[Closed] Aberrant: A dystopian supers game

The Seven (The Boys). The Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 (DC). Squadron Supreme (Marvel). Even the Plutonian (Irredeemable). This is a what-if game, a mirror universe: earth’s mightiest heroes, its premier super-team are the villains of this story. The government bows to them. They are backed by the richest megacorp in the world. Other super-beings either have gone underground, mysteriously vanished, been incarcerated or klled, or abide by the Powers Registration Act.

Then there is you. For some reason you have abilities: you’re an alien, you’re a mutant, you’re an experiment, you’re an accident, you discovered an artifact, a curse, a secret, a spirit, The question is: are you a hero? And if so, what will you do in a world without heroes?

I’d like to run this game using either the Aberrant 1e (World of Darkness) system, or Fate Core (Venture City), which are respectively the WoD and Fate takes on superhero RPGing, including their supplements. Although I’m also prepared to consider Mutants and Masterminds (or even some other supers game system) if we prefer. I’m pitching this because the idea has been cooking in my head for the longest time, because we haven’t had a supers game pop up for a while, and because there was at one point a queue of requests in the Looking For a Game thread for both those systems.

This game can swing both ways, in consultation with its players: we can either stick to the 4-colour universe of superhero comics, or delve into grittier themes and portrayals. What is certain is that it will shamelessly use all the familiar tropes and conventions comic book/tv/movie fans will be familiar with.

Some familiarity with the game system will help, but I’m open to having players new to the system on board. Neither system is particularly challenging to pick up. All are welcome, and this game is explicitly friendly to marginalised groups. I’d like to give some preference to long-time names on the Looking For a Game waitlist, but an interesting pitch is always welcome.

We can aim for 1 post per day, but as I’m open to up to six players, I’m guessing it might settle down to a routine of 1 every other day, with weekends being quieter. I’m even prepared to take up to eight, if we’re able to imagine a superteam in-out roster for the times when a player is sometimes absent or unable to post. I aim to start this up when October comes round.

All in-game posts will be on Gamers Plane, but I find having a Discord chat immensely helpful. No other resources are needed.

I'm a long-time player and GM, starting with D&D (where else?), cut my teeth on play-by-(e)mail as the earliest iteration of forum-style gaming when age and distance made it harder and harder to meet my gamer groups on a regular basis. I've been here for a while as well, and intend to hang around for even longer. If this game isn't your cup of tea, my next game offer will likely be a wuxia game ripping off everything from Crouching Tiger to Shang-Chi. Just a heads up. :)

Sounds like an interesting premise. I own Aberrant 1e and have wanted to try it, but I don’t know much about the new version of Aberrant. I’m very familiar with the old Storyteller System. I have minimal experience with Fate and M&M.

Ooh I should edit. I mean Aberrant 1e, which is Storyteller/WoD, rather than the new Trinity Continuum system edition.

I shouldn't throw my hat in the ring -- trying to clear my plate a little and run a new game or two. But if this is going to be Fate-based I will be hard-pressed to not fling my chapeau...

You've probably run more Fate games than I have. :) Over at Discord we were also discussing the possibility of Fate Accelerated rather than Core, and there's a 4-Color FAE ruleset for supers, rather than Venture City.

So in general, as promised, the specific game system is up for discussion. But the premise is most definitely a story I'd like to play out.

Yeah, I saw the discussion on the Discord -- late, so I didn't comment. I'd second that the various iterations of Four Color FAE are very cool, and Heroes Accelerated is as well. (It's like a slightly revamped take on FC FAE)

Venture City has Core as a base, and the power stuff always seemed a little fiddly to me. The guts of Atomic Robo would work as well, but in the end -- yeah, any of these would work.

I know the FATE system and this sounds quite interesting if it's still open.

So far I have:

Yes
PhoenixScientist
Naelick

Interested (but happy to let others have a spot because we always have too many games)
79RpmLife
BowlofSpinach (more drama less combat)

Maybe?
Gnome Chomsky (preferring Aberrant)
Harrigan (if Fate)

This looks like a solid list of players. Let me keep it open for a bit more to see if anyone else wants to pop in, and if you still need to weigh whether you can add another game to your load :) . Then I'll open a game to chat to see if we can align our differing experiences with the system and our expectations.

Is this the version of Aberrant you were thinking of?

I should probably abstain, but I'd be keen to follow along if you're Fate-ing it...

I'm definitely interested. I'd prefer Aberrant 1e, but I'm open to other systems. With other systems, my experience may be limited. I've played Fate Accelerated and Mutants & Masterminds 3e, both of which were short-lived games. I have experience with a few other supers systems as well.

I've been watching with a bit of interest and wouldn't mind throwing my hating the ring for consideration for a spot. I've got experience with Aberrant 1e and Mutants and Masterminds, but not so much with Fate (four color or otherwise).

