Four Colors
Gamemaster s Guide by Cynthia Celeste Miller
Section One:
Rules and Stuff
Issues and Series Action...... Experience
Point Award:
Just like with the comicbooks, the Four
Base Reward! Every
5
Colors game is organized by Issues and
character gets this reward
series.
for participating in the
issue.
An issue is one complete story, often
Good Roleplaying Aw ard!
5-10
referred to as a adventure or module
Characters who were
in other games.
roleplayed true to
character receive this
A series is the ongoing chronicles of one award.
or more particular hero(es). This means
Great Moment Aw ard!
1-3*
that the same main protagonists will
Characters who did
appear issue after issue. This is a great
something extremely
way to develop the characters personas clever, inventive or
appropriate in order to
as well as their abilities.
further the story receive
this award.
A series can last for as long as you and
the players wish to carry it on weeks, Victory Award!
5-10
Characters who
months, even years!
contributed to defeating
the bad guy receive this
award.
Awarding Experience Points
* This award can be given more than once
The old saying, practice makes perfect is
per issue if the appropriate.
absolutely true. If a character goes out
there and does his thing, fighting evil (or
being evil, if we re talking about a
Character Advancement
villain), he s bound to improve his
abilities.
Experience Points can be spent between
issues to increase the character s abilities.
At the end of each issue, the characters
should be awarded Experience Points,
This isn t an overnight thing, however, as
based on several factors.
it realistically takes time to improve one s
capabilities.
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Chase Scenes
Improving.... Experience Point Cost:
Trait ratings can be
Traits
Chase sequences have been a staple in the
improved by 1 by spending
comicbook industry since it s inception.
60 Experience Points.
And for good reason. They offer a bit of
Note: the character s
spice and variety to any story, adding
Wound Points will increase
if Body or Willpower is
tension galore.
improved (see the rules for
creating characters in the
Chase scenes in Four Colors are best
Player s Guide).
handled using a narrative approach
rather than adhering to a mound of rules.
A Trait can not go from 4 to
4 (2) without express Drama is the key to an exciting, pulse-
permission from the GM,
pounding chase sequence...and there s
not to mention a darn good
nothing exciting about wading through
reason.
charts, diagrams and rules.
Power ratings can be
Powers
improved by 1 by spending
So, what you ll find here are suggestions
80 Experience Points.
about how to handle pursuit, while using
minimal rules.
Likewise, characters can actually learn
Turns? Bah!
new things as well.
Using turns in a chase scene will most
likely bog down game play. Describe
Buying a Experience Point Cost:
what s happening and maybe ask for a
New...
Luck check or two along the way to see if
any hazards present themselves.
You can purchase a new
Trait
Trait (i.e., one that you had
at 0 rating) by spending 60
Hazards
Experience Point. This
If a hazard pops up, you can improvise
Trait has a rating of 1. Note:
something interesting, such as an out of
the character s Wound
control car heading toward the character,
Points will increase if Body
an ambush, a dead end or something else
or Willpower is purchased
(see the rules for creating
that fits the bill.
characters in the Player s
Guide).
Does he Get Caught?
To purchase a new power,
Powers
During a chase, ask for an opposed
figure it up as if you were
Athletics vs. Athletics check from the
creating a power for a new
pursuer and the pursued, from time to
character, working out the
time.
CP cost. Multiply the CP
total by 2 and add it to 100
to determine how many
Generally, if the pursuer wins 2 or 3 of
Experience Points you must
these Athletics checks in a row, he
pay in order to obtain the
catches up to the pursued character.
power.
If the pursued character wins 2 or 3 of
You must also have
permission from the GM these Athletic checks in a row, he
(and a good rationale, too).
manages to lose the pursuer.
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build it. If the character is hiring
someone else to build the object for him,
Wealth and Money
then the hired character must make the
check instead.
In a game such as this, there s little
reason to keep track of every dime a
The Difficulty Number should be
character has. That would be pointless
dependent upon how complex the object is
and silly, since Four Colors isn t an
to create.
explore the dungeon, kill the monsters
and grab the gold game.
