[necro][ARRPG] How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

[The Unshaven]

Once upon a time, I embarked on a quest that I thought was deeply stupid and thus entertaining, and set out to adapt some characters from Monster Musume No Iru Nichijou into the Atomic Robo RPG.

For those that don't know, Monster Musume No Iru Nichijou is a cheerfully smutty harem manga/anime with a focus on character development alongside comedy, and is utterly unlike the kind of storylines that unfold in Atomic Robo, and thus that the ARRPG tries to emulate.

(I'm starting two threads related to this idea: this thread is about adapting Atomic Robo RPG outside of its comfort zone, whereas there'll be a different thread about how we'd adapt Monster Musume No Iru Nichijou for gaming purposes.)

My assumption was that the game would be a terrible fit for such a context, for the following reasons:
1) The game is adapted for Action Science! adventures, whereas the manga and anime are grounded in comedy ecchi harem scenarios.
2) The Science mode would be relevant to the barest minority of characters, if it were relevant at all, and the Science mode is one of the hearts of the Atomic Robo RPG. (It can have more than one heart! How? SCIENCE.)

In essence, they had nothing in common. I thought the system would break.

Instead, it revealed just how flexible and awesome it has always been, and I think the resulting game would be brilliant.

My entire stupid scheme started when Dawgstar said this:

Man, the ending credits still make me long for an action-comedy series (perhaps Trigun-esque, while we're dreaming) starring... well, the characters it features.

There was an entire subthread about the possibility of a game themed around a non-human police force dealing with metahuman issues and threats on Earth and how cool it would be, which eventually included luminaries such as Random Nerd, JoanieSappho, Jonas Albrecht, and myself.

Here are the ending credits in question, which is definitely bordering NSFW territory. Sadly the video is locked to not be full-sized, but it's the best version of the video that I've found:

[video=youtube;aagK9z82pyM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aagK9z82pyM[/video]

That says gaming to me. And the terrible idea began. And so I started tinkering.

Here are the characters I put together, along with some notes:

Spoiler: Show

Name: Zombina
Concept: Energetic Zombie with a Hidden Affectionate Side
Aspects:
- Action: Happiness is dual-wielding. She doesn’t care what.
- Banter: “Your problem is that you tangled with the world’s liveliest corpse!”
- Intrigue: Has been known not to be the center of attention. On occasion.
- Omega: Like a Carnivorous, Undead Rainbow Dash with a Firearm Fixation

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Combat**,
Great (+4): Athletics+, Notice+, Provoke+,
Action – Good (+3): Contacts+, Deceive+, Physique, Vehicles,
Banter – Fair (+2): Empathy, Rapport, Will
Intrigue – Average (+1): Burglary, Stealth

Weird Mode: None.

Weird Skills: None

Megastunts: (2 Benefits)

Zombie:
- Bulletproof (1 Benefits)

- Immune to bullets...​

- ...but vulnerable to falling apart​

- Zombie + Sewing Kit = Time Saver! (1 Benefit)

- Successful rolls to Overcome the severity of her injuries clear the Physical Consequence automatically.​

- Downside: No natural healing.​

Stunts: (5 Benefits)
- Verisimilitude: +2 to Deceit when pretending to be dead or acting like a zombie.
- AUGH!: +2 to Provoke attacks after people think she’s dead.
- Long, Uncontrolled Bursts: +1 to Creating Advantages or Attacking with Combat when using firearms.
- Surprisingly Good Friend: +1 to Creating Advantages or Overcoming Obstacles with Empathy when understanding/learning what’s going on with people she already knows.
- Mocking Laughter: +2 to Will to defend against intimidation attempts.

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()()
Mental: ()() ()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 2
Stunts: 5
Total: 7
GM Reserve = 7 – 5 = +2

Commentary: This was my first attempt at using the ARRPG for any of the MON/Monster Girls characters, and I’m still pretty happy with it. The character is recognisable from the show and would be fun to play – at least, it would for me. She’s a simple soul who enjoys Shooting Things and delights in being dead, which she uses to freak people out.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Doppel
Concept: One Part Perfect Mimic mixed with One Part Obnoxious Troll
Aspects:
- Intrigue: You won’t know it’s her unless she wants you to.
- Banter: Where Sarcasm and Cruelty met and had babies.
- Action: Never fights fair.
- Omega: Even her best friends don’t properly trust her.

