Post by Frederic Bourgault-Christie on Dec 10, 2005 7:41:25 GMT -5
Destroy All Monsters
Like Godzilla or King Kong movies? I do. The monster movie is a healthy sub-genre, and it needs an RPG. That’s where I step in.
The point of this game is rather simple: You, the player character, step into the soles of one of these monstrosities. It can be a favorite from previous movies, or it can be an entirely new creation. Roll up your stats and start going for the mayhem. Play as an alien invader bend on subjugating the planet. Play as a territorial creature that just wants these damn kids to stop messing up his window. Play as a creature who is determined to save Earth’s environment.
Making a Character
1.Select a Character Type
It is important that you select your character type before you choose standard attributes. Human characters will not select from the regular list, and Mechanicals will be built according to budget guidelines (meaning that their statistics could be maxed out, but at the cost of absolutely 0 other abilities – that will automatically ensure a N/A Firepower).
2.Select Attributes, Appearance and Abilities
3.Select Your Mission In Life and Other Background
4.Fight Monster Jaw!
Monster Jaw is an astoundingly weak monster. You can test your character out against him. Even Human characters with a little bit of resourcefulness will be able to take him down. His only redeeming characteristic is the capacity to keep on coming back for more punishment.
Monster Attributes:
All Attributes range from 1-10. Characters can either choose to roll a 1D10 for each attribute, but subtract 1 from Reputation and Firepower, or select from a pool of 50 points. In other words, rolling a 1 in Reputation will garner a 0. A character who rolls randomly may be able to achieve 10 in all statistics except for Firepower and Reputation. After the dice have been rolled, the character may choose to switch 3 points around.
Some may notice a statistical anomaly: by choosing a N/A in Firepower and a 0 in Reputation, you can have quite a bit of extra points. Problem: the government will routinely use long-range weapons on you, and you can’t hit back because all you can do is punch.
Firepower: This indicates how much effect your projectile and other special powers will have. If you don’t pick any, this becomes an N/A (equivalent to a 0). A 1 indicates that you’d have trouble knocking over a SUV with Firestone tires. A 10 indicates that you have to watch your diet or your burps will explode a continent. Not like you care. Firepower will also determine how many of the available skills you will choose (unless you are a Mechanical, in which case you will have to purchase the powers). See the individual characters for the rules. Note that Firepower will affect Ranged Attacks and Monstrous Powers, not Passive Skills.
Reputation: This is a starting attribute and can be quite useful, but it is applicable to change. This ranges from 0 to 10. Note that this is different from Notoriety, which we will discuss later. A 0 indicates that people are terrified of you: you are a horrible beastie sent from the deepest pits of the netherworld to enslave mankind… or at least, that’s what they must be thinking, because they have a nice little nuclear weapon aimed your way. A 5 is a complete neutral: you’re okay, you knock down some cities but you hit people, so the military will neither hunt you like a wounded animal nor heal every wound you ever get. A 10 indicates that they think you are the savior of mankind. This attribute offers some nice perks, like having positive news coverage, assistance from the government in the middle of battles, and so on and so forth. Note that Reputation will get modifiers when dealing with specific groups (i.e. a group that worships all large monsters will obviously treat you as a 10), and will also change if you choose a certain appearance (i.e. a cute, fuzzy fur ball will usually not have a 0.)
Strength: This is rather simple. The amount of physical brawn your character will have is determined by this attribute. The damage your punches, kicks, bites, tail swats, pins, throws, and other physical attacks will inflict will be mostly determined by this (although Speed will also matter). Strength is also useful for throwing buildings and other pieces of the scenery.
Agility: This attribute indicates how much dexterity and flexibility you have. If you can wield giant weapons, you will have to have a fairly high Agility score. Your melee multi-attack is determined by your Agility. All characters with an Agility of below 7 strike once in melee. 7 and above each offer an additional melee multi-attack.
Intelligence: Rather simple: are you a lunkhead or smart? This mostly refers to combat: do you fight strategically or instead think “Me Smash?” You will have to act it if your character’s not the brightest: i.e. three eye lasers to the same character with the reflection ability.
Endurance: This is a measure of how much damage you can take and how much exertion you can handle.
Speed: This is a measure of the monster’s ability to cover distance. Most monsters will be able to walk on land and swim with a reasonable degree of skill.
Willpower: This indicates just how strong of a will the character has. When push comes to shove, will he keep fighting? A high Willpower allows one to get back up from nearly lethal wounds and can override a low Endurance’s limits on exertion. It also determines the likelihood of running away or fear.
Notoriety:
This is a measure of how far you are along. The higher your Notoriety, the more you are known; the nature of how people will react is based on the Reputation attribute. In the Godzilla movies, Godzilla at first was known only to Japan. By the end of the series, they were making an entire project to either kill or control Godzilla.
Notoriety ranges from 0-255. A 0 is what most player characters will be when they start (Mechanicals will usually have a slightly higher Notoriety, and they will be one of the few classes that can purchase Notoriety).
