by Cain.rpgorg in Mar 30,2012

   Margaret Weis Production released another nice supplement to the Marvel Heroic Roleplay game : a Random Datafile Generator. Now it's easier to make your new superhero (or villain) than ever !

   The Generator is working with a very simple and tried out method : dice rolling. You should roll for your hero's type/origin (mutant, altered human, his powers, distinctions and specialties. In some cases you have to make some easy but important decisions.

   WARNING : As I sad it's a very easy system, but it's no way balanced. It's entirely possible to get a hero with a single Power Set and few specialties and a single Power Trait, or somebody with two Power Sets, 5+ power traits and specialties. Of course, this is in line with the pregenerated characters, and I think it's not a game about player vs player balance, as Thor or Iron Man is surely stronger than Spider Man in the comics too.

Example of Datafile Generation

Lets see, how is it going. First I roll for origin and get 8, which means my character will be a Non-Human with 2 power-sets, and with an additional SFX and Limit to my Primary Power Set.

Next I roll for my Affiliations and I get a 4, meaning my character like to work with a single partner : Buddy d10, Team d8, Solo d6

Now comes the best part, my Power Sets !

For my Primary Power Set I roll 2, meaning 2 Power Traits at d8. Subsequent rolls : 10 - it's a Physic power, and with 2 rolls of 6 and 3 I get Mind Control d8 and Physic Blast d8. Great offensive powers! For the two SFX I choose Unleashed and Conterattack, the later representing a physic backlash on anybody who attacks my character mentally. For the limits I choose Conscious Activation and Uncontrollable.

For the Secondary Power Set I really hope for some defensive powers! I roll 9, meaning 2 Power Traits at d10. Based on a later roll of 6 I receive some uncommon power and it's became Mimic d10 and Stretching d10. As an SFX I add Versatile, as I guess it's makes sense for these powers. I think Exhausted will be a good Limit for this.

Now I roll for Specialties and I get 10, meaning 3 Expert and 1 Master Speciality. Because my Physic Power Set I choose Psych, and I choose Cosmic for the second. As anybody else I could choose Combat too (which is self-explanatory) and I made one less roll to get an 1, meaning Acrobatics. So finally : Psych Master, Cosmic Expert, Combat Expert and Acrobatics Expert.

Looking through my powers and considering my Non-Human status I decide to be a rogue skrull physic, who turned into a hero on Earth.

Now, I have to roll for Distinctions 3 times, and I get 4, 5, 5. That means one Catchphrase or Title and two Notable Feature, and I choose "There is something I can do" (because he believes his variable powers could solve any problem), Unaccepted Hero (as his a know skrull, and also see his 3rd Distinction), Ruthless by Human Standards (he was trained as a unmerciful skrull warrior, and it's takes time to adapt)

Now only one thing left, to make some Milestones. With 2 rolls of 4 and 9 I have an Origin based and one Speciality based Milestone. I guess that's easy !

At the end the character looks like this :

Xoryla

Affiliations : Buddy d10, Team d8, Solo d6

Distinctions : "There is something I can do", Unaccepted Hero, Ruthless by Human Standards

Mental Assault

Mind Control d8, Physic Blast d8

SFX : Unleashed. Step up or double any Mental Assault power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.

SFX : Counterattack. On a reaction against a Mental Stress attack action, inflict Mental Stress with your effect die at no PP cost or spend a PP to step it up by +1.

Limit : Conscious Activation. If stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Mental Assault. Recover Mental Assault when stress is recovered or you awake. If Mental Trauma is taken, shutdown Mental Assault until trauma is recovered.

Limit : Uncontrollable. Change any Mental Assault power into a complication and gain 1 PP. Activate an opportunity or remove the complication to recover the power.

Body Adaptation

Mimic d10, Stretching d10

SFX : Versatile. Split Mimic into 2d8, or 3d6.

Limit : Exhausted. Shutdown any Body Adaptation power to gain 1 PP. Recover power by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

Specialties : Acrobatic Expert, Combat Expert, Cosmic Expert, Psych Master

Milestones

Looking for acceptance 1 XP - when you use the Unaccepted Hero distinction for a d4 and a PP 3 XP - when you perform some heroic deed for your new home 10 XP - when you are finally accepted by humans as one of their heroes or you finally abandon your guest for acceptance Divided loyalties 1 XP - whenever you must face your past and reputation as a traitor 3 XP - when you either attacked because you are a skrull, or because you are a traitor to the Skrull Empire 10 XP - when you either kill another skrull defending your new home or you help other skrulls in some anti-Earth endeavour

Zoltán "Cain" Mészáros

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