Review: Rotted Capes Survivor's Guide Vol 1 by Paradigm Concepts

The Rotted Capes Survivor's Guide Vol. 1 by Paradigm Concepts (full disclosure, I received this PDF for review purposes) is a major expansion for the Rotted Capes RPG.

It adds two new Power Sources: Cosmic (Silver Surfer), Mystic (Zatanna), and Supernatural (Ghost Rider). All three are excellent additions to the game and are hallmarks of the Supers genre. A cool feature is that the Supernatural source breakdowns demons, ghosts, vampires, and werewolves for play. Each Power Source provides an Attribute Bonus, Unique Advantages, and Unique Disadvantages. It's a great system and allows a player to focus their concepts without truly being a hinderance.

The book also adds Alien (Martian Manhunter), Android (Vision), Anthromorph (Tigra), and Demigod (Hercules) as Archetypes. I appreciate their referencing character types that are essential to comics and allowing them to be played. Archetypes give Attribute Bonuses and have Primary Powers which may be purchased at a cheaper point cost.

What I really dig about both of these approaches is that is kind of makes you feel like you have a broad class and origin, but purely from a conceptual stand point. You get mechanical benefits, but you  aren't hindered in any significant way.

Next comes new Disadvantage that include Addiction, Enemy, and Taboo.

Personality Flaws add options like Berserker, Combat Paralysis, and Too Much of A Good Thing (you are pretty and people assume you are also stupid).

The Survivor's Guide also adds the Occultist Skill Set (a bundle of skills bought all at once) and Instruction, Mettle, Mimic, Occult, and Performance as individual Skills.

New Advantages include Deflect Arrows, Hidden Stash, and Third Eye.

A whopping 34 new Powers are presented here and include Absorb Matter, Chameleon, Damaging Form, Gravity Control, Parlor Tricks, Utility Belt, and Weird Biology. These new skills are also added to existing Archetypes as Primary Powers and as All Skill Powres. The Guide also presents 20 new Power Modifications and 16 new Power Tricks. 

Some truly cool Superhero Gadgets are presented and I found them to have inspired by some major characters from the Big Two publishing companies. It's cool to see them available. Some additional equipment as presented as Lost Tech that can be found and possibly utilized by the Player Characters.

Superheroic Sorcery is discussed and gives the Editor-In-Chief (Game Master) some good advice to use. And optional rule for Horror is presented, which is pretty important in a zombie apocalypse. Finally, we are given some options on how the zombie virus might or might not affect non-humans.

The Survivor's Guide finishes with some Heroes to use as pregenerated characters or NPCs.

I'm truly impressed with all Paradigm Concepts has done with the Rotted Capes line. I hope we are treated to a second Survivor's Guide in the future. While the addition of a zombie apocalypse helps set Rotted Capes apart, this is well-designed medium crunch Superhero System either way. I cut my teeth on Champions 4th Edition and loved the old DC Heroes RPG and I feel Rotted Capes is equal to both games and a worthy addition to my collection. I hope to run it fairly soon and I think the Survivor's Guide Vol. 1 really adds quite a bit to the game and is necessary purchase.

#RPGaDAY 2019: Day 20

NOBLE is an interesting topic. Back in my youth, I wanted our RPG sessions to be filled with melodrama and deep character arcs. I was fully into Storytelling. After all, I was young and had plenty of time and very few real responsibilities. However, most of the people I played with wanted laugh, zing one-liners, snack, and roll some dice. At some point, I took it upon myself to bring NOBILity to these wayward savages.

Which basically mean a lot of drama. I mean, A LOT OF DRAMA. Thankfully, at some point, my lovely and brilliant wife pointed out that all we did was fight. And she was right. So I took a step back and realized that I am at least 50% of any conflict that I am in. Even if I'm well-intentioned, I am still at least half the problem.

Since I came back to RPGs, my intentions have been far more NOBLE. Now we all just want to laugh, zing one-lines, snack, and roll some dice. It's all a lot easier now.

Mightiest: Making Demolisher for Rotted Capes

I'm brainstorming a Supers setting to run in the future (it actually might feature zombies). I'm looking at several systems to see which I like. I have the most experience with Champions, but I'm not sure I want to get THAT in depth.

I've had Rotted Capes from Paradigm Concepts and it's going to be my first system:

Rotting Capes features "B-List" heroes who have to fight normal and "A-List" super zombies. It's a good concept and I'm surprised it didn't get the kind of following that Eden Studio's All Flesh Must Be Eaten has.

I'm making a Delta (B-Lister) hero named DEMOLISHER, so I have 150 points to work with.

