Advice/Help Superpower role-plays

[BonBon]

I've never truly been a part of an rp that is based on people with powers. I'm just curious about what happens if someone's OC goes against another person's OC and how it's decided who the winner is. Like without the dice system I don't understand how it can be fairly decided. Maybe it's easier with a 1x1 rp but what about a group rp? What happens if the one who runs the rp thread does something to decide the winner but the loser claims that the runner is playing favourites? Can someone who has been a part of a superpower based roleplay explain this to me?

 

[rae2nerdy]

Dice system is exactly how it works usually in groups. These can be simple or complex depending on GM preference.

So the way I did it was have people use a three RNG system. If you roll 1 than you win the fight. If you roll a 2 than you land a hit but your partner can retaliate. If you roll a three than you are defeated.

Another method (popular in 1x1s) is decide in the OOC who wins than write out the fight in the IC.

 

[Crenando]

Another method (popular in 1x1s) is decide in the OOC who wins than write out the fight in the IC.

This is the method I normally end up using. My group uses booking in pro wrestling as a comparison point.
Like pro wrestling, though, there's always that one guy who doesn't want to put over the other person, though, so it's not flawless.

 

[M.J. Saulnier]

If it ever becomes an issue, you're working with the wrong people.

Dice is about the worst way to decide the outcome of a powered fight. It might prevent real world drama, but it discredits character builds in character.

It's just best to work things out by talking, gauge whether the other person will get pissy about losing, and take one for the narrative if you feel as though they will be queeny about it.

 

[Sludge]

If it ever becomes an issue, you're working with the wrong people.

This. Newer people often see roleplaying as a game that you can win, but this hobby just doesn't work like that.

I often find that having my character fail is just more... significant?

• It is an easy way to make another player feel good about their character
  (which will hopefully make them less likely to ghost the rp)
  (...and makes them owe you a favor)
  
  
• It creates conflict
  Got bitten by a snake? Gotta find that antidote soon!
  
  
• Makes the world more believable
  
  
• Dealing with the consequences of failure is way more fun than succeeding at something you have complete control over.

Answering OPs question though,

If there is no dice system and the players don't resolve the fight ooc, no one wins. The characters show off their cool moves, dodge everything and eventually either come up with an excuse to postpone the fight or... uh... they just ghost the rp.

This is why fights between characters are not very common, even in super power rps.

 

[Damafaud]

I've never truly been a part of an rp that is based on people with powers. I'm just curious about what happens if someone's OC goes against another person's OC and how it's decided who the winner is. Like without the dice system I don't understand how it can be fairly decided. Maybe it's easier with a 1x1 rp but what about a group rp? What happens if the one who runs the rp thread does something to decide the winner but the loser claims that the runner is playing favourites? Can someone who has been a part of a superpower based roleplay explain this to me?

I've done a few superpower RPs in the past and currently hosting one. Dice system works, but it's not really for me. I prefer to discuss how the fight will turn out previously with the roleplayers.

For instance, at the moment, a cyborg in my RP will soon get ambushed by an assassin. As the assassin has done prep works beforehand, it's easy to say he has the high ground here. I let the player of the assassin and cyborg discuss how they want the fight to turn out; what will happen to the surrounding, who will be tricked, what new information will be revealed, etcetera.

Granted, using this method requires both writers to be mature and willing to collaborate. I have seen a few players who were so sure their characters are Superman and certainly, absolutely, undoubtedly, will not (God forbid) lose in any shameful way!

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

If it ever becomes an issue, you're working with the wrong people.

Dice is about the worst way to decide the outcome of a powered fight. It might prevent real world drama, but it discredits character builds in character.

It's just best to work things out by talking, gauge whether the other person will get pissy about losing, and take one for the narrative if you feel as though they will be queeny about it.

This. Newer people often see roleplaying as a game that you can win, but this hobby just doesn't work like that.

I often find that having my character fail is just more... significant?

• It is an easy way to make another player feel good about their character
  (which will hopefully make them less likely to ghost the rp)
  (...and makes them owe you a favor)
  
  
• It creates conflict
  Got bitten by a snake? Gotta find that antidote soon!
  
  
• Makes the world more believable
  
  
• Dealing with the consequences of failure is way more fun than succeeding at something you have complete control over.

