What classes for Norms in a modern supernatural setting?

[Denaes]

Hello! Took a break from RPGs for a few years, picked up D&D4e and now players want to experience Palladium's system to test what they've heard (mostly bad) against all the great stories I tell them from gaming past.

Looking to run a game in a similar vein to Supernatural (the TV show). I'm looking at having players being strictly human. No other races, no magic, no psionics.

They can have knowledge of magic/supernatural, they can have abilities and even be badass. In fact I prefer them to be a bit over the top in various ways. But I need to have 4-5 players with a different feel to them without dipping into psionics/magic.

My first thought was Beyond The Supernatural. I pulled out BTS1e and there is one class that they could be according to my criteria: The Paraspychologist. I don't want 5 people all being one class.

Nightbane seemed like it might be a fit, but only the Between The Shadows book and thats fairly limited. I think I recall Through the Glass has an Accolyte who doesn't use magic...

HU2e I could see just using the skill system... but it just seems odd without choosing classes. There are a few in there to choose that aren't too over the top, but I'm not sure there were enough to fill out 5 man team of normal people.

I could probobly pick over various rifts books... Austrailia I recall had some normal classes. Rifts Ultimate has a few and there are a few others smattered around I guess.

Does BTS2e have any array of norms? How about Dead Reign? I might pick up the later to fill my zombie fetish.

On hand I have Rifts Ultimate, Through the Glass, BTS1e and a few rifters. In my storage facility I have maybe 95% of all books Palladium put out up until about when Rifts Ultimate came out, and I'm willing to buy a book that fits the needs well.

So any suggestions from newer books? Things I'm overlooking from older books? TIA for the help

[drewkitty ~..~]

Systems failure has some relevant classes. guns mechanics and medic are the ones I'm thinking of.

ordinary people from BTS1

you could also have them use "the psychic" skills set from the NB/S main book. It gives a nice range of ordinary person's set of skills.

what do I mean by using the skills set?.... drop out all the PSI stuff and use the rest as is.

then there is the Civilian OCC in the RT:New World Order book page 15, or the civilian occ in the new RT 2d ed macross sourcebook (this might be the best for what you are thinking of because it has many different subtypes).

[Denaes]

Wow, thanks for the quick response!

Thinking about it, your idea would work... also if I just wanted absolute norms (nothing really special) you could just run with the skill system from HU2e which itself allows a character to take skills reflecting nearly any profession.

But thinking it through, I'm not sure thats enough to showcase some diversity in the system and allow each of them some strong strengths. Something that says they're not just the average guy, but only through training/skill/talant.

A few of the OCCs in Between the Shadows are like that. You have a class thats a researcher and just isn't research skills, but a few abilities. Same with Ex Special Ops or Ex CIA. I think some of the classes in the Rifts Ultimate do that... like they gave a scholar some abilities on top of their skills.

If it were more of a horror type game where weaker PCs were in demand just basing things on skills would be the way to go I believe.

Looking at Between the Shadows I'm noticing the Genius. Strip out the psychic portion and them them point buy some strengths and have them choose skills.

[Warwolf]

Hello! Took a break from RPGs for a few years, picked up D&D4e and now players want to experience Palladium's system to test what they've heard (mostly bad) against all the great stories I tell them from gaming past.

Looking to run a game in a similar vein to Supernatural (the TV show). I'm looking at having players being strictly human. No other races, no magic, no psionics.

They can have knowledge of magic/supernatural, they can have abilities and even be badass. In fact I prefer them to be a bit over the top in various ways. But I need to have 4-5 players with a different feel to them without dipping into psionics/magic.

My first thought was Beyond The Supernatural. I pulled out BTS1e and there is one class that they could be according to my criteria: The Paraspychologist. I don't want 5 people all being one class.

Nightbane seemed like it might be a fit, but only the Between The Shadows book and thats fairly limited. I think I recall Through the Glass has an Accolyte who doesn't use magic...

HU2e I could see just using the skill system... but it just seems odd without choosing classes. There are a few in there to choose that aren't too over the top, but I'm not sure there were enough to fill out 5 man team of normal people.

I could probobly pick over various rifts books... Austrailia I recall had some normal classes. Rifts Ultimate has a few and there are a few others smattered around I guess.

Does BTS2e have any array of norms? How about Dead Reign? I might pick up the later to fill my zombie fetish.

On hand I have Rifts Ultimate, Through the Glass, BTS1e and a few rifters. In my storage facility I have maybe 95% of all books Palladium put out up until about when Rifts Ultimate came out, and I'm willing to buy a book that fits the needs well.

So any suggestions from newer books? Things I'm overlooking from older books? TIA for the help

BTS-2 does have a good "average Joe" class that was adapted for Dead Reign (with some tweaks). It works like a lower-powered "Natural" class. Also, as DK mentioned, Systems Failure has several "mundane" classes that can work. One final thought for more combat oriented players are the non-powered Spook Squad agent classes from Between the Shadows.

