By Phillip Foster
Risus: The Anything RPG belongs to S. John Ross © 1993-2004
Of course, that would be Risus, the Anything RPG by S. John Ross. Risus really IS the anything RPG, because it is so simple and flexible you can do just about anything with it.
The GM can charge one extra die (or the cost of one die) for and Cliché he feels is unusually powerful, broad, or has some sort of exceptional advantage; conversely, Clichés that are very limited or restricted in some way can cost one die less (but NEVER less than one die). Such a limitation should affect the Ability's usefulness a great deal, and not something that is really just a part of the Cliché's definition.
An Expendable Cliché is one that can be lowered (also known as 'burning'), usually to provide bonuses to the character. Such bonuses usually include being able to add dice 'burned' to another Cliché, or re-roll one die for each die burned. The bonuses from 'burning' Expendable Clichés are of course cumulative with other bonuses, but any additional dice are lost after one round of combat or significant roll otherwise (just like Pumping).
Under most circumstances, an Expendable Cliché can still be usable as a normal Cliché (for whatever uses defined for it) at its current level (that is, it's original level minus any 'burned' dice) until it is completely expended. Once used up, however, it cannot be used or spent until it recovers / replenishes.
What an Expendable Cliché can be expended for and how it is replenished depends on exactly what it is. A good example of an Expendable Cliché would be Mana (magical energy) in a magical or fantasy game, or something representing luck or karma. Mana would be replenished by resting or maybe going to a place rich in magical energy; something like Karma would only replenish over time or at the start of each game. An Expendable Cliché could even replenish only if the player beats a certain Target Number using the Expendable Cliché. Some Expendable Clichés represent something that MUST be expended for another Cliché to continue to work, or even for the character to survive (and thus giving NO bonuses when 'burned').
Depleting Clichés are Clichés that start at a certain level and go down by one die if a roll is ever failed when they must be checked. If the Cliché goes to zero dice, then something calamitous happens to the character (he dies / goes insane / vanishes- leaves the game, basically). Depleting Clichés do not 'heal' the same way as ordinary Clichés; the reduction is (more or less) permanent, and may only be restorable through Character Advancement or other means (like an epic quest of some sort).
An example of a Depleting Cliché would be a Sanity Cliché in a horror game. Sanity must be checked whenever a character sees something horrible or mind-shatteringly incomprehensible; failure would mean his Sanity drops by one die (or even more, for something particularly horrifying or bizarre) until the character goes completely insane.
In some cases, an Expendable Cliché can be spent to restore a Depleting Cliché, or a Cliché can have characteristics of BOTH Expendable AND Depleting. Most of the time, neither type of Cliché can be used for Pumping, Going For Broke, have Specialties, or defined as Double-Pump.
If the Hooks and Tales option is being used, the Tales option can include a Motivation and a Goal.
A Motivation is basically a few words on what makes the character tick, why he acts the way he does and what drives him, his personal beliefs. Whenever a character attempts an action in the game that is directly related to his Motivation, he gets a +1 to his Cliché roll (just +1 to the total, not an extra die). Once per game, the GM CAN allow +1 die if he wishes.
A Goal is what the character ultimately wants to accomplish in his life, his final destiny if you will. Whenever he successfully accomplishes something that gets him closer to his Goal with a given Cliché, he gets to roll again for Character Advancement for that Cliché at the end of the adventure if the first roll fails (this never applies to rolls during the game).
The downside of a Motivation is that, if the GM feels that the character is taking an action that is AGAINST his Motivation, he may penalize the character by -1 die or more for doing so. The GM can similarly penalize a player not ever really trying to achieve his Goal (forfeiting the roll for Cliché advancement at the end of the game is good).
The GM has final approval on Motivations and Goals, and should not allow players to abuse them (such as a character taking a Motivation of ‘Beat everybody up’ so he can get a +1 every time he gets in a fight). Motivation and Goal can overlap a lot, and good ones should tie into the character's Hooks (very Freudian, no?).
A character who is particularly talented with a specific aspect of his Cliché can buy a Specialty. A Specialty will allow the player to Re-roll ONE of his Cliché dice and take the better result, but only for actions involving that aspect of the Cliché. A Specialty costs 1 die (or the same as one die of the Cliché) at character creation, and can be added through Character Advancement instead of raising the Cliché by one die size. A Specialty can only be taken once for each Cliché.
