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Resolute
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Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 1
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition Contents Revised August 2010
2010, Michael T. Desing [email protected] http://splinteredrealm.blogspot.com
Thanks to Mary & Grace Desing, Andrew Domino, Warren Henderson, David Kot and the Kotch Family
Some work of noble note may yet be done, not unbecoming men that strove with gods. Tennyson, Ulysses
1. Introduction
In the realm of superhero comics and movies, heroes
perform feats of incredible prowess, doing things
beyond the pale of mortals. As a role-playing game,
Resolute allows you to create and play the full range of
superhero archetypes, ranging from street-level fighters
battling crime with their fists and gadgets to heroes of
epic scope, wielding earth-shaking powers, shaping the
destiny of mankind itself.
The World of Resolute
The turn of the millennium has seen unprecedented
change. Visitors from other worlds have made contact,
initiating incredible events that have changed the face of
the world, altering the fate of humanity forever.
A Timeline of Recent Notable Events
15 Years Ago. The alien Emissary arrives, warning mankind of the impending threat of invasion, and
awakening dormant powers in the world; he brings
with him the secrets of the omega gene, the key to
unlock the latent talents of many mortals.
13 Years Ago. The messari, an evil race of alien conquerors, launches a military strike against earth,
destroying ten world capitals, including the great city of
Meridian in the heartland of the Americas.
Looking for More Resolute Goodness? Check http://splinteredrealm.blogspot.com and
RPGNow for game updates as well as additional
expansion materials.
10 Years Ago. Spurred by the death of Baldur the Beautiful, the elder races of earth, including the
ancients of Atlantis, Olympus and Valhalla, reveal
themselves to mankind, forging new alliances and
helping to form a new international governing body,
the United World Council. The City of Nativity
breaks ground on the ruins of Meridian. The UWC
founds the Citadel of Tomorrow at the North Pole,
undertaking every effort to empower mankind to
fight the messari. The UWC sanctions the
Ambassadors as the worlds premiere team of
supers, and establishes Project Javelin as a powerful
military force. This combined effort turns back the
messari.
5 Years Ago. The United World Council declares martial law, giving Project Javelin untold authority.
The City of Nativity reaches a population of 30
million. The Citadel of Tomorrow comes under
intense scrutiny for its methods, including
experimentation with dark magic and cloning,
leading to considerable public outcry.
2 Years Ago. The messari launch a second invasion, activating hundreds of sleeper agents
among mankind. Dozens of world leaders die, the
Citadel of Tomorrow falls into ruin, and mass chaos
ripples across the globe. Inexplicably, the messari
retreat while on the threshold of victory. Nativity
reaches a population of 50 million.
Now. Mankind remains fearful but resolute in the face of a third messari invasion.
1. Introduction . 1
2. Number Crunchin: Game Mechanics . 2
3. Building Your Super . 3
4. Abilities and Resources . 4
5. Combat . 8
6. Playing the Role of Referee 11
7: Adventures on Resolute Earth 14
Appendices 15
Sidebar: The Tomorrow Project
(The Ruined Citadel of Tomorrow)
The Tomorrow Project was a collaborative effort by the
United World Council to gather thousands of the greatest
minds in the world to develop technologies and weapons
systems to defeat the alien invaders. The three major aims
of this project, housed in a massive hidden complex at the
North Pole (and consisting of over a thousand sections),
included:
Technology. This phase of the Tomorrow Project researched and developed robots, battle suits, weapons
systems, teleportation devices, anti-matter and alternate
energy, trans-dimensional and anti-gravity technologies to
aid in the war effort against the messari.
Biological Mutation. This phase of the Tomorrow Project focused on the development of superhuman
abilities: first in animal test subjects, and later in human
test subjects. This resulted in not only the creation of a
wide range of superhuman soldiers, but in the genesis of
thousands of monstrosities including genetically altered
and giant-sized animals, monstrous insects and artificial
intelligences.
Mysticism. This phase of the Tomorrow Project gathered and worked with ancient relics, items of antiquity
and sources of magical power to find new ways to combat
the messari. The most-secretive activities undertaken by
this department included experimentation in un-life,
including the creation of zombies and research into
vampirism and mummification. All of these activities were
disavowed by the UWC as rumors and an effort to
undermine the UWCs mission to maintain world order.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 2
2. Number Crunchin: Game Mechanics
Resolute takes place primarily in your imagination. As
you play, you need only a sheet of paper (or even an
index card) with details about your super on it, a pencil,
and a pair of standard six-sided dice (abbreviated 2D).
Using the Dice In Resolute, you roll and add together two 6-sided
dice for all situations needing dice resolution. You often
add this roll result to a modifier. If you have might +3
and are told to roll might, you roll two 6-sided dice,
add them together, and add 3 to the total.
Key Terms Used Throughout These Rules Ability: any innate, learned or imbued trait, talent, skill or power. Ability is a broad category for anything
that makes a person unique.
Action: anything you do. Actions are opposed by resists. An action result equal to or greater than the
resist result succeeds. Any action roll of two 1s (a
natural 2), is a botch, and automatically fails. A free
action does not require a turn. Most powers are
activated as free actions; you do not have to warm up
your energy blast to use it.
Character Point (CP): a base point used to build a character. All abilities are purchased with CPs. The
more CPs you have, the more powerful you are.
Combat Round: a complete rotation of combat including every participant in the combat situation; a
combat round includes a preparation phase and a
resolution phase.
Combat Sequence: the order in which you act. At the start of every combat round, every participant rolls
to determine the sequence of action. See page 8.
Difficulty Rating (DR): the target result to succeed at an action. While many difficulty ratings are set by
dynamic resists (trying to hit a foe with your energy
blast), other actions are against static resists (using your
might to rip a door off of its hinges). Static DRs are set
as a base of 7 modified by the situation (see static 7).
Level: a relative comparison of power. See page 3. Mook: a supporting or secondary character. You are able to attack several mooks at once. Packs of zombies
and hordes of ninjas may be mooks.
Resist: the opposing roll or value vs. an action roll, setting the target for success. A resist must beat the
action roll to neutralize the action. If you roll 6 to resist
an opponents fighting action roll of 6, the attack hits
you. If you roll a 9 to resist a damage result of 9 from
that attack, you suffer 1 wound.
Success: any action equal to, or more than, one multiple of the resist. If the resist = 7, successes are
scored at 7-13 (1 success), 14-20 (2 successes), etc. Score a
success against any resist of 10+ in increments of 10;
against a DR 13, score successes at 13, 23, 33, etc.
Super: one with abilities beyond ordinary mortals. Soak: a resist roll to absorb damage after a successful attack against you. Add your invulnerable
rating to soak physical damage; add willpower to soak
mental damage. The total soak result sets the target for
success. Each multiple of the soak result = 1 success. For
example, an invulnerable soak roll of 5 sets 5 as the
multiple; a damage result of 1-4 = no damage; 5-9 = 1
wound; etc.
Static 7: In some situations, instead of rolling dice, you use a static result of 7 as the baseline to determine
the difficulty rating. For example, inanimate objects
have a static value of 7, modified by their rank.
Target: any object or creature that resists an action. Unit: a measurement of 10 in any direction. A unit may be a 10 line, a 10x10 area, or a cube of 10 on each
side, depending on what you are measuring. Measure
consecutive units in a straight line across a grid. When
measuring at an angle across a grid, count every two
consecutive diagonal units as three units.
Wounds: the total damage you can suffer before being defeated. Your wounds = level + stamina.
Ratings Every ability and item in the game has a rating, a
numeric value between -1 (impaired) and +13
(supreme). While normal humans range from -1 to +2,
supers far exceed this range. No ability may be rated
beyond +10 or modified to beyond +13.
Relative Rating Values An abilitys rating indicates what you could
reasonably be expected to do under normal
circumstances; with might +3, you could reasonably
expect to lift 500 lbs; you could
attempt to lift a ton with some
chance of success (needing a 9+ on
the die), while youd struggle to lift 5
tons (needing 11+ on the die). To use
your flame control to temporarily
extinguish a portion of the sun, you
will need at least +11 to have a
legitimate shot at it!
Sidebar: Gimme Three!
If you can accomplish something with a natural
roll of 3 or lower (a challenge rated below your rating
by 4 or more points), the action automatically succeeds.
For instance, with your might +7, you can rip a door
rated at +3 or lower off of its hinges without rolling;
your vast strength allows you to do this with ease.
