 11):

I have pictured hover cars in the setting
So, I would say that at least some Alien/Legacy tech would be on the market.
steelsmiter
member, 2163 posts
BESM, Fate, Indies, PBTA
NO FREEFORM! NO d20!
Sat 16 Apr 2022
at 15:03
  • msg #17

80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

Mr7oClock:
I am also interested in Cypher, and Cortex Prime. Fate is just one of the easier ones to get my offline players interested, because it's free to download<snip>, and am not one hundred percent sure on what system I want to use

I'd be down for The Sprawl as well as Fate if it hasn't already been sorted out.
Alyse
member, 777 posts
Pretty, witty, and gay
[married since 2011!]
Sat 16 Apr 2022
at 16:32
  • msg #18

80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

I have zero experience with Cypher System, but am a fan of both FATE and Cortex Prime. Would be glad to play any of the three.
Ramidel
member, 1391 posts
Err on the side
of awesome.
Sat 16 Apr 2022
at 19:51
  • msg #19

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

In reply to Siran (msg # 15):

The pitch gave me an impression of something like RIFTS - the '80s idea of future tech. Hover cars are in, guns shoot lasers, cybernetics and robots are usually big and obvious, and power armor is bulky unless some hero wants to do Bubblegum Crisis.

I'm keeping an eye on this. I have no experience with Cortex and limited with Cypher, some with Fate (mostly Accelerated).
Siran
member, 128 posts
Sat 16 Apr 2022
at 20:10
  • msg #20

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

Ah Rifts. Awesome fun. Terrible game system... but would work with the systems being proposed here. Lots of good ideas in there for the GM.
Mr7oClock
member, 10 posts
Sun 17 Apr 2022
at 08:14
  • msg #21

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

I have spent most of the weekend studying Cortex Prime...and damn. It is basically a toolbox that allows you to customize the system to your liking. It took me a good while to get a grasp on the system, but now I am more interested in the system. It is a customisable multi genre system, and that means allot.

I still have limited experience in the system, but I would like to try running something simplified, and maybe build off of it
Mr7oClock
member, 11 posts
Sun 24 Apr 2022
at 01:26
  • msg #22

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

Bare with me fam. I spent the past week studying Cortex Prime, and I am just now getting a firm grasps on the basics of the system. Now I have to figure out how to apply it to a super hero setting
ilovebooks1000000000
member, 4 posts
Sat 7 May 2022
at 17:39
  • msg #23

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

Im intrested
LoonyLadle
member, 202 posts
Nothing is sacred.
Everything is permitted.
Sun 8 May 2022
at 05:01
  • msg #24

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

In reply to Mr7oClock (msg # 22):

This thread inspired me to shift away from Fate to try out Cortex Prime for a game of my own, and it's turning out to be just what I needed. Perhaps we should share brainpower! Between the two of us we ought to be able to put together at least one decent game!

One thing I notice about Cortex is that it isn't a free system, nor is there even a basic player's quickstart guide. It is a prolific system that's been used as the base of a lot of different games so the odds of a player having prior experience is not bad, but I've had to promise writing my own quickstart guide to get some prospective players of my own game to even be willing to try it. Once that's done maybe I can share it with you?
This message was last edited by a moderator, as it was against the forum rules, at 05:12, Sun 08 May 2022.
Mr7oClock
member, 12 posts
Sun 8 May 2022
at 13:58
  • msg #25

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

In reply to LoonyLadle (msg # 24):

I'm up for some collaborations! I was thinking of getting a group together, and using Cortex for multiple games. Like maybe if I opened a group, and we just ran different genres and sessions using Cortex for a while. That way, we could use it to explore multiple stories and genre's. We could still run this idea, but we can do more too.

I used Cortex Prime to run a sword and sorcery type game this weekend, and we all had a blast. I also played in a good D&D group as a player the night before. So, I have a good understanding of how this system works vs traditional D&D
Siran
member, 136 posts
Sun 8 May 2022
at 15:13
  • msg #26

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

Two things to be aware of

Initiative:
* The initiative system ports poorly to RPOL. It amplifies the difficulty of 'some people post faster/some people slower'.

Combat posting
* You have no idea at the time of the the post whether your attack has hit or not, if it's done damage, and how good it is. This makes combat posts very sterile. They can only really be 'I try to hit the monster', 'I go all out to hit the monster' but because the bad guy can react, and can spend consumable resources... well it makes the combat less exciting than in real life (it's absolutely awesome in table top).


There are fixes to both of course. Just think about them when you are doing your rules summary
LoonyLadle
member, 203 posts
Nothing is sacred.
Everything is permitted.
Tue 10 May 2022
at 00:40
  • msg #27

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

I've set to see an initiative system that ports well to the PbP environment. It's one of the reasons why despite being set in a war zone I've almost entirely cut personal combat out of the game I'm making in Cortex.

Cortex definitely prohibits the usual simplification of making target DCs static. Another reason why I'm trying my best to cut combat, though I can see how that would be very difficult to do for a superhero game of any stripe.

Since you've run a Cortex game over the weekend, I'd like to poll you for your play experience regarding trait sets. Did you use just the minimum of a Prime Set plus Distinctions, or did you have trait sets beyond that? How many? If you only used the minimum, did you feel like a core of just three dice was enough? My (non-)experience suggests a Prime Set should consist of a short set like Affiliations (Solo/Buddy/Team) or Abilities (Body/Mind/Will), and a long set like roles, with a supplemental set that can't necessarily apply to any roll like Powers. Does that mirror your thoughts?
This message was last edited by the user at 00:41, Tue 10 May 2022.
Alyse
member, 779 posts
Pretty, witty, and gay
[married since 2011!]
Tue 10 May 2022
at 12:48
  • msg #28

80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

LoonyLadle:
Cortex definitely prohibits the usual simplification of making target DCs static.

