Post originally by Michael S. Miller at 2004-10-18 11:22:39
Converted from Phorums BB System

Hi, Jack.

You wrote: "This may have more to do with how the GM decides to roleplay rather than game mechanics, though. How is a conflict between two characters with differing power levels resolved? Say, for example, Iron Fist versus Black Adam(a personal favorite villain)? If Iron Fist has a much better hand than Black Adam, would the GM have some leeway to favor Black Adam? Is there a concrete rule on this or is this sort of thing left to the creativity of the GM?"

I'm not very familiar with Iron Fist and don't know Black Adam from, well, Adam, but I can address the case of a "higher power level" combatant versus a "lower power level" opponent. It's likely that the person with the better hand is going to force the other to yield. If the lower-powered hero's player has a better hand is winning the fight, the player and GM will tailor their description of HOW he's winning the fight to reflect that he's using his wits, quickness, well-aimed blows, situational advantage, or what-have-you rather than brute force. Since any suit can represent any type of effort toward victory in a conflict, this sort of flexibility is built into the system.

Y'see, it's my impression that "power level" is NIGH-irrelevant in the comics themselves when it comes to determining character effectiveness (i.e., how well that character gets things done). For instance, how do Captain America and the Black Widow hold their own on the Avengers with the likes of Thor, Iron Man and the Vision? If we were to look at pure "power level" as most supers RPGs define it, they would be tremendously outclassed. But, because they're great heroes, they're not.

I see "power level" in the comics used as a sort of dial for setting the tone of the stories. Most of the bad guys that Batman faces in his own titles are more-or-less normal people with criminal insanity and maybe a bizarre gadget or two. When he steps over to the JLA, his "power level" hasn't gone up, but now he's fighting aliens and all kinds of incredible stuff. But he still contributes, and it makes a good story.

For this reason, Aspects in WGP operate on one of four broadly-defined scales: Personal (what an individual might accomplish); Municipal (what might affect a city); National (what might affect an entire country); Cosmic (what might affect the entire universe). I think that most superhero comics pick one of those levels and more-or-less stick with it.

You wrote: "Also, do you have plans for a WGP-specific setting, or do you just want to concentrate on the rules?"

I've never been fond of published RPG settings--I usually craft my own. For the Full Edition, I'll be including guidelines for crafting your own settings along the same thematic lines that the players are crafting their heroes. Possibly a few setting thumbnails as examples of this process in action, but no fully-mapped out canonical setting.

Thanks again for your questions, Jack.