White Wolf's Aberrant

Anomie · Post by **Anomie** » 2005-09-08 08:45pm

It's probably my favorite tabletop RPG, with the possible exception of the Star Wars RPG.

Out of curiosity, anyone here play/played the Storyteller version of Aberrant? Or any of the other aeoniverse games?

Does anyone play the d20 version? Any comments on it?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-09-08 09:02pm

I've played a little of the Storyteller version. Liked it. Avoided the d20 version and its rumoured mass nerfing like the plague.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2005-09-08 09:26pm

I love and adore the Storyteller version of Aberrant. I've been hunting for a copy of it, Adventure, and Trinity whenever I've had the spare cash. Not seen the d20 copies yet; will comment on the nerfing if I do.

I really loved Aberrant, though. Just because you could be so over-the-top.

Anomie · Post by **Anomie** » 2005-09-09 03:18am

SirNitram wrote:I really loved Aberrant, though. Just because you could be so over-the-top.

A man after my own heart.

SirNitram wrote:I've been hunting for a copy of it, Adventure, and Trinity whenever I've had the spare cash.

Do you do any online shopping? If you do, Amazon almost always has copies of the books in stock. The only books I can never find on the site are Trinity's Players Guidebook and Auroa Aulstralious(sp). I need to roundout my own collection of Aberrant and Trinity as well as pick up Adventure myself.

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2005-09-09 03:26am

I'm currently of the opinion of "Good idea, shitty output" on Aberrant. There's some really good ideas in Aberrant but there are also some really bad designs. Mainly soak and taint.

Anomie · Post by **Anomie** » 2005-09-09 03:42am

Captain Cyran wrote:I'm currently of the opinion of "Good idea, shitty output" on Aberrant. There's some really good ideas in Aberrant but there are also some really bad designs. Mainly soak and taint.

The background material is cool, isn't it.

But what problems do you have with the mechanics of the system? I to think that it could have used a bit of work, but what do you specifically think is wrong with the soak and taint rules?

My big problem is that I think that the rules could have been made to fit better with Trinity so as to import characters from one to the other. (Actually, I think Trinity should get inline with Aberrant, but with Trinity coming out first...). I've heard that they did some more changes in the rules for Adventure when it came out.

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2005-09-09 03:48pm

Anomie wrote:The background material is cool, isn't it.

Like most WW games, yes, it's got very very good background material.

But what problems do you have with the mechanics of the system? I to think that it could have used a bit of work, but what do you specifically think is wrong with the soak and taint rules?

My big problem with soak is that they don't give you enough of it. You give a nova a Quantum of 3 and two or three dots of Quantum bolt and they can kick the ass of most everybody unless they put a hell of a lot of points into raising their soak. The other issue I have with soak as it is, is the fact that I like keeping the stats of my players enemies unknown unless they have some kinda power that allows them to see. The way it is now, you know how much soak a person has.

As for taint. My issue with that is that it's completely useless. I think in a year of playing Aberrant with some of my friends we had ONE situation where somebody gained taint because they botched a power roll. So frankly we have this terrifying thing that is supposed to drive Novas insane, and it doesn't work.

My big problem is that I think that the rules could have been made to fit better with Trinity so as to import characters from one to the other. (Actually, I think Trinity should get inline with Aberrant, but with Trinity coming out first...). I've heard that they did some more changes in the rules for Adventure when it came out.

Considering the time gaps that are between Aberrant, Trinity, and Adventure. I don't see that as much of a problem. You really shouldn't be mixing those groups together as a nova would slaughter just about anything either of those two could bring into play short of another nova, and there is the huge time difference (Unless you've got time travel, but I see that as a silly gimmick).

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-09-09 03:55pm

Soak is tricky in Aberrant, can be fine. Since different sources of soak stack its very easy to get an obscene soak. I've scene some grotesque soaks.

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2005-09-09 03:57pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:Soak is tricky in Aberrant, can be fine. Since different sources of soak stack its very easy to get an obscene soak. I've scene some grotesque soaks.

I'm not saying it's hard to get your soak high. In fact I've seen some ridiculous soak stats as well. But the problem is that most of the time the powers that do damage are gonna get a lot more punch out of the same amount of points spent than if you put those points into soak.

Anomie · Post by **Anomie** » 2005-09-09 04:04pm

Ok, I can see your problem with the soak and taint, and your right.

Captain Cyran wrote:Considering the time gaps that are between Aberrant, Trinity, and Adventure. I don't see that as much of a problem. You really shouldn't be mixing those groups together as a nova would slaughter just about anything either of those two could bring into play short of another nova, and there is the huge time difference (Unless you've got time travel, but I see that as a silly gimmick).

The reason that I wanted more balanced power levels was that I was running an Aberrant game with my group against a low-to-mid level, behind-the-scenes enemy, and when we were finished with that game I was going to run a Trinity game, with him having survived the aberrant war to be the main villian again. I didn't run with that idea when I took a look at his stats as they were when the game started and realized that, alone, he could wipe out a team of psions with VARG support. With how he was by the end of the Ab game, he could have destroyed any of the orders at will, and he was only Q6 by that time.