Best way to replicate Marvel Style Mutants ect?

[Eldagusto]

So I was wondering the big difference between comics and games about super heroes is that comics don’t try to balance things some mutants are Omega level Full Quantum Franklin Richards some are Skin of Gen X and some are Marvel Girl who starts humble and becomes the Phoenix.

So what is the best way to replicate a Marve style 616 Universe. Is it as simple as throwing out Quantum, or not having it restrict things, and allow Psi and Quantum Powers together? Thoughts?

[Dataweaver]

I am fully expecting to see a Psychic Novas supplement in the Nexus. No, I don't have any special knowledge of such; but I'm still confident that one is on the way. What I mean by that is a book that adds Quantum powers and mega edges that replicate psionic powers that TC:Ab skipped. Given professor X and Jean Gray, such a book would be essential to using Aberrant to duplicate Marvel's X-Men.

[Eldagusto]

I am fully expecting to see a Psychic Novas supplement in the Nexus. No, I don't have any special knowledge of such; but I'm still confident that one is on the way. What I mean by that is a book that adds Quantum powers and mega edges that replicate psionic powers that TC:Ab skipped. Given professor X and Jean Gray, such a book would be essential to using Aberrant to duplicate Marvel's X-Men.

I think you are right on the money with that. Their is a want, nay a need, and the Market loves a Vacuum.

[Mateus Luz]

As I see, the best (if not only) way to make all the X-men with a single set of rules is using Quantum powers. So I agree with Dataweaver.

I have some notes on mental and precog powers for Novas, but it will take a while before we can publish anything for Aberrant in the Nexus.

[Eldagusto]

Well I am still trying to point out the issue that I want to discuss, in comics they don’t worry about balance and Franklin Richards starts out with literal Create Universe Quantum powers. I want to embrace the disparate power levels rather then mandate everyone starts out low. This isn’t necessarily true for PCs but for the setting it restricts things more in the direction of the author characters. They aren’t Mary Sues but I am going to call them that so you get the jist. Meanwhile Comics are Dynamic and new characters can arrive on the scene and be world shakers, like when Legion showed up.

[Florin]

Starting characters start somewhere between Quantum 1 and 5. That's a pretty big range. Most of your Marvel characters are going to fall somewhere in there, at least when they start their careers. You have a few outliers, but there is nothing in the book stopping you from having NPCs erupt at Quantum 7 or whatever. Just make sure they're supremely f-ed up at the same time to show why the PCs don't start that way. Honestly, Franklin Richards is basically a Quantum 10 nova. If you can create your own universe, you've transcended what it means to be human in anyway.

[Eldagusto]

But I like things like Reed Richards who has top tier invention powers and low to mid tier stretch powers. Stuff like that.

[Mateus Luz]

Agree with Florin, Q1 to 5 is a pretty good measure of the power of almost any superhero we see in the comics, except maybe a few.

Q2 Mutants are not the main cast of X-men, but most of the students are around here, with a few on Q1. My version of Spider-Man is a solid Q2, with some uses of maxing out once in a while.

Most of the main cast of X-men are on Q3, including Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine and Storm. What means they can fight Sentinels as equals (or almost as equals).

I would put Magneto and Professor X on Q4, with some Maxing out and Qtech to improve their powers beyond that in a few situations. Iron Man armor must be around here too.

Q5 Nova is pretty much Phoenix level in terms of raw power, maybe lacking the versatility Jean have if created as a new character. A Rank 5 Quantum Attack is almost a Nuke and can sink a Battleship with a few hits. I would put Hulk around here, probably Thor and Doc Strange.

Beyond Q5 you can probably put a few more of the most famous heroes and villains, but it depends much on the writer to be honest.
Franklin Richards I would consider a Q8 character with some moments of pure “beyond Q10” lapses (like creating universes, something he did more than once but don’t have a big impact in most of his stories.
Galactus is a Q8 level creature that uses a rank 9 item to destroy worlds, but in general can destroy worlds with their own powers with some effort.

[Florin]

But I like things like Reed Richards who has top tier invention powers and low to mid tier stretch powers. Stuff like that.

Which should be easily modeled in the system. Most of his points will be spent on Q-Tech, Mega-Intelligence, and crafting powers, with a smaller amount of points put into his stretching power. You can have Q5 and 1 dot in a power, and it won't be extremely powerful.

[LordHeru]

I am fully expecting to see a Psychic Novas supplement in the Nexus. No, I don't have any special knowledge of such; but I'm still confident that one is on the way. What I mean by that is a book that adds Quantum powers and mega edges that replicate psionic powers that TC:Ab skipped. Given professor X and Jean Gray, such a book would be essential to using Aberrant to duplicate Marvel's X-Men.

Just gonna say I totally agree this, and would love to read something like this. So the moment it exists is the moment I go to the Nexus and buy it. Because it needs to be present, needs to exist.

