Superman Datafile...my take at least.

[MidnightBlue]

I've seen a couple of comments that a MHR take on Superman would be a boring list of powers and large die numbers.

I can see where some would think that, but what I think those people are overlooking are the aspects of the character that make Superman an interesting read. (Yes...I'm a fan and that is likely to make this more subjective than objective.)

Superman is a power house...a god on Earth...no doubt about it. But, to me, that isn't what makes Superman fun to read. You very seldom pick up a Superman comic and see, "Panel One - Superman is faced with a problem...Panel Two - Problem solved...End of story." There is a lot of 'story' that happens between the cover of any issue.

This goes along with my discussion siding against datafile benchmarks in that if we could look at a datafile and quantify a character, then ya, Supes would be a lot more boring. Might as well just write "Supes Wins" in the rules.

But those aren't the rules that MHR has given to us. No, besides powers and skills, the datafile is filled with limits, distinctions and milestones that also have an impact on how a character should be played. Beyond even that is the all powerful Narrative.

Let me stop the lecture here and simply put up a quickly sketched out example of a Superman that I'd enjoy playing and the rational behind each creation step.

Superman Datafile

Affiliations: Solo D10; Buddy D6; Team D8

I made Solo the top affiliation due in no small part to the numbers of "solo" comics he's had.

I made Buddy the lowest affiliation because until Batman/Superman, most of the Superman team-ups that I recall usually had him at odds with the methods of his "partner." [Note: I'm not counting "Worlds Finest" since most of those included Superman, Batman & Robin which would equate to a team in the MHR rules.]

Team gets second spot to reflect the many teams that he has, eventually, joined...including the Trinity of Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman, Team Superman and the many Justice League incarnations.

Distinctions:
Big Blue Boy Scout
Mild Mannered Reporter
Farm Boy in the Big City

Here's one of the big equalizers for any relatively true to character Superman...his beliefs, his personality and how he was raised on Earth.

Superman may be one of the most powerful characters in any comic world, but he plays by the rules. He tries to act within Earth law, even when no one can stop him from transgressing those laws.

On top of that, he's a genuinely nice guy. He doesn't torture, he doesn't bully and he would try to educate and lead by example before he would try to force someone to act a certain way.

He is also a very trusting soul. He's not naive per se, but he would be more likely to take a risk that someone would turn themselves around and do the right thing than, say, Punisher or Batman. Sometimes this bites him in the end.


Power Set - Kryptonian Heritage:
Godlike Durability - D12
Superhuman Senses - D10
Godlike Speed - D12
Space Flight - D12
Godlike Strength - D12
Godlike Stamina - D12

SFX - Superspeed Punches/Wide Beam Heat Vision/Super Breath/Superspeed Spinning - (Area Attack).

SFX - Heat Vision - (Unleashed).

SFX - Faster than a speeding bullet...more powerful than a locomotive. - (Multipower).

SFX - Man of Steel - (Invulnerable...Physical Stress & Trauma except against Magic attacks).

SFX - Solar Recharge - (Second Wind - Physical Stress).

SFX - Convert Solar Energy - (Absorption - Solar Energy Attack).

Limit - Away from a yellow sun - (Exhausted).

Limit - Alien - (Mutant).

Limit - Green Kryptonite Exposure - (Exhausted modified - Shutdown Power Set plus step up Physical stress or trauma. Continue to step up Physical stress or trauma to gain 1 PP up to once per turn.).

Limit - Magic - [New - Gain 1 PP to step down twice an Effect die in an action/reaction roll you made using a Kryptonian Heritage die against an opponent or scene distinction using the Mystic specialty, Magic Attack power &/or Sorcery power (or other rolls against something inherently magical as decided by the Watcher).]

Limit - Red Kryptonite Exposure- [New - four step process:

1. For each Kryptonian Heritage power trait roll a D10.
1-7: Roll on the Random Datafile Uncommon Powers chart.
8-10: Roll on the Random Datafile Psychic Powers chart.
This power trait replaces the power trait rolled for.

2. For each power trait roll a D10.
1-3: D6
4-7: D8
8-10: D10
This is the power trait's new die rating.

3. Shutdown all SFX.

4. Add these Limits to the revised Kryptonian Heritage power set - Growing Dread and Uncontrollable.

Recover - During a Transition Scene.]


Yeah...as predicted by many, there's a lot going on in the Power section. First off, yeah, we can see that Supes is a power house with a lot of D12 traits and just the one D10.

Why isn't Senses a D12 power in my eyes? Superman can hear and see things miles away and can see through walls, sure, but he isn't "Cosmically Aware." He doesn't see the past or future, he can't tell what is going on in the Astral Plane, other dimensions or on other worlds. So I gave him the D10.

Supes is your "typical" FISS...Flight, Invulnerability, Strength and Speed power set.

