TEXT: Page 1
  Four Colors
   �Gamemaster �s Guide � by Cynthia Celeste Miller
                      Section One:
                                            �Rules and Stuff �
  Issues and Series
  Just like with the comicbooks, the Four
  Colors game is organized by Issues and
  series.
  An issue is one complete story, often
  referred to as a  �adventure � or  �module �
  in other games. 
  A series is the ongoing chronicles of one
  or more particular hero(es).  This means
  that the same main protagonists will
  appear issue after issue.  This is a great
  way to develop the characters � personas
  as well as their abilities.
  A series can last for as long as you and
  the players wish to carry it on � weeks,
  months, even years!
  Awarding Experience Points
  The old saying,  �practice makes perfect � is
  absolutely true.  If a character goes out
  there and does his thing, fighting evil (or
  being evil, if we �re talking about a
  villain), he �s bound to improve his
  abilities.  
  At the end of each issue, the characters
  should be awarded Experience Points,
  based on several factors.
  Action......
  Experience
  Point Award:
  Base Reward!  Every
  character gets this reward
  for participating in the
  issue.
         5
  Good Roleplaying Award! 
  Characters who were
  roleplayed true to
  character receive this
  award.
       5-10
  Great Moment Award! 
  Characters who did
  something extremely
  clever, inventive or
  appropriate in order to
  further the story receive
  this award.
       1-3*
  Victory Award! 
  Characters who
  contributed to defeating
  the bad guy receive this
  award.
       5-10
  * This award can be given more than once
  per issue if the appropriate.
  Character Advancement
  Experience Points can be spent between
  issues to increase the character �s abilities.
  This isn �t an overnight thing, however, as
  it realistically takes time to improve one �s
  capabilities.
  
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  Improving....
  Experience Point Cost:
  Traits
  Trait ratings can be
  improved by 1 by spending 
  60 Experience Points. 
  Note: the character �s
  Wound Points will increase
  if Body or Willpower is
  improved (see the rules for
  creating characters in the
  Player �s Guide).
  A Trait can not go from 4 to
  4 (2) without express
  permission from the GM,
  not to mention a darn good
  reason.  
  Powers
  Power ratings can be
  improved by 1 by spending
  80 Experience Points.
  Likewise, characters can actually learn
  new things as well.
  Buying a
  New...
  Experience Point Cost:
  Trait
  You can purchase a new
  Trait (i.e., one that you had
  at 0 rating) by spending 60
  Experience Point.  This
  Trait has a rating of 1. Note:
  the character �s Wound
  Points will increase if Body
  or Willpower is purchased
  (see the rules for creating
  characters in the Player �s
  Guide).
  Powers
  To purchase a new power,
  figure it up as if you were
  creating a power for a new
  character, working out the
  CP cost.  Multiply the CP
  total by 2 and add it to 100
  to determine how many
  Experience Points you must
  pay in order to obtain the
  power.
  You must also have
  permission from the GM
  (and a good rationale, too).
  Chase Scenes
  Chase sequences have been a staple in the
  comicbook industry since it �s inception. 
  And for good reason.  They offer a bit of
  spice and variety to any story, adding
  tension galore.  
  Chase scenes in Four Colors are best
  handled using a narrative approach
  rather than adhering to a mound of rules. 
  Drama is the key to an exciting, pulse-
  pounding chase sequence...and there �s
  nothing exciting about wading through
  charts, diagrams and rules.
  So, what you �ll find here are suggestions
  about how to handle pursuit, while using
  minimal rules.
  Turns?  Bah!
  Using turns in a chase scene will most
  likely bog down game play.  Describe
  what �s happening and maybe ask for a
  Luck check or two along the way to see if
  any hazards present themselves.
  Hazards
  If a hazard pops up, you can improvise
  something  interesting, such as an out of
  control car heading toward the character,
  an ambush, a dead end or something else
  that fits the bill.
  Does he Get Caught?
  During a chase, ask for an opposed
  Athletics vs. Athletics check from the
  pursuer and the pursued, from time to
  time.
  Generally, if the pursuer wins 2 or 3 of
  these Athletics checks in a row, he
  catches up to the pursued character.
  If the pursued character wins 2 or 3 of
  these Athletic checks in a row, he
  manages to lose the pursuer.
  
