Captain Superguy Must Die PDF

Captain Superguy Must Die!
-A Storytelling game of supervillains and intrigue-
Captain Superguy must DIE!

A storytelling game of supervillains and intrigue by Krzysztof Zieba
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Captain Superguy Must Die! -A Storytelling game of supervillains and intrigue-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Introduction..............................................................3
2. Setting up the game...............................................6
3. Rules and systems................................................12
4. Storytelling and setting in CSGMD!............19
5. Supervillain character sheet........................25
6. Captain Superguy character sheet.............26
Copyright: a King Zebra studios Production

(http://www.wix.com/krzysztofzieba/kingzebrastudios) / Krzysztof Zieba 2011.
You may distribute this document free of charge and make copies of any part of
it as long as credit is given to the author. This game has been created for the RPG
Geek 2011 24-hour RPG contest. This version of the game: 1.0, completed 21.02.11
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1. Introduction
UNLIKELY PARTNERS
'So there I was, hands on the prize' said the shady man, pausing to take a drink out of a bottle of
whiskey. 'Then he comes in, breaks through the window, scatters my goons all over the museum
floor, burns my hands with his laser-eyes, and before I know it, he's got me all tied up in my whip!'
'That's nothing.' said another, standing over the pool table, his coat curiously shaped on his body, his
voice menacing and sounding like a snake's slither. 'Remember that time when I almost got his
girlfriend? Had the babe over a boiling pot of chemicals, was about to throw her in, and then I hear
this great explosion, right? There he barges in, with that stupid, god-damned sidekick of his...'
'Which one?' asked a third person from over a newspaper, seemingly disinterested in the subject up
until now. 'I just want to know which one kicked your ass, Snake Eyes.'
'You shut up, Keighley, I'm talking!' came a snapped answer. 'It was Boy Awesome, obviously... that
Amazing Teenage Girl of his has nothing on me...'
'Well, with your looks, that's quite understandable.' the man with the newspaper spoke again in a
low voice. A serpent's hiss came out of the pool player's lips, as he came closer to the armchair
where the newspaper reader was sitting.
'I think I told you to shut up, Keighley.'
'Well, what you gonna do, I don't think I will!'
A punch which would break the man's ribs hit the back of the armchair, falling it over, but the
intended target wasn't there, as he already moved out of harm's way, lightning fast.
'Missed me, you scaled asshole.' the slender man whispered to the mutant from behind his back.
'Hey, cut it out!' shouted the first man, finishing his bottle. 'You're wrecking my pub!'
'Gentlemen, gentlemen. No need to quarrel among yourself.' a new figure entered the room. A top
hat and tuxedo made him stand out in the poorly dressed company of the other three men. In his
hand, a walking cane with an engraved 'H', and dark glasses covering his eyes.
'Mr. Harrington? What are you doing here?' asked the owner, standing slowly, dizzy from the
amount of alcohol he drank.
'I believe we have a common interest in a certain Captain Superguy, am I correct? An interest in
seeing him defeated, humiliated and even, dare I say... dead?'
'That can't be done. Nobody ever succeeded in grazing him, not to mention wounding...' Thomas
Keighley, the villain known as Dark Lightning said.
'Not until now.' Steven Harrington, the multimillionaire invited himself closer to the table. 'Because,
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gentlemen, this time I have a plan. A foolproof plan. A plan which will rid us and this city from
Captain Superguy... I hope you are interested in the details?'
What is 'Captain Superguy Must Die!'?

Captain Superguy Must Die!, or CSGMD! for short, is a storytelling role-playing game designed to
be played as a longer one-shot, or a short campaign of several sessions. It borrows from superhero
comic books, graphic novels and other media, to create a fun, cooperative-but-competitive
gameplay. CSGMD! can be played using different settings and themes (some suggestions are given
in chapter Four, but they are, of course, guidelines only). The one general rule is that the players
take on the roles of supervillains: evil businessmen, mutants, aliens and criminal masterminds,
united in a common goal – to destroy their arch-nemesis, Captain Superguy. This is not an easy
task, however. Captain Superguy is powerful and all attempts to defeat him have come to naught.
The time has come for an unlikely alliance...
To play the game you will need at least four players, one of which will act as the Gamemaster for
your session (or sessions), several 10-sided dice and some time before actually starting playing to
generate your characters and the main Non-Player Character, Captain Superguy himself! Of course
some time to play the game would be nice, too...
WAIT! You don't know what a Role-playing Game is?

If the previous part of this rulebook didn't make any sense to you, you should definitely go on-line
and look-up the term 'Role-Playing Game'. I'm sorry, but I can't provide you with a good
explanation on what the hobby is about at this time. I assume that if you downloaded this file, you
either have an understanding of what this game is, or you, at least, have an internet connection. Go
ahead and look around the net, Captain Superguy Must Die! will wait.
What's in this booklet?