He's also developed a lot of special effects, like various ways to pull off an Area Attack, being really hard to hurt physically and when he is hurt he heals quickly. He can also use a lot of his powers simultaneously. I let Absorption and Second Wind represent his solar energy recharge and conversion abilities.

Based on various comic references that Superman's heat vision is his most powerful attack as he unleashes massive amounts of the stored solar energy that gives him his abilities...and can cause him to weaken faster, I represented that with Unleashed.

Next we have a HUGE list of Limits. Superman has many, many weaknesses and I've tried to represent them here. Lack of yellow sun radiation is just your basic Exhausted limit, while green kryptonite exposure adds a damaging element to Exhausted. Alien is just a reskinned Mutant limit.

Where I got creative was in his weaknesses to magic and red kryptonite.

Magic has Superman stepping down an Effect die twice any time he's acting against or reacting to a reaction or action from someone using decidedly magical means. Sure, he might still punch that Magic forcefield with his Godlike Strength, but he isn't going to effect it as well as, say, a brick wall.

Red Kryptonite Exposure was where I went a little nuts and had some fun. I'm basing this off of a Super Friends episode where Superman grew multiple limbs and an issue of JLA where Superman's skin turned translucent and the increased yellow sun radiation exposure supercharged his powers to painful and barely controlled levels.

You need the Random Datafile Generator pdf to use this Limit as it uses random rolls on the Uncommon and Psychic powers tables.

Basically, each of Superman's power traits are likely to be replaced with a random power trait and recoded D6-D10. He also loses access to all of his SFX and gains two MORE Limits, Growning Dread and Uncontrollable, as these new and untrained powers are likely to cause him more trouble than help him.

Not something that I'd want to mess with a lot, but definitely fun for an odd adventure and a definite change of pace.


Specialties: Cosmic Expert; Covert Expert; Crime Expert; Psych Expert; Science Expert; Tech Expert

Like powers, specialties are another area where the Man of Steel is no slouch. His knowledge of other worlds and races is vast (Cosmic Expert). He's a Pulitzer Prize winning author and makes his living as an investigative reporter (Covert/Criminal Expert). He's the DC Universe's version of Captain America when it comes to an inspiring figure (Psych Expert). To top it all off, he has workable knowledge of Kryptonian level science and technology (Science/Tech Expert).


Last Son Milestone:
1 XP - When you use your Psych Expert to try to relate to someone through shared lonliness or a feeling of not belonging.

3 XP - When you come across a new piece of Kryptonian knowledge or artifact.

10 XP - When you take the side of an alien &/or alien heritage over humans &/or Earth heritage.

Here we see another chink in the Man of Steel armor. Superman is a man without a home...without a people...without a heritage. This helps him relate to others who feel they've lost everything and are alone, like The Martian Manhunter. However, it also sometimes has him turning his back on his adopted home and family for a chance to acquire or hang on to a piece of a life he could have had.

Not From Around Here Milestone:
1 XP - When you use a power in a manner that frightens those around you or when you humiliate yourself in an effort to fit in.

3 XP - When you use a power to protect someone against his/her wishes or when you don't help someone at his/her request.

10 XP - When you use your power to defy lawful authority or when you follow the orders of the military or a federal authority.

Here we have a milestone that represents some of my favorite scenes in a Superman comic/show/movie...the quintessential scene where we see that, "Hey...this guy's not exactly from around here!"

This is that moment where Superman says, "Step back...I'll catch the meteor," or "I'll fry this army of Doomsday Replicants," or "I'll wrestle this Archangel."

It's that moment when we are not only happy and relieved that Superman just saved us from immenent destruction...again...but that we also have that shiver of fear at the thought, "But what if he ever turns on us?"

Will Superman follow the path and come out a pawn of the government...or maybe tell those authorities, "There's nothing you can do to me...I'll do as I please." Either way, it will color how others view and react to him.


One more added note on Superman possibly being too powerful to play...do NOT underestimate the ability to cause emotional and mental stress/trauma. Supes ain't stopping that without a good narration or some help from allies.

[Doc Hydrogen]

Nicely done. A lot of that looks really good, but I would go a bit differently in places.

Kryptonian Heritage
Durability d12
Senses d10
Speed d8
Blast d10
Flight d12
Strength d12
Stamina d12

He is shown as having super-speed, but not anywhere near as fast as the Flash, unless he's flying. I'd also put in an explicit blast power because of his eye beams and the cold breath.

I like the Red Kryptonite write-up, but that doesn't pop up often enough to be a part of his datafile, in my estimation. I'd use what you have, because it's good, but to me it's not frequent enough to really worry about.

I would quibble the most with the Green Kryptonite and Magic limits. GK not only shuts down all his powers instantly, it also slowly kills him. I'd go with something like:

Green Kryptonite. Shutdown Kryptonian Heritage and gain 1 PP. Take d6 physical stress every round you are in the presence of Green Kryptonite.