The following guidelines indicate what level the military and governmental response will be to you. With a 0-4 Reputation, you’ll have to fight these levels of governmental response. With a 5 Reputation, it’ll be pretty even – sometimes they’ll assist, sometimes not. With a 6-10 Reputation, these will be the level of backup they’ll send to assist you.
0-50 Notoriety: Level 1 Opponents. These will be either poorly commanded or poorly armed battalions sent off in overconfidence and through office politics (i.e. Colonel John spilled coffee on the Brigadier General, so now they send him out to beat this stupid monster, grumble grumble grumble..)
51-100: Level 2 Opponents. You will be beginning to be taken seriously. They will deploy fairly ordinary weaponry on you, but it will be well commanded and well armed.
101-150: Level 3 Opponents. The military will begin to pull out the big guns. No Secret Technologies yet, but you’re getting close.
151-200: Level 4 Opponents. Secret Technologies will now be available, albeit rarely.
201-250: Level 5 Opponents. The military will use their absolute best equipment. You arriving will be a national emergency. Secret Technologies will now be somewhat common.
251-255: The Anti-Monster Project. That’s right, you will now get to have an entire project determined to kill you (or ensure your absolute safety). Expect Mechanical units optimized to slay you as well as Secret Technologies in every battle.
Character Types:
Mutant:
You were some sort of ordinary creature until some idiot decided to expose you to radiation or chemicals or anything. Alternatively, you are a natural (or manmade through genetic alteration) mutation and have been born unto the world, traumatizing your poor, normal creature mother.
Multiply your Firepower by 20, Willpower by 5 and Intelligence by 10 and combine the number to determine your Ability Purchase Points (APP).
Superhuman:
You are a superhuman. For whatever reason, you gained the capacity to grow, as well as other super abilities. This is very similar to the Mutant category, and a lot of the powers will overlap (under the Mutations section, it will be clear whether or not human Mutants can select the skills).
Multiply your Firepower by 15, Willpower by 5 and Intelligence by 15 to determine your APP total, but you must choose Growth L.2. If you feel gypped, remember that in the middle of the battle you can shrink yourself back to normal and run like the wind, get healed, then regrow.
Mechanical:
You are an entirely mechanical being, either piloted or with an AI or remote control, that has been designed to fight the hulking brutes (or conquer the world, or to destroy all cabbage… you decide, obviously.)
Skip Step #2 and head down to the Mechanicals section. There it will detail what you can buy. You will start with a 100 billion unit budget (that’s 100,000,000,000). That lets you buy attributes, equipment, etc.
Bio-Mechanical:
For whatever reason, some organization decided to take you, a living monster creature, and modify you bio-mechanically. This could have been through exposure to a super soldier serum (in which case you will wear a harness), a massive cybernetic enhancement, or similar. It could also have been through turning a corpse into a weapons platform, such as what was done to King Ghidra in Godzilla vs. King Ghidra. This option will not be available in the Alpha.
Paranormal:
You are an ancient god creature or king of legend or budding mage with a Growth spell of some sort. Regardless, you gain special skills based upon your ability to, at least partially, break and bend the rules of physics; after all, it’s magic, eh?
Multiply your Firepower by 10, Willpower by 5 and your Intelligence by 20 to determine your APP total.
Ordinary Human:
This is an entire subset and could almost be a separate RPG! Instead of playing as the hulking monstrosities, you play on the other side: as civilians or military men working while the cities collapse. This will not be available in the Alpha.
NOTE: If you want to play as humans controlling monsters, do NOT select this option! Select any of the other monster types besides Superhuman, then build their stats as normal. Subtract 2 from any stats you choose, which will be compensated by you as a human assisting them. Mechanical pilots are essentially this option. This option will be available in the Alpha.
Missions in Life:
This is an important category, for it indicates the entirety of what your character will be doing with the sweet abilities you have purchased.
Genocidal:
Your character is going to conquer or destroy the planet. That’s right, you’re going to leave Earth and any colonies and subsidiaries a smoking wasteland. If you have a high Reputation, don’t expect it to last long, except among those who have a vested interest in seeing the human race go bye-bye. This is appropriate for both the Battra style characters (i.e. see the human race as an evil plague that must be eliminated) and the Mecha-Godzilla style characters (i.e. see the human race as playthings and slaves).
Territorial:
You frankly don’t care about this entire “good” and “evil” business. You want to live in peace and quiet in some ocean trench or on your island. However, your neighbors are really irritating. You know, this entire “battle to save the planet” bit and those really loud 20 million hunks of meat. Frankly, sometimes you get pissed off. Mad. At those points, you tell these kids what’s up. This also applies to ancient gods who are worried about their worshippers and not much else.
Benevolent:
Characters with this distinction are planet savers. That’s pretty much it. Whether you serve a particular locality or all mankind, you are dependable, friendly and… well, nice.
Insane:
That’s right, you’re absolutely crazy. Pick any set of obsessions, phobias, schizophrenia, etc. This is for a monster that is determined to destroy all green leaved trees or something.
In addition, you’re going to have to select a haunt, a location for you to spend your time, and a history. Where were you born? What made you? Here’s a random table for locations.