If the check is successful, the character
builds it, though you can dictate how long
This isn t to say that money won t come
it takes to build.
into play, though.
Pay Experience Points
For the most part, you can use common
You must have enough Experience Points
sense to judge what a character can and
to purchase the item as if it were a power.
can not afford to purchase. Just look at
his Wealth Trait rating and make a
judgement call.
Falling
Or if you really feel the need, have the
player make a Wealth check. The A character who falls from any decent
Difficulty Number should reflect how height will take damage.
expensive the object he wants to buy is. If
he succeeds, he can purchase it. If he
fails, he just can t afford it.
Distance Damage:
If a character purchases something that
Fallen:
would realistically hurt his bank account
(or wallet), feel free to temporarily lower
0-8 feet No Damage
his Wealth rating.
9-20 feet 1d12
21-41 feet 1d12+6
Inventions
42-62 feet 2d12+6
Many characters try to build things.
63-83 feet 3d12+6
Gadgets, vehicles, armor, weapons, etc.
93-113 feet 4d12+6
There are three things that must be done
before a gadget can be made.
per 20 feet add extra
d12
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. Drowning
Make an Inventor Check A character can hold his breath for a
The character will need to make a number of turns equal to his Body rating
successful Inventor check to see if he can (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
Using it in the Game:
Explanation
This is mostly done by encouraging the
heroes to be good . Likewise, your
This section of the book is not a how to
villains should be extremely bad . Don t
run a game affair. Rather, it s erves to
create villains the players will feel sorry
help you run games that accurately reflect
for...create ones that they want to deal out
the comicbooks of that bygone era.
a sound thrashing to.
Another thing that needs to be mentioned
is that this information is not based so
Optimism
much on the real world in the 40's, but
Even the more grim comic series had an
the comicbook world of the 40's. Big
over-all optimistic approach. No matter
difference.
how dark and seedy the setting was...no
matter how gritty the mood was, good
So, you won t find ultra-detailed military
always triumphed over evil in the end.
information, a timeline of world events or
other such real world information on
In many titles, this optimism spilled over
the 1940's. The reason for this is that this
into patriotism. Comics were used by
stuff was never brought up in the comics.
publishers to gain support for the Allied
Oh sure, World War II provided a
cause during the war by having the heroes
backdrop for the genre, but specific things
fight Axis villains or by having the heroes
just didn t get mentioned.
advertise and encourage war bonds and
stamps.
Conventions of the Genre
Using it in the Game:
Should you let the heroes succeed all the
The comics from the 1940's had an
time? Well, that s really up to you. But
entirely different atmosphere, pacing and
you should, at the very least, let them win
feel than those that are currently on the
nearly all the time. But throughout the
market.
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
Morality climax.
Morality in the comicbooks was, for the
most part, black and white. The good
guys were good and the bad guys were
Exaggerated Action
insidiously bad.
Heroes (and often villains, too) pulled off
incredibly unlikely stunts that have little
Sure, there were vigilantes who
basis in realism. If, for example, a hero
sometimes operated on the outer-fringes
was standing outside a window on a
of the law, but they were hardly the
narrow ledge while a man was being
vicious killers that permeated throughout
thrown out that window by mobsters, the
the pulps.
hero might very well be able to reach out
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like villain! That s pretty wacky! Develop
and grab the man by the arm to prevent
a motif and stick to it like glue.
his fall....without falling off the ledge
himself!
Could that happen in reality? Not likely!
Outlandish Costumes
But the comics of the Golden Age had a
The heroes and villains of the day weren t
rather odd sense of logic, all for the sake
usually content with fighting crime (or
of an exciting story!
committing crime) while wearing
mundane attire.
Using it in the Game:
Encourage the players to engage in over-
Almost without exception, the characters
the-top derring-do. Let them swing from
donned flashy, flamboyant outfits. Some
chandeliers, leap from building-top to
were darker and more somber, but still
building-top, and jump onto the villain s
extravagant (ala a certain pointy-eared,
get-away car as it roars away. It will
caped crusader).
serve to make the game more true to the
source.....as well as more enjoyable for
There were certainly exceptions,
the players.
especially in the villain department. After
all, the heroes regularly went up against
normal mobsters, nazi s, thugs and mad
Theme Villains
scientists.