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Deceive+*,
Great (+4): Athletics+, Contacts+, Notice+,
Intrigue – Good (+3): Burglary, Provoke+, Stealth
Banter – Fair (+2): Combat*, Empathy, Rapport, Will
Action – Average (+1): Physique, Vehicles

Weird Mode: None.

Weird Skills: None

Megastunts: (1 Benefit)

Doppelganger:
- Absolute Ability: Deceive (1 Benefit)

- Perfect physical and vocal mimicry when creating disguises of other people of human shape and size.​

- Weakness: Cannot mimic clothes, nor conceal or alter items, weapons, and tools.​

- Master of Disguise. When you’re in a situation where you’re able to slip away unnoticed, you have the option to temporarily drop out of the game altogether. If you do, spend a Fate Point to reappear disguised as a faceless NPC already in the scene (a security guard, a lab-coated scientist, etc.).

Stunts: (5 Benefits)
- Natural Actress: +2 to Creating Advantages with Deceit when in disguise.
- Blending In: Can use Deceive in place of Stealth when concealing herself as someone else within an environment with multiple people in it.
- When Their Guard Is Down: Can physically attack with Deceive when people have accepted her disguise.
- Withering Scorn and Hideous Mindfucks: +2 to Provoke when attacking someone over the fact they believed her to be someone else, or by turning a disguise someone has accepted into terrifying illusions.
- Intelligence Gathering: +1 to Overcoming obstacles and Creating Advantages with Notice when in disguise.

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()()
Mental: ()() ()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 2
Stunts: 5
Total: 7
GM Reserve = 7 – 5 = +2

Commentary: I’m pleased with how this build turned out, since it means Doppel is both phenomenally powerful, and a one-trick pony. Pretty much all of her oomph depends on illusions and disguises. If that’s not sufficient and she over-estimates her own abilities, she doesn’t have much flexibility to fall back on, and that makes her vulnerable – which is something we see in the manga and the show. Hell, this is a character with narrative restrictions against having pockets if she wants to use her powers.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Tionishia (Tio)
Concept: Ten-Foot Tall Dainty, Pretty, Frilly Princess
Aspects:
- Action: Stands between her friends and harm… unless there are spiders or icky things.
- Banter: Enormous ray of sunshine
- Intrigue: Inconveniently good at spotting potential gossip
- Omega: Relaxed but easily distracted

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5):
Great (+4): Athletics+, Notice+, Physique*, Provoke+,
Action – Good (+3): Empathy*, Combat, Contacts+, Deceive+, Rapport*, Vehicles
Banter – Fair (+2): Will
Intrigue – Average (+1): Burglary, Stealth

Weird Mode: None

Weird Skill: None

Megastunts:

Ogre: (3 Benefits)
- Absolute Ability, Level 2: Physique (2 Benefits)

- Absolutely stronger than a demihuman​

- Weakness, Level 2: Automatically fails any Stealth checks without a solid object between her and whoever is looking for her, because she’s enormous and attracts crowds.​

- Massive: +2 to Overcoming obstacles with Physique when moving between zones by shouldering them aside or breaking through walls.

Stunts: (5 Benefits)
- Hello New Friend!: +1 to Overcoming obstacles and Creating Advantages with Rapport when meeting new people.
- First, Go Through Me: +2 to Defending with Physique when intercepting physical violence for someone else.
- So INCREDIBLY cheerful: Can defend against social or mental attacks with Rapport by being disarmingly nice.
- Cares For Her Friends: +2 to Overcoming Obstacles with Empathy when figuring out what her friends think and feel.
- Happy Problem Solver: +2 to using Rapport to Overcome mental consequences and set them on the road to recovery.

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()()
Mental: ()() ()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 3
Stunts: 5
Total: 8
GM Reserve = 8 – 5 = +3

Commentary:Tio requires the first mechanical alteration of the standard ARRPG rules: normally the ARRPG rules mean that something like “Absolute Ability: Physique” covers, say, Atomic Robo’s ability to pick up and throw a car. In the case of the “Everyday Life with Monster Girls” universe, the rungs on the ladder are closer together: many of the characters are decidedly stronger than a normal human, but can’t throw a car. Tio, in comparison… can. Even if her personality makes it unlikely to be something she’d do. As such, I gave her the stunt twice, so that it stacks – along with the size of the vulnerability/weakness associated with it. I think it works reasonably well, and also reflects what we see in the show.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Manako
Concept: Longsuffering Cyclops Sniper
Aspects:
- Science: The approximately sensible one.
- Intrigue: Shy girl who sees everything.
- Action: Precision in all things.
- Omega: Wants to blend in, but is afraid she can’t.