00-10 The United States
11-20 Japan and Southeast Asia
21-30 Western Europe
31-40 Northern Africa and the Middle East
41-50 Russia
51-60 Middle and Southern Africa
61-70 Central America
71-80 South America
81-90 Australia
91-00 Antarctica
Appearance:
This will be where you and the GM can negotiate. The system is chosen in such a way as to allow a lot of creativity. You can play anything from some sort of ever-expanding plant creature to a gigantic crab to a robot built entirely from razor blades. If the design of the character includes some powers listed (i.e. a squid with tentacles
Note that all monsters will be monster sized. Sizes range from a small mansion (Mothra) to some of the tallest skyscrapers (Biollante, Godzilla). Most monsters will weigh an extensive amount. Generally, weight and size should be determined by Speed, Agility, Strength and Endurance, but GMs and players should have a lot of leeway.
Mutations
This is the matrix of abilities from which Mutants and Superhumans will select skills.
Available To indicates whether or not Mutants and Superhumans can access it. Most of these skills will be available to both, but some will not be. Growth L.2, for instance, is only accessible to mutants, but Growth L. 1 can be used by both.
Charge Time indicates the minimum and maximum rate of charging.
APP Cost indicates how many APPs the ability will cost.
Passive Skills:
Bio-Regeneration:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
APP Cost: 40
The character will regenerate at an astounding rate. This is a terribly useful ability. Instead of having to sleep endlessly and make makeshift bandages, the creature can simply retire to the comfort of his home for a drastically reduced amount of time.
Adhesion:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
APP Cost: 10
This is the simple ability to be able to adhere to walls and distribute weight in such a manner as to cause most surfaces to support the creature. Incredibly useful in city environments, as the character can evade by climbing onto skyscrapers, not to mention get a nice vantage point for an elbow drop or for sniping. On flat plains, it may not be so useful, but in huge
Exoskeleton:
Available To: Mutants only
Turtle Shell:
Razor Body:
Berserker Rage:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
APP Cost: 50
“You don’t want to see me when I’m angry.” No truer words were ever spoken. When the character is hurt (30% health) or has had something very irritating happen, he or she gets mad. Real mad. When activated, the character has a +1 to Firepower, Strength, Endurance, and Speed, plus all attacks are launched with two turns of charge prepared. (The bonus cannot put the monster over the maximum of 10. If a character has a Firepower of 10, raise critical damage and accuracy rates with Monstrous Powers and Ranged Attacks; if the character has a Strength of 10, do the same for melee attacks; if the character has an Endurance of 10, boost Passive skills; and if the character has a Speed of 10, add one to the melee multi-attack.)
Radiation Absorption:
Monstrous Powers:
Magnetize Self:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
Charge Time:
Flight:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
Charge Time: N/A
APP Cost: 20
This allows the character to fly at a speed proportional to their Speed attribute. The character should specify whether this is some sort of jet-like propulsion or wings. Both can be taken to truly streamline the character and make it quite fast.
Growth L. 1
Growth L. 2
Telepathy:
Damaging Body Aura:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
Ranged Attacks:
Fire or Energy Breath:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
Charge Time: Five turns maximum
This is the bread and butter: a powerful breath of some form of energy, whether it’s radiological flame or electric death. These attacks usually inflict a high damage. Characters with a Firepower of 7 or above can use their breath attack to propel them, either augmenting their running speed or allowing them to fly.
Electrical Expulsion:
Acid Spit:
Available To: Mutants only
Charge Time: One turn maximum
This is simplistic: a spit of deadly acid or corrosive material of some sort. Its damage is not astounding, but it is a clean and useful weapon. It can be used quickly and often, as it is far less tiring than many of the other Ranged attacks. In addition, the corrosive effect can be used to bore holes. In general, it is a very dirty tactic, but spraying boiling acid into your opponent’s eyes and ears is effective, isn’t it?
Eye Beam:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
Charge Time: Two turns maximum
Self-explanatory: a
Sonic Scream:
Available To: Mutants only
Charge Time: Two turns maximum
Also simplistic: either through screaming or some sort of chest pounding or similar, the character emits a high-pitched scream with controllable focus. The character can either deafen and shatter windows or focus the scream into more of a hammering force.
Kinetic Expulsion:
Available To: Superhumans only
Charge Time: Three turns maximum
Instead of screaming, the character fires a bolt of kinetic energy. This beam is far more focused than even the most focused version of sonic scream, meaning it contains a powerful hammering force.
Ki Energy Wave:
Available To: Superhumans only. Mutants with a high enough Reputation and Intelligence to get a human mentor capable of teaching the attack may be able to master it, but they will start with a Firepower of 1 for the particular ability.
Charge Time: Five turns maximum
Yes, DBZ fans, the good old Kamehameha style skill will be available. Whether you decide to entitle your attack Destructo-Disc, Hadoken or Sword Beam, you will be able to launch this deadly assault after doing the appropriate things (you choose what that will be).
Webbing Launch:
Confusion Dust:
Freeze Breath:
Paranormal Skills
Many of the Mutant skills will be similar to the Paranormal skills, but there is something to be said for magic and legend.
APP Cost indicates how many APP it will cost.
