Leveling Up

 

The game opens with Dr. Sivana activating a device which messes with the SHAZAM spell–while Billy, Mary, and Freddy can all still transform into their superpowered counterparts, they’re much, much weaker than they should be. Bullets don’t kill them, but they do hurt them.

 

We have this plot device for two reasons. First of all, guest stars from across the Fawcett universe are going to be taking up slots 4 and 5 of the party, maybe even more if you feel like benching some of the Marvels (though you always have to have at least 1 Marvel in your party). Even in just the public domain material we can draw from, the Marvels stand head-and-shoulders above guys like Spy Smasher and Minute-man. Spy Smasher never restarted the Earth’s rotation by giving it a shove. If you want Batman to matter on a team of Superman, Superboy, and Supergirl, you’re going to have to bring out the kryptonite.

 

Second, it allows for the justification of the classic leveling-up-through-experience RPG system. For the other Fawcett heroes, leveling up represents what it usually does in RPGs, it represents them mastering their spells, improving their gadgets, and growing their muscles. But the Marvels are simply getting back to their typical level of power. If you actually max out a Marvel’s level–something that’s hard to do, but indeed possible–they return to their full power. No enemy in the game can damage them. They have infinite HP and infinite power points. The numbers are replaced by lightning bolts. They can fly to Sivana’s invincible fortress on Venus and knock the wall down, triggering the final boss without going through any of the end-game quests. If someone was dedicated enough, they could grind a Marvel to level 100 on nothing but the humble goons and thugs that patrol New York City, the starting area of the game, and beat the game. But it’s really meant to be a post-game goal, one of the many reasons to keep playing after Sivana is defeated. You have to go out of your way to face Sivana at level 100 instead of level 60 or 70.

 

One idea I have for leveling up the Marvels is that Billy and Mary somehow share experience, because they’re both powered by SHAZAM, while Freddy is powered by CAPTAIN MARVEL, technically a separate spell. Since Billy and Mary use the same magic, they should be equally powerful, but that creates some problems. If they share experience points, then they’re going to level up very fast, essentially twice as fast as Freddy and other characters. If only one of them gains experience for the both of them, then it incentivizes benching one as soon as possible. Maybe instead of sharing experience, they share power feat levels, so that regardless of character level, they have the same power feat levels, meaning that you could grind Billy to level 100 while leaving Mary at level 1 and Mary would have all her power feats, but be unable use most of them because her power points would be too low.

 

Bound And Gagged

 

When a superhero, Marvel or otherwise, has their Health Points reduced to zero, they don’t die, because golden age Fawcett comics are too whimsical for that. Instead, the bad guys bound and gag them, which was a common complication in Marvel Family stories. “Oh no! The mobsters have bound and gagged Billy before he could say SHAZAM and now he’s being lowered into a vat of acid!”

 

The Marvels are forcibly transformed back to Billy/Mary/Freddy before being bound and gagged. Everyone else is just bound and gagged. While a superhero has the B&G condition, they still have a sprite in the party lineup, albeit one with ropes and a gag, and can still walk, or rather, hop, but they’re effectively “dead” in RPG terms. They can’t talk to people, can’t pick up items, and can’t fight. If you need Billy Batson to talk to a certain NPC to start a questline and he’s bound and gagged, you need to fix him up first before he can talk to them.

 

The B&G condition cannot be removed by other members in the party. You can’t have Spy Smasher tear off Billy’s gag. The ropes and gag, you see, were created by Dr. Sivana himself and are super-strong. They would have to be, since some heroes like Z the Robot have natural super-strength. But there are ways to remove the condition. The good scientists at Kiddin Kastle sell SHAZAM records, recordings of Billy/Mary/Freddy saying SHAZAM and CAPTAIN MARVEL which undo the B&G condition by triggering the transformation. These recordings are one-time use only (they self-destruct to prevent the recordings from falling into enemy hands, who might use them to force the Marvels back to their human counterparts). They also don’t work on non-Marvels. For non-Marvels, Kiddin Kastle sells rescuebots, tiny crab-like robots who use ultra-sharp, ultra-precise claws to cut ropes. These rescuebots can’t free Marvels, though. The bonds used for them are extra-durable. If you want an expensive item that combines both effects, there’s the recorderbots, rescuebots who have tape recorders for bodies. These handy devices rescue one Marvel and one non-Marvel per use.

