Presidential Campaign (M&M)

[shadow_archmagi]

So, my friends and I saw the following image, and the others like it and decided that this needed to be a campaign. So then, what system would be ideal for RPG. Each player would choose a president, enhance them (I believe current character concepts are wizard lincoln, head-in-jar-with-robot-body Nixon, Cyborg Andrew Jackson, and Roosevelt pretty much the way he was.) and then together the party would fight the grim darkness of the future.


Thomas Jefferson was never much of a warrior history tells us, but yet again history is wrong. This is an image of one of the many attempts by Jefferson to battle all the manliest animals on earth while trying to teach them the ways of America.


http://www.deviantart.com/download/208172168/thomas_jefferson_vs_gorilla_by_sharpwriter-d3fxuo8.jpg


So, the question is, what system would be best to use? Shadowrun, for maximum grit? Mutants and Masterminds, to make it easier to model silly character designs?

M&M would probably be easiest, but something in me says that a campaign with this silly a premise should have a counterweight in the form of Shadowrun's more lethal ruleset.

[Kylarra]

I'd say probably M&M is your best bet to be honest. Alternatively BESM for maximum silly.

[The Glyphstone]

M&M for certain. This level of silly cannot be counterbalanced by any amount of lethal, so just embrace the zany and go full force.

[shadow_archmagi]

M&M for certain. This level of silly cannot be counterbalanced by any amount of lethal, so just embrace the zany and go full force.

I suppose you're right. M&M&M it is! (The extra M is for M&M&M)

EDIT: Anything I should keep in mind for M&M? Potential rules pitfalls and such?

[shadow_archmagi]

Query: What is the point of boost? Let's say I had the Boost (Strength) power. If I invest 10 power points into Boost (Strength) then, as a standard action, I can increase my Strength score by 10 power points. It will then fade by 1 point per round.

So I've just spent 10 points and an action to get 10 points that fade over time.

Why wouldn't I just put 10 points into strength to begin with?

I suppose that the larger versions of Boost could be cost effective; IE: Boost every ability stat at once, thus gaining 60 temporary points at the cost of 30 invested points.

[The Glyphstone]

Don't stats have a PL cap? Boost might let you exceed that.

[shadow_archmagi]

Would I be correct in saying that there isn't any way to attack a single foe multiple times in one round?

[Tengu_temp]

Autofire attacks represent that. You can also use Extra Effort to get another action in a round.


Don't stats have a PL cap? Boost might let you exceed that.

Most DMs generally won't let you do that, because it makes Boost way too overpowered. In general, 1 pp/rank Boost is pretty weak. It's the versions that cost more but let you increase a variety of stats and/or several stats at once that are worth it.
Also, do note that by default, Boost can work on you and on other people. Make it work only on you as a drawback and it becomes more cost-effective.

[shadow_archmagi]

Autofire attacks represent that. You can also use Extra Effort to get another action in a round.


That's what I thought. I just wanted to make sure that was the way the game was designed.

Makes it much simpler, really.

[Extra_Crispy]

Boost has its uses, but only at certain times. Yes you can boost your strength to well above the cap, 2nd ed rules (have not looked over 3rd much yet) allowed you to have any number for your stats. You could have a strength that would make hulk cry BUT when it came to damage you could only do so much extra damage according to the level cap. A person with say a 20 strength did the same damage in melee as a super hero with 80 strength if they were they were capped at the power level. Where the difference came in was lifting things. The 20 strength could not lift the air craft carrier but the super strength 80 guy could.

That is where boost has its use. The guy with 80 strength is most likely going to look like hulk on steriods, everyone knows he is special and probably avoids him. But the guy that has a 20 strength looks like a body builder, very fit but not outside of human norm, then he suddenly boosts his strength to super human levels so that he can hold up that building and stop it from crushing a bus full of children for just long enough to let them get clear.

Is it worth, points wise, to get boost and not just spend points into strength, no not really. It is more of a roleplaying effect. Being able to boost anyone helps, as you add to the survivablility of friends, but unless you can boost multiple stats or say all powers it really is not cost to use ratio effective in most games.

[MarkusWolfe]

That's what I thought. I just wanted to make sure that was the way the game was designed.

Makes it much simpler, really.

A simpler way to get 'multiple attacks' on the same target is to link 2 or more offensive powers together into one attack.

Take my PL11 Banshee expy, 'Thundershouter', for example. He can hit you with a rank 11 sonic blast and a rank 11 auditory dazzle in a 110ft line, a 110ft cone with a 55ft radius or a 275ft trail as he flies over your head. (Got the areas by using Alternate Power twice) And if you have the misfortune of standing in the first 60 ft of the line or cone or in the wrong 150ft of the trail you're also going to get hit by a rank 6 Disintegrate (or maybe it effects the entire length of the attack, I'm not sure).

[Tengu_temp]

Your DM let you link Blast and Disintegrate, and link more than 2 powers together? That's pretty lenient. Hopefully the other PCs have similarily powerful builds.

[MarkusWolfe]

My DM is a very clever man. I've got full power on all that, so I've got no way to use that attack without destroying everything in my path and I have no doubt he'll use that against me. I expect there to be several occasions where I can't use cone (and a few occasions where I can't use my power at all) because it would hurt innocent bystanders or wreck something important.

You hear this, OP? When someone chooses great power at the cost of all or almost all of their finesse, use it against them.

[Beleriphon]

Your DM let you link Blast and Disintegrate, and link more than 2 powers together? That's pretty lenient. Hopefully the other PCs have similarily powerful builds.

Blast and Disintegrate shouldn't be linked, since Disintegrate is a linked Ranged Damage effect and Ranged Weaken Toughness at equal ranks.

[skywalker]

I have nothing to add, except to say that Jefferson's spare quills hanging on his belt like extra mags... Very nice touch.