SPELL LISTS All that is needed to give a hero magical powers in World vs. Hero is a Suit Ability such as the following: Diamonds [3] – Elemental Spellcaster, channels the power of Earth and Fire However, some players may prefer a more rigid delineation of the capabilities of an arcane hero. To enhance a Hero Profile with a spell list:
Here is an example spell list: Diamonds [3] – Elemental Spellcaster, uses each of the following spells once per day: Control Fire (L+) Shatter Stone (L+) Launch Fire Ball (L+) Create Wall of Fire (M+) Conjure Fire or Earth Elemental (M+) Transmute Rock to Mud (M+) Create Wall of Stone (H) Move Earth (H) Transmute Flesh to Stone (H) COMPLETE TRANSFORMATIONS Heroes with the power to change physical form can be created easily with a Suit Ability such as: Clubs [3] – Doppelganger, morphs his body to mimic another humanoid or Hearts [2] – Wildshaper, transforms through prayer into a giant eagle or a Special FX like King of Clubs – Luna’s Gift: becomes a fierce werewolf warrior. In each case above, the hero’s physical form and abilities are temporarily changed, but at his or her core, the hero is the same person on the inside. The hero’s mind is still intact or at least maintains enough of his or her original persona to deny the transformation a thorough alteration of the self. However, complete transformations that turn one character into an absolutely and entirely
different character in body, mind, and spirit require more than just a single Suit Ability. The Hero Profile must be "split" when needed in title, Suit Abilities, and Special FX, and the description must convey narrative details for when and how the complete transformation occurs. Here is an example of a Hero Profile with a complete transformation: Commander Aaron Slake / The Quarm Human Pilot, Sol Quarantine Initiative / Cosmic Gestalt Xenophobic Aaron was proud to join the Sol Quarantine Initiative, a military operation designed to keep aliens away from the home planet. As the son of a hero of the Constellation War, Aaron was a staunch supporter of the Pure Humanity Movement and unashamed of his views. However, during a recon tour of the Mars beltway, Aaron’s solo cruiser was struck by a highly concentrated transmission of the entire genetic coding of the Quarm, a race fleeing a cataclysm in its system. His body became integrated with the Quarm making Aaron the living embassy of an entire species, one that can assert itself at any time to become either the ultimate Quarm warrior when there is danger or the ultimate eloquent Quarm representative when diplomacy would be better. Despising aliens as he does, Aaron is torn between living with this secret power to benefit the entire galaxy or ending his own life in order to take an entire race of aliens with him. SUIT ABILITIES Commander Aaron Slake: Diamonds [2] – Pilot, navigates space vehicles with expert ability Hearts [2] – Patriot, believes fervently in the sovereign rights of humanity Spades [1] – Marksman, uses a proton gun fairly well The Quarm: Clubs [3] – Soldier, fights with the experience of a million warriors Diamonds [2] – Orator, speaks eloquently on social justice issues SPECIAL FX Both Commander Aaron Slake and The Quarm: King of Diamonds – Cosmic Awareness: senses all truths of the Universe VEHICLES AND MOUNTS Using vehicles or mounts for travel happens automatically for heroes during scenes that establish Adventure Locations. However, if the Hero Player wants to create an entire round of action during which a vehicle or mount takes center stage such as in a car chase or an aerial dogfight, vehicles and mounts will need their own suit symbols to enable the Hero Player to access them as the primary subjects of an Action Scene. Here's how that's done:
DISADVANTAGES - created and written by Jeff Pierce Normally, during the process of
creating a hero, the Hero Player allocates up to five points of Suit
Abilities to the character. When using Disadvantages, up to five
additional points may be allocated to the hero, but these
extra points come at a cost: the hero must also have points allocated to
Heroic Disadvantages equal in total amount to the number of additional
Suit Ability points assigned. Each Disadvantage must conform to the following guidelines:
