The SotM RPG Project

For those of you that are interested in this sort of thing I am currently working on a totally original RPG for SotM and have made a lot of progress.

I should have something to present to Chris and the gang by GenCon and if anyone is interested in playtesting this version at GenCon, please don’t hesitate to volunteer. I am always willing to indoctrinate new victims into the machine that is RPG’s.

The core mechanics are done and I am just working on Powers and Abilities now.

This is in no way a response to the other thread of converting the characters to M&M as I started this project last year.

What are your intentions with the game? Are you expecting that SotM will buy it from you and sell it as an official product, or that they’ll allow you to sell it yourself or give it away for free?

My only intentions are to make a quality game that people would enjoy playing, that is fast and fun. I am hoping that it has more of a feel for comic book then some other RPG’s out there or at the very least be fun for all.

If >G wants to purchase and produce it or allow me to then that will be addressed when it matters.

I’d love to play that!

…we’ll see if I have any time, though. I cannot promise anything at this point, other than I will try to make time. Please do not be offended if I fail.

Best of luck! Sounds awesome!

You know I’m in for a trial run. I can also bring others as well if needed.

Count me in for a play test at GenCon. I’ve been talking about doing SotM in ICONS with my group, but I’m down for something original, since the ICONS idea is mainly out of laziness.

I would really love to play also, but I’m very much in the same boat as Christopher, actually the EXACT same boat. So if one of us has time, chances are the other will also.

Count me in for everything SotM related at Gen Con. Are they already selling passes now? I’d better get on that. No waiting in line this year!

Wait, you guys are on a boat? Aren’t you all supposed to be working diligently on the Infernal Relics?

I may not be a GenCon this year, but next year I will surely go no matter what my little woman says.

Thanks for all the support guys.

As I get closer to completion I will let everyone know what they will need to bring to the playtest, as well as when I will be available to run it.

I am so looking forward to GenCon this year.

Alright, it looks like I’m going to have to arrange a larger boat for Gen Con this year, since I’ll have to share it with both Christopher and Adam.

However, if I have time, I would love to take a look at what you come up with.

Made some huge progress this week. I am hoping with playtesting Infernal Relics, working on this project and life hopefully not getting too much in the way to have something to work with by GenCon.

Anybody else getting excited about this project?

I’m definitely looking forward to it. Since you beat me to the punch in making something, I at least want to check it out.

After a brief hiatus with opening a new game store I am back on track with writing the rules and refining the mechanics. If by some happenstance that I do not make it to GenCon I will of course have a PDF of the game ready by then so those that have expressed a desire for it will be able to acquire this for playtesting and feedback purposes.

Grats on the game store! Where is the store at? Hopefully we will still see you at GenCon.

We’re conveniently located in Plainfield, IL. It’s the third store for the owner and he tapped me for my expertise in board games. I am super excited at the opportunity and I am looking forward to a profitable enterprise.

Now if I can only get a response from the company that wants me to do demos at GenCon for them, I would be just peachy as my boss already told me I can go.

Your store is in Plainfield? My house is next to the airport. I should come over sometime.

He’s in Plainfield, Illinois; aren’t you in Indiana, TheJayMann? :-\

As Rabit said, I’m pretty sure he said Illinois. However, it should be noted that I live just north of the Indianapolis airport…

Plainfield Illinois? I live in New Lenox!!!

Funny how Plainfield, IL can look like Plainfield, IN when you don’t pay attention well. Oh well.

Wow, you’re really close to the store (within 30 mins it looks like) you should totally come by and check it out!

You can also check out these finely crafted links hereand here

I would to help Playtest the RPG sounds awesome

[quote=““The Conscience””]

Wow, you’re really close to the store (within 30 mins it looks like) you should totally come by and check it out!

You can also check out these finely crafted links hereand here

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Sounds like a great time to play some SOTM. Are you there any certain days?

Nope whenever you want to come by is fine but I am only there Thursday-Saturday and Saturdays are slated for Pokemon League and tournament but I am sure we can always find you room to play.

Come join us at Comic Carnival (Keystone, south of 86th street) – second Sundays at 1pm (though subject to change, so check the web site).

[quote=““The Conscience””]

You can also check out these finely crafted links hereand here

[/quote]

Huh, looks like that’s only a 4 hour drive for me…

Whenever you want to come on by and check it out and play some SotM then by all means your welcome to do so.

After a somewhat major setback and a almost complete retrofit of the core mechanics, I am back on track to hopefully have something done in time for GenCon but with work being super busy (thankfully) and very little personal time to work on the game, I am surprised that I am as far along as I am.

I should have some character write up’s done in the next few weeks and posted here so people who are interested can get a sneak peek at where this is heading.

Sounds great! Glad to see you are still working on it.