A common type of bad guy was the classic
theme villain. In case you aren t familiar
Using it in the Game:
with the term, it s a villain who chooses a
Another no-brainer. Help the players
particular motif (often an animal, insect
design costumes if they aren t too familiar
or quirk) and bases his entire modus
with the Golden Age. On the other end of
operandi on it.
the spectrum, you can design loud
costumes for your baddies.
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
Coincidence
head that naturally resembles a buzzard.
One extremely popular convention was
And his crimes are somehow related to
the use of unlikely coincidence. The hero
buzzards (he robs a new restaurant called
is in the right place at the right time or
The Bird s Nest , Steals a priceless
things always happen while he is nearby.
sculpture of a buzzard, etc.). He might
even have his henchmen dress up in
For example, the Masked Dynamo comes
buzzard costumes.
across a villain and his goons pulling a
protection racket. He busts it up, sending
That s a theme villain.
the cretins scrambling back into the dark
alleys from which they came. The next
Using it in the Game:
day, while visiting his best friend (out of
This is really kind of a no-brainer. By
costume, I might add), he learns that the
creating your own theme villains, you ll
friend is being squeezed for protection
truly be reinforcing the genre. And don t
money. Guess who s responsible? Yep,
be afraid to get a little absurd. I mean,
the villain from the night before.
look at one particular white-faced clown-
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Using it in the Game:
Of course, the villain can always make a
This affects how you craft your issues,
hasty get-away if things start looking too
really. Try to interweave events and
bleak. Or he could be captured and sent
occurrences so that it s all nice and tidy.
to prison, where he can later escape.
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
Sidekicks
expensive masterpiece.
For awhile, it seemed like every
superhero had a tag-along neophyte
hanging around.
Narrative
You see em all the time---the little text
These sidekicks were both an advantage
boxes in the panels of the comic page that
and a hindrance. On one hand, the
help set the scene and (or) create a
sidekick could come in handy when the
certain mood. Sometimes, these were
hero gets in a tight spot. On the other
redundant, but it helped define the
hand, the sidekick would often become a
comicbook story-telling of the day.
liability.....they always have a tendency to
get captured by the bad guys.
Using it in the Game:
When describing a scene, use a deep
Using it in the Game:
announcer s voice (or whatever voice
Sidekicks are best when a player takes on
works for you) to narrate the situation.
the role. This is recommended only for
Avoid over-doing it though. Just do it
players who care little for being the
from time to time to add some spice
biggest, baddest hero around, because
things. If you do it too often, you ll most
sidekicks are anything but the biggest,
likely annoy the hell out of the players.
baddest hero around. This means that
playing a teen companion can be
Example: And so, within a few days, the
something of a challenge. A fun
city is shaken by a series of bold
challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.
robberies. Finally, the heroes are on the
scene as one of these crimes take place!
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.
Recurring Villains
They ll be back. You know they will.
In any case, sidekicks should generally be
Even after the most obvious deaths
created with roughly ½ the amount of
(falling from a sky-scraper, burning up in
Character Points as the main hero(es).
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.
Page 7
that has the heroes solving a lot of
Setting Up the Series
mysteries, you might ban powers that
allow heroes to read people s minds, see
Before you can start working on
into the past and travel through time.
individual issues, you need to plan out
the series itself. Not long-term planning,
Just try to cover all the bases. If a
but a smattering of ideas for what the
problem arises that you didn t think of
feel of the stories will be, what kind of
previously, just explain to the offending
villains will be utilized and so forth.
player that he will need to alter the
character to fit into the series.