Passive Skills:
Reflection:
APP Cost: 50 each.
A very useful little ability. You will be able to reflect other people’s ranged attacks back at them! Choose one of the following: head, forearm, or pecs. That zone will reflect attacks when a ranged attack strikes that area. For an example, see Godzilla vs. Mecha-Godzilla, when the Okinawan god decides to reflect Mecha-Godzilla’s prismatic lasers back at him… three times. Depending on the angles involved, the attack may go straight back at the enemy, into the ground, into another enemy, or into an ally or building! But hey, you’re okay, aren’t ya?
Bio-Regeneration:
APP Cost: 40
The character will regenerate at an astounding rate. This is a terribly useful ability. Instead of having to sleep endlessly and make makeshift bandages, the creature can simply retire to the comfort of his home for a drastically reduced amount of time.
Speech:
APP Cost: 10
This will allow you to speak to not only other monsters, but to normal humans.
Aura Sight:
APP Cost: 40
This allows you to see outlines of your opponents through walls and other obstructions, as well as determine: their Attributes (including Notoriety), their Mission In Life, whether or not they are charging an attack, their Character Type, and other relevant data. Mechanical monsters will only be able to be seen, not
Hypnotic Gaze:
APP Cost: 30
There’s something to this character’s eyes. Whether it’s a strange color or just a visage exemplifying hundreds of years of experience, those who lock horns with it must make a Willpower check (merely see whose is higher and then make a roll) or else be enraptured by fear and intensity.
Berserker Rage:
APP Cost: 50
“You don’t want to see me when I’m angry.” No truer words were ever spoken. When the character is hurt (30% health) or has had something very irritating happen, he or she gets mad. Real mad. When activated, the character has a +1 to Firepower, Strength, Endurance, and Speed, plus all attacks are launched with two turns of charge prepared.
Monstrous Powers:
Healing Wave:
Charge Time: None
APP Cost: 50
This is a rare healing move. Those who possess this will be able to heal their brethren or innocents. This power will not work on buildings, Mechanicals, or the mechanical part of Bio-Mechanical creatures (see Reconstruction Wave).
Reconstruction Wave:
Charge Time: None
APP Cost: 50
An ever rarer healing move. The monster is able to use a combination of telekinesis and arcane magic to restore artifical objects, including buildings, Mechanicals and the mechanical parts of Bio-Mechanical creatures. Definitely a way to boost Reputation.
Create Magick Weapon:
Ranged Attacks:
Mesmerization Wave:
Mechanical
This entire subsection details what Mechanical characters can buy. Note that who built you is determined by your Reputation. A madman’s creation won’t be liked too much, but a military generation will usually be appreciated as a hero.
0.1indicates alien invader
0-4 indicates madman’s creation
3-7 indicates corporate or wealthy individual’s construction
5-10 indicates military support
Each one of these has advantages and disadvantages.
Alien Invader: In addition to the bonus of not having to spend upon Reputation points, the character also receives an additional 20 billion units. Regrettably, that low Reputation hurts. Particularly because you start with a Notoriety of 30, and because your Notoriety grows at double the rate of a normal monster. Remember that that’s bad when you have a low Reputation. In addition, you gain a Reputation penalty against all other monsters except some Genocidal monsters. You may be strong, but nobody likes you. You won’t have to pay for repairs, at least.
Madman’s Creation: Subtract 20 million. 10 million of this is lost, but 10 million goes into any one Secret Technology. This is a buggy design, but the Secret Technology is an immense benefit. You won’t have to pay for repairs.
Corporate Support: Your character will have access to additional funds, depending on their success. Basically, the character must amass 10 Notoriety per month, but each Notoriety point they do amass allows them to gain 500 million units. However, maintenance costs are subtracted from this additional total.
Military Support: The high cost placed into Reputation hurts, but add an additional 20 billion units. In addition, your character will gain free maintenance and frequent upgrades.
Attributes:
Attributes are selected in the same way as normal. Each attribute point requires 5 billion units.
Notoriety:
You are, tarantara, one of the lucky few classes that
Human Opponents
I have strongly intended for the human militaries and vigilante forces to be far more challenging than they are to Godzilla in the movies. However, at first, the opponents should be a cakewalk.
Secret Technologies:
As the game develops, the military or other interested parties will slowly develop what they believe to be the ultimate Monster Killers. Like most things in the military, they will be overblown, but they will inflict tremendous damage
Blood Coagulant Bullet:
Developed Against: Mutants, Superhumans, some Paranormals, some Bio-Mechanicals
This is a handcrafted, high caliber bullet filled with a chemical designed to make your blood coagulate. Most of the time the military will assign it to a single ace sniper, but they may build it into a minigun or artillery cannon on a Mechanical monster.
Telepathic Feedback Unit:
Monster Slaying Bacteria:
Developed Against: All monsters
The military will be able to eventually genetically modify bacteria to specifically attack your design. Whether that be to attack your internal organs, food material, or mechanical joints or computer system, depends upon your weakest points. The bacteria will feed on the material that it was designed to live on.
The weapon will be deployed as a Scud or similar biological missile system or through a launched hypodermic needle.
