Brave New World: Accumulated Rulings (Updated 8/29/01)
Adventures
Alphas
Background/History
Bargainers
Blasters
Bombers
Boosters
Character Creation
Combat
Copycats
Damage
Delta Points
Dessicators
Dice
Experience
Freezers
Gadgeteers (and gadgets)
Gassers
Geography
Goliaths
Healers
Lazaruses
Metagame
Movement
Quirks
Rulebooks: General
Rulebooks: Crescent City
Rulebooks: Defiance
Rulebooks: Glory Days
Rulebooks: Main
Rulebooks: Power Shield
Rulebooks: Ravaged Planet
Scrappers
Skills
Shrinkers
Sneaks
Snuffers
Telekinetics
Teleporters
Timetripper
Translators
Tricks
Vehicles
Villains
Watchers
Weapons
Weresharks
Adventures
Alphas
Alphas: Creating
Q) Can you give me any tid-bits on Alpha powers? I was thinking that for my first session that I would have an escaped Alpha on the rampage. Good way to get a group of diverse people together - and they would also get to see Delta Prime in action as well. I would use the Power Shield adventure, but two of my players have already bought it and read it. (They bought the combo-package from the web page). Also, they read the rest of the "Guide only" pages, so I'm going to have to make some other changes to the world as well. My campaign is probably going to look nothing like the standard campaign once I get going.
A) What else can you do about that? As long as you're having fun, that's fine. For a quick alpha, just pick three or four power packages and give them to one character. You're not going to see alphas in this game for a looong time--except for the occasional extra. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/23/99]
Background/History
Background/History: Guns
Q) Ok, pretty much everyone in Crescent City carries a gun. Has carrying a weapon been made legal? Will the police arrest you if they find you with a gun? (My ruling: They won't be surprised to find you with a gun, and they'll arrest you for it if they want to!) - deadtim
A) Actually, no. Nearly everyone in Brave New World carries a gun. It's the only way the regs can feel safe, not knowing when a delta's going to pop up. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/30/99]
Background/History: Inconsistencies between Brave New World and Ravaged Planet
C) However, I've found a couple of inconsistencies that annoy me, mostly between the main rule book and Ravaged Planet. - SeanMike
R) I know about these. I actually did catch these before the book went to press, and the printer faxed me back corrected proofs, but the changes were not made. Needless to say, we're having a discussion with our printer about this. ;) [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/23/99]
C) On page 21 of Brave New World, it tells how everyone involved in that revolt in the Nazi death camp was killed-everyone but Sparky/Superior, that is. But in Ravaged Planet, Patriot talks about how the Yankee disappeared along with Chicago in '76. There was obviously a glitch here. The fact is that Yankee and two other (as yet unnamed) deltas also survived the counterattack by Kapitan Krieg. When Sparky transformed into Superior, he rescued the others before they could be incinerated alive in the Nazi ovens. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
C) On page 23 of Brave New World, we learn that Patriot testified before the House Un-American Committee in 1953. Yet in Ravaged Planet, we find that Patriot didn't get his powers until 1962. This means he'd have testified in front of HUAC at age 9, long before he got his powers. The fact is the Patriot we know and love isn't the first one to have carried the name. The one who testified before HUAC was the original Patriot, John Cruise's predecessor and inspiration. How he managed to get the name and mask for himself is a story to be told later. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
C) The illustration of Patriot's grave on page 48 of Brave New World lists his year of birth as 1945. The tombstone's engraver screwed up. It's actually '44. But since Patriot's not really in the grave, I think we can be forgiven on that one. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
C) On page 24 of Ravaged Planet, it says that "rescue workers were swarming around San Francisco, Houston, and Atlanta." Houston actually escaped the nuclear holocaust unscathed. [Matt Forbeck, Defiance Sourcebook errata]
Q) USSR delta group - Is it the Red Brigade or Crimson Pride? It seems that the same group is called by both names.- SeanMike
A) The Red Brigade is part of the Soviet Army. CP works with the KGB. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/23/99]
Q) The Facade took over for JFK, and was listed as an Alpha. He then orchestrated the bombing of Chicago to get rid of all the Alphas.
Well... How did he not get disappeared?! - SeanMike
A) All I really want to say about this is that it's not an inconsistency, no matter how it might appear. ;) Honestly. Sorry about the goofs. I did make the mistakes originally, although I caught them long before the book went to press, hoping my secret shame would never be revealed. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/23/99]
Bargainers
Bargainers: Incompleteness of rules in main book.
C) The Bargainers are intentionally written with missing totems. I suppose I should have put at least five totems in the book, but we were tight on space. Making them is similar to attuning them, but more dangerous. More details later. ; ) [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/18/99]
Q) A Bargainer can have one Delta Totem for each die of Spirit they have. So if they want to switch "wands" (or whatever) and therefore powers in the middle of combat, how do they do this?
A) Typically, it takes a full action to "sheath" one Totem and another full action to "draw" another. {MF, personal correspondence]
Q) Can a Bargainer take a Delta Totem with the Goliath power, and turn the power on and off (losing the disads of the Package) by stopping the use of the totem?
A) Yes. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) The bit about Totems being "in-hand" on pg. 90 seems a little unclear. Can you use a totem that is _not_ hidden beneath your clothing, but still worn in some manner (i.e., a largish amulet on your bare chest), without it being "in-hand"?