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  Wealth and Money
  In a game such as this, there �s little
  reason to keep track of every dime a
  character has.  That would be pointless
  and silly, since Four Colors isn �t an
   �explore the dungeon, kill the monsters
  and grab the gold � game.
  This isn �t to say that money won �t come
  into play, though.  
  For the most part, you can use common
  sense to judge what a character can and
  can not afford to purchase.  Just look at
  his Wealth Trait rating and make a
  judgement call.
  Or if you really feel the need, have the
  player make a Wealth check.  The
  Difficulty Number should reflect how
  expensive the object he wants to buy is.  If
  he succeeds, he can purchase it.  If he
  fails, he just can �t afford it.
  If a character purchases something that
  would realistically hurt his bank account
  (or wallet), feel free to temporarily lower
  his Wealth rating.
  Inventions
  Many characters try to build things. 
  Gadgets, vehicles, armor, weapons, etc. 
  There are three things that must be done
  before a gadget can be made.
  Make a Wealth Check
  Using the rules given above, the player
  must make a Wealth check in order to
  have the materials at your disposal.
  Make an Inventor Check
  The character will need to make a
  successful Inventor check to see if he can
  build it.  If the character is hiring
  someone else to build the object for him,
  then the hired character must make the
  check instead.
  The Difficulty Number should be
  dependent upon how complex the object is
  to create.  
  If the check is successful, the character
  builds it, though you can dictate how long
  it takes to build.
  Pay Experience Points
  You must have enough Experience Points
  to purchase the item as if it were a power.
  Falling
  A character who falls from any decent
  height will take damage. 
  Distance
  Fallen:
  Damage:
  0-8 feet
   No Damage
  9-20 feet
   1d12
  21-41 feet
   1d12+6
  42-62 feet
   2d12+6
  63-83 feet
   3d12+6
  93-113 feet
   4d12+6
  per 20 feet
  add extra
  d12
  Drowning
  A character can hold his breath for a
  number of turns equal to his Body rating
  (adding the super-rating to this number,
  
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  if applicable).  Every turn he �s submerged
  after this, he loses 1d12 Wound Points. 
  Protection powers offer no assistance
  here, except force fields.
  Fire
  Every turn a character is exposed to fire,
  he suffers 1d12+4 damage.  This goes
  down to 1d12 damage per turn if the
  character has a gas mask or similar
  device that prevents harmful inhalation.
  
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  Section Two:
   �Gamemastering in The Golden Age �
  Explanation
  This section of the book is not a  �how to
  run a game � affair.  Rather, it s erves to
  help you run games that accurately reflect
  the comicbooks of that bygone era.
  Another thing that needs to be mentioned
  is that this information is not based so
  much on the real world in the 40's, but
  the comicbook world of the 40's.  Big
  difference.
  So, you won �t find ultra-detailed military
  information, a timeline of world events or
  other such  �real world � information on
  the 1940's.  The reason for this is that this
  stuff was never brought up in the comics. 
  Oh sure, World War II provided a
  backdrop for the genre, but specific things
  just didn �t get mentioned.
  Conventions of the Genre
  The comics from the 1940's had an
  entirely different atmosphere, pacing and
  feel than those that are currently on the
  market.
  Morality
  Morality in the comicbooks was, for the
  most part, black and white.  The good
  guys were good and the bad guys were
  insidiously bad.
  Sure, there were vigilantes who
  sometimes operated on the outer-fringes
  of the law, but they were hardly the
  vicious killers that permeated throughout
  the pulps.  
  Using it in the Game:
  This is mostly done by encouraging the
  heroes to be  �good �.  Likewise, your
  villains should be extremely  �bad �.  Don �t
  create villains the players will feel sorry
  for...create ones that they want to deal out
  a sound thrashing to.
  Optimism
  Even the more grim comic series had an
  over-all optimistic approach.  No matter
  how dark and seedy the setting was...no
  matter how gritty the mood was, good
  always triumphed over evil in the end.
  In many titles, this optimism spilled over
  into patriotism.  Comics were used by
  publishers to gain support for the Allied
  cause during the war by having the heroes
  fight Axis villains or by having the heroes
  advertise and encourage war bonds and
  stamps.
  Using it in the Game:
  Should you let the heroes succeed all the
  time?  Well, that �s really up to you.  But
  you should, at the very least, let them win
  nearly all the time.  But throughout the
  story, you shouldn �t hesitate to allow the
  villain to get the better of the heroes from
  time to time.  It builds drama for the big
  climax.
   