Rating Ranking Weight Hardness Intensity (Heat)
-1 Poor 20 lbs. Cardboard Room temperature
+0 Normal 50 lbs. Fiber Board A hot summers day
+1 Improved 100 lbs. Plywood Death Valley
+3 Exceptional 500 lbs. Hardwood Inside an oven
+5 Heroic 1 ton Concrete/Steel Inside a blast furnace
+7 Superior 5 tons Reinforced Steel A rockets engine
+9 Titanic 25 tons Titanium Inside a volcano
+11 Legendary 100 tons Diamond The earths core
+13 Supreme 500 tons Adamant The suns surface
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 3
3. Building Your Super
Follow the steps below to design a super, either working
from scratch or modeled off of a favorite character.
Step One: Determine Level
Levels
Levels CP Range
0 (normal) 0-9
1 (exceptional) 10-19
2-3 (elite) 20-29/30-39
4-5 (superhero) 40-49/50-59
6-7 (champion) 60-69/70-79
8-9 (world class) 80-89/90-99
10+ (godlike) 100+
If your game will include street-level combat and
conflicts with petty criminals, you are going to build
supers in the exceptional or elite range (Level 1-2).
However, if your game will involve threats to humanity
and adventure on a cosmic scale, you may begin the
game as champions (Level 6-7) or even world class
(Level 8-9). Your referee will make the final decision
about the level of new supers in the game. While your
super will grow more powerful over time, it takes quite
a while to move from elite to world-class.
Step Two: Select a Faction You are a member of one of the factions below:
As an elder, you see the Messari Invasion as a key moment in the history of the world; your people must
now safeguard humanity as you had in ancient days.
Elders come from the sunken city of Atlantis, the hidden
frosty stronghold of Valhalla, the lost Amazon Island or
the confines of Mount Olympus. To be an elder, you
must be built on at least 40 CPs.
As a guardian, you see your powers as a duty, answering the call to serve mankind and defend earth.
You have likely registered with the UWC, and may act
as an agent of Project Javelin.
As an apocalypse mutant, you see the Messari Invasion as a signal that the age of humanity is over,
and the age of the mutant has come. Most apocalypse
mutants are villains, seeing humans as inferior.
As a redeemer mutant, you see the Messari Invasion as a signal for all sentient creatures to band together
under a single banner, working together for a common
purpose, and befriending humanity as a valuable ally.
As one of the pariah, you live outside of society, eking out an existence on the fringe. Many pariahs
escaped the Tomorrow Project and now live in ruined
buildings, abandoned subway tunnels or on the streets.
As an outsider, you are not part of any race or society. You may have been created in a lab, magically
generated or ripped from another dimension-
regardless, you are alone, possibly the last (or only)
creature of your kind.
At some point during character creation, you will
develop a moniker, your super-hero name, and write a
purpose for your hero, one sentence that sums up your
supers beliefs and aims.
Ability Rating Cost Hierarchy
Step Three: Purchase Abilities You can already do anything about as well as a
typical person without spending character points. Your
super can probably drive a car, but if you want to leap
tall buildings in a single bound, you have to purchase it.
Costs listed are to purchase the rating outright. To purchase an ability at +2, you have to spend 2 CPs.
However, to move an ability from +4 to +5 costs 3 CPs
(the difference between the cost for +4 and +5; you
already spent 6 CPs to get an ability at +4).
You may not put more than half of your total points in any one ability. If you are building a level 2 super (20
CPs), you cannot put more than 10 CPs in any single
ability, meaning that your maximum rating is +5.
A ranked ability is purchased at between -1 and +10. A fixed ability costs 2 CPs. Some fixed abilities are linked to a ranked ability to determine how and when
they are used (detective links to sense), while other fixed
abilities are always active and have no rating attached to
them (water breathing).
Focusing Abilities
You may focus an ability by increasing its rating in
one way while decreasing its rating in other ways.
When you focus an ability, your better bonus cannot
apply to more than half of the uses for that ability.
Ability Focus Limits
Rating +1 to +2 +3 to +5 +6 to +9 +10
Max Mod. N/A +1/-1 +2/-2 +3/-3
With your science +6, you could elect to focus on the
science of physics, either taking +7 in physics and +5 in
all other sciences, or +8 in physics and +4 in all other
sciences. Your rating is still +6, but the way you apply
that rating is tailored to your concept.
Rating +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10
Cost 1 CP 2 CPs 4 CPs 6 CPs 9 CPs 12 CPs 16 CPs 20 CPs 25 CPs 30 CPs
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 4
4. Abilities
Abilities marked with * may be focused
Accuracy (ranked). Add rating to damage rolls with ranged attack actions, including
missile weapons and energy projection; targets
roll invulnerable to soak.
Ability Chameleon (ranked). Once per scene per target, use 1 turn to add rating to action rolls
to mimic one of the targets abilities at range. Targets
roll willpower to resist. You mimic the targets ability
for 1 round per success. The target does not suffer any
penalty (while you mimic the targets might +7 for 2
rounds, the target still has might +7 as the two of you
start swinging at each other). You may only mimic one
ability at a time from the same target, although you may
mimic abilities from several different targets
simultaneously. Abilities cannot exceed your rating of
ability chameleon. With ability chameleon +6, you could
mimic up to speed +6, even if your target has speed +7
or higher. You can use this to mimic fixed abilities (for
example, mind control), at the rating the target has it
(linked to the targets willpower, not yours).
Air Supply (fixed; linked to stamina). You may hold your breath or survive without air for 1 hour per point
of stamina.
Burglary (ranked). You may bypass security systems, locks and traps. Roll the rating against the
situational DR. The time required depends on the
situation; a simple lock may be picked with 1 turn, while
a complex automated security system may take an
entire scene to deactivate.
Burrowing (fixed; linked to speed). Travel through rock and earth at your normal speed rating.
Communication (fixed). You communicate with one type of creature at will (examples include aquatic life,
animals, plants).
Contact (ranked). Once per issue, you may call upon your contact to get information for you or help you with
a problem. Roll your rating of contact based on the DR
of the favor youre trying to call in. At contact +1, you
may know a beat reporter or a patrol officer; at contact
+5, you are good friends with the editor-in-chief or the
captain of police. You must define the role of your
contact. You may purchase multiple contacts if desired,
calling on each contact once per issue.
Danger Sense (fixed; linked to sense). Make an automatic sense roll (as a free action) whenever any
possible threat moves within sense range; even if the
threat appears mundane, you may detect the presence of
potential danger.
Detection (fixed; linked to sense). Once per scene, use 1 turn to attempt to detect the presence of a specific
energy or object, rolling sense up to sense range. With
sense +4 and detect magic, you may use 1 turn to detect
the presence of magic up to 4 units away.
Detective (fixed; linked to sense). Use your sense to find and analyze clues. This may take from 1 turn up to
1 scene, depending on the amount of information.
Drain (ranked). Use 1 turn to diminish one of the targets abilities (at range). Targets roll willpower to
resist. Drain 1 point per success on the action (returning
at the rate of 1 point per round). You neutralize fixed
abilities for 1 round per success. You may drain several
abilities from the same target, but you cannot
drain the same ability again until the first
effect expires. You cannot use this ability to
drain willpower.
Duplication (ranked). Once per scene, you may use 1 turn to create a number of
duplicates of yourself equal to your rating.
Each of your duplicates takes 1 turn per round, on your
first turn that round (or on the first turn after you create
the duplicates, if in that round). Duplicates act as you do
during the preparation phase. Each of your duplicates
has all of your abilities (except duplication), but can
suffer only 1 wound before being defeated. An attack
against you will automatically strike a duplicate unless
the foe uses 1 turn to make a sense roll to find you, DR
7+ the total number of current duplicates; while you
have 5 duplicates up, an attacker must use 1 turn and
roll sense DR 12 to target you from among your
duplicates. Your duplicates constantly move to make
you less likely to be targeted. Once a foe finds you, he
may continue to attack you without making additional
sense rolls.
Elasticity (ranked). Use 1 turn to stretch a number of units equal to rating. You may land hand-to-hand
strikes against targets up to rating units distant. Roll
elasticity to carry weights as a glider, parachute or boat;
allowing three normal-sized allies as a hang glider is DR
10 (+3 from approximately 500 lbs.), while turning
yourself into a boat to support a small tank (25 tons, +9),
is DR 16. Each change in shape or form takes 1 turn.
Energy Projection (ranked). You may strike a foe at range with one energy type (examples include flame,
frost, lightning and darkness). Roll 2D + your rating
attack. Roll 2D + accuracy for damage with your energy
projection abilities.
ESP (fixed; linked to willpower). Once per round, use 1 turn to roll willpower to read the surface thoughts
of living creatures in willpower range. Unwilling targets
roll willpower to resist.
