Best Practices & Other Advice
“Best Practices” are not House Rules, but recommendations for GMs and Players alike based on our prevailing server culture. These Best Practices exist to set expectations as for what to expect in our common play-environment, and provide a reference for GMs for how most of our GMs handle ruling certain table issues that are beyond the scope of our House Rules. If you’re unsure of how to manage these aspects in your games, we strongly recommend you use these guidelines! Ultimately, however, GMs are allowed to rule these topics in whatever way they feel best fits their GMing style and narrative, so players should not be surprised if a GM chooses a different approach to these topics than the ones listed here.
Takedown
It is recommended to rule “Takedown Chains” - the amount of minions a single character can Incapacitate in one turn via the Takedown Advantage - to half that character’s Attack Check bonus, after Maneuvers, rounded down, and to disallow Take-10s on uses of Takedown.
Attack Extra and Non-Instant-Duration Powers
It is recommended that, when a PC adds the Attack Extra to a Concentration, Sustained, or Continuous Duration Power (such as Concealment) and applies it directly to an unwilling target (i.e., Invisibility Ray), to give it an end-of-turn Overcome Check calculated using the Power’s Effect Rank, similar to an Affliction.
Maneuvers and Lingering Effects / Escape Checks
It is recommended that Maneuvers that influence Effect Ranks of Powers (Accurate Attack and Power Attack) only apply to the initial Resistance Check made with that Power, and the DC for Overcome Checks, Escape Checks, etc. do not factor in the Maneuver used.
Maneuvers and “Active Defenses”
It is recommended that Maneuvers that influence Active Defenses of characters (Defensive Attack and All-out Attack) do not modify the bonus a character gains to their Toughness from Defensive Roll, following the guidance of the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook and the Green Ronin Patreon. However, bonuses to Active Defenses, such as the Defense Bonus from Aid, Improved Defense (add-on to Defend Action), Favored Environment or taking the Recover action will boost Toughness.
Maneuvers in Combination
It is recommended to defer to the guidance of the Basic Hero’s Handbook, not allowing any character to use more than one Maneuver per turn. “Maneuvers”, as reminder, in full, are Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Defensive Attack, Finishing Attack, Power Attack, Slam Attack, Surprise Attack, and Team Attack, as well as the Demoralize Action and Feint Action.
Bonus to “Power” from Untapped Potential
It is recommended to rule that the Untapped Potential Advantage boosts the “Power” use of Extra Effort from +1 to +2, rather than +1 to +3.
Beginner’s Luck and “Gain an Effective 5 Ranks”
It is recommended that “gain an Effective 5 Ranks” in Beginner’s Luck be interpreted to mean a character’s Skill Rank becomes 5 (so a +4 becomes a +5) instead of being increased by 5 (so a +4 becomes a +9). This recommendation prevents Beginner’s Luck being abused to side-skirt our existing rules on Skill Ranks.
Absent Stamina (Construct) PCs and Extra Effort
It is recommended to rule that Construct PCs (PCs that have an Absent Stamina score) can use Extra Effort if they immediately spend a Hero Point to do so. Constructs are otherwise unable to use Extra Effort as they cannot be Fatigued, as per RAW.
Affects Objects and Absent Stamina plus Immunity 30 (Fortitude)
It is recommended to rule the interaction of Affects Objects vs. Absent Stamina plus Immunity 30 (Fortitude) - aka, Constructs - in the following ways:
1. Unimportant constructs always suffer the worst result of a Power with a Fortitude Resistance Check and Affects Objects.
2. Held items or worn items have their wearer roll a Dodge Resistance Check, with a +5 Circumstance Bonus if the item is hand-held. Failure suffers the worst result of the relevant Power. This is the same as the guidance given in the Hero’s Handbook for the Transform Power.
3. Important unattended items make a Resistance Check based on what the GM deems appropriate, and suffer the worst result of the Power on failure. The creator’s Technology or Power Level or the Construct’s Toughness are common choices for this situation.