  Exaggerated Action
  Heroes (and often villains, too) pulled off
  incredibly unlikely stunts that have little
  basis in realism.  If, for example, a hero
  was standing outside a window on a
  narrow ledge while a man was being
  thrown out that window by mobsters, the
  hero might very well be able to reach out
  
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  and grab the man by the arm to prevent
  his fall....without falling off the ledge
  himself!  
  Could that happen in reality?  Not likely! 
  But the comics of the Golden Age had a
  rather odd sense of logic, all for the sake
  of an exciting story!
  Using it in the Game:
  Encourage the players to engage in over-
  the-top derring-do.  Let them swing from
  chandeliers, leap from building-top to
  building-top, and jump onto the villain �s
  get-away car as it roars away.  It will
  serve to make the game more true to the
  source.....as well as more enjoyable for
  the players.
  Theme Villains
  A common type of bad guy was the classic
  theme villain.  In case you aren �t familiar
  with the term, it �s a villain who chooses a
  particular motif (often an animal, insect
  or quirk) and bases his entire modus
  operandi on it.
  For example, let �s say there �s a villain
  called The Black Buzzard.  He might wear
  a costume fashioned after a buzzard or he
  might have a large hook-nose and bald
  head that naturally resembles a buzzard. 
  And his crimes are somehow related to
  buzzards (he robs a new restaurant called
   �The Bird �s Nest �, Steals a priceless
  sculpture of a buzzard, etc.).  He might
  even have his henchmen dress up in
  buzzard costumes.
  That �s a theme villain.
  Using it in the Game:
  This is really kind of a no-brainer.  By
  creating your own theme villains, you �ll
  truly be reinforcing the genre.  And don �t
  be afraid to get a little absurd.  I mean,
  look at one particular white-faced clown-
  like villain!  That �s pretty wacky!  Develop
  a motif and stick to it like glue.
    
  Outlandish Costumes
  The heroes and villains of the day weren �t
  usually content with fighting crime (or
  committing crime) while wearing
  mundane attire.  
  Almost without exception, the characters
  donned flashy, flamboyant outfits.  Some
  were darker and more somber, but still
  extravagant (ala a certain pointy-eared,
  caped crusader).
  There were certainly exceptions,
  especially in the villain department.  After
  all, the heroes regularly went up against
  normal mobsters, nazi �s, thugs and mad
  scientists.  
  Using it in the Game:
  Another no-brainer.  Help the players
  design costumes if they aren �t too familiar
  with the Golden Age.  On the other end of
  the spectrum, you can design loud
  costumes for your baddies.
  Coincidence
  One extremely popular convention was
  the use of unlikely coincidence.  The hero
  is in the right place at the right time or
  things always happen while he is nearby.
  For example, the Masked Dynamo comes
  across a villain and his goons pulling a
  protection racket.  He busts it up, sending
  the cretins scrambling back into the dark
  alleys from which they came.  The next
  day, while visiting his best friend (out of
  costume, I might add), he learns that the
  friend is being squeezed for protection
  money.  Guess who �s responsible?  Yep,
  the villain from the night before.
  