Abilities You Should Consider
While you can take any ability you want, all supers should consider
purchasing an attack power (for example, energy projection) and a linked
damage ability if applicable (for example, accuracy). You will probably benefit
from evade, speed and stamina; all of these are important to your supers
survival. A few points in invulnerable or willpower will never hurt, either!
About Range
Any ability that can be used at range is effective to
a number of units equal to its rating. This is the total
units you can attempt to strike a target with no
penalty. Each unit beyond this gives the target +1 to
the resist roll. With energy projection +7, you may
strike a target up to 7 units away; a target 9 units away
gets to add +2 to evade your attacks.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 5
Evade* (ranked). Add evade to resist rolls against all physical hand-to-hand and ranged attacks. You may
focus evade on fighting or ranged attacks.
Flight (ranked). Use 1 turn to travel your rating units in any direction.
Fighting (ranked). Use 1 turn to roll fighting to strike a target in hand-to-hand combat (unarmed or
with melee weapons) or with thrown weapons; targets
roll evade to resist.
Improved Range (fixed). Add +3 to your range rating for all ranged actions.
Invulnerable* (ranked). Add rating to soak rolls to absorb physical and energy (but not mental) damage.
You may focus invulnerable on physical damage or
towards a specific energy, for example taking
invulnerable +4 (+5 vs. flame or heat/+3 vs. all others).
Jump (fixed). Double your might when leaping. Knowledge (ranked). Add the rating to rolls to use your talent and/or education in some area: this may be
law, math, science, or another discipline.
Luck (ranked). You receive a pool of bonus fate points each scene equal to the ability rating, to use as
desired (see page 7). You cannot bank these points, and
they expire at the end of the scene they are awarded.
Might (ranked). Add might to damage rolls with hand-to-hand (fighting) attacks; targets roll invulnerable
to soak. Use 1 turn to leap a number of units up to your
might rating.
Mind Blast (ranked). Use 1 turn to roll 2D + your rating to wound a living target with mental power at
range. Mind blast automatically hits; targets roll
willpower to soak.
Mind Control (fixed; linked to willpower). Once per scene per target, use 1 turn to roll willpower vs. the
targets willpower to attempt to take control of a living
creatures mind. You control the target for a number of
rounds equal to successes. You must be able to
communicate with the target. Targets of higher level
than you are immune.
Non-living (fixed). You are not a living creature; you do not eat, sleep or breathe, and are immune to
effects such as poison and gasses; you cannot drown.
Phasing (ranked). Use 1 turn to activate phasing. When phased, add your phasing rating to melee
damage (in place of might), and use your phasing rating
in place of invulnerable. Use 1 turn and roll phasing to
move through solid objects at your speed rating.
Poison (ranked). Once per scene, you may envenom (add poison to) one of your successful physical attacks.
The target rolls stamina (DR 7 + your poison rating), or
suffers poison rating additional wounds.
Rage (fixed). Once per scene, you may spend 1 turn to activate a battle rage. While enraged, you take +1 to
all combat-related action, resist and result rolls
(including combat sequence, attacks, damage, soaks
against magical damage) for the remainder of the scene.
Ranged Weapon (ranked). You have a weapon that gives you a ranged physical attack to rating range. Roll
your rating to attack; roll accuracy for damage.
Regeneration (fixed). Recover 1 wound at the end of every round as a free turn.
Returning Weapon (fixed). Your melee weapon will return to your hand after you throw it; you can
immediately use it on your next turn.
Sense (ranked). Add your rating to rolls to notice or perceive the unknown. Use 1 turn to choose to search an
area up to rating units distant for specific things; roll
sense as a free action to resist stealth used against you.
Shape Change (ranked). Use 1 turn to change shape into a form of your choosing, built on rating x10 CPs, up
to your CP total. With shape change +5, you can take a
form built on up to 50 CPs, as long as your super is built
on 50 CPs or more. If you are reduced to 0 wounds or
lower, you automatically revert back to your normal
form; damage you suffer moves between forms. Use this
to assume animal forms, to grow, or to shrink (pick
one). Create statistics for your form(s) as another super.
Shield (ranked). Use the rating as a pool of points to add to evade or invulnerable soak rolls each scene. With
shield +7, you have 7 points to add to evade or
invulnerable rolls each round; you could add all 7 to one
roll, +3 to one roll and +4 to another, or any other
combination you desire. This pool refreshes at the
beginning of every scene; unused points do not carry
over.
Sidekick (ranked). You have an apprentice, ally or companion. Your sidekick has 10 CPs per rank; a
sidekick +4 is level 4 (40 CPs). Your sidekick must be at
least 1 level lower than you are. Build your sidekick as a
second super. Sidekicks earn no hero or fate points, but
you may spend your fate points for your sidekick.
Sonar (fixed; linked to sense). You may see in complete darkness or when blinded up to your sense
rating units as a free turn. Sonar is always active.
Speed (ranked). Add your speed rating to sequence rolls at the beginning of a round; use 1 turn to travel a
number of units of up to your speed rating. Even with
speed +0, you may travel 1 unit per turn.
Stamina (ranked). Add your rating to resist rolls to withstand poisons, diseases and toxins. Add your rating
to your level to determine your total wounds.
Stealth (ranked). Add your stealth rating to action rolls to move about undetected. You stay in stealth until
you attack. Once you choose to act, you may not use
stealth again during that combat round. If you
successfully use stealth before the beginning of the first
combat round (to surprise an enemy who doesnt know
you are about to strike), take a free turn before rolling
sequence. You must use one turn to activate stealth. At
lower ratings, stealth may be a learned ability, while at
higher ratings (5+) you actually turn invisible. While
stealthed, you get +3 to resist rolls against foes that
cannot see you.
Summon (ranked). Once per round, use 1 turn to summon 1 or more creatures to serve you. Creatures are
worth a total of 10 CPs per rating, up to a maximum
equal to your CP total (See page 13 for CP values of
multiple creatures). Creatures remain for the rest of the
scene or until defeated. Appropriate creatures will
appear (i.e. undead for a necromancer). You may not
have more than your rating in creatures summoned at
one time.
Swing Line (fixed; linked to evade). You may travel your evade rating with 1 turn, as long as you have an
anchor point for your swing line.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 6
Technology (ranked). You may manipulate, repair and diagnose technological devices. Once per scene, you
may attempt to create a gadget (see sidebar below).
Sidebar: Technology and Gadgets Once per scene, you may use your technology ability
to craft a gadget. A gadget is a single-use item that
grants you access to one other ability. The duration of
the ability depends on what you are activating. You
must use 1 turn to activate the gadget. You have to
design the gadget before the scene you use it; before you
go into the villains secret lair, you develop a gadget that
gives you a binding attack to use against him.
If you already have an ability, the gadget grants you a temporary bonus to it. Add the CP value of the two
ratings together to determine a new rating. If you have
might +4 (6 CPs) and have a device granting might +5 (9
CPs), you have 15 CPs of might; this takes you to might
+6 (12 CPs) but is not enough to get to might +7 (16 CPs).
Abilities like invulnerable, might, or energy control become active for the full scene. Abilities like drain,
energy blast or teleport are active one time.
Your technology rating becomes the active rating for the ability, as applicable; if you use the gadget to fire a
burst of electrical energy, you attack at + technology,
dealing damage at + accuracy.
Telekinesis (ranked). Use 1 turn to manipulate objects up to rating units away with rating might. With
telekinesis +4, you may manipulate objects up to 4 units
distant (but no further) as if you had might +4; you still
use fighting to hit with a weapon at that range, if
applicable. If you use your telekinesis to pick up a car
and strike a foe with it, you are effectively using a found
weapon from a distance, using fighting and telekinesis
in place of might.
Telepathy (fixed; linked to willpower). Use 1 turn to communicate with others mentally, up to your
willpower units distant. You may conference with a
number of different targets equal to your willpower
rating. Unwilling targets roll willpower to resist.
Teleport (ranked). Once per round, you may use 1 turn to travel a number of units
equal to your rating squared. With teleport
+1 you can travel 1 unit, but with teleport +5,
you can travel up to 25 units. You may
teleport beyond solid objects, but your
knowledge of the area may require a teleport
action roll. For example, to teleport to the
other side of a door may be DR 7 (+0), while
teleporting into the correct spot in a maze is
quite a bit more difficult at DR 14 (+7). Each
additional creature you take with you
reduces your rating of teleport by -1. With
teleport +6, taking 2 others with you when
you teleport reduces your rating to +4 for that
action.
Vehicles* (ranked). Your rating sets the maximum level for vehicles you may operate.