This booklet is all you need to start playing CSGMD!. It covers the basic rules and systems which
you use to play, the rules for creating your characters, and guidelines about gameplay. One thing to
bear in mind while reading the entire rulebook is this: once you read it, it is yours to modify and
play around with. Everything written here, including the mechanics and plot ideas, are only that –
ideas. The main goal in any RPG is to have fun, and if something in this booklet stands in your way
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of having fun, just ditch it, replace it, or ignore it.
You are currently reading the first chapter, the Introduction. Once you get through it, I invite you to
jump right into the collaborative effort of setting up your game (Chapter Two). You will randomly
generate (or pick-and-choose) the traits of your arch-nemesis, and will create your evil
masterminds. The Third Chapter is about how the game is played. It explains the practical meaning
of your characters' and Captain Superguy's traits, talks about conflict resolution and some additional
systems. Probably the most important part of the booklet is the Fourth Chapter, concerned with
guidelines about the setting and storytelling in CSGMD!. Finally, at the end of the booklet you will
find two character sheets which you are free to copy. One of them is the Villain Character Sheet, the
other one is the Captain Superguy Character Sheet.
So put on your trenchcoat and mask, gather your goons and train your evil laugh. You are about to
topple the greatest superhero of all time... or be ruined in the attempt.
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2. Setting up the game

Captain superguy
The main, most important NPC in the game is Captain Superguy himself. The 'default' idea behind
the character is that he is a superhuman hero, who has, at some point or another, crossed the paths
with the supervillains, the Player Characters, and ruined their schemes. Creating this enemy for the
players is the first thing you have to do before you actually start playing the game (though some
could argue that once you do it, you've already started playing).
There are two methods of generating Captain Superguy's traits. The simplest and fastest is to go
through the process described below – by rolling on different tables with the d10 (as the ten-sided
dice will be described from now on) you randomly create the players' arch-nemesis. However, if
you, as a Game Master, feel that it would be better to pick-and-choose Captain Superguy's powers,
appearance, and other traits, feel free to do that. It is best to go through the process with the players,
as a collaborative effort. This way, instead of a randomly generated character, you will end up with
someone who will surely echo with what the players want out of the game, and the Game Master
will be able to ensure that Captain Superguy isn't too powerful for the supervillains the players want
to direct. Defeating that do-gooder should be challenging, or even very challenging, but ultimately
doable.
Using the supplied Captain Superguy sheet, fill out the details so that the Game Master has a
completed NPC in front of him at all times. Out of all the information on the form, two are either
known to all players, or only to the Game Master at the beginning of the game. These two are
Secret Identity and Hidden Weakness. The decision if these should be known to everybody or not
should be made before rolling on the tables. It may be more fun if the players have to figure those
out by themselves, or only recently discovered them (see the Science / Supreme Intellect trait), but
if the characters had a long history of conflict with Captain Superguy, it may make more sense if
these are known to them.
First, generate the looks of the character. Roll once on the Hair table, the Built table, and twice or
thrice on the Colours table (depending on what variety of colours in the superhero's garments you
desire). These traits have nothing to do with gameplay itself, but if you have a talented artist in your
group, it may pay off if you sketch Captain Superguy for easier visualisation.
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Secondly, roll on Captain Superguy's origin. In this basic version of the game, he can be either a
Mutant (a human being granted special powers because of genetics or other scientific reason), an
Alien (a being from another planet) or a Mythical character (a mage, or perhaps some god's avatar).
Again, this trait is here for storytelling purposes only, and doesn't influence the mechanics in any
way, but can help set the feel of the game and suggest the kind of supervillains you're going to be
playing.
The most important roll is that on the Superpowers table. Roll two dice, and add the results to find
which superpowers Captain Superguy has. Usually, you'll want to roll at least twice on the table, but
if you want a bigger challenge, three rolls may work for you, or perhaps four. Rolling more than
four times isn't advised. Usually, you'll want to re-roll any repeated roll, but there are some
circumstances in which you can opt to accept the same trait for a second time to pick something
different from a category, as with 'Magical Abilities', itself a rather general term. An explanation of
each of these is given in the next chapter, Rules and Systems.
Finally, roll on the Secret Identity and Hidden Weakness tables. Depending on your previous
agreement, the Game Master either shares the roll result with everyone, or keeps it to himself. Put it
on Captain Superguy's character sheet anyway, but fold it so that it is not visible to the players.
Decide on a name for his alter-ego, either leaving that to the Game Master, or doing it together.
After that, have a brainstorming session and work out Captain Superguy's character traits, his
background and anything else which connects closely to the storytelling aspect of the game, but not
the mechanics themselves. Give him some personality... or don't if you feel a more 'shallow' NPC
suits your needs.
Once your Captain Superguy is ready, you can opt to give him a different name, perhaps more
suitable for his newly generated powers or background. Also, the Game Master would do well to
think of a Secret Hideout for the superhero. In both cases, anything works, depending on the theme
and feel you want to get out of the game (more on that in Chapter Four).
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APPEARANCE & ORIGIN TABLES

HAIR TABLE #1 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Hair Colour Brown Black Blonde Red Hair Table #2
HAIR TABLE #2 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Hair Colour Purple Pink Green Blue White
BUILT TABLE 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Built Superhuman Very Muscular Well Built Regular Roll Again. 1-5 =
Overweight, 6-10 =
very skinny
COLOUR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Colour Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Purple Brown Black White Re-Roll
ORIGIN TABLE 1-3 4-6 7-9 10
Origin Mutant Alien Mythical Re-Roll
SUPERPOWERS TABLE
2 3 4 5 6
Superstrength Superspeed Supervitality Telepathy Acute Senses
7 8 9 10 11
Laser Eyes Mind Control (Animal Invisibility Flight Magical Abilites
or Human)
12 13 14 15 16
Control over the Longevity Gear Allies Sidekick
Elements
17 18 19 20
Shape Shifting Superintelligence Telekinesis Pick one or re-roll
SECRET IDENTITY & HIDDEN WEAKNESS TABLES