Like Godzilla or King Kong movies? I do. The monster movie is a healthy sub-genre, and it needs an RPG. That’s where I step in.
The point of this game is rather simple: You, the player character, step into the soles of one of these monstrosities. It can be a favorite from previous movies, or it can be an entirely new creation. Roll up your stats and start going for the mayhem. Play as an alien invader bend on subjugating the planet. Play as a territorial creature that just wants these damn kids to stop messing up his window. Play as a creature who is determined to save Earth’s environment.
Making a Character
1.Select a Character Type
It is important that you select your character type before you choose standard attributes. Human characters will not select from the regular list, and Mechanicals will be built according to budget guidelines (meaning that their statistics could be maxed out, but at the cost of absolutely 0 other abilities – that will automatically ensure a N/A Firepower).
2.Select Attributes, Appearance and Abilities
3.Select Your Mission In Life and Other Background
4.Fight Monster Jaw!
Monster Jaw is an astoundingly weak monster. You can test your character out against him. Even Human characters with a little bit of resourcefulness will be able to take him down. His only redeeming characteristic is the capacity to keep on coming back for more punishment.
Monster Attributes:
All Attributes range from 1-10. Characters can either choose to roll a 1D10 for each attribute, but subtract 1 from Reputation and Firepower, or select from a pool of 50 points. In other words, rolling a 1 in Reputation will garner a 0. A character who rolls randomly may be able to achieve 10 in all statistics except for Firepower and Reputation. After the dice have been rolled, the character may choose to switch 3 points around.
Some may notice a statistical anomaly: by choosing a N/A in Firepower and a 0 in Reputation, you can have quite a bit of extra points. Problem: the government will routinely use long-range weapons on you, and you can’t hit back because all you can do is punch.
Firepower: This indicates how much effect your projectile and other special powers will have. If you don’t pick any, this becomes an N/A (equivalent to a 0). A 1 indicates that you’d have trouble knocking over a SUV with Firestone tires. A 10 indicates that you have to watch your diet or your burps will explode a continent. Not like you care. Firepower will also determine how many of the available skills you will choose (unless you are a Mechanical, in which case you will have to purchase the powers). See the individual characters for the rules. Note that Firepower will affect Ranged Attacks and Monstrous Powers, not Passive Skills.
Reputation: This is a starting attribute and can be quite useful, but it is applicable to change. This ranges from 0 to 10. Note that this is different from Notoriety, which we will discuss later. A 0 indicates that people are terrified of you: you are a horrible beastie sent from the deepest pits of the netherworld to enslave mankind… or at least, that’s what they must be thinking, because they have a nice little nuclear weapon aimed your way. A 5 is a complete neutral: you’re okay, you knock down some cities but you hit people, so the military will neither hunt you like a wounded animal nor heal every wound you ever get. A 10 indicates that they think you are the savior of mankind. This attribute offers some nice perks, like having positive news coverage, assistance from the government in the middle of battles, and so on and so forth. Note that Reputation will get modifiers when dealing with specific groups (i.e. a group that worships all large monsters will obviously treat you as a 10), and will also change if you choose a certain appearance (i.e. a cute, fuzzy fur ball will usually not have a 0.)
Strength: This is rather simple. The amount of physical brawn your character will have is determined by this attribute. The damage your punches, kicks, bites, tail swats, pins, throws, and other physical attacks will inflict will be mostly determined by this (although Speed will also matter). Strength is also useful for throwing buildings and other pieces of the scenery.
Agility: This attribute indicates how much dexterity and flexibility you have. If you can wield giant weapons, you will have to have a fairly high Agility score. Your melee multi-attack is determined by your Agility. All characters with an Agility of below 7 strike once in melee. 7 and above each offer an additional melee multi-attack.
Intelligence: Rather simple: are you a lunkhead or smart? This mostly refers to combat: do you fight strategically or instead think “Me Smash?” You will have to act it if your character’s not the brightest: i.e. three eye lasers to the same character with the reflection ability.
Endurance: This is a measure of how much damage you can take and how much exertion you can handle.
Speed: This is a measure of the monster’s ability to cover distance. Most monsters will be able to walk on land and swim with a reasonable degree of skill.
Willpower: This indicates just how strong of a will the character has. When push comes to shove, will he keep fighting? A high Willpower allows one to get back up from nearly lethal wounds and can override a low Endurance’s limits on exertion. It also determines the likelihood of running away or fear.
Notoriety:
This is a measure of how far you are along. The higher your Notoriety, the more you are known; the nature of how people will react is based on the Reputation attribute. In the Godzilla movies, Godzilla at first was known only to Japan. By the end of the series, they were making an entire project to either kill or control Godzilla.
Notoriety ranges from 0-255. A 0 is what most player characters will be when they start (Mechanicals will usually have a slightly higher Notoriety, and they will be one of the few classes that can purchase Notoriety).
The following guidelines indicate what level the military and governmental response will be to you. With a 0-4 Reputation, you’ll have to fight these levels of governmental response. With a 5 Reputation, it’ll be pretty even – sometimes they’ll assist, sometimes not. With a 6-10 Reputation, these will be the level of backup they’ll send to assist you.
