ArlEammon
2012-04-01, 01:55 PM
The following wall of text is based on a game attempting to role play Comical "Masterminds" of an evil bent. The RP, if it would ever start, will be comedical.
Change Log (Version 1.2):
*Added in two new mastermind templates - the The Symplegades Visionary and the Artificer.
*The warmonger's unique ability has changed. Now, this Influence discount is a tad less (by like 5%), but it is applicable across all tiers of units. Overall, this is a huge boost to the ability.
*The Enhanced Base background is now a 1 to 5 point background, complete with the normal scaling benefit for such backgrounds.
Change Log (Version 1.1):
*Updated and changed the mastermind templates, giving everyone not only a bigger stat cap increase, but Dracula's castle is now very easy to find, but is subsequently much more difficult to breach than before (removed secret base, added enhanced base 3).
*Changed the enhanced base background from a 1 dot background to a 1-5 dot background. It now also actually does something - grants a +1 bonus to die rolls for defending your base per point invested in the background. Happy hunting, Belmonts!
*The mutant mastermind template's unique ability has been changed! Because the enhanced base background mimiced the mutant's special skill, that made it no longer unique. So instead, the mutuant is now even more of a powerhouse in a fight than before! (gains +1 to his combat stat at char gen for free, and his starting combat may go up to 6 instead of the normal 5). Also, you may purchase the prodigy background twice instead of just once like everyone else, although this second purchase must be linked to a different stat then the first prodigy background is.
*The prodigy background has been improved! Instead of increasing the cap on a particular stat by 1, it instead increases it by 2!
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EVILMASTERMIND Version 1.1
Table of contents
I. Mastermind Game Summary
a.) What the game is about
b.) Focus of the game
II. Mastermind Character Creation
a.) Stats
b.) Mastermind Templates
c.) Character Creation Process
III. Unique "Template" Mastermind Backgrounds
a.) The Monster (Dracula)
b.) The Mad Scientist (Dr. Quantum)
c.) The Occluded Psychologist (Dr. Hikei)
d.) The Dark Lord (Rex Vorago)
e.) The Evil robot (Death Bot)
f.) The Warmonger (Captain)
g.) The Mercenary Baron (Enigma)
h.) The Mutant (Lucius)
i.) The Symplegades Visionary (Dr. Henry)
j.) The Artificer (Edward)
IV. General Backgrounds
a.) Wealth
b.) Headquarters
c.) Secret Base
d.) Enhanced Base
e.) Contacts (Group)
f.) Science
g.) Sorcery
h.) Secret Identity
i.) Enhanced Production
j.) Allies (Group)
k.) Prodigy
V. Units
a.) The Unit Tree
b.) Flunky
c.) Minion
d.) Follower
e.) Elite
f.) Enforcer
g.) Disciple
h.) Specialist
i.) Henchman
j.) Foreman
k.) Warlord
l.) Vizier
m.) High Lord
VI. Resources and Resource Management
a.) Notoriety
b.) Influence
c.) Investments
d.) Income and Upkeep
VII. Systems & Mechanics
a.) The dice system
b.) Taking your turn
c.) Headquarters & Bases
d.) Combat
e.) Science & Sorcery
f.) Artifacts
g.) NPCs - Good and Bad, a World Against You
h.) Upgrades
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I. Mastermind Game Summary
a.) What the game is about
As the title suggests, you are a cunning villain! Strive to become the greatest villain of them all, and ultimate power will be yours! Build the Moon Laser of Doom! Recruit minions to fight for you, build for you, and entertain you! Whatever you do, do it, because you do what ever you want!
Being a villain takes resources and effort...but you can take the easy way out sometimes.
b.) Focus of the game
This game is ultimately a strategy game where you manage various resources and actions in pursuit of your various goals. For most, this is world domination, although for some evil masterminds this could instead being as evil as possible, or becoming the richest man on earth. Whatever the case, masterminds are not morally just and upstanding individuals.
There may be a slight role playing element in the game too, but ultimately managing resources, minions, and more is your meal ticket to success. There are different types of masterminds though, which means different flavors of success.
The game setting and feel is modern times, with a Marvel Superheroes level of being over the top. You may have a fleet of mafiosos working for you as much as you might have sentry drones!
II. Mastermind Character Creation
a.) Stats
Masterminds themselves each have an array of stats attributed to them that reflects not only their personal capability, but more importantly how much they can support their servants and their operation. Masterminds never do anything directly, instead leaving the dirty work for others while they remain in the shadows.
There are six stats, three of which focus on potency or directly achieving goals (combat, intelligence, charisma), and three focusing on influence or managing your evil operation (strategy, cunning, Bureaucracy). Essentially, potence helps resolve small-scale issues and influence helps resolve large-scale ones. The potence/influence dichotomy will be important later, for servant stats.
-Combat: Reflects general capability in physical combat situations, ranging from throwing punches to shooting guns to having Chinese off-the-wall sword fights.
-Intelligence: Reflects your cerebral capability. Anything where you have to understand complex information (that isn't mystical), crack codes, solve enigmas, ancient (non-mystical) languages, natural phenomena, and so on will draw on this stat. Also, this the the primary stat for just about anything science-related.
-Charisma: Reflects your force of personality, as well as your sense of self. This stat affects your leadership ability, as well as your dark appeal as a mastermind. It is the primary stat for just about anything mystical-related, like sorcery. It is used when trying to understand complex mystical information just like intelligence is used for understanding non-mystical information.
-Strategy: Reflects your ability to conduct long-term planning, organize your operation efficiently (although resources fall under Bureaucracy), and manage your base and territory defenses.
-Cunning: This stat reflects your general awareness of your surroundings, your operation, as well as how to possibly counter-act enemies on-the-fly (where as strategy is big-picture). This stat is used to help you keep track of the going-ons within the territory that you control, as well as notice interesting happenings in the community at large. Finally, it is used for making quick deals with shady organizations, like selling drugs to a street gang.
-Bureaucracy: This stat reflects your ability to manage your resources, be it harvesting them or establishing them. The greater this stat is, the better you manage your precious resources. It also is used to maneuver legally and fiscally in mainstream society.
NOTE: Any given stat cannot be more than 5 at character creation, and is capped at 10. If the prodigy background is taken, the cap in a SINGLE stat linked to the background is raised to 11. This stacks with mastermind stat cap increases, and a prodigy background linked with a stat cap boosted by a mastermind template can be raised to 12.
b.) Mastermind Templates
Players create characters called masterminds - the most elite type of being on the planet. Masterminds are each unique individuals that represent high-powered incarnations of stereotypical villain archetypes. In the game setting, mastermind-level units are exceedingly rare in the same sense that superman-level heroes are exceedingly rare.
There are mastermind archetypes that can be found in part c of this section. Each mastermind archetype is essentially a template that offers a special unique benefit to the player of that mastermind. This not only gives players unique options, but also prevents masterminds from being carbon-copies of one another. After all, someone like Dr. doom is not the same as someone like Magneto or even the Kingpin, although all three are good inspiration for mastermind concepts.
See section III for more information on mastermind templates.
c.) Character Creation Process
Creating your mastermind is easy. First, you select a mastermind template (more information in section III). Then, you follow this process to create a Mastermind profile:
Mastermind Profile
Each Mastermind starts out with a small "care package" of resources and stuff to get them on their way, but they are on their own after that. The mastermind starting package is:
1.) One Flunky Servant Unit, purchased free of charge. It may be defined in a manner that makes sense to your mastermind template - like gangsters or thugs or guards or even weak harvester drones. However, the stats are always that of a flunky (unit information is found in section V).
2.) One investment (the enterprise can be whatever you want, as it is flavor text). Whatever it is, it has a value of 10 Influence and an income generation of +1/Turn.
