A core mechanic for a supers game

[beejazz]

You're all familiar with roll-under, right? You roll some dice, and you fail if it's more than your skill rating or succeed if it's less.

I had this idea that I got from GURPS, Iron Heroes, and Alternity that you could use this to do something crazyish in a supers game.

Anyway, skills and abilities would each run from 5 to 9.

You could stunt (which would add special effects on a success) by adding an extra die (which would decrease your chances of success). Additional extra dice would pile on the stunts.

Also, you could have an ex ranking in a skill or ability score. For example, you could have superstrength 3 for an ex ranking of 3 in all strength check. Ex rankings allow you to stunt without adding dice.

Why that extra step? Because a superpower isn't about how much more reliable you are. It's about how extraordinary you are. This way you don't have to shaft NPCs to make the players shine in comparison, or have so many would-be checks be sure things, or anything like that.

There would probably be a few other little snippets. For example, damage would be your margin of success on your attack check. Maybe add the number of stunts to damage. Why? Because even someone who can punch through a brick wall doesn't cave a skull in one punch. Instead, he sends a person flying or makes the punch undodgeable or unblockable. In comics, a fight between superman and the hulk will last as long as a fight between superman and batman will last as long as a fight between superman and lois lane. maybe an exaggeration, but one-hit-kills are uncharacteristic in any case.

Lastly, you could combine skill attempts by swapping out a second skill for the appropriate ability score. In this case you add skill+skill instead of skill+ability. This is for leap attacks or what have you. Like stunting, just an incentive to do wild things.

Oh, and the zero to five dice are fun... no matter how many you add, you've always got some slim chance of success.

[Raelifin]

I like it. Very clever.

[Eclipse]

It's...interesting, I'll give it that. I can see a ton of fun potential here. Me being me, I'll find a way to merge it into the best superhero RPG, Mutants and Masterminds.

Question: How would you limit what someone could stunt? I'm not saying you have to, but most heroes don't feature the ability to make up powers on the fly (discounting golden and silver age superman.)

EDIT: Of course, stunts could cover people with batmen like array of gadgets and such - but in M&M, at least power stunts are stated to be limited by logic. (BTW, you should check out that system for inspiration. Then again, I think everyone should, so take that as you will.)

[beejazz]

I'm going to get it as soon as I'm able. After all, I'm not sure if everything can be covered with skills, abilities, and ex ratings.