Second Edition- Changes and Revisions

And lo there shall come ... a Second Edition! What's so Powerful About Responsibility went through a lot of changes when I finally hit on what I really wanted to do with this game, and I'm really proud of what's been done with it. Even after release, I spent some time with it, trying to figure out what parts of it weren't working for me, and what could be done differently. When the pieces finally came together, I felt a lot stronger coming through with these new ideas. As stated in the previous devlog, the game will be released as a Second Edition on the same page, as I want it to be accessible to everyone who took a chance on that first edition.

In some aspects, WsPAR has been whittled down and made much simpler. In others, I feel like changes have added complexity and thought, and hopefully some opportunities for bombastic superhero drama, to actual gameplay. Now at a more stylized and slim eight pages, ready for a fast and easy game night, What's so Powerful About Responsibility Second Edition is available.

A full accounting of differences between the first and second editions are as follows:

• Character powers have been simplified. The old powers had needless details. It might still help to have an idea of your characters limits, but functionally they're the same as they ever were.
• Characters now benefit from skills and assets through Secret Identities and their day-to-day lives. Not a major change, but something that might help define characters further.
• Characters have general Power Levels, that will affect their adventures and their aftermaths. This is a simple guideline, meant more to help flavor characters force them to be bogged down in a tier system.
• Responsibilities have been reworked. Now, a player chooses a core responsibility from the outset, which might relate to their character concept. Then, over the course of the game, they might find situations they want to Take Responsibility for- people in danger, atoning for mistakes, situations that need someone to step up and be the hero. Once these new Responsibilities are resolved, they allow characters to learn and grow, or change the world around them. If failed, then the Editor is encouraged to reflect that in the world.
• Kirby Krackle is no longer 'charged,' but a one-for-one currency that players earn through adversity, but can be spent for a quick comeback! The intent here is to help characters make the kinds of heroic comebacks seen in comics.
• A MAJOR CHANGE has happened in the game's mechanics. Instead of a simple 2d6 +/-, characters now tally Advantages and Disadvantages, and roll 3d6. If they have Advantage, they keep the highest dice; with Disadvantage, they keep the lowest. In-game factors can add more dice, with the intent of getting a little bit of that old-school super-heroic feel from classic RPG's like Champions.
• Dangers have been reworked, to be a situation with a series of 'goals' to thwart. This is an intentional choice, that makes player characters a reactive force in the world. Heroes and heroines are cast in the role of responding to situations, not going out looking for trouble, or trying to actively enforce some idea of law and order.

What's so Powerful About Responsibility might still be a living document from here on out, and as always I'm very open to feedback on what the book needs, or what parts aren't working. The shape of it, however, is something I am far happier with.

 I'm not sure what the future holds for WsPAR from here, however. I've considered some kind of follow up to build on what's here, or possibly sample NPC listings to help spark ideas and show off what a WsPAR character can look like. There will be revisions made to the character sheets listed here (though they can loosely work with the new edition, at least for now). Future books may also be released, but the core of the rules will remain the same. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to let me know here, or on Twitter, what you thought of the game.