Easy enough to make static target numbers equal to the Narrator's average dice result... 7 for 2d6, 9 for 2d8, 11 for 2d10, 13 for 2d12, and so on. But that eliminates the chance of rolling an opportunity, which removes some of the fun for the players.
Mr7oClock
member, 13 posts
Wed 11 May 2022
at 17:08
  • msg #29

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

@LoonyLadle

I pretty much cloned and customized the D&D character sheet, and modified some of of the skills. D&D is the most familiar to my players. So, I used it in order to help them learn Cortex.

For Distinctions, I used things like Classes, Races, and maybe a personality quirk or background.

Then I used the same 6 Stats from D&D. Since the rules of Cortex Prime focus on having 3 "stats," I just used those rules twice. Like being able to select all 6 stats as a D8 or stepping Two D8's to a D6 or D10. I would allow that twice for 6 stats. I know that sounds confusing, but it works.

Last, for the skills, I used the Pyramid assign rules. One D10, Two D8's, 4 D6's, and the rest as D4.

One thing I noticed about Cortex Prime vs D&D is Specialty skills. D&D doesn't really cover this, but Cortex does it pretty well. I also added a little home brew. For example, In order to have a specialty skill, like trapping, I had my players have at least a D8 in it's parent skill, like Survival. Then they could have a D6 in trapping, and they could add it to their dice pool when making a trap.

For my mage, I utilized the assets rule in Cortex Prime. I had the mage spent two asset points to have a D8 spell book, that they could add to their dice pool on mage roles.

My players enjoyed it, because the character creation was a breeze, compared to the D20 system. Combat was also quite a bit faster, and the characters weren't restricted on rules that a level 1 character in D&D would be. For instance, my mage character wanted to roleplay a Wizard, was was injured and had to do a soul transfer onto his Rat familiar. So, that was as easy to make as just stating that on his character sheet, rather than surf through rules and deal with getting a rat's stat block. I made some modifications, on the fly, to his stats, so that he only had a D4 in Strength, but allowed him to step up one more stat.

Then I gave him an amnesia distinction. So, from time to time he can role to see what he remembers. He can spend a plot point to step that D8 up to a D10, or roll a D4 for amnesia and gain a plot point. This also gave him options in gameplay that a level 1 Mage in D&D would not have. For example, the rat wanted to search, what he remembered as his former body, and he found a spell book. This book was much to big to carry, and he wanted to shrink it. So, instead of just telling him "No, you're at level one," I just sat the difficulty, and had him role it.

I am still active in a traditional D&D group, and that should tell you that I still enjoy the game. On the other hand, Cortex Prime gives the players and Gamemaster more freedom in order to tell the story they want to in gameplay. I Game Master for veteran D&D players, and the system was easy enough to teach them the basics, while helping them with their sheets, in appx 15-20 minutes per player. Keep in mind, I spent a good month reading and re reading the rulebook before I was able to do this.

One time a D&D session, a DM told me I could join in a session at level 7 if I made a character sheet. It took me about an hour to do this, while the session was going on, and I was doing my best to roleplay and keep up while making my sheet, and I am familiar with D&D. With that in mind, running and Playing Cortex Prime was easier for me. It was kind of a steep learning curve at first, but now I would say it's much easier and much more customisable.
Mr7oClock
member, 14 posts
Wed 11 May 2022
at 17:13
  • msg #30

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

As far as initiative goes, Cortex Prime has the easiest options for initiative I have ever seen. The person who initiates combat goes first, and picks the next person, but the very last character at the end of the turn gets to pick who goes first on the next turn. So, if you make an enemy goes last, they can pick themselves first on the next turn, getting two turns in a row. Which can suck.

It's ideal for online play
Siran
member, 138 posts
Wed 11 May 2022
at 17:17
  • msg #31

80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Fate)

What Alyse said: I've done the same. It works really well. And then you can do the trick of saying 'only players roll'. They roll to dodge, and they roll to attack. Puts all the onus on them.

For big bads I usually keep it so that the big bads roll die, because that makes them much more dangerous.

@initiative
Yes and table top that is great. But lets look how long a round takes. There are N people. Each takes on average T time to respond. So it's NT to go round the table. i.e. if everyone takes a day on average and there are six players it can take six days to do a combat round (Ive seen it take a lot longer)

Conversely if you do 'good guys go' then 'bad guys go'.  If there are N players and it takes T time to respond it takes an average of T (not NT). So if there are six players it is six times quicker.


So table top awesome. RPOL ... well ... it's an extremely poor match IMAO.
LoonyLadle
member, 204 posts
Nothing is sacred.
Everything is permitted.
Thu 12 May 2022
at 08:30
  • msg #32

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

In reply to Mr7oClock (msg # 30):

That sounds like Popcorn Initiative, something the Angry GM posted way back in 2013. https://theangrygm.com/popcorn...-with-a-stupid-name/
Mr7oClock
member, 16 posts
Wed 18 May 2022
at 07:26
  • msg #33

Re: 80's inspired Cyberpunk Super Hero Game (Cortex Prime)

Update

I created a Cortex Prime group and opened a threat looking for players. It will probably include, but not be limited to this story idea
This message was last edited by the user at 07:29, Wed 18 May 2022.
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