MoC v2

This new idea will keep most of the original MoC intact. If you see something that doesnt look compatible, tell me. I cant fix stuff I dont know is broken.

Basic Ideas

The original idea was based on just a few critical concepts. I am trying to do the same thing here; limit the new ideas that are essential and keep the bases for these ideas easy to understand. Then, no matter how complex the ideas get, as long as the simplicity which sits at its core is grasped, the other ideas will also be easy to grasp.

The Premise

Every individual that exists in the game world has a power level. This power level detemines the base for how well this individual performs all tasks. Please consult the following chart:

Standard normal: 2 dice
Experienced normal: 3 dice
Heroic normal: 4 dice
Low Powered superhero: 5 dice
Standard superhero: 6 dice
High Powered superhero: 7+ dice

Individuals can do anything the GM allows using these dice. Notice, this doesnt mean all things are equal. Skills still have thresholds, so a skill that is +2 difficulty would subtract 2 dice from the pool if the character does not have the skill. This is just the base, or primary dice pool.

Character Generation

Why the hell do I need to make a character if I just get however many dice it says? Calm down there pardner, it aint quite that simple, but close.

The character generation rules from the original MoC doc still apply. Those costs remain static. It has been stated why a skill might be needed (to avoid the penalty), but why buy skills that have no threshold? Check the Dice Pools section to follow for the answer to that.

Powers

This section supercedes the Powers section in the original doc. No longer are powers grouped by the sort of Effect Modifier it produces. There are now two types of powers, each available in three levels.

Standard Powers

Standard powers represent powers that must be activated or readied. They also cost Endurance. Unlike in Hero, powers are by default a set. They are defined as a number of dice and special effect. Each standard power should be represented by a card placed next to the character sheet while the power itself is active.

Persistent Powers

Persistent powers live on the character sheet. They remain active unless an 'Effect' is generated. They can be reactivated by paying Fatigue. Persistent powers are defined by dice and effect like standard powers.

Power Levels

It didnt take a genius to come up with these power levels: Low, Standard and High. Generally a Low powered power has as many dice as a characteristic cascade/2, a Standard power has a (cascade)x2, and a High powered set has (cascade)x3 dice.

Costs

The following chart lists how much a character must pay for a power set.

Normal Scope

Some examples of Normal Scope power sets are fire powers, magnetism or gadgets. A power of normal scope has a broad range of possibilities and allows the player a lot of flexibility to do things within their effects scope. The player should define a set of no more than 4 powers that will be used most commonly. Other powers will be at a 2 dice penalty (though this can be mitigated by spending beads and tokens).

Low Power: 10 pts
Standard Power: 20 pts
High Power: 40 pts

Limited Scope

Limited scope powers are smaller sets, more closely related to what we are used to in Hero. A laser gun or sensory array would be a limited scope power set. The player should define a single power that is most commonly used, then one more power may be defined as a secondary power, which will be at a 2 dice penalty. Any further powers will be at a 3 dice penalty. As above, beads and tokens may mitigate these penalties.

Low Power: 5 pts
Standard Power: 15 pts
High Power: 30 pts

Expanded Scope

Expanded scope power sets encompass virtually any power possible. Most sets should exclude something, but not all will. The player should define 6 powers that are most common. All others will be at the two dice penalty as discussed above.

Low Power: 15 pts
Standard Power: 30 pts
High Power: 60 pts

Instances

These costs assume a single instance of the power to be active at each time. For multiple instances, increase the cost by 50% for each instance, to a maximum of 4.

Endurance and Fatigue

Each use of a Standard Power costs either one Endurance token or one level of Fatigue.

Persistent Powers

Unlike standard powers, persistent powers have a category that defines them. This helps determine how they are used and how many dice are rolled.

Power Categories

Persistent powers are divided into six categories: Body, Movement, Attack, Spirit/Mental, Adjustment, and Other.

Body

Body powers are either superhuman characteristics (each level is added directly as appropriate) or something that allows your body to do things normal humans cant (resist lethal damage, for instance). Superhuman characteristics cost Enduarance to use.

Movement

There are two kinds of movement powers, inherent (those natural to their race) and extraordinary (the rest). Inherent movement powers are generally 50% faster than extraordinary ones.

Attack

Attack powers are divided into 3 types: Ranged, Close and Special.

Spirit/Mental

Things that are physically intangible generally fall under this category.

Adjustment

Adjustment powers change the stuff on opponents or friends character sheets, or their dice.

Other

Anything else goes here.

Costs

Persistent powers cost 5 points for Low power (dice -2), 10 for Standard (standard pool) or 15 for High (150% dice). Persistent powers are single instance only in all cases.

Dice Pools

Previously in MoC dice pools were a function of skills and characteristics, with the ability to augment them using dice, cards and tokens. These main ideas will remain, but the augmenting of dice pools with Effect Modifiers will be reduced slightly. To compensate, the character will be given a standard dice pool related to their power level.

Now it might seem like all of those beads are superfluous. Bead effects will be more uniform. Instead of getting a number of dice based on characteristics, each bead will be worth one die for everyone, but you will not be allowed to spend more beads on an action than the appropriate characteristic.

Skills

Skills can be purchased at multiple levels. The standard skill level costs 5 and grants a dice pool which is at the characters power level. Each level above the power level costs one extra point, and each level below costs one less. A skill may never cost less than 1 point. Difficult skills subtract their treshold from the standard pool.

For example, MegaBen is a character in a High Powered Superhero game (7 dice as a standard pool). For 5 points he can purchase a skill level that is 7 dice. He may also choose to buy an 8 die skill for 6, or conversely a 3 die skill for 1. If he wishes to purchase Cryptography (2 threshold), for 5 points he gets 5 dice.