I'm running a Marvel Superheroes (FASERIP) game at a convention in September. I like the system, it's fun. I've only run it a half-dozen times, but...I do find it a bit awkward in areas.

For instance, there doesn't seem to be a reason, to me, to roll under d100 rather than being roll under d10. The White / Green / Yellow / Red results wouldn't change that drastically. Is there some nuance I'm missing, here?

How much deviation from the system will still be supported by the system, or is the system better served by more strict adherence, as some are?

I understand there have been a few system revisits to the much-loved system. ("Icons" or something?) Is there a general consensus of improvements, or is older still better?

I appeal to those with greater knowledge of the system than I have.

//Panjumanju

The percentile system works well, I think it gives a bit of spread when you get to Karma expenditures--after all you may need to only spend 11, to move up to a new color, or a lot more depending on the roll. While on a d10, each value would be equal in cost shifting pretty much because of the narrow range.


Example: I roll an 84, I want  red result that starts at 95,  I have to spend 10, making that a 94, and another 1 to get 95. But if this were ONLY a d10. The result range for read would likely be a 10 only--and means if I rolled an 8, I'd need to spend 20, rather than 11.  That 9 points might come in handy later.

That might be a feature for you, but I've enjoyed the fact that players have to think about there play and earning/spending Karma.

Icon's is inspired by MSH, and FATE, but isn't that close a relative. Its still very good..

ICONS is an excellent game and is actually a very close relative to FASERIP that uses much of the basic style of FASERIP with the following exceptions...

• Instead of the vaguely geometric rank values (0/2/4/6/10/20/30/40/50/75/100) you have linear rank values (0/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10).
• Most rolls (e.g. attacks and the like) are similar to FASERIP with the same results (e.g. a blunt attack having Miss/Hit/Slam/Stun results) but instead of simply rolling against your rank on a table to see which result you get you compare your rank (plus/minus a d6) to your opponent's rank and the result is based on how much you beat them by.
• ICONS only has six ability scores, not seven. Strength and Endurance have been combined into a single score.
• Instead of a Karma score that you gain by doing good deeds and spend to influence die rolls at any time you have a Determination score that you gain by having various (freeform, chosen at character creation) flaws hinders you, and which you can spend to influence die rolls only when one of your (freeform, chosen at character creation) advantages could help you. The advantages and flaws can be sufficiently broad that you aren't usually stuck in a position where you can't justify gaining or spending Determination.
• Instead of measuring ranges in "Areas", ICONS measure ranges in a fairly abstract "Near/Far" system.
• The powers are fairly broad and are randomly generated (just like FASERIP) and you can spend Determination to do Power Stunts (just like spending Karma to do Power Stunts in FASERIP).

Having played both games extensively, I can definitely say that ICONS feels very much like FASERIP in play, just with more modern mechanics.

I'm a big fan of both games, and I've even made a free mash-up of the two called Masks which takes the best parts of both and makes them into a single game (it's got a FASERIP-style geometric ranking system and areas for combat, but ICONS-style dice rolling and Determination).

G-Core uses a variation of FASERIP, but only uses D10 over D100. It has a small devoted fanbase, but isn't as well known/liked outside that group.

Thanks for your input, everyone. All the things I like best about FASERIP seem to be the things they changed for Icons - karma points, the difference between Endurance and Strength...the fact that it spells out something that sounds like 'fase'...

I'm going to stick with rules and see if I can make them work for me. For instance, I didn't know it was okay to propose adding karma to increase a die roll after it was rolled. I thought that was a strictly before thing. But, if that's a common house-rule, I'm happy to adopt it, because it makes more sense to me.

Are there any other common house rules?

//Panjumanju

Quote from: Panjumanju;774978Thanks for your input, everyone. All the things I like best about FASERIP seem to be the things they changed for Icons - karma points, the difference between Endurance and Strength...the fact that it spells out something that sounds like 'fase'...

I'm going to stick with rules and see if I can make them work for me. For instance, I didn't know it was okay to propose adding karma to increase a die roll after it was rolled. I thought that was a strictly before thing. But, if that's a common house-rule, I'm happy to adopt it, because it makes more sense to me.

Are there any other common house rules?

//Panjumanju

In my games I go by the default rule: You do have to declare you are spending Karma, and MUST spend 10; but how much you spend after you roll is up to you, anywhere from just the 10, on up to 99...

The way we played was we would announce the intent to spend karma. Then after the roll we declare how much we spend.

We also gave full karma awards for saving loads of people instead of 100 max. I suppose it could have gotten monty haul but it never did as far as I can remember.

Man I used to love rolling dudes for marvel

Quote from: Blacky the Blackball;774901I'm a big fan of both games, and I've even made a free mash-up of the two called Masks which takes the best parts of both and makes them into a single game (it's got a FASERIP-style geometric ranking system and areas for combat, but ICONS-style dice rolling and Determination).

Maska is on my love to give it a shot list, but it's proven very because we already have a very successful, ongoing ICONS and when things are going well you don't mess with it.

But I do want to say Masks is beautifully produced and illustrated and kudos for releasing it free. I don't begrudge authors who desire make a fair return for all the work they put in their creates, but at the same time I still appreciate the old fashioned  collaborative Internet ethos where people just share creations, be software, information or even games.

Quote from: Soylent Green;775108Maska is on my love to give it a shot list, but it's proven very because we already have a very successful, ongoing ICONS and when things are going well you don't mess with it.

But I do want to say Masks is beautifully produced and illustrated and kudos for releasing it free. I don't begrudge authors who desire make a fair return for all the work they put in their creates, but at the same time I still appreciate the old fashioned  collaborative Internet ethos where people just share creations, be software, information or even games.

Thanks! I'm very grateful to Storn A. Cook for his Creative-Commons-Non-Commercial licensed art (I did check with him first that putting the book on Lulu at cost price so you pay them for their printing and delivery service but don't pay me for the book counted as sufficiently non-commercial for him to be happy with it). Being able to have such great art makes the book look so much more professional.

In fact it's somewhat ironic that if I was charging for the book I probably wouldn't have been able to afford art from someone of his calibre so it would have looked less professional!

Quote from: Silverlion;774993In my games I go by the default rule: You do have to declare you are spending Karma, and MUST spend 10; but how much you spend after you roll is up to you, anywhere from just the 10, on up to 99...

In our games, if a roll goes badly, someone pipes up "I distinctly heard you say that you were spending karma" (Sometimes it's the GM that says this) and everyone agrees, because of course we would.

If someone actually says they'll spend karma before the roll, of course, it's the regular "minimum spend 10" rule.

Quote from: Ladybird;775111In our games, if a roll goes badly, someone pipes up "I distinctly heard you say that you were spending karma" (Sometimes it's the GM that says this) and everyone agrees, because of course we would.

If someone actually says they'll spend karma before the roll, of course, it's the regular "minimum spend 10" rule.

Its not always a hard rule, after all. Whatever makes the game fun...