Sadly it doesn’t appear that I will be able to attend GenCon this year but I should have at least a bare bones version with the Freedom Five and a villain/environment by then if life doesn’t keep kicking me in the teeth.

Sorry to hear. Hopefully next year!

The bare bones version will be made available either at the time of GenCon or shortly after. Regardless I will be playtesting the heck out of what I end up with very soon. Anyone in my local area (Plainfield/Rockford, IL) is welcome to come by and playtest with me when I have a working model.

According to Google Maps Plainfield and Rockford are 80+ miles apart. It’s not impossible that I’d be there at some point, as I have cousins in Pecatonica, just west of Rockford.

In this instance Google Maps is close to correct. I work in Plainfield and live in Rockford so my commute is closer to 90 miles but if you skirt around the little towns it can be closer. I can also probably see about making the PDF of what I have done to those that can’t come by and play in person.

I would like to see if I can increase the SotM presence in my store as well so any assistance the community can provide would be awesome.

For those of you who may be wondering, this project is still ongoing and I should have something by the end of August. I do apologize that I have not had anything ready by now (I had hoped to so that GenCon attendees could at least try it out). At the very least, those that wish to give the very rough draft a go will be welcome to as soon as it is ready.

My intention is that there be the Freedom Five seeking out and battling Baron Blade in a dynamic environment that will test the limits of the team as they progress.

There will be no character creation but leveling may be included. Also, there might even be a surprise villain or two if I can swing the mechanics the way I would like.

If you're going to GenCon, have fun and bring back lots of news about the fabulous games and what not that you find. Pictures would be ideal. 

I am working on a similar project for my gaming group. Maybe we can collaberate. I live in Ohio, but maybe we can skype.

Okay, so I may be a little late posting on this thread but... any chance of a pdf link? I've done a little playtesting for Green Ronin's Dragon Age RPG and they used some of my ideas. I'm a sucker for game mechanics and have thought of creating my own for some time if it wern't for my stupid reality-based things getting in the way. Anyway, you've got me courious about what you've come up with.

Don't do it!  Don't give him the link.  He is the Plague Rat.

Awww c'mon Spiff... just because I eat your random whiskey flavored hobo dosen't mean I can't use a link.

Squeeky, squeek, uh squeekems

Whiskey Flavored Hobo is my new Blue Oyster Cult cover band. 

On a totally unrelated note: my weekly game group has experience with various superhero RPGs as well as a bit of playtesting experience (last thing we PT was the new Marvel system). We also love SotM so if anyone wants some outside PT I doubt I would have a hard time convincing them. 

I am totally sorry for all the delays but other previous commitments have prevented any progress on this project.

That being said there will be a teaser of what has been accomplished hopefully by the end of next week.

Again, sorry for the delay.

Don't fear the squeaker?

Yes. You should write that immediately - it needs to be a thing. 

Since I recently had some time to dedicate to this project and I am excited that it is still fairly popular with you all (even with all the delays), I decided to post an update on my progress. 

Sadly, there has been little to update and with the frsh look I have had at it I see some major flaws with where I was headed with the original concept. So, I decided to go back to basics and rework that which I had so diligently hammerer out previously. The mechanics of the game remain sound just the application of Powers and interactions was starting to get messy. In an effort to remain as simple and elegant the rules would allow for, I decided to see what you all would like to see in this game.

Would you like a comprhensive list of powers to choose from?

Would a more abstract approch be preferred?

What do you look for in a Super Hero role-playing game that keeps you going back to it over and over again?

For those of you wondering there will be no dice in this version of the game it will be all based on a standard playing card deck of 52 cards and both jokers. Each player (including the Mastermind or GM if you will) would be required to have their own deck to represnt the randomness of the game. Does this sound familiar to some of you? Probably, but i am hoping that the rules I have in place will be different enough that it will not seem like anything else you may have seen.

Thanks for all your patience and hopefully I will have something for you all very soon.

Maybe you could provide a list of suggested powers, but also allow for people to create their own if they want to - the list of suggestions can then double up as a list of example powers as part of a guide in how to create your own. So that it doesn't risk getting too overpowered, you could let people only choose one power for themselves, perhaps, and outline at creation what specific kinds of things their power will let them do. For example, if you're super-strong, what's the biggest weight you can lift? If you're telepathic, is there a maximum range or number of people you can speak to at once? Maybe you could have some kind of scoring system…say, every power has a rating for stuff like Range, Number of Targets, Size/Weight of Target(s) Affected, Duration, or something, with a scale from 1-5 or 1-10, and then players have maybe 10-15 or so points to spend in them. So you could give your power a big range but then wouldn't have many points left to spend in making it affect a bigger target (or more targets). Of course, this is a bit of a problem in that some powers would only affect yourself, such as flight or shapechanging. Maybe then you could decide that Range and Number of Targets are irrelevant. Or something? I don't know, lol. I think I'm waffling uselessly here ;). Maybe just providing a standard list would be better, then, but allow people to "edit" each power to some extent to allow for some customisation…

I would suggest that you go with a list of powers based upon the cards in the game.  If you are going to make a game based on SotM then you should use everything you can from the game to flavour it differently than any other superhero game that is out  there.  That would mean cleaving closely to the cards and back story that is being developed through those cards to create something original and not just another generic supers game - there are enough of those around as it is. 