SECRET IDENTITY 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Secret Identity Millionaire Upper Class Middle Class Lower Class None
HIDDEN 1 2 3 4 5
WEAKNESS
Hidden Weakness Fire Water Specific Element Weak Spot Item
HIDDEN 6 7 8 9 10
WEAKNESS
Hidden Weakness 'Double Edged-Sword' Physical Family Ties Too Moral Psychological
Superpower
Weakness Weakness
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The Supervillains (Player Characters)

Now the time has come to create your characters for the game. Every good character starts off as a
good concept. Will you be a goofy but capable mad scientist, or a dark and serious mafia boss?
What will your main assets be? Are you a leader of an organisation, or do you work solo?
Player Characters in CSGMD! are defined by several traits. First off, you need a Background. This
is a short description of who your character is. Things like 'Vengeful Spirit', 'Alien Assasin' or 'Mad
Scientist' can all be good, depending on who Captain Superguy is and what your chosen theme or
feel for the game is. Don't get into too much detail, this is just a summary of who the villain is. You
will have time to build on this basic concept later on.
You should also pick a Grudge you have against Captain Superguy. It may be something as simple
as 'Foiled my plans many times over' to a more complex 'He killed my brother' or 'He ran away with
my girlfriend'. Again, much depends on who Captain Superguy actually is, and what your character
concept is. Use common sense and think of something which will be fun to play out.
Then there's the Appearance of your supervillain. Think of something nice and original, or
something straight out of a comic book you enjoyed. Again, consider the theme of your game. A
goofy-looking character may not be the best choice for a more serious game, and a black trenchcoat
and a lot of skulls may not work very well if you're more into a comedic or parodist game.
The most important element of your character, mechanics-wise, is your Traits. There are four
categories of Traits: Physical, Science, Supernatural and Wealth. You may only pick Traits from
three of these four categories, so choose wisely. You get 3 Traits from one of the chosen categories,
2 from another, and finally a single one from a third category you pick. This will give you six Traits
which you will use throughout the game.
Some of these are very general. Bear in mind that, on the Character Sheet, ample space is given for
commentary on your chosen Traits. The Game Master will likely (and would do well to) ask you to
narrow down some of your abilities. For example, he may limit you to a single Sense which will
benefit from you choice of the Physical / Senses trait, or suggest that you give as much details as
possible about your Doomsday Machine. If you run out of space in the Traits section, just put a
summary of your Trait there, and write in more details in the Notes section of the Character Sheet.
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Physical Traits are your personal physical abilities. You can choose Strength, which will allow you
to hurl heavy objects around and maybe even try to grapple Captain Superguy himself, with a bit of
luck; Senses allow you to see, hear and smell better than any human being; Agility will have you
run faster, jump higher and be proficient in tasks which demand dexterity; Fortitude is the vitality
and resilience of an ox, which will be useful when fighting against Captain Superguy or his
sidekicks or allies; finally Fight is your proficiency with weapons and unarmed combat alike.
Science Traits allow you to become an evil genius, or just dabble in technology or biological
experiments. There are four of these: Experiments allows you to conduct biological, chemical or
physics research; Doomsday Weapon gives you access to some sort of technology which you
devised in order to bring the world to its knees – like a giant laser, or an army of mechanical
monstrosities; High-Tech is the availability of different gadgets and innovative weaponry that you
work on; Supreme Intellect is an indication of great cognitive and deduction skills and
intelligence, which may be useful over the course of the game.
Supernatural abilities are tricky, because there's no such thing as a set list of them you can look at
and pick something you like. They are everything from mutations, through mystical or magical
powers, to alien abilities. You should sit down with the Game Master and discuss what kind of
abilities you can have, or suggest something and see if he will accept it. Remember that creating a
superpower which is too strong, or open to abuse, may ultimately break the game, or make you hog
the spotlight. Be sensible about your Supernatural Traits, and accept their limitations when the
Game Master indicates them.
Wealth Traits are something for those of you who'd like to play criminal masterminds hiding in the
guise of multimillionaires or honest businessmen. Armoury gives you access to weaponry and war
gear, though bear in mind that, unlike the Science / High-Tech Trait, this covers only 'everyday'
items, not experimental or otherwise hard to obtain objects. Henchmen are a supervillain's best
friend. They are the people who do your dirty work, including hired goons, personal bodyguards
and special agents. Influence is the power over the local government or Police force. It is the ability
to throw the city against Captain Superguy by pulling the right strings. Enterprise means you own
some kind of a company, which gives you an edge when it comes to financial endeavours, as well as
grant you access to whatever that company is working on, be it medical supplies, technology
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development or stationery items. Finally, Finance is how Wealthy you actually are, and how much
money you can use to forward your goals.
Once you choose your Traits, put them on your Character Sheet. Don't worry about the boxes on the
right just yet, all will be explained in the next chapter. Leave the Assets and Suspicion areas alone
for now, those are connected to specific game mechanisms which will be soon explained.
To finish up, feel free to write your villain's background, traits of character, and anything else that
comes to your mind in the Notes section of the Character Sheet. Congratulations, you've just created
a supervillain who, with a little help from other evil masterminds, will bring Captain Superguy's
downfall!
The CITY
Last thing to do before you start playing, is to decide on the setting of your game. Will you choose a
real-life city to be the theatre of your struggle with Captain Superguy, or will it be an imaginary
metropolis? If it is the latter, you can, if you so wish, create a rough map of that city, mark your
villains' secret hideouts or bases of operation, and perhaps even the superhero's Secret Base, once
you locate it! The basic setting for the game is The Big City, a New York-like place, and modern
times. Nothing stops you from playing a game set in the 20's or 50's if you so desire, and science-
fiction settings can be quite interesting as well!
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3. Rules and Systems