You may focus on a specific type of vehicle:
air/space, land, or sea.
Wall Crawling (fixed; linked to speed and might). You may travel your speed along
walls and ceilings. Roll might to cling to the
surface if needed, as a free turn.
Water Breathing (fixed). You can breathe underwater as a free turn.
Weapon, Melee (ranked). You wield a melee weapon that allows you to deal bonus
damage. Add the weapon rating to your
might rating for damage in hand-to-hand
combat. Note: Supers wielding melee
weapons tend to deal exceptional damage.
Willpower* (ranked). Add focus to resist rolls against mental attacks (either to resist
the attack or to soak damage). You may focus
willpower on either acting or resisting. Use to
coerce, convince or intimidate others.
X-Ray Vision (fixed; linked to sense). Once per scene, use 1 turn to see through
solid objects up to sense units away. Roll
sense based on the density of the object. Lead
is always DR 20 to see through.
Omni-Powers
With an omni-power, you package a group of abilities linked by
a common theme or concept. An omni-power may be a series of
magical abilities, a group of trick arrows for an archer, or even a suit
of armor with a number of built-in features.
You designate one power as the primary power of your
package. This is always active, usable at will; you also purchase
fixed abilities linked to the power. Each of these abilities is usable
once per scene, and each is at the rating of your omni-power.
Omni-Power Options:
Binding Attack. Use 1 turn to force a target at range to remain in the same unit for 1 round per success. Targets roll might to resist.
Energy Control. Use your rating to manipulate, shape, or diminish the same energy. Note: Weather control is linked to energy
projection: lightning.
Force Field. Once per scene, you may use 1 turn to activate a force field covering one unit. This force field has static resists of 7+
your force field rating; your force field absorbs rating wounds
before falling. Those attempting to attack you or allies in the force
field must first bypass the field, but those within may launch ranged
attacks out with no penalty. Those within the force field may elect to
leave it at will; force fields are one-way barriers. The force field stays
up until you take it down (as a free turn) or it is destroyed.
Healing. Use 1 turn to heal yourself or an ally in rating range. You have a pool of wounds equal to your rating to distribute each
scene. You may use as many points from this pool as you wish with
any single healing you do.
You may also purchase ranked abilities as part of your omni-
power. By doing this, you limit the ability to being used once per
scene, linking it to your base ability. Some abilities you could
purchase in this way include: energy projection, ESP, shape change,
summon, telekinesis, telepathy, teleport. By purchasing these
powers at a lower cost, you limit their use to only once per scene:
this gives you more bang for your buck, giving your hero more
things he can do, but less often.
Sample Omni-Power: The Quiver of Arrows. You have a ranged
attack +5 that you can use at all times. In addition, you have several
trick arrows, all rated at +5: a bola arrow (binding attack, +2); a
flame arrow (fire energy projection, +2), a cold arrow (cold energy
projection, +2), and drain arrow (drains stamina, +2). Your whole
omni-power costs only 17 CPs, but gives you a wide variety of
options. When you spend 3 CPs to move your rating to +6, all of the
abilities linked to the omni-power also increase.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 7
Sidebar: Limitations
A limitation is a weakness in your super. This is
something that foes can exploit, using it against you to
their advantage. Unless otherwise noted, taking a
limitation grants you +2 CPs to use to purchase other
abilities. Some limitations include:
Allergy. You are allergic to an element or object. When within 3 units of the allergen, you suffer a -1
penalty to all of your abilities. (Option: A severe allergy
is worth +5 CPs, and causes you to suffer -1 to all
abilities cumulative each round, with abilities ultimately
dropping to +0).
Dependent. Someone relies on you, and may call for help at inopportune moments.
Enmity. A powerful force, organization or entity has it out for you, and will not rest until you have been
destroyed.
Impaired Ability. You take an ability that normal humans have access to at -1, granting you +1 to use
elsewhere. You may impair invulnerable, evade, might,
stamina, or willpower. You may also impair intellect,
meaning that you cannot take science or technology.
Psychological Limitation. You have a fear, anxiety or compulsion that controls you. You must make a
willpower roll (DR based on the situation) any time you
encounter the situation. For example, your fear of
heights may force a DR 8 willpower roll to fight atop a
2-story building, but may force a DR 14 willpower roll
to wage battle against robots swarming 45 stories up the
side of the Nativity State Building.
Monstrous. You are ugly or frightening. Secret Identity. Your true name is a carefully-guarded secret.
Vow: Youve promised to do, or never to do, something.
Vulnerability. You suffer extra damage from one energy or attack type. Those using this ability against
you take +3 to action rolls. Examples include fire, cold,
electricity.
Referees Note: Each limitation should come into play
an average of once per issue.
Advancement: Hero, Fate and Group Points
Hero Points (abbreviated HP) You earn hero points by completing heroic actions,
finishing missions, defeating foes and accomplishing
your goals. The referee awards hero points. Use hero
points to increase the overall power of your super by
purchasing CPs to increase your existing abilities or buy
new ones. Once you spend hero points they are gone, so
you need to be careful how you spend them. Redeem 10
Hero Points for 1 Character Point. To move your
fighting from +4 to +5, you need to earn 30 hero points;
spend these to purchase 3 CPs, and improve your
fighting. If your hero had previously been built on 32
CPs, note that you are built on 35 CPs going forward.
When you go up a level (for example, moving from 39
CPs to 40 CPs), you also gain +1 wounds.
Fate Points (abbreviated FP) You receive your level in fate points (maximum
+10) at the beginning of every issue. You may spend
these fate points during any one scene, or you may bank
them for use later that issue. Unused fate points expire
at the end of the issue. You may spend a fate point to:
Increase any action, resist or result roll you make, rolling another 2D and adding the sum to the previous
total. For example, if you miss with an energy blast after
you roll a total action of 14 against a targets resist of 16,
you could spend a fate point to improve your attack,
rolling an additional 2D and adding this to your
previous total. If you roll 6 on the dice, your new action
roll for the energy blast is 20, and you hit.
Trump a turn. At any time between the turns of other participants in combat, you may declare that you
are spending a fate point to take an extra turn. You must
do this before the next turn begins (i.e. the person with
the next turn rolls dice), but once you declare this, you
immediately take your turn. If others declare this as
well, order of preference goes to order of declaration.
This turn does not count towards your total for the
round, nor does it change the order of any other turns
that round, including your own. For instance, if you
have just landed a blow that nearly defeats an
adversary, and you think you could finish him with one
more strike, you immediately declare after your attack
that you are trumping the next turn, spending 1 fate
point; you attack again before anyone else gets a turn.
Even if the foe attempts to trump as well, he or she must
wait until after your turn, since you declared first. You
may only trump a turn once per round.
Neutralize a Resist. Instead of using a fate point to increase your action, you may instead neutralize a
targets resist. For example, you could use a fate point to
prevent the target from adding evade to an attempt to
dodge your energy blast, or you could use a fate point to
prevent a foe from adding his invulnerability to a soak
roll. The target still rolls 2D, but does not add the
applicable resist rating to the roll. You only neutralize
the resist for that one action.
Recover 1 wound. You may declare this at any point, even as you are suffering damage that would
reduce you to or below 0 wounds. You may only spend
a fate point to recover 1 wound once per round,
regardless of how many fate points you have banked.
Group Points (abbreviated GP)
For every hero point that you and your allied
supers earn while working together, you collectively
earn a group point. All supers who helped to earn
group points get a vote in how those points are spent.
You use group points to purchase vehicles (and other
things like bases in future supplements).
For example, at the end of the battle with a super
villain, each hero earns 3 hero points. You earn an extra
hero point for a special action you took, and another
member of your group earns 2 bonus hero points for a
particularly noble sacrifice made during the fight. Your
whole group also earns 3 group points- these are the
points that everyone was awarded (not counting
separate individual awards). These 3 points go in a pool
for you to purchase vehicles for your whole group to
use. Some common purchases, and their group point
costs, are listed on page 15.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 8
5. Combat
Game Time An issue is the full length of a game session (or several sessions), covering a full story arc. An issue may
include several scenes in a number of different locations;
for example, an entire issue may take place while the
supers invade a villains lair or investigate a lost island.
A scene is how long a battle lasts or an encounter takes place. A scene may take several minutes - or
several hours - depending on what the scene is about. A
scene may revolve around a battle with a super villain, a
meeting with the editor of the Nativity Herald, or a
daring escape from a devious trap.
A round is a single rotation of combat. Measure combat time in rounds. A round is how long it takes to
get through a full rotation in which every participant
gets to take his full complement of turns. A round only
lasts for a few seconds of game time, but will take much
longer in actual play time.
