Solution: Black Gene + Immortality

[prophet118]

i had sent an email to the head guys asking them about black gene + longevity, so far they seem to think its fair, although longevity would only give a few extra years to a black gene character, i had asked them about BG and immortality... no response... although they did ask me if i wanted to play test that new book..lol

heres my idea for a possbility to allow it...

first off it should be exceedingly rare... maybe 1 character in like 20 (in game terms 1 in 2000 or something)

next we have to think about what happens to black gene when they croak.. they release all their ka and go out in a blaze of glory (or whimper of glory), hows this though:

say i pick black gene, then decide to pick immortality, i could in theory put the flaw on it "when i start to shine, this doesnt work" but that sounds hokey to me...

how about the immortality actually protects them through that process, in a way, it keeps them alive, but they lose all of their powers except immortality

they would more or less still be black gene, but they'd only have one active power.

now the only thing left after that is to figure out the why part...

since the atlanteans specfically created the black gene carriers to die out... hah... i'll leave that to other people, i have a few ideas for my own game though.

[J.T.]

Hi there prophet,

Kind of like what you're thinking about. How about the imortality protects their physical shell on an atomic level i.e. as the shining takes hold their atomic structure keeps altering to compansate for theextra strain on their bodies (could this be represented by regeneration in someway instead?)

I was also thinking that after they reach the age that they go pop from the shining instead of going out in a bang one of the side affects of the above is that they lead Ka slowly maybe their powers decrease by a level every year after they should be dead.
This gives them a few more years before they become normal (all be it with imortality) but their powers become unreliable.

Anyway just my spin on it


J.T.

[prophet118]

that'd be a nifty one too..

see im having to cover my bases here, im at an advantage, i know what powers my players will try to take to create an uber character (id do it too..lol)

so i get to think of ways to try and prevent game fights..lol

i think your atomic level idea would probably be better reflected by regeneration, although either could in theory work

the gradual redux of levels does work, although with the current meta plot, no one is going to care.lol

[J.T.]

Just thought of something else.

If instead of lossing their powers the shining redistributes the Ka internally thereby giving the characters a new set of powers and a second chance of life. They would basically then have two bites at the cherry before the shining finally gets them.

The powers could be randomy chosen in some way or you the GM could write them up to fit into your campaign.

J.T.

[prophet118]

Just thought of something else.

If instead of lossing their powers the shining redistributes the Ka internally thereby giving the characters a new set of powers and a second chance of life. They would basically then have two bites at the cherry before the shining finally gets them.

The powers could be randomy chosen in some way or you the GM could write them up to fit into your campaign.

J.T.

for that one to work id do a "trade in all powers"

otherwise the player would want yet another chance..lol

[J.T.]

sounds reasonable to me. an all or nothing type thing you tade all your powers or go up in smake with the shining.


J.T.

[prophet118]

which is very similiar to Heroes Unlimited's alter physical structure fire

the desperation move it had was a super nova... you had a fair chance of dying, and a slim chance of getting new powers!

[J.T.]

Now that sounds neat.

Heroes unlimited is probably the only superhero RPG I don't own but if it has a power like that it must be fun to play.

J.T.

[prophet118]

lol, HU was my first super hero game..lol

loved playing it in high school..heh

[J.T.]

My first game was Golden Heroes by Games Workshop after that we moved onto Champions then just over a year ago we started a Mutant and Masterminds campaign.

Have had to give up gaming for awhile as my daughter was born 10 months ago and last month my wife went back to work so I have to do the evening pick up from nursery and can't get the time to travel to my group for a game.

Got hold of GA just after I left the group and am now looking for some poeple closer to home to play it with.

J.T.

[prophet118]

M&M isnt one of my more fav games..lol

thats why i was thrilled for a d6 super heroes game..lol

[J.T.]

I don't know I quite like it and as a D20 game goes it knocks the socks off all the others.