In this chapter, you will learn about how some of the systems of CSGMD! work, as well as an
explanation of some of the elements of the game discussed earlier.
Captain Superguy's Superpowers, Secret Identity and Hidden WEakness

I understand that some of the Superpowers found in the table in the previous chapter are less than
self-explanatory. Below is how they should be understood and interpreted in the game. Mind you,
Captain Superguy's abilities are never tested in any way. They are an indication of what he is able to
do, and the only tests ever conducted are done in relation to his abilities (read on to learn more
about testing abilities in CSGMD!).
Superstrength: pretty much self-explanatory. Supreme strength much over the abilities of any
human, and, in most cases, more so than the player characters can achieve.
Superspeed: the ability to run very fast, lightning-fast reflexes and superior agility.
Supervitality: superhuman endurance, possibly making the superhero impervious to any damage,
or granting him infinite stamina.
Telepathy: the ability to 'look' into people's minds and read or hear their thoughts. This is a
powerful ability, one that has to be used very carefully to not upset the game's balance. Use with
caution and not extensively.
Acute Senses: one of the superhero's senses: sight, smell, taste, touch or hearing, is extremely
powerful. If you roll this Trait several times, you can decide to pick a new sense every time.
Laser Eyes: The superhero can project deadly lasers from his eyes, which he will probably use as a
secondary, or primary, attack.
Mind Control: You can pick one: Animal, or Human. In any case, this ability allows for limited
control over the subject's mind. The limitation of this power may either be the range, or the strength
of the control (it may be possible to tell a bodyguard to turn against his master, but not to jump from
a roof, for example).
Invisibility: the superhero can, temporarily, turn invisible. This may allow for a surprise attack or a
quick escape. The invisibility can be magical, in which case there is not much that can be done to
find the superhero once he disappears, but it may be a chemical process as well, similar to a
chameleon's ability to blend with his environment.
Flight: the ability to fly is pretty common among superheroes. Depending on where it stems from
(supernatural abilities or wings, or maybe a mechanical contraption) it can either be made unusable,
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or not. Depending on the hero's other abilities, the Game Master can decide to restrict this ability to
short periods of time.
Magical Abilities: a very vague and general notion, this can be anything from simple spells, to the
mastery of the arcane. As a general rule, the more times you roll this ability, the stronger it should
be, though it can be strong and universal outright if the Game Master thinks the superhero needs an
additional 'oomph'.
Control over the Elements: either the elements in general (Fire, Water, Earth and Wind), or only
one of them, subject to the Game Master's discretion or the group's decision. If the latter, then
rolling this ability twice means a mastery of an additional element.
Longevity: the superhero is immortal, understood as infinitely long life. This makes him very
knowledgeable and powerful because of how long he had to hone his skills. Whether this is due to a
genetic enhancement or a mystical reason depends on the character.
Gear: the superhero owns and uses some kind of exceptional item. This may be a powerful weapon,
or some kind of amulet which grants him power, or a piece of technology, like armour or gadgets.
Allies: the hero has the support of some kind of organisation – a group of vigilantes, the local
Police force, a corporation.
Sidekick: there is another superhero, much inferior in power to Captain Superguy, but still a
formidable opponent. Either pick his abilities yourself, or roll once or twice on the Superpowers
Table to determine his powers. Write down his information as you would for Captain Superguy.
Multiple sidekicks are possible.
Shape Shifting: this may cover everything from changing your size, to turning into some sort of
liquid form, or transforming into animals, all depending on the character. For balance's sake, the
transformation should have some negative side effects, or its own perils.
Superintelligent: this indicates that the superhero is very smart, his deductive skills unmatched. In
addition to any storytelling effects this may have (like the villain's operations meeting a quick end
because they were too obvious), each player character starts with the first Suspicion box ticked.
Telekinesis: this allows the superhero to manipulate objects with the sheer strength of his will. It
includes throwing things around (usually not too heavy, but making this power a bigger asset may
help if the other hero abilities aren't very good), perhaps a limited ability to hover, and obviously
opening doors and turning on the stereo from afar as well.
PICKING ONE FROM THE LIST: always try to pick an ability which matches the ones already
chosen for the superhero. There's no point in giving a hero a high-tech laser gun if he is already a
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very mythical-focused character.
The Secret Identity is a general suggestion as two who the superhero poses as. Millionaire means
that he's an owner of some large enterprise, or has inherited a lot of money from somebody. Upper
Class will likely be a manager of a successful company, or perhaps an Actor or other media icon.
Middle Class is anyone from a reporter to a clerk, or owner of a small business. A Lower Class
Secret Identity suggests that the hero either consciously chose to double as somebody of little
importance (like a homeless person or unqualified worker), or enjoys working in a low-income
career. Finally, if the hero doesn't have a Secret Identity, it means that his life as Captain Superguy
is the only life he knows. Still, player characters may not know that and search for his secret
identity, despite one not existing.
The Hidden Weakness is what will ultimately prove to be Captain Superguy's downfall, exploited
by the supervillains plotting to kill him. This may be discovered over the course of the game, or if
you'd like to play a shorter campaign, the players may already start with some, or complete
knowledge about this Weakness. The Weaknesses explained:
Fire: the hero is particularly hurt by fire. This fits Mystical characters the most.
Water: the hero is particularly hurt by water. This fits Alien characters the most, but can also be
used as a Mystical weakness.
Specific Element: the hero is vulnerable to one of Earth's elements. This may be something as
common as Iron (though it's not recommended), or something more specific, like radioactive
materials. Exposure to the given element may either weaken the hero, take away some or all of his
powers, or outright wound him. Certainly, being vulnerable to oxygen would be pretty much a
game-killer, but in some cases even that may work (the character would have to travel in a specific
suit of armour or otherwise shield himself from air at all times).
Weak Spot: like Achilles or Sigmund, the character has a particularly vulnerable spot on his body.
It is likely that he will shield it from harm at all times. For simplicity's sake, this should be a spot on
his body, not inside his body.
Item: the hero's power is drawn from some object he has to carry with him to have access to his
abilities. If lost or destroyed, the hero's power dwindles over time, is halved or disappears outright.
'Double-Edged Sword' Superpower: depending on what the actual superpowers of the hero are,
this may mean that if he, for example, has Acute Senses, a loud sound can knock him unconscious,
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or if he shape-shifts into an animal, he has to stay in that form for a set amount of time; or maybe .
In general, this should be some kind of a fault that the players can easily use against the hero.
Physical Weakness: the hero has some sort of physical weakness. He may be blind, not able to
walk, have very weak bones, bad health or be otherwise impaired. This sort of weakness may be
obvious, or very hard to learn about, as the hero probably does a good job of covering up his
problem.
Family Ties: the hero is emotionally involved with a person or a group of people and will do
anything to protect them. This makes them an obvious target for an attack and using them as 'bait'.
Too Moral: the hero follows a very specific code of honour or has a very strong morality. This can
be used against him to lure him into traps, or create a tough choice when he cannot be in two places
at once.
Psychological Weakness: this covers everything from phobias, through quirks of personality, to
serious psychological conditions, such as depression.
Note on Science / Supreme Intellect: if any of the player character's has this Trait, you should start
the game by giving that player a snippet of information about either the Secret Identity or the
Hidden Weakness, as it's suggested that the character has conducted some research to gain that
knowledge before the game begins. If several characters are such geniuses, you may decide to give
every player some info so that, by combining it, they work out a positive answer on their own.
Player Characters' trait mechanics
WHEN TO TEST TRAITS