[drewkitty ~..~]

you can also use the occ variants in deluxe Recon.
these will give you a vietnam era skill sets that are applicable across the board for young shmuchs with just the basics.

[Denaes]

BTS-2 does have a good "average Joe" class that was adapted for Dead Reign (with some tweaks). It works like a lower-powered "Natural" class. Also, as DK mentioned, Systems Failure has several "mundane" classes that can work. One final thought for more combat oriented players are the non-powered Spook Squad agent classes from Between the Shadows.

A lower powered "natural" (just without the psionic/supernatural aspects) would work well.

I'm definitely leaning towards the "mundane" classes from Between The Shadows. They're a good example of what I would like to see for an ex Agent or the like. I like that they get skills, but also bonuses and special abilities. If this BtS (as opposed to the other BtS) is a good source of agent/military Classes in the vein of what I'm envisioning, I would like other options in a similar vein for a doctor or scholar or mechanic.

Rifts Ultimate offers classes like that, but somewhat flavored for the future of the Rifts World. Might be able to alter them, but if there were other versions in a modern setting, that would be fine.

I need to re-look at Systems Failure. I just forgot about that one.

Based on this discussion I think I likely should pick up Dead Reign and/or BTS2e, if just because BTS1e was awesome and DR fits my need for zombies

Ninjas and Super Spies would allow you create a bad ass PC without going too far. Just take away the martial art powers and you've got lots of cool possibilities for both heroes and villains.

Yes, I thought of N@SS and almost immediately dismissed it. I would then have a party of 5 martial artists with wonked out powers. If it were just a Mortal Kombat vs Demons, that would be fine and I'd pull out Mystic China and N@SS.


-----

Thank you guys for your help. It looks like I'm going to look over some of those old books I haven't seen in nearly a decade and likely pick up Dead Reign and BTS2e

[Killer Cyborg]

Not all Ninjas & Superspies characters actually get to have martial arts.
You should probably give the book another look-through.

[Denaes]

Not all Ninjas & Superspies characters actually get to have martial arts.
You should probably give the book another look-through.

I know theres a few other classes and they're pretty much fine for playing a spy/espionage game, but thats not the type of game we're looking at.

Those classes that could fit are powered wonky compared to other palladium products. N@SS was a strange place between 1st and 2nd edition style products. Fine by itself, but when you start mixing, things start to get off kilter.

[Killer Cyborg]

Not all Ninjas & Superspies characters actually get to have martial arts.
You should probably give the book another look-through.

I know theres a few other classes and they're pretty much fine for playing a spy/espionage game, but thats not the type of game we're looking at.

I was thinking of the soldier options.

[Spinachcat]

Hello! Took a break from RPGs for a few years, picked up D&D4e and now players want to experience Palladium's system to test what they've heard (mostly bad) against all the great stories I tell them from gaming past.

I play 4e and Palladium (and lots of other stuff) so I know the challenges of dealing with crossover players and the "bad rep" of the Palladium system.

Personally, I feel Palladium shines when its gonzo so my gut says that a low power game isn't the best mix for Palladium. Something like CoC or Buffy would probably do Supernatural better. However, if you were to do Supernatural turned up to 11, then Nightbane would be phenomenal. Many games do "investigate the bump in the night" quite well, but Palladium is best when the PCs are bumping back against the bogeymen!

[Denaes]

Hello! Took a break from RPGs for a few years, picked up D&D4e and now players want to experience Palladium's system to test what they've heard (mostly bad) against all the great stories I tell them from gaming past.

I play 4e and Palladium (and lots of other stuff) so I know the challenges of dealing with crossover players and the "bad rep" of the Palladium system.

Personally, I feel Palladium shines when its gonzo so my gut says that a low power game isn't the best mix for Palladium. Something like CoC or Buffy would probably do Supernatural better. However, if you were to do Supernatural turned up to 11, then Nightbane would be phenomenal. Many games do "investigate the bump in the night" quite well, but Palladium is best when the PCs are bumping back against the bogeymen!

You know what? Thats what they hear. How crazy it is. Maybe I'll just make it really crazy. Maybe an over the top modern game with various classes pulled from Rifts, HU, Nightbane... What we used to call a Megaversal Soup Campaign.

I was originally wanting to ground the group in reality compared to D&D, but maybe the need something that makes D&D seem mundane?

[Spinachcat]

I was originally wanting to ground the group in reality compared to D&D, but maybe the need something that makes D&D seem mundane?

I run lots of convention games and I get people who are very hesitant to try Palladium and afterwards when they see how fun and fast it was, they admit they had a great time.

At the last OrcCon convention, I ran N&SS. I had players expecting long drawn out number crunching combats with this old unenlightened system of pure grognard wonkiness. Instead, I gave them a chance to leap onto F-22s and karate kick open cockpits and blaze their way through hotel lobbies with shurikens and Uzis against SWAT teams. We took crazy cool to a whole 'nother level.

[dark brandon]

BTS 2 has "ordinary humans" as well as "natural Geniuses".

Natural Genius is basically someone who's advanced in either Knowledge or physical power.