Power Source is Superhuman, which grants +1 Vigor, the unique advantage of Super (which grants a bonus Rank to a power of your choice), and the unique disadvantage of Power Limit (which means the powers you choose during character creation are what you limited to).

Archetype is Heavy, which grants an attribute bonus to Might or Vigor (I'll choose Might). It grants me several Primary Powers, which are 1 point cheaper to improve).

Disadvantage chosen is Overprotective

You choose a Tagline (which allows you to reroll a plot die), and mine will be "Demolition Time!"

There a 3 parts of Character Creation, Attributes, Skills, and Powers. You cannot spend more than half your total points in any category. The cost of something is it's new rank in points. So Rank 1, costs 1 point, Rank 2 costs 2 points, etc.

Attributes start at 3 and have die bonus and a passive bonus (of a flat number).  There are 8 Attributes: Might, Prowesss (melee attacks), Quickness (Ranged attacks), Vigor, Charisma, Insight, Logic, and Resolve.

Might 12 (+1 from Heavy, +4 from Enhanced Might) D12/5 
(26 points)
Prowess 5 D8/3 (9 points)

Quickness  4 D8/2 (4 points)

Vigor  6 (+1 from Superhuman) D8/3 (11 points)

Charisma 4 D8/2 (4 points)

Insight 5 D8/3 (9 points)

Logic 4 d8/2 (4 points)

Resolve 5 d8/3 (9 points)

Attributes =  76 points total

Derived Attributes 

Defenses are equal to 12+the Passive modifiers of 2 Attributes.

Avoidance Defense 18

Fortitude Defense 22

Discipline Defense 17

Stamina (Hit Points) 47

Health (Lasting damage) 7

Pace  (Movement) 4

Initiative 4

Burnout Threshold 22

You can buy individual Skills or Skill Packages (limit of 2 for most Archetypes)

Universal Skills: Drive 1, Local Knowledge 1, Technology (Basic) 1, Urban Survival 1.

I chose Mechanic (10 points) and Survivalist (20 Points) Skill Packages.

Athletics 4, Animal Handling 2, Drive 4, Engineering (Aircraft Mechanic) 3, Melee 1, Perception 3, Outdoorsman 2,Technology (Basic) 3, Urban Survival 3

Skills = 30 points

Advantages

Exploit Weakness

Powers

Armor 6 (AR 6) 16 points

Enhanced Might 6 D8/3 16 points

Overall thoughts, this is well put together game and I really liked making a character. It took me about 45 minutes, which isn't bad for my first character of a Supers System.

The only downside was adding the cost of things (most times cost of next rank, sometimes cost of current rank), but it isn't a dealbreaker.

I totally recommend Rotting Capes, even if you don't want to run a Zombies game with Supers.

#RPGaDAY 2019: Day 19

It's kind of strange that I love SCARY stuff, you see I was the kid who couldn't sleep after watching Universal monster films, let alone my contemporary films featuring Jason, Freddy, or Michael.

I was always worried about watching something with too much gore in it (and still am, on some level).

And yet, I love SCARY fiction, and my first short story as an adult (for a college class) was horror.

I like running SCARY games, the darker and more splatterpunk the better. I just don't want to see them turned into films.

A Little Help

The last two years have been rough. We've lost some loved ones and had some health issues (that are getting better, thankfully).

Unfortunately, we've got close to $5000 in medical bills and things are a bit tight.

I apologize for being forward, but if anyone has a few extra bucks and been looking at any of my products on DriveThruRPG.com, perhaps you could pick something up? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Otherwise, we could use some prayers and/or good vibes sent our way.

Here is all of my stuff on DriveThruRPG.com.

And here is all of my stuff on DMsGuild.com.

#RPGaDAY 2019: Day 15-18

For me, RPGs have been a DOORway for both my career and the friendships I developed that will be life long. This hobby has allowed me to discover some of the best and worst parts of who I am, and thankfully, helped overcome some of those negative traits. I'm thankful every day that I sell games for a living and get to do so while working with my wife and kids.

Since discovering this hobby, I'd always DREAMed of publishing my own stuff. And somehow, while working on this blog, I made that happen. This no better feeling than checking a box on your bucket list.

Additionally, the ONE thing RPGs have done for me, is to meet and fall in love with my wife. She helped found Comic Book World, where we work together now.

Finally, there have been PLENTY of weeks that have been rescued by getting together with my group, roll some bones, and laugh our stress away.

#RPGaDAY 2019: Day 14

As a manager of a small chain of Comics and Game stores I GUIDE customers (veteran and new) every day. It's my favorite part of the job. I've enjoyed the resurgence of DnD over the last five years as it's greatly expanded and diversified the types of players that walk into my store. These days, I've got empty nesters, middle-schoolers, and veteran edition warriors shopping with me. It's a real treat.