I would use 3:16 for a GL: CORPS RPG. Much like the starship troopers / space marines in the core 3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars the weapons and effects for each character is not vastly different – and it’s up to the player to narrate what effect is going on.
So here is my 15 minute hack of 3:16 for the CORPS:
Ex. Guy is aggressive and chooses 7 Fighting, 3 Non-Fighting; Kyle is a dreamy artist and chooses 3 Fighting and 7 Non-Fighting.
Strengths auto-win an encounter [scene] just like normal; they represent either a flashback so you flesh your GL out or a positive story hook the player wants the GM to follow up on. A strength can be used to overcome the yellow weakness.
Weaknesses are auto-loss for the character during the encounter [scene] like normal; they represent a character flaw or a negative story hook that the GM should follow up on to make the character’s life more difficult.
Maybe because it is not 20 planets and Hate on Terra we should increase the # of Strengths and Weaknesses from 5 to 6? 7? Or even 10? Powers pre-determine the first weakness, leaving them open for the PC to use in the scene but lacking the personal touch.
Ex. The first weakness is ___ Does not work against yellow, so the PC ticks off the first time he uses a weakness to auto-lose an encounter; either flashing back to a time when great fear overcame them or when willpower wasn’t enough.
For aliens, the additional powers are like additional weapons in 3:16; they do similar damages (K.O.’s instead of Kills). The PC can use either his power ring (and describe his K.O.’s in terms of that design) or switch to his alien (or other super power) and do that amount of K.O.’s with attached trapping.
Ex. The Daxam GL has two super-powers: Power Ring (d10/d6/d6) and Daxam Heritage (d10/d10/1). Narratively, he can decide to create constructs for XYZ or use super-speed for ABC. The result is the same.
COMBAT
Each [issue] has a number of threat tokens the GM can use as he sees fit. A group of threat tokens could represent a powerful individual or a few individuals or a blending of mooks and supers. Named combat is another possibility, with the opposing super having the same wound levels.
As a supers RPG, the “armor” quality can be refreshed by using a NFA – not just 1/scene as in vanilla 3:16 – it could be refreshing the forcefield, or taking it on the chin for a hard-body like a Daxamite, or dodging out of the way for a speedster. This “armor” tick can be refreshed but uses an action to do so.
The damage levels are __ Armor, __ Bruised, __ A Mess, __ Beat-Down, and __ K.O.’d [One more than standard 3:16].
This gives the PCs a lot of chances to refresh themselves. In return, the # of tokens per player is increased [THOUGHTS?]. Tokens can represent special powers just like they do in standard 3:16.
All damage is healed between [issues].
Damage dealt out by PCs to mooks can KO a large number (the dX behind the powers). Each fighting success removes 1 threat token (as in normal 3:16). If the tokens represent a super individual, it represents them weakening.
Here is character creation for a beginning Kyle GL:
Name: Kyle
Reputation: Artistic dreamer
Fighting: 3
Non-fighting: 7
Powers: Power Ring (Solid Light Constructs, Blasts, Flight, Environmental Protection, Shields) [d10/d10/d6]
Strengths: ___ [Open]
Weaknesses: ___ [Does Not Work Against Yellow]
Or a Sodam Yat beginning GL:
Name: Sodam Yat
Reputation: Arrogant
Fighting: 6
Non-fighting: 4
Powers: Power Ring (Solid Light Constructs, Blasts, Flight, Environmental Protection, Shields) [d10/d6/d6]
Daxamite Heritage (Heat vision, Super Strength, Super Speed, Super Toughness) [d10/d10/1)
Strengths: ____ [Open]
Weaknesses: ____ [Does Not Work Against Yellow]
——– [Lead Vulnerability]
QUESTIONS
What should humans get (if anything) to make up for aliens having other narrative powers? Maybe a bonus Strength slot?
Describing damage to a super opponent – threat tokens decrease, penalty for being hit? Or should supers fight be like between named and named, and mooks are handled by threat tokens?
What do you all think?