Traits are tested, or rolled against, when a Player declares his Character attempt some action using a
particular Trait. This may involve sending your goons to rough somebody up (Henchmen),
overlooking the release of a chemical compound into the city's water supply (Experiments),
breaking through a steel wall (Strength) or using your ability to create realistic illusions (a
Supernatural category power). Mind you, Captain Superguy's abilities are never rolled against. If
you are using a Trait against him, the test is likely to be harder (see below), but if you succeed, it is
assumed that Captain Superguy has lost a challenge you issued, whether it's outrunning him or
shooting him with that nice Tank you recently bought.
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HOW TO TEST TRAITS

The testing mechanic is very simple. Each of your Traits starts off as a 10. This is a number
showing how well you can use that Trait, and at the beginning of the game, you are at your full
capacity. Each time you decide to use a Trait, you immediately reduce that Trait by 1 point (by
marking one of the ten boxes found near it), and roll a single d10. If you rolled equal to or less than
the Trait you rolled against (you roll against the new, lowered number, not the original one), you
have succeeded, and the action you chose has ended as planned. However, if you rolled higher than
the reduced Trait, your plan has failed. This brings Captain Superguy's attention to you – for each
failure, mark one box in the Suspicion area of the Character Sheet (Suspicion is explained below).
You can avoid failure, but that often costs you dearly. If you fail, you can still turn the operation
into a minor success, by reducing the Trait in question by the difference between the number you
rolled and the target number. So, for example, if you were testing your Fortitude to withstand the
beating Captain Superguy's Sidekick decided to give you, and you rolled an 8 when your current
Fortitude was 5, you can still succeed if you reduce your Fortitude to 2 (8-5=3, 5-3=2). You won't
leave without some bruises, but at least you won't be knocked unconscious!
Some actions will be more difficult than others. Fighting off a single enemy is easy, but trying to
fend against a squad of SWAT operatives can be tricky. The Game Master is free to treat a Trait test
as if it was harder. So, if you are using your Fight Trait of 8 to defeat the SWAT members, the Game
Master can state that it is a hard thing to do because of their numbers, so your Fight is treated as a 6
instead of an 8. In general, the difficulty shouldn't be any more strict than a -3, which is reserved for
the biggest challenges, like facing off with Captain Superguy when he's having a good day. The
challenge level should be stated before the played decides on his action, not after the roll, but in
some cases in may be beneficial for the story and the feeling of danger if the Game Master does not
give the player a 'hard' number, instead stating simply 'Well, this is going to be tough, are you sure
you want to attempt it?'
You can never spend your last Trait point, but you can still attempt using that Trait any number of
times. Just remember that chances for success are slim, and each failure brings Captain Superguy
closer on your trail.
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BEING AWARDED AND USING ASSETS

