Vigilante City - Knockback Homebrew Rules

question

#1

Ok, Here’s what I’m thinking.

It just ain’t Supers combat without Somebody getting slammed 30’ back and through a couple walls at some point.

And it just ain’t ICRPG if it gets too Rulesy and complicated.

So here’s my solution, pre-playtesting:

If a superpowered Attack roll is modified 20 or above, scale knockback and minor setting damage as fits the scenario. If a superpowered Attack roll is modified 25 or greater, scale knockback and MAJOR setting damage as fits the scenario.

Thoughts?


#2

That’s a great idea, and I’m totally using it when I run Superheroes!


#3

Yeah, I can see some other genres where this would be handy too. Like Battle Armor/Mecha fights, or as a Tag/milestone for a Luchador.


#4

i like you idea for knock back. i have an idea for making powers Reactive. ill use Goku and Vegita as an Example ( V, fires a blast of energy, as long as G has the SP to counter, he may Fire back) the 2 beams collide and then they roll to get to 5 Effort points, the first one there wins the power struggle and pushes his blast closer. this will continue until the distance gap is closed and some one disengages or is struck. each round they will have to spent the SP points to keep firing.
Disengage = Dex check

i just feel that the super powers should be used offensive and Defensively. thoughts?


#5

@Lakins For me the keeping things going/ sense of momentum is crucial at table, and even more so in a supers game than elsewhere, and so that informs my response:

As described, Reactive powers sound a bit disruptive to me… in the sense that a very little would go a long way at my table.

Disruption I am talking about is in terms of spotlight / turn order and cognitive load. If Spotlight time is the fundamental economy of the gaming table (as HF posits, and I generally agree with) then having this jump back and forth reaction moment that is optional and requires a break in the action to decide (cognitive load) if PC can/will use it, can be a big distraction and flow-breaker. If it’s a simple automatic reactive thing instead of a PC choice (like Spiked Armor) or a one-off (like I do this thing sometimes where I have a stack of Hero Coin Cards that each give a unique special rule shattering Bennie—like an interrupt—and each will only get used once in a session, max) I feel better about it.

So I’m not saying I wouldn’t across the board, but I am saying I would be very tight with giving those out, and it would definitely never be a permanent loot I have just sentenced the whole table to be disrupted by several times every session.

TLDR: I don’t like attacks of opportunity, either.


#6

I can’t help but agree with @Lon, the flow of turn based gaming is central to this game, perhaps allowing for a dual time would grant the possible coolness moment of 2 warriors going at it in power as @Lakins is suggesting. 2 different players (not in the duel) have to give a hero coin?? That way we know the table leans towards seeing this play out?

It’s in essence just a collection or roll offs, but the GM can describe it as it is happening. Also such a duel leaves both involved exhausted, winner for D2 rounds, looser for D6 rounds.

But that disrupts flow. Anyway just an idea.