Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

[kylone]

I had the Hero 5th book for a while, so I'm personally familiar with then system, but I want to teach it to my gaming group. I've just purchased the PDF + book of the Basic set, and plan to get Champions Complete when it comes out. The plan is to work within the basic rules until everyone is comfortable adding more.

 

A bit of background: Girl Genius is set in an alternate Victorian Europe where mad scientists called Sparks run rampant throughout the continent. The authors call it a Gas Lamp Fantasy, feeling that "Steampunk" didn't do the setting justice. It's a mix of science and fantasy.

• There are Constructs (created beings), science experiments (including a race of Mr. Hydes called Jaegarkin), death rays, city-sized airships, and resurrections as a medical procedure (there's even laws regarding resurrections and succession!)
  
• the Spark is what lets Sparks do their mad science: they have intuitive, focused and warped insight that lets them bend reality with their inventions. Moreover they exhibit a supernatural Presence on those around them, recruiting lab assistants and minions while they are in "the madness place"
  
• "A spark in smart enough to invent a death ray, and dumb enough to turn it again an army alone"
  

 

So, I'm wondering: how I should go about making a template for a Spark?

[psyber624]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

I am very familiar with Girl Genius, i used to read it for quite a while. I don't really feel that templates would be appropriate for sparks, unless you just want to list a bunch of gadgeteer type skills in one area. Sparks have enough difference between them that they really don't require a standardized template.

 

If i were running something like this the most I would do would be to allow sparks to buy a Gadget Pool to represent all the things they can do. However, that would be HIGHLY inappropriate for an intro game as VPP's require a good working knowledge of the game to use correctly.

 

As far as guidelines for sparks go, i would recommend lots of science and engineering skills, almost all powers should be bought with the focus limitation, and physical stats should be higher than normals, but not REALLY high (STR, for instance, should be around 20 for instance, you often see them toting around huge amounts of machinery). They would however have really high INT and possibly EGO (although mental powers would not be appropriate).

 

Just some starting suggestions.

[kylone]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

I am very familiar with Girl Genius, i used to read it for quite a while. I don't really feel that templates would be appropriate for sparks, unless you just want to list a bunch of gadgeteer type skills in one area. Sparks have enough difference between them that they really don't require a standardized template.

I agree that Sparks vary quite a lot, but I'm specifically wondering about their commonalities: their ability to 'force' others around them to help build their inventions, and some ideas for representing their temporary madness

 

If i were running something like this the most I would do would be to allow sparks to buy a Gadget Pool to represent all the things they can do. However, that would be HIGHLY inappropriate for an intro game as VPP's require a good working knowledge of the game to use correctly.

Yup, I agree there, so I'm thinking of using a Gadget Multipower as a more limited (i.e. easier) way of getting this going.

 

As far as guidelines for sparks go, i would recommend lots of science and engineering skills, almost all powers should be bought with the focus limitation, and physical stats should be higher than normals, but not REALLY high (STR, for instance, should be around 20 for instance, you often see them toting around huge amounts of machinery). They would however have really high INT and possibly EGO (although mental powers would not be appropriate).

 

Just some starting suggestions.

I'm thinking that this will be a Superheroic style of game. Seeing 'normals' make Rasputin look like a wimp (you know who I'm talking about) is a good case for that.

[RexMundi]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

I coulda sworn, I saw a Spark Template/Package deal on someone's site recently....... will look it up when I wake up....

 

~Rex

[IndianaJoe3]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

You may want to pick up a copy of The Widening Gyre (book, PDF). It has a similar steampunk-fantasy vibe to it.

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

For the minions you could just pay for them as followers. If you want the spark to effect pc's then mind control I think would be the best answer.

[kylone]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

I just picked up The Widening Gyre as a PDF, thanks for the reference. The setting is rather grim and dark, where Girl Genius is more fun and silly, but there's some good stuff I can mug none the less.