So here is a question for all you would be playtesters of this here project: If I can have something done by or shortly after Christmas, will you have time to play it and provide feedback?

I am almost ready with a playtest adventure, villain and heroes (sorry no character creation yet) to get a sense of where I should head next.

Thanks to Viking God for the suggestion it really helped to put me back on track with this.

Ameena, thanks for all your suggestions. They are being considered as part of the process and the adjusting powers will be handled in a way that may or may not seem familiar. ;)

I am going to run something soon . If you can send me this adventure i could play it with my group and then sent you report how it's gone. We just ended playing savage worlds with super powers companion  and this game was a disaster - it would be fun to see another game and check if you made the same mistakes as they did and give you some feedback.

I would love to playtest if I could, but it would have to be online and accomodate my hours.

How many people would be needed to play in a group? Could it be played with just a GM and one player? Because that's likely to be all I'm gonna have ;). Then again, if it's only char gen that's being tested because the main rules for actually playing the game aren't finished yet, I'm sure it doesn't matter so much :).

To playtest all you will need is a Narrator and a Player to play at least one of the characters. This release will be a fully playable adventure with rules of play.

I do have to say, that as I am the only person that is writing the rules and converting the characters (basically doing all the work) this project will be done as soon as I can put the final touches on on it.

Have you tried tapping into some of the games that have been going on online through Google+?  You might be able to find some inspiriation, or even pull in a few more creative minds if you pop in on a few of them.  Who knows?  You may even play a fun game or two!

Yay! The holidays are finally over and I have found a new lease on time and energy. I should have  a playtest packet available for those that want to give it a go and test the mechanics in a few days (hopefully before the site maintainence). 

I will say that this is going to be a VERY raw version of the rules and mechanics and I just want to see if I got the feel about right and see where I need to make improvements.

Thanks to everyone for their patience.

I'd definitely love to take a look.

If you are still looking for some people to play test, I would be more than willing to give it a try.  I have a group of people here that are really into the game as well as various rpgs and they would be willing to give it a go!

The playtest packet is coming along nicely and I have quite a few tweaks to make to get hte game where I would like it to be. I will tell you this the villain is a much beloved villain to hate and beat up in a fun-filled environment that you may recognize.

I have a meeting with my friend and fellow game designer today to discuss mechanics and what not and see what we can get hammered out. I might even be persuaded to post one of the chracters soon. Which of the Freedom Five are you most eager to see?

Wraith please!

pfft, it's all about Tachyon!

Wow, so no love for Legacy, Bunker or Absolute Zero huh? 

For those that think that writing a totally new set of mechanics for an RPG from and existing world is a simple process, I say thee NAY. The game has gone there no less than a dozen permutations and it seems that it is in the state of flux once again. In an effort to make the game simple and easy to understand and at the same time elegant and superheroic, is by no means a small feat. 

As the sole person that is writing everything and adapting the Heroes, Villains and Environments it seemed a daunting task at first until I realized that it really wasn't. All I had to do was build a structure that was both simple in its form but could very easily create any number of heroes in any number or possible combinations. As such, it is taking an increasingly longer period of time to write with life continually working against me. The structure hass many branches that need to be filled in but with luck it won't take as long as it appears currently.

I will post the Freedom Five when I have them completed and you may not understand all the mechanics that is associated with them but at least you will see what the last year or so has been leading up to.

I know I have promised things sooner and I am sorry for the delays but to be honest I think it might all have been worth it in the end. I hope to have a completed Adventure with a Villain attempting to do what all villains do and the players of the Freedom Five trying to stop them by the summer but no later then GenCon.

Enough of my rambling, back to the Dreamscape for me and back to saving the Multiverse for you.

I wouldn't worry too much about taking ages to get anything done - we're all gonna be rather busy fixing the timelines for a while once we get our deliveries (those of us who don't have it already, that is) ;).

I have not forgotten about  you but between my full-time job, part-time job and a complete re-working of the rules this is probably not going to be ready anytime soon. I apologize to all the fans that are looking forward to an original RPG in the world of Sentinels of the Multiverse.

That being said there should be at least a viable playtest at GenCon this year. I will have some copies on hand as well as possibly having a free minute or so to run a playtest session.

I hope to have the character creation process at least alpha ready by GenCon as well. I am really excited to be working with the Greater Than Games team this year and look forward to doing demos and talking about the future of their games.