4. Construct PCs (and PC-like NPCs) make a Resistance Check of their Power Level, to maintain Power Level parity, and suffer the worst result of the Power on failure.
Exotic Senses and Preventing Abuse
It is recommended to have your players roll Checks for using their Exotic Senses, as normal. Most should use Perception, but a few (such as Detect Emotions) may use Insight instead.
It is recommended that characters (PCs and NPCs) be given a reasonable chance to oppose Checks with an appropriate stat, in lieu of Stealth, if rolling Stealth is not appropriate. For example, rolling Will vs. Detect Emotions to attempt to suppress one’s feelings.
It is vital to remember to not allow Exotic Senses (eg, Detect Minds) to do things like violate another PC’s Secret Identity without consent. Doubly-so if the user isn’t even directly investigating that character and if dice aren’t even being rolled. This is abuse of Sense Powers!
It is recommended to keep in mind that Detect Emotions is not Mind Reading, Limited to Emotions. Detect Emotions should only pick up the current emotions of a room, but not the emotional imprints or memories associated with them. To get those details, Mind Reading, Limited to Emotions should be used, instead.
Hero Points
It is recommended to try to give out at least one Hero Point per scene. Hero Points give GMs the leeway to dictate the plot and heroes the leeway to be awesome and are an important part of the ecosystem. Note, different games have different requirements - the more dice rolled, the more Hero Points should be given out, and vice-versa. This is merely a starting guideline.
Hero Points & Dramatic Situations
It is recommended and encouraged to use Hero Points to smooth out narratives. Villain badly botch a Resistance Check early in an encounter? Give the attacker a Hero Point and re-roll it, as if using a Hero Point. Want to make a statement? Have a villain use something like Ultimate Effort or Seize Initiative, and give out Hero Point(s) to affected players. Want to make an attack sting a bit extra? Give the target a Hero Point and (for example) say they’re Stunned instead of Dazed for a round. Villains need to escape once off-screen early in a story? Give everyone a Hero Point, the villain’s vanished! Players have a Power that’s unexpectedly Plot-Stopping? Give them a Hero Point - for some reason it doesn’t work or doesn’t do quite what it usually does. Situations that might be “fudged” in other systems should be handled via distributing Hero Points. They’re license to fudge and a promise that players get to be awesome later for playing along. Don’t be afraid to hand them out as-needed to keep the pace exciting and dramatic!
Complications
It is recommended for players to be forward with GMs when they feel their Complications are relevant to the scenario and may deserve being awarded a Hero Point over, such as their Temper Complication being relevant, or trying to trigger an Ablative Armor Complication on a Device.
It is recommended for GMs to try and open a dialogue and incorporate players who may have relevant Complications such as employment or home life or rivals, etc., into their plots, to help games feel more personal and less disposable, where possible.
It is recommended that players who feel they have such an in-road as mentioned above into a GM’s plot to try and send a message to that GM a reasonable amount of time before the game starts to see if they can work such a personal Complication into the narrative, if they are expressly looking for and hoping for that GM to do so.
Due to the open nature of the FreedomVerse compared to a typical campaign with a personal GM, a back and forth between both the players and the GM of each game is a healthy and important part of ensuring people’s Complications get put to use!
Mixed-Power Level Games
It is recommended that GMs that wish to run Mixed-Power Level Games (games where PCs are of differing Power Levels within the same party) use the following guidelines for giving out initial Hero Points:
1. The GM sets a Series Power Level for the story, that is the intended Power Level the GM expects the PCs to be for this adventure.
2. Players of the Series Power Level start with 1 Hero Point.
3. Players below the Series Power Level start with 1 additional Hero Point for every Power Level they are below that game’s Series Power Level.
4. Players one Power Level above the Series Power Level do not start with a Hero Point.
5. Players two or more Power Levels above the Series Power Level cannot apply.
If a GM runs a game where Power Level may not be a relevant factor, it is instead likely best to just start all heroes with one Hero Point regardless of Power Level, as normal.