The Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine: the Complete Rules
Herein lies a complete compendium of everything currently written for the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine, from the basic concepts involved in playing the game to the numerous guides provided to create characters for your use within it. Furthermore, a digital pair of dice is provided here, for your convenience, in the event that you do not have any on hand for your own use.
Core Rules
Introduction: before one jumps headlong into the following gaming texts, it couldn't hurt to read these general introductions to the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine. It explains what the CASE is, what you can do with it, and why I felt the need to create it. A 'bare bones' basics description of role-playing games in general is also included, in the event that you've never had the pleasure of playing one before.
Ability Scores: the heart of any game, ability scores describe the most basic, essential capabilities of every character. They quantify things such as how strong or smart a character happens to be, and so on, and are metrics by which every character can be described on equal footing. No matter what powers or talents they may have, a character always has ability scores.
Ranks and ACTIONs: expanding on the basics, it is important to note just how a character's traits, not to mention their incredible super-powers, measure up to others. This portion of the game's rules does just that, and then goes on to explain how players can use these metrics to accomplish just about any action they desire during play - regardless of how difficult that action may happen to be.
Space and Movement: movement is the most basic of actions, but how does one handle moving around? Getting from one place to another seems simple at first, but then you mix various super-powers into the deal and it gets all wonky. Here's some basic notions on movement and movement difficulties, from movement powers to clutter and the various issues it may cause.
Time and Combat: one of the most important aspects of any game is the time scale of the standard turn. This determines when everything can occur relative to everything else, in a solid and consistent manner. The turn structure manages everything from movement to character actions, and is the very core of how combat flows in every role-playing game - not just those presented here!
Advanced Battle Concepts: while most conventional combat has been covered in great detail already, there are a lot of things that simply don't qualify as conventional when you get down to it. Super powers, specialized tactics, and even the weather can act to modify how ordinary combat plays out - and Advanced Battle Concepts will show you exactly how.
Living and Dying: a coda of sorts to the many and various combat rules described previously, Living and Dying is all about the consequences of battle. The loss of Health and the expenditure of experience (both in play and for advancement) is detailed here, as is a variety of optional uses for these vital metrics, if they are to be adopted for use in one's game.
Judging the Game: a collection of suggestions for the aspiring Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine referee, Judging the Game is an attempt to explain Judging from start to finish. Covering the three basic duties of its referees, Judging the Game details everything one needs to know, from choosing where one's table will adventure to rewardig players for their deeds.
Character Creation
Character Generation: with a (hopefully) solid understanding of all else, what you need next is a character to play the game with! Character generation explains all the options available to a player, and if it doesn't shuffle him or her off to another, specialized page dedicated to one origin or another, it details how to build adventurers without ascendant powers.
the Transnormality Treatise: individuals described as transnormal characters do not gain their powers via advanced equipment, learned skill-equivalents like spells, or even the dubious power of faith. No, transnormals are one with their powers, either physically or mentally. Explicitly super-human, the Treatise explains how this makes them unique compared to others.
Technical Reference: artificial by necessity, the products of the Technical Reference are the result of an application of scientific knowledge. It details characters whose powers are derived from technology, whether they wield it separately from themselves, have it integrated into their very bodies, or are actually the technology themselves!
The Book of Magic: The Book is a guide to creating characters for use in these games who are well-versed in the use of magic. A sorcerer is a character who has studied long and hard, combining researches into otherwise lost knowledge with the tutelage of another to manifest magical abilities. The Book, then, details thirteen different means of achieving this incredible goal.
The Manual of the Psi: the Manual defines the notion behind psionics in these games. Characters who use psionics, defined as psi-active individuals, can acquire their abilities through any number of methods, though most do so through intense meditation and introspection. The Manual showcases how psis are different from other ascendant beings, and the benefits of this path of power.
The Deionomicon: the products of a life force augmented by the power of faith, deities come in many forms. Furthermore, their actions can cause the creation of many different forms of ascendant beings, whether immortal themselves or simply wielding trinkets powered by the devotion of others. These entities, and many more, are the subject of the Deionomicon.
The Combination Characters Cookbook: (the Combination Characters Cookbook document will go here)
Exobiology 101: (the Exobiology 101 document will go here)
Appendices
Contacts: contacts are people that a character knows well. A character's contacts are a good way to determine or expand on his or her origin, as they represent people that not are not only aware of them but are willing to help him or her as they go adventuring. Questions such as why the character knows these contacts and how their relationships work only help to develop their story more.
Talents: talents are representative of knowledge a character possesses. One does not need aberrant genes or alien ancestors or psi exposure to learn a talent - anyone can do so given the appropriate opportunity and time to study. There are many different kinds of talents, all of which have a practical benefit for every character - either in or out of combat.
Quirks: the quirks system is a tool with which a player may customize and individualize a character somewhat, adding minor beneficial traits or deleterious hindrances as they see fit. Quirks can be used solely for that purpose, or can be added to a character to either justify additional powers, talents or contacts - or perhaps the reverse, if the player desires.
Power Customization: while these games try to account for every possible ability a player may want to try out, the truth is that even one hundred game developers could never achieve this astounding feat. Thus, room is left for players to customize their ascendant abilities, either by limiting them for more power or by enhancing them for more versatility.
Powers: here one can find a comprehensive roster of every power currently available in the game systems supported here. Whether they exist as a mutant ability, a magical spell, a psionic talent, or even some sort of deific legacy, all the ascendant abilities that heroes, villains, and everyone in-between can use in the game are spelled out in great detail!
Accessories:
Text File Archive: though the ultimate plan is to produce a slick .pdf file for the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine, complete with competent artwork, the need does exist for a simpler presentation of the material provided above. As such, I'm offering a text file archive of these rules for your gaming convenience, particularly if you'd like to more easily rearrange them your own way.
(various other accessories go here)
Last, but not Least:
For reference: the material herein is not at all complete. It's 'living writing', as it were, which is still something I have to bend my head around. It's highly subject to change; if you wish to comment as I create, feel free - I will either justify what I'm doing rationally or go with suggestions and give credit. Most of it's really in my head already, but regardless.
* Well, once they're all done, at any rate. The sections without links are, for example, not remotely ready for public consumption.