A Specialty should be listed right after the Cliché, with something to indicate it is a Specialty (like maybe putting it italics). Keep in mind that Specialties can ONLY be purchased for a specific aspect of a Cliché, so sometimes it may make more sense just to use more specifically-defined Clichés instead.
Another option is to allow a Specialty on the ENTIRE Cliché. This would cost the same as TWO dice, but let the character re-roll a die WHENEVER the Cliché is used. Indicate such a Specialty in some way, like putting the entire Cliché name in italics.
A Specialty may also allow the character to lower the chosen Target Number by one level instead of re-rolling a die, if the GM allows it.
Other members of a PC Team may or may not get the benefit of Specialties depending on its nature (such as if the Team Leader has some Specialty like leadership, or if the team has worked together for a while and the Specialty is related to the conflict). Of course, PC Grunt-Squads get the benefits if ALL of them have the same or similar Specialties.
A Gimmick is a special ability that certain characters have, but, unlike Clichés, they usually AUTOMATICALLY succeed or give the character a bonus that is not really ratable as a Cliché. A Gimmick is also a good way to represent certain genre trappings or 'bits'. A good example would be a Superhero's mode of transportation, like Black Canary's motorcycle. Is the motorcycle ever important in the story or involved in conflicts? No, it is only seen in cut-panels showing the Justice League zooming to where the action is.
If necessary, the GM should rate the Gimmick in dice just as any other Cliché. If the GM allows, a minor (free) Gimmick can be used once per game for something important (exactly when and what is up to the GM).
Gimmicks should be reviewed by the GM carefully to make sure they are not too powerful or unbalancing, or if it would make more sense to rate them as Clichés instead.
Gimmicks are either free or cost 1 die (or the same point cost as one d6) at character creation, depending on how powerful and/or useful they are (Black Canary's motorcycle is a good example of a free Gimmick). Major Gimmicks are added through Character Advancement by taking one instead of an increase in a Cliché. Minor Gimmicks are awarded during the game whenever the GM feels it is appropriate.
In this option, the character can sacrifice a starting die to get 3 dice to put into a Follower. A Follower is treated the same as any other Cliché. A Follower can be a pet or familiar, a sidekick, a sentient computer, the faceless minions of a master villain, a horde of undead warriors, or whatever. The GM can allow the 3 dice to be split up among more than one Cliché for the Follower, but for ease of play a Follower should be considered as one Cliché. He can even allow the player to use more than one starting die to get more Follower Cliché dice, and to get more than one Follower, but again this should probably be avoided in most cases.
A Follower should NEVER add its Cliché dice to any of the character’s Clichés. However, a Follower can participate in Teaming Up as a Team Member if it is appropriate. If a Follower is killed or lost in some way, the character should have to get another Follower. How he does this and how long it takes depends on the nature of the Follower – a pirate would have to get another parrot and retrain it; a Netrunner would just get his AI repaired or replaced; a wizard would have to summon another familiar; a necromancer would just need to go to another graveyard or battle site and raise more undead warriors.
A Follower does not even have to be a person, creature, or sentient object – it could be something like a vehicle or base. The Follower dice could be distributed among one or more Clichés that best represent the abilities of the object; the player should be allowed to buy more than 3 Follower dice in this case. In the case of vehicles or bases, one of the Follower’s Clichés can be the main Cliché used in a combat or challenge, and the character contributes any sixes he rolls for HIS Cliché (this is like Teaming Up where the vehicle/base acts as the Leader and the character is a Team Member). A vehicle or base Follower that is reduced to zero in one of its Clichés is broken and must be repaired or replaced.
If a point cost chart is being used, 3 Follower points costs 1 point, and the Follower is built as a separate ‘character’. Followers should not have Hooks or Tales, Motivations or Goals, Funky Dice, Specialties, Gimmicks, or Legendary Master Clichés unless the GM says that it’s OK.
This option allows Clichés to be purchased at Legendary Master level. To do this, the player puts an extra starting die into the Cliché (or pays the same costs as one dice) and marks it as Legendary Master level (put an asterisk next to the number of dice). When the character advances the Cliché past 6 dice, he becomes a Legendary Master (unless the Cliché has 6 dice to begin with, in which case it costs 7 starting dice and is Legendary Master level at the start).