 

The B&G condition can also be removed by traveling to a place of safety such as Shaza’s alter in his cavern, Billy’s house, or Kiddin Kastle. Certain skills, spells, and power feats also remove the condition. The Marvels’ MARVELOUS STRENGTH power feat removes the condition, as does Spy Smasher’s ESCAPE ARTIST skill and Ibis’ TRANSMUTATION spell. Any skill, spell, or power feat that removes the B&G condition will have it listed in its description, so you don’t have to guess and experiment.

 

Unlocking Adventures

 

The hub area of the game is the Heart of Eternity (Note, not the Rock of Eternity, because while Shazam’s cavern and the Rock of Eternity are often conflated, the Rock of Eternity is not his cavern and was introduced to the comics after the public domain period). From the infinite worldtunnels of the caverns of Shazam, the entire multiverse is yours to explore–within limits. Some areas have been sealed off by Sivana or the supernatural enemy of El Carim, Olbaid. But sufficiently leveled Marvels can open all doors!

 

For instance, if you want to access the outer space areas of the game–Venus, Planetoid Punkus, and Mars, you can either go through the questline to complete a spaceship which will take you to the stars or level up enough to unlock the SPACE FLIGHT power feat. Do you want to go back in time to access Ancient Egypt and finish up Ibis the Invincible’s questline? You can either go through a questline to create a time machine or you can unlock Mary Marvel’s ability to time travel.

 

If a sealed-off area looks cool to you, you can work to access it early on in the game, and then when you’ve leveled up, jump into the other sealed-off areas without having to go through their unlock quests. It keeps the pace of the game from slowing down and makes the world feel like its always opening up and getting bigger and bigger.

 

Power Feats

 

Power feats are the “spells” Marvels can use. By concentrating, they temporarily cancel the effect of Sivana’s device and tap into just enough of their true power to pull off a move worthy of Popeye and the Looney Tunes. Power feats are analogous to the skills, gadgets, and magic used by guest star characters. Power feats take “MP” to use, known in the game as power points, unless they are innate powers, which are powers that are always active and don’t cost power points to “turn on.”

 

Most power feats are unlocked simply by leveling up, but others are unlocked by doing certain quests, often given to Marvels by the very immortals that power them. The immortals are on vacation on Earth, disguised as humans, and have to be identified before you can take on their quests.

 

The power feats list is divided up into five sections, each representing one of the main powers of the Marvel.

 

Cap and Billy share the same set of immortals, so they share very similar lists, but there are some differences. For instance, they use the ZEUS THUNDERBOLT power feat very differently. Mary has an entirely separate set of immortals, and it was fun coming up with power feats for her.

 

The following list is incomplete and tentative.

 

Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr.

 

WISDOM OF SOLOMON

 

TOO SMART FOR THAT TO WORK! (Level 1, 2, 3…)

 

Innate, always on.

 

Provides resistance, and then immunity, to various mental based attacks including illusions, hypnosis, and mind control.

 

“And God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honour or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king; wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.””

 

QUICK INVENTING (Level 1, Level 2)

 

Using whatever is nearby, create and use a item to gain an edge in battle. Use outside of battle to create and keep an item.

 

At level 2, produce a spare of whatever item you create! Use it later or sell it for a little extra cash!

 

The type of item is rolled off a list, and the list varies by the environment. Environments with a lot of technology nearby, such as New York City, will influence the list to produce high-tech items like ray weapons and force fields. Environments with a lot of magic nearby, such as the Skylands, will influence the list to produce magic items like rabbit hats and enchanted mirrors.

