Introduction
The Well of the Worlds is a "lost worlds" setting for a group of 4-6 players. It will be a "closed" campaign, lasting roughly 24 sessions, and divided into three broad arcs (currently labeled "Discovery," "Definition," and "Destiny"). It draws on a variety of influences, with a short list being: El Hazard, John Carter of Mars, Heroes, Hollow Earth Expedition, Land of the Lost, Lost, Neverwhere, and The World of Tiers.
Background
The setting is the here-and-now, and the world is as we know it. Characters should be created with this in mind, and aren't allowed to "invent" new campaign elements. The only requirement is all characters must have a reason to be on a flight to Bermuda. That said, characters can have linked backgrounds, and there is nothing wrong with using your own life experiences to develop your character's history.
Character Creation
When writing up a character for the Well setting, keeping the following in mind -- you are a normal. Thus, you start with 8 in all primary characteristics. You also have Normal Characteristic Maxima right from the start. However, you don't have a point base or a point total you need to worry about. In effect, you are building your character on 0 Base Points, with no upper limit, and you aren't expected to cover all your points with Disadvantages. Now, this doesn't mean you should build a 500-point monster, only that you don't need to feel constrained by the standard 75+75 "Heroic" point level. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from building someone who only totals (say...) 30 points, either.
Character Creation Modifiers
Powers
Characters shouldn't be buying any powers defined as "super skills." You can buy such things as extra Running and Swimming, however. You can even buy a little Luck, if you really want.
Talents
I'd like to see no more than just one Talent per character (if you feel your concept calls for it), and that the Talents be restricted to the most basic, old school Talents -- Absolute Time Sense, Bump of Direction, Lightning Calculator, and so on.
Perks
Perks may be purchased as required by Package Deals (see below). Obviously, some may not have any campaign effect, which is why I'm removing any sort of point cap.
Skills
Any Package Deal from any of the modern HERO sourcebooks is acceptable for use Well of the Worlds. For example -- the military and police packages from Dark Champions. You can also use ones from Pulp Hero, if you need, just update them for 2007.
Everyman Skills: All PCs have the following set of skills automatically, for 0 points. Feel free to include them on your character sheet and/or develop them as needed.
Acting 8- AK: (local area) 8- Climbing 8- Concealment 8- CuK: Native Culture 11- Deduction 8- KS: (choice) 8- KS: (choice) 8- KS: General Knowledge 11- Language (native) Paramedics 8- Persuasion 8- PS: (choice) 8- PS: Perform Basic Chores And Menial Tasks 11- Shadowing 8- Stealth 8- TF: (choice)
Please note that some skills might seem "silly" (such as that second PS), but are simply there to give you a starting point.
Equipment
As the PCs are Heroic normals, they don't need to pay for equipment. Of course, this being circa 2007 there's not a whole lot you can have on your person and/or carry on luggage, so be reasonable.Important Character Note: When writing up your character, please use the standard HERO character sheet notation of Background/History, Personality/Motivation, Quote, Powers/Tactics, and Appearance. I also request that you include, somewhere on the sheet, comments dealing with some of the character's private desires, hopes, and dreams. This will become very important later on. In case you wonder what I mean, in a previous version of the this setting, one character was a professional photographer and "wanted to see things clearly," while a minor-league baseball player wanted to be the "best he could be." If you've watched Heroes you probably have an idea what I mean.
Character Development
During the course of the campaign, characters will almost certainly gain experience points. In fact, during the initial arc of the game ("Discovery") character will probably gain experience in large lots, perhaps 50-60 points at a time. However, there's one major caveat here -- you won't be deciding where these points go. Much like El Hazard, Heroes, and even John Carter, the PCs will soon discover they have unusual and unique abilities, the operative word being "discover." Thus, part of the campaign experience is slowly learning what powers your PC has, as determined by me, the GM. So while your PC will be gaining large amounts of experience, most of it is pre-determined. At the same time, if you decide to try and learn something (such as a Skill or Language) odds are, you will be granted the Skill or Language without having to spend points (well, you will spend the points, but the idea is you're given enough points to buy what you need). I realize this might seem to pull a lot of the creative power out of the Player's hands, but I feel it is no different than certain super hero games where the Players start out with virtually blank character sheets and go from there.