A character with a Legendary Master Cliché can choose to force any opponent he faces who is not also a Legendary Master in their Cliché (that is, who does not also have (6*) in the Cliché) to take a 1-die penalty to their first roll in the combat. Non-Legendary Masters cannot Double-Pump against a Legendary Master. In challenges based on Target Numbers, a Legendary Master can lower the Target Number to the next lower level.
If Funky Dice are being used, then Character Advancement for a Legendary Master Cliché is as follows: The character advances to 6 dice, then Legendary Master, THEN 5 dice of the next higher type (LOSING Legendary Master status), then 6 dice, THEN Legendary Master again, and so forth. An existing Cliché can be made Legendary Master status instead of increasing it during Character Advancement.
This option allows the use of Double Dice, those funny-looking dice with a small opaque die inside of a clear plastic one. When Double Dice are rolled for a Cliché, even for a Pump or Double-Pump, if the inner die and the outer die are the same value, then BOTH dice are added to the total of the roll. The GM can choose to use Double Dice as the default for everyone, or count them as Funky Dice (they are equivalent to d8 in that case). If Double Dice are not the default, then write the number of dice for a Cliché in a way to show it uses Double Dice, such as putting a ‘+’ behind it, like (4+) or [2+]. For Teaming Up, if both dice roll a six, then both sixes count. When rolling for Character Advancement, only the outer die is counted. Otherwise, Double Dice function the same as regular dice.
If you want to, and you are crazy enough, you can simulate Double Dice by using regular dice, pairing them up by color, and marking one of them as the ‘main’ die - if two dice of the same color roll the same number, they both count; otherwise, only the ‘main’ die counts. A Double Die costs the same as the next higher die on the Funky Dice point cost chart (d30 CANNOT be bought as Double Die, because that’s TOO insane. OK, if you must, say they cost 40 points). This means you will be rolling a lot more dice, though. Also, if a Cliché goes to the next higher Funky Dice type from Character Advancement, the character can choose to keep the current dice type and say they are Double Dice. So, in the main Risus example of the Astronaut that goes from Astronaut (6) to Astronaut (5d8), he can choose instead to go to Astronaut (5+).
Some GMs may let characters jump directly to a higher die size for Funky Dice Clichés instead of having to wait until getting 6 dice, but wants to limit it. Or, perhaps the GM feels that jumping to some of the higher die sizes from 6 dice makes Clichés too powerful too quickly. One suggestion is to drop the number of dice to 1/2 the current total of the Cliché (round up) when the die size is raised if the new die size is a certain size or above. So, if Superguy rolls all evens on his Super Strength (4d12), and the GM says it is OK for him to go up a die size, he goes to Super Strength (2d20). If Superguy was already at 6d12, he goes to 3d20 (once you have reached 6 dice, there is no way to go but up a die size).
All these options are confusing, what with Funky Dice, Double Dice, the Increasing Funky Dice option, and Legendary Master Clichés! How do they all work together for Character Advancement? Let me clarify with an example:
A character's Cliché is at 6d6*. He rolls all evens for advancement, so he would usually go to 5d8, losing his Legendary Master status. If the player chooses Double Dice, the Cliché goes to 6d6+, but Legendary Master status would still be lost. If the Increases In Funky Dice Clichés option is in play, he must go to 3d8, and lose LM status. The player could still choose 6d6+ instead, as before. Remember that Legendary Master status is only re-attained at the next advancement instead of going past 6 dice, so the Cliché would be 6d6*+ next time it advanced. If it went to 3d8, it would take 4 more advancements to re-attain Legendary Master (4d8, 5d8, 6d8, 6d8*). Of course, the player could choose to go to 6d8+ on the next advancement after that, but it would lose LM status AGAIN, and only go to 6d8+* on the NEXT advancement.
To most Risus players, the term 'Experience Points' is a naughty word. The concept can still be used instead of rolling for Cliché advancement, for those of you more accustomed to 'traditional' RPG methods.
