So, which supers RPG has random tables (or lists) of weaknesses, either of vulnerabilities, power-limitations, or personal flaws?

And which one has the best of these that you've seen?

RPGPundit

Mutants and Masterminds has plenty of "weaknesses". I use the quotation marks, because the heroes can't really die in M&M.

Does Gurps Supers count? As it has plenty of Disadvantages, both superhero and mundane to choose from.

V&V has random tables.

HERO doesn't have random tables, though I know there was at least one "Random Character Generator" with a random disads table. I can't remember which book.

Like most such tables, it was good for a laugh but not much else.  Randomly tossing powers onto a character can be an interesting intellectual puzzle, but it's rare that such random conglomerations of powers and disads actually suggests a coherent character that matches the player's playstyle.

Quote from: droog;266982V&V has random tables.

Yeah, when it comes to Superhero RPGs, Villains & Vigilantes is preferable to me.

Quote from: jeff37923;267088Yeah, when it comes to Superhero RPGs, Villains & Vigilantes is preferable to me.

QFT
V&V is the unkillable zombie-dinosaur of superhero games.

Quote from: Aos;267093QFT
V&V is the unkillable zombie-dinosaur of superhero games.

Isn't it out of print, and thus...killed?

I like V&V, but only because someone always tries to claim an IQ way out of proportion with reality and everyone laughs, or claims they can lift 280 lbs and then gets a hernia proving it.

Oh, and the art.  The art is AWESOME.

Quote from: Jackalope;267099Isn't it out of print, and thus...killed?

I like V&V, but only because someone always tries to claim an IQ way out of proportion with reality and everyone laughs, or claims they can lift 280 lbs and then gets a hernia proving it.

Oh, and the art.  The art is AWESOME.

It is OP, but available new in a couple of different places online. That would explain both my zombie and my dinosaur references. It is undead and extinct. Not only can you get it for like $8.00 but most of supplements are still easily to get and cheap as well.

I'm not sure you need a list. If you know the source of a character's power, you automatically know what will affect it:

Genetics - Neurological Inhibitors such a tasers, drugs, and "collars".

Power Sourcing (channeling power from the sun or moon, like superman) - Anything that blocks or affects the source

Magic - Demons, Anti-Magic Zones, Spells

Psychic Powers - Mind Affecting Drugs, Astral Creatures, Other Psychics

Chi - Illness, Pollution

Technological - Equipment Failure, Computer Hacking

The old Marvel Superheroes from TSR has weaknesses.  They were introduced in the Ultimate Powers book.  Random generation and all.  Good stuff that!

Quote from: Cranewings;267111Power Sourcing (channeling power from the sun or moon, like superman) - Anything that blocks or affects the source

Interestingly enough, your example Superman remains powerful for a very long time after being cut of from his power source (the darkness of night, for example, as no effect on his power).  His actual weakness are kryptonite and magic.

Quote from: Jackalope;267143Interestingly enough, your example Superman remains powerful for a very long time after being cut of from his power source (the darkness of night, for example, as no effect on his power).  His actual weakness are kryptonite and magic.

Though it has come up in comics often (Superman Vs Aliens, Final Night, among others--albeit it depends a lot on which continuity is followed.)

Games with Random Rolls for Weaknesses:
Marvel Superheroes (using the Ultimate Powers book--otherwise you just chose limits..)
Villains & Vigilantes


Most point based systems don't offer them for random roll. However, it is pretty easy to cobble them together from standard tropes (Need Widgit, Allergy, Weakness, Power Source, etc etc.)

I've yet to see a super game that didn't have some sort of weakness mechanic.   Even the Palladium 'Heroes Unlimited' had... um... several, and unlike most (oddly enough given Palladium's issues) actually tied your weaknesses to your Hero explicitly.

Wait:  Brave New World didn't have a weakness system. Of course, in BNW your superheroicness was limited enough that adding a super weakness would have been somewhat silly.  

Of course, now I want to list every superhero game I actually own (including Guardians, from the same guys that brought you the Justifiers RPG... Superbabes, some craptacular boxed set from the early days that gave me a headache when I tried to read it... DC, Marvel... Heroes Unlimited, the GURPS Supers supplements, Champions (2, 3 and Hero 5)... Brave New World... Jeebus.. thats not even all of them...)

I vaguely remember owning a copy of Guardians, but I seem to recall it being pretty pointless given the existence (at the time) of Villains & Vigilantes, Champions, DC Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes, GURPS Supers, Superworld and Heroes Unlimited (did I forget any?).  Like Justifiers, the actual mechanics didn't seem to work in actual play.  Unlike Justifiers, the world/setting wasn't particularly interesting.

The base mechanics, that of a percentage roll, are sound. I'll admit that Justifiers and Guardians both suffer from having everything be unique, every skill and power seems to have its own little microsystem determining your basic ability, which seems to be a taste issue (greater granularity in exchange for more annoying character creation...)

As I am loath to use existing settings 'as written'... particularly when the existing setting is as blandly generic and undetailed as the Guardians setting, I can't exactly fault that part of the game.

But I am curious, as my collection of games does exceed my ability to actually play them all, where exactly Guardians/Justifiers fell down on actual play?