Dragons Wake (SWADE PbP)/Setting Rules

Setting Rules

Comic Book Combat

Combined Attacks

Heroes and villains can combine their powers for truly spectacular results. This works just like the usual Support rules except the Supporting character may enhance his ally’s skill total or damage—though he must choose which before rolling.

If the latter option is chosen, success adds +2 to the ally’s damage total and a raise adds +4. A group of supers who need to take down a big foe can Support a teammate to really deal a powerful blow!

Knockback

Any time a character takes damage that would propel him in dramatic, comic book fashion—such as a punch or energy blast but probably not a sword slash or bullet (GM’s call)—he takes “Knockback.”

There's a damage threshold that needs to be met based on the target's size/scale in order for knockback to apply: Small or Tiny - 10 damage; Normal - 20 damage; Large - 30 damage; Huge - 40 damage; Gargantuan - 50 damage.

Knockback propels a target 1d6” if the threshold is met and an additional 1d6” per 10 full points of damage above the threshold.

Power Stunts

Heroes and villains of comics and film often use their powers in new and creative ways.

Every power stunt costs a Benny and must make narrative sense in some way. This grants the character one use of an Instant power such as ranged attack; or three rounds of a passive power like armor.

Different stunts may be combined, but each effect still costs a Benny. A hero could Push and Interrupt at the same time, for example, for two Bennies.

Aimed Knockback When a character causes Knockback, he may use this Power Stunt to aim his foe in any direction he chooses.

All Out Attack The hero puts everything she has into one desperate strike. She may spend a Benny to change the damage dice from damage field, explode, melee attack, or ranged attack from d6s to d10s.

Change Power Type/Trapping Sometimes a fire blaster needs to douse a foe in water, or a hulking bruiser needs to shock a robotic threat. This stunt allows a creative character to do so by temporarily changing an ability’s Power Type.

Interrupt The Interrupt power stunt allows a super to take an immediate turn just as if she were on Hold. If she hasn’t acted yet this round, she discards her Action Card, is Distracted, and is now on Hold. She may then act (and attempt to interrupt if needed) as usual. If she has already acted this round, she’s Distracted and Vulnerable then on Hold.

Mimic This stunt allows a hero to use one of her powers as if it were another. To do so, she picks a “new” power based off one of her existing abilities and describes how it’s used to gain the effects of another.

Overawe Overawe allows a super to perform a single powers-based Test on every foe in a Large Blast Template. The template may be placed anywhere within Range of whatever power she’s using. This test can distract or intimidate those in the template. All individuals in the template resist individually.

Push The super temporarily increases any one power by up to five Super Power Points. This may exceed the power point limit of the game, and lasts for one round.

Death and Defeat

When a hero is Incapacitated by lethal damage, he makes an immediate Vigor roll and checks the results below (don’t use the regular Incapacitation rules in Savage Worlds).

• CRITICAL FAILURE: The character is not Incapacitated but instead goes out in a Blaze of Glory (see below).
• FAILURE: The hero is Incapacitated and Defeated (see below).
• SUCCESS: The character is Incapacitated and Injured. Roll on the Injury Table in Savage Worlds. The Injury goes away once all Wounds are healed.
• RAISE: The character is Incapacitated, but a Healing roll at −2 gets him up and fighting on the next round (with all his Wounds as usual).

Blaze of Glory

When a hero Critically Fails her Vigor roll due to Incapacitation, she’s awarded a point of Conviction. On her next turn, she ignores all Wound and Fatigue penalties, acts normally, then perishes—hopefully having taken out some of her adversaries or accomplished a significant goal with her sacrifice. (Of course the Game Master may always work with the player to simply narrate some dramatic and purposeful end rather than gaming it out.)

Defeated

The hero is beaten and bloodied but will live to fight another day. He must choose one of the following results:

• Go out in a Blaze of Glory (see above).
• Roll on the Injury Table in Savage Worlds. The injury is permanent.
• Lose one step in an Attribute.
• Lose an Edge.
• Gain a Major Hindrance, perhaps reflecting a permanent mental or physical injury from the fight.