Phases
A round has two phases: preparation & resolution.
Preparation Phase
During the preparation phase, you take a single free
turn (without using any of your combat turns). This
allows you to do anything except attack. You could use
the preparation phase to move your speed rating units,
prepare to defend yourself, ready a weapon, or activate
an ability.
Take turns in order of participant sequence rolls
(see below), starting from lowest and going to highest;
with a higher result, you get to see what your opponents
are going to do before you have to decide what you are
doing. During the preparation phase, you could do any
of the following:
Use an ability that affects you, an ally, or the environment (activate a force field or stealth, change
shape into an animal form).
Move up to your speed or flight rating (or leap up to your might rating) in units.
Ready your first action. This gives you +3 to your first action roll, in addition to all other bonuses. If you
have fighting +4 and you use your preparation phase to
ready your fighting ability, you make your first action
(attack) roll of the resolution phase at fighting +7.
Ready your defenses. This gives you +3 to the first resist roll you make that round, in addition to all other
bonuses; this does not apply to invulnerable (soak) rolls,
only to evade rolls against physical attacks and
willpower rolls to resist mental attacks.
Combat Sequence
Before a round begins, you must make a speed
roll for combat sequence. This determines the order
of action, and how many turns you get to take that
round. Roll speed vs. a static DR 5. Each success =
1 turn that round. Act in order of total speed rolls;
the highest total speed roll result goes first, the
next result goes second, etc.
If you botch sequence (your total speed roll is
4 or less), you take only 1 turn that round, but you
do not get to act during the preparation phase.
Resolution Phase
During the resolution phase, each participant acts
in rotation, starting from the highest sequence roll and
going to the lowest. Ties act in order of CP total, highest
to lowest. Once each participant has taken its first turn,
each participant takes its second turn (as applicable).
You continue to participate in the rotation until you are
out of turns. The participant with the most turns may
take several turns at the end of the round, after all other
participants have dropped out. During resolution, you
may use one of your abilities, or you may complete
anything you could have done during the preparation
phase (sacrificing your turn to take +3 to your next
action, moving your speed rating units).
The Basics: How Do I Attack?
You attack either in melee (hand-to-hand) or at range:
Attack in melee combat. Roll 2D + fighting, and the target rolls 2D + evade to resist. If you succeed
(your action equals or exceeds the targets resist roll),
you add the difference between your action and the
targets resist to the subsequent damage roll. For
damage, you roll 2D + might (+ any weapon you
carry), and the target rolls 2D + invulnerable to soak.
The foes invulnerable result sets the target for
successes. If the target rolls 8 to soak and you roll 17
for damage, you deal 2 wounds (you deal 1 wound at
8+, 2 wounds at 16+, 3 wounds at 24+, etc.). Thrown
weapons work exactly like melee weapon attacks, with
a base range equal to your might.
Attack with a ranged ability. Roll 2D + attack ability, and the target rolls 2D + evade to resist. If you
succeed (your action roll equals or exceeds the targets
resist roll), you add the difference between your action
and the targets resist to the subsequent damage roll.
For damage, you roll 2D + accuracy and the target rolls
2D + invulnerable (or, for mental powers, you and
your target both roll willpower). The targets
invulnerable result sets the target for successes. If the
target rolls 9 to soak and you roll 12 for damage, you
deal 1 wound (you deal 1 wound at 9+, 2 wounds at
18+, 3 wounds at 27+, etc.).
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 9
Sidebar: Found Weapons Strong supers often gather weapons from the
environment; the bruiser picks up a tank and uses it to
smash a foe. You may use 1 turn to gather a weapon
from the environment. Roll D6 for the rating of the
weapon; the weapon will never be rated better than
your might. Found weapons degrade quickly; each
time you use your found weapon, its rating drops -1.
With your might +5, you attempt to pick up a car and
use it as a found weapon. You roll D6, and get a 6;
however, your might limits this to +5. With your first
strike, you deal +10 damage (+5 might/+5 weapon).
With your second strike using the car, you deal +9
damage (+5 might/+4 weapon), with your third strike
+8, etc. You may drop a found weapon as a free action.
Ability Synergy
As a super, you can do incredible things with your
abilities- and that includes synergizing abilities together
to do unusual things. Any time you attempt ability
synergy, you must use a fate point. You have to describe
how you are going to synergize the two abilities
together, combining the bonuses from both abilities.
Some Examples of Ability Synergy Add your energy projection (flame) to your fighting to punch a foe with a flaming fist.
Add your speed (or flight) to fighting to charge a foe, using your body as a battering ram.
Add your might to fighting to leap on a foe, delivering a particularly brutal blow.
Add your phasing to fighting to deliver an exceptionally potent strike, reaching directly into your
targets central nervous system.
Negative Wounds You continue to function normally until reduced to
negative wounds. At the end of the round, if you have
-1 wounds or lower, you must make a stamina roll (DR
7 + inverse of your wounds rating) or you are defeated,
and out of the fight. If you suffer damage during a
round, and you end the round at negative wounds, you
must roll stamina to continue; if you end a round at
negative wounds, but you have not suffered damage
during that round, you do not have to roll stamina to
continue. You continue acting during a round in which
you have been reduced to negative wounds; you do not
roll stamina until the end of the round.
Example: You suffer damage taking you to -2
wounds; at the end of the round, you must roll stamina
DR 9 (7+2) to remain in the fight. You do, but the next
round you suffer 3 wounds of damage from a series of
attacks, leaving you at -5 wounds. At the end of this
round, you roll stamina DR 12 (7+5). Again you succeed,
and the next round you actually recover 3 wounds
(being healed by an ally) but suffer another wound in
damage, leaving you at -3. You make another stamina
roll DR 10, since you have taken more damage, even
though this is less damage than you had previously.
Recovering Wounds You can recover using healing, regeneration, or by spending a fate point.
While at negative wounds, you automatically recover 1 wound per round that you make your stamina
roll (2 with regeneration). You stabilize at 0 wounds,
and from there recover slowly- typically you only
recover 1 wound between each scene, although between
issues you will recover completely to your full wounds.
If you recover (someone heals you) after you have been defeated, you do not rejoin
combat until the round after you
are healed.
Delivering A Coup De Grace You can declare that you are killing a wounded and
defeated foe. This takes 1 turn, but automatically
succeeds; however, heroes should not deliver a coup de
grace without severe consequences; the eyes of the
world are watching, and intentionally killing a helpless
foe, regardless of how vile the person, is an action
unbecoming a hero.
Battling Mooks Mooks are secondary characters of lesser
importance; they are the hijackers taking over the train,
the thugs serving the master villain, and the pack of
zombies lairing within the vampires tomb. Mooks are
defeated at -1 wounds, regardless of stamina. Mooks
never have fate points. A mook is any character,
creature or foe built on half your level or less. If your
super is level 5, any foe of level 2 or lower is considered
a mook to you. It is possible that in a large battle, what
is considered a mook varies from foe to foe. It is also
possible that your hero is a mook compared to a
powerful foe- so be wary who you pick a fight with!
While you must use a turn to attack a single foe of
comparable stature, you can cut through legions of
mooks quickly. You take a simultaneous attack against
a number of mooks equal to the rating of your attack
ability. With fighting +4, you decide to lay into a
chamber full of zombies; attack 4 zombies with each
swing of your fist. Using energy projection +6, you may
attack 6 zombies with each turn you take. When you
make a combined attack against a group of mooks, you
make a single attack roll, but all mooks must roll to
resist. You score damage normally. You may target
either mooks or a comparable foe, but not both; you
cannot attempt to hit a sorcerer and 5 of his summoned
shadows with a single attack; pick one or the other- the
sorcerer (being of comparable strength), easily evades
any attack that does not directly target him. Situational
bonuses (for example, +3 from readying an action) do
not affect the total number of mooks you may target;
you are still limited to your attack ability rating.
Sidebar: Ability Synergy as a Fixed Ability (Optional)
Your referee may allow you to purchase synergized abilities as a fixed
ability, usable once per round with no fate cost. For example, if your concept
is that your super acts as a human battering ram, you may purchase charge
as a fixed ability (for 2 CPs); this allows you to synergize your speed and
fighting once per round without spending a fate point. If you want to do this
a second time in any one round, you would need to spend a fate point.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 10
En Masse Actions Several creatures of the same type may attack en
masse, taking one combined action at + the number of
creatures. Three alligators biting the same target can
take a single combined strike at +3. This has no effect on
other abilities like poison; a group of poisonous snakes
would force a single normal poison resist. Supers cannot
attack en masse, since they are not the same creature
type.