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  Using it in the Game:
  This affects how you craft your issues,
  really.  Try to interweave events and
  occurrences so that it �s all nice and tidy. 
  Allow the heroes a chance to go to that art
  show, so that they �re present when the
  ne �er do-well crashes in to steal an
  expensive masterpiece.
  Narrative
  You see  �em all the time---the little text
  boxes in the panels of the comic page that
  help set the scene and (or) create a
  certain mood.  Sometimes, these were
  redundant, but it helped define the
  comicbook story-telling of the day.
  Using it in the Game:
  When describing a scene, use a deep
   �announcer �s voice � (or whatever voice
  works for you) to narrate the situation. 
  Avoid over-doing it though.  Just do it
  from time to time to add some spice
  things.  If you do it too often, you �ll most
  likely annoy the hell out of the players.  
  Example:   �And so, within a few days, the
  city is shaken by a series of bold
  robberies.  Finally, the heroes are on the
  scene as one of these crimes take place! �
  Recurring Villains
  They �ll be back.  You know they will. 
  Even after the most obvious deaths
  (falling from a sky-scraper, burning up in
  an inferno, etc.), villains usually find
  some way to survive and plague the
  heroes in a later issue.
  Using it in the Game:
  Do your best to make the villain �s demise
  vague or uncertain.  Falling is a great
  stand-by for this purpose.  They fall off
  the bridge into the murky water or off a
  craggy cliff-side or off a building or into a
  deep dark crevice.
  Of course, the villain can always make a
  hasty get-away if things start looking too
  bleak.  Or he could be captured and sent
  to prison, where he can later escape. 
  Sidekicks
  For awhile, it seemed like every
  superhero had a tag-along neophyte
  hanging around.  
  These sidekicks were both an advantage
  and a hindrance.  On one hand, the
  sidekick could come in handy when the
  hero gets in a tight spot.  On the other
  hand, the sidekick would often become a
  liability.....they always have a tendency to
  get captured by the bad guys.
  Using it in the Game:
  Sidekicks are best when a player takes on
  the role.  This is recommended only for
  players who care little for being the
  biggest, baddest hero around, because
  sidekicks are anything but the biggest,
  baddest hero around.  This means that
  playing a teen companion can be
  something of a challenge.  A fun
  challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.
  Another option is for you, the GM, to take
  on the role.  This is best suited for a
  series that involves only you and one
  player.  
  In any case, sidekicks should generally be
  created with roughly ½ the amount of
  Character Points as the main hero(es).
  
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  Setting Up the Series
  Before you can start working on
  individual issues, you need to plan out
  the series itself.  Not long-term planning,
  but a smattering of ideas for what the
   �feel � of the stories will be, what kind of
  villains will be utilized and so forth.
  The Premise
  What �s the series about?  Is it about a
  band of patriotic superheroes fighting the
  Axis threat over in Europe?  Is it based
  around a small group of crime-fighters in
  a dark, shadowy city of corruption?  Is it
  centered on a few heroes who defend the
  earth from space aliens and inter-
  dimensional beings?
  It �s a good idea to discuss this with the
  players before deciding on the concept.  If
  the players had their hearts set on playing
  star-spangled avengers and you devise a
  series that revolves around mysterious 
  urban crime fighters, then there might be
  problems.
  Hero Requirements
  Once the concept is in place, you �ll need
  to give the players a list of requirements
  that must be met when they design their
  heroes.
  One of the things that should be
  addressed is how many Character Points
  they �ll receive.  The standard amount is
  60 CP �s, but this isn �t carved in stone.  If
  you �d like more powerful heroes, try
  giving them 80 CP �s.  Or if you �d like the
  heroes to be more realistic, try giving
  them 40 CP �s.
  Another thing that should be considered
  is superpowers.  Are there any types of
  powers that would disrupt the series? 
  For example, if you �re planning a series
  that has the heroes solving a lot of
  mysteries, you might ban powers that
  allow heroes to read people �s minds, see
  into the past and travel through time.
  Just try to cover all the bases.  If a
  problem arises that you didn �t think of
  previously, just explain to the offending
  player that he will need to alter the
  character to fit into the series. 
  Supporting Characters
  Interesting supporting characters can
  enrich any series, so be sure to create a
  few good ones.  You needn �t stat them out
  (unless you really want to)....a few lines
  of notes should suffice.  
  These characters can play pretty
  important roles in the scheme of things
  too, such as a police commissioner, a
  newspaper editor, a private eye...or
  whatever.  
  Plus, supporting characters can be used
  as plot devices later on in the series. 
  After all, what hero would refuse to
  rescue his best friend who has been
  kidnaped by the bad guy?
  Expectations
  Allow the players to write down a few
  different things that they would like the
  series to feature.  You should write down
  a few too.
  These should be fairly generalized, like  �a
  little bit of romance �,  �getting to fight
  Nazi villains �,  �lots of mysteries to solve �,
  and so forth.
  Once everyone has their expectations
  written down, collect them all and read
  them aloud.  This will give everyone a
  good idea as to what all of you are
  wanting from the game.
  