 

About minions. Over time being around a powerful Spark tends to make people into minions, but only if they aren't strong-minded and opposed to the concept/job. Yeah, Mind Control seems a good place to start... What about a conditional boosted PRE?

[gojira]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

For the bits your mention, sparks might have:

 

• High Invention skill
  
• Access to a VPP for their inventions. The stronger the spark, the higher the VPP. Agatha's is kinda off the charts here
  
• High PRE to command those around them, and high Persuasion skill to make sure they stay that way. Also, Reputation: Dangerous Spark to give folks incentive not double cross the spark or anything.
  

 

For weaker sparks (i.e., the circus), you want to give them a Multipower instead of a VPP, because they have much more limited skill sets. They should still have Invention skill, but not very high; a weak spark should fail often when attempting to invent something. A weak spark should have close to something like a "radiation accident" to add another slot to their multipower. Probably multiple "good" rolls on their Invention skill to "perfect" their invention, and more than a bit of roleplay. PRE and persuasion seems completely option for weak sparks.

 

Aside from that, not much else I can think of. Sparks seam to have "themes" or modes they operate in. The Baron seems best at perfecting others' works. Von Rin worked in clanks. Gil seems to have a lot of medical knowledge, and likes aeronautics. Etc. These might make good templates if you could come up with some interesting ones.

 

About all I've got for now. Hmm, The Widening Gyre, eh? I'll have to pick that up with Champs Complete and Kensai 5.

[RexMundi]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

A few of the "Inventing" transform builds work real well for sparks. Used that route a few times. I know I've seen a Spark setup on one of the sites out there though. Thought it was Surbrooks stuff. If I ever get home I'll take a serious look for it.

 

~Rex

[RexMundi]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

Thought I saw a puddy tat so to speak....and here is the template off of Mr. Surbrook's site where I thought it was in the first place.....

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationscomic/other/sparktemplate.html

 

~Rex

[ghost-angel]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

For Sparks, it's really just a reason to buy Invention, and a bunch of weird gadgets.

 

While in their inventor mode I suggest: Summon "Lab Assistant" (they set up a lab, and assistants somehow appear and hang out during the invention period); if they are more or less permanently in that place, buy the assistants and minions as followers.

 

For their supernatural appearance, that's a Distinguishing Feature Complication, Not Able To Hide, Only Viewable By Non-Standard Senses.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

I've thought about running a Girl Genius game before, but never got around to putting anything on paper. VPP Gadget Pools is the best way to model the sparks' inventiveness, but I agree that's asking a lot of beginners. Unless everyone wants to buy a copy of Hero Designer for on-the-fly inventing? Also in Girl Genius, a failed Invention roll doesn't mean the invention fails to work - it just doesn't work the way you want it to!

 

I like the idea of having each spark focus on a "shtick" to make them more distinctive.

 

On the Complication side:one thing all sparks have in common is the lunatic "fugue state" they go into when working, bossing minions around, etc. I'd handle this similar to an Enraged, triggered when the character is challenged (either by a mechanical problem or a challenge to their authority; when triggered, their megalomania kicks in and they have to Build All The Gadgets! and/or Conquer All The Rivals! Then have them buy bonuses to their Invention Roll, extra PRE, etc, with the Limitation Only When In Fugue State.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

Another thought: minions in GG are mainly used as lab assistants to help a spark build more/better gadgets. So you could work out something where minions (whether bought as Followers or just commanded) add to a sparks gadget pool in some way, either aiding the Pool or the Control, or reducing the time needed. Or even make them a requirement of reallocating pool points.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

Another thought: minions in GG are mainly used as lab assistants to help a spark build more/better gadgets. So you could work out something where minions (whether bought as Followers or just commanded) add to a sparks gadget pool in some way' date=' either aiding the Pool or the Control, or reducing the time needed. Or even make them a requirement of reallocating pool points.[/quote']

 