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Notice++, Observation and Comprehension**,
Great (+4): Athletics+*, Stealth**
Science – Good (+3): All Sciences, Will
Intrigue – Fair (+2): Combat*, Burglary, Contacts, Deceive,
Action – Average (+1): Physique, Provoke, Vehicles

Weird Mode: None.

Weird Skills: None.

Megastunts: (1 Benefit)

Cyclops: (2 Benefits [3 Benefits – 1 Optional Weakness])
- Absolute Ability: Notice.

- Can see and understand details at a greater distance than any human​

- Weakness: Has no depth perception close-up​

- Skill swap: Can use Notice for Overcome actions and to Create Advantages that are based on hand-eye coordination…

- Optional Weakness: …at the cost of acute embarrassment for standing out.​

Stunts: (5 Benefits)
- Distance Means Nothing to Me: Use Notice instead of Combat when using firearms
- Sniper: +1 to Attack and Create Advantages with firearms on targets outside of the same zone as you.
- Painfully Aware of Social Dynamics: Use Observation and Comprehension in place of Empathy for reading people without engaging with them.
- A Commanding Perspective: +2 to Stealth when getting into elevated positions unnoticed.
- Signature Aspect: “Shy Girl Who Sees Everything.”

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()
Mental: ()() ()()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 2
Stunts: 5
Total: 7
GM Reserve = 7 – 5 = +2

Commentary: Manako is the only character in the setting who has anything approximating the Science mode, and I gave her the Science skill of “Observation and Comprehension” because she doesn’t show any specific scientific aptitudes at the same time as she’s one of the only characters who pays attention to the world and tries to figure stuff out. Plus, the other advantage of giving her the Science mode was that I could avoid giving her the Banter mode, which reflects how socially awkward she is.​

 

[The Unshaven]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

I think the ARRPG would be a great fit for the "metahuman police force" game, but I couldn't put the idea down. What would happen if I kept on going, and built the characters from the cheerfully smutty harem comedy side of the show, just to see what happened?

It was SCIENCE!, you see.

I couldn't stop the science yet.

Why? Check out this opening sequence! (Note: DEFINITELY nsfw)

[video=youtube;HP7UmsfZiNw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP7UmsfZiNw[/video]

Does that say Atomic Robo to you? I believe it does not.

I had to see if actively adapting the characters more focused to the harem shenanigans of the show would work too. FOR REASONS.

So here are the other Monster Girls characters, too.

Spoiler: Show

Name: Miia
Concept: Passionate Lamia
Aspects:
- Banter: Clever, direct, and has a limitless supply of teasing.
- Action: Fiery and protective of the people she claims as hers.
- Intrigue: Both a natural planner and easily distracted.
- Omega: Makes friends despite herself, and despite being hugely competitive.

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Provoke+*,
Great (+4): Contacts+, Deceive+,
Banter – Good (+3): Athletics+, Empathy, Physique*, Rapport, Notice+, Will
Action – Fair (+2): Combat, Vehicles
Intrigue – Average (+1): Burglary, Stealth

Weird Mode: None

Weird Skill: None

Megastunts: (1 Benefits [2 Benefits – 1 Optional Weakness])

Lamia:
- Absolute Ability: Physique

- Absolutely stronger than humans when using her tail…​

-…but at a cost. (That cost is often to Darling.)​

- Tail-Fu: Use Physique in place of Combat when using her tail.

o Optional Weakness: …but vulnerable to cold.​

Stunts: (5 Benefits)
- Seven meters of muscular, prehensile tail: +1 to Overcoming Obstacles or Creating Advantages with Physique in situations where strength or leverage would be useful.
- Brawler with a Living Whip: +2 to attacks with Physique when grappling or hitting something with your tail.
- Mistress of the Triple, Double, and Single Entendre: +2 to Creating Advantages with Rapport when flirting.
- Bonds of Iron: +1 to Will when Creating Advantages based on dedication to her friends, or resisting exhaustion (etc) when helping them.
- Periodically Perceptive +2 to Empathy when reading between the lines in what someone is saying.