SUIT ABILITIES Clubs [3] – Insect Strength, capable of lifting objects many times his size and weight Spades [2] – Wallcrawler, can securely cling to and move along any flat surface, even upside-down Spades [2] – Webslinger, can shoot webbing from his hands, either as swing-lines or to entangle foes Hearts [2] – Danger Sense, gets a "tingle" when something or someone is about to attack DISADVANTAGES Hearts [2] – Girlfriend; her inquisitive nature can get her into trouble, requiring the hero to save her Diamonds [1] – Secret Identity; must always create alibis to preserve his true identity from being known Diamonds [1] – Employer; he has a vendetta against the Hero, not knowing he's secretly his employee During play, the World Player may opt to activate one or more of a hero’s Disadvantages during an Action Scene by using cards in the Tableau of the appropriate Suit that matches that of the selected Disadvantage. He may use as many suit cards as he chooses for this purpose, up to the maximum Impact Value of the Disadvantage; this determines the extent to which the Disadvantage impacts the Action Scene. This can be done in addition to his normal ability to access and use cards by rank to activate an entry in the current Conflict List! There is no limit to the number of times any one Disadvantage may be activated during a given round, or during the game as a whole. After a game of World vs. Hero, a hero
may elect, instead of advancing a Suit Ability, to reduce the Impact
Value of one of his Disadvantages by one level, so it becomes less of a
hindrance in the future. The Hero may do this, provided that:
COLLECTIVES A Collective Hero Profile gives one title, one description, one set of Suit Abilities, and one SFX to secondary characters organized into a group to represent their potential contributions to the plot of the game’s story. The group into which the characters are organized may be a military squad, a scientific exploratory team, a police forensics unit, or any other orderly assemblage bound by shared objectives and training. With the addition of a “Roster” element to the Hero Profile, any Suit Abilities, Character Assumptions, or SFX accessed may be attributed to one or more of the characters from the Roster identified during an Action Scene. For the most part, these characters will be functionaries, filling a thematic or utilitarian need on behalf on the Hero Player whose narrative goals will most likely be much more focused on the principal heroes represented by their own individual Hero Profiles. Since a Collective Hero Profile exhausts all of its description portraying the group as a whole and the Roster provides only a blurb for each of the group’s members, characterization of individual Roster members will be much more superficial than the primary heroes of the game’s story. For example, let’s consider a “Lost
World” setting wherein a section of British troops in combat during the
1943 Battle of Centuripe in Sicily becomes mysteriously transported to a
prehistoric land after a tactical retreat into an uncharted cavern near
the base of Mount Etna deposits them there. The Hero Player controls
three Hero Profiles for this adventure. The first Hero Profile
represents Corporal D. D. Sterling, commanding officer of the section, a
steadfast soldier who has been using his unwavering devotion to
military service as a substitute for any real emotional connections. The
second Hero Profile represents Sterling’s 2IC, Lance-Corporal Peter
Briggs, a third-generation military man whose youth and wiry frame belie
an uncanny aptitude for tactical strategy. The third Hero Profile is a
Collective Hero Profile representing the rest of the section: Sterling’s Section British Soldiers, 78th Infantry Division As a member of Britain’s “Battleaxe Division,” Sterling’s section has had a reputation to uphold ever since Operation Torch in North Africa. Comprised of men from the same counties in the North of England, the company from which Sterling’s section originates is a close-knit group, a facet of their service that strengthens the teamwork of the entire battalion but means even more to Sterling’s section since many have grown up together. Combining Sterling’s obsessive commitment to his duties with the cleverness of Lance-Corporal Briggs, the section has successfully completed all of its missions from Algiers to the Sicilian coast. Though wary of Sterling’s occasional single-mindedness, the lads of Sterling’s section have respect for their CO and the heart to see the War through to its bitter end. ROSTER Pvt. Arnold – Rifleman; Braggart, Forrester’s schoolmate Pvt. Caruthers – Rifleman; Farmer, Hunter Pvt. Fleming – Rifleman, Bren Gun Loader; Prankster, Mitchell’s cousin Pvt. Forrester – Rifleman; Aspiring Officer, Arnold’s schoolmate Pvt. Harrington - Rifleman; Crack-shot Pvt. Mitchell – Bren Gunner; Prankster, Fleming’s cousin Pvt. Randall - Rifleman; Aspiring Boxer Pvt. Wright – Rifleman; Athlete, Fiancé of Angie from East Witton SUIT ABILITIES Hearts [3] – Brothers-in-Arms, use camaraderie to persevere through hardship Spades [2] – Infantrymen, trained in firearms and armaments SPECIAL FX Jack of Hearts – Lionhearts: Act in flawless unity for King and Country Guidelines for using Collective Hero Profiles:
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