A) Strictly speaking, they should be in the user's hand to be useful, much in the way that a gun is pretty useless sitting on your chest. Of course, if you have a great idea for something else and your Guide's up for it, go right ahead. The key thing is that it must be obvious enough that someone watching the Bargainer could figure out the source of power. [MF, personal correspondence]
Bargainers : Story
Q) So does a Bargainer MiB typically partner up with another Bargainer MiB (pg. 111), or with a rabidly loyal non-Bargainer (pg. 120)? These two pages seem to conflict.
A) That they do. The way I see it is that the MiBs all work with each other in a larger sense, but they're paired with loyal non-Bargainers when in the field. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) The direct/indirect use of Delta powers thing is a little unclear. For HTH fighter types (Scrapper, Speedster, Goliath, etc.), if they only lose their powers when they hit the Bargainer, and they only hit him for a second if they punch or kick him, how (if at all) will this cause them to lose their powers and affect their abilities? It would seem that a Speedster or a Goliath's fist isn't going to lose the momentum and propulsive force that gave it the extra damage before the Bargainer gets his face rearranged. It seems like a HTH-type Delta would hit him, the Bargainer would take full damage, the attacker would lose his power(s), and then contact would be broken and the attacker would get his powers back a split-second later. Which sounds like Delta-augmented HTH fighters wouldn't suffer at all from the AM Totem unless they grappled. Was this the intent?
A) Pretty much. [MF, personal correspondence]
Bargainers: Anti-Magic Totem
Q) The fourth paragraph is a little unclear. If a Bargainer using this Totem has no effect on a delta when the Bargainer touches the target...why does he have to worry about the target then turning around and attacking him? Wouldn't this usually just cause the Delta attacker to lose his power when he touches the Bargainer?
A) Only if the Bargainer breaks contact with the attacker first. If the Bargainer initiates contact, he's fair game until it's broken. [MF, personal correspondence
Q) How much if any "protection" will protect a Delta who touches a Anti-Magic Totem-wielding Bargainer? Gloves? Armor? Anti-nullification armor such as in Ravaged Planet?
A) It has to be bare skin to bare skin. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) It says that Bargainer powers can't directly affect the user. Does this include the user's own spells? i.e., Would he still be able to use Understand or Immunity (the spells) while using an anti-Magic totem?
A) Nope. Immunity is immunity. [MF, personal correspondence]
Bargainers: Immunity
Q) Will Immunity (the spell or the totem) protect against Hot Shot (a direct attack sort of, but the massive damage facet makes this unclear)? If not, will Immunity at least protect against subsequent burning damage from Burn Baby Burn?
A) It protects against it all. [MF, personal correspondence]
Blasters
Blasters: Rate of Fire
Q) In the book, they mention that blasters can shoot a blast from each hand. Yet, in the weapon profile, the blast had a ROF of 3. Which is correct, and if the answer is three, where does the third one come from?- ?
A) Treat each hand like an automatic weapon with an ROF of 3. This means the blaster can get up to six hits per action, but it's not terribly likely. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/19/99]
Blasters: Shooting
Q) What skill do you use to blast? I'd assume Shooting. - ?
A) Yes. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/19/99]
Bombers
Q) Does a Bomber have to worry about personal-explosive damage to stuff they are wearing/carrying? This seems like both a bad thing (they rematerialize naked, with any guns and stuff (like the Archetype carries) destroyed), and a potentially good/abusive thing (if the Bomber wants to carry along some nitro or something to increase their Big Bang damage even more).
A) Yes. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) What exactly does it look like when a Bomber's Torso explodes (yuuucckkk...)? Do the parts just lie there on the ground? Do they float in the air, with the torso missing but otherwise appearing as they would normally? Is the head still conscious?
A) It's messy. The parts lie where they land. The head only stays conscious as long as you would expect a head to that's been removed from its body. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) If a Bomber's torso explodes, what happens to the body parts attached to it? Are they thrown away a bit by the explosion, or remain right where they are to do the cumulative single explosion 1d6 rounds later?
A) Usually the latter, but it's the Guide's call depending on the circumstances. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) Are we correct in that the Size multiplier affects both the damage die-roll and the bonus based on limb part? The chart on page 82 appears to be clear enough, but under Big Bang on page 83, it talks about the Size only specifically multiplying the die roll, not the bonus.
A) You are correct. [MF, personal correspondence]
Bombers: Story
Q) The "shrapnel" blaster - The guy who blew off his own hand when he fired at Patriot and triggered his Delta powers - I thought I saw references to other blasters who did this. Are they a sub-set of blasters, or a different type of Delta? - ?
A) They're called bombers, and you'll see them in Defiants, which leaves for the printer next week. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/23/99]
Boosters
Q) Can a Booster "boost" a Shrinker to give him more Shrinking and let him get even smaller? And what would you suggest the effect of this be, because a Shrinker can already go down to Size 1...which is about as small as you can get.
