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From: rigney@uokvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Let's see some superheroes - (nf)
Message-ID: <4378@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Dec-83 04:51:11 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.4378
Posted: Thu Dec  8 04:51:11 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Dec-83 02:40:23 EST
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#R:ihuxw:-60600:uokvax:2400021:000:2451
uokvax!rigney    Dec  6 12:52:00 1983

>This is a continuation of the remarks in the last response.

8) As  in  the  comics,  no  situation   should  be  totally
hopeless,  although  it may seem that way to lesser mortals.
Heroes willing to take desparate chances should be rewarded,
defeatism  should  be  curbed  harshly.   Likewise,  tension
should be maintained.  Avoid Deus Ex Machina - if the heroes
foul up they should rescue themselves.  If they're inept, go
easy on them until they pull their act together,  but  never
just  hand  them  the  solution.   Encourage  creativity and
imagination;  accept  your  villians'  losses.   Avoid   the
adversary  mode  of  play;  it  isn't  you vs. them, but the
villians vs. the heroes, with you acting as referee.  If the
villians  aren't  familiar  with  the heroes, don't use your
knowledge of the heroes' weaknesses.

9) Deaths should be very rare.  In Champions this is  seldom
a  problem;  in  the first year of play we had only 3 deaths
(two by the same character,  Fireflash).   Using  death  too
much  cheapens  it and lessens its impact; it also makes the
players too cautious.  One of the big advantages of SHRPG is
that beginning characters are sturdy enough to last, so they
have time to fully develop their personalities.

     Likewise, resurrection should not be used  lightly,  if
at  all.  Villians disappearing in explosions, caveins, etc.
can be used freely, preferably  with  a  tale  of  ingenious
escape from certain death; but even these should not be used
so often as to make the players cynical.

10) Keep the power level low enough to avoid an  arms  race.
I  prefer  a  200 point limit on characters, with careful GM
control of what's allowed in.  If a character is  very  well
thought  out  and  need the additional points, I allow them.
This allows a single 400-500  point  Villian  to  work  well
against  6-10  heroes.  In a campaign I knew of, the average
hero was 500 points, and  games  degenerated  entirely  into
massive  dice  rolling  -  there was no chance to be clever,
because everyone's defenses were  too  high.   The  campaign
eventually blew apart under its own pressure.

     Less than 200 points,  and  it's  too  hard  to  design
well-rounded  characters.  More than 300, and the characters
become  too  well-rounded,  a  character  can  be  good   at
*everything*.

     I hope someone's found this useful, and not *too* long.
Any comments from other SH GMs, or comparisons to non-SH RPGS?