Next up, Lucca!  And after that, probably Ayla. Look, I don’t know why but the ladies’ datafiles are coming to me faster than the guys’. That’s just how it is. Check out Marle if you missed it.

Grab Lucca’s Datafile PDF!

 

LUCCA

AFFILIATIONS
Solo d10          Buddy d6          Team d8

DISTINCTIONS
Lucca the Great!
I Think I Can Fix It
A Perfect Lady

POWER SETS
Flames of Genius
FIRE MAGIC d10           GADGET ARSENAL d10
SFX: Area Attack. Against multiple targets, for each additional target roll an extra d6 and keep an extra effect die.
SFX: Protect.  When you use Gadget Aresnal to create protection for an ally as a Support Action, step up the effect die by +1.
SFX: HypnoWave – Spend 1 PP when you use Gadget Aresnal to inflict Mental Stress on multiple enemies. Inflict the smallest remaining die in your pool on all enemies as a Complication as well.
SFX: Napalm Mega-Bombs. When you use both Fire Magic and Gadget Aresnal in an action to inflict Stress, step up or double Fire Magic. Add your smallest die (minimum d6) to the Doom Pool if your action succeeds or your largest if it fails.
SFX: Dual Tech. When you use a Flames of Genius  power to create an Asset that helps an allied character in a conflict, you may replace two dice of the same size with one die +1 step larger.
Limit: Out of MP! Shut down Fire Magic to gain 1 PP. Recover by activating an Opportunity or during a Transition Scene.
Limit: WonderShot. When you use Gadget Aresnal to inflict Physical Stress, earn 1 PP before you roll. Use the highest showing die as your Effect die after you have totalled your Result.

Prism Amor
PRISM MAIL d8       ACCESSORIES d6
SFX: Proper Precautions.  Spend 1 PP to double or step up Accessories.
Limit: Risky Defense.  Earn 1 PP when you do not use Prism Mail in a defensive die pool.
Limit: Gear.  Shut down Accessories to gain 1 PP. Recover by activating an Opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

SPECIALTIES
Covert Expert d8         Medical Expert d8          Vehicle Expert d8
Tech Master d10          Science Master d10

MILESTONES
WORKING MOTHER
1 XP    when you spout technobabble to someone who does not have your level of expertise.
3 XP   when you adopt a child orphaned by war or disaster.
10 XP when you either defend your orphanage from attack or flee and leave the children with someone else

UP AND COMING INVENTOR
1 XP     when you create a Resource during a transition scene by fixing or upgrading something
3 XP    when a piece of tech you created is used properly for an unintended purpose
10 XP  when you accept or turn down the chance to collaborate with another inventor on an idea based on moral or ethical grounds

 

Thoughts on this datafile:

1) Lucca not being a Combat Expert is intentional. She uses her Accessories (think Sight Scope or Sun Shades) instead.

2) I changed the Prism Dress to Prism Mail. I don’t buy any of these ladies fighting in a dress.

3) Covert Expert comes from Lucca’s attempted jailbreak of Crono. She saves your behind if you don’t save your own. Also, few of these characters have any covert experience so if I’m going to give the Speciality to someone, it should be Lucca.

4) Since Chrono Trigger characters aren’t as high-powered as superheroes, I would consider allowing two d8 Scene Distinctions to help balance things out again. These die pools might be a bit small. On the other hand, characters like Lucca are STRONGLY encouraged to create Resources to cover that deficiency, so perhaps not. Something to think about.

5) Chrono Trigger power sets aren’t as narratively logical as proper MARVEL characters. Instead, they seem to be coming out as having one active set (weapons, powers, magic, etc) and one passive set (usually gear). I think it’s important to create it this way for the flavor of the setting, particularly Dual Techs. (Theoretically Triple Techs as well, but we have something else up our sleeves for that.) Chrono would never attack with a sword and lightning at the same time; he would attack with lightning while Frog goes into melee. Giving each character a unique Dual Tech flavor and encouraging single-weapon rolls is a big part of what I hope captures the unique Chrono feel.

