Rank Numbers

Okay this may be a bit silly but it has been bugging me. Back when I first started playing Marvel I recall if you had an Excellent score it started at 20, Amazing at 50, etc..etc..etc..

Now in the new rules I've been told that when you start a character you made, you start at the minimums, so Excellent 16, Amazing at 46, etc..etc..etc..

With how much ungoldy amounts of Karma you need to raise something, can someone explain to me why they decided this rule? :)

Probably because rank number ranges give the character something to grow into, and lets a new PC be a touch weaker in a fashion compared to a seasoned hero or villain with the same ranks. As far as the costs for advancement go, well that was just someone thinking way too much like it was a game of AD&D where experience comes out at ungodly levels so advancement goes fairly quick, at least at the lower levels, but in the game they don't or at least at the time didn't have to use that experience up to help survive and sacrifice level advancement in the process. One reason why many GM in the game have house rules on advancement to make things more reasonable.

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Can you or someone else give me an example of some of these house rules for advancement? Or link me to someplace on here that has some examples?

I think the advancement rules as they stand in the book are silly. We generally get maybe 75 to 150 karma a game session as is.

I may make people gasp here, but I don't use rank numbers, even for new characters.

Aunt May with a lead pipe does 4 points of damage, not 3.

Thor with Mjolnir does 150 points of damage, not 126.

I've played that way since 1984, and I ain't changing.

The rules for using an item as a blunt weapon are a touch confusing, sometimes referencing shifting up to the lower rank number for hitting something and other times not. Generally though Aunt May should only be doing 3 points of damage (seriously, she's an old woman, even with a lead pipe or cap's shield she shouldn't be doing 4 points of damage) whereas a hero should get with their unique blunt weapons the standard rank number for that shift up (which if you look Thor for some inexplicable reason often ends up listed as doing only Unearthly blunt damage with Mjolnir, not even Shift X/126 damage, let alone the Shift X/150 damage he should be doing).

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

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[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

I think the house rules for most vary wildly in implimentation, although there was one brief deal in one of the Nightmares of Futures Past game modules that I like to mention, where it references giving the characters a point or two increase in their fighting due to some specialized training for an upcoming potential battle with no mention of spending karma. I think a fairly reasonable compromise is to allow for a power or ability to increase by a point of a character pulls off a natural red feat, simulating that he's pushed it sufficiently to edge his boundaries back just a bit, or if you're one to favor any red feat go ahead since they're so expensive the karma spent to get a red feat in most cases balances things out. That way when the group's muscle man is forced to do a red feat on his Strength he gets a little stronger from that exercise, or the group's resident genius clears a red Reason feat on a difficult problem he gets a touch smarter due to all that cerebral activity.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

In my games, everyone starts at the average rank number for their ranks. Ie, Excellent Strength starts at 20. After that, they have to go about it normally. Of course, since I don't split karma up amongst the whole group (Defeating Juggernaut gives 100 karma for -each- character in my games), karma tends to be earned faster.

I *do* use rank numbers for determining effects (Unearthly 100 hit on Monstrous 75 armor does 25 damage - falls under Excellent rank for checking for potential slam / stun / kill effects, etc.)

But otherwise, I keep it simple.

Old lady or not, she should be able to beat a Typical masher into unconciousness with a lead pipe with eight strikes, not ten.

;)

Has anyone here ever seen this Power Ranking system???....

I seen it back in the early 90's... It may not be the exact same that Marvel Published, b/c I didn't buy the particular Guide Book at that time....

But I did like this system better since it filled in a lot of gaps......

+ Shift 00
+ Decrepit 01
+ Feeble 02
+ Poor 04
+ Typical 06
+ Above Average 08
+ Good 10
+ Exceptional 15
+ Excellent 20
+ Impressive 25
+ Remarkable 30
+ Fantastic 35
+ Incredible 40
+ Spectacular 45
+ Amazing 50
+ Vicious 55
+ Sensational 60
+ Savage 65
+ Ferocious 70
+ Monstrous 75
+ Astonishing 80
+ Tremendous 85
+ Awesome 90
+ Phenomenal 95
+ Unearthly 100

+ God-Like 125
+ Shift X 150
+ Shift Y 200
+ Shift Z minor 350
+ Shift Z major 500

+ Class 1000
+ Class 3000
+ Class 5000
+ Beyond



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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2007 11:41PM by TankerAce.