0-50 Notoriety: Level 1 Opponents. These will be either poorly commanded or poorly armed battalions sent off in overconfidence and through office politics (i.e. Colonel John spilled coffee on the Brigadier General, so now they send him out to beat this stupid monster, grumble grumble grumble..)
51-100: Level 2 Opponents. You will be beginning to be taken seriously. They will deploy fairly ordinary weaponry on you, but it will be well commanded and well armed.
101-150: Level 3 Opponents. The military will begin to pull out the big guns. No Secret Technologies yet, but you’re getting close.
151-200: Level 4 Opponents. Secret Technologies will now be available, albeit rarely.
201-250: Level 5 Opponents. The military will use their absolute best equipment. You arriving will be a national emergency. Secret Technologies will now be somewhat common.
251-255: The Anti-Monster Project. That’s right, you will now get to have an entire project determined to kill you (or ensure your absolute safety). Expect Mechanical units optimized to slay you as well as Secret Technologies in every battle.
Character Types:
Mutant:
You were some sort of ordinary creature until some idiot decided to expose you to radiation or chemicals or anything. Alternatively, you are a natural (or manmade through genetic alteration) mutation and have been born unto the world, traumatizing your poor, normal creature mother.
Multiply your Firepower by 20, Willpower by 5 and Intelligence by 10 and combine the number to determine your Ability Purchase Points (APP).
Superhuman:
You are a superhuman. For whatever reason, you gained the capacity to grow, as well as other super abilities. This is very similar to the Mutant category, and a lot of the powers will overlap (under the Mutations section, it will be clear whether or not human Mutants can select the skills).
Multiply your Firepower by 15, Willpower by 5 and Intelligence by 15 to determine your APP total, but you must choose Growth L.2. If you feel gypped, remember that in the middle of the battle you can shrink yourself back to normal and run like the wind, get healed, then regrow.
Mechanical:
You are an entirely mechanical being, either piloted or with an AI or remote control, that has been designed to fight the hulking brutes (or conquer the world, or to destroy all cabbage… you decide, obviously.)
Skip Step #2 and head down to the Mechanicals section. There it will detail what you can buy. You will start with a 100 billion unit budget (that’s 100,000,000,000). That lets you buy attributes, equipment, etc.
Bio-Mechanical:
For whatever reason, some organization decided to take you, a living monster creature, and modify you bio-mechanically. This could have been through exposure to a super soldier serum (in which case you will wear a harness), a massive cybernetic enhancement, or similar. It could also have been through turning a corpse into a weapons platform, such as what was done to King Ghidra in Godzilla vs. King Ghidra. This option will not be available in the Alpha.
Paranormal:
You are an ancient god creature or king of legend or budding mage with a Growth spell of some sort. Regardless, you gain special skills based upon your ability to, at least partially, break and bend the rules of physics; after all, it’s magic, eh?
Multiply your Firepower by 10, Willpower by 5 and your Intelligence by 20 to determine your APP total.
Ordinary Human:
This is an entire subset and could almost be a separate RPG! Instead of playing as the hulking monstrosities, you play on the other side: as civilians or military men working while the cities collapse. This will not be available in the Alpha.
NOTE: If you want to play as humans controlling monsters, do NOT select this option! Select any of the other monster types besides Superhuman, then build their stats as normal. Subtract 2 from any stats you choose, which will be compensated by you as a human assisting them. Mechanical pilots are essentially this option. This option will be available in the Alpha.
Missions in Life:
This is an important category, for it indicates the entirety of what your character will be doing with the sweet abilities you have purchased.
Genocidal:
Your character is going to conquer or destroy the planet. That’s right, you’re going to leave Earth and any colonies and subsidiaries a smoking wasteland. If you have a high Reputation, don’t expect it to last long, except among those who have a vested interest in seeing the human race go bye-bye. This is appropriate for both the Battra style characters (i.e. see the human race as an evil plague that must be eliminated) and the Mecha-Godzilla style characters (i.e. see the human race as playthings and slaves).
Territorial:
You frankly don’t care about this entire “good” and “evil” business. You want to live in peace and quiet in some ocean trench or on your island. However, your neighbors are really irritating. You know, this entire “battle to save the planet” bit and those really loud 20 million hunks of meat. Frankly, sometimes you get pissed off. Mad. At those points, you tell these kids what’s up. This also applies to ancient gods who are worried about their worshippers and not much else.
Benevolent:
Characters with this distinction are planet savers. That’s pretty much it. Whether you serve a particular locality or all mankind, you are dependable, friendly and… well, nice.
Insane:
That’s right, you’re absolutely crazy. Pick any set of obsessions, phobias, schizophrenia, etc. This is for a monster that is determined to destroy all green leaved trees or something.
In addition, you’re going to have to select a haunt, a location for you to spend your time, and a history. Where were you born? What made you? Here’s a random table for locations.