This hurts him, and steps up any stress he has already or gains from kryptonite exposure.

As for Magic, I'd go with:

Vulnerable to Magic. You are defenseless against magic. You cannot use Durability or Stamina in action-reaction rolls against magic, and your Invulnerable SFX cannot mitigate stress from magical sources.

He literally has no defense against magic. He can punch a guy before he casts a spell, but once it's cast, Supes is owned.

In all, great write-up.

[MidnightBlue]

Ugh...that's what I get for trying to type this up during a rushed lunch break. I totally missed the Distinctions...one of the major parts of this character!

Well, situation rectified above!

Nicely done. A lot of that looks really good, but I would go a bit differently in places.

He is shown as having super-speed, but not anywhere near as fast as the Flash, unless he's flying. I'd also put in an explicit blast power because of his eye beams and the cold breath.

I don't disagree with your reasoning, but mine was based on the Flash vs. Superman race. They were mostly neck-&-neck for most of the race. [Side Note: In the 2nd Edition Mayfair DC Heroes game, Superman is WAY faster than the Wally West Flash by their estimation at the time. Not that that means anything. The Barry Allen Flash stat card was WAY faster than both of them.]

I like the Red Kryptonite write-up, but that doesn't pop up often enough to be a part of his datafile, in my estimation. I'd use what you have, because it's good, but to me it's not frequent enough to really worry about.

Most of Superman's physical limits are rare. Kryptonite (all varieties), Magic and Lack of a Yellow Sun are likely to be rare in anything short of a Superman comic where they pop up ALL the time.



This was my attempt to make more of an all-encompasing (and fun) Superman instead of just a snap-shot of the character (like some of my other datafiles).

I would quibble the most with the Green Kryptonite and Magic limits. GK not only shuts down all his powers instantly, it also slowly kills him. I'd go with something like:

Green Kryptonite. Shutdown Kryptonian Heritage and gain 1 PP. Take d6 physical stress every round you are in the presence of Green Kryptonite.

This hurts him, and steps up any stress he has already or gains from kryptonite exposure.

Here I'm a little confused. This is pretty much what I have for my Green Kryptonite Exposure. (Although re-reading Exhausted, I see that it only shuts down a Trait and not the whole Power Set. I meant for it to shutdown Kryptonian Heritage. I'll amend that.)

But I am also doing damage with the limit. Hmmm...I'd also meant for it to be potentially ongoing. Stepping up Physical Stress with every PP given. I'll try to reword that one as well. (Again, I typed this quickly during a short lunch break. Some of my thoughts didn't make it into text it would seem. After all..."I" knew what I meant.)

As for Magic, I'd go with:

Vulnerable to Magic. You are defenseless against magic. You cannot use Durability or Stamina in action-reaction rolls against magic, and your Invulnerable SFX cannot mitigate stress from magical sources.

He literally has no defense against magic. He can punch a guy before he casts a spell, but once it's cast, Supes is owned.

That's how it is usually written up in most Superman stat/reference blocks, but I've found that it is very seldom that cut and dry in most comics.

For example, Superman never gets one-shotted by a magic blast that would have killed a normal person in the comics and he can sometimes work past magical defenses. He just gets hit harder and easier by mystical attacks and he has a harder time getting through mystical defenses. That's why I went with an Effect decrease.

In all, great write-up.

Thanks!

And note, I'm not "arguing" with you on your points, I just see it a little differently, or I'm drawing "my" Superman from different source material than you are when you think of "your" Superman.

Another reason that I love how easy it is for each of us to be able to make our own datafiles for beloved characters. No need for us to bitch and moan that someone didn't get the character right. Now we just make the one that we want to play.

You just can't beat that.

[konate]

One thing I like about the game is that there will be different datafiles for a character based on the Event, which seems to promote player tweaking, since there is no one "official" version.

That said, I like both versions is Supes. Inspires me to do a version of Captain Marvel or the Tick.

I have only a few things I'd like to bring up. One is that I think Superman's d8 speed is equal to Spiderman's swingline (!). Is it possible to have heat vision be a SFX when it's not an area effect and there are no ranged powers in the power set (wondering how to do Marvel's "Lightning Strike")? Invulnerability, as I understand it, should specify a specific type of stress or trauma (examples being Colossus - electromagnetic, and Thing - mystical attacks). I never got the impression his (generally used) heat vision was his strongest power; maybe since all quantified versions of him I've seen rate it lower than his strength. As a matter of fact, I would rate it on par with Cyclops.

I really like his distinctions, it should be very easy to build up pp for him with those.

And finally, a related, if somewhat off-topic question. What happens when using "Second Wind" but the hero has no stress to add to the Doom Pool.

[MidnightBlue]

Oh great mods...could I get this thread moved to the fan-made datafiles subforum?

[EldritchFire]

Oh great mods...could I get this thread moved to the fan-made datafiles subforum?

Done.

-EF