Special Situations:
Defenseless Targets. A defenseless target cannot move (is sleeping, stunned, etc). Make any action
against a defenseless target vs. a static 7 resist.
Falling. You may fall up to 1 unit before you take damage. After that, each unit fallen deals 1 wound. Roll
evade (DR 5); each success negates 1 wound. If you fall 5
units and roll 10 on your evade roll, you suffer 2
wounds (4 wounds base -2 from 2 evade successes).
Each rating of invulnerable also negates 1 wound. You
cannot suffer more than 10 wounds from falling,
regardless of the distance you fall; with invulnerable
+10, you never take falling damage!
Grappling. You may attempt to grapple a target in melee range. Use 1 turn to roll might vs. the targets
might. If successful, the target cannot move (but can still
act and resist) until you let go. Your allies get a bonus to
actions vs. the target = to the number of successes you
rolled to grapple. To maintain your hold, use your
preparation phase turn in subsequent rounds to grapple
again. You cannot do anything else while grappling a
target. At the end of the round youve grappled a target,
you automatically deal 1 wound per grappling success
you rolled on the action.
Ground Target. Rather than directing your physical attack at a foe, you direct the attack at the
ground/wall/ceiling near that target. Rather than rolling
evade to resist, the target must roll stamina. You roll
your attack and damage normally, and the target still
rolls invulnerable to soak. Use ground attack against
especially fleet-footed foes with high evade and lower
stamina.
Timed abilities tick at the end of the round. If something lasts for 3 rounds, it will continue until the
end of the third round. Any ability that happens once
per round (like regeneration) happens at the end of the
round, after everyone has acted.
Vision. If you cannot see a target (for example, you are in darkness), take -3 to your action roll.
A Sample Hero
The Emissary (L 17; 170 CPs; Wounds 24) Accuracy +8; Energy Control (+2); Energy Projection +9;
Evade +6; Fighting +5; Flight +9; Invulnerable +7; Might
+5; Sense +6; Speed +6; Stamina +7; Willpower +6
The Emissary (the visitor from the beyond) may be the most
powerful hero on earth, wielding pure cosmic energy. He
serves as the leader for the Ambassadors, the worlds premiere
team of superheroes.
Sidebar: Exchanging Wounds
You may exchange 1 wound you deal vs. a foe for
another effect. If you land a strike dealing 3 wounds to
a foe, you could instead stun that foe for 1 turn (still
dealing 2 wounds). You may only exchange wounds
once per round. Some options include:
Disarm. You force the target to drop a carried weapon; a dropped weapon travels D6 units. Drawing
another weapon is a free turn, but recovering the same
weapon requires travel.
Draw Aggression. You exchange 1 wound to force the target to focus all of its attacks on you
exclusively for the remainder of the scene, or until you
are defeated.
Knock Back. You force the target back D6 units.
Lower Defenses. You for the target to take a penalty of -1 to evade for the rest of the scene.
Stun. You force a living target to lose 1 turn. This can carry over between rounds, causing the target to
lose its first turn (likely preparation) next round.
Weaken Armor. You force the target to take a penalty of -1 to armor soak rolls for the rest of the
scene.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 11
6. Playing the Role of Referee
As the referee, it is your responsibility to run the game.
While players take the roles of supers in the game
world, you set the framework for the story, put the
supers into it, and make the whole thing go.
A Good Referee Is: 1. Fair. These rules give you considerable latitude in
assigning difficulties to actions, building foes,
structuring the narrative and controlling the fates of the
supers. It doesn't matter how you approach these
elements of the game as much as it does that you do so
consistently. If the supers constantly face overwhelming
challenges and obstacles, their rewards should be
commensurate.
2. Prepared. It is important that you have written notes
for a scenario (if the session will be original) or youve
read through the adventure (if running a published
scenario) before playing. You need to be familiar with
the rules for the game to run smoothly.
3. Flexible. Leave room for players to bring things to the
game. If the players veer off course and try something
you didn't expect, do your best to go along with it.
Allow the other players to dictate elements of the story
that you are building together. Flexibility also includes
being prepared for what to do if things don't go as
planned. What if one player in the group doesn't show
up and you've planned a session that relies on his
supers abilities? Have a back-up plan.
4. Creative. This is listed as the final rule, but is the most
important. Resolute is a simple, open game system. The
game is designed to provide a framework within which
you and your players can create an imaginary world of
super-heroic action. While these rules provide
guidelines for handling situations as they arise,
inevitably, it will be up to you to decide how something
happens or why it works the way it does. Use the rules
herein as a guide, and your own experience to make the
judgment call in the moment. Dont stop to haggle over
a +1 or +2 bonus; pick one and keep playing.
Running the Game
You have several responsibilities before, during and
after play.
Before You Play
Review the rules before the session, so that you have key rules fresh in mind.
Use an organizational method (like sticky notes or 3x5 cards) to mark information on the important foes
and abilities that will be used during that session, or
create notes for quick reference.
Read through the adventure scenario so that you know what will happen.
Review your notes from the previous session for things that may still need to be resolved, or for lingering
plot threads that you want to pursue.
Prepare any other materials you may need. If you want to have a battle map and miniatures, special forms
for keeping track of turns and wounds, handouts with
maps or item descriptions, or special music you want to
play during the game, make sure these are ready to go.
You dont want to get to the climactic fight and have to
flip through 200 songs on your mp3 player to find the
perfect track for background music.
As You Play
Set the Stage. Let the heroes know where they've been, what they're doing, and where theyre going early
in the session. It may help to give written recaps of
previous sessions. A good referee uses a wide range of
sensory description to immerse players in the game
world. The crumbling ruins of the subway tunnel, thick
roots pushing through the rotting beams is preferable
to the old subway tunnels. Prepare important
descriptions or characters ahead of time. Use music,
artwork, or even food to help create this sense of
atmosphere.
Role Play. Play the parts of the supporting characters populating the environment. Feel free to add
voices, develop personalities and give vivid
descriptions. The more real your characters are, the
more the players become involved in the game world. If
the chief of police speaks in a booming voice with a
sarcastic tone, hell be much more memorable to your
players. Keep notes about what characters are like, so
that when the heroes return and speak to him again two
sessions later, you use the same qualities; this makes the
whole game more consistent and alive.
Run Combat. Keep track of the sequence results for all parties involved in a combat situation. While players
should monitor their own supers' wounds, turns, and
fate points, you should keep track of these statistics for
all foes during combat.
Award Hero Points. See page 13 for information on awarding these.
After You Play Help to make arrangements for the next session. Tell the players about any expectations for things that they should do before the next time you play.
Make sure you gather your notes for anything important that happened during the game session that
may impact future games.
Sidebar: Game Balance
One of your jobs as the referee is to help
maintain game balance- and these rules are intended
to help you do it. However, the whole idea of a
super-hero game is that the heroes can do ridiculous
things. Whenever possible, encourage the players to
find new and creative ways to use their abilities. The
more you can encourage the players to role-play their
supers, and the less time they spend figuring out how
to maximize a dice result, the more fun everyone will
have, and the more balanced the game will be.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 12
Assigning Difficulty Ratings Decide on the difficulty of an action based on the
situation, using the table on page 2 as a guide.
The Environment Not only do villains and other foes stand as
obstacles in the supers paths, but the environment itself
often presents a challenge.
A wall or cave in may stand in the supers way. Locked doors can present obstacles. Traps and security devices can prove to be a nuisance, or even a deadly encounter unto themselves.
Adventuring environments have a number of hidden objects. Discovering a hidden object requires a
sense roll, DR 7 + the relative challenge of finding the
object (see table on page 2). While a secret door hidden
by a gang of thugs may be +3 (total DR 10) to find, a
secret door crafted by the Master Tinkerer in the Halls of
the All King is +11 (DR 18) to find.
Against Objects
All objects have a default resist against attacks
based on their rank (see page 2). In addition, an object
has a resist rating. Use this rating (added to a base of 7)
for all resists (vs. both attacks and damage); the base
rating = wounds of the object. For example, an above-
average door has a rating of +2. If a hero tries to break
through, he rolls fighting against the door to damage it.
As long as the attack roll is 9 or better (7+2), he is able to
deal damage to the door. He rolls damage normally; if
he deals 9 or more damage, he deals 1 wound to the
door (since the door has a total invulnerable soak result
of 9). If he deals 18 or more damage, he deals 2 wounds
to the door, and breaks it down (since it has 2 wounds,
being a +2 object). All physical objects work the same
way.
However, rather than destroying the door, supers
can use might to force the door, or use burglary to pick
the lock. For a door rated +8, the hero must make a
might or burglary (accuracy) roll DR 15 (7+8).