It’s no secret that we love the MARVEL Heroic Roleplaying Game here at ThoughtCrime. As Quinn and I were sitting around talking shop one evening, we got into a discussion of what things we would like to do with MARVEL that we could never actually publish for money. I started to talk about some Final Fantasy stuff at first before Quinn hit me with “have you ever played Chrono Trigger?”

Have I ever played Chrono Trigger? Seriously?!

Now of course he knew the answer to that question going in. It was less actual query and more creative nudge, but sonuvagun if it’s not an excellent creative nudge.  SO…..!

This post will be the first in a series (you know how much I like writing serial posts!) I’m calling “New Game (Cortex)+” where I write up Chrono Trigger characters using the MARVEL system. Quinn already called dibs on doing some Event writing, so that’s going to be his part of this. We’ll probably even do some Marvel Monday sessions with it at some point because, c’mon it’s fricking Chrono Trigger!!!

The first entry I submit to you all dear readers is Marle.

Wait, Marle??!

Yeah, Marle. I started writing with Crono but admittedly I’m not thrilled with that datafile yet. It needs a little more zing, so you’re getting Marle first. The text-only write up is below. Those of you who like shiny things should go here instead.

MARLE

AFFILIATIONS
Solo d8          Buddy d6          Team d10

DISTINCTIONS
Questing Princess
Ancient Lineage
Sheltered Idealist

POWER SETS
Crystal Spirit
ICE MAGIC d8           VALKYRIE BOW d6            SYMPATHETIC AURA d10
SFX: Area Attack (Ice Magic only). Against multiple targets, for each additional target roll an extra d6 and keep an extra effect die.
SFX: Provoke.  Spend 1 PP when an enemy with any Mental Stress fails an action against a hero. Step down the enemy’s Effect die and apply it to another enemy as a Complication.
SFX: Haste – When you make a successful support action using Sympathetic Aura, you may choose to have the targeted hero forego rolling the Asset die into his or her action pool. If you do, that hero may add the Asset die in as a free Effect die so long as the action succeeds.
SFX: Dual Tech. When you use a Crystal Spirit power to create an Asset that helps an allied character in a conflict, remove the highest die from the Doom Pool before the Entity rolls against you. Step it down and then return it once your support action resolves.
SFX: Safe Healing. Using Sympathetic Aura in the middle of an Action Scene to remove stress does not make the Stress worse if the  action fails.
Limit: Out of MP! Shut down Ice Magic and Sympathetic Aura to gain 1 PP. Recover by activating an Opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

Schala’s Pendant
MAGIC SIPHON d6       ROYAL CREST OF ZEAL d10       PROTECTIVE WARDING d8
SFX: Two-Part Key.  Both Magic Siphon and Royal Crest of Zeal can be used against doors, barriers or other wardings that originate from Zeal.
Limit: Dreamstone.  Earn 1 PP when damaged or affected by other Dreamstone-specific magic or items.
Limit: Royalty.  Earn 1 PP if you step up emotional stress inflicted by any other noble or royal characters.

SPECIALTIES
Combat Expert d8         Political Expert d8          History Expert d8
Psych Master d10

MILESTONES
ANCESTRAL CHAINS
1 XP when you activate an Opportunity to create a MAGIC SIPHON Stunt.
3 XP  when you follow an informative lead to a new era in search of how Guardia came to possess the pendant
10 XP when you are either satisfied with the results of your search or abandon the investigation

NATIONAL TREASURE
1 XP when you make a comparison between where you are now and life in the castle
3 XP when you have a rare item or artifact secured in the castle basement
10 XP when you either defend the Masamune from being stolen from Guardia’s vaults or allow it to slip into enemy hands.

 

A few thoughts on the datafile to close out.

1) I’m calling the Watcher the Entity. Just a little flavor thing. I don’t have a good Chrono name for the Doom Pool yet, so if you think of one let me know.

2) I’m writing these datafiles assuming play starts AFTER the events of Chrono Trigger but BEFORE Chrono Cross. That said, I’m also trying to write the Milestones such that they make some sense if your group wants to actually play THROUGH Chrono Trigger as well. Funky, hunh?