I'll post a character or two from the Freedom Five in the very near future as soon as I have a working set of rules.

In the meantime keep saving the universe!

James

Looking foward to it. See ya there.

btw... will you have a villian for the hero characters to fight in the demo? Like... me? Maybe?

Hey all,

As my GenCon free time is going to be somewhat limited this year I would like to know when you fabulous people would like to playtest some SotM RPG. Please let me know if you are planning on attending and when you think you would be free to give this project a go. Also if you plan on playing in this playtest you will need a few things (a standard deck of 54 playing cards, a pencil and a sense of humor). As we are getting down to the wire and the pressure mounts to defeat the villain that of a full-time job.

That being said I will have the playtest packet from GenCon available and uploaded to those that do not get to attend the con asap after I return from Indianapolis.

FYI there will only be the original heroes, villains and environments from the core game and not the expansions until the rules are almost finalized.

Thanks for all your patience and dedication to this wonderful world that we get to play in.

Conscience, you're the one with the "limited free time."

When would it be more convient for you? Seeing how the gaming engine is your brainchild, it's a fair question.

Also, where do you plan to hold your playtest? Dealer hall? Your hotel room? The hotel bar? My sewe... wait, forget that last one.

Most likely we will be meeting wherever there is a relative amount of space, quiet and food. So your sewer is out my friend.

Hey all,

Less than 3 weeks to go and we will be taking the multiverse to a whole new level. I am putting the final polish on the mechanics and converting the characters over to the setting and should have a alpha test ready by GenCon. W00t! 

I am gonna keep it simple so it will be very raw but hopefully easy to understand and fun to play. If your gonna be joining me to try it out then please remember to bring a deck of playing cards with both jokers. Nothing else will be needed unless you want to bring snacks, writing utensils, etc.

I am looking for crash space as well as I am having a supreme difficulty in finding a reasonable hotel/motel. If you have any interest in rooming with a fellow gamer that doesn't take up much space please let me know.

I'll post available times to playtest in the next few days as I finalize my GenCon schedule.

Meanwhile, the multiverse awaits!

James

It's almost that time and man has it been a busy couple of weeks. The RPG is almost ready to preview and the GenCon plans are moving forward (still need crash space but what's life without a bit of risk).

FYI, the times I am free to playtest the SotM RPG Project are Wednesday after the dinner and on Saturday afternoon/evening as I am done with the booth at 2pm. So a little shopping and then gonna get my game on.

So, who's interested in getting some playtest in and when would you like to play?

P.S. Don't forget you will need a deck of cards with both jokers. If you can't bring one then please let me know so I can have plenty on hand.

What time Wendsday? I'm flying in then myself.

Whenever the volun-tier dinner is over with.

I'll be at the dinner (the ginger with the goatee). I'd very much like to talk to you about this.

Great! Maybe we should sit next to each other and brainstorm.

Not familiar when the dinner is, but now that we have a when... do we have a where?

Details should have been sent to you by Paul, if you are a volunteer.

Never mind. Misunderstood.

Not sure when the dinner will be over. My guess is around 730, but I can't confirm that. Better to plan later than earlier, though.

Great, I'm in. Where we meeting up for the playtest?

Did this playtest go ahead?

There's someone on BGG who was in the game looking to talk to the guy who was running the "SotM homebrew", I assume that's this one.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/13171750#13171750

There was also the event that used Cortex Plus to run a Sentinels game. Captaingoldfish (I think?) put that together.

Just to be fair I have no problem with the other SotM RPGs that may or may nbot have happened (I was super busy with other things to look in on them). My system is completely original (in as much as anything is these days) and not associated with any established system. Look for the rules and basic playtest material to be posted soon. I have a few things to tweak and get feedback for before I can commit to everyones opinion on here.

If you have been contacted and sent an advance copy of the alpha test recently, please provide feedback or questions asap. I need your feedback to make the next iteration as clean and smooth for when it is posted here.

Thanks for helping out.

If you need anyone else for testing I would love to help. 

It might be cool if at some point this could be tested out on Google plus. Then I could actually play it.

The files will be posted here as soon as I finalize the updates.

I'll be posting the files here so you can give it a try.

I'll be looking forward to it.

Due to some major setbacks on time, energy and lack of response from those that have had playtest copies for awhile now this project is currently shelved. If there is an interest I will pick it up again and possibly have something in time for GenCon but for now with the low interest and lack of time to spend on this project it will have to wait.

Thanks to everyone that expressed an interest and was willing to see what I had done.

Well that's sad, I was looking forward to trying it. But if you don't have time, you don't have time. 

If interest picks up and/or I find the time before GenCon this will certainly happen. I hope to have some people and aplace ready to go to give it a try at GenCon I still have the raw version that needs some tweaks and I have a few ideas on character creation that I had hoped to have that completed by now but keep an eye out you never know when something will pop up here. ;)