3.) 15 Points of Notoriety, which must immediately be spent on stats and/or backgrounds at char gen. All 15 points must be spent, and at least one must be put into each of the 6 stats. No stat can exceed 5 at char gen, nor can more than 5 points be spent on backgrounds.
4.) One free background: Headquarters.
5.) 10 Points of Influence.
Mastermind Name: Name of the Mastermind.
Mastermind Unique Template: This is the mastermind template you you be playing as. See section III for more information on mastermind templates. There can only be one of any given template in the game at a time.
Faction Name: Name of the faction, organization, group, or what have you that owes fealty to the mastermind. Every Mastermind has a faction associated with him/her/it. This is the collective name that encompasses your servants, resources, and operation.
Goals: Abridged goals of the mastermind and faction - limit of 1 to 3 sentences. These are more general scope things, while more specific things are under agenda.
Agenda: Some of the specific mini-goals, projects, and other areas of focus for the mastermind and their faction. This is done in a bullet-point format.
-Bla bla bla.
-Bla bla bla.
-Bla bla bla.
Stats: Combat X, Int X, Cha X, Strat X, Cun X, Bur X (put stats here)
Notoriety: 15/15 (initial 15 points must all be accounted for after char gen)
Influence: 10
Income: +X / Turn (this is the sum of your investment income and any upkeep you have to account for)
General Backgrounds: List them as you gain them:
1.) Headquarters - Free with character creation
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investments: (Uses the following format - Name of Investment: Worth, Income)
1.) Initial Free Starting Investment: Worth 10 Influence, +1/Turn
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investment Slots: 1 + [3 per HQ/base you own]
Bases: How many HQ/bases you own, per the background. Write the name of each base you own here, like "Death Star," or "Volcano Island."
Servants: List servants as their unit name (thug, demon, robot, whatever), their potence/Influence ratings, and then their upkeep.
1.) Unit Name - (Flunky 1/1), Upkeep: 1 (This first flunky is free)
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
A Blank copy:
Mastermind Name:
Mastermind Unique Template:
Faction Name:
Goals:
Agenda:
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
Stats: Combat X, Int X, Cha X, Strat X, Cun X, Bur X
Notoriety: 15/15
Influence: 10
Income: +X / Turn
General Backgrounds: List them as you gain them:
1.) Headquarters (Free)
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investments:
1.) Initial Free Starting Investment: Worth 10 Influence, +1/Turn
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investment Slots:
Bases:
Servants:
1.) Unit Name - (Flunky 5/5), Upkeep: 1
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Here is an example of a finished starting sheet for you to model after:
Mastermind Name: Gregor Dan Pustch
Mastermind Unique Template: Big Brother (made-up template)
Faction Name: The Republicans
Goals: Take over the civilized world, through force if necessary.
Agenda:
-Expand my presence in the oil industry.
-Wage war with Whatever country for its oil, under the guise of peacekeeping.
-Expand reactionist policies in the United States.
Stats: Combat 3, Int 1, Cha 2, Strat 1, Cun 2, Bur 3
Notoriety: 15/15
Influence: 10
Income: +2 / Turn (+1 investment, +2 for wealth, -1 for upkeep)
General Backgrounds: List them as you gain them:
1.) Headquarters - The White House (Let's say he became President, I copy pasted this PEACH from another website, I mean no offense for doing so.)
2.) Allies - Fanatic Idealogues (1 point background)
3.) Wealth - +2 income/Turn (2 point background)
Investments:
1.) Small Oil Rig: Worth 10 Influence, +1/Turn (Gained for free)
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investment Slots: 1+3
Bases: 1 (The Whitehouse)
Servants:
1.) White House Aides - (Flunky 5/5), Upkeep: 1
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
[/Spoiler]
III. Unique "Template" Mastermind Backgrounds
UNDER CONSTRUCTION - NEED TO COMPLETE UNIQUE TRAITS
a.) The Monster (Dracula)
Your cap on the cunning stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the enhanced base background for free (at the 3 point level), reflecting the fact that Castlevania is no joke to breach!
Primogenitor: You also begin the game not with just your free flunky unit, but ALSO with a tier 3 ENFORCER unit of lesser vampires. This unit of lesser vampires cannot be upgraded like normal, but it also never costs Dracula any upkeep to sustain them. If this unit is killed in battle, Dracula may upgrade a tier 2 minion into a tier 3 enforcer, or outright purchase a new enforcer unit, to restore this free-upkeep unit of lesser vampires.
b.) The Mad Scientist (Dr. Quantum)
Your cap on the intelligence stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the science background (3 points) for free.
Techie: You are perhaps the very best at all things scientific. As such, science projects only cost you half of the influence they would normally cost as you know how to make the best use of your laboratory.
c.) The Occluded Psychologist (Dr. Hikei)
Your cap on the intelligence stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the secret identity background (at the 3 point level) for free.
Veil of Obscurity: You are not only good at hiding your own identity, but also the identities of those working for you as well. You add a hefty +5 bonus on all rolls to conceal your identity, as well as stealthily move your units in the territories of other masterminds or - more likely - legitimate governments, superheroes, and other NPCs.
d.) The Dark Lord (Rex Vorago)
Your cap on the Charisma stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the sorcery background for free (3 points).
Dark Divinity: You can grant some of your dark power to those who worship you. All units in your faction are capable of taking sorcery actions, although obviously the higher their tier the better the affects. Also, due to an unnatural boost granted by the dark lord's channeled power, units are considered to be 1 tier higher than they actually are for the purposes of the magnitude of their spell effects (although their stats and stuff remain the same - they just get more bang for their buck on sorcery rolls).
Infernal Magnificence (Free gift from the players and GM): You are no mere mage or petty sorcerer. True mystical power of a higher - or perhaps lower - origin literally courses through your blood. Your faction gains a +3 bonus on all sorcery-related rolls.
e.) The Evil robot (Death Bot)
Your cap on the strategy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the enhanced production background (at the 3 point level) for free, as you are cold and efficient in your operation.
Farmer Most Efficient: You are a cold, ruthlessly efficient machine. Your faction units gain a hefty +5 bonus on all Harvest Resource action rolls, meaning that if units are assigned to it frequently, the death bot can really bring in some good income.
f.) The Warmonger (Captain)
Your cap on the combat stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the wealth background (1 point level), and two purchases of the allies background (2 points together) of groups of your choice.
Leader of Armies: You are a master of the art of war, and a good army commander knows that the most important thing to having an army is actually having people to join it. You just happen to be perhaps the most gifted man on the planet when it comes to building armies. You gain a flat 20% discount (round fractions up as there is no decimals with influence) on the influence costs of purchasing and/or upgrading units. For example, tier 2 units only cost the warmonger 24 influence to purchase instead of 30, and only 16 influence instead of 20 to upgrade a flunky into a tier 2 unit.
g.) The Mercenary Baron (Enigma)
Your cap on the bureaucracy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain 1 contact background (1 point) of your choice and the wealth background (at the 2 point level) for free.
Fiscal Entrepreneur: Since you spend much less time on trying to take over the world, and much more time on beefing up your mercenary operation, your finances have swelled greatly. You begin play with 50 influence instead of just 10. Also, your focus away from world domination has yielded practical skills - you gain +1 to your bureaucracy stat, and are able to start with a 6 in bureaucracy at character gen.
h.) The Mutant (Lucius)
Your cap on the combat stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the prodigy background (2 points) linked to a stat of your choice, as well as a purchase of the contacts background (1 point) of a group of your choice, both for free.
