Supers play-test THW-style

Today I finally managed to get my first play-test of my super hero rules using the THW format.  From a rules point of view it was a good test run as it allowed me to see what worked and what didn’t of the rules I have so far.  The following is the bat-rep of the game.  It will eventually allow for building heroes from scratch or using templates.

Normal movement is 6 inches. 

Thwack! table = melee table, ZAP! table = ranged table, AARRGGH! table = combat damage table

The heroes:

Accelerator: Speedsta type build

Rep 5       Power 4

Super-speed x 3

Clinging

Energy blast: Scatter

Brute Force: Brick type build

Rep 4      Power 5

Super-strength x 4

Knock-back resistance

Hand to hand

The villains:

Having rolled on the villain table, the baddy was going to be a blaster build

Amps: blaster type build (quote: It not the voltage that kills but the Amps)

rep 5     power 5

Energy blast: standard

                    scatter

                    force field

Henchman: Rep 4

These powers for the above aren’t points costed or balanced yet so I just chose some, regardless of build.

Rolling for henchmen, 11 henchmen were initially rolled up but I decided that 3 would count as ranged so each ranged henchman counts as 2 when determining numbers so I started with 5 melee and 3 ranged.  These were then randomly placed on the board.  I then rolled to determine any police present and a detective and an officer were present and again randomly placed on the board but played not part in the game.  I am trying to get the feel of any superhero comic or cartoon and police always seem to be present but seem to just duck for cover and hope that they don’t get caught up in the fight.  What this means for the game is that if police are present, they don’t partake in the game unless commanded by a super and grouped with them (at this point anyway).

First turn 6, 3 (Supers, baddies)

No activity for the supers.

As the supers have not yet activated and made their presence know, I had the henchmen move in random directions.  I am waiting to see how the new 5150 book will handle random movement for NPCs, so this time they just moved in the direction of a scatter die.  They have obviously been tasked with getting the garbage truck before it starts it’s daily collections, as 5 of the henchman move towards it.

The vehicles move around the streets 8 inches in there direction they are travelling in.

The photos below are at then of turn 1.

 

Turn 2  (3,2)

Accelerator moves first and will attempt to use his super-speed which will allow him to increase his fast move if successful.  He first passes his Power roll 2d6 so his super speed kicks in then he is also successful on his fast move (again passing 2d6).  This allows him to double his movement and get extra distance from his powers so ends up being able to move 24 inches.  So he moves from the right hand side of the board and moves to the left.  As he comes around the bus, he now is in sight of one of the henchmen.  The henchmen makes his insight check, passes 1d6 but not having a ranged weapon can only halt.

Accelerator, starts to spin his arms in faster and faster circular motions (passing his power roll 2d6), causing funnels of air to strike at the henchman.  This attack uses the shotgun rules and so the best three attack rolls are a 5, 4, & 3 and only one 1 is rolled still has ‘ammo’.  Comparing the results on the ZAP! table, this means that he is hit.  When a henchman is successfully hit either by a ranged or melee attack, they are automatically OOE (Out of episode).  When someone is hit, there is a chance that they will be knocked back.  In the case of shooting this is directly away from the shooter.  In this case the henchman is on the board edge and so can not be knocked back.

Brute Force moves towards the phone box in front of him and attempts to pick it up.  Supers need super-strength to be able to pick up large or bulky items and this booth fits that category.  Brute passes his Power roll 2d6 and picks up the booth and aims it at the henchman nearest him in front of the subway stairs.

He then makes a ranged attack with a –1 rep and is successful on the ZAP! table, even though henchmen are automatically OOE if successfully hit, I rolled on the AARRGGH! table to find out how far he was knocked back.  In this case the henchman flies back 2 inches.

Henchman 2 attempts to fast move so he can charge Brute Force, passes 2d6 so can move up to 12 inches.  He then passes his wanting to charge test 1d6 so continues in.  Brute Force then chooses to stand and melee is entered.  The henchmen has a total of 4d and Brute has 7d (rep 4 + 1 for higher impact + 2 for Hand to hand power, which was passed 2d6).  Brute manages to win by 1 success and the henchman is OOE and is knocked back 4 inches backwards.

Henchman 3 attempts to fast move towards Brute but only passes 1d6 so only moves 9 inches and due to the fast move manages to miss his pistol shot.  Brute chooses to pass 2d6 on his received fire test but as he has no ranged attack he can do nothing.  Henchman 4 moves towards Brute 9 inches. 

