Brutal Legend tabletop [M&M][PEACH]

['Grasshopper']

Hey Headbangers and Razor Girls,

So I'm a big fan of the Brutal Legend game, and I want to try and run an Tabletop RP of it using the 'Mutants and Masterminds' system, because it should be flexible enough.

I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions.

If you don't know what Brutal Legend is, here's a quick summation:
Eddie Riggs (Jack Black) sent back in time by Ormagöden, Cremator of the Skies. Winds up in the Age of Metal. Glam Rock is oppresses the humans. Very Bad. They are serving the Demons led by Tim Curry (Doviculus). Awesome, but also bad. Eddie Riggs rediscovers the ways of the Titans - Hard Rock and Hotrods and leads uprising. Very Good. Plus his guitar can shoot lighting here. Badass.


THE COMBAT CHANGES:
The game uses a combo fighting style and I want to try to keep that in.

So I can up with a 3 strike system which I think could work.
There are 3 strikes per round. |||
So a Basic attack: Axe swing, Lighting Strike, or Fire Blast are all one strike. (|)
This means you can make 3 Weapon attacks, Lighting Strikes etc. or build a Combo.
Example: Axe, Lighting, Axe = Grand Slam Combo. More powerful with huge knockback.

However, some things have a longer cooldown, like the AoE Shockwave which is 2 strikes. (||)
So you can't pull of the Grand Slam and a Shockwave in the same round. But you could use a 1 strike attack afterwards.

There are also Solos, these are full-round 'spells'.
Each Solo has it's own cooldown before you can use it again, but it also heats up the guitar.
So for the round after you can use Guitar moves (Lighting, Fire Blast etc.) but you can still make basic attacks.


I've heard from friends this system may mean Damage is through the roof, but if the mobs are build to take it and they're going to fight small armies, then I think it should balance out.

I would make all the basic moves for them to use, and some starting combos. But the players could make their own basic attacks, combos and solos. (Because that's my M&M is why :smallbiggrin:)

I'd love to hear some feedback!

[Blynkibrax]

Aw, man, I was going to ask for d20 stats for some of Brutal Legend's more awesome monsters and such, but forgot all about it.

The way I see it, the Zaulia were just druids with particularly cool, fire-breathing animal companions. :smallwink:

[Kosj]

Well, you've already discussed this with me in the past, but as usual I have a few suggestions for you if you decide to go with M&M, which I doubt will change.

I'm still not convinced about allowing multiple attacks per round, simply because it's something that the game specifically warns against allowing, though I can see why you want combos in the game.

On that line of reasoning, might I make a suggestion. Change the system so that characters get either a swift action (kind of like they do in D&D) OR they get a pair of move actions instead of only one. To facilitate combos, let people buy extras (things like autofire, area or linked powers like stun or trip) with flaws requiring people to take move actions to apply them to their attacks.

As to Solos, take a look at some of the flaws already in the game, like Action, Check Required (Perform, naturally) and either Side effect or Unreliable (for heating up the guitar). Other than that I don't see any problem there.

Feel free to ignore my suggestions as usual. :smallwink:

['Grasshopper']

I resent the implications that I ignore your suggestions...I just don't see them as final and conclusive proof that my bad ideas are just that :smallbiggrin:

But it is of concern to me as well. I just don't see combos working any other way than taking multiple actions though, it's just not a combo otherwise. Sure it could be a linked power as a single strike, but that just wouldn't be the same.

Maybe I should use a different system? Is there a system which deliberately uses Combo moves?

@Blynkibrax, totally forgot about the Zaulia (somehow), thanks for reminding me. I think I'd let players play different races who have come to the Ironheade forces, if they could justify it.

[Kosj]

Huhm, multiple attacks are a bit of a sticky issue, given how toughness saves work, damage would stack up VERY quickly on enemies.

I can think of at least one system that has a combo system built in, but its not quite what your after, and I really wouldn't advise trying to mod Exalted.

The problem is that, one of the key assumptions of M&M is that flurries of multiple attacks are modelled with a single attack and damage roll (think of how Speedsters work in normal games). Multiple attack rolls might be fine, but multiple damage rolls get messy. What you might want to think about is, for combos is having multiple attack rolls, with each roll determining the final effect (increased damage, secondary effects, and so on).

['Grasshopper']

Yeah that might work. Several rolls, with the more successes adding to a greater effect.

Given that your health regenerates to full if you wait out of combat, maybe give the mobs great Regen? So either you nuke them down one at a time, or the damage of the party is spread across several targets.

[Kale Fangblade]

I have to say I like Kosj's suggestion on combo and multiple attacks being several rolls, If you made 'combo' a power add on like Autofire that costs a little extra it would probably also balance out the problem of ALL attacks being solved with multiple rolls.

As for regeneration, I'd be somewhat careful with using it, it can get somewhat ridiclous in the hands of players and in my experience with NPC's it can either become far too much work while running an encounter or it can make it last near forever in the case of tough bosses.

['Grasshopper']

Wait Kale, you're from Swansea to? So are me and Kosj, we're in Swansea University's Roleplay society. So do we know you? :smalltongue:

I can understand not wanting to give out your name, but Kosj is the president, so if you're in the society you know him ;)

EDIT: Oh, Kosj just told me. Hey dude!

Anyway - I can see the problem with Regen then. Maybe a 'Combo' being a single power, but it has pre-requisites. So you have to use X,Y, in a round before you can use Z.

How would GURPS fair in all this? Would that be a better idea?

[Kale Fangblade]

Wait Kale, you're from Swansea to? So are me and Kosj, we're in Swansea University's Roleplay society. So do we know you? :smalltongue:

I can understand not wanting to give out your name, but Kosj is the president, so if you're in the society you know him ;)

EDIT: Oh, Kosj just told me. Hey dude!

Hey, yeah Kosj sent me the link for the topic, so seeing as I already had an account here I thought I'd pitch in a few suggestions.
Hm, having a series of pre-requisite attacks to build up to a combo over multiple rounds could be interesting, especially if it would give you bonuses or additional effects on that final attack.

Im afraid my knowledge of GURPS is severely lacking, so I can't give you and advice there...
system wise I think MnM or another d20 type system would probably be the best for your idea, though I think doing it for DnD might be a lot of work balance and design wise.

[raitalin]

Mecha and Manga has a combo system that I believe uses feats to increase the DCs of attacks when they are used in sequence.