Otherwise, hes going to have to destroy door, which is
pretty tough, having a static resist of 15 and 8 wounds.
Swimming and Climbing Both swimming and climbing require stamina rolls.
Base the DR on the situation, modified by distance (+1
per unit). Swimming across thundering rapids (heroic
action DR 12) that are 30 wide (+3) is DR 15. Climbing a
rope requires a stamina roll DR 7, regardless of distance.
Degrees of Success
For the most part, non-combat action rolls either
succeed or they fail. However, some situations may
provide degrees of success. If the supers listen to a door,
one success may tell them that there several guards wait
beyond; two successes tells them that three guards stand
watch; three successes tells them the general locations of
the guards in the room; four successes tells them that
one of the guards sounds more important, and is likely
the leader. In this case, the better the roll, the more
information the supers are able to glean, or the more
definitive the result. For a situation like this, the sense
roll to listen is likely DR 7, since there is nothing to
complicate the action. If the supers stand in the same
chamber as a rushing waterfall, the sense roll may
increase to as much as DR 15.
Failed Actions You cannot attempt a failed action against a static
resist again during the same scene. If you fail to use
burglary to pick a lock, you cannot attempt this lock
again during this scene; although you can come back
later and try again!
Dice Options You have several ways to resolve dice rolls in play:
Option 1: Roll everything. In this option, every action, resist and result is rolled normally.
Option 2: Only roll active dice. In this option, all resistances are static, assigned as 7 + rating. This gives
more predictable results, but also limits the number of
action successes you will roll.
Option 3: Only players roll. In this option, the referee rolls nothing; all foes have static results (7 +
rating), and the players roll all actions and resists. This
option allows the referee to focus on other aspects of
running the game, and makes combat run more quickly,
but may take some of the drama out of play.
Option 4: Mix-n-match. In this option, multiple dice resolution methods are mixed based on the situation.
For example, you may determine that for most scenes,
option 3 will be used, but when the supers reach the
climactic scene, option 1 will be used.
Regardless of which dice option you use, you and
your players should agree on the method that will be
used before you play so that there are no surprises.
Some players will prefer to have more control, and will
want to roll everything. Other players will elect to have
fewer rolls to make, and will prefer some static results to
make the game run more quickly.
How & When to Use the Dice
How and when you use dice is a matter of personal
taste, play style, and the dynamics of your group of
players. Remember, however, that using the dice is one
of the primary ways you create tension. Here are some
suggestions for ways to roll dice, or for situations where
you may want to change the way you roll dice.
If the players can role play even when the dice dont go their way, it may be more fun to make all rolls
visible. If you tell a player that his super failed to find
the security device and he will continue to open the
door (because his super would), then it is probably okay
for this player to see the roll.
Sidebar: Multiple Negative Effects You will only suffer a particular negative effect
once per round; thereafter, you are immune to the
same effect for the remainder of that round. For
instance, if you are stunned for turn 2 of round 1, you
cannot be stunned again during round 1, even by a
different attacker.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 13
If the player will change what he does based on knowledge he has (but which his super would not have)
based on a dice result, then you should roll dice in secret
(or allow the player to roll, but dont tell him the DR);
tell the player only what his super would know. For
example, for a failed roll against a difficult security
system, you may say, It seems like youve disarmed the
system. Youve seen one like it before, and disarming it
worked last time, so you have no reason to suspect this
will be any different, although the roll failed.
If a foe controls or manipulates the super (for example, the super is under the effect of mind control),
the player may not even know what he is rolling for. For
example, you may take the character sheet from the
player and find the appropriate resist rating as you say,
Jeff, go ahead and roll. I want to see something In
this case, the player may not find out until later (if ever)
what really happened.
Once again, if the player will continue to role play
in the situation despite the roll result, include the player
in the process. In the above example, Jeffs character
fails his mind control resist roll, and Jeff jumps up from
his chair as he says, I let forth a huge laugh! Hah! You
thought I was going to SAVE the world?! Im here to
DESTROY it bwahahahaha. In this case, the player
makes the situation more dynamic and interesting by
creating an authentic reaction for his super.
Challenges: Combat Encounters
In a combat encounter, the primary means of
resolving the scene is through combat. Some encounters
start as combat encounters from the get go, while others
start as non-combat encounters that escalate. Not every
obstacle the supers face should be a combat encounter.
Resolute is a role-playing game, and opportunities for
other play beyond simply punching and blasting
through foes should be presented.
Challenges: Non-Combat Encounters Two basic types of non-combat encounters may
challenge the supers: role-playing and problem-solving
encounters.
Role-playing encounters rely on the players taking the roles of their supers in order to overcome the
obstacle. Winning a battle of wits, convincing a neutral
character to come to the supers' aid, or persuading the
general to loan the supers a stealth fighter are all role-
playing encounters. These may require ability rolls, but
should primarily be resolved through player interaction
with the game world.
Problem-solving encounters rely on the skills and abilities of the players themselves. These include
riddles, math puzzles, word scrambles and other
intellectual challenges you place before the players, but
which their heroic supers solve within the game world.
While these rarely involve the use of dice and game
mechanics, you may include such elements, giving the
players clues to help solve the puzzle or piece together
the riddle. Sample problem-solving encounters include
a guardian that will only allow passage if a riddle is
correctly answered or a door that will only open if the
correct number sequence is entered on its over-sized
combination lock.
Encounter Difficulty Each encounter has a total level rating. To
determine this, use the foe with the highest level as the
base, and add half the level of each additional foe. The
sum is the total level value of the group. For example,
the group of supers may be composed of four supers of
level 4. You add 4+2+2+2= level 10. A group of 6 zombies
each of level 2 has a total CP value of 2+(1x5)= level 7.
When foes are mooks, however, cut their total value in
half (rounding up). If each of the supers in the group is
level 5, these zombies are considered a level 4 challenge.
Encounter Hero Point Value
Encounter Level = The Heroes Earn
4+ levels lower than supers
(Effortless)
No hero points
3 levels lower (Easy) 1 HP each
2 levels lower (Moderate) 2 HPs each
1 level lower (Tough) 3 HPs each
Same level (Grueling) 4 HPs each
1 level higher (Grueling) 5 HPs each
each level higher (Deadly) +1 HP each
A group of four supers of level 2 has a total value of
level 5 (2+1+1+1). They earn nothing for defeating a
single foe of level 1, but they earn 4 hero points for
defeating a foe of level 5. A foe of level 12 is worth 11
hero points if they defeat it, but they are likely to fall to
this foe. Be wary of putting the supers against foes built
of higher level than they are- because they are probably
going to lose!
Non-combat encounters should be worth between 1
and 3 hero points, depending on the complexity of the
encounter and what the heroes accomplish.
Redeeming Fate Points
At the end of the issue, each super earns a number
of bonus hero points equal to the number of unused fate
points he redeems.
Purpose Hero Point Bonus Whenever a super wins an encounter that directly
accomplishes his purpose (see page 3), the super gains 1
bonus hero point. For example, if my supers purpose is
to defend Nativity, after every scene in which he
overcomes a threat to the security of Nativity, he
receives 1 bonus hero point. As the referee, you should
be careful that purposes are not constructed to take
advantage of this: the purpose to defeat evil should
only earn bonus points when the evil was of
considerable power or scope. The broader a supers
purpose, the more stringent you should be in applying it
for bonus hero point awards.
Sidebar: Bosses A boss is a foe that youve defined as special, being more powerful than
others of its type. A boss has a number of fate points = to level, and may have
unique abilities; an encounter with a boss is worth +1 hero point.
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 14
7: Adventures on Resolute Earth
The Messari The ultimate aims of the illusion-using messari
remain cloaked in mystery. The messari have hidden
their agents among mankind, and these could actively
oppose the supers. The messari have infiltrated every
part of human life, taking positions of power and
influence, and subtly working to pave the way for the
ultimate conquest of the messari over mankind.
The Megalopolis of Nativity The City of Nativity, founded over the ruins of
Meridian, has become a symbol of mankinds progress.
The ruins of Meridian remain below, teeming with
pariahs and holding thousands of miles of ruined
basements and abandoned subway tunnels. In addition,
Nativity borders Echo City, a sprawling expanse of
slums set apart from the city proper, housing a huge
lower class and a vast, seedy, criminal empire.
The Citadel of Tomorrow The messari, rather than simply destroying this
installation, implanted a psychic bug within the Citadel
that drove its residents insane. A riot broke out as
hundreds of scientists and thousands of subjects died.
