Alternate Identities for The Supercrew

The Supercrew's design stays away from tasks of the mundane world and avoids questions surrounding things like secret identities by working from the premise that every player of The Supercrew plays themselves with superpowers. While this is super fun and makes playing The Supercrew as a quick pick-up game the ideal vehicle, there's no reason The Supercrew couldn't be easily adapted to other comic book superhero settings.

Most heroes in traditional comic book stories live a double life. There is the person behind the mask and costume in addition to the hero. To handle alternate identities in The Supercrew all your players need to do is make a second character.

Create your alternate just like you did your hero! First determine your three abilities! To guide the Ability creation process for your Alternate it's suggested that you define an ability in one of each of the following three categories:

1. Profession

2. Hobby

3. Charge

Profession: this is what your hero's alternate identity does for a living, like doctor or photographer or scientist. You can call upon your profession when it seems like that profession would provide skills relevant to something your hero wants to accomplish.

Hobby: Like a Profession, but something your Hero does for fun while in his alternate identity. Hobbies add flavor to your character.

Charge: This is a person that your hero cares about. Roll this when your hero wants to do something motivated by your hero's sense of responsibility to their charge.

(You may recognize these categories from HiLo Heroes. I thought they would work great with The Supercrew.)

Of the three things listed, which one comes into play for your alternate identity the most often? Give that a score of 2. Choose one of the other abilities to be your most reliable fall back and give it a score of 3. Finally, your last ability is one that isn't dependable and can sometimes give you trouble. Give that final ability a score of 1.

Next select some tricks that will work for your alternate identity in the same way tricks sharpen and refine your hero identity! These can be refinements of skills, interests, people or talents for your hero in their alternate identity.

Here is an example of an Alternate Identity for The Supercrew:

CLARK KENT

Abilities:

3 Kryptonian Science and Technology (Hobby)

2 Lois Lane (Charge)

1 Mild Mannered Reporter (Profession)

Tricks:

Call Ma, she'll know what to do! (Charge)
[__] Re-Roll the Dice.

Just the right gadget for the job! (Hobby)
[__] Change one die to a 5.

I found a clue! (Profession)
[__] Change Effect to 2.

By playing both the Hero character and the Alternate Identity character independently, the integrity of The Supercrew game mechanics remain intact but the options for the player are doubled as is the richness of the character role being played.

Using the Alternate Identity character option, The Supercrew can emulate a great variety of comic book worlds and characters.

Regards,



Jeff Moore