The Premise
Supporting Characters
What s the series about? Is it about a
Interesting supporting characters can
band of patriotic superheroes fighting the
enrich any series, so be sure to create a
Axis threat over in Europe? Is it based
few good ones. You needn t stat them out
around a small group of crime-fighters in
(unless you really want to)....a few lines
a dark, shadowy city of corruption? Is it
of notes should suffice.
centered on a few heroes who defend the
earth from space aliens and inter-
These characters can play pretty
dimensional beings?
important roles in the scheme of things
too, such as a police commissioner, a
It s a good idea to discuss this with the
newspaper editor, a private eye...or
players before deciding on the concept. If
whatever.
the players had their hearts set on playing
star-spangled avengers and you devise a
Plus, supporting characters can be used
series that revolves around mysterious
as plot devices later on in the series.
urban crime fighters, then there might be
After all, what hero would refuse to
problems.
rescue his best friend who has been
kidnaped by the bad guy?
Hero Requirements
Once the concept is in place, you ll need
Expectations
to give the players a list of requirements
Allow the players to write down a few
that must be met when they design their
different things that they would like the
heroes.
series to feature. You should write down
a few too.
One of the things that should be
addressed is how many Character Points
These should be fairly generalized, like a
they ll receive. The standard amount is
little bit of romance , getting to fight
60 CP s, but this isn t carved in stone. If
Nazi villains , lots of mysteries to solve ,
you d like more powerful heroes, try
and so forth.
giving them 80 CP s. Or if you d like the
heroes to be more realistic, try giving
Once everyone has their expectations
them 40 CP s.
written down, collect them all and read
them aloud. This will give everyone a
Another thing that should be considered
good idea as to what all of you are
is superpowers. Are there any types of
wanting from the game.
powers that would disrupt the series?
For example, if you re planning a series
Page 8
nothing but combat.
Creating an Issue
A typical issue should have;
Creating an issue for Four Colors isn t all
that different from creating adventures
" 3 or 4 scenes that let the characters
for other roleplaying games.
interact with characters you
control. This could be interrogating
Here are some suggestions to give you a
a captured goon, talking to the
running start....
police chief, dining with a romantic
interest, etc.
Tidy Plots
Golden Age comicbook stories were very
" 3 to 4 scenes with some form of
neatly plotted out. Everything that
combat taking place.
happened somehow tied into the
storyline. If it happened, there was a
" 1 or 2 chase scenes. These could be
distinct reason for it to happen. If a nice
on foot or in vehicles.
lady came up to the hero and said hi, you
can bet the mortgage that she ll be seen
" 1 or 2 scenes that make the heroes
again before the story is finished.
think their way out of a situation.
Getting out of a deathtrap, solving a
Obviously, this can t be duplicated exactly
riddle, figuring out who killed the
in an rpg. Players have their own whims
famous actress.
that are beyond your control. If the
player wants his hero to go into a café, let
" 1 to 4 cut-scenes that show the
him. That s the beauty of roleplaying.
villains doing their thing. These
But, you shouldn t feel pressured to tie it
scenes can not be acted upon by the
into the plot-line if you don t wish to. If
characters in the game, since they
you have a great way to tie it in, then by
didn t actually witness the scene.
all means do it. If not, there s no need to
The players witnessed it, not the
lose any sleep over it. Just create an
characters.
interesting unrelated encounter instead.
The info above is hardly the be-all-end-all
As long as the majority of the events are
authority on the matter...just guidelines.
directly related to the plot, then it ll still
feel like a Golden Age story.
Idea Sources
Some of the greatest ideas for plots are
Do your best to keep the story on a nice,
accessible to everyone.
steady path without railroading the
players.
" Newspapers provide gripping true
stories that can be altered and
Variety
switched around for your purposes.
Comic stories featured a great deal of
variety. This kept the reader from getting
" Movies and television shows can
bored and gave the stories an aura of
provide you with very nicely laid
excitement.
out stories. Doctor them up a bit or
maybe combine ideas from multiple
You can do this in your issues as well.
movies or episodes and voila!
Don t create an issue that features
Instant plot!
Page 9
 " A name is quite a popular starting
" The internet has everything you
point for kick-starting your villain.
could ever want when it comes to
After all, a bad guy is only as good
plot ideas. Crime sites, rpg sites,
as his name.
news sites, history sites you can t
go wrong. Find a search engine and
knock yourself out.