Enhanced DNA: You DNA is simply superior to that of mainstream humanity. Through some quirk of nature, or perhaps vile experimentation, your DNA is altered. Thankfully, it was changed for the better. You gain a +1 to your combat stat, and can choose to buy it up to 6 points instead of 5 at character creation.
i.) The Symplegades Visionary (Dr. Henry)
Your cap on the strategy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You also get a level 3 Concealed Base, because you are far too crafty to be caught so easily by those who cannot appreciate your artistic vision.
The Elusive Artist: You are slippery and hard to pin down - and thank goodness, otherwise you'd have been canned long ago by those who cannot comprehend that the world is your canvas. Your faction gains a hefty +5 bonus on all rolls made to conceal the location of any of your bases and Headquarters, as well as information about them.
j.) The Artificer (Edward)
Your cap on the bureaucracy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the sorcery background (3 points) for free.
Peerless Craft: Your faction gains a +3 bonus to all rolls made to construct things (like buildings, base amenities, etc), or to identify the properties of any item. In addition, you can always choose to use the bureaucracy stat when making any such rolls, even if the GM would normally call for another stat like intelligence, charisma, etc.
IV. General Backgrounds
Backgrounds are purchased with notoriety points, and are considered permanent additions to the mastermind. If a background is somehow lost in-game, the mastermind is refunded its value in notoriety to reflect a hard lesson learned.
The one rule for points refunded back to the mastermind in this manner is that they may not be used to re-purchase the same background that that was just lost. So for example, if you lose one of your bases ( 2 point background) then you cannot just get refunded 2 notoriety points only to go and buy a new base! To get a new base, either other banked points must be used or 2 new ones earned.
Also, if the free headquarters that was granted at character creation is somehow lost or destroyed, no notoriety points are refunded. You get what you pay for, after all.
Each of the backgrounds below costs between 1 and 5 points of notoriety.
a.) Wealth (1 to 5 point)
Gain +1 income / turn, as if you had an investment, for each point spent purchasing this background. Unlike investments, the wealth background cannot be attacked or diminished and does not rely on any investment slots or even bases at all. It always gives its bonus to the mastermind.
b.) Headquarters (2 points each)
Obtain a new base for your faction. Bases grant 3 additional investment slots to your faction per base you own (including your headquarters), but each base besides the initial headquarters must have a tier 4+ unit stationed at it for it to provide its slots. More information on bases can be found in section VII.
c.) Secret Base (1 to 5 points)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all contested die rolls to conceal your base, mislead enemies from finding it, or to hide it once again.
d.) Enhanced Base (1 to 5 point)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all die rolls to defend any of your bases or Headquarters. It also, flavor-wise, means your bases have some additional amenities and cute quirks beyond the generic standard.
e.) Contacts (Group) (1 point each)
You gain a single group - like scientists, occultists, clergy, city hall, news reports, Drug Dealers, etc. - as a contact network you can tap into for tidbits of useful information about investment opportunities, mission opportunities, info about something, and more. This background only gives information though, and only if that group would know about it. In an iffy situation, the group partially knows something but the information is severely biased or only partially correct.
Roll 1d20 + the higher of the Mastermind's Charisma or Cunning. If you beat a difficulty of 15 you get a single piece of information, based on something your group network might know.
f.) Science (3 points)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
g.) Sorcery (3 points)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
h.) Secret Identity (1 to 5 points)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all contested die rolls to conceal the identity of your mastermind from enemies, or when using the Restore False Identity action.
i.) Enhanced Production (1 to 5 points)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all die rolls to determine if you gather additional resources when using the Harvest Resources action.
j.) Allies (Group) (1 point each)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
k.) Prodigy (2 points, one purchase ever)
This background allows the mastermind to select a SINGLE one of their 6 stats. The stat cap for that stat is raised from the usual 10 to 12, or 15 if it is a stat your mastermind template also boosts the cap on. Note that this background does NOT actually grant any stat points, but merely increases the maximum cap on a single stat.
This background may only be taken once, or twice if you possess the mutant mastermind template (if taken twice the cap boost most be applied to a different stat than your first prodigy background).
V. Units
a.) The Unit Tree
Units for the game all have a foundation in the flunky, and can evolve or be purchases at higher tiers following two trees - the potence tree and the influence tree. The potence tree is the left side of the tree and focuses on units who are better with small-scale tasks, while the right side of the tree focuses on influence, which is better for large-scale tasks. Need someone beaten up or a robbery conducted? Use a potence unit. Need your domain scouted or resources harvested? Use an influence unit. However, do note that all units have both potence and influence, but not equally so.
The tree is as follows:
Flunky (Basic Unit)
|
/ \
____/ \____
| |
Minion Follower
| |
____/ \ / \____
| | | |
Elite Enforcer Disciple Specialist
\ / \ /
\ / \ /
Henchman Foreman
| |
Warlord Vizier
\ /
\ /
High Lord
Note: Stat format is Potence/Influence bonus, displayed as X/Y. This is the bonus that is added to dice rolls when checking the success of actions during turns. Use potence for small scale actions and influence for large scale actions. Rules for dice rolling are in section VII.
b.) Flunky
Tier 1 Flunky
Stats: 1/1
Cost: 10 Influence
Upkeep: 1 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 20 Influence.
c.) Minion
Tier 2 Minion
Stats: 3/1
Cost: 30 Influence
Upkeep: 2 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 40 Influence.
d.) Follower
Tier 2 Follower
Stats: 1/3
Cost: 30 Influence
Upkeep: 2 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 40 Influence.
e.) Elite
Tier 3 Elite
Stats: 5/1
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
f.) Enforcer
Tier 3 Enforcer
Stats: 4/2
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
g.) Disciple
Tier 3 Disciple
Stats: 1/5
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
h.) Specialist
Tier 3 Specialist
Stats: 2/4
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
i.) Henchman
Tier 4 Henchman
Stats: 6/3
Cost: 150 Influence
Upkeep: 4 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 160 Influence.
j.) Foreman
Tier 4 Foreman
Stats: 3/6
Cost: 150 Influence
Upkeep: 4 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 160 Influence.
k.) Warlord
Tier 5 Warlord
Stats: 10/3
Cost: 310 Influence
Upkeep: 5 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 320 Influence.
l.) Vizier
Tier 5 Vizier
Stats: 3/10
Cost: 310 Influence
Upkeep: 5 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 320 Influence.
m.) High Lord
Tier 6 Highlord
Stats: 15/15
Cost: 630 Influence
Upkeep: 6 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: N/A
NOTE: You may only ever have one High Lord Unit in your operation. These are always unique individuals.
VI. Resources and Resource Management
a.) Notoriety
Notoriety is a mastermind-focused resource that never goes down, but only increases. It is a reflection of not only your success as a mastermind, but of how evil and bad you are. Mechanically, this serves as the experience points you use to buy additional stat points, as well as new backgrounds (or to upgrade backgrounds or fatten them up). Even if you spend notoriety, you record how many points available you have versus your total points (both available plus spent). This total notoriety is an approximate indicator of strength for your mastermind themselves, and unlike influence, notoriety never decreases.
Some things notoriety is used for:
-Stat points (1 for 1 basis)
-New or Additional Backgrounds (point cost varies, but always from 1-5)
-Mastermind Menu Upgrades (see section VII)
b.) Influence
Influence is a secondary type of currency, and reflects the scope of your operation, the clout you hold as a mastermind, and so on. It is a numerical - but ultimately purposely abstract - value. You gain influence by successfully completing missions, as well as conducting operations and stuff. You use influence to buy new servants, upgrade old servants, and maybe purchase upgrades to your base and faction, and maybe new options and commands for your "
menu screen" that you can utilize each turn, to make your faction have more options.
It is roughly equal to "gold" in other strategy games, although is a broad umbrella term that represents the "generic spending power" of a a faction.
Some things influence is used for:
-Purchasing New Units (cost varies)
-Upgrading Units (cost varies)
-Purchasing new investments (cost varies)
-Buying resources, artifacts, and other things from the black market.