Countless others fled, taking powerful technologies, the
fruits of their research and a reckless insanity with them.
As a result, hundreds of mad schemers have moved
throughout the world, constructing powerful
technologies in secret labs.
Meanwhile, the ruins of the Citadel of Tomorrow
lie in the frosted, mountainous wilds of the far northern
Americas, with dozens of competing factions warring
with one-another, their mechanical servitors doing
battle in the dark with monstrous insects, gargantuan
animals, and mutated humans who barely cling to the
last vestiges of their humanity, all the while the undead
are rumored to travel in the deep.
Lastly, some believe that a series of teleportation
devices continue to operate within some sections of the
Citadel, transferring creatures from this facility to other
locations in the world.
The supers could undertake an expedition into a
part of the ruins of the Citadel of Tomorrow to rescue,
recover, find or destroy. The introductory adventure on
page 16 takes place in a branch of the Citadel of
Tomorrow.
36 Ways to Involve the Supers
1. Cries for Help! 2. Crime! 3. Disaster! 4. Rampage! 5. War! 6. Quirky 1 Aliens call for help
to defend their
home.
The supers try to
foil an
assassination.
Earthquake: stop it
and save the
victims.
Animals: one of (or
all) the animals
flee(s) the zoo.
Civil war within a
society.
Clones: you look
familiar
2 A visitor from the
future arrives with
an unusual need.
The supers learn of
a blackmail
scheme.
Fire: as above Super: another
super goes
ballistic.
Gang war within a
city.
Defense: the
supers must hold
down the fort.
3 The government
asks for help from
outside its forces.
A villain or evil
force attempts to
conquer a land.
Technological: (a
nuclear
meltdown).
Monster. A beast
escapes from the
Tomorrow Project.
International war
between countries
or elder races.
Haywire: a power
or device goes out
of control.
4 Another super
faces a problem he
cant solve alone.
A villain or evil
force hijacks a
vehicle.
A vehicle sinks or
crashes.
Riot. The people
storm into the
streets.
Interplanetary
war: the messari
are back!
Jail break: A whole
bunch of villains
break out.
5 A villain is in over
his head, and
needs the supers!
A villain steals
something the
supers must
retrieve.
A volcano erupts:
stop it, save
victims, you get
the idea.
Robot. It was
working fine this
morning
Inter-dimensional
war: an invasion
from other realms.
Media attack: One
(or more) hero is
attacked publicly.
6 A contact or
normal comes
calling.
The supers break
up a smuggling
operation.
Weather: a flood,
monsoon or
blizzard.
Villain. Insanity +
Anger =
Destruction.
Epic war: the
supers become
playthings of gods.
Mistaken identity:
Oh, it wasnt you?
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 15
Appendix 1: Roll Call: A Roster of Characters of the Game World
Normals (Level 0)
Beat Cop (8 CPs; Wounds 1) Accuracy +1; Evade +1; Fighting +1; Knowledge (law)
+1; Sense +1; Stamina +1; Weapon +2 (pistol & baton)
Doctor (5 CPs; Wounds 1) Knowledge (medicine) +3; Stamina +1
Reporter (6 CPs; Wounds 1) Contacts +2; Luck +1; Sense +2; Stamina +1
Thug (7 CPs; Wounds 2) Accuracy +1; Fighting +2; Stamina +2; Weapon +2 (pistol & knife)
Exceptionals (Level 1)
Goonsquad Tough (12 CPs; Wounds 3) Accuracy +2; Evade +1; Fighting +2; Might
+1; Stamina +2; Weapon +3 (pistol & knife)
Master Burglar (14 CPs; Wounds 1) Burglary +3; Evade +2; Sense +3; Stealth +3
SWAT Trooper (16 CPs; Wounds 4) Accuracy +2; Evade +1; Fighting +2;
Invulnerable +1; Sense +2; Stamina +3; Weapon (rifle & knife) +3
Veteran Reporter (12 CPs; Wounds 3) Contacts +3; Luck +2; Sense +3; Stamina +2
Elites (Level 2)
Javelin Agent (22 CPs; Wounds 5) Accuracy +3; Evade +2; Fighting +2; Invulnerable +2; Might +1; Sense +2; Stamina +3; Weapon +3 (rifle and knife); Willpower +1
Night Stalker Ninja (24 CPs; Wounds 4) Evade +3; Fighting +4; Sense +3; Speed +2;
Stealth +3; Stamina +2; Weapon (sword) +2
Zombie (20 CPs; Wounds 6) Fighting +4; Invulnerable +2; Might +3; Stamina +4;
Weapon (claw) +2
Animals (L = Level)
Alligator (L2; 24 CPs; Wounds 4) Evade +1; Fighting +3; Invulnerable +3; Might +3;
Sense +1; Speed +2; Stamina +2; Weapon (bite) +4
Bear (L2; 25 CPs; Wounds 5) Fighting +3; Invulnerable +1; Might +4; Sense +3; Speed
+2; Stamina +3; Weapon (bite) +3
Great White Shark (L4; 40 CPs; Wounds 8) Evade +1; Fighting +4; Invulnerable +3; Might +4; Speed +4; Stamina +4; Water Breathing (+2); Weapon (bite) +5
Tiger (L2; 24 CPs; Wounds 4) Evade +2; Fighting +3; Might +2; Sense +2; Speed +3;
Stamina +2; Stealth +2; Weapon (bite) +4
Tyrannosaurus Rex (L6; 60 CPs; Wounds 12) Fighting +6; Invulnerable +5; Might +5; Speed +4; Stamina +6; Weapon (bite) +6
Archetypal Supers (Level 4)
Blaster (40 CPs; Wounds 7) Accuracy +5; Energy Control (+2); Energy Project +6;
Evade +4; Flight +3; Speed +1; Stamina +3; Willpower +2
Brawler (40 CPs; Wounds 8) Evade +3; Fighting +6; Invulnerable +2; Might +3; Speed +3; Stamina +4; Weapon (melee) +4; Willpower +2
Bruiser (40 CPs; Wounds 9) Fighting +4; Invulnerable +5; Might +6; Speed +2;
Stamina +5; Willpower +2
Mentalist (40 CPs; Wounds 6) Evade +3; Flight +1; Force Field +4; Mind Blast +6; Mind Control (+2); Speed +1; Stamina +2; Willpower +6
Speedster (40 CPs; Wounds 8) Evade +6; Fighting +4; Might +2; Speed +6; Stamina +4; Willpower +2
Appendix 2: Vehicles
Vehicles are built as heroes, with abilities and totals (the CP total becomes the Group
Point cost to purchase a vehicle for a group of supers). Vehicles have wounds = to
level + durability. A vehicle will continue to operate until in negative wounds. Those
within the vehicle will not take damage until the vehicle has been disabled. Use control
for evade rolls while operating the vehicle. You must have vehicles ability rated at or
above the level of the vehicle to operate it; you need vehicles +3 to drive a heavy tank.
Body. Add rating to static 7 to set target for soaking wounds. Control. How well the vehicle evades attacks. Durability. Adds to the total wounds the vehicle can suffer before being disabled. Weapons use the rating to attack; use the operators accuracy for damage.
Common Vehicles (L = Level)
Armored Car (L1; 12 GPs; W 4). Body +3; Durability +3; Speed +3
Commercial Airliner (L1; 18 GPs; W 5). Body +2; Control +1; Durability +4; Flight +5
Fighter Jet (L2; 28 GPs; W6). Body +2; Cannon +4; Control +2; Durability +4; Flight +6
Light Walker (L1; 16 GPs; W 4). Body +2; Cannon +4; Durability +3; Speed +3
Motor Cycle (L0; 9 GPs; W1) Control +2; Durability +1; Speed +4
Police Car (L1; 11 GPs; W3) Body +2; Control +1; Durability +2; Speed +4
Stealth Jet (L3; 35 GPs; W8) Body +4; Cannon +4; Control +2; Durability +5; Flight +6
Tank, Light (L3; 30 GPs; W 8). Body +5; Control -1; Durability +5; Cannon +5; Speed +3
Tank, Heavy (L4; 46 GPs; W10). Body +7, Control -2; Durability +6; Cannon +7; Speed +3
Resolute: The Superhero RPG 2nd Edition (Revised August 2010) 16
Appendix 3: Introductory Adventure: Section 2175-D
Note: Read this only if you will be serving as referee.
Setup
This adventure (for four level 4 supers) is an
introductory scenario for new supers in a Resolute game.
This scenario is designed so that you can quickly get a
new team up and running. You dont have to have the
players do more than give their supers monikers and
powers. If you really want to get going quickly, have
each player take one of the temp