A) True. I'd let the Shrinker (a Brawny one) go down another 5 points in Size, to a minimum of -4. Now that means she's really tiny, which affects attacks against her and such normally. Let the Size go negative for purposes of attack modifiers, but (in my opinion) the lowest it should go for figuring damage is 1. After all, that's still a lot of damage getting through, plenty to KO or kill most shrunken heroes with a single hit. [MF, personal correspondence]
Character Creation
Character Creation: Character Sheets
Q) I have a fine character sheet from Robert Swan, but I wanted to try my hand at creating my own. Does anyone out there have the 'buff guy' graphic to keep track of wounds? I could scan it, but I'm concerned about quality and.... other issues. - Deadtim
A) There is that matter of copyright. Players are granted permission to copy that page, but not to chop it up and reuse it as they like. Of course, unless you start selling the sheets on the internet, we're likely not going to care much. We do request you leave our trademark and copyright information on any such sheet, along with a notice that it's use is unauthorized. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/30/99]
Q) We're confused by character creation. Why bother "splitting" points when you can just move some initial Skill Points into Positive Quirks, and use some Negative Quirk points to buy up more Skill Points in a particular attribute.
A) You can only buy Positive Quirks with Negative Quirks or Veteran points, not Skill Points.
Character Creation: Tricks
C) Do tricks cost 10 points during character creation? I ask this because 10 (for lack of a better term) Creation Points are far more effective and therefor "costly" then 10 Experience Points? - ?
A) You can't buy extra tricks during hero creation. You only get the three you start with for free. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/7/99]
Combat
Q) If you are Dodging a HTH attack, do you get any benefits from your HTH skill levels?
A) Not really. You're doing your best to get out of the way, not block an incoming attack. You still get to add your skill level to the attacker's base Target Number, just like normal though. Note that the fighting/martial arts skill bonus is added to the regular Target Number, not any number generated by a dodge roll. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) As a rule of thumb, is there any other circumstance when you can't use your HTH skill defensively (i.e., add the skill level to your opponent's TN to hit)?
A) That's really up to the Guide. I'd say that if you're using a gun and someone attacks you in close combat, you should get to use your fighting/martial arts skill to defend yourself. It's not an active defense like a dodge. As long as you're aware of the attack and are willing to put some effort into stopping it, you should get the bonus. Of course, in the case of something requiring immense concentration, like defusing a bomb, the Guide might give penalties both to the bonus and the attempt to defuse the bomb.
Combat: Size
C) On page 145 of Brave New World, I wrote about how Size affects an attacker's chance to hit. That's true, but I got the modifiers backward. The paragraph should read like this. It's a lot easier to hit a bigger target than a small one. Take -1 from the Target Number for every point of Size the target has over 5. Or add +1 to the Target Number for every point of Size the target has under 5. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
Combat: Tripping
Q) What sort of damage do you folks think being tripped would do. For the most part I have had the tripped villains make stun checks against a target number of ten but take no wounds. If they are stunned they recover in one round. - MadPr0phet
A) Ah, sure. I'd make it a contested Speed roll first to see if the target can avoid the trip. The damage would depend on what she falls in or on to (glass, stairs, the edge of a building, a floor, etc.). [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/30/99]
Copycats
Q) It says pretty clearly (in the DP Sourcebook, page 78), that "They cannot copy an entire power package; quirks are not picked up with the power...". So if a Copycat successfully copies a Goliath, exactly what do they get...? Do they get the Obvious quirk? What about the Ugly and Slow quirks that are also part of the Goliath package?
A) Just whatever power they copy. It's a good deal for them. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) But...um, what exactly do they get? They get +2 Size without being Obvious or Slow. This seems to make them much less a Goliath and more...what, exactly? I'd say a very dense normal-size person, but that would still tend to effect their movement.
A) Or they could take the Strength bonus, of course. If the Guide wants to rule that the Copycat would pick up a negative quirk, that's fine by me. Strictly speaking, that's not what the rules say, but I was trying to write simple rules that could be applied to most if not all situations fairly intuitively. That meant not trying to cover every possible instance at the moment. [MF, personal correspondence]
Damage
Delta Points
Q) Does one Delta Point negate one wound level, or one "hit"?
A) 1 DP/1 wound level is how it's supposed to be. In your game, you're welcome to go with 1 DP/1 hit, but you're going to see your battles last a lot longer. BNW is intentionally a deadly kind of game. I've always found this encourages roleplaying over combat, which is what I was aiming for. [MF, mailing list, 8/17/01]
Dessicators
Q) The power Dessicate seems to indicate that it would work on anything...as long as the water could pass through any covering... like clothes. But then, we have the Trick DESSICATE CREATURE. Does this mean that Dessicate DOESN'T work on organic matter without the Trick? And if so, what, other than organics or jugs of water, has moisture (not to mention clothes) on it?
A) Anything else that holds water. Wells, ponds, etc. The power doesn't work on living creatures without the trick. (MF, Listserv - 9/12/00)
Dice
Experience
Freezers
Q) What exactly happens when Freezers Flash Freeze? Are they making whatever they touch as brittle as if it were dipped in liquid nitrogen or are they encasing it in ice? The freezer in my Glory Days campaign is freezing locks in doors, fences, etc.. and everyone assumes it to mean that they can shatter it by just touching it after that. Perhaps they are making whatever they touch like dry ice all misty in warm climate yet very cold and solid?
