Are all heroes created the same power level?

Games Sentinel Comics RPG
#1

One nagging question I have is taht using the character creation systems, are all heroes basically the same overall power level in combat? or can you create different power levels for heroes within the rules?

part of me loves this as this supports the fiction when Batman is just as useful as Superman in the JLA. But im torn on it as there is plenty of times in the fiction for example that the Hulk would totally be more powerful than say Hawkeye or Daredevil.

How does the game handle this? whats its stance?

 

#2

If you mean mechanically, then I refer you to MindWanderer's character creation tips thread for an excellent breakdown of why the answer is 'no'.

If you mean narratively, then it's up to you and your group as to how powerful the heroes and villains are narratively.

#3

Yes I mean mechanically using the character creation systems provided within the game core book.

#4

Even using the exact same Background, Power Source, and Archetype you can end up with heroes who may be considered stronger or weaker for combat mechanically.   What you really are looking for is if the character appeals to your player.  If it doesn't do that then it doesn't matter his strong they might be for combat. 

#5

It is a bit funny that we see comments of two general types about character creation:

1)  Character creation doesn't create balanced characters.

2)  Going outside the guided or constructed methods, doing creation freeform, or swapping out Abilities, Powers, or Qualities, is bad because it creates unbalanced characters, or at least will make people think you're trying to. 

 

#6

That's because both are true.

The Guided and Constructed methods might produce some heroes who are stronger than others, but all of the heroes they make are in a known range of power levels.

Using the third method puts you potentially outside of that known range, even if you are within it in your eyes.

#7

Also, the game tries to balance more than just dice size.

For example, 'struggling' characters start with significantly smaller dice. But instead, they get access to identity principles, which lend themselves to more versatile and rich roleplaying. 

And of course, the value (or even truth) of the latter is highly subjective, so it seems a good thing that everybody can pick what they deem 'best'.

But that is a different thing from creating a character in your favourite direction, and then cherrypicking across the (few) fences for even more maximization.

Of course you can always go 'secret third method', and if that is a workable thing in your group, you win! But in that case it seems moot to discuss chargen rules, because, well, there are none... :)

#8

Power levels in comics are often an illusion. When Silver Surfer is in a cosmic book, he's, well, cosmic. But when he goes to Earth and hangs out with the Defenders, he doesn't wave his hand and fix everything with the Power Cosmic. (Dr Strange doesn't either.) When heroes team up, unless the story is specifically about how Robin should just wait in the Batmobile when teamed up with Superman, Robin and Superman contribute to the plot equally. And it goes the other way, if one of the Female Furies show up in Gotham in an issue of Batman, it's going to take everything he's got to just slow her down. But in an issue of Justice League, Batman will solo a Fury in a panel or two.  

SCRPG isn't a super-hero physics engine, it's a super-hero comic plot simulator. Luke Cage might have Strength d10 but only be able to lift 10 tons and She-Hulk's d10 is like 75 tons. 

 

2 Likes
#9

Also, keep in mind it's more than just the size of a single die. :-)

If their die _pool_ has a collection of higher dice, they will be more powerful as they'll likely roll higher results. So if the power _and_ the quality _and_ the health die are higher, that implies they're "stronger" in that area/action. 

But yeah, it's really about the story we're trying to tell in our games more than who is better than whom. ;-) 

#10

To circle back around to the original question: No, there's no way (without breaking the rules) to make two heroes where one is just massively more powerful than another, to the point where they can't even deal with and be challenged by the same sort of situations.  Superman might be better at smashing things, but Robin can at least solve the same problems using a different approach.

#11

Robin used his retcon to swap his role play quality die with a his highest die because "Trained by the Bat" can actually be used in all situations 

#12

Ok, Without the book to help my understanding, I am getting the drift of what you are all saying lol. Does the book itself broach this subject about power levels? would be nice to have something in the book to take you away from the traditional supers rpg mindset of Champions etc.

#13

In the book there's a section that called "On Balance" in chapter 3 for hero creation that talks about it briefly.