Assets are a special kind of point which you can be awarded by the Game Master for good role-
playing, or general input to the storytelling experience. In general, a player should be awarded a
single Asset point each time he behaves in agreement with his character's notes and background in a
dramatic situation (having your mad scientist laugh menacingly at random intervals usually doesn't
cut it). Assets should also be awarded for furthering the intrigue which will bring down Captain
Superguy (more on that in the final chapter on Storytelling).
Assets can be spent in two ways. The first one allows player characters to regain their Traits in
between beginnings of chapters (these are dealt with in the next chapter). Normally, you regain
three, four or five Trait points at the end of a game chapter, but spending two Asset points per Trait
point allows you to regain them instantly at any time, even right before testing.
The second application of Assets is also connected with testing Traits. If you are unhappy with a
roll when you test a Trait, you can spend three Asset points to roll an additional die, and choose one
of the numbers, which you can then modify if you wish, using the mechanic mentioned before.
SUSPICION
As mentioned before, each time you fail a test, one box on the Suspicion Track is marked. Nothing
happens when you mark the first two boxes. Marking the first box triggers an event called 'The
Visit'. At this point, Captain Superguy already knows there's something fishy about you, but he
doesn't know what, yet. This is a time to role-play a visit the superhero pays to the character who
reached this rating. Some Traits can be tested in the process, but in general, this will be a purely
storytelling event to remind the character of the price of failure. It can also be used to the player's
advantage if they want Captain Superguy to be occupied at some time. It is possible to willingly
increase your Suspicion level, as long as this decision is role-played. It would require doing
something obviously connected to your character, and gathering attention, at the same time.
When you reach the fourth box on the track, Captain Superguy has his eye on you and is waiting for
your mistake to have some reason to move against you and take you in. To show this, you have to
take a -1 modifier on each of your Traits whenever you use it.
17
Finally, when you reach the fifth box on the track, Captain Superguy learns that you are plotting
something, and comes to take you in. If, at this point, you do not have a good plan to trap him when
he moves against you, you may be in a lot of trouble. Usually, this means that unless you leave the
scene, Captain Superguy will fight you, and if he wins, he will lock you in jail, or an insane asylum,
or simply kill you. Your character will be eliminated from the game, unless being arrested was
somehow a part of your plan, subject to the Game Master's discretion.
You can decrease your Suspicion level if, at the turn of a Chapter, after being awarded Asset points,
you spend five of these points. If you opt to do that, remove one mark from a box on your Suspicion
Track. You can only decrease your Suspicion once per Chapter.
OTHER SITUATIONS
For testing of any situations other than those mentioned in these rules, use this simple mechanic:
test a virtual 'trait' (such as using guns for characters who lack that ability, or talking your wait out
of a tricky situation for those who prefer violent solutions to problems) giving it a rating of 5. The
Game Master should also seriously consider penalties for any but the easiest tasks, in the normal
amount (-1 to -3). In these situations you cannot pay any additional cost (as you're not reducing any
real Trait) and Assets cannot be used to roll an additional die, but, as a general rule, failure does not
require a player character to mark a Suspicion box. If a failure would mean checking a Suspicion
box, the player should be allowed to spend Asset points. Therefore any effects of failure have
'merely' storytelling weight to them.
18
4. Storytelling and Setting in CSGMD!
General Disclaimer
As you have probably noticed by now, Captain Superguy Must Die! isn't a very rules-heavy game.
In fact, it barely has any rules! This is not because CSMD! is an incomplete game, nor is it because
it was completed in around 16 hours (well, alright, maybe, to some extent, that's why). This game
has minimalistic mechanics because it's supposed to have them. This is a storytelling experience
first, and a game second – a close second, even more so than some other, less focused RPGs out
there, but still second. I understand that some players may see this as a fault of the game, and enjoy
it less because of that. Those I encourage to create their own mechanic for this game, or introduce
some of my mechanisms to another game, one which they enjoy, and keep the general theme and
objective of the game in their places. Without further ado, let us get to the meaty bits of CSMD!, the
storytelling.
The three 'modes'

CSGMD!, as designed, has three basic 'modes' you can play, and one of them should be chosen
before even creating the character of Captain Superguy. Those are called the Comedic, Semi-
Comedic and Serious 'modes'.
THE COMEDIC 'MODE'

In this 'mode' of the game, all of the characters, including Captain Superguy and the player
characters are caricatures of their 'serious' versions. The superhero may be an obnoxious oaf who
saves the world as often as he puts it in peril, while the coterie of villains may consist of a mad
scientist who's working on a machine which will turn all humankind into chickens, a gorilla-man
with a serious flea problem, and a millionaire who has a penchant for stamps. This is an absolutely
acceptable 'mode' of play, if this is what you want. Bring out the beers and snacks, toss the rules
aside completely or call upon them only when you feel like it and let the good times roll.
THE SEMI-COMEDIC 'MODE'