The other three henchmen persuade the garbage truck collector to get out of the truck and disappear in a hurry.  Which he promptly does and one of the henchmen get in.

Due to the combat around Accelerator, the vehicles near him don’t move and hope that they don’t go down as collateral damage.

Turn 3 (1,4)

Henchman 8 drives the truck around, while Henchmen 6 & 7 normal move towards Brute.  Henchman 3 stands still and takes a shot at Brute Force.  A 5 is rolled and Brute is hit and then rolling on the AARRGGH! table, the result is over the impact of the pistol, so Brute takes no damage and 1inch knock back.  At this point his knock back resistance kicks in (passing 1d6 then 2d6 for his Power roll) so does not move back at all.

Henchman 4 passes his fast move 0d6 so moves 6 inches towards Brute.

The Accelerator passes his Power roll 2d6 so his super speed is ready when he fast moves.  He also passes his power roll for his clinging ability and then passes his fast move roll 2d6 and manages to move up to 27 inches.  He speeds up the side of the building and when his vertical distance is added to his horizontal movement, he stops in the middle of the roof.

Brute elects to charge Henchman 4 who then bravely holds his ground (passes 2d6 and has no range weapon).  Again Brute has 7d while the henchman has 4d.  Somehow the henchman manages to evade Brute’s attacks and the combat is a draw.

The vehicles continue to move.

 

Turn 4 (5,5)

No henchmen activate and due to the doubles, d3 more can arrive.  Having received the message that the truck had been ‘acquired’, Amps arrives with 1 ranged henchman and moves on from the table edge but is only able to move 9 inches as he passes his fast move test 1d6, while the new henchman passes 0d6 so no extra movement.

The Accelerator wants to move off the roof but due to walking through oil on the roof, his clinging ability may be compromised so stays where he is. This was the result of a pass 0d6 Power roll.

Vehicles continue to move.

Turn 5 (5,4)

Brute Force cannot activate so again Accelerator attempts to move off the roof.  This time he passes 2d6 for all required tests and can move up to 22 inches.  He chooses to pass his wanting to charge roll 2d6 and makes contact in the rear with the henchman fighting Brute.  This then causes him to run away as he is charged in the rear and only passes 1d6.  He is then removed from the board as he remember the rhyme – He who runs away, doesn’t get a great big fist in the face.

Amps moves up 6 inches and lets loose with a scattering stream of electricity into both Brute and Accelerator.  This results in missing the Accelerator and a hit on Brute, that only results in his hair standing up and him being knocked back one inch.

Henchman 6 moves towards the Pawn shop as per Amps directions and takes a shot at the Accelerator.  This results in no damage but knocking him back 6 inches into the wall he is standing in front of.  When a character is knocked into a wall for example, they have to make another roll on the recovery table but results in only a slight winding and no further effect.

Henchman 6 fast moves 9 inches towards the heroes  getting ready to charge next turn.  The remaining henchmen moves towards the pawn shop taking pot shots at the Accelerator that all miss.  The garbage truck is driven closer to the pawn shop.

Turn 6 (1,4)

Amps fast moves towards the pawn shop and enters through the door.  Henchman 3 stands in front of the door, shots and misses while the other pistol bearing henchmen also enter.  Henchman 4 charges at the Accelerator and he chooses to stand and shoot.  With 3 hits this knocks the henchman back an inch and goes OOE.

The garbage truck moves in front of the pawn shop.

The Accelerator fast moves to the other side of the Pawn shop while Brute moves up to the truck and attempts to pick it up.  Rolling on the Strength test table, muscles straining he lifts up the truck and throws it into the empty lot across from the pawn shop.  The henchman inside goes OOE as a result.

Turn 7 (6,1)

The henchman standing out side the shop, takes a shot at Brute Force, hits but no damage or knock back results (again because of Brute’s resistance) then moves inside the shop.  Amps looks around the shop (manages to roll the ‘1’ that is required to to find the item) and directs the closest henchman to pick it up.  AS he does this he blasts the back wall apart (no roll, just thought it was cinematic) and normal move out of the building.

 

Turn 8 (2,4)

All the baddies fast move of the board with their prize.

Brute, not realising they have gone, smashes his way through the front wall, not using the door and enters the shop.  Accelerator fast moves around to the back of the shop and realises they have left.

This is the end of the episode.  I was happy with the way it went, still some rough edges and probably needs a lot more testing but at least the testing is under way.