Saying that I always liked the D6 system too. it's simple and flexible which I like and I loved playing the old Star Wars game as well. Didn't go much on the DC game West End bought out but got it anyway.

Think GA is great, have the first edition from years back and loved the setting but I have to admit the system didn't grab me. Now some genius (Jerry :) ) has come along and combined the two this world setting rocks big time.


J.T.

[prophet118]

one of M&M's biggest flaws in the fact that its level based,.. and you'd be stupid not to buy a 20 in your main stat, mas defense, mas combat ability, and max powers..

theres really no variation..lol

[prophet118]

ok so far we ( me and JT) have come up with a few options.. to recap

if you have a player who wishes to take immortality, let him, however clue him in on the fact that things will get weird at his shining (not stephen king)

basically he'll either lose all powers, and get a shot at randomly determined new ones
he'll lose all powers except immortality
or he'll still lose all powers, but they'll be gradual lose


of all of them i tend to like the first 2 options better..lol

are there any situations power wise i should look at?


oh... i do intend for that black gene person to keep all the black gene (black october) disadvantages and advantages... the catch is that they would lose the short life span bit.

[Jerry D. Grayson]

Although the Atlanteans didn’t build the black genes so that they would last for ever there is always that possibility that one will outlive the rest (Prime).
I would suggest that if someone wants to live forever that they not play a member of Black October.
I’d say nay on letting him rearrange his powers, that’s the advantage of being a Chimeran.

It would defeat the purpose of having that drawback just to buy it off with a power.
BUT
Lets say they do….

Here are a few of my suggestions;

1-The Black October members powers start to burn, burn so badly he cant control them and becomes a human torch that cant turn the raw Ka energy off. Take the total point value of his former powers and translate them into an Elemental Fire Sheathe that is always on. He will live out his life as a blazing maelstrom of wild Ka energy.

2-The elemental Ka energy seeps from his body making all Ka expenditures and powers used around him behave in a chaotic manner (Give him the enhancement power with the limitation that he doesn’t have control over its use) or just give him the bad luck disadvantage. He isn’t affect by the wild Ka energy around him but everyone in the vicinity is.

3-Lastly, the character could just completely burn himself out completely purging all Ka energy from his body in the big bang but live. He would loose all his powers but he could go on living a normal and productive life.

There are no hard rules here and anything you come up with would work. I would only suggest that one of the most important things about each faction in GODSEND Agenda is their unique theme. If you take away the doomed hero aspect of Black October they loose a little bit of their edge and angst.

[prophet118]

while that is true, id almost expect something to be written into the black gene prohibiting taking immortality..lol

im not even sure if it will come up, but if i thought of it, im sure someone else will..so, its best to be prepared

[prophet118]

speaking strictly about converting powers from other games i have, i think i might not end up with too big of a list, but we'll see..

the books i'll be using (some might get a chuckle or grin)

Heroes Unlimited Revised
Brave New World (main book and ravaged planet)
M&M main book

thought it was kind of spiff that matt forbeck worked on GA a bit (i dont know to what degree of course), but i liked his work on BNW..lol

[Jerry D. Grayson]

while that is true, id almost expect something to be written into the black gene prohibiting taking immortality..lol

im not even sure if it will come up, but if i thought of it, im sure someone else will..so, its best to be prepared

I agree there is no amount of preparation that can prepare you for what a player will come up with. I had a player make Winnie the Pooh in a DC Heroes game way back in the day. He was a large overweight yellow bear with a honey pot. The honey in the pot could entangle you and if that didn’t work, the pot could also be used as a bludgeon.

What made the character even funnier was that the game was set in Gotham city.











He was shot to death in a park while stuck in a tree trying to retrieve honey…….

[prophet118]

well.. based on DC stuff ive seen on batman cartoons, id say he fits right in..lol

joker, riddler, mad hatter... mostly batman villians i suppose..lol

croc..lol

was he at least a little disgruntled?..lol