WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS? - INTERPRETTING ODD CHARACTER CREATION ROLLS

The Ultimate Powers book, while providing an amazing array of powers and abilities is also famous for creating some really weird combinations. 

The Classic Marvel Super Heroes RPG utilized a random character generation system as its core method of creating characters.  While random character generation is a time-honored and popular method of generating characters in TTRPGs that, it can lead to some bizarre characters. In this article, I hope to provide some hints and tips for making the most of wild random results. 

While other methods of character generation were proposed, such as modelling and and the point build system in Polyhedron Magazine, issue #72, random generation was the primary method and one that was most often used, in my experience. There is something enjoyable about discovering who and what your character is through a series of random rolls. Sometimes these are completely random with little or no choices to be made along the way and sometimes they are more guided, with each roll leading to another. MSHRPG's method is very much the latter, with each roll determining a chart or column that you will roll on for the next part of your character. 

Early versions of this method found in the original boxed set and then the Player's Book of the advanced set, kept these options pretty tightly confined, but as the game grew and supplements such as the Ultimate Powers book were released, the random options, while still guided through charts and tables, became much more sprawling, complex and often convoluted. This made for a seemingly endless number of combinations and options but the results could often be very strange and hard to reconcile, especially for newer players. Usually, the powers and origins generated are perfectly fine and can be meshed together with little problem, however it was quite possible to end up rolling something wild like a plant/robot or a character with fish communication and fire powers. It is these strange cases which I seek to address.

1. Substitution

One of the easiest ways to handle the rolling of seeming incongruous powers is a simple method of substitution. To do this, allow a player to exchange a power for two ranks in other powers. Additionally, I have found it simple enough for the player to decide which of powers they wish to keep and simply substitute unwanted powers for either a new roll or choosing a power more appropriate to the theme set. This gives the player a chance to hone their powers. You can even allow a player to sacrifice ranks to gain new powers, should they feel the need to expand their initial powers beyond what they rolled. This should be done at an exchange of two power ranks from one or two powers to gain another power. A GM should be careful of abuses using these exchanges. It is advisable to allow no more than one or two new powers using this exchange method.

To further reinforce responsible power and rank exchanges, a GM can reward a player for maintaining a tight theme to their powers, giving them a +1 Column Shift bonus to powers that fit a particular, narrow theme. It is important, when doing this, that the theme be well defined up-front, so as to make sure the player isn’t trying to scam the system. GMs should work with players to firmly establish the theme while also being willing to listen to creative interpretations of powers (see #2 below). 

Doctor Doom classically combined hi-tech and science with magic.

2. Interpretation

The more complicated way to do this is also the more interesting way. Instead of changing out oddball powers, a creative GM and player can choose, instead, to spend some time getting creative with how to interpret powers to bring them into a usable consistency. This may require some mental gymnastics but comics have proven that no combination of powers is truly impossible. Mixing magic and science are well-established in comics, often in some interesting combinations. In addition to powers, sometimes origins can seem a bit disjointed with players having to reconcile how they might be a mutant robot or an alien deity, etc. 

In these cases I find it is best for a GM to really listen to the creative vibes that the player brings to the discussion, keeping an open mind and listening from a position of wanting to make it work. Marvel comics has given us alien mutants whose mutation is the ability to feel compassion or a mutant character whose powers allow him to speak with and channel the dead. Classic characters, such as Scarlet Witch, blended magic and mutant abilities and we have seen magical robots like the Asgardian Destroyer or alien, psychic, cyborgs like ROM and the Space Knights. Anything can be done if you simply apply some creativity. Now, I realize that not everyone is as well-versed in comics tropes and lore and so that may not be such an easy undertaking, so allow me to give you some tips on how you might accomplish this. 

Magick was a character that combined mutant, sorcerous, and demonic powers all into one

One great method for making these disjointed powers work together is to recontextualize them. Consider changing their nature or the exact effect and how that produces the final power. Control powers can always be reframed based on the type of energy they are using. In addition the source of the manipulation can change to accommodate the theme of the character. A classic version of this is the force field or elemental control powers. Force fields can be expressed in any number of ways. While one character might generate an energy field of force from a technological device, another might simply generate telekinetic force with the power of their mind, while at the same time another, insect themed character, might create a wall of insects that provides some defense in a similar manner. Elemental control characters might use technology, a magic item or the power of their mind e.g. pyrokinesis. 

It is important to understand that all of these methods can crossover without any real need for explanation. If your character roles computer communication or machine speaking and you rolled a mystical origin, just have the abilities work by reading the electronic code as if it were a language to be translated, energy to be manipulated like any other, or even the spirits of the machine being contacted. Even some of the more esoteric powers can be linked together through theming. Imagine you roll a bunch of incest-themed powers but then time control. You might be tempted to drop the time control ability but, maybe it’s just a matter of researching which insects have a mythical or folkloric connection to time. Chances are most insect abilities will work together regardless of the insect type and now you have a very unique character.

The same applies to combining backgrounds and origins where a magical cyborg can make perfect sense when we consider the various Asgardian mechanical constructs of the techno-magic of the Dire Wraiths, Doctor Doom, or Apocalypse. Just remember, one of Marvel’s most famous characters is an undersea hero who can fly (Namor) and there is a super acrobat who is the byproduct of demonic possession (Puck). You just need to be willing to bend with the rolls and sometimes squint until you see the hidden picture in the mess.