00-10 The United States
11-20 Japan and Southeast Asia
21-30 Western Europe
31-40 Northern Africa and the Middle East
41-50 Russia
51-60 Middle and Southern Africa
61-70 Central America
71-80 South America
81-90 Australia
91-00 Antarctica
Appearance:
This will be where you and the GM can negotiate. The system is chosen in such a way as to allow a lot of creativity. You can play anything from some sort of ever-expanding plant creature to a gigantic crab to a robot built entirely from razor blades. If the design of the character includes some powers listed (i.e. a squid with tentacles
Note that all monsters will be monster sized. Sizes range from a small mansion (Mothra) to some of the tallest skyscrapers (Biollante, Godzilla). Most monsters will weigh an extensive amount. Generally, weight and size should be determined by Speed, Agility, Strength and Endurance, but GMs and players should have a lot of leeway.
Mutations
This is the matrix of abilities from which Mutants and Superhumans will select skills.
Available To indicates whether or not Mutants and Superhumans can access it. Most of these skills will be available to both, but some will not be. Growth L.2, for instance, is only accessible to mutants, but Growth L. 1 can be used by both.
Charge Time indicates the minimum and maximum rate of charging.
APP Cost indicates how many APPs the ability will cost.
Passive Skills:
Bio-Regeneration:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
APP Cost: 40
The character will regenerate at an astounding rate. This is a terribly useful ability. Instead of having to sleep endlessly and make makeshift bandages, the creature can simply retire to the comfort of his home for a drastically reduced amount of time.
Adhesion:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
APP Cost: 10
This is the simple ability to be able to adhere to walls and distribute weight in such a manner as to cause most surfaces to support the creature. Incredibly useful in city environments, as the character can evade by climbing onto skyscrapers, not to mention get a nice vantage point for an elbow drop or for sniping. On flat plains, it may not be so useful, but in huge
Exoskeleton:
Available To: Mutants only
Turtle Shell:
Razor Body:
Berserker Rage:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
APP Cost: 50
“You don’t want to see me when I’m angry.” No truer words were ever spoken. When the character is hurt (30% health) or has had something very irritating happen, he or she gets mad. Real mad. When activated, the character has a +1 to Firepower, Strength, Endurance, and Speed, plus all attacks are launched with two turns of charge prepared. (The bonus cannot put the monster over the maximum of 10. If a character has a Firepower of 10, raise critical damage and accuracy rates with Monstrous Powers and Ranged Attacks; if the character has a Strength of 10, do the same for melee attacks; if the character has an Endurance of 10, boost Passive skills; and if the character has a Speed of 10, add one to the melee multi-attack.)
Radiation Absorption:
Monstrous Powers:
Magnetize Self:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
Charge Time:
Flight:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
Charge Time: N/A
APP Cost: 20
This allows the character to fly at a speed proportional to their Speed attribute. The character should specify whether this is some sort of jet-like propulsion or wings. Both can be taken to truly streamline the character and make it quite fast.
Growth L. 1
Growth L. 2
Telepathy:
Damaging Body Aura:
Available To: Mutants and superhumans
Ranged Attacks:
Fire or Energy Breath:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
Charge Time: Five turns maximum
This is the bread and butter: a powerful breath of some form of energy, whether it’s radiological flame or electric death. These attacks usually inflict a high damage. Characters with a Firepower of 7 or above can use their breath attack to propel them, either augmenting their running speed or allowing them to fly.
Electrical Expulsion:
Acid Spit:
Available To: Mutants only
Charge Time: One turn maximum
This is simplistic: a spit of deadly acid or corrosive material of some sort. Its damage is not astounding, but it is a clean and useful weapon. It can be used quickly and often, as it is far less tiring than many of the other Ranged attacks. In addition, the corrosive effect can be used to bore holes. In general, it is a very dirty tactic, but spraying boiling acid into your opponent’s eyes and ears is effective, isn’t it?
Eye Beam:
Available To: Mutants and Superhumans
Charge Time: Two turns maximum
Self-explanatory: a
Sonic Scream:
Available To: Mutants only
Charge Time: Two turns maximum
Also simplistic: either through screaming or some sort of chest pounding or similar, the character emits a high-pitched scream with controllable focus. The character can either deafen and shatter windows or focus the scream into more of a hammering force.
Kinetic Expulsion:
Available To: Superhumans only
Charge Time: Three turns maximum
Instead of screaming, the character fires a bolt of kinetic energy. This beam is far more focused than even the most focused version of sonic scream, meaning it contains a powerful hammering force.
Ki Energy Wave:
Available To: Superhumans only. Mutants with a high enough Reputation and Intelligence to get a human mentor capable of teaching the attack may be able to master it, but they will start with a Firepower of 1 for the particular ability.
Charge Time: Five turns maximum
Yes, DBZ fans, the good old Kamehameha style skill will be available. Whether you decide to entitle your attack Destructo-Disc, Hadoken or Sword Beam, you will be able to launch this deadly assault after doing the appropriate things (you choose what that will be).
Webbing Launch:
Confusion Dust:
Freeze Breath:
Paranormal Skills
Many of the Mutant skills will be similar to the Paranormal skills, but there is something to be said for magic and legend.
APP Cost indicates how many APP it will cost.
