Free Narration, Bad Narration Recourse, "Character" Incapacitation, and Places

[Eric Sedlacek]

You can raise your inspirations??  How do you do that?  And where is that in the rules?  I probably need to reread that section!!

I can't cite the page number or anything, but as your action, you use a power/style/attitude just like you were going to roll a die but instead you raise an inspiration of equal or lesser value by one.  So any power/style/attitude can be used to raise a 1 inspiration to a 2, but only a level 5 power/style/attitude can be used to raise a 5 to a 6.

[LemmingLord]

Incapacitated characters:  Apart from "narrate away the incapacitation" which you've touched upon, there are a host of other more "artsy" narration techniques.  I watched a player at a convention play Major Victory for something like two hours after the brain was pulled out of his body.  "Oh, if only I could deliver my Star Spangled Punch now!  As it is all I can do is flop my ganglia in a feeble attempt to influence events," is a perfectly good narration for using Star Spangled Punch.

Likewise, I've played a character who was not in the same room (or the same planet) as the scene, and narrated my use of powers through the memories and reactions of other characters.  "Remember Zak's hopeful demeanor?  Surely we can't simply leave him to be tortured by aliens.  We must act!"

That brings up a great follow up.  I've been reading the FAQ; you indicated that a person can choose to roll up the side against them (for example, in the goal: defeat mycharacter) and suggested that they should probably come up with something like "please beat me up, I'm a masochist!!" -- but wouldn't it also be right on track to narrate something akin to: "mycharacter begins seriously bruising from the flurry of blow performed by Gladius the Penetrator; who continues to deliver his attacks, reminded every moment of their last conflict, where mycharacter's star spangled punch had put him into prison..." ???

Also, Tony, if you know where I can find those rules on how to increase one's inspirations I'd appreciate it!

[TonyLB]

Also, Tony, if you know where I can find those rules on how to increase one's inspirations I'd appreciate it!

Which page is "Abilites"?  22?  Wherever it is, I think that's the page that points out that when you take an action you can use an ability to either roll a die or to raise an inspiration by one point.

[Sindyr]

Looks like all your questions have been answered. I just wanted to add one thing.

I can see an asshat narrating "The alien shoots Poly Purebread with his deathray and there's a 13 inch diameter hole where her heart and other internal organs used to be" and then the player of Poly Purebread, journalist without powers, just kind of stares at the first player, pondering what event he's going to narrate, 'cause Polly's not gonna be using much of any of her powers is she now!  Once narrated, the action HAS taken place, am I right (assuming no house rules or hero's code to the contrary of course).

Remember, we're talkinga bout comic books here. People die and come back to life all the time. Things I've used, inspired by comics:

- Poly comes back as a zombie!
- That was actually Poly's clone/robot double!
- The superhero's quest to go back in time and stop Poly from ever getting shot!
- Poly is healed using comic book superscience!

And so on. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I take a sinister pleasure in using Capes's capabilities for wide open narration to creatively counter asshattery.

Or another way to deal with it is if this guy is the asshat you say he is in that example, just narrate her wound away with no explanation offered, because he obviously does not deserve one, only scorn.  If someone is being an asshat and breaking the social contract, assuming he is not amenable to being pulled aside and educated, than you have to show him where a broken social contract leads.

Then he will probably either choose to leave the game or amend his ways, either case, problem solved.

[Eric Sedlacek]

Or another way to deal with it is if this guy is the asshat you say he is in that example, just narrate her wound away with no explanation offered, because he obviously does not deserve one, only scorn. 

Right on.  Never underestimate the power of apathy as a tool in Capes.  Ignoring stupidity works.  When it doesn't, voting with your feet does.