-Purchasing Amenities for your base
-Bribes/Blackmail
-Anything the ST deems necessary
c.) Investments
A primary source of steady Influence income is generated by gaining and maintaining "investments," which are both liquid and physical assets that can be gained or lost in game, generally gained via missions or direct purchases, although backgrounds also affect that. They can be whatever you want - banks, drug cartels, a gold mine, what ever you want. It is flavor text, and each investment adds between +1, +5, or +10 to your influence income, based on its category:
l.) Minor Investment
Name:
Examples: Rental properties, drug house, meth lab, pumpkin patch, oil rig (singular)
Cost/Value: 10 Influence
Income Generation: +1 Influence/Turn
2.) Major Investment
Name:
Examples: Oil rigs (plural), banks, drug ring, gem quarry, dig site
Cost/Value: 100 Influence
Income Generation: +5 Influence/Turn
3.) Cornerstone Investment
Name:
Examples: National/world-wide chain of stores, rare mineral mine, multi-city drug ring, slave operation, etc. Big or really potent investments.
Cost/Value: 500 Influence
Income Generation: +10 Influence/Turn
You can only have so many investments at a time. Each mastermind automatically has one investment "slot," even if his operation folds and he is out ont he street. There is, after all, always room to improve when you're on the bottom of the barrel. For every headquarters/base that the mastermind owns, they gain an additional three investment "slots." These slots represent the faction's ability to manage multiple ventures efficiently while also being an evil organization.
If a mastermind's investment slots are filled, they cannot gain additional investments until they either gain more bases and/or sell of current investments. It is perfectly legal to sell off a lesser investment to make room for a greater one, although unlike units investments can not be upgraded and are all-or-nothing deals.
d.) Income and Upkeep
There are two factors that contribute to a Mastermind's steady generation of influence (versus quick gains and losses resulting from in-game actions). These are income and upkeep.
Influence income is generated by investments, as well as the wealth background. This is influence that is gained automatically each turn. Upkeep is the opposite - it is an automatic drain on your influence pool each turn, and is usually due to unit upkeep. However, the GM may decide certain other factors generate an upkeep, but should never do so randomly/arbitrarily nor force an upkeep onto a player (they either accept the source of the upkeep and gain its benefits or do not and don't).
To calculate the mastermind's NET income per turn, take the sum of their various incomes and upkeeps. For example, having two +1 income investments and a single flunky unit yields a net income of +1 influence/turn. (1x2=2, 2-1=1)
VII. Systems & Mechanics
a.) The dice system
To determine if an action succeeds or fails, roll a 1d20 and add the mastermind's relevant stat as well as either the potence or influence rating of the unit performing the action to the die roll result, depending on if the action is one governed by potence or influence.
Potence actions are small-scale or very focused micromanagement types of activities. They are usually the "get your hands dirty" types of things. Some types of actions considered potence actions are:
-Combat
-Science
-Sorcery
-Robbing a bank
-Building a laser rifle
-Intimidating someone
-Giving a speech
-Swaying an audience
-Blowing up a building
-conducting researched on a focused topic
-Helping coordinate your units within a scene
-"Looking into something personally"
-Micromanagement
Influence actions are large-scale or very broad macromanagement types of activities. They are usually the "get your hands dirty" types of things. Some types of actions considered potence actions are:
-Scouting territory
-Keeping tabs on an organization
-Harvesting Resources (or rolling to improve the yield for an investment in a turn)
-Conducting broad research
-Installing laser turrets in your base
-Distributing Propaganda
-Searching for investment opportunities
-Helping coordinate your units across your territory
-"Keeping things running smoothly"
-Macromanagement
So the calculation is: 1d20 + Unit potence/Influence + Relevant Mastermind Stat
b.) Taking your turn
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Design Note: Some Basic actions will be:
-Scout Territory: Roll 1d20+Influence+Cunning, and if it beats a difficulty of 20, the ST informs the mastermind about any obvious threats within their territory.
-Harvest Resources: Roll 1d20+Influence+Bureaucracy, and if the roll beats a difficulty of 20 a single investment yields double the income for the turn. any individual investment may only have this successfully used on it once per turn.
-Monitor Standard News Channels: Roll 1d20+Influence+Strategy, and if the roll beats difficulty 20 the ST yields a single piece of mundane information that is at least mildly interesting to the faction.
-Engage Enemy: A unit takes a combat action against another unit within faction territory. Both units roll 1d20+Potence+Combat and the higher roll wins. A tie is a draw and neither side loses their unit.
-Participate In Mission: A unit takes part in a mission, whatever it may be. Roll 1d20+Potence+[ST determines Stat] and the ST declares the results based on the roll result. This can either be a failure for really low rolls, partial success for moderate ones, and success for high ones.
-Attack/Defend Base: Rules UNDER CONSTRUCTION for this.
There will be advanced actions that are Unlockable with notoriety under the upgrades section.
c.) Headquarters & Bases
Headquarters and bases are essentially synonymous with one another, except that your mastermind is considered to be stationed at your headquarters. Thus, you can only have one headquarters at a time, but can have as many bases as your operation can support.
The HQ/base is really important because it is the only source of investment slots beyond the initial 1 every mastermind gets simply for breathing. Every HQ/base you have grants three ADDITIONAL investment slots that can be used to accommodate investments for your faction.
If you somehow lose a base, you lose the investment slots that were gained from it - which means that if you have more investments than you do slots to accommodate those investments, your mastermind is FORCED to sell those their excess investments until the number of investments once again is in line with your investment slots.
Also, additional bases must have a tier 4 or higher unit stationed at them to support them, otherwise they will not effectively grant their investment slots. A mastermind in his headquarters always meets this condition for the one base currently designated as the headquarters. If this tier 4 unit is somehow killed or lost, the base is not lost but ceases providing investment slots - which means that like losing a base, excess investments must be sold off and liquidated immediately the following turn. The base will "turn back on" and once again produce its investment slots once it has a new tier 4+ unit assigned to it.
d.) Combat
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
I'm thinking it is a simple 1d20 + Unit's Potence + Combat Stat, although other modifiers could also be present.
e.) Science & Sorcery
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
f.) Artifacts
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
g.) NPCs - Good and Bad, a World Against You
Masterminds are not the only ones who exist in the world. There are other threats and entities out there, ranging from every-day people to police officers to even superheroes and the like. They do not have the tree available to masterminds. Instead, they merely follow a simple progression. Note that the frequency of encountering particular units decreases the stronger up this progression they get.
Tier 1 Normal Person
Stats: 1/1
Examples: Citizens, pesky reporter, street thug
Tier 2 Heroic Mortal
Stats: 2/2
Examples: Police officers, minor robots, weak mutants, etc.
Tier 3 Superhuman
Stats: 3/3
Examples: Super elite humans, normal mutants, common super heroes, aliens, etc
Tier 4 Megahuman
Stats: 4/4
Examples: Super soldiers, normal unaligned demons, advanced superheroes like spiderman, wolverine, etc.
Tier 5 Ultrahuman
Stats: 7/7
Examples: Very potent threats, like Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Storm, etc.
Tier 6 Demigod
Stats: 13/13
Examples: Pinnacle-level threats that only a high lord could hope to exceed on an equal footing. Examples are Superman, Galactus, Professor Xavier, the Phoenix, and so on.
The general difference between NPCs and mastermind units is that equal-tier Mastermind units are a little stronger than equal-tier NPCs in their area of focus, but NPCs are more broadly applicable and balanced. Depth versus breadth.
h.) Upgrades
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
-Restore False Identity action
-Advanced Harvest Resources
This message was last edited by the player at 15:36, Thu
Change Log (Version 1.2):
*Added in two new mastermind templates - the The Symplegades Visionary and the Artificer.