To do this, the GM should just hand out Experience Points (or 'XP', as some call them) at the end of each game. Each player should get the same base amount, and the GM should throw in a few extra for exceptional circumstances (really good roleplaying, clever solutions to problems, a very long and difficult adventure, etc.). Clichés and other character improvements are purchased by spending XP. The cost should be adjusted so characters don't get too powerful too quickly- a suggestion is to multiply the base cost at character creation by some number, say 2 or 3; or just give out less XP in the first place.
If you are using the regular dice method for character creation, then you will have to hand out Experience Dice (or XD) and say raising a Cliché or getting one die in a new one cost a certain number of XD. Another bonus to this is that XD could be spent to temporarily boost Clichés boosts during play (at a one to one rate, to be fair). The Funky Dice option complicates this, but being the clever Risus player that you are, you should be able to figure out a way around that...
If a combat is a contest where the order of finishing is important, then there are several options:
In the very unlikely event of a tie in Clichés rolls, what should you do? Well, there are really three options:
The 'defender' is usually the one that did not initiate the conflict or is not the aggressor, or the one who is at a disadvantage somehow. If that is not clear, then the GM should say the lowest Cliché level is the defender.
You may wish to alter the penalty for losing due to an Inappropriate Cliché to two dice instead of three. This alteration is only recommended when the GM wants to make combats a little longer, or when a slightly more 'serious' game style wishes to use Inappropriate Clichés but the three-dice penalty seems a little too excessive.
If the Risus Uno! variant is being used, then it is highly recommended that this rule be used, since most Clichés will never get above d12 (only 5 die sizes) on the generic die size chart.
For more 'serious' games, or just as an alternative to the given rules, the GM can use the following guidelines when determining which Clichés are appropriate for a given task or conflict:
So, let's say a L33T Cyberninja(4) has to hack into a secure computer to obtain some restricted information. No problemo, just roll 4 dice. But say he has to disarm a security system to get to the computer first. The GM can rule that he can try, but using 3 dice. If he has to Get Lucky With The Ladies, the GM might only give him one dice (because he's such a dweeb). Only in 'realistic' games should the GM not allow characters to attempt nearly impossible tasks.
Of course, the GM can always toss in the bonus for Inappropriate Clichés in a conflict if he wants.
If you want to speed up combat, just let the players form their own Grunt-Squad. Designate a Team Leader as usual, but then take the Team Leader's Cliché and add one die for every two FULL Team members besides the Leader. The Team is then treated the same as a Grunt-Squad for the rest of the conflict, except the team can use options like Pumping or Going For Broke. However, they don't get the other benefits of Teaming Up (such as volunteering for damage or a 'vengeance bonus'). For team members with Funky Dice Clichés, the extra die can be one size (or more!) bigger than the Team Leader's dice.
If the team disbands before the fight is over, then any 'damage' sustained by the team as a whole (including losses due to Pumping or Going For Broke) is applied to EACH team member IMMEDIATELY. This could very well take out one or more characters right away! They are then free to re-form teams as usual (if there is anyone still standing, that is).
Double-Pump Clichés should NOT be usable by a PC Grunt-Squad (except in the unlikely event that ALL team members are using Double-Pump Clichés as part of the team!).
In the case of two characters that have practiced or worked together for a long time, they could try to form a Two-Man PC Grunt-Squad. In a Two-Man PC Grunt-Squad (also called 'The Fastball Special'), EITHER character can be the Team Leader, and that Cliché is boosted by one die, but it is otherwise like a normal PC Grunt-Squad. In this case, Specialties are much more likely to apply to the team since there are only two members.
Going For Broke is kind of the opposite of Pumping Clichés. When a character is Going For Broke, the Cliché is LOWERED by one or more die sizes. If the roll succeeds, the opponent loses one EXTRA die size due to defeat for every die size the attacking Cliché was lowered. This drop is only temporary, and is NOT treated as an 'injury' to the Cliché. However, if the character LOSES, HE takes the extra 'damage'!
Going For Broke can be thought of as anytime the character is leaving an opening for his opponent in exchange for a bigger payoff, like a haymaker or a risky chess gambit.