A) It's more like they're encasing it in ice. Assume the thing in question gets down to about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not meant to be anything near 0 degrees Kelvin. I've lived in some cold climates, and it's not possible to go around shattering locks at even 40 degrees below. (MF, to Brian Haruko - 10/9/00)
Gadgeteers
Gadgeteers: Armorgeddon Suits
Q) Delta Primes armeggedon suits - as they're gadgets does that mean each one is somewhat unique ? - ?
A) Yes, although they are obviously going to share some traits. The Delta Prime book is going to have more fun stuff for gadgeteers, including more power armor suits. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/7/99]
Gadgeteer: Cybernetics
Q) Is there any? Does this count as a "gadget" that must be maintained so that only Gadgeteers have them, or can they be implanted and then you're on your own? Cybernetics/nanites are a popular origin these days. - ?
A) There currently aren't any, but that may change later as I develop the gadgeteers further. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/23/99]
Gadgeteers: Maintenance
Q) In the main book it states that it takes 1hr/day to maintain a gadget, or 8 hours to bring a non maintained gadget back up to speed. yet in the example, it states that a gadgeteer could maintain 3 gadgets at once if he never slept - that just doesn't add up for me. - ?
A) Sure. He takes 1 hour to maintain his first gadget. Then the next 8 hours, he "repairs" another gadget. Then the next 8 hours, he "repairs" a third gadget. That leaves him with only 7 hours out of 24 before his first gadget fails him, so he can't get a fourth gadget going before that. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/7/99]
Gadgeteers: Power Nullification Fields
Q) For big installations that require the constant use of power nullification fields (i.e. prisons like Alcatraz), how do Gadgeteers maintain the device if they lose their "power to build and maintain wondrous devices" (basic rulebook 178) when they're in the nullification field itself? Or do prisons shut off their nullification fields for an hour a day?
A) Ah, that would be telling. In fact, no gadgeteers maintain these devices. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) Do Power Nullification Fields negate the use of a power if that power originates outside the field? If a Blaster is outside the field and shoots at something inside, is his blast nullified? Can a Bargainer outside a PNF contact someone inside a field via Hellcast?
A) Powers do not operate within the field, but their effects can certainly be felt. If a Goliath tosses a car at someone inside the field, for instance, the car keeps going once it enters the field. To keep it simple, as long as the power originates outside of the field, it works. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence, 9/18/00]
Gassers
Q) Would A Gasser's attack affect a Jungler with their Immunity to all poisons and venoms? I think it would due to the caustic nature (works on skin contact).
A) I agree with you. Mustard gas works differently than poison. (MF, Listserv - 9/12/00)
Q) The rules on "resisting" this attack are not clear. First it says you can make a Challenging (10) Speed roll to get away. Then it says this roll is not considered a dodge, "although the hero can try that (dodging) instead of making the resistance roll." Then it says that "Dodging requires a resistance roll..." So which roll is or isn't the resistance roll?
A) First, any hero in the path of the gas can try to avoid it with a non-dodge Speed roll that doesn't require an action. Alternatively, a hero can attempt a standard dodge roll, which requires an action. That's it. (MF, personal correspondence - 9/25/00)
Geography
Goliaths
Goliath: Leaping
C) The Goliath is meant to be a leaper too. And yeah, it counts as part of your move. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/18/99]
Goliath: Lifting
Q) According to the rule a Goliath "superstrong" archetype can only carry Strength+2 (7) which is a whopping 400lbs? Meaning he can carry another Goliath (a wounded buddy) but is slowed to half speed, yet he can't lift a Gorilla and still move--since it doesn't actually indicate how lifting works just carrying and even that is a little unclear--Str+3 or more and a character cannot move---ok but what's the ACTUAL limit, can an unmoving person lift STR+5? +10? - Sidhain
A) Strength+3 is the maximum, but when it comes to the Goliath, you're forgetting to add in his +5 Strength bonus. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/27/99]
Goliath: Wounds
C) The goliath does get his Strength add for the wounds. He's TOUGH. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 8/12/99]
Healers
Q) Can a Healer heal themselves?
A) I would think that healers can heal themselves. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence - 3/12/01]
Lazaruses
Q) Does a Lazarus absolutely *need* to die in order to use his regeneration ability (1 wound each 12 hours)?
A) Yes. Some Lazaruses (Lazari?) have been known to commit suicide when already pretty messed up. Hey, they know it's not permanent. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 11/7/00]
Metagame
Metagame: Die types
Q) I've complained to my group before that I don't care much for d6 systems because I think they don't give enough variety (a big gripe of mine with Champions) and I can hear them snickering at me now about wanting to play BNW, but I'm keeping an open mind about BNW since I love the setting. Any reason you decided on not using other die types? - ?