*The warmonger's unique ability has changed. Now, this Influence discount is a tad less (by like 5%), but it is applicable across all tiers of units. Overall, this is a huge boost to the ability.
*The Enhanced Base background is now a 1 to 5 point background, complete with the normal scaling benefit for such backgrounds.
Change Log (Version 1.1):
*Updated and changed the mastermind templates, giving everyone not only a bigger stat cap increase, but Dracula's castle is now very easy to find, but is subsequently much more difficult to breach than before (removed secret base, added enhanced base 3).
*Changed the enhanced base background from a 1 dot background to a 1-5 dot background. It now also actually does something - grants a +1 bonus to die rolls for defending your base per point invested in the background. Happy hunting, Belmonts!
*The mutant mastermind template's unique ability has been changed! Because the enhanced base background mimiced the mutant's special skill, that made it no longer unique. So instead, the mutuant is now even more of a powerhouse in a fight than before! (gains +1 to his combat stat at char gen for free, and his starting combat may go up to 6 instead of the normal 5). Also, you may purchase the prodigy background twice instead of just once like everyone else, although this second purchase must be linked to a different stat then the first prodigy background is.
*The prodigy background has been improved! Instead of increasing the cap on a particular stat by 1, it instead increases it by 2!
----
EVILMASTERMIND Version 1.1
Table of contents
I. Mastermind Game Summary
a.) What the game is about
b.) Focus of the game
II. Mastermind Character Creation
a.) Stats
b.) Mastermind Templates
c.) Character Creation Process
III. Unique "Template" Mastermind Backgrounds
a.) The Monster (Dracula)
b.) The Mad Scientist (Dr. Quantum)
c.) The Occluded Psychologist (Dr. Hikei)
d.) The Dark Lord (Rex Vorago)
e.) The Evil robot (Death Bot)
f.) The Warmonger (Captain)
g.) The Mercenary Baron (Enigma)
h.) The Mutant (Lucius)
i.) The Symplegades Visionary (Dr. Henry)
j.) The Artificer (Edward)
IV. General Backgrounds
a.) Wealth
b.) Headquarters
c.) Secret Base
d.) Enhanced Base
e.) Contacts (Group)
f.) Science
g.) Sorcery
h.) Secret Identity
i.) Enhanced Production
j.) Allies (Group)
k.) Prodigy
V. Units
a.) The Unit Tree
b.) Flunky
c.) Minion
d.) Follower
e.) Elite
f.) Enforcer
g.) Disciple
h.) Specialist
i.) Henchman
j.) Foreman
k.) Warlord
l.) Vizier
m.) High Lord
VI. Resources and Resource Management
a.) Notoriety
b.) Influence
c.) Investments
d.) Income and Upkeep
VII. Systems & Mechanics
a.) The dice system
b.) Taking your turn
c.) Headquarters & Bases
d.) Combat
e.) Science & Sorcery
f.) Artifacts
g.) NPCs - Good and Bad, a World Against You
h.) Upgrades
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Mastermind Game Summary
a.) What the game is about
As the title suggests, you are a cunning villain! Strive to become the greatest villain of them all, and ultimate power will be yours! Build the Moon Laser of Doom! Recruit minions to fight for you, build for you, and entertain you! Whatever you do, do it, because you do what ever you want!
Being a villain takes resources and effort...but you can take the easy way out sometimes.
b.) Focus of the game
This game is ultimately a strategy game where you manage various resources and actions in pursuit of your various goals. For most, this is world domination, although for some evil masterminds this could instead being as evil as possible, or becoming the richest man on earth. Whatever the case, masterminds are not morally just and upstanding individuals.
There may be a slight role playing element in the game too, but ultimately managing resources, minions, and more is your meal ticket to success. There are different types of masterminds though, which means different flavors of success.
The game setting and feel is modern times, with a Marvel Superheroes level of being over the top. You may have a fleet of mafiosos working for you as much as you might have sentry drones!
II. Mastermind Character Creation
a.) Stats
Masterminds themselves each have an array of stats attributed to them that reflects not only their personal capability, but more importantly how much they can support their servants and their operation. Masterminds never do anything directly, instead leaving the dirty work for others while they remain in the shadows.
There are six stats, three of which focus on potency or directly achieving goals (combat, intelligence, charisma), and three focusing on influence or managing your evil operation (strategy, cunning, Bureaucracy). Essentially, potence helps resolve small-scale issues and influence helps resolve large-scale ones. The potence/influence dichotomy will be important later, for servant stats.
-Combat: Reflects general capability in physical combat situations, ranging from throwing punches to shooting guns to having Chinese off-the-wall sword fights.
-Intelligence: Reflects your cerebral capability. Anything where you have to understand complex information (that isn't mystical), crack codes, solve enigmas, ancient (non-mystical) languages, natural phenomena, and so on will draw on this stat. Also, this the the primary stat for just about anything science-related.
-Charisma: Reflects your force of personality, as well as your sense of self. This stat affects your leadership ability, as well as your dark appeal as a mastermind. It is the primary stat for just about anything mystical-related, like sorcery. It is used when trying to understand complex mystical information just like intelligence is used for understanding non-mystical information.
-Strategy: Reflects your ability to conduct long-term planning, organize your operation efficiently (although resources fall under Bureaucracy), and manage your base and territory defenses.
-Cunning: This stat reflects your general awareness of your surroundings, your operation, as well as how to possibly counter-act enemies on-the-fly (where as strategy is big-picture). This stat is used to help you keep track of the going-ons within the territory that you control, as well as notice interesting happenings in the community at large. Finally, it is used for making quick deals with shady organizations, like selling drugs to a street gang.
-Bureaucracy: This stat reflects your ability to manage your resources, be it harvesting them or establishing them. The greater this stat is, the better you manage your precious resources. It also is used to maneuver legally and fiscally in mainstream society.
NOTE: Any given stat cannot be more than 5 at character creation, and is capped at 10. If the prodigy background is taken, the cap in a SINGLE stat linked to the background is raised to 11. This stacks with mastermind stat cap increases, and a prodigy background linked with a stat cap boosted by a mastermind template can be raised to 12.
b.) Mastermind Templates
Players create characters called masterminds - the most elite type of being on the planet. Masterminds are each unique individuals that represent high-powered incarnations of stereotypical villain archetypes. In the game setting, mastermind-level units are exceedingly rare in the same sense that superman-level heroes are exceedingly rare.
There are mastermind archetypes that can be found in part c of this section. Each mastermind archetype is essentially a template that offers a special unique benefit to the player of that mastermind. This not only gives players unique options, but also prevents masterminds from being carbon-copies of one another. After all, someone like Dr. doom is not the same as someone like Magneto or even the Kingpin, although all three are good inspiration for mastermind concepts.
See section III for more information on mastermind templates.
c.) Character Creation Process
Creating your mastermind is easy. First, you select a mastermind template (more information in section III). Then, you follow this process to create a Mastermind profile:
Mastermind Profile
Each Mastermind starts out with a small "care package" of resources and stuff to get them on their way, but they are on their own after that. The mastermind starting package is:
1.) One Flunky Servant Unit, purchased free of charge. It may be defined in a manner that makes sense to your mastermind template - like gangsters or thugs or guards or even weak harvester drones. However, the stats are always that of a flunky (unit information is found in section V).
2.) One investment (the enterprise can be whatever you want, as it is flavor text). Whatever it is, it has a value of 10 Influence and an income generation of +1/Turn.
3.) 15 Points of Notoriety, which must immediately be spent on stats and/or backgrounds at char gen. All 15 points must be spent, and at least one must be put into each of the 6 stats. No stat can exceed 5 at char gen, nor can more than 5 points be spent on backgrounds.