In this 'mode' of play, the superhero is still a caricature, but is more over-the-top than silly. He will
devote his day to helping old women get to the other side of the street all around town due to his
superspeed and a great knowledge of how the traffic lights work in this town. The villains will be
19
somewhat over-the-top, or cardboard cut-outs of some famous tropes, but should rather be a more
serious threat to Captain Superguy, really bent on destroying him. This is the default 'mode' of this
game, where the superhero might be oblivious to the danger, but the player characters are definitely
not kidding around. Beer is welcome, a lot of good laughs should be had, but at the end of the game
the players should feel the weight of what they achieved (or feel the bitter taste of defeat).
THE SERIOUS 'MODE'

This is a somewhat dark 'mode' of play, in which the hero and the villains are complex characters,
and the players will stop at nothing to make Captain Superguy's life miserable. See, even his name
doesn't fit here anymore. This 'mode' is suggested only to those of you who want a dark, gritty game
akin to the graphic novels by Frank Miller, and, truth be told, it will need some tinkering with the
mechanic to make it work. To play 'seriously', you should definitely opt to pick and choose the
hero's superpowers, and create deep, interesting characters while limiting the silliness and humour.
Future updates to this document (if indeed there will be future updates) will likely address this
issue, by providing more options for creating a more 'serious' Captain Superguy and supervillains.
The construction of the game

No matter which 'mode' you choose to play the game in, it has an overarching construction which
should be adhered to if you want to use the mechanics in this game as designed. The game is played
in Chapters, each of which can be anywhere from an hour to several hours long, depending on the
players' ideas, choices, and plans. The First Chapter is the set-up of the plot, in which the player
characters agree to work with one another and devise a plan of some sort, or at least a sketch of it.
The Middle Chapter ends when a significant part of the plan is reached. There can be several
Middle Chapters in the game, each ending in a significant event (as discussed below). The Final
Chapter ends with the defeat or death of Captain Superguy. At the end of each Chapter, the
characters are awarded Assets, and may restore a number of Trait points, depending on the Chapter
and its intensity.
On restoring Trait points: generally speaking, after each Chapter, the Game Master should allow the
players to restore around half of all of their used Trait points. For example, if a character has ten
points in a single Trait, seven in another two, six in one and five in another two, that means that he
used up 20 points (3x2 + 4x1 + 5x2 = 20), and should be awarded 10 Trait points to distribute. What
20
is important here is that he does not have to restore the points he used in this Chapter. He can
distribute them as he likes, but obviously a rating of 10 is the maximum. Also, no character can
restore more points than the character who restores the least + the number of player characters. So,
continuing the example, if another character in the same game only restored 4 points this Chapter,
and the player group has three players, the character with 20 used-up points would only be able to
restore 7 points instead of 10.
THE FIRST CHAPTER

This is when the characters meet. The meeting could be suggested by one of the characters before it
takes place, or you can just assume that they have already contacted, and start the game from this
point. An interesting option would be for one of the villains to start in jail, and the others wanting to
ally with him and having to break him out in order to work with him. However you play this out,
the Chapter should end with an agreement between the player characters, which may involve some
sort of rudimentary plan, or just a sketch of it. This is likely to be the shortest Chapter. The Game
Master should allow the characters to restore all of their Trait points, if they used any of the Traits at
all this early in the game. If, however, they used their Traits extensively (more than 5 points used)
for some reason, the Game Master should allow only for around half of the points to be recovered.
Aside from the regular Asset rewards for Role-Playing and building the story, each player should
receive one or two additional Assets for completing this Chapter, or three if the characters have
come up with a plan they intend to stick to for the rest of the game.
THE MIDDLE CHAPTER(S)

This is when the plan is being created and/or slowly unfolds. There can be any number of these
Chapters, depending on the complexity of the players' plan and the number of steps that have to be
undertaken to complete it. Such milestones could be, for example: discovering Captain Superguy's
secret hideout, kidnapping his loved ones or capturing his sidekick, eliminating his allies, taking
possession of an item critical to his defeat and so forth. Generally speaking, after each of these steps
are completed, a Chapter should be considered ended, and sufficient rewards in Asset points and
Trait restoration granted. Players should be allowed to restore roughly half of their used Trait points,
between three and one less if the Chapter just finished was slow or uneventful, and between three
and one more if something very important has been accomplished, or a big challenge has been won.
The Assets reward should be between three and five points per player, depending on who
contributed the most to the goal. Also, if the cooperation between the players has been good, the
21
Game Master may award a pool of five Assets to the players as a team, to divide between
themselves as they see fit. No player should receive more than three Assets out of this pool,
however.
THE FINAL CHAPTER