On that note, I am familiar with WOD henerally and have some expierence with M&M.

Phoenix, I'm hoping to use the original Aberrant 1e through the Storyteller (aka World of Darkness) system. Just clarifying, because your picture shows the d20 conversion.

Yes
PhoenixScientist
Naelick (prefer Fate)
Gnome Chomsky (prefer Aberrant)
Harrigan (if Fate)
Witchdoctor

Interested (but happy to let others have a spot because we always have too many games)
79RpmLife
BowlofSpinach (more drama less combat)

Gonna leave this up for a couple more days, and then I think we might actually have a comfortable number to start! Thanks for the interest thus far!

If it's using Aberrant, rather than Fate, I'm going to bow out. Not really interested in that

As system preferences go I like:
1) Mutants and Masterminds
2) Mutants and Masterminds
3) FATE
4) Aberrant

Though I realise we are probably going to settle would say that Mutants and Masterminds is a great superhero system, and has a built in way to set what tier of play we want to start at. Plus the powers have more dials for customization.

Hey, that's similar to mine.

1) Smallville RPG
2) Smallville RPG
3) Cortex Prime copying everything about Smallville RPG
4) FATE

I've never checked out the SmallvilleRPG. ThoughI liked the show.
Too many RPGs not enough time.

It's an older version of Cortex Prime.

But it was also the first game that taught me a new direction that RPGs can take. And it completely changed my view on the whole medium 😄
Still planning on reviving a dead game of mine that used a modified Smallville

I haven't looked carefully at M&M 3e, which is the latest. I do have good experiences with the earlier editions. Browsing it now ...

Smallville reads great! No experience with it whatsoever though in running it.

I do appreciate people chiming in with different system suggestions, we'll see if we get some consensus.

I could come around to smallville after scanning the core book. I played 2nd edition mutants and masterminds and wasn't a huge fan, but possibly 3e comes with some improvements? I'm interested enough in the setting to make it work if that's what we settle on

Correct me if I'm wrong, But Smallville seems mostly like one's powers are flavoring for rolls. Even moreso than Venture City Fate?

They are. There are some mechanics behind them but the game mostly just assumes you will roleplay them.
It's a drama simulator, not a superpower simulator 😄

Personally I do want a bit of the superhero simulator crunch. (If it wasn't obvious from me choosing Mutants and Masterminds as my favorite).

I volunteer to play the flying brick. In Mutants and Masterminds

Roger that, I'm leaning towards a system that'll let us have some degree of superhero crunch: an array of powers that'll let us clearly resolve situations (whether combat, subterfuge, negotiation, etc) without a drawn-out slugfest that would bog PbP down.

So I'm leaning away from Smallville, not because there won't be drama in what I imagine this game to be, but I don't envision needing mechanics to describe the drama.

Letting bowlofspinach know so your expectations of this game won't be too dashed. :)

I might still be interested in the game, depending on the setting choice, though
this is what Smallville does perfectly in my opinion.

But I'm fine with other systems, as I said. We just got to the topic of Smallville and once we do, I can't stop talking about it 😆 Will mute myself now :p

What tier of play are we thinking?
(Especially @Bedzonell)

I’m fine with any system, honestly (other than Powered by the Apocalypse, maybe). Mutants and Masterminds does have the crunch to make really detailed supers, from what I’ve seen.

I don’t know much about Smallville, but I have played Cortex Classic. I enjoyed the system but haven’t seen how well it works for supers.

Is this game intended to be very gritty and serious?

If it's M&M, I wouldn't join. I joined a game of that a while ago but dropped out during CC because it was way too crunchy for me and didn't seem like the type of game I enjoy.
But if that's the consensus then go for it without me. It's not like this would be my only game on GP 😅

Responding to Phoenix's question first, in M&M terms, we're playing power level 10, just behind the big leagues.

I want to thank everyone for weighing in with their perspective and their experiences, which have certainly been very diverse in the supers genre. This feels like a genuine interest check discussion.

That said, I still have to pick one, and I'm going for Aberrant 1e aka Storyteller system. I think that's a sensible common ground between the crunchiness of M&M and the more fluid narrative-based aspects of Fate or Smallville. I do not expect WoD systems to be too problematic (there are some idiosyncrasies but they can be resolved), in case anyone has any reservations that the system I'm choosing might get in the way of an enjoyable game.

This decision was also prompted by Gnome's question about grittiness. I think the Taint mechanic in Aberrant could be enjoyable in this particular setting. The big Justice League baddies are essentially world-dominating bullies, and the PCs will have to consider what sacrifices they are prepared to make in order to confront them / take them down / be better than them / join them(?) etc.

It's finally the weekend, so I'll set up the game thread in a day or so and send everyone here an invite. Pop in when you can to read my description of the setting and directions for character creation, and then you can decide whether to commit.