A) Again, it was all about simplicity. A comic book reader who doesn't play games can simply bust open an old copy of Yahtzee that's gathering dust in a closet, and he's set. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/16/99]
Metagame: Early stages of development
C) Just thought I'd de-lurk and let you know I've been reading your posts with some interest. ; ) Work on BNW is going smoothly, with only small speed bumps here and there, mostly from my other Pinnacle duties. I'm expecting to have a first draft done by the end of the month. It's looking good so far, and I hope you all really enjoy it. As to character creation, I'm going with an unusual, two pronged system. You build your standard person with a quick and easy, point-based system, but to add superpowers, you buy them as a package. No mix and match here. All the packages are built to make sense and provide an amount of balance to the game. I thought of going with a strictly point-based system, but why try to duplicate Champions? It's a game I have a lot of respect for, but these days I find it a bit too cumbersome for my tastes. So I'm going for something a lot easier. No min-maxing numbers. Just build your character, then add a power package, and you're done. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 3/5/99]
C) (Ed. Note, this is the tag end of a debate about the merits and disadvantages of a power-framework based system) The trouble mostly stems from the term "superhero game"... I think most of us immediately associate the term with open, four-colour, wide systems without much background. What you are suggesting is more in line with more modern games, where the characters are natural outgrowths of a larger story, generally both empowered and engrossed within it. The types of characters are a direct result of the genre, *especially* those with supernormal abilities. -kilfoilm
R) Exactly! This is the problem we've had from day one. Sure, it's a superhero game, since it's about people with paranormal powers in a modern-day setting, but it's not at all generic. There's a strong backstory that informs the rest of the game, and that includes what kinds of heroes there are to play. Thanks again for the feedback--to all of you. Even if it doesn't always change my mind, it helps me refine my reasoning. ; ) [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 3/9/99]
Metagame: Power Packages
Q) This is going to be a major problem for a couple of my players. I know I'm going to have to put down a player revolt when I tell a player that he can't both fly and shoot blasts from his hands. At first, I didn't like the idea of having to choose power archetypes but after reading and realizing that the players are only supposed to be low-powered Deltas and not of the Alpha class, I should be able to calm them down. I was wondering if your play-test groups had some trouble getting the feel for this part. It seems like most of the heroes still rely heavily on guns. You're absolutely right when you say that this isn't your typical super-hero game. - ?
A) I've heard this complaint in some reviews too, and I think people are missing the point. This is *Brave New World*, a roleplaying game, not *Superhero: The Generic Roleplaying Game*. The power packages are meant to put people into the right kind of heroes and power levels straight away. Plus, they make hero creation a snap. Fussin with all sorts of point systems takes all day. If you (or your players) like that, I heartily recommend using the Champions or GURPS rules to build your heroes to your own taste, then come on over and play Brave New World. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/16/99]
R) (Ed Note. The listserv participant had some harsh things to say about BNW. I don't have the original post, but here's Matt's reply)
R) You've also had a lot to say about how lazy we were in producing the book and how you feel ripped off by the "marketing scheme" of putting new power packages in each book. Honestly, I'm a bit put off by the strength of your comments, but that doesn't make your sentiment any less valid, so I'll try to address it here. The way BNW came out was not a matter of laziness, nor inexperience. It was a choice I made because I wanted a game in which creating a character that was in line with the world I'd created was fast and simple. As for the "scheme" of putting new power packages in each book, for Deadlands, one of the most popular things in our sourcebook are the new archetypes that come in each book. I decided to make that a key part of Brave New World. Our customers tend to like that. When we come up with new kinds of characters in Deadlands, no one complains that they weren't in the main book. I realize people have different expectations for a "superhero" game, but that's not what Brave New World's about at all. It's not about superpowers. It's about being on the run from a government that wants to take your rights away because people are afraid of people like you. If you just want a straight-up, four-color, works just like it reads in the comics kind of game, I wholeheartedly recommend Champions. In fact, if you like those rules better, feel free to make up your heroes with the Champs rules and play in the Brave New World setting. Once you bring the game home, it's yours to do with as you will. I'm sorry this one aspect of the game has soured your entire experience with it. If you really feel ripped off, bring the game back to you local store. If they won't take it, send it in to us, and we'll refund your money. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/27/99]
Metagame: Misprinted Product
Q) What happens if I get a book with missing pages?
A) Sorry about those missing pages. In general, you can expect 2-5% of a print run to have errors, depending on the quality of the printer you use. Most problems involve things like band bindings or a poorly trimmed book, but sometimes you get the occasional missing signature (16 pages). [Taking the book back to where you purchased it from for a refund or replacement] is far and away the easiest and cheapest way for you to handle this problem. Alternatively, you can send your book into AEG, and they will (I believe) replace it for you, but then you have to pay for shipping and wait for your new book. [MF, personal correspondence]
Movement
Paralyzers
Q) In the Paralyzer's package, it's written that the "Look" skill "basically keeps the hero from instantly attacking everyone she looks at". Does this mean that a Paralyzer without this skill (example: a newly awakened Paralyzer) would paralyze everyone he/she looks at?
A) That's certainly the implication. ; ). [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 11/7/00]
Q) The Paralyzer. A lot of interesting scenarios here. Obviously, their power can completely incapacitate a Goliath, Speedster, or Gunner. But what about packages that are mental in nature? Can Blasters still fire blasts from their unmoving arms? Can Flyers levitate their immobile bodies up into the air? Can Phasers phase, just not move? Similar questions come up regarding Changelings, Bombers, Watchers, Chargers, etc. I guess the basic question is this: can deltas whose power requires no _physical_ action to activate still use their abilities, even though they can't move?