[Eldagusto]

Agree with Florin, Q1 to 5 is a pretty good measure of the power of almost any superhero we see in the comics, except maybe a few.

Q2 Mutants are not the main cast of X-men, but most of the students are around here, with a few on Q1. My version of Spider-Man is a solid Q2, with some uses of maxing out once in a while.

Most of the main cast of X-men are on Q3, including Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine and Storm. What means they can fight Sentinels as equals (or almost as equals).

I would put Magneto and Professor X on Q4, with some Maxing out and Qtech to improve their powers beyond that in a few situations. Iron Man armor must be around here too.

Q5 Nova is pretty much Phoenix level in terms of raw power, maybe lacking the versatility Jean have if created as a new character. A Rank 5 Quantum Attack is almost a Nuke and can sink a Battleship with a few hits. I would put Hulk around here, probably Thor and Doc Strange.

Beyond Q5 you can probably put a few more of the most famous heroes and villains, but it depends much on the writer to be honest.
Franklin Richards I would consider a Q8 character with some moments of pure “beyond Q10” lapses (like creating universes, something he did more than once but don’t have a big impact in most of his stories.
Galactus is a Q8 level creature that uses a rank 9 item to destroy worlds, but in general can destroy worlds with their own powers with some effort.

I mean Spider-Man seems way more then Q2 he’s taken on entire super teams by himself including the FF, Xmen, and Sinister Six. His agility and reflexes are top tier. Reed is also a multiversal intellect able to bridge Universes with his tech. Thor can Shatter mountains and when going all out can harm Celestials and Galactus.

I see what you mean about putting them Q5 it gets the message across but it’s not the same as an unwatered down version.

Good writers like Hickman and Rick Remender make use of powers as being Unique and Transcendent in their own specialty like Cypher being seen generally week but he is godlike in his ability to communicate with beings like the Phalanx or Krakoa. Or when one person is needed for a specific thing like Goldballs unique power turning out being critical in Mutant resurrection or really out their powers like Moira McTaggert able to die and start her next life back in time with all the memories of the last timeline.

How would I represent a being that goes Nova and is linked to all the versions of themselves in the Multiverse? Some powers don’t work so well in the solidly defined system we have.

[Florin]

How would I represent a being that goes Nova and is linked to all the versions of themselves in the Multiverse? Some powers don’t work so well in the solidly defined system we have.

I'd use Mega-Intelligence and the Foresight, Instant Expert, and Mastermind mega-edges. Maybe some Mega-Presence and the Immediate Connection and Instant Influence mega-edges if knowing people from other timelines helps them with people in this one. I'd also look at the Prodigy mega-edge to utilize skill tricks they knew previously.

[Dataweaver]

One way to represent Spider-Man taking on the Fantastic Four is to allow Dramatic Editing for everyone, not just Talents; and when Spider-Man was able to keep up with the entire Fantastic Four, it was because their Inspiration reserves were depleted while his wasn't.

Or, rephrased in an OOC way, Inspiration and Dramatic Editing were originally created to represent the narrative tropes in fiction where someone wins despite the odds being stacked against him. So if you're trying to supplicate the Marvel comics and their tendency for victors to be decided by what the plot needs instead of what the logic of their powers would dictate, them you should be relying on something akin to Inspiration and Dramatic Editing to reflect it.

[Eldagusto]

I mean the encounters make sense though. Spider-Man is insanely strong unless you have greater super strength, and he was swifter and more agile then Nightcrawler, who frankly isn’t used to folks outclassing him. He bats above a mere Quantum two.

[Mateus Luz]

Spider man is not insanely strong. He can lift cars and break walls often, but he can't stop trains and lift boats all the time, it means he has Q2 and MM1, maxing out he can reach MM3 what is a lot (like lifting and throwing boat to the other side of the city).
He is agile, but his agility is more related to dodging and acrobatics, and not much on doing things faster than usual or being infinitely precise, what I would put as MDex 2 and a set of Mega Edges (Defense, Accuracy, Prodigy on Athletics, and maybe a few more, possible Quantum Deflection).
He can also do some super science, but not on Rich Richards (Q7 is enough to make any rank of Q-Tech) level or Tony Stark level (Q5 to build a Rank 7 if I am not wrong), it is more related to his Mega Cunning 2 with a few extra Mega Edges. He probably just have a high value of science and intelligence.

Quantum is not about versatility in general, its more brute power, and Spider Man is not brute power. He is like a ninja, he can adapt and use what he have to deal with most problems, not like Goku that just Kamehameha the problems out of his way. Of course a higher Quantum is more effective on what they can do, but it doesn't means a lower quantum can't fight back.
One example of Q3 is Cyclops, that can take the head of a Sentinel (Size 3 robot) with a single stare, and open holes in buildings (size 4 or 5) with some effort, or Wolverine that can recover from maimed condition in seconds.