 

Even if you’re in an area without much around, such as the South Pacific, Billy and Freddy will still find things to make gadgets out of. They’ll make the ability work, even if they have to uses coconuts and bamboo.

 

“You can make anything out of anything with enough power. Even the air has atoms, and everything, be it a power ray projector or a bottle of Spy Smasher soda.”

 

SEALS OF SOLOMON

 

Deal damage to and debuff a demon, fairy, or genie. You may even seal them inside a brass bottle!

 

“That there are many, many, many stories about sealed genies in the Arabian Nights is proof just how much genie busting he used to do back in the day. Imagine imprisoning so many magical beings that the rare few that escape confinement are enough to fill books.”

 

STRENGTH OF HERCULES

 

MARVELOUS STRENGTH 

 

Expensive, but available from the start. Use super-strength to deal high damage to one target, end the B&G condition for a character, or break through a forcefield.

 

“Don’t think of strength as the ability to move things or break things. True strength is the ability to put creative solutions into action.”

 

AROUND THE WORLD

 

A powerful one-two punch! Hit them so hard hard they go flying around the world, and then when they come up the other side, hit them into the ground! Deals damage twice to a single target with a high chance of causing stun.

 

“The best part is they think they got away for a second.”

 

COURAGE OF ACHILLES

 

FEARLESS HEROICS

 

Immune to all fear-based effects.

 

Innate, always on.

 

“Sure, it wasn’t very courageous of Achilles to sulk in his tent, but after Patroclus died he sure gave the Trojans what-for!”

 

THETIS BLAZE

 

Call upon the origin of Achilles’ invulnerability (the other one, not the one with the river Styx) and surround yourself in mystic ambrosial fire. The fire adds to your armor and gives your attacks extra fire damage.

When Captain Marvel uses this power feat, he spreads the blaze to one other party member, protecting them as well. When Captain Marvel Jr. uses this power feat, he blasts the enemy team with fireball.

 

“In another version of the story, Thetis didn’t dunk her son Achilles in the river Styx, instead, she coated him in ambrosia and set him on fire to burn away his mortality and leave behind a pure, immortal body. Compare and contrast with the apotheosis of Hercules. But as in the Styx version, she neglected to cover his heel, by which she held him. The mortal part of Achilles ended up being the weakness of his entire immortal body, and let that be a lesson to the vulnerable, mortal partners of the Marvel family.”

 

POWER OF ZEUS

 

IMMORTAL MORTAL (Level 1, 2, 3…)

 

Grants progressively stronger forms of armor and immunities.

 

“Captain Marvel is called the World’s Mightiest Mortal, not because he can die, he can’t, not because he can be destroyed he can’t, but because he is the finest creation of the mortal wizard Shazam and works on behalf of all mortal kind.”

 

WEAPON OF THE CYCLOPS

 

Call Zeus for one of his thunderbolts. Captain Marvel hurls it at one foe to cause massive electrical damage. Captain Marvel Jr. equips the thunderbolt as a weapon and wields it like a sword for the rest of the fight.

 

“Many think that the Power of Zeus give Captain Marvel the ability to summon magic lightning. That’s not true. In fact, the Power of Zeus grants Captain Marvel immortality and immunity from all agencies of harm and death. That being said, that’s no reason Captain Marvel cant’ borrow a bolt of lightning from Zeus. He’s got a lot of them!”

”

 

ENDURANCE OF ATLAS

 

TIRELESS SHOULDERS

 

Immune to sleep and tiredness effects.

 

Innate, always on.

 

“Take it all upon your shoulders–the safety of your friends and family, the fate of the world, the destiny of tomorrow, take it all upon your shoulders, because a hero is judged not by what he can do, but by what he can endure, and you are a superhero!”

 

FLIP THE WORLD

 

A powerful, late-game move: Pick up the world, as in the planet, the sky, the stars, the whole universe, and shake the bad guys out of it. Then put the world back down and let the fall back into it. This move takes a lot of power points, but it deals massive damage to all enemies and what’s more, gives you an entire turn to rest and recover while they fall down.