As with Pumping and Double-Pumps, a Cliché cannot be lowered to zero dice by Going For Broke. Going For Broke can even be combined with a Pump or a Double-Pump Cliché, but they are cumulative. So, for instance, a Cliché at 3 dice could be Pumped by 1 die and still lowered by 1 die (but no more) to Go For Broke. The player would roll 3 dice. If he wins, the Cliché will be at 2 dice (one less for the Pump), and his opponent will take two dice of 'damage' (or more, for Inappropriate Clichés). If he LOSES, he is defeated- the Cliché drops by one die (at least!) for the loss plus one die for the Pump PLUS one die for the results of Going For Broke!
Normally, a Cliché using Funky Dice loses one or more dice when being reduced, through 'damage', Pushing, or whatever. With this option, the Cliché drops by 1 die size instead. When the die size drops to Normal (d6), the Cliché begins to lose dice normally.
Example: Flaming Guy, Flame Powers(4d12) is fighting a Giant Prehistoric Lizard(5d20). If Flaming Guy loses a round of combat, his Flame Power Cliché drops 1 die size to Flame Powers(4d10). If more than one die would be lost using the normal combat rules (as from a Push, Double Push, or Inappropriate Cliché, for instance), lose die size first, then dice. If Flaming Guy were to Push his Flame Powers by two, it would go to 4d8 (loss of 2 die sizes). If he were to Push it like this again, it would drop to 3d6 (die size first, then die).
It is even possible to give the player the option of either losing a die or a die size. When more than one die should be lost using the normal rules, the player can split between losing die sizes and losing dice. So, for instance, if Flaming Guy Pushes his Flame Powers(4d12) by two dice, he can choose to go to 2d12 (losing 2 dice as usual), 4d8 (losing 2 die sizes), or 3d10 (losing 1 die size and 1 die).
As stated in Risus, unusual, magical, or top-of-the-line gear can give characters bonus dice to their Clichés. There are many other ways to represent such equipment- allowing the re-roll of one or more dice (like a Specialty), adding a fixed number to a roll (usually +1 or +2), or even letting a Cliché become usable for Double-Pump even if it wasn't built as such.
Of course, The GM can grant such bonuses for other in-game reasons, like great role-playing, clever solutions to problems, heroic sacrifices, being very entertaining, ...
If a Funky Dice Cliché receives a bonus die from some source where the die size may not be the same (Bonus Die gear, Expendable Clichés, etc.), then the extra die is always the first die lost. Dice gained from Expendable Clichés are the same as the Expendable Cliché, NOT the Cliché receiving the bonus.
A neat way for the GM to handle some Hooks is to lower the character's Cliché by one (or more) die when the Hook is in effect. So, for example, SuperGuy, with his Incredible Strength(4d12), is only Incredible Strength(3d12) when exposed to Kraptonite, the only substance that makes him weaker. SuperGuy could even lose one dice PER ROUND he is exposed to the Kraptonite until he reaches zero dice! (At that point, he is in REAL trouble unless he gets some help, quick!)
Another way is to use the Specialties option, but in reverse- the player re-rolls one die and takes the LOWER result when the Hook is in effect. This works really well for Hooks like Unlucky.
Risus Uno! is a variant version of Risus. Risus Uno! does NOT use a deck of Uno! Cards (that would be silly! Or maybe not...), but rather ONE die (of varying sizes, of course) for Clichés. Cliché level is thus determined by die size. Clichés go up or down by die size instead of number of dice. It also uses a die for difficulty of unopposed tasks instead of Target Numbers. There are a few other differences, but those are the major ones. The specific differences are listed in the following text.
The following Options do not apply to Risus Uno!: Legendary Master Clichés, Double Dice, Increases In Funky Dice Clichés, Funky Dice and Cliché Reduction,.
Use the following chart when defining Clichés:
| Die | Cliché Level | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| d4 | Putz | 1 |
| d6 | Average | 2 |
| d8 | Professional | 3 |
| d10 | Mastery | 4 |
| d12 | Incredible | 5 |
| d20 | Legendary | 7 |
| d30 | Supernatural | 9 |
The descriptions are guidelines only and can be changed to taste. In most games, d6 is considered to be average, and d10 is the highest Cliché level for starting characters. Starting characters are usually built with 10 points (a normal schmoe can be built with 3-5 points). Risus' resident generic fighter Grolfnar might look like this:
Grolfnar Vainsson the Viking
Clichés: Viking (d10), Womanizer
(d6), Gambler (d8), Poet (d4)
Total Cost: 4+2+3+1=10.