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()
Mental: ()() ()()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 1
Stunts: 5
Total: 6
GM Reserve = 6 – 5 = +1

Commentary: This version of Miia seems like a good fit for the show, and starts what became a running gag for the Cost associated with demi-human strength. Poor, poor Darling-kun.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Papi
Concept: Joyously Airheaded Harpy
Aspects:
- Action: Decisive action beats thinking about stuff!
- Banter: Cheerful, naïve, and sometimes uses the right words.
- Intrigue: Serial escapee from Anything Boring.
- Omega: Strong protective instincts, particularly towards anything younger than her.

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Athletics+*,
Great (+4): Notice+, Provoke+,
Action – Good (+3): Contacts+, Combat, Deceive+, Physique, Vehicles
Banter – Fair (+2): Empathy, Rapport, Stealth*, Will
Intrigue – Average (+1): Burglary,

Weird Mode: None

Weird Skill: None

Megastunts: (1 Benefit [3 Benefits – 2 Optional Weaknesses])

Harpy:
- Flight: Can ignore ground-based obstacles

o Optional Weakness: No fingers, so manipulating and using objects is a problem, and can’t fly when wet.​

- Claws: Weapon:2 for physical attacks

o Optional Weakness: …but at a cost. (That cost is often to Darling.)​

- Absolute Ability: Athletics

o Absolutely faster than a human.​

- Weakness: TERRIBLE memory. You have no idea. And neither does she.​

Stunts: (5 Benefits)
- Easily Missplaced: Spend 1FP to vanish from a scene you’re not actively engaging in and be gone before anyone notices.
- Surprise! : Spend 1FP to have a history with a character that you’ve forgotten until now.
- On the Same Level: +2 to Rapport when talking to kids or other young people/demi-humans.
- How Does That Even Work: Use Athletics in place of Physique when carrying objects or people through the air.
- Caring If Not Coherent: +1 to Empathy when Overcoming Obstacles or Creating Advantages relating to understanding what someone else needs when sick or stressed.

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()()
Mental: ()() ()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 1
Stunts: 5
Total: 6
GM Reserve = 6 – 5 = +1

Commentary: Papi highlights why I like the ability of stunts in Fate Core and the ARRPG to cheerfully break physics where narratively relevant… Like Papi’s ability to fly while carrying people twice her mass. The manga and show don’t care, so neither do we.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Centorea (Cerea)
Concept: Noble Centaur
Aspects:
- Action: “HALT, VILLAIN! I SHALL HAVE YOU TASTE MY BLADE.”
- Intrigue: Has the kind of paranoia trained body-guards display
- Banter: Can seem, at times, like the sensible one
- Omega: Secret romance-manga geek

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5):
Great (+4): Athletics+, Combat*, Provoke+, Physique*,
Action – Good (+3): Contacts+, Deceive+, Notice, Vehicles
Intrigue – Fair (+2): Burglary, Notice, Rapport*, Stealth
Banter – Average (+1): Empathy, Will

Weird Mode: None.

Weird Skill: None.

Megastunts:

Centaur (2 Benefits)
- Absolute Ability: Physique

o Absolutely stronger than a human…​

- Weakness: …but vulnerable to everything being too small and fragile for her.​

- Absolute Ability: Athletics

o Absolutely faster than a human…​

- Weakness: …but vulnerable to embarrassment.​

Stunts:
- Trained Warrior: +1 to Overcoming Obstacles or Creating Advantages with Combat when wielding a sword.
- Watchful Eye: +1 to Overcoming Obstacles or Creating Advantages with Notice when protecting her ward.
- Rules Are Important: +2 to Rapport when persuading someone to act sensibly
- The Call to Challenge: +2 to Attack with Provoke against foes who are acting dishonourably, or being disrespectful to her or her friends.
- Indomitable: +2 to Defending with Will against temptation or persuasion.

