EldritchFire Press
May 08
Blog Post: Minions vs. Mobs
There has been a bit of a discussion on various message boards about using multiple specialty characters in a fight. The default response is “why do it that way? Just use a mob!” Sometimes, however, having multiple specialty characters is a better idea than just one mob.
#MavelRPG #minionMob If you need more Watcher characters to act, it’s best to have multiple minions instead of one mob
One of the most strategic aspects of the Marvel RPG is the action order. It encourages players to mix up the order and let Watcher characters have a go. If you’re interested, here’s a link to a really good blog post by Fred Hicks on the action order:
So what are the benefits of many specialty characters vs. having a mob?
#MavelRPG #minionMob Having multiple minions gives Watcher more actions per page, increasing tactical options
Basically, if you have, say, three specialty characters instead of one mob, you have three times as many opportunities to act. The more characters Watcher has to play with, the more intense the conflict will become. The players have to pay more attention to the turn order because if they get lax, Watcher can lay the hurt on the player’s heroes.
#MavelRPG #minionMob Having only one mob gives the heroes time to shine, since the heroes get more actions before the mob can act
On the flip side, if you only have one mob, they players get to feel heroic as they lay waste to a mob of enemies! Think of all the opening pages/scenes of Spider-Man comics, TV shows, and movies. There’s a couple of dudes robbing a bank, stealing an old lady’s purse, or something like that. In no time at all, Spider-Man has them webbed up, waiting for the cops to haul ‘em to jail. That’s what a mob looks like. They’re fodder for your players, a chance for them to feel heroic, saving the day fast and looking good while doing it! One thing to keep in mind, though, is the number–and size–of dice in a mob. If the mob is d6 or d8, you should have one die per hero so they each have a “target” to stress out. For d10 mobs, don’t worry about 1 for 1. They’re not guaranteed to go down with one hit. Just be sure to adjust for your group! Obviously throwing around d10 effect dice with step-up SFX will change the playing field!
#MavelRPG #minionMob Mobs are good as backup to major villains. It gives the heroes an obstacle to overcome, but isn’t the main threat
Mobs make great backup for your big bad. I mean, what villain who claims the title “super” doesn’t have hirelings or henchmen? It’s required by the Super Villain Charter, Section 3, §42A. Anyway, giving a villain a mob increases the tactical options available during a conflict. A decent sized or trained mob can give the heroes pause. Do they take out the help first, then pile on the big bad? Do they ignore the mob? Divide and conquer? All good questions, with no right answer! Also of note is that, in this context, a “villain” doesn’t mean main character. The super villain could have a trusted lieutenant who has a small force at his command.
#MavelRPG #minionMob Don’t think that you can only have one or the other! Use both to call out the coolness of the minions!
As mentioned above, you can have both in one encounter! In my previous post on making villains—Inverse Law of Ninja—I made note of using a specialty or minor character for the “leader” of the mob. Say you have three heroes, and want to give ‘em a good fight, but not too long. So you use one 3d6 mob and two d8 specialty characters. You now have two elites leading a squad of rank-and-file troops. Or two summoners with their demonic horde. Don’t be afraid to throw in some variety, too. Your specialty characters don’t need to have similar traits to the mob. Have the specialty characters be special!
Apr 03
Meet The Avatar
I’ve been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix (for the third or fourth time, and was wondering how one would stat up the avatar and friends. So instead of waiting around for someone else to do it, I figured I would!
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Mar 20
Inverse Law of Ninja
Last time, we discussed a bit about the differences between Watcher characters. Today, I’d like to delve a bit more into the differences, and go ahead and build some! As the title explains, it’s going to be ninja. I mean, who doesn’t like ninja, am I right?
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Mar 15
Making Minions & Mobs
Well, it’s been a busy week in the world of Marvel RPG! A good friend of mine, Adam, has a nice collection of links over on his blog. Check it out!
In any event, there has been a metric ton of stuff done for players in creating their characters, even an entire thread over on RPGnet for people to post their builds! But there is a lack of Watcher-specific material. So today, let’s talk about making minions, mobs, & other bad guys!
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Mar 07
Marvel RPG - Dynamic Doom Dice Dance
Ok, so I have a confession to make: I love alliteration! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk DOOM!
So there has been a bit of discussion of what the Doom Pool is, what it should be, and how to use it. Today I’m going to talk about just that: how it works, what to do with it, and how to use it to your best advantage as the Watcher.
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Mar 01
Marvel RPG Review, Part 2 - Personal Feelings
This is part 2 of my ongoing review of Margaret Weiss Productions Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. You can find Part 1 - Basics here.
My fiancée read my last post, and brought up a very good point about my last review: I never told you what I did and did not like! So today, I’m here to talk about my feelings.
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Feb 23
Marvel RPG Review, Part 1 - The Basics
Welcome back, true believers! Today is Part 1 of my multi-part review of the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying by Margaret Weis Productions. Part 1 deals with the basic dice mechanics of the system.
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Feb 18
Marvel RPG Launch Party
Face front, true believers! The time of heroics is upon us! Don your mask, power up your armour, and flaunt your mutant powers! Today is a very special post! I have been given permission by none other than Cam “Boymonster” Banks himself to do a short review of the Marvel heroic Roleplaying game Launch Party!
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Feb 11
Twitter Tools
Some of you may have noticed that I have a few new tools going on. Some of the tools are right here on my site, while the rest are on my twitter feed! Heck, two of them are “hidden” tools that you never see me interact with! Today, I’m going to talk a bit about my cool new tools.
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Jan 26
Rolling Dice - Opposed vs. Static
In most RPGs that I’ve played, rolls tend to be against static difficulty numbers. However, more recently, there have been more games that do opposed rolls. Today, I’m going to talk about the differences between the two, and which I like and why.
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Accidentally Designing Marvel’s Action Order System » Deadly FredlyFeb 24, 2012 … So, back at the GenCon where Margaret Weis Productions announced that they’d gotten the Marvel license, I had an o…