3) You may have expected the Gear Limit on the Pendant. I thought about that for a while and decided against it. First, I think Dreamstone is a far more interesting Limit but that’s not the main point. Only once in Chrono Trigger does Marle lose the pendant and as soon as she does, she effectively becomes an NPC.  Any time Marle is in your party, she has the pendant so I will honor that here as well.

4) I’m really proud of Provoke. Haste is cool too, but man… Provoke makes me giggle with glee. One of the problems with the Confuse status in many tabletop settings is that it takes away player agency. In some games player agency is not assumed to begin with so no harm no foul, but for a game like MARVEL it doesn’t make as much sense. Using the mechanic here, the Confuse “probability” is “calculated” after a move has already failed so it’s less of a sting to the player being targeted. Feel free to wiggle your butt at the Entity when you spend that Plot Point.

5) Marle has a whole load of nothin’ to do after the events of Chrono Trigger. Lucca opens an orphanage, Robo becomes a part of FATE, Crono needs to save his mom but Marle? N’eh. She’s the queen. Not very action-packed..  well, at least until the Porre military shows up five years later. Finding her buy-in to the plot going forward definitely required a little imagination and character interpretation.

Like anyone who enjoys and/or works on the Marvel RPG, making datafiles becomes something of an obsession.  There’s stuff I can’t show you, but there is way more that I’m confident I can share with you…like Miles Morales and his best buddy Ganke!  Enjoy.

special thanks to Judd Karlman, Matthew Gandy, and Dave Chalker for their input.

Spider-Man

Miles Morales [secret]

Affiliations

Solo d8
Buddy d10
Team d6

Distinctions

Did I..just do that?, Principled, What would Peter Parker do?

Power Sets

Spider-Powers

Electric Blast D8, Enhanced Senses D8, Enhanced Stamina D8, Enhanced Strength D8, Invisibility D8, Superhuman Reflexes D8, Wall-Crawling D6

SFX: Unleashed. Step up or double any Spider-Powers power for one action. If that action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of that power die.
SFX: Multipower. Add more than one Spider-Powers power die to your pool. Step back each Spider-powers power die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.
SFX: Spider-senses. When you have Enhanced Senses in your pool, you can spend 1 PP to reroll
SFX: Venom Strike. Whenever you make a SHOCKED complication and Electric Blast is in your pool, add d6 to the roll and step up the effect die.
Limit: Lacking Confidence. Step back all Spider-powers to gain 1 PP. Take an action vs the Doom Pool to recover.

Specialties

Acrobatic Expert, Combat Expert, Covert Expert

Milestones

With Great Power…

1 XP when you take a course of action that you think Peter Parker would make.
3 XP when you encounter a foe of Spider-Man or you explain to bystanders that you are the new Spider-Man.
10 XP when you defeat a former arch-enemy of Spider-Man by yourself or declare a new super-villain, not previously affiliated with Spider-man as your own arch-enemy.

Unlimited Potential

1 XP when you get an extraordinary success against a foe you are fighting.
3 XP when you use a new stunt or use a power you have not previously used.
10 XP When you beat a foe that has stressed out one or more heroes with more experience than you or admit that this super-hero stuff is hard and
seek out an older super-hero to be your mentor.

(Watcher Datafile)

Ganke

Affiliations

Buddy D8
Team D6
Solo D4

Distinctions

Endless enthusiasm, Mostly Unnoticed, Spider-Man’s Confidante

Power Set

Partners in Crime

Encouragement D6 Wild Speculation D8

SFX: Sound Counsel? Whenever Ganke is in a transition scene with Miles Morales, Miles can make a roll vs the doom pool. If the roll succeeds, step up any resource die Miles gains in the scene by one. If the roll fails, step it back by one.
SFX: You Can Do This! Whenever Ganke is in a transition scene with Mile Morales, Miles can spend 1 PP to step up 1 Spider-Power until the end of the next action scene.
Limit: Strict Curfew. Add a D6 to the doom pool to remove Ganke from a transition scene.