As many of the regular followers of this blog know, I'm working on a GURPS Marvel Comics Reboot project on the side, which has been going on for the past 10 years. (I started in '07; has it really been that long?) Today, I begin work on a series of Designer's Notes for various characters in the Reboot, starting with our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!
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| Our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man |
First, with the exception of the Ultimate Marvel imprint and various other media Pete hasn't been in high school in the comics since the mid-1960s! At the time I read his titles - during the height of the comics craze from the mid-'80s through mid-'90s, when he had four concurrent titles (Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, and Spider-Man) - Pete was a college graduate student pursuing his Masters of Science degree in Chemistry at Empire State University (Marvel's fictitious university on the south end of Manhattan) and married to Mary Jane, who was expecting their first child (a daughter they named May after Pete's Aunt May). Gwen had died in '75 (an action nearly universally held as the start of the Bronze Age of Comics).
It's only the Ultimate Spider-Man titles and the movies put out post Spider-Man 3 that have him still in high school.
In my case, I cannot relate to a high school aged Spider-Man. It's been far too long since I was in high school (late '80s), and as I said the Spider-Man I know and love was an adult. I also realized that making Pete a graduate student would alienate the fans who see him as a perpetual teenager. So I split the difference: I made him a college freshman, just out of high school, and new to his powers.
Defining Spider-Man's Powers
Speaking of his powers, everyone knows Spider-Man's origins: bit by a radioactive spider, he
gains the proportionate strength, speed, and agility of a spider.
There's just one problem with that situation, which please permit me to
paraphrase Futurama:
RADIATION DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT!
Ahem, sorry.
There have been different attempts to explain Spidey's powers in the comics and movies that recognize this aspect, from the bite transmitting a genetic retrovirus that rewrote his genetic code to the bite conveying unto him the post of "champion of the spider totem". For the Reboot, I've decided to take a page out of the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie trilogy and make the bite inject him with a genetic retrovirus which augmented his DNA.
Spidey's classic power set is essentially as follows: Superhuman strength in the "10 ton lift" range, superhuman agility, the ability to stick to most surfaces the way most insects and spiders seem to be able to, and a "spider-sense" which enables him to sense danger just before it happens. One lesser-known power is the ability to see bullets in flight, which is generally considered part of his spider-sense. He is also generally more durable than most, given the beatings he often takes. The Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire movie trilogy also gave us the idea that his webbing was innate; most other depictions have him using mechanical web-shooters using a chemical formula he invented. I have chosen in the Reboot to go with the Raimi/Maguire explanation for the time being.
To begin with, let's review what I have as his powers:
Attributes: ST 22/112 [20*]; DX 12/18 [40†]; HT 12 [20]..
Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 2d/4d (12d/14d); BL 97 lbs. (2,509 lbs/1.25 tons); HP 22 [0]; FP 20 [24]; Basic Speed 6.00/8.00 [0]; Basic Move 6/8 [0]; Brachiation Move 4 [0]; Dodge 9/15.
* Includes +10/+100 from Super ST.
† Includes +6 from Extra DX.
Allow me to go into detail on a few items:
First, his superhuman agility. You'll note that I have his DX split, 12/18, resulting in his Basic Speed, Basic Move, and Dodge also being split (6.00/8.00, 6/8, and 9/15 respectively). His Extra DX +6 has a power modifier (Super, -10%) on it, which means that in rare cases where his powers are negated he essentially still has an above-average DX score (12). In the Reboot, I've decided to cap DX, IQ, and HT at 15 unless those traits are deemed to be "superhuman". This makes Spidey's typical DX 18 effectively superhuman. Assisting in his superhuman agility are Perfect Balance and Enhanced Dodge 3, the latter of which enables him to most blows.
For his superhuman strength, Pete has a wiry physique; he doesn't look muscled, but there's also almost no body fat. With his powers, he's able to lift a 10-ton car over his head with effort using both arms. Reverse-engineering his Basic Lift from the 2-handed lift (BLx8), we have SQRT(20,000/8*5), which gives us ST 111.8, which I rounded to 112. Then I looked at the closest Super ST level: +10/+100. This gave me a base ST of 12 before factoring in Super ST. He's also said to be able to leap great distances thanks to his strength; this is handled by giving him Super Jump. Not on the sheet though certainly plausible is giving him levels of Super Throw giving him the ability to throw items farther than he normally should be able to.
Spidey is quite durable, able to withstand blows from superhumanly strong foes, though he doesn't come through those fights unscathed. I've forgone the use of DR and instead went with Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction), which I've limited to reducing the power of Crushing blows (such as most superhumanly strong punches) only. This has the side-effect that blades, bullets, lasers, and other such effects affect him normally.
His webbing. I used Binding for the main effect, which is typically holding his enemies in place. If you want to give him mechanical/chemical web shooters, I'd replace the "Super, -10%" with "Mechanical, -10%", "Electronic, -30%" (depending on whether you rule they rely on advanced electronics or are purely mechanical) or a set of Gadget limitations (including "Breakable: SM -7, -5%", "Breakable: DR 2 or less, -20%", and "Can Be Stolen/Forcibly Removed, -10%"). The two Perks - Climbing Line and Swinging - are also part of the web shooters, and work as-is regardless of whether the webbing is innate or technological in nature. He has also been known to craft items with his webbing, but since the Reboot is a Year One reset he hasn't yet messed with that as much. If adding those in, I'd go with using Gizmos with an Accessibility: Webbing Creations Only limitation (which I'd set as a -20% limitation, reducing Gizmos from 5 per level to 4 per level). Another way would be to use Create Webbing and Control Webbing, with a Link on both, though I don't recommend it.