  Page 9
  Creating an Issue
  Creating an issue for Four Colors isn �t all
  that different from creating adventures
  for other roleplaying games.
  Here are some suggestions to give you a
  running start....
  Tidy Plots
  Golden Age comicbook stories were very
  neatly plotted out.  Everything  that
  happened somehow tied into the
  storyline.  If it happened, there was a
  distinct reason for it to happen.  If a nice
  lady came up to the hero and said hi, you
  can bet the mortgage that she �ll be seen
  again before the story is finished.
  Obviously, this can �t be duplicated exactly
  in an rpg.  Players have their own whims
  that are beyond your control.  If the
  player wants his hero to go into a café, let
  him.  That �s the beauty of roleplaying. 
  But, you shouldn �t feel pressured to tie it
  into the plot-line if you don �t wish to.  If
  you have a great way to tie it in, then by
  all means do it.  If not, there �s no need to
  lose any sleep over it.  Just create an
  interesting unrelated encounter instead.
  As long as the majority of the events are
  directly related to the plot, then it �ll still
  feel like a Golden Age story.  
  Do your best to keep the story on a nice,
  steady path without railroading the
  players.
  Variety
  Comic stories featured a great deal of
  variety.  This kept the reader from getting
  bored and gave the stories an aura of
  excitement.
  You can do this in your issues as well. 
  Don �t create an issue that features
  nothing but combat.
  A typical issue should have; 
   "
  3 or 4 scenes that let the characters
  interact with characters you
  control.  This could be interrogating
  a captured goon, talking to the
  police chief, dining with a romantic
  interest, etc.
   "
  3 to 4 scenes with some form of
  combat taking place. 
   "
  1 or 2 chase scenes.  These could be
  on foot or in vehicles.
   "
  1 or 2 scenes that make the heroes
  think their way out of a situation. 
  Getting out of a deathtrap, solving a
  riddle, figuring out who killed the
  famous actress.
   "
  1 to 4 cut-scenes that show the
  villains doing their thing.  These
  scenes can not be acted upon by the
  characters in the game, since they
  didn �t actually witness the scene. 
  The players witnessed it, not the
  characters.
  The info above is hardly the be-all-end-all
  authority on the matter...just guidelines.
  Idea Sources
  Some of the greatest ideas for plots are
  accessible to everyone.
   "
  Newspapers provide gripping true
  stories that can be altered and
  switched around for your purposes.
   "
  Movies and television shows can
  provide you with very nicely laid
  out stories.  Doctor them up a bit or
  maybe combine ideas from multiple
  movies or episodes and voila! 
  Instant plot!
  
  Page 10
  Four Colors and all content herein is copyright
  2001, Spectrum Studios.
   "
  The internet has everything you
  could ever want when it comes to
  plot ideas.  Crime sites, rpg sites,
  news sites, history sites � you can �t
  go wrong.  Find a search engine and
  knock yourself out.
   "
  Comicbooks are the most obvious
  choice when it comes to source
  material.  Especially, you guessed
  it � Golden Age comics.
  The Master-Villain
  Every good superhero story should have a
  master-villain or perhaps an entire team
  of master-villains. 
  The master-villain is always the most evil,
  most diabolical and most despicable bad
  guy in the story.  This goes without
  saying.
  Concept
  Before you even sit down to create a
  master-villain for the issue, take a few
  minutes to figure out some things about
  him.  
  First off, you need a central concept.  This
  core idea can be anything that makes the
  villain distinctive, interesting and
  memorable.  
   "
  Peculiar appearances can suggest
  an awful lot about the bad guy.  Use
  this to your advantage.
   "
  A gimmick/motif is a splendid
  skeleton upon which you can build
  the rest of the character.  Go wild
  with it!
   "
  A personality trait or mannerism
  can function as a  �hook � as well.  
   "
  A name is quite a popular starting
  point for kick-starting your villain. 
  After all, a bad guy is only as good
  as his name.  
  Character Points
  How many Character Points should you
  use to construct your master-villain?
  There �s no absolute answer to this.  It
  really depends on how much of a tussle
  you want to give the heroes.  
  One good rule of thumb, though, is to add
  together all the characters � Character
  Points.  Then, add to that ½ the
  characters � Experience Points (rounding
  up).  The total is the amount of CP �s the
  master-villain should be built with.  
  If there �s more than one master-villain,
  divide the total up between them.
  Of course, that �s just a guideline.  Many
  master-villains aren �t as powerful as the
  heroes....they �re just exceedingly cunning! 
  This was often the case with villains of
  the Golden Age.
  