Character Points
How many Character Points should you
" Comicbooks are the most obvious
use to construct your master-villain?
choice when it comes to source
material. Especially, you guessed
There s no absolute answer to this. It
it Golden Age comics.
really depends on how much of a tussle
you want to give the heroes.
One good rule of thumb, though, is to add
The Master-Villain
together all the characters Character
Points. Then, add to that ½ the
Every good superhero story should have a
characters Experience Points (rounding
master-villain or perhaps an entire team
up). The total is the amount of CP s the
of master-villains.
master-villain should be built with.
The master-villain is always the most evil,
If there s more than one master-villain,
most diabolical and most despicable bad
divide the total up between them.
guy in the story. This goes without
saying.
Of course, that s just a guideline. Many
master-villains aren t as powerful as the
Concept
heroes....they re just exceedingly cunning!
Before you even sit down to create a
This was often the case with villains of
master-villain for the issue, take a few
the Golden Age.
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
Four Colors and all content herein is copyright
an awful lot about the bad guy. Use
2001, Spectrum Studios.
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.
Page 10
Reference Sheet
Actions
Action Checks
An action is considered something a character can
Roll 1d12 and add (or subtract) the appropriate
do rather quickly, such as;
Trait rating to the result. If the total is equal or
" Move! A character can move a n umber o f yards equal to
higher than the Difficulty Number, the character
his Athle tics rating +1 0 (add su per-rating t o this if
succeeds.
appl icable ).
" Attack! Make one attack.
" Full Dodge/Block! By taking a full dodge/block action, you
Difficulty Description of Task:
may add + 4 to the Difficulty Nu mber (for the attack
Num ber:
check) of anyone who attacks you this turn.
2 Almo st anyon e should be able to d o this
" Partial Dodge/Block! By tak ing a partial dodge/block
most of the time.
action, you may add +2 to the Difficulty Number (for the
attack check) of anyone who attacks you this turn. You
4 Most cha racters shou ld be able to do this
may also move at ½ the normal am ount or make an
most of the time.
attack at -2 to the action check roll or make a
miscellan eous actio n at -2 to the action check roll.
6 The action requ ires skill and effort. It s
very possible for the average ch aracter to
" Miscellaneous Action! This can be any reasonable action
fail, though most h ighly skilled characters
not listed above.
will accomplish it.
8 The task is d ifficult and norm al
Ranged Combat
characters only succeed every so often. It
takes a lot of skill and a bit of luck, too.
The attacker uses his Ranged Combat rating.
10 This is a very difficult feat. Even
professionals have a hard time pulling
Difficulty Range:
this off. Only the highest skilled
Num ber:
characters accomplish this with any
regularity.
2 Point Blan k! Within 2 yard s.
12 This action is extraordinarily hard and
4 Short Range! B etween 3 -10 yards.
even th e highest sk illed professio nals
often fail. 6 Medium Range! Betw een 11-5 0 yards.
14 This task is nearly impossible to succeed 8 Long Ran ge! Between 51-100 yards.
at! Hardly anyone can pull it off and even
then, it s by the skin of their teeth. 10 Very Long Range! Between 101-150
yards.
16 Only a massive amount of skill, a lot of
effort and extreme luck will enable the 12 Extremely Long Range! Between 151-200
character to succeed at this task! yards.
14 Nearly Impossible Range! Between 201-
250 yards.
Rolling 1
Anytime a 1 is rolled for an action check (before
16 Ungod ly Range! Betw een 251 -300 yards.
any modifiers are added to or subtracted from it),
the action is automatically a failure.
Close Combat
Rolling 12
The attacker and target must make an opposed
Whenever you roll a 12 during an action check, you
action check.
may immediately add the character s Oomph score
to the result!
Attacking with: Opposed Check:
Super-Ratings fists, feet, or other attacker s Unarmed
body part Combat vs. defender s
If the Trait has a super-rating, roll a number of
Athletics
d12's indicated by the super-rating when making an
action check using that Trait. Once rolled, you
sword, knife, club or attacker s Armed Combat
choose the highest roll to be your result for the
other close combat vs. defender s Athletics
check.
weapon
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