Doctor Foom wrote on Dec 14^th, 2009 at 4:00pm:

If he has similar stats, how does he have lower hit points and power points? Don't those go hand in hand?

I'd say the average PC in our game would pummel Skyhawk... they usually get more than 3 powers, which means he rolled a two on his random d6 power roll.  So he rolled 4 powers and dropped one, then decided to keep the rest and the weakness.

Most of mine roll 4-6 powers, and they usually either get an attack and defense, or heightened abilities...

We've played a campaign with each PC getting three powers, and they did pretty well.  One PC's major ability was Heightened Senses.  He wasn't the power house of the group, but he ended up getting to do a lot of cool things because of his senses.

Doctor Foom wrote on Dec 14^th, 2009 at 7:58pm:


Yep, I thought I'd be in the minority here.

My players start out as themselves, so no one gets any 16-18 scores as handouts. It usually takes a heightened ability to get 60 power points, as Skyhawk has.

Because of that he really is about standard for a low-level PC in my game, where 3-4 powers are average.

I do use the random approach from the rulebook, and it ends up just that random.  I do sometimes modify powers/skills (for instance having force field based on Intelligence instead of Endurance for a "mental" hero).  If a character has an idea or concept for the character he wants to develop.  If he can pull all of his powers into a cool concept, and just needs one thing to make it work, I'll make that call.  I'm just as likely to ask the character to drop a power that doesn't work with his character concept, or to explain to me how he can make it "fit."

I do allow my players to create fictional characters for their PCs as I'm playing with a group of kids, I don't make them play themselves. They want to be adults, like the comic characters they see on TV.  I use the random character generation method for NPCs from the rulebook, I do allow 4d6 for ability scores, dropping the lowest die, but I don't see that un-balancing the game.  Two of the three current PCs have Agilities of 12. 

Using the random approach you end up with almost as many Thor characters as Iron Fists.  To say that you use random rolls and so your game is less powerful than most because we don't use the method from the rulebook is (I believe) incorrect.

Imaginos wrote on Dec 16^th, 2009 at 3:08pm:


Yeah, add in the fact that many gamer types (at least many in my group) tend to fit the stereotype of a gamer physique (meaning they have 6 or more Basic Hits); to honestly figure out their CC would mean that their Strength and Endurance scores would be pretty low as well.  And most would probably have a below average Agility as well.  Some in my group would fit the gamer stereotype in having a pretty low Charisma as well.

I agree that the average Intelligence would be on the high end, though.

I like some of the things Rick pointed out as far as playing oneself (especially if it takes place in a dystopian, alternate world), but figure that "playing oneself" is probably best for players in their 20's or early 30's.  It's not quite as desireable for kids (as Hammer and I have kids that play now) or older folks (like many of us are becoming).