Allies?

A player character in my campaign wants to have his *other* Player Character character as an Ally (ala Quirk).

An Ally in general is no problem for me. Friends can often be more trouble than they are worth, and I've got plenty of ways to keep it from being a situation where he is effectively playing two PCs.

BUT, the second PC is significantly more powerful than my campaign's base (the PCs are all 200 CP, the Ally is 241 CP the excess being super-powers).

So what do I do?

On the one hand, if Jimmy Olsen can have Superman as an Ally I can hardly say that Allies must be your equal or less. And since an Ally is essentally a "half power" it's perfectly logical to have an Ally that is not always around, but when they are, they are better than you. Besides, the player is a good role-player and not likely to abuse the priveledge.

On the other hand, my campaign is a 'Marvel Knights' style campaign. If PCs can just 'call in an air-strike' with four color superheroes, I'm afraid that might damage the campaign's versimilatude. And I don't want the players to get the idea that they can create low-powered characters - all of who have best friends in the Justice League.

Any thoughts? Similar experiences?

PS: My solution so far was to give a -1CS for each 100 CP additional over the starting PC point for the purposes of making Contact Rolls. So the more powerful the Ally is, the harder it is to get favors from (because they are busy).



michael



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2005 10:20AM by michael.

michael Wrote:
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>
>
> On the other hand, my campaign is a 'Marvel
> Knights' style campaign. If PCs can just 'call in
> an air-strike' with four color superheroes, I'm
> afraid that might damage the campaign's
> versimilatude. And I don't want the players to get
> the idea that they can create low-powered
> characters - all of who have best friends in the
> Justice League.
>
> Any thoughts?
>

Yep. It gets even worse than your players calling in an airstrike, such as your players being the victim of a villianous airstrike. Afterall, presumably Super-Pal has a career and many enemies just aching for revenge. Villians are notorious for (attempting) to exploit weaknesses ... like family, girlfriends, sidekicks, less powerful allies. Being frequently overpowered and exploited by your "allies" enemies doesn't strike me as a hallmark of the protagonist. Or much fun to role-play.

Of course, someone might know the President of the USA, and regularly have tea with him, but that doesn't mean he will call out the US Army whenever some small time thug gets the better of Mr.Someone.

So, another limitation on having a super-duper-ally, other than regularly getting your teeth smashed in by villians you have no chance against, might be that said ally is rarely if ever available for a team-up.

For team-ups, a judge could always divide a scenario into two different portions, each suited to each particular hero, but equally necessary to the resolution, but really what did Spidey and DD do when the FF and the Avengers battled Galactus way back when? Made popcorn and watched? Good thing it didn't happen in a Spidey or DD comic!!





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"You just decided *all by yourselves* that you are the Earth's protectors. And that you, and *only* you, not your teammates or family, are trustworthy enough to include in the process..."

T'Challa, The New Avengers: Illuminati 1

Yes I would allow the ally. but use it as a plot hook. Also Make sure that the player knows that the ally will only be able to offer advise, knowledge this is b/c if the Super aly becomes involved with the not so super PC then the enemies will come after him as well.

Have the super ally need the assistance of the current PC's, have his weaknesses exposed so that the PC's need to come to his aid. This will keep the lime light on the current PC's. Just make it known that you will be controling the PC as an NPC.