Feedback on Unnamed Super Sentai RPG

[Bruno Carvalho]

Greetings! I've been toying these last days with writing a small Super Sentai (think Power Rangers) RPG. These are the basic mechanics. What do you think about it at first glance?

Unnamed Sentai RPG ideas

To create a character, pick one Background, one Color, one Fighting Style and one Power Origin. Each choice will give you different stats, skills, powers and anything else I put in the game. Then choose your name and your character is ready.

Spoiler: Spoiler: Skills

Show

Backgrounds	♥ Skills
Snooty Aristocrat	Persuasion & Contacts
Quiet Instrospect	Smarts & Willpower
Foreign Exchange Student	Strenght & Smarts
Sports Prodigy	Acrobatics & Willpower
Talented Artist	Acrobatics & Independence
Cunning Know-it-all	Persuasion & Smarts
Cocky Popular	Perception & Contacts
Streetwise Sam	Intrusion & Independence

Color	♦ Skills
Red (leader)	Persuasion & Independence
Blue (techie)	Perception & Smarts
Black (cool)	Acrobatics & Strenght
Yellow (loner)	Contacts & Independence
Pink (support)	Persuasion & Willpower
Green(Upstart young'n)	Intrusion & Perception
Silver (Misterious stranger)	Intrusion & Willpower
White(reformed Villain)	Contacts & Smarts

Fighting Style	♠ Skills
Storm Dragon	Persuasion & Strenght
Gentle Monkey	Acrobatics & Smarts
Lethal Tiger	Intrusion & Strenght
Flaming Phoenix	Perception & Independence
Drunken Fist	Intrusion & Contacts
Shadow Cobra	Acrobatics & Persuasion
Iron Crane	Contacts & Willpower
Stone Panda	Strenght & Willpower

Power Origin	♣ Skills
Ancient Magic	Perception & Willpower
Artificial Creation	Independence & Smarts
Biological Enhancement	Strenght & Perception
Creature Bonding	Intrusion & Persuasion
External Armor	Strenght & Independence
Handheld Item	Acrobatics & Contacts
Internal Cybernetics	Acrobatics & Perception
Natural Abilities	Acrobatics & Intrusion

SKILLS mechanics: Whenever you make a skill check, reveal and discard the first card from a poker deck. You succeed if the card's suite matches your skills (for example, in a Perception check, if you got Perception: Hearts / Spades and get a spades card). Jokers are sucesses, unless you got all 4 suites in the skill.



Basic combat mechanics

COMBAT SETUP

At the start of combat, the GM draws one card from his deck for each minor threat (mob enemies) and 2+ cards for each major threat (usually the Monster of the Week), according to its Health stat (1 card for each Health point). He places that cards, face down, in front of him, creating a pile of cards for each enemy (enemies with more than 1 health stack all their cards in the same pile). Each player draws a number of cards from the player deck equal to their Stamina stat (usually 3). The player may NOT show their hands to other players nor say which cards they have in their hands.

Round Structure

1) Initiative Phase

At any order the players want, they may engage the enemies, by placing facedown cards in front of them (A player may only place it in front of himself). Each facedown card a player place means one enemy is engaged in combat by that player. Regardless of the number of enemies, the players may place any number of cards facedown. The players are not required to place any facedown cards. Lastly, the GM draws one card from his deck for each player plus one card for each disengaged enemy.

2) Action Phase, disengaged enemies

For each disengaged enemy, the GM must play one card from his hand. Each card played represent one Attack aimed at one player. The GM may target any player in this fashion. Cards that are greater than the enemy's Attack stat and are lower than the target's Dodge stat counts as hits and reduce the current Health stat of that player by one. The GM may activate enemy Powers as usual (see the Powers section). After resolving the attack, the GM moves the card to the GM's Audience pool.

3) Action Phase, Players

Each player may play any number of cards from his hand, in any order. Each card played represent one Attack aimed at one enemy. The acting player may target any enemy in this fashion. Cards that are greater than the character's Attack stat and are lower than the enemy's Dodge stat counts as hits and remove one card from the enemy Health cards stack. The player may activate his Powers as usual (see the Powers section). After resolving the attack, the player moves the card to the Players' Audience pool. The players are not required to use their entire hands, nor they are required to play any cards at all.

Instead of playing cards, the player may opt to Refresh this round. Doing so discards his entire hand and then draw cards equals to his Stamina stat. A player may not Refresh in the same round he Attacked, be it a regular attack or a Special Attack (see Audience section).

3a) Defeating enemies

Whenever a threat's Health card stack is reduced to 0 cards, it is defeated. Reveal the last card in the defeated enemy's Health stack. The GM may add it to its Audience pool. If not, discard the card. Whenever a major threat's stack of Health cards is reduced to 1, reveal it, but it cannot be further reduced by normal hits. The only way to kill a Major threat is by using a Finishing Move (see Audience section).

4) Action Phase, engaged enemies

GM must play the remaining cards from his hand. Each card played represent one Attack aimed at one player. The GM may only target players who with facedown cards placed in his front. Cards that are greater than the enemy's Attack stat and are lower than the target's Dodge stat counts as hits and reduce the current Health stat of that player by one. The GM may activate enemy Powers as usual (see the Powers section). After resolving the attack, the GM moves the card to the GM's Audience pool, and the player discards one of his facedown cards.

5) Cleanup Phase

Discard all remaining cards in front of players. A new Round begins.

Spoiler: PS: About Audience

Show

Cards played by both Players and the GM go to their respective Audience Pool. The players and the GM may discard all cards in the Audience pool to perform Special Attacks during the Action Phases. Any time the Audience Pool reaches 5 cards, it must be discarded before a new card is added to it. Special Attacks are enabled by making poker hands in the Audience Pool, with Finishing Moves being the strongest poker hands. More details in the Audience section.