Observant readers should note you can direct the course of your PCs development through the use of private desires, hopes, and dreams. To use the two previous examples, the photographer who "wanted to see things clearly" will obviously end up with a suite of Enhanced Senses relating to sight (and, perhaps, the ability to see through illusions and the like), while the baseball player will gain STR, DEX, CON, SPD, and so on. Creating a Walter Mitty-like character is perfectly acceptable (in which your normal, every-day, over-stressed individual secretly dreams of a life of adventure and derring-do). Of course, remember the old adage -- be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.
House Rules
For the most part, Well uses the Hero System "as-is" with no real modifications. The exceptions are as follows:
1) All Killing Attacks do a flat x3 STUN Multiple. If an attack has +1 Increased STUN Multiple, it will do a flat x4. Example: a character is hit by a 2d6 RKA arrow. The damage dice come up "7". The character takes 7 BODY and 21 STUN before defenses are applied.
2) There are no Activation Rolls for armor or other defenses. The "Average Defense" rule will be used (in which average your DEF over the 16 Hit Locations).
3) The local house rule in which you take 1 BODY for every 20 STUN you take (after defenses and per indiviual hit) will be used. Example: A character with 8 PD is hit for 7 BODY and 35 STUN. Normally he'd take 0 BODY and 27 STUN. Since he took more than 20 STUN in a single hit, he also takes 1 BODY.
4) STR Minimums and Required Hands will be used.
5) I may use the Hero Points system from Pulp Hero.
6) "Taking An 11" -- "Taking an 11" basically means you are perfoming a Skill at a normal, non-combat pace. It will require (at least) the minimum time required for the task (if not longer.) In many cases, it a presumed die roll and doesn't need to be stated (in other words, when you get dressed, drive to work, start a fire, tie a knot, perform basic chores, and so on). Here, we can presume you are "taking an 11" and getting the job done. However, if you want to pick a lock while under fire, or climb a ladder before the wall of water washes it away, or attempt to slip out of rope bonds before the guard notices, then you roll. You don't get to "take an 11" in cases such as this.
7) "Dude, He's F***in' Tarzan!" -- This story should explain this rule nicely:
Keith Curtis writes:
I'm going to impart a story wherein I received a great lesson from no less a GM than Darren Watts. This was in his Pulp All-Stars game, wherin I played Tarzan.
Now, there's an emergency and the various pulp all-stars have to leave a hotel to get to Central Park in a hurry. I, as Tarzan, leap from the window and proceed to make my way there by running along drain pipes, telephone lines, signs, flagpoles, etc. Darren required no roll on this. One of the players asked, "Can he do that?" to which Darren casually replied with a phrase I shall never forget, and have put down into my GM Ten Commandments: "Dude, he's F---in' Tarzan!"
Four simple words (expletive softened), that say so much. There are times to just ignore the rules in any system. He could have had me make various rolls and such. But then there is the possibility of failure in a moment solely dedicated to advancing the story by getting the characters into the action. Additionally, this is the character's schtick. Failure serves no purpose other than to make the hero look unheroic. Just do it. Can he? Of course he can: "Dude, he's F---in' Tarzan!"
This become an occasional catch phrase I or my players invoke when we realize we are focussing on the dissecting rules rather than having fun being heroes. Can the hero show off fancy swordplay to impress a bunch of raw recruits? He's got buckets of combat skills and he's a hero. Just before I'm about to ask for some roll, the player says, "Dude, he's F---in' Tarzan!" And then I'm reminded of why we are there.
Now if it were a major plot point: Tarzan must swing across a gorge to grab a hand grenade and throw it back into a machine gun nest before the girl is blown to bits, then yeah, use the rules. But for the most part, when your whole purpose is to be a hero: "Dude, he's F---in' Tarzan!"
So, if in game, you're in the spotlight and it's your chance to show off (and it's a not critical moment) then yes, you can invoke the "Dude, [I'm] F***in' Tarzan!" rule and just do it. Provided, of course, you're showing off your speciality.
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Well Of The Worlds and all other related names and material are © Michael Surbrook.
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