 

“Even when things get very cosmic and magical, one rule remains–what goes up, must come down!”

 

SPEED OF MERCURY

 

WINGLESS FLIGHT

 

Immune to ground based attacks, such as earthquakes.

Innate, always on.

“It took a few issues for Captain Marvel to figure out how to fly, but only a few. He figured it out sooner than the other guy did, at any rate.”

 

PSYCHOPOMP PSYCHE

 

Mercy was a psychopomp, a guide to the dead, and this ability allows Freddy and Billy to physically interact with (and punch!) ghosts by using Mercy’s speed to vibrate their bodies into intangible ectoplasm. It also allows them to ignore most conventional attacks, which pass right through them.

 

“Boo!”

 

 

Mary Marvel

 

Mary is very unique compared to her brother and boyfriend as she’s powered by an entirely separate set of deities.

 

Grace of Selene

 

IMMORTAL MORTAL (Level 1, 2, 3…)

 

Works the same as Billy’s and Freddy’s IMMORTAL MORTAL.

 

“Mary is as immortal as the mysteries and magic of the moon goddess. Can moonlight be truly harmed? Can magic be killed? Of course not.”

 

MOONRISE

 

Instantly make it night. Even works on other planets.

When used inside a battle, not only turns it night, but has Mary Marvel pelt the bad guys with moon rocks!

 

“By the Light of the Silvery Moon is Mary Marvel’s favorite film…or it will be, once it comes out in a few years…”

 

Strength of Hippolyta

 

AMAZONIAN STRENGTH

 

Innate, always on. Works the same as Billy and Freddy’s MARVELOUS STRENGTH.

 

“Is the strength of Hippolyta equal to the strength of Hercules? Well, not really, but you’re still stronger than anyone that doesn’t have the strength of Hercules! That’s 99.99 percent of everyone!”

 

OTRERA COMBO

 

Weave through your enemies with the skill of Queen Otrera, mother of Hippolyta, landing a blow on each and every foe!

 

“Mary Marvel is a strong believer in sharing. She even shares blows with the bad guys!”

 

Skill of Ariadne

 

ARIADNE’S DANCE

 

Increases the odds of Mary Marvel being attacked, but increases her chance to dodge. Chance of stunning all foes.

 

“Though best known for helping Theseus overcome the labyrinth and the Minotaur, Princess Ariadne was such a skilled dancer that the great inventor Daedalus built a special dancing floor for her.”

 

CRETAN BULL DANCE

 

Attract the attention of one enemy. It’s certain they’ll attack you next turn, but your chance to dodge skyrockets!

 

“The island of Crete was known for its dancers, princess Ariadne chief among them. One of their dances involved leaping over charging bulls. Mary Marvel takes inspiration from that dance to bait a bad guy into attacking her. Ole!”

 

Speed of Zephyr

 

ON WINDS AND CLOUDS

 

Innate, always on.

Works the same and Billy and Freddy’s WINGLESS FLIGHT.

 

WESTERN GUST

 

Heals the party.

 

“Your basic team-wide heal spell, but it’s the best smelling heal spell in all of video games due to blowing from out of the Garden of the Hesperides!”

 

Beauty of Aurora

 

SERENE GLOW

 

Innate, always on.

 

Enemies attacking Mary have a small chance of being stunned by her beauty.

“It would be hard to punch Mary even without her being supernaturally beautiful.”

 

RADIANT DAWN

 

Mary starts to glow with the light of the sun. While glowing, she gains armor and has a chance to blind enemies every turn.

 

“Why Mary, you look radiant today–literally!”

 

Wisdom of Minerva

 

TACTICAL BRILLIANCE

 

Call upon the wisdom of Minerva to appraise the battle better than any West Point graduate, boosting the team’s attack.

 

“The key to offense is knowing not only who to attack, but when to attack them.”

 

SUMMON THE AEGIS

 

Summon the magical shield of legend to defend one ally, greatly boosting their armor.

 

“Be sure to say “Thank you, Minerva!””