This is the great Finale. The trap has been sprung, the wheels are in motion, and the hero is on his
way to defeat. The dice have been cast, and now is the time to see if the villains' plan was as good
as they think it is. The Chapter ends with either the defeat of Captain Superguy, in which case the
game has come to an end and it's time to play through the Epilogue, or with the defeat or death or
escape of the player characters. Some things to remember about this part of the game is that it can't
be disappointing and has to be tense. The players should feel that the whole endeavour can go either
way now, and once it tips to one side's favour, it should be with a bang. It's all or nothing. No Assets
and Trait restoration is awarded after this Chapter ends, instead proceed to the Epilogue.
THE EPILOGUE
When the game ends, the Game Master has to draw the future of the Big City according to the
players' plans. This takes the form of a short, narrated text which can be prepared beforehand, or
just improvised on the spot. It should serve as a summing up of the whole game, and a final
assessment of sorts. Input from the players can be included in the 'What did you do after defeating
Captain Superguy?' vein. Generally speaking, no Trait tests should take place at this point, and if the
players decide to have a go at each others' throats, it should be resolved before The Epilogue is
presented.
Other rules
COMPETING PLAYERS
Generally speaking, the villains played by the characters should not band because they like each
other, rather they should agree that a coterie of sorts if needed to fight Captain Superguy, and that's
the limit of this enterprise. They shouldn't trust each other and look after their own skin more than
anybody else's. This will create some interesting situations and will add an exciting dynamic to the
characters' contacts with one another.
An interesting variant of sorts is encouraging players to treat the alliance between them as very
22
temporary. The truth is that every villain has some kind of grudge against Captain Superguy, and
each of them would like to be the one to deal the final blow to the superhero. This variation can
make the game more interesting and tense at the very end, when former allies turn against one
another over the dying or incapacitated and helpless hero. This should be played out in storytelling,
but if need be to compare Trait rolls, the person who rolls lowest and passed his test at the same
time is the winner. A tie means just that, and doesn't forward the conflict, but the Trait points spent
to make the roll are still spent. Players can use their Assets in such a conflict as normal.
If you feel this is the kind of game you want CSGMD! to be, I recommend supplying the players
with small pieces of paper and a pen, so that they can declare certain things in secret from the other
players.
PLAYER ELIMINATION
When facing an enemy as capable as Captain Superguy, you have to take into account that a Player
Character can be defeated before he reaches his goal. This should be rare, but can certainly happen.
In that case, the Game Master should do his best to give the player something to do. Instead of
killing the character, Captain Superguy might arrest him and place him in jail, from where he can
attempt to break out. However, if a character is eliminated after receiving the fifth mark on the
Suspicion track, he should not be able to get back to the game. This is the cost of failure.
If a single character is eliminated from the game, the others can still continue without him, though
obviously they are at an disadvantage from that point on, especially if the defeated character was
crucial to the plan. If they feel they can still pull it off, the game should continue. Otherwise, it can
end prematurely, if the remaining characters are beyond the third space of the Suspicion track (they
get a chance to remove one mark from the box though, because the defeat of one of the villains is a
clear Chapter End event), or simply if the players agree that the plan has failed and they do not wish
to continue playing.
As a rule of thumb, three out of five games of CSGMD! should end in player victory. The threat of
failure must always be real, however. Otherwise, the game lacks tension and triumph will not have
as much of a sweet taste as it should.
23
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT RULES OF ALL...

Because CSGMD! is a very rules-light game, there are many grey areas and a lot of place for
differing interpretations. When in doubt, remember that there are two main goals in this game: to
create a memorable storytelling experience, and to have fun. As a Game Master, follow precedent
(if you allowed using an ability in a certain situation before, allow it again in the same situation)
and don't be afraid to give the players a lot of freedom. Improvise on the go, or have notes with
possible scenarios handy, just in case you need to fall back on a something prepared before the
game. As a Player, don't be rules-lawyer, do not try to min-max your character so he's 'the best' and
don't hog the spotlight. Personal achievement is secondary to a group achievement in this game.
Don't be too serious about this game, and you should be fine.
Wishing you all the successful toppling of the hated Captain Superguy, who totally deserves it,
Krzysztof Zieba
Player:
24
Character Name:
Background:
GRUDGE:
Appearance:
TRAITS:
□□□□□□□□□□
......................................................................................................................................
□□□□□□□□□□
......................................................................................................................................
□□□□□□□□□□
......................................................................................................................................
□□□□□□□□□□
......................................................................................................................................
□□□□□□□□□□
......................................................................................................................................
□□□□□□□□□□
......................................................................................................................................
Assets:
SUSPICION TRACK: □□□□□

Notes:
25
Captain Superguy
Name:
Hair Colour:
Built:
Costume colours:
Origin:
SUPERPOWERS:
1:..........................................................................................................
2:........................................................................................................
3:........................................................................................................
4:........................................................................................................
5:........................................................................................................
Notes:
Secret Hideout:
Secret Identity:
Hidden Weakness:
26

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Captain Superguy Must Die!

-A Storytelling game of supervillains and intrigue-

Captain Superguy must DIE!

Copyright: a King Zebra studios Production

What is 'Captain Superguy Must Die!'?

WAIT! You don't know what a Role-playing Game is?

What's in this booklet?

of having fun, just ditch it, replace it, or ignore it.

2. Setting up the game

APPEARANCE & ORIGIN TABLES

SECRET IDENTITY & HIDDEN WEAKNESS TABLES

The Supervillains (Player Characters)

3. Rules and Systems

Captain Superguy's Superpowers, Secret Identity and Hidden WEakness

very mythical-focused character.

Player Characters' trait mechanics

WHEN TO TEST TRAITS

HOW TO TEST TRAITS

BEING AWARDED AND USING ASSETS

4. Storytelling and Setting in CSGMD!

The three 'modes'

THE COMEDIC 'MODE'

THE SEMI-COMEDIC 'MODE'

THE SERIOUS 'MODE'

The construction of the game

THE FIRST CHAPTER

THE MIDDLE CHAPTER(S)

THE FINAL CHAPTER

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT RULES OF ALL...

SUSPICION TRACK: □□□□□

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