Passive Skills:
Reflection:
APP Cost: 50 each.
A very useful little ability. You will be able to reflect other people’s ranged attacks back at them! Choose one of the following: head, forearm, or pecs. That zone will reflect attacks when a ranged attack strikes that area. For an example, see Godzilla vs. Mecha-Godzilla, when the Okinawan god decides to reflect Mecha-Godzilla’s prismatic lasers back at him… three times. Depending on the angles involved, the attack may go straight back at the enemy, into the ground, into another enemy, or into an ally or building! But hey, you’re okay, aren’t ya?
Bio-Regeneration:
APP Cost: 40
The character will regenerate at an astounding rate. This is a terribly useful ability. Instead of having to sleep endlessly and make makeshift bandages, the creature can simply retire to the comfort of his home for a drastically reduced amount of time.
Speech:
APP Cost: 10
This will allow you to speak to not only other monsters, but to normal humans.
Aura Sight:
APP Cost: 40
This allows you to see outlines of your opponents through walls and other obstructions, as well as determine: their Attributes (including Notoriety), their Mission In Life, whether or not they are charging an attack, their Character Type, and other relevant data. Mechanical monsters will only be able to be seen, not
Hypnotic Gaze:
APP Cost: 30
There’s something to this character’s eyes. Whether it’s a strange color or just a visage exemplifying hundreds of years of experience, those who lock horns with it must make a Willpower check (merely see whose is higher and then make a roll) or else be enraptured by fear and intensity.
Berserker Rage:
APP Cost: 50
“You don’t want to see me when I’m angry.” No truer words were ever spoken. When the character is hurt (30% health) or has had something very irritating happen, he or she gets mad. Real mad. When activated, the character has a +1 to Firepower, Strength, Endurance, and Speed, plus all attacks are launched with two turns of charge prepared.
Monstrous Powers:
Healing Wave:
Charge Time: None
APP Cost: 50
This is a rare healing move. Those who possess this will be able to heal their brethren or innocents. This power will not work on buildings, Mechanicals, or the mechanical part of Bio-Mechanical creatures (see Reconstruction Wave).
Reconstruction Wave:
Charge Time: None
APP Cost: 50
An ever rarer healing move. The monster is able to use a combination of telekinesis and arcane magic to restore artifical objects, including buildings, Mechanicals and the mechanical parts of Bio-Mechanical creatures. Definitely a way to boost Reputation.
Create Magick Weapon:
Ranged Attacks:
Mesmerization Wave:
Mechanical
This entire subsection details what Mechanical characters can buy. Note that who built you is determined by your Reputation. A madman’s creation won’t be liked too much, but a military generation will usually be appreciated as a hero.
0.1indicates alien invader
0-4 indicates madman’s creation
3-7 indicates corporate or wealthy individual’s construction
5-10 indicates military support
Each one of these has advantages and disadvantages.
Alien Invader: In addition to the bonus of not having to spend upon Reputation points, the character also receives an additional 20 billion units. Regrettably, that low Reputation hurts. Particularly because you start with a Notoriety of 30, and because your Notoriety grows at double the rate of a normal monster. Remember that that’s bad when you have a low Reputation. In addition, you gain a Reputation penalty against all other monsters except some Genocidal monsters. You may be strong, but nobody likes you. You won’t have to pay for repairs, at least.
Madman’s Creation: Subtract 20 million. 10 million of this is lost, but 10 million goes into any one Secret Technology. This is a buggy design, but the Secret Technology is an immense benefit. You won’t have to pay for repairs.
Corporate Support: Your character will have access to additional funds, depending on their success. Basically, the character must amass 10 Notoriety per month, but each Notoriety point they do amass allows them to gain 500 million units. However, maintenance costs are subtracted from this additional total.
Military Support: The high cost placed into Reputation hurts, but add an additional 20 billion units. In addition, your character will gain free maintenance and frequent upgrades.
Attributes:
Attributes are selected in the same way as normal. Each attribute point requires 5 billion units.
Notoriety:
You are, tarantara, one of the lucky few classes that
Human Opponents
I have strongly intended for the human militaries and vigilante forces to be far more challenging than they are to Godzilla in the movies. However, at first, the opponents should be a cakewalk.
Secret Technologies:
As the game develops, the military or other interested parties will slowly develop what they believe to be the ultimate Monster Killers. Like most things in the military, they will be overblown, but they will inflict tremendous damage
Blood Coagulant Bullet:
Developed Against: Mutants, Superhumans, some Paranormals, some Bio-Mechanicals
This is a handcrafted, high caliber bullet filled with a chemical designed to make your blood coagulate. Most of the time the military will assign it to a single ace sniper, but they may build it into a minigun or artillery cannon on a Mechanical monster.
Telepathic Feedback Unit:
Monster Slaying Bacteria:
Developed Against: All monsters
The military will be able to eventually genetically modify bacteria to specifically attack your design. Whether that be to attack your internal organs, food material, or mechanical joints or computer system, depends upon your weakest points. The bacteria will feed on the material that it was designed to live on.
The weapon will be deployed as a Scud or similar biological missile system or through a launched hypodermic needle.