Diceless Play

This is a method players can use to even out their luck without affecting the odds of the game (the average goal roll is exactly the same as if they used dice, but over the long haul, they are guaranteed average goal rolls overall).

Players who wish to use this method must bring a deck of cards to the game, this deck must be ordered in the following manner Joker x 2, Ace x 4, King x 4, etc. Before play they must offer this deck to their opponent for review. After review, the deck is then shuffled.

When a dice roll is called for, this player turns over that number of cards instead. Cards 8+ count as 1 goal each, with the exception of Aces and Jokers which count as 2 goals each. If the player is eligible for re-rolls, they discard the number of cards they wish to re-roll and then draw that many more to replace them.

If at any point there are not enough cards left to draw the required number of cards, draw what is there, then shuffle the discard pile and draw the remaining number of cards needed.

Statistics:

For those who may care, I present the odds here. As you may know an easy way to calculate the odds of any die, is to add up its sides and divide by the number of sides (so for 1d6, 1+2+3+4+5+6 = 21, 21/6 = 3.5) In normal S2 each dice averages 2/3 of a goal or 66.67% of a goal (0+0+0+1+1+2 = 4, 4/6 = 66.67%) With diceless play, each card averages 2/3 of a goal too. There are 54 total cards, with 24 providing 1 goal each and 6 providing 2 goals each (24x1+6x2 = 36, 36/54 = 66.67%)

Since the odds are the same, each player can decide which method, they will use, but anyone who uses cards, must do so for the remainder of the scenario.

Personally, I'd buy 4 decks of cards and make an all Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs decks. This would make it easier since everyone would know which deck they were using.

Initiative

This is a new, more realistic initiative system to try. Under this system, held actions no longer exist as they are no longer necessary since every model gets a chance to react to every move or action.

Before the battle begins, each player designates one of his models as the Leader of his team. At the beginning of each Round, each player makes an Initiative goal roll for their Leader. Leaders possess Initiative dice equal to their Agility or Mind attributes (player's choice) plus any dice they have in special effects like Lightning Reflexes or Lightning Strategist (see the Power section in Chapter II).

The leader who scores the higher number of goals wins the initiative for that round and may decide which initiative position their team will take that turn (there is one position per side or team, so if there are 3 teams, the winner can say they are going 1st, 2nd, or 3rd), then next highest goal total picks a different slot, and so on.

If two or more leaders tie in their goal roll, the one with the higher base AP total wins. If they also have the same AP total, then the one with the most extra attack and movement APs wins. If they are still tied, then each should roll a single D6 until one of them scores a higher roll.

When a team or side's initiative phase arrives, all of their models must take a single movement or action. The AP cost of the move or action is irrelevant, but each model records on their sheet or with a die next to their model how many APs they have spent so far this turn. Usually a single action won't allow a model to spend a huge amount of APs at once, but it is possible for a model to move all their APs in a single move.

However, there is a minimum AP expenditure of 3. Each time that a team receives initiative focus (a term for the team acting now), all models spend the AP cost of their move/action or 3 whichever is higher. This means that models that choose to do nothing at this moment or who decide to only move an inch or two still spend 3 APs (time moves on while they observe or plan).

Example:

The Inedible Bulk has 6 base APs and 3 APs of extra movement and this turn wants to move over to a car, pick it up, and throw it. When his team first gets focus, he moves 2" over to the car, but must spend 3 APs so spends all 3 of his movement APs. When next his team recieves focus, he picks up the car, spending 3 APs. And the third time his team recieves focus, he throws the car for 3 APs. Note that after each of these actions the opposing team or teams also took actions so they could react at any point.

Multiple Leaders: When a team's leader is KO'ed or taken out of action, its player must choose another model from the team as the new leader.

Multi-Power: (replaces Omni-Power)

Once a pool is purchased, models can add power slots to it, each of these powers costs 4 points for a Full Slot and 2 points for a Half Slot. Full Slot powers can have up to the entire pool base points allocated to them at any one time (Half slots can only allocate up to half the pool points into that power).

Slots don't have to use the full amount of points they're entitled too. So in our 30 point pool example, a Ranged Attack Full Slot power could allocate 30 points towards Ranged Attack or might only use 14 points on a given reallocation leaving 16 points for other powers slot to use. Power slots have access to any and all extras for their power as well.

If the base pool has a power modifier all the slots do as well and all are reduced by the appropriate amount. However, if a slot has a power modifier, only its points are reduced (a model could have a slot with the One-Shot Power Mod that would cost less, only affecting that slot, but if the entire pool had the One-Shot Power Mod, so would all the slots, but the it would only be able to be used for one turn).

