Deeds - Dastardly & Heroic - A trick taking Superhero RPG

This is an idea that I am playing with for a scene based RPG resolution system inspired by Biff, Bam, Kapow and trick taking card games.

Deeds: Dastardly & Heroic

Mood

Cards are used to determine the mood in a scene. Think of mood as the lighting, the camera angles, and the music that permeates the scene. The mood can be Calm, Suspenseful, Dastardly, or Heroic. (Alliteration is used to tie mood and suit together: calm to clubs, suspenseful to spades, etc.)

Calm (clubs)

• Fail: +0 Progress
  
• Succeed: +1 Progress
  

Suspenseful (spades)

• Fail: -1 Progress
• Succeed: +1 Progress
  

Dastardly (diamonds)

• Fail: -2 Progress
• Succeed: +1 Progress
  

Heroic (hearts)

• Fail: -1 Progress
• Succeed: +2 Progress
  

When a character succeeds when taking an action, they gain Progress. When a character fails when taking an action, they may lose Progress. The amount of Progress lost or gained is based on the Mood for that round in the scene. 

 

Every scene will last five rounds. The GM will have chosen a selection of five cards depending on the Dominant Mood of the scene. Three of the cards will match the selected mood and the other two could be anything. Here are some suggestions:

• Calm Scene: 3 clubs, 2 spades
• Suspense Scene: 3 spades, 1 diamond, 1 club
• Dastardly Scene: 3 diamonds, 1 club, 1 heart
• Heroic Scene: 3 hearts, 2 spades

With the mood deck assembled, the GM shuffles the cards and flips one. Interpreting the mood of the card within the context of the current scene, the GM describes the actions and events taking place within the scene and then asks the players, "What do you do?"

• Every scene should have a defined goal that carries some importance to the outcome of the story.
• Progress moves the story forward.
• All scenes begin with 0 Progress.
• Actions taken by the players may increase or decrease Progress. 
• At the end of a scene if the players have accumulated 2x the number of players worth of total Progress then the scene is resolved in the players' favor.
• At the end of a scene if the players have accumulated less than the required total Progress then the scene is resolved to the players' detriment.
• Generally, scene types are played out in order in a circular fashion: calm to suspenseful; suspenseful to dastardly; dastardly to heroic; heroic to calm, etc.
  
  

Trick Taking

Players play a card from their hand on their turn in order to attempt action and influence the scene.

• The GM will inform the players of the Dominant Mood of the scene when the scene begins.
• Players draw a hand of five cards at the beginning of the scene, and do not redraw cards into their hand. (They will end the scene with no cards.)
  
• A player's action succeeds automatically if they play a card from their hand that matches the suit of the current mood for the round.
• Players may follow suit to be guaranteed success, but they are not forced to do so.
• Alternatively, a player may play a card for its value, ignoring its suit.
• Playing a card with a value that is equal to or lower than the score of a relative trait on their character sheet will result in a success. (See "Using Traits" below.)
  
• Each Trait can only be used once per scene.
• Each player has a personal deck of 52 cards.
• All cards without numbers (A, K, Q, J) have a value of 1.
• Trait Scores range from 2 (average) to 9 (legendary).
  
  

Character Creation

Roll or select one trait from each of the following 8 trait categories. (You can even make up your own trait for a given category if nothing meets your fancy.)

1. Origin Trait (How does your journey begin?)

1. Mutant (You were born different – very different)
2. Augment (Science changed you)
3. Alien (You're not from around here)
4. Enchanted (Magic changed you)
5. Rigor (You learned, trained or developed your natural abilities)
6. Robotic (You are what you were built to be)

2. Value Trait (What do you care about?)

1. Love (You do it because there's a special someone that motivates you.)
2. Duty (You must do it because you took an oath.)
3. Justice (You do it because it's the right thing to do.)
4. Glory (You do it to gain recognition.)
5. Power (You do it to get stronger.)
6. Truth (You do it because you have a need to know.)

3. Method Trait (How do you solve problems?)

1. Dynamo (You use your power)
2. Bruiser (You use your fists)
3. Investigator (You use your mind)
4. Diplomat (You use your words)
5. Seducer (You use your beauty)
6. Investor (You use your money)

4. Physical Trait (What about you physically do you depend on?)

1. Brawny (Your muscles have muscles)
2. Nimble (You can move your body with surprising speed and precision)
3. Tough (You can take punishment that would cause others to crumble)
4. Small (You can squeeze into tight places and are often underestimated)
5. Large (You can be quite intimidating even when you don't want to be)
6. Beautiful (Your physical appearance is pleasing to any who gaze upon it)

5. Intellectual Trait (What about you intellectually do you depend on?)

1. Resolute (You stick to your guns)
2. Creative (You think outside the box)
3. Wise (You have the experience of years)
4. Vigilant (You notice things that others don't)
5. Technical (You understand all kinds of technology)
6. Knowledgeable (You are full of interesting facts)

6. Personality Trait (What about your personality do you depend on?)

1. Courageous (You won't hesitate)
2. Witty (You can always bring a smile)
3. Persuasive (People find you convincing)
4. Empathic (You understand what others are feeling)
5. Endearing (People want to love and protect you)
6. Unapproachable (People know not to mess with you)

7. Superpower Trait (This is the power that makes you a superhero)

1. Speedster (You strike fast and hard)
2. Elementalist (You blast with bolts of power)
3. Shapeshifter (You change your form to something else)
4. Ninja (You strike from the shadows)
5. Mentalist (You possess psychic abilities)
6. Paragon (One of your Physical, Intellectual or Personality Traits has evolved into a superpower)

8. Civilian Identity Trait (This is what you do when you aren't hiding behind the mask)

1. Doctor/Paramedic
2. Lawyer/Law Enforcement
3. Celebrity/Politician
4. Student/Teacher
5. Working Class
6. Scientist/Engineer

Fleshing Out Traits

Take some time to add personal detail to your traits so that you can envision the character that you want. D&H leans heavily into narrative resolution and "theater of the mind." Add any details that you like that will give you the sense of the character you are creating and help you to describe their moments in the story.

Trait Scores

All traits start with a score of 2. You have 4 points to assign to improve your traits. Improve traits as you wish, but no trait can ever be more that 5 points higher than your lowest trait, and no trait can ever have a score greater than 9.

Using Traits

Try to save lower valued cards in your hand to use with your Traits as you are trying to play equal to or lesser than your Trait Score. One important rule to remember is that once you use a trait to perform an action, that trait is exhausted and cannot be used again in this scene!

Scenes

All scenes should be defined with clear goals and consequences relating to both success and failure. Combat is resolved like any other scene. The Players and the GM can describe exciting exchanges of blows between combatants to match the mood of the scene, understanding that the final resolution only occurs at the end of the fifth round after the last card is played and Progress is tallied.

Advancement

At the end of each game session players can make one change on their character sheet. They can increase a Trait Score by +1 (subject to the restrictions listed under "Trait Scores" above.) They can swap a defined Trait out for a different one in the same category. (This doesn't effect it's score.) They can change their character's name, description or anything else about them that makes sense within the context of the story and roleplay that has been shared. Every session: One Change.

  

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