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()()
Mental: ()() ()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 2
Stunts: 5
Total: 7
GM Reserve = 7 – 5 = +2

Commentary: The comparison between Cerea and Tio was where I got the idea for creating multiple layers for “Absolute Ability” as a stunt, since a lot of Cerea’s capabilities and vulnerabilities come from being stronger and more massive than a human… and yet she’s half Tio’s size. Plus, I’m pleased with her “Trained Warrior” stunt, since it’s a good way to explain how she can slice through anything in her way in the manga/show despite the sword not having an edge… …without also being more dangerous with it than makes sense from the source material.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Suu
Concept: (Mostly) Innocent Slime
Aspects:
- Slime: Technically doesn’t exist
- Intrigue: Gets anywhere, often at the worst possible time
- Action: Nigh-unstoppable when she wants to be
- Omega: Serious boundary-issues

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Athletics++, Stealth+*
Great (+4): Burglary+, Mind Reading*,
Slime – Good (+3): Combat**, Notice+, Physique**,
Intrigue – Fair (+2): Contacts, Deceive,
Action – Average (+1): Provoke, Vehicles

Weird Mode:

Slime (5 skill points)
- Athletics (2)
- Burglary (1)
- Mind Reading* (0)
- Stealth (2)

Improvements:

- Specialise two focused skills
OR
- Focus four trained skills

Weird Skill:

Mind Reading* (0 Skill points)
- Overcome: Get into someone’s mind
- Create Advantage: See what someone is thinking

Megastunts:

Slime: (3 Benefits)
- Bulletproof (1 Benefits)

o Immune to physical damage, poison or disease​

- Vulnerable to water, dehydration, and temperature extremes.​

- Unwittingly Protean (2 Benefits)
o In response to an environmental compel, give Suu

- an extra Signature Aspect to reflect a change to her personality for as long as narratively sensible​

- an extra flexible Mega-Stunt slot worth 1 Stunt Benefit, likewise to reflect how she’s changed. That could be Absolute Ability (Physique) to reflect being giant, complete with its own Weakness or Cost, or Weapon:2 (Physical) for breathing poison, etc.​

Stunts:
- No One Expects the Amoeboid Inquisition: +2 to Creating Advantages with Mind Reading without being noticed when someone isn’t already paying attention to you.
- Shock Absorber: Spend 1FP to include someone else in your immunity to physical damage for one attack or action.
- Under the Radar: +1 to Overcoming Obstacles or Creating Advantages with Deceive when pretending to be uncomprehending and innocent.
- Shape Shifter: Spend 1FP to look like a perfect replica of someone else for one scene. (The replica has a green tentacle projecting from their head – for some reason, this is almost never commented on)
- More Observant Than People Expect: +2 to Creating Advantages with Notice when understanding what people need or really mean.

Stress:
Physical: ()()()
Mental: ()()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 3
Stunts: 5
Total: 8
GM Reserve = 8 – 5 = +3

Commentary: Suu was possibly the most complex character to adapt, and the system handled it well as far as I can see. Much as with Manako, it didn’t make sense to have the Banter mode, so I killed two birds with one stone by swapping it out for a Slime mode – and was able to put together a Mindreading skill to go along with it.

She winds up being immune to a lot of problems, but also extra vulnerable to many more, so I thought that evened out. The “Unwittingly Protean” mega-stunt is an opportunity for the table to concoct fun ways she might undergo shifts to her personality and abilities based on the environment the party is in – something which causes as many problems in the manga/show as it solves.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Meroune Lorelei (Mero)
Concept: Romantic Mermaid
Aspects:
- Banter: Dignified and refined
- Intrigue: Veers between sneaky and cluelessly direct
- Action: Almost unbeatable in water
- Omega: Obsessive Tragedy Fetishist

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Rapport**,
Great (+4): Contacts+, Deceive+, Provoke+,
Banter – Good (+3): Athletics+, Empathy, Notice+, Will
Intrigue – Fair (+2): Burglary, Stealth
Action – Average (+1): Combat, Physique, Vehicles

Weird Mode:

None

Weird Skill:

None

Megastunts:

Stunts:
- Fishy Goin’s On: Once per session, declare/reveal an ability inspired by sea-life that lasts for the rest of the scene. (Functionally introducing a new aspect with narrative weight)
- Mermaid Dowsing: +2 to Notice when detecting water… or organisms containing water.
- So… Regal!: +1 to Creating Advantages or Overcoming Obstacles with Rapport when an aura of nobility would matter.
- Herbalist: Can use Contacts to Create Advantages based around the medicinal properties of undersea herbs, reflecting her extensive education on the subject.
- Dangerously Singleminded: +1 to attacking or Creating Advantages with Athletics when trying to achieve a deliciously tragic end to her fairy-tale.