Example: Solar Wind wants to have many Sun/Light related powers, but not necessarily be able to use them all at once, so he decides to buy them using Multi-Power. Here's what he buys:

Multi-Power Pool (32)
32 Base Pool
04 Damaging Aura (Full)
02 Flight (Half)
02 Darkness (Half)
02 Ranged Attack (Half)
02 Flare Attack (Half)
02 Force Field (Half)
==
46 Total BPs

Its important to note that since slots don't have to be allocated at their maximum level, a model can have many slots active at one time. The terms Full/Half refer to their maximum allocation potential and are not intended to represent their minimum pool allocation (minimum is 0). So Solar Wind could allocate the following three Half slots in a given turn, if desired:

10 Flight
06 Force Field x 3
08 Darkness+Personal Immunity
08 Ranged Attack (4D,30")
==
32 Base Pool Points Allocated

Powers with lingering effects remain in play as long as the pool has that power slot allocated minimally to that same level. That slots allocation can change, but if any in play effects are lessened or swapped out, then the in play power ceases functioning. So if Solar Wind set up a Darkness field at range using 9 points of his pool and then later reallocated it to 11 points adding in personal immunity, the existing darkness field would stay in play. However, if he instead swapped out the Range extra and replaced it with Personaly Immunity (dropping the point allocation to 8 points), then the existing field would drop and be replaced by the new one, even if he was inside the old field at the time.

Reallocating points in a Multi-Power costs the model 2 APs and can be done during or at the start of a turn. If done at the start of a turn, it does not prevent the model from charging that turn.

Full Slot (+4 pts): Assigns a specific power name to a slot and grants it a maximum allocation of the entire base pool when allocating base pool points. Its minimum allocation is 0.

Half Slot (+2 pts): Assigns a specific power name to a slot and grants it a maximum allocation equal to half the base pool when allocating base pool points. Its minimum allocation is 0.

Omni-Power (+10 pts): This modifier turns a Multi-Power into an Omni-Power which simply removes the 'specific power name' restriction to all Full and Half slots. During base point reallocation, slot powers can also be reallocated with any game power. So if we wanted to upgrade our Solar Wind example above to a model named Captain Cosmic (who can fill his slots with any power), it would look like this:

Omni-Power Pool (32)
32 Base Pool
10 Omni Upgrade
04 Full Slot x 1
10 Half Slot x 5
==
56 Total BPs

You'll note Captain Cosmic has exactly the same base pool and Full/Half slots as Solar Wind, but paid 10 more BPs since he can fill his slots with any game power (unless the power prohibits it from being used in a power pool).

Powers Stay Swapped Out (-50%): This is a modifier only for the Omni-Power extra (dropping it from a 10 point extra to 5). Once a model swaps a power out of its Omni-Power pool it may not be swapped back in for the remainder of the scenario.

Gadget Pool: (Replaces Elemental Control)

Once a pool is purchased, models can add specific slots to it, which costs 4 points for a Full Slot and 2 points for a Half Slot. Full Slot powers can utilize up to the entire base pool points (Half slots can only utilize up to half the base pool points).

Each slot can be made up of multiple powers, but the make up and the number of points it draws from the base pool is fixed during a scenario, but it can be changed between scenarios. Consider Gadget Guy as an example:

Gadget Pool (30)
30 Base Pool
08 Full Slot x 2
04 Half Slot x 2
==
42 Total BPs

Now for a particular scenario, he may have his pool allocated thusly:

Gadget Pool (30)
Assault Rifle (29)
--Ranged Attack (9D,30")
--Combat Sense x 3 (Scope)
--Rapid Fire

Grenades (20)
--Ranged Attack (9D,22",Radius)
--Reduced Range x 2

Jet Pack (10)
--Flight

Laser Pistol (15)
--Ranged Attack (7D,32")

So for this scenario, Gadget guy could use his Assault Rifle for a bit, then spend 2 APs to shoulder/stow that away and activate his jetpack and get his grenades ready. Later he may stow the grenades in favor of his laser pistol/jetpack combination.

So Gadget Guy can activate any number of slots as long as the total pool draw from all activated slots remains less than or equal to his base pool amount. However, he can only change the composition of his Full/Half slots between scenarios, for this one he has fixed the slot power level and configurations as detailed above.

Note that in the Grenades Full slot, he kept the cost down to 20 by taking reduced range. You my use disadvantages to bring the cost of a slot down, but combination of powers in the slot can't total more than the slots maximum value before the disadvantages are applied. So he couldn't take a 60 point power and buy the No Range disadvantage on it to bring it down to 30. But he could take a 30 point power and bring it down to 15 in this manner and even though it only uses 15 pool points it would still count as a Full Slot because it started out at 30 points before disadvantages.

Gadget Pools may not have disadvantages applied to the base pool or the Full/Half slot costs, but the powers within those slots may have them as illustrated above. Additionally, slots don't have to use the full amount of points they're entitled too (as you can see from our Grenade example above). The terms Full/Half refer to their maximum allocation potential and are not intended to represent their minimum pool allocation (minimum is 0).

Powers with lingering effects remain in play as long as the slot remains active. Swapping out the slot cancels any and all lingering power effects in play.

Swapping slots in a Gadget Pool costs the model 2 APs and can be done during or at the start of a turn. If done at the start of a turn, it does not prevent the model from charging that turn.

Full Slot (+4 pts): Allows for the creation of a slot which contains one or more powers which total no more than the base pool points (prior to disadvantages). This allocation is fixed for each scenario, but the entire slot composition and pool point draw may be changed between scenarios.