A) Yes. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence - 11/20/00]
Quirks
Quirks: Veteran (See also Character Creation: Tricks)
C) On page 3134 of Brave New World, it says a veteran can use the extra 5 points from the quirk to buy a trick. Obviously this is wrong, since tricks cost 10 points and can't be purchased during character creation. [MF, Defiance Sourcebook]
Rulebooks: General
Q) I found 3 Extras in the Guide sections that have 4 Delta Points without having the "Lucky" Quirk: Truth (Crescent City p. 90), Keith Makowski (Crescent City p. 86), and the Original Patriot (Glory Days, p. 191).
A) These are mistakes. The characters in question should have the Lucky quirk. [Matt Forbeck, listserv - 2/16/01]
Rulebooks: Crescent City
Q) Timetripper template (pg. 78): what is the third trick that the Timetripper should get? Presumably Out of Synch, but it's not mentioned.
A) That sounds fine to me. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence - 11/16/00]
Q) If there is a 2 a.m. curfew, how can the city stay open 24 hours a day? (see page 33, first page of Downtown).
A) The curfew keeps you off the streets until dawn, but it doesn't mean you can't stay someplace until then. Obviously, not everything's open all the time, though. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence - 11/21/00]
Q) In the text, Rex Shepard is referred to as a Tough. His write-up in the Guide's Chapter, however, has him as a Charmer and Ben Archer as the Tough. I'm assuming the text is the incorrect part and that Shepard is a Charmer, but I'm not sure...
A) He's a charmer. Sorry about the mixup! [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence - 11/20/00]
Rulebooks: Defiance
Q) pg. 38: Is there actually a character called Destroyer who seems to have been a major villainous type in the 70's who's been gone 20 years that would have inspired a popular Halloween mask, or is this merely a misprint and it should be Devastator?
A) It's not a misprint, but I honestly just tossed the Destroyer in there as a one-off plot hook. (MF, personal correspondence - 9/25/00)
Rulebooks: Glory Days
Q) I know it's a misprint, but the Yankee is a wuss. He can't fight at all. (He has no fighting or martial arts). What should he have? 7? I figure he should have fighting, seems more his style.
A) Whoops! Yeah, I'd give him fighting: barehanded 7. He should kick some serious Nazi butt! (MF, Listserv, 10/2/00)
Q) Is it a misprint or mistake that Patriot and the Yankee have the exact same name?? AND from the same city?? If it's NOT a plan, what the heck?
A) No, I just boned it up. There are over 100 different named characters in that book alone, so I suppose it's not surprising I doubled up on one. I like the name for its Biblical references, so I must have wanted to make sure I used it. It's the Yankee's name. The original Patriot's name is something else. (MF, Listserv - 9/12/00)
Rulebooks: Main
C) On page 164 of Brave New World, it states that each success a hero gets on a Challenging (10) Strength roll heals one wound in every hit location at once. That makes it easy to heal wounds quickly, which means it's wrong. Instead, if the hero gets a success on a Challenging (10) Strength roll, he heals a single wound in each hit location at once. Any extra successes are lost. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
C) On page 169 of Brave New World, the pumped up trick allows a hero to carry extra weight. You don't normally have to roll to carry something-unless it's over your normal maximum. If it is, make an Easy (5) Strength roll and apply any extra successes toward using this trick. This means you have to get at least a 10 on your roll to use this trick. the first 5 points you roll counts as the first success. It's not until you reach 10 points that you've got yourself an extra success. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
C) The gunner archetype on page 71 somehow got shorted a skill point under Strength. (Actually, I know how it happened. I miscalculated. Four terms of calculus, and I still can't add single digits all the time. Sheesh.) Give the man running 1 to make up for it. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
Q) Regarding the "Savage" flaw found in the basic book, one will find that there is no mechanism in place to determine the length of time that a person will remain in a savage state. This has become somewhat pressing as one of my players has opted to run a Werebear. And while he has a high Spirit score, there are those unfortunate lapses where he is known to run amok.
A) The hero stays in his savage state until he runs out of enemies to attack or he's KO'd or killed--in essence, once the combat is over for him. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence - 3/12/01]
Rulebooks: Power Shield
Rulebooks: Ravaged Planet
C) On page 21 of Ravaged Planet, Patriot talks about the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since Superior ended the war early, these cities were spared the bomb. Something else happened to them, but that's a story for another time. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
Scrappers
Scrapper: Dirty Fighter
Q) I you use dirty fighter trick of the scrappers do you add 2d6 for each success to the damge roll or do you take the highest total and then add 2d6 for each success to the damage. I tend to think it would be the first but when talking to a friend I began to wonder. - Spacedog
A) You add +2d6 to the damage roll for each success on the fighting roll. Damage rolls don't really have successes. For instance, if the Target Number is 5 and the Scrapper rolls 18, he gets two extra successes. Let's say he's fighting barehanded, and his Strength is 5. He'd normally roll 5d6 for damage. With the two extra successes, he can add a total of +4d6, so he rolls 9d6 for damage instead. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/15/99]
Skills
Shrinker
Q) If a character without Shrinking but with some type of Armor gets Shrunken (via Gadget), does he get full armor bonuses?
A) Well, it doesn't make sense for him to get it, but I might give it to him anyhow, just for fun and to help balance the hero out a bit more. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence]
Q) What can a Shrinker character "shrink" with them? The power description says only
themselves and their clothing, but the Growth Charge trick talks about enhancing a weapon's damage, and the archetype has a pistol and a BP vest.