Stress:
Physical: ()()()()
Mental: ()()()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 0
Stunts: 5
Total: 5
GM Reserve = 5 – 5 = 0

Commentary: Mero was initially a challenge because I got hung up on the way that staying within the Banter/Intrigue/Action modes as much as I could meant that her skills are very similar to Miia’s. Then I realised that was a feature, not a bug, because Miia is herself insecure about how much she has in common with Mero, and her ability to compete with her as a result. As an additional bonus, it gave an opportunity to come up with some entertaining stunts, which I think would mean the character would play very differently at the table than Miia even if they’re similar at the level of skills. I didn’t wind up creating a Mermaid mega-stunt for Mero because so much of the trouble she gets into and extra abilities she has can be covered by her mermaid concept aspect, so it felt redundant.​

Spoiler: Show

Name: Rachnera
Concept: Arch Arachne/Drider
Aspects:
- Intrigue: Like a giant, scheming, eight-legged ninja
- Banter: Unabashedly seductive shibari geek
- Action: Fair fights are for people who want excuses for losing
- Omega: Careful to never hurt anyone by accident (…again)

Modes and Skills:

Superb (+5): Provoke+*,
Great (+4): Athletics+, Contacts+, Deceive+, Notice+, Stealth*
Intrigue – Good (+3): Burglary,
Banter – Fair (+2): Empathy, Rapport, Will
Action – Average (+1): Combat, Physique, Vehicles

Weird Mode: None

Weird Skill: None

Megastunts: (2 Benefits)

Arachne/Drider:
- Absolute Ability: Athletics (1 Benefit)

o Absolutely more agile than a human…​

- Vulnerability …but vulnerable to hot or cold.​

- Absolute Ability: Physique (1 Benefit)

o Absolutely stronger than a human…​

- Weakness: But only applies to objects lifted with webbing rather than carried directly.​

Stunts:
- I Tied You Up While You Were Talking: +2 to Creating Advantages related to webbing and restraint with Athletics.
- She Was Here the Whole Time: Spend 1FP to have been concealed in an environment you weren’t previously noticed in.
- “You think I’ll let you live?”: +1 to Attacks or Creating Advantages with Provoke when scaring people.
- Sadism or Flirting?: Use Provoke in place of Rapport when ‘tormenting’ people
- Natural Rigger: Use Athletics in place of Physique when lifting objects or people with webbing.

Stress:
Physical: ()() ()()
Mental: ()() ()

Consequences:
Mild:
Moderate:
Severe:

Stunt Benefits:
Mega-Stunts: 2
Stunts: 5
Total: 7
GM Reserve = 7 – 5 = +2

Commentary: Much like Doppel, Rachnera many of her abilities tie back (pun!) to one specific thing – tying things up with webs – and then unlocking other stacking traits once that narrative fact is established. However, she’s a bit more flexible because not everything she does connects back to that narrative prerequisite, in that she’s also a ninja who’s capable of scaring the candy-coloured bejeezus out of people.​

And I was startled to find that I think the ARRPG did a great job of handling them, as well! There are sections that don't fit the manga/anime at all - I don't think we see any of the characters even INTERACT with a vehicle, let alone use one - but I kept the Vehicles skill to make sure it was clear I hadn't forgotten it. If I was running an actual Everyday Life with Monster Girls game, I'd probably delete Vehicles entirely.

But that was what I took away from this entire daft experience: if I were running an Everyday Life with Monster Girls game, I would almost certainly use the Atomic Robo RPG! It makes creating interesting non-human characters so easy, meaning there can be a separate focus on Who They Are (aspects and stunts) alongside What They Are (megastunts, specialised skill mode).

And so, so this might inspire Further Shenanigans, has anyone else taken the ARRPG outside of what its comfort zone was probably designed to be, and how did things turn out? What settings do you think would be a challenge for it to handle, and why do you think it might work despite that? If anyone wants to put together characters so we can see how they'd work, I think that'd be a lot of fun - and potentially be very educational for how the systems work to tell different kinds of stories.

What do people think?

- The Unshaven

 

[TheMouse]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

I actually sometimes work out random characters for Atomic Robo RPG just for the lulz. Or at least their modes and stunts, because I find making complete characters that I'm not going to get to use to be a little demoralizing.

Here's me making a basic Kryptonian template over on Google Plus:

Kryptonian skill mode: Athletics, Cold Breath, Combat, Eye Beams, Notice, Physique, Science: Alien Lifeforms, Science: Kryptonian History, Science: Kryptonian Technology (10 points)

Absolutely stronger than a human (Physique) but weak against magic.

