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D6 Powers: Revised and Expanded.
By DT Butchino
About twenty years ago, I discovered the d6 system. At the time, it was being used in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and I spent hour with my friends rolling six-sided dice in hopes of thwarting the Empire. In 2004, West End Games returned with a new line of d6 books and Khepra Publishing follow on their heels with d6 Powers and Godsend Agenda. At the time, I’d given both books a try and found them both fun and interesting. Then, about a few months ago, I’d heard that there was a new d6 Powers coming out. Intrigued, I’d gotten a copy and spent some time reading and tinkering with it.
The book uses a mix of the standard d6 rules from West End Games and some of the concepts originally presented in the DC Universe game (also by WEG, but using the d6 Legend system). Unlike it’s predecessor, d6 Powers: Revised and Expanded goes deeper into the system, offering a bevy of new rules and powers for use. In addition, it’s a one-stop rulebook, presenting all rules you need to play within one book, allowing GMs and players alike to minimize time needed to look up rules. Looking at the design and artwork, the book looks nice and is easy to read. It’s filled with some great artwork that emulates the style that the book caters to, though some of the tones have gotten lost in the art’s transfer from color to black & white. Also, it brings back the idea of templates in the back of the book. Many of WEG’s older books used templates ffor basic character generation and this book is no different. With over thirty templates, the game is ready to play within minutes and even includes a mini-adventure in the back.
The powers in the book cover a pretty wide spectrum. Including categories such as Physical Powers, Elemental Manipulation, and Movement, most of the standard bases are covered. For those that have looked over Khepra’s Godsend Agenda, there are revised rules in here for some of the powers including in that book as well. When I was playing around with character generation, I found the points used to be fair and easy to work with, not over-complicating themselves with odd rules. I particularly enjoyed the way that many of the energy and elemental manipulation powers were handled.
To go into every new rule would spoil the read of the book. However, I will say that there are some great new skills and benefits presented within, all of which work well within the genre (as well as working within others as well). But the two that stood out for me were the gadgetry and martial arts rules. I found the gadgetry rules of particular interest because it brings up the ideas of cost and skill to work on gadgets. Ever since the old FASERIP Marvel system, I’ve been a big fan of having to deal with building costs and requiring skill rolls to create objects. In d6 Powers: R&E, you have just that, as well as a concise point system that helps to figure out target rolls and costs. Another simple system is the martial arts rules. The basic idea is that every martial arts has access to five maneuvers, which are acquired through style and specializations within skills. There are thirteen styles presented that cover the more common martial arts, with each style showcasing a few special moves that are accessible through each style. Please note, however, that the martial arts are not intended to emulate any realistic combat. Rather, they are presented as the cinematic brethren of real martial arts.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would easily recommend this to anyone looking to run a superhero game. It’s easy to pick up, fun and allows for some of the great action that comic books are known for. If the book had any failings, I would say that it’d be the black & white artwork (which would look great in color) and the lack of illustrations with the templates. System-wise, however, the game is solid and runs fluidity. If you like superheroes, snag yourself a copy … you’d be doing yourself a favor!
By DT Butchino
About twenty years ago, I discovered the d6 system. At the time, it was being used in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and I spent hour with my friends rolling six-sided dice in hopes of thwarting the Empire. In 2004, West End Games returned with a new line of d6 books and Khepra Publishing follow on their heels with d6 Powers and Godsend Agenda. At the time, I’d given both books a try and found them both fun and interesting. Then, about a few months ago, I’d heard that there was a new d6 Powers coming out. Intrigued, I’d gotten a copy and spent some time reading and tinkering with it.
The book uses a mix of the standard d6 rules from West End Games and some of the concepts originally presented in the DC Universe game (also by WEG, but using the d6 Legend system). Unlike it’s predecessor, d6 Powers: Revised and Expanded goes deeper into the system, offering a bevy of new rules and powers for use. In addition, it’s a one-stop rulebook, presenting all rules you need to play within one book, allowing GMs and players alike to minimize time needed to look up rules. Looking at the design and artwork, the book looks nice and is easy to read. It’s filled with some great artwork that emulates the style that the book caters to, though some of the tones have gotten lost in the art’s transfer from color to black & white. Also, it brings back the idea of templates in the back of the book. Many of WEG’s older books used templates ffor basic character generation and this book is no different. With over thirty templates, the game is ready to play within minutes and even includes a mini-adventure in the back.
The powers in the book cover a pretty wide spectrum. Including categories such as Physical Powers, Elemental Manipulation, and Movement, most of the standard bases are covered. For those that have looked over Khepra’s Godsend Agenda, there are revised rules in here for some of the powers including in that book as well. When I was playing around with character generation, I found the points used to be fair and easy to work with, not over-complicating themselves with odd rules. I particularly enjoyed the way that many of the energy and elemental manipulation powers were handled.
To go into every new rule would spoil the read of the book. However, I will say that there are some great new skills and benefits presented within, all of which work well within the genre (as well as working within others as well). But the two that stood out for me were the gadgetry and martial arts rules. I found the gadgetry rules of particular interest because it brings up the ideas of cost and skill to work on gadgets. Ever since the old FASERIP Marvel system, I’ve been a big fan of having to deal with building costs and requiring skill rolls to create objects. In d6 Powers: R&E, you have just that, as well as a concise point system that helps to figure out target rolls and costs. Another simple system is the martial arts rules. The basic idea is that every martial arts has access to five maneuvers, which are acquired through style and specializations within skills. There are thirteen styles presented that cover the more common martial arts, with each style showcasing a few special moves that are accessible through each style. Please note, however, that the martial arts are not intended to emulate any realistic combat. Rather, they are presented as the cinematic brethren of real martial arts.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would easily recommend this to anyone looking to run a superhero game. It’s easy to pick up, fun and allows for some of the great action that comic books are known for. If the book had any failings, I would say that it’d be the black & white artwork (which would look great in color) and the lack of illustrations with the templates. System-wise, however, the game is solid and runs fluidity. If you like superheroes, snag yourself a copy … you’d be doing yourself a favor!