The point costs of various options are given on the next chart:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Double-Pump Clichés | 2x cost |
| Specialties | 2 / 4 |
| Gimmicks | Free / 1 |
| Legendary Master status | N/A |
| Double Dice | N/A |
| Followers | 1 per 3 points to create Follower |
Characters still get +10% to starting points for Hooks and Tales, as before.
The reason Specialties are so expensive is that the ability to re-roll the die is MUCH more powerful in Risus Uno! than it is in Risus. Legendary Master status and Double Dice are not used in Risus Uno!, because neither one makes much sense in the context of single-die Clichés.
Instead of Target Numbers, use the following chart:
| Die | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| - | Automatic | No roll required |
| d4 | Easy | |
| d6 | Average | |
| d8 | Challenging | |
| d10 | Formidable | |
| d12 | Overwhelming | |
| d20 | Herculean | |
| d30 | Inconceivable | |
| -- | Impossible | Can't do it no matter how hard you try |
The most important thing that the GM should keep in mind is that determining difficulty of a given task is subjective- therefore, it should be based on any or all of the following things:
To duplicate the trick of measuring success based on how many Target Numbers you beat past the minimum (like the Wheelchair-Bound Eccentric Occultist swinging across a chasm example in Risus), the GM can roll a larger die (or dice) than the base difficulty of a task, and the player is more successful depending on which die (dice) he beats.
This also means, of course, that ANY Cliché die size has at least a small chance of succeeding at ANY Difficulty! This works fine for comedy and cinematic-type games, but not for more 'realistic' genres. In this case, the best way for the GM to determine difficulty is to choose a fixed number for the player to equal or exceed for success; multiple TNs can be chosen for 'graded' success.
A Cliché cannot be defined with a die size below d4 or above the largest die size (usually d30). Clichés can NEVER go above the maximum die size for any reason.
Because of the large gap in die sizes between d12 and d30, the GM can say that it takes two increases for a Cliché to go up one die size (and conversely, two decreases to lower it one die size). So, for example, someone Pushing a Cliché at d12 would have to use two 'Pushes' to get to d20; at the end of the Push, the Cliché would drop two levels to d8. This is kind of complicated and hard to keep track of, so feel free to ignore it.
Grunt-Squads: A Grunt-Squad can have different die sizes for determining attacks and defeat. For instance, a Grunt-Squad could attack using a d10, but be defeated when it loses 3 die sizes- this could represent a team of lesser number of more powerful opponents, say. On the other hand, a Grunt-Squad of lots and lots of lower-powered foes may attack using a d6, but not be defeated until it takes 5 'hits'- the Grunt-Squad would take hits like this:
d6, d6, d6, d4, defeat.
The GM should just mark this down on a piece of paper, or if he has lots of extra polyhedral dice laying around (and who doesn't?), he can just line them up, grabbing the next die from the line when the Grunt-Squad takes a hit.
PC Teams: The Team Leader is determined as usual. Each Team Member rolls their Cliché die BEFORE the Team Leader rolls his. For each Team Member that rolls a 6 or above, add +1 to the Leader's die size. +2 die sizes is usually the maximum. Teaming Up is otherwise the same as in Risus.
d4 Clichés: You will note that, since team members have to roll a 6 or above to participate in Teaming Up, it is impossible for someone with a Cliché of d4 to contribute. Characters with d4 Clichés are either wounded or worn out, or below average in the first place, so this makes sense. For those of you that have a problem with this, though, the GM can allow d4 Clichés to participate, but make it harder. How much harder is up to the GM- say, the player must roll a 4, then roll again and get a 3 or 4.
Participants in a conflict that have no applicable Cliché get a d4 for free. Everyone WITH an applicable Cliché gets +1 die size.
The same, except players roll the Cliché die a number of times equal to the number of die sizes (so, for instance, a d10 would be rolled 4 times). If all rolls come up even, proceed as in Risus.
If the GM is concerned about the gaps in the higher die sizes (see A WORD OR TWO ABOUT DIE SIZES), then use the die size cost chart to determine how many times to roll- thus, a d20 would need to be rolled 7 times, not 6, and get all evens before it would go to a d30.