Answering OPs question though,

If there is no dice system and the players don't resolve the fight ooc, no one wins. The characters show off their cool moves, dodge everything and eventually either come up with an excuse to postpone the fight or... uh... they just ghost the rp.

This is why fights between characters are not very common, even in super power rps.

I've never used dice to determine things. I think of it more as writing, rather than playing. I feel it should be based on an honor system. I think healthy OOC chat to discuss things, either before hand, or after and editing fixes, is a wonderful thing.

 

[laceanddoodles]

I've never used dice to determine things. I think of it more as writing, rather than playing. I feel it should be based on an honor system. I think healthy OOC chat to discuss things, either before hand, or after and editing fixes, is a wonderful thing.

This exactly! I see rp as an exercise in group storytelling, with a big element of spontaneity and improv, of course, but storytelling, nonetheless. So who wins the fight should be determined by what makes the most narrative sense, and what adds most to the story being told. Who has the most to lose? Who has the most to gain? What rests on each character's shoulders and how would the shape of the story change with each outcome? All factors need to be considered.

 

[Phantom Thief of Hearts]

Like pro wrestling, though, there's always that one guy who doesn't want to put over the other person, though, so it's not flawless.

And that's what they call "Going into business for themselves."

 

[M.J. Saulnier]

In the custom system I developed, there was always a "referee" overseeing fights. For competition level fighting an actual referee oversaw things so if someone was being rediculous, doing wormy, impractical things, they would correct it.

When this system was used in rps, the GM(s) acted as the refs when disputes arose, or things became too heated and/or silly.

The GM should always try to deligate situations like this. At the end of my initial run at RP, I mostly operated off of invites so that I didn't have to deal with difficult, selfish players. Build up your network, friends. When you find good players, keep them close and build a repport with them. It's better to work with people you gel with.

 

[Crenando]

If you're gonna do a superpower RP, don't half ass two things. Whole ass one thing.
Either focus on writing a story and agree on the conclusions of fights, or invest in a professionally made tabletop RPG that have been thoroughly play-tested and have proven track records with players.

 

[Dirge]

If you feel like you need numbers to decide a winner on a fight, one or both of you are writing said fight for the wrong reasons. Fights are driven by conflict, not a meta of superiority.

I RP strong characters and don’t use dice ever and I am not afraid to admit it. However my characters have lost or given up against people plenty of times because of circumstances or personalities.

One character of mine is a powerful assassin. If she isn’t noticed she can one-shot somebody well out of her league in a straight up fight. Because of this and her knowing her limitations, she doesn’t fight straight up regardless of the situation if she can avoid it. Doesn’t even matter if she’s aware her enemy is weaker than her even head on, she won’t risk it.

Another character of mine is stupidly OP but he is just lazy as hell. He will fight for a while with you and then readily quit or give up or even run away when he’s reached his effort limit. He has no problem being the loser or admitting defeat because victory isn’t something he cares about unless his life is on the line.

Character motives drive conflict, and determine the outcome more than whatever powers your character may have. Superman could kill Batman with a sneeze, but he won’t because of morals and through this Batman is able to beat him on occasion by taking advantage of his morals.

If it was just a powers and abilities battle Superman would win and it wouldn’t be entertaining for anyone to read let alone write. If your OC is fighting another OC and both want to kill each other and neither of you want your OC to die then maybe you should have thought about that before you put them in that situation. Because now your only way out is plot armor or one of you losing your character.

If every fight was just a death battle 90% of shows with fight scenes in them would be trash.

 

[BasiliskVeranda]

I highkey feel like dice takes people out of the game, concerning long-form RP writing, where the fights are about character development, struggles, conflict, and growth. If you gotta use dice, or want to, that's totally fine. But my primary rule of thumb is: be courteous, give people a chance to shine, and know your character's personal limits.

Core crew should know when a good place to stumble is, who should get that final shot in, etc. It's about balance, give and take.

For example, I'm 100% aware I can create OP as hell characters. But, they're either too angsty, too lazy, or too personally compromised in some way to be very good at fighting for very long periods of time. I also tend to give them extreme detriments, like being unable to aim/throw, or only being powerful If X Thing happens.

They'll get an arm torn off because they just aren't able to pull out the big mojo. They'll easily kill something because it made sense to, and it didn't really take anything away from anyone else. RPing is a dance, especially with groups, you have to be able to back off when someone wants to do a spin, and know when it's your turn to hit the pinata.