(The New) d12 Supers

So, over 20 years ago, I wrote a fantasy game called Runebearer which became my game of choice for years. For me and my group, it was a great game for the grim and gritty fantasy that we often played. For super heroic adventure, we stuck to Champions. Even though I had grown to have some serious issues with Champions over the years, I couldn't see replacing it. In my mind, supers games just had too many power combinations and fiddly bits to try to create something. I had adapted Runebearer to western, sci-fi, and pulp settings, but I would never write a supers game.

Until I did... I adapted Runebearer to a super hero setting. But man, it was clunky. There were tons of stats and skills and talents and modifiers and special cases. It was fun (I personally enjoy fiddly games, so take that with a grain of salt), but it was a mess.

I am in the process of rewriting Runebearer to streamline it and cut out unneeded complexity, and along with that, came the task of reimagining the super hero game. It is a ton of work, but I am at a playable state, and wanted to get it "out there". It's not 100% finished, and certainly isn't perfect, but it is getting there.

Here is the link to the docs, please enjoy them.

More wolves than you can put on a sweater!

Wolves

Wolves are common in Bostonia. The Bostonian wolf is quick and powerful. Wolves travel in packs and well generally leave humans alone unless provoked or controlled in some way. However, farmsteads on the edge of the wilderness often find their livestock the target of a hungry wolf pack.

Common Wolf

Phys	10	Atk	Bite: 10, 2d6 Leap: 10, special
Swift	13	Def	11/10/9
Ment	5	Arm	Loc AV 1 1 2-4 1 5-7 1 8-9 1 10-12 1
Perc	13
·          Hear, Smell	23
Hits	28
Init	+1
Move	8

Special Abilities

Go For The Throat: If a wolf attacks a prone opponent, it gets a +1 to hit and +2 damage.

Leap: Wolves can leap at their opponents, knocking them to the ground (STR, AGI 12).

Dread Wolf

Phys	15	Atk	Bite: 16, 2d8+2 Leap: 15, special
Swift	15	Def	11/10/9
Ment	15	Arm	Loc AV 1 4 2-4 4 5-7 4 8-9 4 10-12 4
Perc	15
·          Hear, Smell	23
Hits	45
Init	+2
Move	9

Special Abilities

Alpha: Dread wolves can control normal wolves in a 200 hex radius and lead unusually large packs when hunting.

Cursed Bite: The dread wolf’s bite curses his victim (SPI 13). This curse can only be removed by the blessing of a priest or priestess of the victim’s religion.

Fear Aura: At night, opponents that fail a SPI save vs. DL 13 are chilled.

Go For The Throat: If a wolf attacks a prone opponent, it gets a +1 to hit and +2 damage.

Leap: Wolves can leap at their opponents, knocking them to the ground (STR, AGI 12).

Night Vision: Dread wolves can see in the dark.

Description

Dread wolves are huge, intelligent and evil. They are found in the darkest Bostonian forests leading wolf packs that number from a dozen to over a hundred. They have gleaming red eyes, and jet-black coats.

Earthen Wolf

Phys	13	Atk	Bite: 12, 2d6
Swift	13	Def	13/12/10/9
Ment	5	Arm	Loc AV 1 2 2-4 2 5-7 2 8-9 2 10-12 2
Perc	17
Hits	34
Init	+1
Move	8

 

Special Abilities

Body of Earth: Earthen wolves are made of earth. Blunt weapons do no damage. Piercing weapons do ½ damage. Cutting and slashing weapons do full damage.

Earth Walk: Earthen wolves burrow into the earth and tunnel to move. They may disengage without suffering a free attack.

Go For The Throat: If a wolf attacks a prone opponent, it gets a +1 to hit and +2 damage.

Not Alive: Elementals take no penalty for wounds sustained, as they feel no pain. In addition, they do not have to roll for unconsciousness.

Vines: Earthen wolves can create tendrils of vines that grab and drag opponents to the ground. The vines can extend 3 hexes and require a save to avoid (AGI 13). If the victim fails their save, they are entangled and dragged to the ground (STR 13 to escape).

Description

The earthen wolf is a minor earth elemental. It looks like a wolf made of branches, mud and leaves as opposed to flesh and muscle. Its favorite mode of attack is to subdue its target with vines before snapping at its exposed throat.

Mountain Wolf

Phys	17	Atk	Bite: 17, 2d10
·          TOU	25
Swift	10	Def	15/12/10/7
Ment	5	Arm	Loc AV 1 4/10 2-4 4/10 5-7 4/10 8-9 3/7 10-12 4/10
Perc	10
·          Hear, Smell	18
Hits	58
Init	0
Move	9

Armor Piercing: The claws of the mountain wolf are said to “see no metal or stone.” Their attacks have Pierce (9) against such armor, cannot be blocked or parried by metal implements.

Blends Into Background: The mountain wolf has a dull gray coat, mottled with brown. In mountainous and hilly terrain, this gives it stealth at a skill level of 14.

Climbing: The claws of the mountain wolf allow them to move on any stone slope as though it were level terrain.

