Vigilance

Vigilance is an Old-School Inspired Superhero TTRPG.

Design Goals. First, I wanted an RPG where Heroes of different ‘power” levels could all be on the same team. This reflects comics (and movies). A Team could have a literal god alongside a person with very good archery skills and somehow it still works. In addition, not all players want to play a “godlike” hero; some want to play a dark night detective. So, this game has no preset power levels (set by the Referee) or classes. Players are free to construct any hero they wish. Some people enjoy playing weaker or flawed heroes. Furthermore, as an RPG, players expect that their characters will grow with experience and improve their experience level. However, this is not easy to represent in a superhero RPG. In comics, a character does not usually start as (for example) a teenage newspaper photographer and then with experience becomes a true superhuman. A Hero does occasionally change or increase their powers, but this is usually because of the narrative, and not because of the slow accumulation of experience points. A character usually starts as a superhuman and remains one. On the other hand, if two equally powerful characters fight, the character with greater experience will usually win. Therefore, this game does two things. 1) A character’s Power level and Experience level are separate. 2) This game uses so-called “meta-currency” or Hero points. A less powerful Hero has more Hero points, while a more experienced Hero has more Hero points. Hero points can be used for luck, recovery, and certain Team-based actions in combat. Extensive use of “meta-currency” seems appropriate for the superhero genre.

Second, I wanted players to be able to build whatever type of superhero they imagined, so this game includes an extensive list of talents, superpowers, and equipment. There are over 80 talents and over 150 powers. But the range (or numerical scores) of these attributes and powers do not need to be extensive. These scores are abstract, and fine details are not that important, so a range from 0 -12 is enough to handle superhero action. Along these same lines, I wanted to include a “universal” resolution system that can be used both for combat and searching for clues at a crime scene.

Third, combat needs to be fast, but with a lot of options. So, combat damage can be high, while damage resistance or health is relatively low. This is mitigated once again by use of Hero points. Also, in RPGs in general, it can be frustrating when you roll high to hit someone but then roll low to determine damage. A more successful hit should do more damage. So, in this game, a single die roll determines if you hit, how well you hit, and the amount of damage.

Finally, every character difference should make a difference in the game mechanics (even if minor). No features are purely “flavor.” The character’s “background details” always makes a difference. For example, a Superhero with a secret identity is different than one with a public identity. The player’s choice for their character’s origin, type of costume, and motivation, etc., all matter in the game.