A) Small items and clothing can be taken along with them. This would include pistols, knives, and a BP vest, but nothing much heavier than that. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence]
Shrinker: De-pantsing
Q) What would be the target number for a shrinking character to pull some ones pants down while shrunk? I had him make a strength test against a target number of 5 and then made the test opposed against the guys belt. (str 2) - ?
A) These kinds of questions illustrate exactly why roleplaying games need gamemasters. Can you imagine me writing in the main book the rules for pantsing someone? ;) - MadPr0phet
A) That sounds fine to me. I'd probably let the shrinker get away with it just for a good laugh. Once. It's not funny if this is his main method of attack. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 9/30/99]
Sneaks
Sneak: Electronic devices
Q) Does the Sneak power apply vs. Electronic type devices? Cameras, etc? - ?
A) Only against human-backed devices, like cameras that someone has to watch. It wouldn't work against an electronic eye, for instance. There has to be someone to roll against. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 11/11/99]
Snuffers
Q) Will the anti-power-nullification armor suits (such as those used during Patriot's execution, see Ravaged Planet) also work against a Snuffer's power?
A) I believe that they would. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) Does Snuffer A get a +5 to his Spirit when resisting Snuffer B's attempt to Snuff Snuffer A?
A) Yes. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) Defiants SB, pg 91: Why does the "delta power-dampening field" refer to delta, when it seems that it was used primarily to negate the powers of Alphas (some of who are still imprisoned by the "delta power-dampening field", correct?), and whom it is presumably still used against? The field was created in '68, when there were still Alphas around.
A) It does both. All alphas are also deltas by definition. (MF, personal correspondence - 9/25/00)
Q) Does an Alpha receive a +25 to resist the effects of a DPDF, as he does against a Snuffer?
A) No. (MF, personal correspondence - 9/25/00)
Q) What happens when a Snuffer attempts to snuff a Vampire? And would a WereBear/Shark be reverted to human form?
A) It would revert to human (in all of the above cases). Treat them like normal deltas for this. Of course, they'd lose their weaknesses as well. [MF, BNW listserv, 1/27/01]
Telekinetics
Q) Can a Telekinetic aim and shoot a gun using TK? What about picking a lock?
A) I don't think a TK could handle the fine manipulation involved in firing a gun. There's cocking the thing, etc., beyond just pulling the trigger. Not to mention that lining up a shot you're not actually behind is pretty difficult, almost as good as firing blind. For Lockpicking, the same. [MF, personal correspondence]
Teleporters
Q) Can a Teleporter teleport "out" of something (i.e., ropes, handcuffs)?
A) Yes. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence]
Q) What can a Teleporter take with them in the way of personal equipment? The rules are kinda vague...
A) The upper end of their weight limit includes rifles, IR goggles, and a BP vest (as per the archetype). [Matt Forbeck, Personal Correspondence]
Teleporters: Inertia
Q) Are vector and inertia maintained when one is teleported? This is relevant, for example, if one is falling and teleports to the ground. If inertia is maintained, one can still hit the ground pretty hard. - loki
A) Inertia is maintained relative to the earth, but the vector can be altered. Have fun with that. - [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/19/99]
Q) Hmmmm, I'm trying to visualize this. So if I'm falling, and I teleport myself to the ground, I still hit the ground with an amount of force as if I'd fallen the amount I'd already gone. But I can, say, change which way I'm facing? So as to land on my back, say, and not on my face? (Not that that's much better.) Similarly, if someone were thrown past me and I touched him and teleported him, he'd keep sailing in approximately the same direction, relative to the earth, but I can change which way he's facing? - loki
A) You can change direction, but velocity remains the same. You could teleport so that you were falling up until gravity brought you to a halt, then teleport away again. Good luck getting this to work. After all the range isn't all that far, so it's going to be cutting it close. I'd set the navigation target number at something like 20 for the initial "dodge the ground" port. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/21/99]
Teleporters: Objects
Q) Can one teleport objects? It would seem kinda weird that one can only teleport sapients. Obviously, one teleports the objects on one's body, but what about stuff one's holding? How big can that get i.e. is there a weight limitation? - loki
A) Sure. You can teleport an object like you teleport a foe. You just have to be touching it. I'd say this could be up to about 200 pounds. - [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/19/99]
Q) If one teleports a foe into an object, doing the "regular damage" (by which I assume 5d6+10 is meant), how does that damage manifest, i.e. what does it look like? Does that really bypass all armor, including "built-in" armor like the Tough has? If so, teleporters have a pretty disturbing attack, there, as long as there's stuff to teleport people into. - loki
A) Since two objects can't share the same space, it's the equivalent of forcing the molecules of one thing through another while they're not yet fully integrated again. When it's all done, the two usually lay next to each other in varying stages of damage. This negates all armor, since it can basically hurt every molecule in a person's body, bypassing any external covering. - [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/19/99]
Q) BTW, I'd like to end this note by mentioning that part of the reason I'm asking this is I really like BNW's alternate-history background, and I'd like to play a workable Teleporter in it. (Pert of the reason I asked about objects, and whether their orientation has to be the same, is because I'd like to be able to have a character that can teleport his costume onto himself, by having it folded-up in his pocket and touching it.) - loki
A) From a coolness point of view, I say go for it, but I wouldn't think it would work that way in BNW. Teleportation allows the hero to move the thing from one place to another, not manipulate it in some kind of nether space before it reappears. Still, if you want it that way and your Guide agrees , who am I to stand in the way of fun? - [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/19/99]
Teleporters: Others
Q) Can one teleport someone into someone else? If so, do they both take damage? - loki
A) They would, but this should be very hard to do. I'd say it would take three extra successes on the navigation roll to pull it off. This would be the same for teleporting something into someone else. - [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/19/99]
Q) Okay, just to be absolutely sure, what about the converse? That is, if one wants to teleport a foe into the ground, doing the regular damage, would that require 3 extra successes as well? Because all the rulebook says (under the Teleport Foe trick) is if you hit your foe, you can automatically teleport them anywhere in range, even into something solid. No mention of extra successes. If it's official errata that that requires 3 extra successes on the Navigation roll, I'm certainly cool with that, considering that the attack skips all armor if it succeeds, but I want to make sure that's the case. - loki
A) Actually, I just tossed in the three successes because I figured it's harder to hit a living and probably moving target than to put someone into the ground, so--to answer your question--no. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/21/99]
Q) Does a Teleporter have to go along with someone he uses Teleport Foe on?