With that, I shall rename this thread to say [Recruitment].

Thanks all! And further interest from others is still welcome!

I am looking at the Aberrant book... and it us a slog to get through. It us really hard to pick out where character creation starts and the massive chunks of sorytelling end.

Yeah. The Aberrant 1e book was a lot of style over function. That goes for most of that line of books. There should be a couple of us that are familiar enough with the system to help out or bounce ideas off of if you need it.

Ok. I'm not sure how much all of these powers cost? There doesn't seem to be telling me what each power is?
The powers dont seem to be laid out in one place, I see an option referenced for armor before, but no armor. For example.

I’ve been re-familiarizing myself with the system. Taint is an interesting mechanic. Are all the Aberrant 1e books permissible to use?

Continued:It looks like powers are around 12-25 Nova points? And we get 30, so we get about 2 powers?
Which seems like less than most WOD games?

It depends on the level of the power. The level One Quantum Powers are fairly cheap. Level Two Powers are moderately priced. Level Three is really expensive. With 30 Nova Points, you should be able to have a decent mix of level One and Two Powers, especially if you don’t put any points into Mega-Attributes and Enhancements.

Level Three Powers are pretty expensive, so I’m guessing most starting characters with access to that Level would normally have only one of those (if any at all). They are extremely potent, but the Quantum rating requirement definitely eats into your available points.

I might go the opposite route. I’m thinking of making a nova with no points in Powers, and all his points in Mega-Attributes. Sort of a "Captain America" build: superhuman physical and mental performance without overt super powers.

If we're going to lay concepts out (which I think might be helpful to avoid stepping on each other's toes thematically, as well as possibly create complimentary characters) I was considering a super based on Mega-Intelligence and associated effects. A mastermind in the vein of Lex Luthor and Brainiac's love child...or MegaMind depending on how his luck runs ;)

I'm choosing between an a fire type blaster or a brawler type.
Either way, fairly front lines.

I only see 1 list on pg101.

Ok. I got the player guide. Which is different from the core rulebook?
Ok lets see if that helps.

Here's a cheat sheet I found with Google. Not comprehensive but it might be helpful.

hopefully helpful

Do you mean the Powers list? That’s on page 181 of the rule book, I believe. The Player’s Guide has extra rules and options. It does contain some additional Powers, as well as Merits and Flaws which are fun.

Okay, I'm leaving you to it then! Have fun kicking the Injustice League's butts

Thanks for getting the chargen conversation started! I've quickly set up the game and sent out invites already so you can carry on the discussion over there.

And thanks bowlofspinach for participating in the initial discussion. Harrigan, it ain't Fated :(

We have room for one or two more! (Bat-signal lit!)

All good, and good luck!

Thanks for the invite, I'm going to bow out as well. Have fun!

No prob! Thanks for the initial interest naelick!

Recruitment update: This game has started, and is about to gain some traction, but we're still in our early posts.

We have four (maybe five) players, but scenario-wise we could do with one or two more to round up the story. Anyone else wanna play a dark DC/Marvel game using the World of Darkness engine?

I would love to get in on this. I’ve had a concept for Aberrant since it came out but never had a chance to play…

dropped you an invite Knighthawke if you're thinking of joining us! :)

@Knighthawke
I was surprised to see you express interest in this game yet you have not communicated with the players in your Deadlands game in 12 days? I think I'm not alone in saying that we put forth a bit of time and effort in making our characters for that game and our initial posts. Can we expect to hear from you soon?

Bumping this thread to invite another one or two players to jump in. I'm running a supers game in a setting that is an amalgam of the DC/Marvel universes with mirror/alternate versions of the superheroes you are familiar with. It's a dystopian What If? which also steals some elements from The Boys.

The system is Aberrant 1e, a World of Darkness engine. But it's the story, not the system, that drives this game, so if you don't mind fiddling with numbers at the start, we can figure out the rest of the quirks as we go along.

We have four players and could use another one or two to round up the team. We're still at chapter 1 or thereabouts, and post frequency very much accommodates player schedules.

Still down to play T

Still down to play T

I’m interested if you still need a player. Haven’t played Aberrant, but I’ve tried Trinity Aeon so I (kind of) know the system.

Good to hear from you again Jomsviking. Hmm, unfortunately we couldn't make it work the last time we put our heads together on it, so it wasn't from lack of trying. You've got me thinking about what kind of system and setting might suit T best though, I'll let you know if I think of something.


Hi Lactose, thanks for expressing interest! I'll send you an invite so that you can pop in and browse and say hi. From there you can get a sense of what kind of game we've been playing.

Wouldn't be bad at all to just Clone superman and drop the martial arts/philosophy stuff that complicates the build. Could just rip off Comet and change some things.

Nah tweaking another player's character sheet to make it more superman-ish probably isn't going to work either. Thanks for the re-pitch anyway.