4.) One free background: Headquarters.
5.) 10 Points of Influence.
Mastermind Name: Name of the Mastermind.
Mastermind Unique Template: This is the mastermind template you you be playing as. See section III for more information on mastermind templates. There can only be one of any given template in the game at a time.
Faction Name: Name of the faction, organization, group, or what have you that owes fealty to the mastermind. Every Mastermind has a faction associated with him/her/it. This is the collective name that encompasses your servants, resources, and operation.
Goals: Abridged goals of the mastermind and faction - limit of 1 to 3 sentences. These are more general scope things, while more specific things are under agenda.
Agenda: Some of the specific mini-goals, projects, and other areas of focus for the mastermind and their faction. This is done in a bullet-point format.
-Bla bla bla.
-Bla bla bla.
-Bla bla bla.
Stats: Combat X, Int X, Cha X, Strat X, Cun X, Bur X (put stats here)
Notoriety: 15/15 (initial 15 points must all be accounted for after char gen)
Influence: 10
Income: +X / Turn (this is the sum of your investment income and any upkeep you have to account for)
General Backgrounds: List them as you gain them:
1.) Headquarters - Free with character creation
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investments: (Uses the following format - Name of Investment: Worth, Income)
1.) Initial Free Starting Investment: Worth 10 Influence, +1/Turn
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investment Slots: 1 + [3 per HQ/base you own]
Bases: How many HQ/bases you own, per the background. Write the name of each base you own here, like "Death Star," or "Volcano Island."
Servants: List servants as their unit name (thug, demon, robot, whatever), their potence/Influence ratings, and then their upkeep.
1.) Unit Name - (Flunky 1/1), Upkeep: 1 (This first flunky is free)
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
A Blank copy:
Mastermind Name:
Mastermind Unique Template:
Faction Name:
Goals:
Agenda:
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
Stats: Combat X, Int X, Cha X, Strat X, Cun X, Bur X
Notoriety: 15/15
Influence: 10
Income: +X / Turn
General Backgrounds: List them as you gain them:
1.) Headquarters (Free)
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investments:
1.) Initial Free Starting Investment: Worth 10 Influence, +1/Turn
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investment Slots:
Bases:
Servants:
1.) Unit Name - (Flunky 5/5), Upkeep: 1
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Here is an example of a finished starting sheet for you to model after:
Mastermind Name: Gregor Dan Pustch
Mastermind Unique Template: Big Brother (made-up template)
Faction Name: The Republicans
Goals: Take over the civilized world, through force if necessary.
Agenda:
-Expand my presence in the oil industry.
-Wage war with Whatever country for its oil, under the guise of peacekeeping.
-Expand reactionist policies in the United States.
Stats: Combat 3, Int 1, Cha 2, Strat 1, Cun 2, Bur 3
Notoriety: 15/15
Influence: 10
Income: +2 / Turn (+1 investment, +2 for wealth, -1 for upkeep)
General Backgrounds: List them as you gain them:
1.) Headquarters - The White House (Let's say he became President, I copy pasted this PEACH from another website, I mean no offense for doing so.)
2.) Allies - Fanatic Idealogues (1 point background)
3.) Wealth - +2 income/Turn (2 point background)
Investments:
1.) Small Oil Rig: Worth 10 Influence, +1/Turn (Gained for free)
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
Investment Slots: 1+3
Bases: 1 (The Whitehouse)
Servants:
1.) White House Aides - (Flunky 5/5), Upkeep: 1
2.) TBD
3.) TBD
[/Spoiler]
III. Unique "Template" Mastermind Backgrounds
UNDER CONSTRUCTION - NEED TO COMPLETE UNIQUE TRAITS
a.) The Monster (Dracula)
Your cap on the cunning stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the enhanced base background for free (at the 3 point level), reflecting the fact that Castlevania is no joke to breach!
Primogenitor: You also begin the game not with just your free flunky unit, but ALSO with a tier 3 ENFORCER unit of lesser vampires. This unit of lesser vampires cannot be upgraded like normal, but it also never costs Dracula any upkeep to sustain them. If this unit is killed in battle, Dracula may upgrade a tier 2 minion into a tier 3 enforcer, or outright purchase a new enforcer unit, to restore this free-upkeep unit of lesser vampires.
b.) The Mad Scientist (Dr. Quantum)
Your cap on the intelligence stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the science background (3 points) for free.
Techie: You are perhaps the very best at all things scientific. As such, science projects only cost you half of the influence they would normally cost as you know how to make the best use of your laboratory.
c.) The Occluded Psychologist (Dr. Hikei)
Your cap on the intelligence stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the secret identity background (at the 3 point level) for free.
Veil of Obscurity: You are not only good at hiding your own identity, but also the identities of those working for you as well. You add a hefty +5 bonus on all rolls to conceal your identity, as well as stealthily move your units in the territories of other masterminds or - more likely - legitimate governments, superheroes, and other NPCs.
d.) The Dark Lord (Rex Vorago)
Your cap on the Charisma stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the sorcery background for free (3 points).
Dark Divinity: You can grant some of your dark power to those who worship you. All units in your faction are capable of taking sorcery actions, although obviously the higher their tier the better the affects. Also, due to an unnatural boost granted by the dark lord's channeled power, units are considered to be 1 tier higher than they actually are for the purposes of the magnitude of their spell effects (although their stats and stuff remain the same - they just get more bang for their buck on sorcery rolls).
Infernal Magnificence (Free gift from the players and GM): You are no mere mage or petty sorcerer. True mystical power of a higher - or perhaps lower - origin literally courses through your blood. Your faction gains a +3 bonus on all sorcery-related rolls.
e.) The Evil robot (Death Bot)
Your cap on the strategy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the enhanced production background (at the 3 point level) for free, as you are cold and efficient in your operation.
Farmer Most Efficient: You are a cold, ruthlessly efficient machine. Your faction units gain a hefty +5 bonus on all Harvest Resource action rolls, meaning that if units are assigned to it frequently, the death bot can really bring in some good income.
f.) The Warmonger (Captain)
Your cap on the combat stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the wealth background (1 point level), and two purchases of the allies background (2 points together) of groups of your choice.
Leader of Armies: You are a master of the art of war, and a good army commander knows that the most important thing to having an army is actually having people to join it. You just happen to be perhaps the most gifted man on the planet when it comes to building armies. You gain a flat 20% discount (round fractions up as there is no decimals with influence) on the influence costs of purchasing and/or upgrading units. For example, tier 2 units only cost the warmonger 24 influence to purchase instead of 30, and only 16 influence instead of 20 to upgrade a flunky into a tier 2 unit.
g.) The Mercenary Baron (Enigma)
Your cap on the bureaucracy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain 1 contact background (1 point) of your choice and the wealth background (at the 2 point level) for free.
Fiscal Entrepreneur: Since you spend much less time on trying to take over the world, and much more time on beefing up your mercenary operation, your finances have swelled greatly. You begin play with 50 influence instead of just 10. Also, your focus away from world domination has yielded practical skills - you gain +1 to your bureaucracy stat, and are able to start with a 6 in bureaucracy at character gen.
h.) The Mutant (Lucius)
Your cap on the combat stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the prodigy background (2 points) linked to a stat of your choice, as well as a purchase of the contacts background (1 point) of a group of your choice, both for free.
Enhanced DNA: You DNA is simply superior to that of mainstream humanity. Through some quirk of nature, or perhaps vile experimentation, your DNA is altered. Thankfully, it was changed for the better. You gain a +1 to your combat stat, and can choose to buy it up to 6 points instead of 5 at character creation.
i.) The Symplegades Visionary (Dr. Henry)
Your cap on the strategy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You also get a level 3 Concealed Base, because you are far too crafty to be caught so easily by those who cannot appreciate your artistic vision.