To illustrate the use and application of some of the various options presented here, I have included an example of what I will call a Game Stylesheet. It would be a good idea for all prospective Risus GMs to use these to outline the genre and rules to the players. The sample Stylesheet is for Risus Supers- there is one version for Risus, and one version for Risus Uno!
| Risus Style | Risus Supers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Premise | Powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, but with great power comes great responsibility. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clichés | All Superheroes have four fixed Clichés: Power, Career, Karma, and Heroism.
Karma can be used for the following:
Heroism recovers fully by the beginning of the next game. Karma recovers similar to increasing Clichés through Character Advancement: At the end of each game, roll the dice spent- each one that comes up even is recovered. Heroism and Karma CANNOT be used to affect each other. Superheroes have 20 points at character creation. Use the following charts for purchasing Clichés:
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| Character Creation Options |
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| Game System Options |
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| Sample Characters |
REDFORCE
Description: Eric Lawrence was a physicist working on a nuclear-powered red laser when an accident somehow caused him to absorb the energies of the laser. He decided to use his newfound powers to manipulate red light in a semi-solid form to protect innocents as Redforce. Eric is unsure of himself and his new powers, and is secretly afraid of failure. Clichés: Power(4d12) (Red Light Control: Flight, force-field, solid light shapes, images, moving things, solid light blast), Career(3d10) (Scientist: Nuclear Physics), Heroism(3d8), Karma(2d8) Gimmicks: None Motivation: Protect Innocents Hooks: Unsure of self and afraid of failure Total Cost: 7+(5+1)+3+4=20 PARAGON
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Here is an alternate Target Number chart for superheroics:
| TN | Difficulty | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Easy | Most superheroes could do this blindfolded with their cape tied behind their backs |
| 15 | Challenging | Lifting a manhole cover; disabling a home security system; escaping from ropes; solving a math problem |
| 20 | Formidable | Lifting a normal human; leaping a 20-foot ditch; cracking a safe; solving the NY Times crossword; escaping from handcuffs; solving a complex math problem |
| 25 | Heroic | Lifting a motorcycle or trash dumpster; punching through reinforced walls and doors; hitting a bulls-eye at 200 yards in a rainstorm; solving the NY Times crossword with a pen |
| 30 | Superhuman | Lifting a car or bulldozer; punching through concrete or brick; fathoming futuristic technology; leaping a few hundred yards; escaping from chains and handcuffs inside a safe underwater; memorizing a dictionary |
| 45 | Incredible | Lifting a tank or bus or semi; stopping a tornado or hurricane; punching through reinforce concrete or steel; memorizing the Encyclopedia Britannica; breaking into Fort Knox; inventing a new form of mathematics |
| 65 | Mythical | Lifting a locomotive or the space shuttle; altering global weather patterns; shattering diamonds; leaping for several miles; curing cancer; solving the Mid-east Peace Crisis; discovering the Unified Field Theory |
| 85 | Inconceivable | Lifting a skyscraper or oil tanker; destroying a city or state; outrunning lightning; creating fourth-dimensional hyper-mathematical theories |
| 100 | Cosmic | Moving the Moon out of orbit; stopping a galactic war with a few words and a smile; beating cosmic entities like Death; altering reality with but a thought |
| Risus Uno! Style | Risus Supers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Premise | Powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, but with great power comes great responsibility. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clichés | All Superheroes have four fixed Clichés: Power, Career, Karma, and Heroism.