Full Slot (+2 pt): Allows for the creation of a slot which contains one or more powers which total no more than the half the base pool points (prior to disadvantages). This allocation is fixed for each scenario, but the entire slot composition and pool point draw may be changed between scenarios.

Normal Ally:

If an Ally perishes during the post-battle sequence of the game a new Ally based on the same starting points level can be built, but this new Ally is not added to the game until the second scenario following the previous Ally's demise.

As normal humans, allys may not purchase many of the powers and abilities available to most models, nor may they have a base stat above 3.. Allies may not purchase anything a normal human couldn't have and even the powers they can purchase are limited to their low dice pool maximums. The following two paragraphs list what powers they can and can't have, but you should use the above principle for anything which isn't covered below.

Allowed: Armor, Berserker, Bodyguard, Climbing, Combat Sense, Cowardly, Darkness, The Difference, Enhanced Senses, Escape Artist, Extra Attacks, Extra Movement, Extra/Lesser Vitality, Flare, Force Field, Instant Stand, Iron Will, Lucky, Massive, Melee Attack, Monologuer, Perfect Timing, Pushing, Ranged Attack, Unlucky, and Veterans.

Not Allowed: Alternate Form, Boost/Drain, Copy Power, Damaging Aura, Density Decrease/Increase, Dispel, Dominate, Elasticity, Entangle, Extra Forms, Flight, Fortune, Growth, Healing, Hyper Movement, Invisibility, Knockback Resistance, Limited Mobility, Mental Attack, Normal Ally, Omni-Power, Power Frameworks, Reflection, Regeneration, Ricochet Attack, Shrinking, Sidekick, Soulless, Super Anything, Telekinesis, Terrifying Aura, Vehicle, X-Ray Sight.

Extra Forms:

Alter-Ego Only (-50%): Models possessing this extra may choose to start the game in a normal human guise, their identities and intentions masked. Players choosing to employ this ability at the beginning of a scenario should replace their character model with an appropriate civilian model. A second profile for the Civilian model should also be handy, as this will represent the model's more limited capabilities in its human guise.

This alter-ego profile may be built on up to 50% of the character model's cost (these costs must include the Alter-Ego power). For example, Vamp is an 85 pt. character possessing Alter-Ego. Her human guise may be built on up to 43 points.

Alter-Ego models in their human guise are not easily recognized by foes as potential hostiles. As long as the Alter-Ego model remains at least 10" away from teammates not also using Alter-Ego, enemy models wishing to attack them must make Difficult (5) Mind goal rolls to recognize them as a threat. If an Alter-Ego model strays within 10" of their teammates, the detection roll drops to Difficult (2).

Area of Effect (3-6 pts.): Powers with this modifier...

Spray (+3 pts.): This modifier acts just like the Cone area of effect modifier, except that when fired as a Cone, the range is zero. This is useful for autofire or wide beam effects that can be fired at long range as a single shot or at zero range covering an area.

Burnout-[1/2/3] (-10%/-25%/-50%): This modifier is for models who have one or more powers that may stop working during a scenario. There are three levels of burnout and the point cost reduction and burnout roll are affected by this choice.

At the end of any turn in which a model uses one or more of their powers with a burnout disadvantage, they must make a burnout roll for each one (3d6). If they don't score at least as many goals as its burnout level, the power burns out and may not be used for the rest of the scenario. This roll is unalterable by other powers (i.e., Fortune, Luck, etc.).

Example:

Crystalmancer channels his magical energies through a crystal on his staff to which he must attune himself. Occasionally these crystals can't handle the stress put upon them by his powers (Burnout-1). At the end of every turn that Crystalmancer uses his staff, he must make a Burnout roll (3d6). If he doesn't get at least 1 goal (Burnout-1), his crystal burns out and he will be unable to use his powers for the rest of the scenario. Between scenarios, he will have the time to replace the damaged crystal and re-attune himself.

Costs Vitality (-2/Die, max 3): Using a power with this mod carries with it a heavy price. Every time the power is used, the model must roll their Costs Vitality dice and mark off a number of Vitality points equal to the number of goals rolled (0-2 per die). Damage from this power mod cannot be Healed or Regenerated, or regained through the use of Boost/Drain. Vitality loss from this mod returns between battles.

Knockback Only (0 pts.): Powers with this modifier are more effective at knocking opponents back, but do not damage them in any way (i.e., wind gusts, gravity pushes, etc.). This modifier can be applied to any power that can knock opponents back and once applied, that power no longer does normal damage. Opposed attack/defense rolls still happen, but if an opponent is struck they cannot resist the damage (unless they have KB resistance or Flight).

When an opponent is struck, Damage is rolled normally, but the resulting goals are in inches of knockback instead of vitality damage. Knockback resistance is subtracted from the KB goal total as normal. If the target has Flying, they receive 2D to resist this effect with +1D for each 3 APs of Extra Movement they may have purchased (subtract the flying resistance goals they roll from the damage total).