The Elusive Artist: You are slippery and hard to pin down - and thank goodness, otherwise you'd have been canned long ago by those who cannot comprehend that the world is your canvas. Your faction gains a hefty +5 bonus on all rolls made to conceal the location of any of your bases and Headquarters, as well as information about them.
j.) The Artificer (Edward)
Your cap on the bureaucracy stat is increased from 10 to 13. You gain the sorcery background (3 points) for free.
Peerless Craft: Your faction gains a +3 bonus to all rolls made to construct things (like buildings, base amenities, etc), or to identify the properties of any item. In addition, you can always choose to use the bureaucracy stat when making any such rolls, even if the GM would normally call for another stat like intelligence, charisma, etc.
IV. General Backgrounds
Backgrounds are purchased with notoriety points, and are considered permanent additions to the mastermind. If a background is somehow lost in-game, the mastermind is refunded its value in notoriety to reflect a hard lesson learned.
The one rule for points refunded back to the mastermind in this manner is that they may not be used to re-purchase the same background that that was just lost. So for example, if you lose one of your bases ( 2 point background) then you cannot just get refunded 2 notoriety points only to go and buy a new base! To get a new base, either other banked points must be used or 2 new ones earned.
Also, if the free headquarters that was granted at character creation is somehow lost or destroyed, no notoriety points are refunded. You get what you pay for, after all.
Each of the backgrounds below costs between 1 and 5 points of notoriety.
a.) Wealth (1 to 5 point)
Gain +1 income / turn, as if you had an investment, for each point spent purchasing this background. Unlike investments, the wealth background cannot be attacked or diminished and does not rely on any investment slots or even bases at all. It always gives its bonus to the mastermind.
b.) Headquarters (2 points each)
Obtain a new base for your faction. Bases grant 3 additional investment slots to your faction per base you own (including your headquarters), but each base besides the initial headquarters must have a tier 4+ unit stationed at it for it to provide its slots. More information on bases can be found in section VII.
c.) Secret Base (1 to 5 points)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all contested die rolls to conceal your base, mislead enemies from finding it, or to hide it once again.
d.) Enhanced Base (1 to 5 point)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all die rolls to defend any of your bases or Headquarters. It also, flavor-wise, means your bases have some additional amenities and cute quirks beyond the generic standard.
e.) Contacts (Group) (1 point each)
You gain a single group - like scientists, occultists, clergy, city hall, news reports, Drug Dealers, etc. - as a contact network you can tap into for tidbits of useful information about investment opportunities, mission opportunities, info about something, and more. This background only gives information though, and only if that group would know about it. In an iffy situation, the group partially knows something but the information is severely biased or only partially correct.
Roll 1d20 + the higher of the Mastermind's Charisma or Cunning. If you beat a difficulty of 15 you get a single piece of information, based on something your group network might know.
f.) Science (3 points)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
g.) Sorcery (3 points)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
h.) Secret Identity (1 to 5 points)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all contested die rolls to conceal the identity of your mastermind from enemies, or when using the Restore False Identity action.
i.) Enhanced Production (1 to 5 points)
Each point spent in this background grants a +1 bonus on all die rolls to determine if you gather additional resources when using the Harvest Resources action.
j.) Allies (Group) (1 point each)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
k.) Prodigy (2 points, one purchase ever)
This background allows the mastermind to select a SINGLE one of their 6 stats. The stat cap for that stat is raised from the usual 10 to 12, or 15 if it is a stat your mastermind template also boosts the cap on. Note that this background does NOT actually grant any stat points, but merely increases the maximum cap on a single stat.
This background may only be taken once, or twice if you possess the mutant mastermind template (if taken twice the cap boost most be applied to a different stat than your first prodigy background).
V. Units
a.) The Unit Tree
Units for the game all have a foundation in the flunky, and can evolve or be purchases at higher tiers following two trees - the potence tree and the influence tree. The potence tree is the left side of the tree and focuses on units who are better with small-scale tasks, while the right side of the tree focuses on influence, which is better for large-scale tasks. Need someone beaten up or a robbery conducted? Use a potence unit. Need your domain scouted or resources harvested? Use an influence unit. However, do note that all units have both potence and influence, but not equally so.
The tree is as follows:
Flunky (Basic Unit)
|
/ \
____/ \____
| |
Minion Follower
| |
____/ \ / \____
| | | |
Elite Enforcer Disciple Specialist
\ / \ /
\ / \ /
Henchman Foreman
| |
Warlord Vizier
\ /
\ /
High Lord
Note: Stat format is Potence/Influence bonus, displayed as X/Y. This is the bonus that is added to dice rolls when checking the success of actions during turns. Use potence for small scale actions and influence for large scale actions. Rules for dice rolling are in section VII.
b.) Flunky
Tier 1 Flunky
Stats: 1/1
Cost: 10 Influence
Upkeep: 1 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 20 Influence.
c.) Minion
Tier 2 Minion
Stats: 3/1
Cost: 30 Influence
Upkeep: 2 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 40 Influence.
d.) Follower
Tier 2 Follower
Stats: 1/3
Cost: 30 Influence
Upkeep: 2 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 40 Influence.
e.) Elite
Tier 3 Elite
Stats: 5/1
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
f.) Enforcer
Tier 3 Enforcer
Stats: 4/2
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
g.) Disciple
Tier 3 Disciple
Stats: 1/5
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
h.) Specialist
Tier 3 Specialist
Stats: 2/4
Cost: 70 Influence
Upkeep: 3 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 80 Influence.
i.) Henchman
Tier 4 Henchman
Stats: 6/3
Cost: 150 Influence
Upkeep: 4 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 160 Influence.
j.) Foreman
Tier 4 Foreman
Stats: 3/6
Cost: 150 Influence
Upkeep: 4 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 160 Influence.
k.) Warlord
Tier 5 Warlord
Stats: 10/3
Cost: 310 Influence
Upkeep: 5 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 320 Influence.
l.) Vizier
Tier 5 Vizier
Stats: 3/10
Cost: 310 Influence
Upkeep: 5 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: 320 Influence.
m.) High Lord
Tier 6 Highlord
Stats: 15/15
Cost: 630 Influence
Upkeep: 6 Influence/Turn
Upgrade Cost: N/A
NOTE: You may only ever have one High Lord Unit in your operation. These are always unique individuals.
VI. Resources and Resource Management
a.) Notoriety
Notoriety is a mastermind-focused resource that never goes down, but only increases. It is a reflection of not only your success as a mastermind, but of how evil and bad you are. Mechanically, this serves as the experience points you use to buy additional stat points, as well as new backgrounds (or to upgrade backgrounds or fatten them up). Even if you spend notoriety, you record how many points available you have versus your total points (both available plus spent). This total notoriety is an approximate indicator of strength for your mastermind themselves, and unlike influence, notoriety never decreases.
Some things notoriety is used for:
-Stat points (1 for 1 basis)
-New or Additional Backgrounds (point cost varies, but always from 1-5)
-Mastermind Menu Upgrades (see section VII)
b.) Influence
Influence is a secondary type of currency, and reflects the scope of your operation, the clout you hold as a mastermind, and so on. It is a numerical - but ultimately purposely abstract - value. You gain influence by successfully completing missions, as well as conducting operations and stuff. You use influence to buy new servants, upgrade old servants, and maybe purchase upgrades to your base and faction, and maybe new options and commands for your "
menu screen" that you can utilize each turn, to make your faction have more options.
It is roughly equal to "gold" in other strategy games, although is a broad umbrella term that represents the "generic spending power" of a a faction.