Bulletproof, but weak against Kryptonite.

Flight: Absolutely more mobile than a human (Athletics), at a cost (of constantly needing to catch people who are falling).

X-ray vision: Can ignore non-lead solid materials when making a vision based Notice roll.

Super hearing: Can make hearing based Notice rolls as though right next to the source of sound, even at a distance of several city blocks.

Eye Beams skill (3) attack, defend against beam attacks, defend against create advantage with beams, create advantage, overcome obstacles.

Cold Breath skill (1) defend against create advantage, create advantage by freezing someone or something, overcome obstacles.

 

[The Unshaven]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

I actually sometimes work out random characters for Atomic Robo RPG just for the lulz. Or at least their modes and stunts, because I find making complete characters that I'm not going to get to use to be a little demoralizing.

That makes sense to me. I do the same thing, and probably can't or won't stop. It's interesting to figure out how different characters work, and I haven't hit the point of demoralisation yet, because I'm used to probably not playing many of these characters, partly the process is educational as well as lulzy.

I've been putting these characters together over the last year, and wanted to get them up now-ish because I'm probably about to start absent-mindedly building characters in Dresden Files Accelerated as I figure the system out, and didn't want them to get lost in the shuffle.

And then I will get into the phase where I'm building characters in BOTH the ARRPG and DFA, then trying to figure out where they work best, and why, because of course I do that.

Here's me making a basic Kryptonian template over on Google Plus:

Niiiice.

- The Unshaven

 

[Tango Samurai]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

OK gang I'm bumping this thread rather than starting a new thread.

I'm thinking of jumping in on this but can you tell me about magic/psi powers?
Or shapeshifting? I know it's SCIENCE but what else can the system handle?
I'm thinking of either Silent Mobius and/or GOld Digger rpging.
thanks!

 

[TheMouse]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

Magic and psychic powers are easy.

Step 1: Figure out what you want them to do in terms comparable to what you'd do with the actions of any other skill. So more, "Defend against physical attacks by moving out of the way," and less, "Be magical." Be able to state your actions in reference to the four actions that Fate Core uses.

Step 2: Use the (actually quite simple) skill creation rules. You'll come up with a list of applications for the psychic/ magical skill. Which might look something like: make physical attacks with blasts of fire, create advantages on yourself and allies based on warmth and light and such, create advantages on foes by creating distractions and fear, defend against cold based attacks, defend against cold base advantages. That's 5 applications. Your cost is (applications -2) so the cost of that fire magic skill is 3.

Step 3: Probably create a skill mode for your weird skill. That mostly means putting the right number of skill points into it and coming up with some optional stunts or mega-stunts.

Shape shifting sounds like a mega-stunt to me. Come up with a list of things that changing form is good for (+2 to damage in animal form, absolutely faster than a human, etc). Then come up with a list of problems for changing form (at a cost: you need to spend an action to take the other form). Some mega-stunt benefits require downsides for them, such as absolute effect, so you'll need to assign enough disadvantages to those. Any that you have left can be used to reduce the total cost of your mega-stunt, to a minimum of 1.

 

[Tango Samurai]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

I'm really getting the feeling that it's a SCIENCE version of Hellboy and the BPRD, which is not a bad thing at all.
But the Hellboy RPG was GURPS based and a little too number crunchy for the group I was with lo all those years ago.

Can I assume that ARRPG could be twitched into a Hellboy game as well?

 

[Murlocactivist]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

I always thought using The Atomic Robo RPG to replicate the Hellboy comics and movies would be a perfect fit. The two feel very similar, just Hellboy has more magic. You could even include magic in the brainstorm rules and have it work a bit like science

 

[TheMouse]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

Can I assume that ARRPG could be twitched into a Hellboy game as well?

You need to change one thing: Atomic Robo says that you're not supposed to do anything and then justify it by saying, "It's magic." You're supposed to say, "It's science that we don't understand yet."

 

[Tango Samurai]

Re: (ARRPG) How far have you pushed the system? It's way more flexible than it might look!

You need to change one thing: Atomic Robo says that you're not supposed to do anything and then justify it by saying, "It's magic." You're supposed to say, "It's science that we don't understand yet."

Kinda like Agents of SHIELD, huh? I can work with that.
After all "Quantum manipulation of esoteric energies not normally seen by normal human standards" is a cute way of saying "I access the ley line energy and fry the jerk".