Karma can be used for the following:
Heroism recovers fully by the beginning of the next game. Karma recovers similar to increasing Clichés through Character Advancement: At the end of each game, roll the current die size for Karma- if it comes up even then a die size is recovered; keep doing this until an odd result is rolled or Karma is fully replenished. Heroism and Karma CANNOT be used to affect each other. Superheroes have 15 points at character creation. Use the following chart for purchasing Clichés:
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| Character Creation Options |
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| Game System Options |
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| Sample Characters |
REDFORCE
Description: Eric Lawrence was a physicist working on a nuclear-powered red laser when an accident somehow caused him to absorb the energies of the laser. He decided to use his newfound powers to manipulate red light in a semi-solid form to protect innocents as Redforce. Eric is unsure of himself and his new powers, and is secretly afraid of failure. Clichés: Power(d12) (Red Light Control: Flight, force-field, solid light shapes, images, moving things, solid light blast), Career(d8) (Scientist: Nuclear Physics), Heroism(d8), Karma(d6) Gimmicks: None Motivation: Protect Innocents Hooks: Unsure of self and afraid of failure Total Cost: 5+(3+2)+3+2=15 PARAGON
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Here is a suggested Difficulty / ability level chart for superheroics:
| Die | Ability Level | Example Feats |
|---|---|---|
| d4 | Normal | Challenges faced by normal everyday folks- stuff that heroes could do blindfolded with their cape tied behind their back |
| d6 | Superior | Lifting a person or manhole cover; disabling a home security system; escaping from handcuffs; solving a math problem; solving the NY Times crossword with a pen |
| d8 | Heroic | Lifting a motorcycle or trash dumpster; punching through wooden walls or doors; hitting a bulls-eye at 100 yards in the rain; cracking a safe; solving a complex math problem; leaping a 30-foot ditch |
| d10 | Superhuman | Lifting a car or bulldozer; punching through concrete or brick; leaping for several city blocks; breaking into Fort Knox; escaping from being chained inside a safe underwater; memorizing a dictionary; fathoming futuristic technology |
| d12 | Incredible | Lifting tanks, locomotives, or 747s; stopping a hurricane; punching through reinforced concrete or steel; memorizing the Encyclopedia Britannica; curing cancer; inventing a totally new form of mathematics |
| d20 | Mythical | Lifting skyscrapers and battleships; surviving a nuclear explosion; leaping for miles; throwing stuff into orbit; shattering diamonds; destroying cities; altering global weather patterns; discovering the Unified Field Theory |
| d30 | Cosmic | Moving the Moon out of orbit; manipulating time and space on a whim; influencing the fate of galaxies; destroying planets and star systems |
An alternate way to handle Risus Uno! superheroes is to make the following changes-
This effectively increases the gap between lower- and higher-powered heroes, but lets the lower-powered ones get cheaper re-rolls. What this does in effect is to set up a dichotomy of 'skill' vs. 'power'- lower Clichés can get consistent results, but still can't beat the higher-die Clichés if they roll really well. Here are suggested Cliché level and Difficulty charts:
| Die | Cliché Level | Cost | Example Heroes |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | Normal | 1 | Average- Most human beings |
| d6 | Heroic | 2 | At or near the peak of human perfection- Batman, Captain America. |
| d8 | Superhuman | 3 | More than human- Spiderman, many of the X-Men. |
| d12 | Incredible | 5 | Very powerful heroes- Thor, Wonder Woman |
| d20 | Mythical | 7 | Near godlike heroes- Superman, Green Lantern, Silver Surfer |
| d30 | Cosmic | 9 | Gods and cosmic forces like Galactus or The Spectre. Mythical heroes can reach this level on very good days. |
| Die | Ability Level | Example Feats |
|---|---|---|
| d4 | Normal | Challenges faced by normal everyday folks- stuff that heroes could do blindfolded with their cape tied behind their back |
| d6 | Heroic | Lifting a motorcycle or trash dumpster; punching through reinforced walls or doors; hitting a bulls-eye at 100 yards in the rain; cracking a safe; solving a complex math problem; leaping a 30-foot ditch |
| d8 | Superhuman | Lifting a car or bulldozer; punching through concrete or brick; leaping for several city blocks; breaking into Fort Knox; escaping from being chained inside a safe underwater; memorizing a dictionary; fathoming futuristic technology |
| d12 | Incredible | Lifting tanks, locomotives, or 747s; stopping a hurricane; punching through reinforced concrete or steel; memorizing the Encyclopedia Britannica; curing cancer; inventing a totally new form of mathematics |
| d20 | Mythical | Lifting skyscrapers and battleships; surviving a nuclear explosion; leaping for miles; throwing stuff into orbit; shattering diamonds; destroying cities; altering global weather patterns; discovering the Unified Field Theory |
| d30 | Cosmic | Moving the Moon out of orbit; manipulating time and space on a whim; influencing the fate of galaxies; destroying planets and star systems |