Some things influence is used for:
-Purchasing New Units (cost varies)
-Upgrading Units (cost varies)
-Purchasing new investments (cost varies)
-Buying resources, artifacts, and other things from the black market.
-Purchasing Amenities for your base
-Bribes/Blackmail
-Anything the ST deems necessary
c.) Investments
A primary source of steady Influence income is generated by gaining and maintaining "investments," which are both liquid and physical assets that can be gained or lost in game, generally gained via missions or direct purchases, although backgrounds also affect that. They can be whatever you want - banks, drug cartels, a gold mine, what ever you want. It is flavor text, and each investment adds between +1, +5, or +10 to your influence income, based on its category:
l.) Minor Investment
Name:
Examples: Rental properties, drug house, meth lab, pumpkin patch, oil rig (singular)
Cost/Value: 10 Influence
Income Generation: +1 Influence/Turn
2.) Major Investment
Name:
Examples: Oil rigs (plural), banks, drug ring, gem quarry, dig site
Cost/Value: 100 Influence
Income Generation: +5 Influence/Turn
3.) Cornerstone Investment
Name:
Examples: National/world-wide chain of stores, rare mineral mine, multi-city drug ring, slave operation, etc. Big or really potent investments.
Cost/Value: 500 Influence
Income Generation: +10 Influence/Turn
You can only have so many investments at a time. Each mastermind automatically has one investment "slot," even if his operation folds and he is out ont he street. There is, after all, always room to improve when you're on the bottom of the barrel. For every headquarters/base that the mastermind owns, they gain an additional three investment "slots." These slots represent the faction's ability to manage multiple ventures efficiently while also being an evil organization.
If a mastermind's investment slots are filled, they cannot gain additional investments until they either gain more bases and/or sell of current investments. It is perfectly legal to sell off a lesser investment to make room for a greater one, although unlike units investments can not be upgraded and are all-or-nothing deals.
d.) Income and Upkeep
There are two factors that contribute to a Mastermind's steady generation of influence (versus quick gains and losses resulting from in-game actions). These are income and upkeep.
Influence income is generated by investments, as well as the wealth background. This is influence that is gained automatically each turn. Upkeep is the opposite - it is an automatic drain on your influence pool each turn, and is usually due to unit upkeep. However, the GM may decide certain other factors generate an upkeep, but should never do so randomly/arbitrarily nor force an upkeep onto a player (they either accept the source of the upkeep and gain its benefits or do not and don't).
To calculate the mastermind's NET income per turn, take the sum of their various incomes and upkeeps. For example, having two +1 income investments and a single flunky unit yields a net income of +1 influence/turn. (1x2=2, 2-1=1)
VII. Systems & Mechanics
a.) The dice system
To determine if an action succeeds or fails, roll a 1d20 and add the mastermind's relevant stat as well as either the potence or influence rating of the unit performing the action to the die roll result, depending on if the action is one governed by potence or influence.
Potence actions are small-scale or very focused micromanagement types of activities. They are usually the "get your hands dirty" types of things. Some types of actions considered potence actions are:
-Combat
-Science
-Sorcery
-Robbing a bank
-Building a laser rifle
-Intimidating someone
-Giving a speech
-Swaying an audience
-Blowing up a building
-conducting researched on a focused topic
-Helping coordinate your units within a scene
-"Looking into something personally"
-Micromanagement
Influence actions are large-scale or very broad macromanagement types of activities. They are usually the "get your hands dirty" types of things. Some types of actions considered potence actions are:
-Scouting territory
-Keeping tabs on an organization
-Harvesting Resources (or rolling to improve the yield for an investment in a turn)
-Conducting broad research
-Installing laser turrets in your base
-Distributing Propaganda
-Searching for investment opportunities
-Helping coordinate your units across your territory
-"Keeping things running smoothly"
-Macromanagement
So the calculation is: 1d20 + Unit potence/Influence + Relevant Mastermind Stat
b.) Taking your turn
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Design Note: Some Basic actions will be:
-Scout Territory: Roll 1d20+Influence+Cunning, and if it beats a difficulty of 20, the ST informs the mastermind about any obvious threats within their territory.
-Harvest Resources: Roll 1d20+Influence+Bureaucracy, and if the roll beats a difficulty of 20 a single investment yields double the income for the turn. any individual investment may only have this successfully used on it once per turn.
-Monitor Standard News Channels: Roll 1d20+Influence+Strategy, and if the roll beats difficulty 20 the ST yields a single piece of mundane information that is at least mildly interesting to the faction.
-Engage Enemy: A unit takes a combat action against another unit within faction territory. Both units roll 1d20+Potence+Combat and the higher roll wins. A tie is a draw and neither side loses their unit.
-Participate In Mission: A unit takes part in a mission, whatever it may be. Roll 1d20+Potence+[ST determines Stat] and the ST declares the results based on the roll result. This can either be a failure for really low rolls, partial success for moderate ones, and success for high ones.
-Attack/Defend Base: Rules UNDER CONSTRUCTION for this.
There will be advanced actions that are Unlockable with notoriety under the upgrades section.
c.) Headquarters & Bases
Headquarters and bases are essentially synonymous with one another, except that your mastermind is considered to be stationed at your headquarters. Thus, you can only have one headquarters at a time, but can have as many bases as your operation can support.
The HQ/base is really important because it is the only source of investment slots beyond the initial 1 every mastermind gets simply for breathing. Every HQ/base you have grants three ADDITIONAL investment slots that can be used to accommodate investments for your faction.
If you somehow lose a base, you lose the investment slots that were gained from it - which means that if you have more investments than you do slots to accommodate those investments, your mastermind is FORCED to sell those their excess investments until the number of investments once again is in line with your investment slots.
Also, additional bases must have a tier 4 or higher unit stationed at them to support them, otherwise they will not effectively grant their investment slots. A mastermind in his headquarters always meets this condition for the one base currently designated as the headquarters. If this tier 4 unit is somehow killed or lost, the base is not lost but ceases providing investment slots - which means that like losing a base, excess investments must be sold off and liquidated immediately the following turn. The base will "turn back on" and once again produce its investment slots once it has a new tier 4+ unit assigned to it.
d.) Combat
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
I'm thinking it is a simple 1d20 + Unit's Potence + Combat Stat, although other modifiers could also be present.
e.) Science & Sorcery
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
f.) Artifacts
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
g.) NPCs - Good and Bad, a World Against You
Masterminds are not the only ones who exist in the world. There are other threats and entities out there, ranging from every-day people to police officers to even superheroes and the like. They do not have the tree available to masterminds. Instead, they merely follow a simple progression. Note that the frequency of encountering particular units decreases the stronger up this progression they get.
Tier 1 Normal Person
Stats: 1/1
Examples: Citizens, pesky reporter, street thug
Tier 2 Heroic Mortal
Stats: 2/2
Examples: Police officers, minor robots, weak mutants, etc.
Tier 3 Superhuman
Stats: 3/3
Examples: Super elite humans, normal mutants, common super heroes, aliens, etc
Tier 4 Megahuman
Stats: 4/4
Examples: Super soldiers, normal unaligned demons, advanced superheroes like spiderman, wolverine, etc.
Tier 5 Ultrahuman
Stats: 7/7
Examples: Very potent threats, like Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Storm, etc.
Tier 6 Demigod
Stats: 13/13
Examples: Pinnacle-level threats that only a high lord could hope to exceed on an equal footing. Examples are Superman, Galactus, Professor Xavier, the Phoenix, and so on.
The general difference between NPCs and mastermind units is that equal-tier Mastermind units are a little stronger than equal-tier NPCs in their area of focus, but NPCs are more broadly applicable and balanced. Depth versus breadth.
h.) Upgrades
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
-Restore False Identity action
-Advanced Harvest Resources
This message was last edited by the player at 15:36, Thu