Rules (Shackled City)

This page contains rules for the Shackled City campaign.

Basics

The campaign uses Warriors & Warlocks and the Mutants & Masterminds 2nd edition rules. Some options in the Mastermind's Manual will be used, mostly those that are recommended for heroic fantasy campaigns.

Note that trade-offs and powers (including powers-as-feats) must be approved by the Game Master.

Some feats from Mecha & Manga have been added.

Races

See the racial templates below.

Feats

Cleave (Combat)

You strike such force that your attacks can cleave through one opponent into another. This is essentially the Split Attack power feat applied to your Strength.

Rage (Combat, Ranked)

You can fly into a berserk rage as a free action, gaining +4 Strength, +2 to your Fortitude and Will saves, and a –2 penalty to Defense. While raging you can’t use skills or powers requiring concentration (with a duration of Concentration or Sustained), and you can’t take 10 or 20 on checks. Your rage lasts for five rounds, after which you are fatigued for five rounds. Your maximum Strength and save bonuses are not limited by the campaign’s power level. Further ranks in this feat can extend the duration by 5 rounds. This extends the duration of your post-rage fatigue by the same amount.

Note: This is the Rage feat in Mutants & Masterminds. As a house rule, this feat is limited to one rank (+4 Strength), but this increase does not count towards Power Level limits. Additional ranks can be used to extend the duration of rage as normal.

Two-Weapon Fighting (Combat)

When using two weapons, you can add +1 to damage with each weapon for each rank. This feat is limited to 2 ranks. Damage is limited by power level.

Note: This is Strike with the Mighty Feat and the Temporary Disability (requires two hands) Drawback. Feat is limited to 2 ranks since to allow heavy one-handed weapons to aboth the same damage as two-handed weapons.

Source: House rule

Withstand Damage (Combat)

Dodging is for wimps. You stand your ground in the face of an incoming energy blast the size of a mountain and take it like a real man...or woman... or android... When you are the target of an attack, you can take a penalty of up to –5 on your dodge defense bonus and add the same number (up to +5) to your Toughness save bonus. Your Defense bonus cannot be reduced below +0, and your Toughness bonus cannot more than double. If you reduce your dodge bonus to +0, you are considered flat-footed, and all attacks made against you are considered surprise attacks, even if you have Uncanny Dodge. You can declare this change as a free action or as a reaction, but only once in a turn and before your opponent makes his attack roll; the new values remain until the beginning of your next turn.

Source: Mecha & Manga

Characters

Characters should be created using the Warriors & Warlocks rules. Pick one of the racial templates below. The professional templates in Warriors & Warlocks are optional but can be useful as a starting point, as can a D&D class.

Hero Lab

Hero Lab settings

Use these options (Character -> Configure Hero...) in Hero Lab:

• Ultimate Power
• Masterminds Manual
  • Chapter 1: Basics
    • Drawbacks Limited to 1 x PL
    • Grapple Limited to 2 x PL
  • Chapter 4: Feats
    • Fighting Styles
    • New Feats
    • Powers as Feats

Power Level

Characters start at Power Level 6 (90 points).

Limits

Ability scores are limited to a bonus equal to the current PL of the campaign, rather than PL-1 as in W&W. This allows for a bit more variation when playing non-human races.

Grapple bonus is limited to 2 x Power Level.

Trade-off limit is conservatively set at half Power Level.

Feat ranks are limited to half Power Level.

Luck is limited to full campaign Power Level.

Feats

The extra feats in Warriors & Warlocks are available. This includes the sample powers as feats.

Super skills

Characters can learn super skills during play, but may not start with them.

Powers

The availability of powers depend on concept (i.e., D&D class):

• Barbarian: Rage feat.
• Bard: Skills and feats, no powers.
• Cleric: Healing, other powers representing divine spells
• Druid: This can be realized as priest of who worships Melora ("The Mother") or spirits of nature. Another option is a shamanistic shapeshifter much like the 4E druid.
• Ranger: Skills, feats, perhaps with animal companion (Sidekick)
• Paladin: The Divine Champion i Warriors & Warlocks is a good match.
• Sorcerer: Magic that goes boom.
• Wizards: Magic.

Magic rules that require spells or risk fatigue (see Warriors & Warlocks) are under consideration. In keeping with D&D traditions, healing is limited to divine heroes. Magic should be rare, even among the heroes. Some sort of limit may be imposed. The Ritualist feat is available to all heroes.

Equipment cost

Characters do not have to purchase mundane equipment such as armor and weapons using equipment points.

The optional wealth rules (M&M p. 130, W&W p. 30) are used. Characters begin the game with a wealth bonus of +8.

Magic items

Generic D&D "big six" gear (weapons, armor, stat and save boosters) will probably not be in play, and certainly not required. Magic items can be designed as gadgets using the regular rules. Magic items will be found during the campaign, but such treasure will be much rarer than in D&D.

See the Book of Magic and the list of items in the Freeport chapter of Warriors & Warlocks" for sample magic items.

Templates

Most races will have the Low-light Vision feat rather than Super-Senses (infravision). Some cultural traits have been removed from the Warriors & Warlocks templates.

Dwarves

Dour and taciturn, Dwarves are a warrior race known for their skills at the forge and ferocity in battle against their race’s traditional enemies. Shorter and more compact than humans on average, Dwarves are also known for their exceptional resilience (both on the battlefield and in innumerable taverns).

Dwarf Template

Abilities

Con +2, Cha -2

Feats

Hardy, Low-Light Vision, Steadfast

Powers

Density 1 (Permanent; Innate) Feature 1 (Longevity) Shrinking 1 (Compression; Permanent; Innate)

Abilities 0 + Feats 3 + Power 10 = 13 points

Elves

Elves are possessed of greater insight and beauty than the short-lived humans that surround them. Their evil cousins, the Dark Elves, are mechanically identical (though some individual settings may customize them to reflect magical differences) but differ greatly in personality and outlook.

Elf Template

Abilities

Dex +2, Wis +2, Cha +2

Feats

Attractive, Cat's Feet, Eagle's Eyes, Low-light Vision

Powers

Feature 1 (Longevity) Super-Movement 2 (Sure-footed, Trackless)

Abilities 6 + Feats 4 + Power 5 = 15 points

Gnomes

Cauldron has a relatively large gnome population. Rules for gnomes will be added when I decide if they have any innate powers or the equivalent of 4E fey origin.

Half-ogres

The Growth power gives Str +8 and Con +4.

Half-orge Template

Abilities

Int -2, Cha -2

Skills

Intimidate 4

Feats

Low-light Vision

Powers

Growth 4 (Continous; Permanent; Innate) Protection 1 (thick skin)

Abilities -4 + Skills 1 + Feats 1 + Powers 14 = 12 points

Half-orcs

Half-orc Template

Abilities

Cha -2

Skills

Intimidate 4

Feats

Low-light Vision

Powers

Growth 1 (Continous; Permanent; Innate)

Abilities -2 + Skills 1 + Feats 1 + Powers 4 = 4 points

Harrowed

Harrowed Template

Abilities

Con +2, Cha -2

Skills

Intimidate 4

Feats

Low-light Vision

Powers

Regeneration 8 (Disabled/5 min, Injured/5 min, Staggered/5 min; Source: Raw meat)

Abilities 0 + Skills 1 + Feats 1 + Powers 4 = 6 points

The harrowed are walking dead who have returned form the land of the dead and to walk the earth once more. Some have returned through sheer force of will, others driven by the call of duty or a need for vengeance. Harrowed means "dragged forth from the ground". This is a template that can be applied to any intelligent humanoid.

Humans

No template.