Help with Modern-Spy-Supers game

[S-Max]

Hi, folks

It's my starting post and, not intending to be repetitive, I'd like to have some ideas from the veterans here for a game I'm trying to design.

This is a project of a modern-spy-supers game and, because of the way it's being written, I need some suggestions from you. It was originally a setting my group used to play-test action/ supers games.

It’s about  conflicting groups of Mutants with different points-of-views from what to do concerning humanity. Human society doesn’t know about the existence of mutants, and some mutants want to keep it this way, while others are trying to step out of the darkness and come to light. In this setting, Mutants call themselves Elites.

There are human military groups sentient of mutant existence that are actively trying to win the war they’re foreseeing before it all starts. I’d like the mood to keep close to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe.

The way the booklet reads, it would work as an introduction to one of these agencies’ facilities for new members. The whole game (stats and traits and scales) should be described on a “human point-of-view”. As the Guide walks through the place, he explains the agency background and methods. By the time we have to explain character related stuff, it would also be described by the Guide. He explains how the agency developed a method to assess their operatives (and know their virtues and limits) and their targets (and determine their danger level).

It is somewhat statistical, so my first thought was to make every Trait a percentage. Now, I know how many levels I want, but I can’t decide how to scale them. Can somebody help me on this? Let me write about the Traits, so you can take a better spot:

The Innate Abilities are Physique, Reflexes, Presence, Intellect and Determination. It scales like this (the examples are for Physique references):
...... Below Human Average (Franklin Richards)
...... Human Average (Professor X)
...... Above Human Average (Human Torch)
...... Top Human Potencial (Daredevil)
...... Enhanced Human (Sabretooth)
...... Super-Human (Spiderman)
...... Meta-Human (Rogue)
...... Inhuman (Hulk)

Training Fields will cover broad skills. The scale is (note that the percentage examples are just ideas on the level importance):
...... Basic Training Level (+15%)
...... Professional Training Level (+30%)
...... Expert Training Level (+45%)
...... Authority Training level (+60%)

Powers would follow the same guidelines than Innate Abilities, and their description would be quite generic. There will be a factor to powers like Training Fields are for Abilities: Versatility (with the same modifier values as skills). Each power will have it own Versatility score, but it would only come to play when the character is trying to use his power on a delicate and innovative way (like improvising). I decided that there shouldn’t be rules to deal with each aspect of a power; just give them rough lines and let the player use it’s imagination...

Any thoughts?

[MPOSullivan]

first off, welcome to the Forge.  i hope that we can help you out with any of your questions.

secondly, what are your questions?  you lay out a little bit of informastion, honestly not much of anything that i can discern your system from, and don't ask any questions.  so, what do you want to know?  what do you need?

well, you actually do ask "any thoughts?", but that isn't really a question.  you don't give us a lot in the way of setting or system, and you'll find that more specific questions will air a lot better here.  if you have questions about the system, then point out what your contention is.  the same about the setting.  be specific.  you'll get a lot more out of us.

[TonyLB]

This sounds like it might be a really good setting for Sorceror.

[S-Max]

Hi, Zathreyel

I see what you mean. But all I have are these starting notes and a general idea of what I want this game to be. I don't have a system per se already. But that's where I need help!

For many reasons, I'd like to keep most of the ideas presented on Unkown Armies. Stats giving Skill Points and limits; abilities that favour some situations (alike Passions), etc. I want Super-Stats to work as 'Masteries' from HeroQuest.

And I want it to be 'cinematic and gritty'. When I say cinematic, I'm foreseeing a lot of action stunts, with the characters performing amazing feats of action. It has to do with the kind of action scenes I'm expecting to have, how cinematic it would be if showed on a screen. Good ideas and descriptions would highly benefit from the setting.

When I say gritty, I mean that the death rate is average-to-high, and stupid choices can get you killed. I'm trying to challenge my players to be heroic and cautious at the same time. This may seem controversial, but in fact I can see that happening. Star Wars is a good example of a cinematic and gritty setting (if you consider episodes 4 to 6).

Despite the fact that I deeply hate dicepools, I also think percentile character's statistics are very intuitive to both new and experienced players and d100 systems can add some really nice tricks to game play (read as it is, add the numbers, swap the numbers, doubles like 11/22/33, etc.). It all can have different functions in-game.

I wouldn't like to seem more lost than I am, so let's just get it straight.

Zathreyel, I need suggestions for an Attribute and Skill scales. I don't know how to divide them, and it just have to do within human range (remember: Super-stats will better the resolution).

Can you help?