Interest Check: Mayfair Batman RPG

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Dumarest

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When one of the other PBPs I'm currently running winds down, I think it would be fun to try the 1989 Mayfair Batman RPG (basically a slightly stripped-down DC Heroes or DC Heroes 1.5 edition). I'd like to have the players take on the roles of various heroes who operate in Gotham City, or existing DC comic book heroes who would fit into that milieu. For example: Batman (of course), Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Huntress. I'm sure there are a few others who could work as well. I'd like to have superpowers not exist: much like the 1960s TV show, everyone would be a mere mortal although they might have extraordinary skills and high tech gimmicks and gadgets that emulate some super powers (i.e., Poison Ivy would use "science" to make plants do her bidding, Scarecrow uses chemicals to induce fear, etc.). Also much like the TV series, we'd make no mention of whether Superman and Wonder Woman are in the same universe. Unlike the TV series, the tone would be in line with the Bronze Age Batman comics: mock-real, actual violence and injury, villains not merely eccentric pranksters. My Gotham would be derived from the published Mayfair Batman sourcebooks and Night in Gotham adventure module, plus whatever I can steal from the comic books. I'd use villains straight out of the comics (and possibly the TV series if they can be made less harmless without changing them too much), plus some supporting cast like Commissioner Gordon, Alfred the butler, Harvey Bullock, maybe Silver St. Cloud and/or Vicki Vale.

(If someone wants to be Dick Grayson Robin, we can eliminate Nightwing as a character, or if someone wants to be Jason Todd Robin we can have both or Nightwing can be busy elsewhere if no one selects him. Huntress could be the original Earth-2 version or the Italian crime family version depending on your preference, but I wouldn't want to get too involved in any Earth-2 stuff beyond a simple one-sentence explanation as to why she's on Earth-1 now. And so on.)

It might be some time before this can happen, but I'd like to gauge interest. Really only 2 players would be needed if they can post regularly as Batman and Robin, but it could be fun to have others. You needn't work as a "team." I can easily handle multiple scenarios going down at once: for instance, Batman and Robin could be trying to foil the Riddler's latest crime spree, meanwhile Batgirl is working on the cat-related museum thefts she assumes to be the work of Catwoman. Maybe they're connected, maybe they aren't! Meanwhile someone is abducting famous twins...could Two-Face be on the loose?
 
Never played DC Heroes, this sounds like a fine intro to the game. Not sure if I will be spreading myself too thin, but please do keep me in mind. I would very much like to try this out.
 
I'd like to have the players take on the roles of various heroes who operate in Gotham City, or existing DC comic book heroes who would fit into that milieu...

...the tone would be in line with the Bronze Age...

...Meanwhile someone is abducting famous twins...could Two-Face be on the loose?

Or could it be The Pink Flamingo? Looks like a job for Knight Watchman and Galahad!

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I'd like to play a character I created a long time ago. mind you, I don't have the book or stats anymore. He'd fit right in. He's called "The Poet," he's sort of an inverse Riddler, he speaks alliteratively or in rhyme. His main ability is martial arts/stealth and expandable staff he can fight with as well as smoke bombs which he uses to "vanish" from view all ninja-like. Doable? I can leave the stats to you.
 
I would probably go with the 'Italian crime family version' of the Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), although less murder-y and playing better with others - Bruce probably managed to get to her relatively early on, tempering her need for revenge. Also, the Catholic/Christian 'thou shalt not kill' credo would have a bit more sway. Stats for post-Crisis Huntress (in full DC Heroes terms, which would probably need to be streamlined a bit for the Batman ruleset) can be found here if this would be an acceptable character choice.
 
I'd like to play a character I created a long time ago. mind you, I don't have the book or stats anymore. He'd fit right in. He's called "The Poet," he's sort of an inverse Riddler, he speaks alliteratively or in rhyme. His main ability is martial arts/stealth and expandable staff he can fight with as well as smoke bombs which he uses to "vanish" from view all ninja-like. Doable? I can leave the stats to you.
Sounds fine. Can you give me some comparisons to judge him by: for instance, "DEX should be better than so-and-so but not as good as so-and-so, INT should be on par with so-and-so"?
I would probably go with the 'Italian crime family version' of the Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), although less murder-y and playing better with others - Bruce probably managed to get to her relatively early on, tempering her need for revenge. Also, the Catholic/Christian 'thou shalt not kill' credo would have a bit more sway. Stats for post-Crisis Huntress (in full DC Heroes terms, which would probably need to be streamlined a bit for the Batman ruleset) can be found here if this would be an acceptable character choice.
Yeah, just remember there is no Acrobatics skill in the Batman RPG. My impression is pretty much every hero and villain in the setting had it so they just folded it into DEX. Looks like they took those stats directly from here:
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Some other characters who could fit would be Black Canary, Green Arrow (I personally prefer the trick arrow version to the post-Longbow Hunters Mike Grell version), Blue Beetle (the Bug is not much kookier than Batman's array of gadgets), or even Black Lightning when his powers still came from his belt and were not a part of him.

It's cool to call dibs now to make sure you get who you want even though it may be a while before we're ready.
 
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Although I love the Grell Arrow, I don't think he'd be much fun to play.
 
Although I love the Grell Arrow, I don't think he'd be much fun to play.
I liked the artwork but not much else. I didn't really care to see Black Canary brutalized so Green Arrow could be turned into a poor man's Batman after so many years with a well-developed personality after he, ironically, was changed from being a poor man's Batman.

Another game I'd like to run sometime would be Green Lantern/Green Arrow but somewhat goofing on those heavy-handed moralizing stories by O'Neil and Adams. Could be just 2 players or 3 if Black Canary shows up as she did off and on. Not sure what game I'd use for that to make sure the power ring doesn't make everyone else redundant.
 
The Poet, Agility under Robin/Nightwing (1 point in DC I think), Strength under Batmans (1 point), but higher skill during that age in fighting/martial arts, smarter than the Riddler ( 10? 11? by a notable degree), not sure what else, definitely not as Tough as Batman of the modern era. Strong willed, and Charming. It's odd I can't find the iconic characters on Writeups.org. Maybe to avoid issues.
 
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I've ordered a copy of the game, I realized that I forgot that each Ap is twice that of the lower attribute. So hopefully it will arrive before you start.
 
I'd like to play this, I been wanting to get back in the groove and I feel I owe you at least one game I fully commit to.
 
I got my book, how many points can I build on? :grin: (Or you can build but I can give you an idea.)
 
I got my book, how many points can I build on? :grin: (Or you can build but I can give you an idea.)
Let me check the book. The points changed form one version of DC Heroes to another, plus what they give you by default would make someone on the level of the New Teen Titans so you might need more points.

Edit: By the book is 450 for a starting PC. I would say build with 450 and see how far that gets you to what you envision, then add as needed.
 
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