Clever idea. A fairly simple build to reflect this would be extra VPP control with the (what it used to be called) Ritual lim that requires extra participants

[Markdoc]

Re: Familiar group, wanna teach 'em Basic 6th first, for a Girl Genius campaign

 

I kicked around the idea of a Girl Genius campaign for a while, and here are my thoughts:

 

Characters seem to fall into various archetypes:

 

Sparks. Inventors, dominate others, are physically superior, but are also prone to madness

Heroes. Most heroes we've seen seem to be sparks, but clearly not all sparks are heroes, and from the discussion, not all heroes are sparks. Heroes have extreme survivability and are apparently immune to being dominated by Sparks. They can also go toe to toe with sparks.

Minions. Minions have two powers that I can identify: first, extreme survivability (though less than heroes). Second, a more limited version of the Spark's domination ability. They can't dominate Sparks (or heroes), but they can dominate other minions and other ordinary people.

Cannon fodder. This is everyone else.

 

As for building characters, VPPs seemed like the logical way to go, but it does not actually seem to model all of their powers very well. When a spark builds something, it stays built. It's not like they move their points around and older gadgets fizzle or fail. And they build gadgets that can have long-lasting effects, even when the character is long gone, or dead. They can build replicating/replicatable gadgets

 

So I'd suggest that Sparks have the following power set:

 

1. A VPP (optional) for all the minor gadgets many sparks seem to have on them.

2. The Spark: a transform power. This allows you to add powers to a target. Most Sparks have a specific transform they have mastered: Ferretina, The Weasel Queen, for example, makes giant carnivorous rabbits. As far as I can tell, that's her only power. More powerful sparks, OTOH can make all kinds of gadgets. But they all have themes. Agatha is an enormously powerful spark ... but she seems to have little or no biology knowledge. Gil is gifted medically and mechanically ... and so on. This suggests to me that Sparks should buy their transforms individually, with varying levels of the advantage "Improved Results Group" to reflect the flexibility of their powers. All transforms should have skill rolls of course: sparks need lots and lots of science skills The transform should also require a side effect: the Madness place! And of course the transform "heals back" when the device ceases to work: either it simply runs down, it explodes, runs amok, tries to set the atmosphere on fire, etc. That allows Sparks to build armies of devices. Either by building (Transforming) the devices themselves, or by building a device to build other devices (that's how you get armies of clanks, or Jægers. The heterodynes didn't build each jæger. They simply invented the jægerdraft, which itself transforms men (or women) into Jægers. Or kills them.)

3. The Madness place is a combined psych lim. and power set. Treat it like a berserk or enraged, triggered by opposition or technical difficulties. However, the Madness place also grants great power - bonuses to PRE and also physical stats. Gil doesn't just get bossy when he's mad: he physically beats Vole to a pulp and Vole is strong even for a jæger. I'd let sparks buy physical stats (including INT, which would boost their science skills) via the Madness place. If you are using Characteristic maxima (which I'd recommend) this would allow Sparks to easily transcend human norms .... but only when "mad".

4. Domination. Sparks should have very high PRE. This reflects (IMO) the way they work better than mind control - mind control is what slaver wasps do.

 

Heroes can have the VPP, and can have the spark, but they don't have the Madness place. This means that your average Hero should give a Spark a solid workout when the Spark is in control, but probably not if they get a good mad-on. Heroes should probably also buy luck. Lots of luck They might have high PRE, but could probably get by with PRE defence

 

Minions, as far as I can tell, have most of the powers of weaker sparks, without the madness - or maybe even a weaker level of it: Fru Snaug is pretty messed up! You could maybe dispense with minions as an archetype and simply file them as a weaker type of Spark or Hero.

 

cheers, Mark

 

Edit: I forgot an important one. Constructs! Constructs can clearly be characters. They get to exceed human norms, but (Agatha's mini constructs aside) can't have the spark and get some serious psych lim.s about serving their masters.