  Page 11
  Reference Sheet
  Action Checks
  Roll 1d12 and add (or subtract) the appropriate 
  Trait rating to the result.  If the total is equal or
  higher than the Difficulty Number, the character 
  succeeds.
  Difficulty
  Num ber:
  Description of Task:
  2
  Almo st anyon e should  be able to d o this
  most of the time.
  4
  Most cha racters shou ld be able to  do this
  most of the time.
  6
  The action requ ires skill and effort.  It �s
  very possible for the average ch aracter to
  fail, though most h ighly skilled characters
  will accomplish it.
  8
  The task is d ifficult and  �norm al �
  characters only succeed every so often.  It
  takes a lot of skill and a bit of luck, too.
  10
  This is a very difficult feat.  Even
  professionals have a hard time pulling
  this off.  Only the highest skilled
  characters accomplish this with any
  regularity.
  12
  This action is extraordinarily hard and
  even th e highest sk illed professio nals
  often fail.
  14
  This task is nearly impossible to succeed
  at!  Hardly anyone can pull it off and even
  then, it �s by the skin of their teeth.
  16
  Only a massive amount of skill, a lot of
  effort and extreme luck will enable the
  character to succeed at this task!
  Rolling 1
  Anytime  a 1 is rolled for an action check (before
  any modifiers are added to or subtracted from it),
  the action is automatically a failure.  
  Rolling 12
  Whenever you roll a 12 during an action check, you
  may immediately add the character �s Oomph score
  to the result!
  Super-Ratings
  If the Trait has a super-rating, roll a number of
  d12's indicated by the super-rating when making an
  action check using that Trait.  Once rolled, you
  choose the highest roll to be your result for the
  check.
  Actions
  An action is considered something a character can
  do rather quickly, such as;
   "
  Move!  A character can  move a n umber o f yards equal to
  his Athle tics rating +1 0 (add su per-rating t o this if
  appl icable ).  
   "
  Attack!  Make one attack.
   "
  Full Dodge/Block!  By taking a full dodge/block action, you
  may add + 4 to the Difficulty Nu mber (for the attack
  check) of anyone who attacks you this turn.
   "
  Partial Dodge/Block!  By tak ing a partial dodge/block
  action, you may add +2 to the Difficulty Number (for the
  attack check) of anyone who attacks you this turn.  You
  may also move at ½  the normal am ount or make an
  attack at -2 to the action check roll or make a
  miscellan eous actio n at -2 to  the action  check roll.
   "
  Miscellaneous Action!  This can be any reasonable action
  not listed above.
  Ranged Combat
  The attacker uses his Ranged Combat rating.
  Difficulty
  Num ber:
  Range:
  2
  Point Blan k!  Within 2 yard s.
  4
  Short Range!  B etween 3 -10 yards.
  6
  Medium  Range!  Betw een 11-5 0 yards.
  8
  Long Ran ge!  Between  51-100  yards.
  10
  Very Long Range!  Between 101-150
  yards.
  12
  Extremely Long Range!  Between 151-200
  yards.
  14
  Nearly Impossible Range!  Between 201-
  250 yards.
  16
  Ungod ly Range!  Betw een 251 -300 yards.
  Close Combat
  The attacker and target must make an opposed
  action check.
  Attacking with:
  Opposed Check:
  fists, feet, or other
  body part
  attacker �s Unarmed
  Combat vs. defender �s
  Athletics 
  sword, knife, club or
  other close combat
  weapon
  attacker �s Armed Combat
  vs. defender �s Athletics
  
  Page 12
  
  Page 13
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Four Colors/Four Colors Gamemasters Guide.pdf