#rpg hack

"The Year-Long Monday" is a massive scenario for ClosedMondays. Following along the "52 weeks, 52 cards, 52 games" jam, one new illustrated card is added each week to create a sprawling multiverse setting.

Atomic Robo, out of the box could easily play in the Girl Genius World, especially a pulp “Heterodyne Girl” inspired story with lower powered (minor Sparks) characters. That said, a little bit of tweaking could help make the system fit much better.

The first basic bit is how to handle the Spark. Science (or in this case Spark) mode could do it on its own, especially if difficulties for different levels of science was lowered (for Sparks at least), and a lot of fun with Create Advantages. But for the fun of the hack, I’m changing Notice (Sparks while in the madness place aren’t the most perceptive of folks) to Rapport (Spark induced charisma) to help with the feel of it all.

Additionally, to be a Spark a character must have an appropriate Aspect. This is important because Sparks are capable of invoking this aspect whenever they want for a +1, and even up to three times (amount of times = to where the Spark mode in on their sheet) at once (For a bonus of a huge, and free +3). On the flips side though, every time they do they give a free invoke on the Storyteller who can do the same. Aka: The Madness Place!

To help balance things out, Sparks automatically get one less FP in their refresh per level of Spark +1 (+1 mode= 3 refresh, +3 mode=1 refresh), and only have two stunt slot before paying in to the Storyteller’s pool.

And finally, and this is for all characters, every character gets a specialty that is automatically +1 higher than the skill it’s under. For instance Sparks can have Specialty: Clanks or Specialty: Constructs connected to Science, while Fighting characters might have Specialty: Shoot, or Specialty: Dual Wielding connected to Combat, and Sneaky characters might have specialty: Sleight of Hand or Specialty: Disguise connected to Burglary or Deceive, ect.

Inventing works as is, though should be limited to major projects or simplified for lesser ones to keep the game going (As Sparks do more inventing than Action Scientists do). Brainstorming also works as is for Pulpy oneshots. For less pulpy, mysterious, or multi-shot games, perhaps instead using the variation found in the link below to extend one brainstorm across the entire game, each round being one scene and put on hold until the next clue is found. As well as at times compelling and giving out FP to the fighters instead of the Brainstormers.

Mission Briefings Could also be fun in certain games.

And that should cover most basic things and feel a little more setting appropriate I think. I have plans (And is currently working on) a bigger, more involved Girl genius/Atomic Robo RPG hack which I’ll post eventually, but until then this certainly should work!

Links:

Modes: https://fate-srd.com/atomic-robo/modes

Brainstorming: https://fate-srd.com/atomic-robo/brainstorms

Inventions: https://fate-srd.com/atomic-robo/invention

Mission Briefings:

A friend and I weren't thrilled with how FFG handled a lot of things with the Edge of the Empire line of Star Wars tabletop RPG supplements, and the alternatives were even worse, so we hacked together a treatment based off Dresden Files Accelerated.

At least 50% of it is just content from DFA shuffled around into a new order and with the serial numbers filed off, but there's enough original work in there too for me to be happy with it. We figured y'all might get some mileage out of it too, so we're sharing it here.

Stealth designer and prolific hacker Kim Lam joins Alex to talk playing by post, making games that aren’t products, and origami. We also discuss Kim’s upcoming larp about the legacy of the Cambodian genocide, so please listen with care.

So once again, as I always do when I get invested in something: I’m stating up characters, this time for Widdershins using the Atomic Robo version of FATE. And then I kept going and now am pretty much trying to make a Widdershins hack of The Atomic Robo RPG…

I blame Sid, for having a curse that’s so easily done with only an aspect.