A) No. In fact, he can't whether he wants to or not. [MF, personal correspondence]
Q) Can a Teleporter take a Shrunken character with him without Teleport Friend?
A) To me, it's more a matter of knowing and understanding what you're teleporting along with you than a matter of mass ratios. So no. {MF - personal correspondence]
Q) Does a Teleporter using the Teleport Foe trick have to do anything other than successfully hit his opponent with a HTH attack (i.e., get an extra success, using his Navigation or Barehanded combat skill)?
A) The Teleporter has to touch the foe (a successful close combat attack) and then get an extra success on a navigation roll. Navigation is used for all other teleports, so it should have to be used for this as well. Otherwise, you might only teleport the foe a few inches to one side. Also, you always have to get an extra success to activate a trick, so the success must come from somewhere. This could be the close combat attack, of course, but it seems to make more sense if it comes from a navigation roll. [MF, personal correspondence]
Teleporters: Sound
Q) When one teleports, is there a "pop" when the air rushes in to fill in the empty space? If not, why not? Is there "castling", i.e. the space the teleporter vacated is replaced by whatever stuff (air or water) is in the place the character ends up, so no pop? - loki
A) Sure, there would be a pop, but I don't think it would be all that loud. - [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/19/99]
Timetrippers
Q) (pg. 72, C2 Sourcebook): No one gets back Delta Points? So let me see if the following is correct: The Timetripper gets into a fight, his opponent spends a Delta Point early in the battle, and the Timetripper later "rewinds." Things go pretty much the same and his opponent spends a Delta Point (his second). The Timetripper rewinds again, and things go the same and his opponent spends the DP (his third and last). The Timetripper _still_ isn't happy and rewinds a third time. The opponent no longer gets to spend a Delta Point on the action he did the first three times: is that correct?
A) Yes. [Matt Forbeck, personal correspondence, 11/16/00]
Translators
Q) Is a Translator's power the ability to gain new skill levels his power, or his ability to gain and retain them? For example, a Translator is the successful target of a Snuffer, or tossed into a Power Nullification field? Does he keep the skill levels he has and simply lose the ability to learn new levels? Or does he lose the skill levels as well?
A) He retains them.
Tricks
C) On page 82 of Brave New World, it says you can use a general trick(the ones in Chapter Seven) that you don't know if you get three extra successes instead of the normal single success you'd need if you knew the trick. Then on page 167 it says you can't use a trick you don't know. Page 82 is right. Some tricks require multiple success to use. If you don't know one of these tricks, then it takes two extra successes to pull it off. [MF, Defiants SB errata]
Vehicles
Vehicles: Crashing
Q) The rules state that when a vehicle has an accident, all those who are involved take 1d6+5 damage for every 5 pace the vehicle was going. So a question: If a vehicle is going 60 pace and has an accident, would that mean that everyone takes 14d6+60 damage? 14d6+14? 14d6+5? 1d6+60? Little unclear on this... - deadtim
A) 12d6+60, but it's applied to the vehicle, not the occupants. For people inside the car, it's up to you. It can be affected by things like seatbelts, airbags, and the like, so there can really be a large range. [Matt Forbeck, BNW Listserv, 10/5/99]
Villians
Watchers
Q) Watcher: as a rule of thumb, how often should a Watcher have to roll to activate his power? Once per round? Once per thing or person he looks at? The latter is a useful guideline for the basic ability, but when using the Infrared and Telescopic tricks it isn't quite as clear.
A) It's up to the Guide, but I usually work it so that the player rolls once per thing the hero looks at. With the tricks, you can have them make a special roll, kind of like a perception roll. [MF, personal correspondence]
Weapons
Q) What are the # of shots for a Baretta? My copy of Glory Days seems to have omitted this number on page 159 under "Pistols.
A) I seem to recall that this should be 9. I'd happy concede the point to someone who claimed to know better though. [MF, personal correspondence]
Weresharks
Q) Am I wrong in assuming that the WereShark can breath water in Beast and Animal forms?
A) Ah, yeah. Guess I could have made that clearer. (MF, Listserv - 9/12/00)
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