Finally, his "spider-sense". At first glance, Danger Sense is perfect for it. On top of that, the ability to perceive bullets in flight is part of Enhanced Time Sense (which includes the effects of Combat Reflexes). His Enhanced Dodge is also part of this spider-sense.
One other thing I got bitched at a lot about was his "low" Dodge score. Seems folks expect Spider-Man to be Dodge 18+ right from the start. I figured people were looking at Spider-Man in the comics with over 15 in-universe years experience who has put earned XP into additional DX and Enhanced Dodge, not a Spider-Man who has had his powers for less than a year and is still learning all that he can do with them.
Next week, I'll be giving designer's notes on either Daredevil or Hank Pym/Ant-Man. I'm also open to suggestions for others in the Reboot I've posted who folks want explanations on.
To begin with, let's review what I have as his powers:
Attributes: ST 22/112 [20*]; DX 12/18 [40†]; HT 12 [20]..
Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 2d/4d (12d/14d); BL 97 lbs. (2,509 lbs/1.25 tons); HP 22 [0]; FP 20 [24]; Basic Speed 6.00/8.00 [0]; Basic Move 6/8 [0]; Brachiation Move 4 [0]; Dodge 9/15.
Advantages: Binding
(Webbing) 20 (Sticky, +20%; Super, -10%) [44]; Clinging (Passive Biological, -5%) [19]; Danger Sense (ESP, -10%) [14];
Enhanced Dodge 3 (ESP, -10%)
[41]; Enhanced Time Sense (ESP, -10%)
[41]; Extra DX +6 (Super, -10%) [108]; Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction /10; Limited:
Crushing Attacks, -40%; Super, -10%) [75]; Perfect Balance (Super, -10%)
[14]; Super Jump 2 (Super, -10%) [18]; Super ST +10/+100 (Super,
-10%) [360].
Perks: Climbing Line [1]; Swinging [1].
* Includes +10/+100 from Super ST.
† Includes +6 from Extra DX.
Allow me to go into detail on a few items:
First, his superhuman agility. You'll note that I have his DX split, 12/18, resulting in his Basic Speed, Basic Move, and Dodge also being split (6.00/8.00, 6/8, and 9/15 respectively). His Extra DX +6 has a power modifier (Super, -10%) on it, which means that in rare cases where his powers are negated he essentially still has an above-average DX score (12). In the Reboot, I've decided to cap DX, IQ, and HT at 15 unless those traits are deemed to be "superhuman". This makes Spidey's typical DX 18 effectively superhuman. Assisting in his superhuman agility are Perfect Balance and Enhanced Dodge 3, the latter of which enables him to most blows.
For his superhuman strength, Pete has a wiry physique; he doesn't look muscled, but there's also almost no body fat. With his powers, he's able to lift a 10-ton car over his head with effort using both arms. Reverse-engineering his Basic Lift from the 2-handed lift (BLx8), we have SQRT(20,000/8*5), which gives us ST 111.8, which I rounded to 112. Then I looked at the closest Super ST level: +10/+100. This gave me a base ST of 12 before factoring in Super ST. He's also said to be able to leap great distances thanks to his strength; this is handled by giving him Super Jump. Not on the sheet though certainly plausible is giving him levels of Super Throw giving him the ability to throw items farther than he normally should be able to.
Spidey is quite durable, able to withstand blows from superhumanly strong foes, though he doesn't come through those fights unscathed. I've forgone the use of DR and instead went with Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction), which I've limited to reducing the power of Crushing blows (such as most superhumanly strong punches) only. This has the side-effect that blades, bullets, lasers, and other such effects affect him normally.
His webbing. I used Binding for the main effect, which is typically holding his enemies in place. If you want to give him mechanical/chemical web shooters, I'd replace the "Super, -10%" with "Mechanical, -10%", "Electronic, -30%" (depending on whether you rule they rely on advanced electronics or are purely mechanical) or a set of Gadget limitations (including "Breakable: SM -7, -5%", "Breakable: DR 2 or less, -20%", and "Can Be Stolen/Forcibly Removed, -10%"). The two Perks - Climbing Line and Swinging - are also part of the web shooters, and work as-is regardless of whether the webbing is innate or technological in nature. He has also been known to craft items with his webbing, but since the Reboot is a Year One reset he hasn't yet messed with that as much. If adding those in, I'd go with using Gizmos with an Accessibility: Webbing Creations Only limitation (which I'd set as a -20% limitation, reducing Gizmos from 5 per level to 4 per level). Another way would be to use Create Webbing and Control Webbing, with a Link on both, though I don't recommend it.
Finally, his "spider-sense". At first glance, Danger Sense is perfect for it. On top of that, the ability to perceive bullets in flight is part of Enhanced Time Sense (which includes the effects of Combat Reflexes). His Enhanced Dodge is also part of this spider-sense.
One other thing I got bitched at a lot about was his "low" Dodge score. Seems folks expect Spider-Man to be Dodge 18+ right from the start. I figured people were looking at Spider-Man in the comics with over 15 in-universe years experience who has put earned XP into additional DX and Enhanced Dodge, not a Spider-Man who has had his powers for less than a year and is still learning all that he can do with them.
Next week, I'll be giving designer's notes on either Daredevil or Hank Pym/Ant-Man. I'm also open to suggestions for others in the Reboot I've posted who folks want explanations on.