Tough Hide: Mountain wolves have hide that is strong and repels metal. Against metal weapons, use the higher armor values. Against wooden weapons, use the lower armor values.

Description

Mountain wolves are extremely large (the size of a pony), 6-legged, wolves that dwell in the Teeth Mountains to the west of Bostonia. They are quick, strong and can move through any rocky terrain. Though they often stay in their mountainous hunting grounds, small family groups will occasionally wander into the lower lands and plague towns by killing much of the livestock. Their size, strength and incredible staying power make them one of the most feared beasts in all of Bostonia.

Winter Wolf

Phys	13	Atk	Bite: 14, 2d6+2 Leap: 14, special
Swift	15	Def	14/12/11/9
Ment	8	Arm	Loc AV 1 1 2-4 1 5-7 1 8-9 1 10-12 1
Perc	13
·          Hear, Smell	23
Hits	38
Init	+1
Move	8

Special Abilities

Blends Into Background: The winter wolf has a white coat, mottled with brown. In icy terrain, this gives it stealth at a skill level of 14.

Go For The Throat: If a wolf attacks a prone opponent, it gets a +1 to hit and +2 damage.

Frost Breath: Once each day, the winter wolf can breathe a cone of frost that is 1 hex wide by 3 hexes long. It does 2d8 damage. Armor will reduce this damage, but if any of it gets through, it chills the victim for 2-5 rounds.

Leap: Wolves can leap at their opponents, knocking them to the ground (STR, AGI 12).

Description

Winter wolves are wolves native to the northern edge of Bostonia. They are very rare, but when encountered it is usually in small packs of 3-6 creatures. They are regular-sized wolves with white, or light gray coats. Their eyes are ice blue and their breath is misty with frost.

Bats... Run!!!

Realm Bat

Phys	15	Atk	Bite: 15, 2d10 Swoop: 13, 2d10
Swift	18	Def	14/12/10 (+3 flying)
Ment	3	Arm	Loc AV 1 2 2-4 3 5-7 2 8-9 2 10-12 2
Perc	15
Hits	38
Init	+2
Move	3
·          Flight	15

Special Abilities

Nimble Flyer: Nimble flyers get +3 to their defenses when flying.

Sonar: Bats can use echolocation to “see” in the dark. They suffer no penalties for darkness and cannot be blinded. Loud noises may “blind” them however. Any spell or effect that causes deafness will blind a creature that relies on sonar.

Swoop: Realm Bats can attack mid-flight, buffeting or biting opponents as they fly by. Swooping creatures can attack at any point during a full move.

Description

Realm Bats are giant, flying predators that plague mountain areas. They hunt at night, in packs of 3-6, picking off farm animals, or travelers. They are fearless hunters that strike fear into even the most seasoned veterans.

They generally use their swoop attack to avoid melee and keep to the air, smashing and biting at prey as they zip in and out of range.

Ice Spiders? What the... *argh*

I have finished the spells and I have started to rewrite the Bostonian Bestiary. Here is a new creature I just added to the list... I love me some spiders!!!

Ice Spider

Phys	8	Atk	Bite: 14, 2d6, chill
Swift	18	Def	14/13/11
Ment	8	Arm	Loc AV 1 6* 2-4 6* 5-7 6* 8-9 6* 10-12 6*
Perc	13
Hits	24
Init	+4
Move	9

Special Abilities

Chilling Bite: The bite of an ice spider chills its victim. The target will take a -1 penalty to attack, damage, initiative, skill use and movement until the end of hit next action.

Ice Armor: Ice spiders routinely cover themselves in a thin, but strong coating of ice. This coating gives them great protection, providing 6 value armor on all locations of their body.

Every attack that does damage through the armor degrades it, reducing the armor value by one. Fire attacks protect for a single hit, but then the coating melts away, leaving the ice spider without armor.

Entomb: Once per combat, the ice spider can spew a mass of freezing liquid onto an opponent. The victim must save (AGI, STR 15) or be trapped in a prison of ice. A trapped character can save again in 6 rounds (STR 15) to free himself, or he can be freed by allies if they do 50 points to the prison.

Freezing Aura: Ice spiders exude a bone-chilling cold that extends into all adjacent hexes. Anyone in an affected hex must save (TOU 13) every round, or take 1d4 points of penetrating cold damage.

Many Legs: Leg wounds do not affect this creature until 2 or more separate legs are affected.

Spider Walk: Spiders can walk on walls and ceilings.

Weak to Fire: Ice spiders have a -1 to save against fire effects and take +1 effect/die.

Whiteout: Ice spiders have a stealth skill of 18 in snowy regions.

Description

Ice spiders roam the frozen lands north of Bostonia as well as the mountain peaks that ring the human lands. They are dangerous predators, using their coloring to hide in the snow and wait for prey to stumble close. When it does, the will charge out and freeze their victim before dragging it back to its lair.

These creatures tend to hunt alone, or in small packs (2-4). Packs of these creatures are extremely dangerous due to their ability to quickly incapacitate large numbers of hapless adventurers before a single blow has been struck.