The Intangibles... (sounds like a group name, eh?)

[SSgt Baloo]

A few days ago I posted in another thread (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1228699&postcount=88) about a character who was a ghost. I mentioned that the "spirit" rules might have made it easier to make such a character, however, upon perusing my 5ERulesbook I can't seem to find any reference to such rules. Were "spirit" rules 4th edition? Limited to one genre? A hallucination?

If they're in the 5ER, where can I find them? If they're not, does anybody have a "ghost" character you could show me and explain how you did it?

Thanx in advance!

[Lucius]

I see three ways.

One is to use Desolidification.

One is to cobble up something with Extra Dimensional Move, defined as an Etherial Plane or the like, where some interaction (at least perception and communicaiton) is still possible with the Material Plane.

And finally, you could look in the back of the book under Computers and AIs, and design an AI that is not attached to a base, vehicle, or focus. The idea has been discussed in a couple of recent threads, and seems to be the way to create something with no physical aspects at all, just as an automaton is something with no mental aspect.

Lucius Alexander

Defining the palindromedary as having neither physical nor mental aspects, but existing only spiritually....

[Hugh Neilson]

If I recall correctly, the Spirit rules were in one of the Hero System Almanacs, as an optional rule for 4th Ed. To my knowedge, they weren't used in other official products, and as a result didn't seea lot of playtesting. I've never used them, so I have no direct eperience with their balance against other aproaches.

[keithcurtis]

They were included as an option in Fourth Edition Horror Hero, with very few revisions from the Almanac Rules.

They were a really cool idea, but had limited application. Or rather, they made global changes to the Hero System paradigm in order to do a limited number of effects and characters.

Keith "Used them on a couple of characters anyway" Curtis

[Thia Halmades]

Easiest way to do spirits is what Lucius said. Mostly they're Desolid, and if you want to, you can create a sub ruling where they perceive another dimension (the spirit world) or travel from here to there easily. Lots of ways to do it within the rules without creating new rules.

[Sean Waters]

Build depends on concept: for a 'true' ghost, desolid has limtiations: affects desolid is a pretty common advantage and intersects with many different concepts: you might find yourself being affected by all kinds of attacks that have no spiritual or ghostly component sfx wise. If you are OK with that then fine. Personally for the 'true' ghost I'm keener on them living on the spirit plane and manifesting and perceiving here with transdimensional powers.

One interesting idea is build a character with damage reduction, regeneration and resurection adder: a 'solid ghost' who just can't be killed except by some arcane ritual or weapon, but can be temporarily 'banished' by normal attacks.

[Dust Raven]

The spirit rules were introduced in 4th Edition Horror Hero and hammered out in to full any genre rules in the Hero System Almanac. I believed Steve Long (or DOJ in general) was asked about them and the more or less official comment was there would be no 5th edition version of them, at least not published by DOJ.

For a 5th edition work up of spirits, check out the Hero System Bestiary. Lots of ghostly-like things in there to work from. Lucius gives some good ideas as well.

[CraterMaker]

I'm partial to the extra-dimensional twist for spirits and ghosts, rather than Desolid. Buy extra-dimensional on the senses, and any effects you want to happen in the real world.. Makes poltergeists REALLY scary! Only people who are really geared for the spirit realm are going to be able to combat them, which means a hefty emphasis on role-play and problem solving (over Fist!Boom!Zap!) to put em' to rest..

-CraterMaker

[Robyn]

if you want to, you can create a sub ruling where they perceive another dimension (the spirit world)

Shouldn't be necessary to create rules for it; the basic senses can be rebuilt with Transdimensional.

[TheUnknown]

Build depends on concept: for a 'true' ghost, desolid has limtiations: affects desolid is a pretty common advantage and intersects with many different concepts: you might find yourself being affected by all kinds of attacks that have no spiritual or ghostly component sfx wise. If you are OK with that then fine. Personally for the 'true' ghost I'm keener on them living on the spirit plane and manifesting and perceiving here with transdimensional powers.

One interesting idea is build a character with damage reduction, regeneration and resurection adder: a 'solid ghost' who just can't be killed except by some arcane ritual or weapon, but can be temporarily 'banished' by normal attacks.

Well the advan affects desod has too level now +1/4 affect certain sfx and +1/2 affect all Desod so itsnot necessarily true that all affects desod will hit a desod characteras long as the GM is on his job and the player builds his affects desod true to form.

[Killer Shrike]

This character is permanently intangible:

ERG-9 (http://www.killershrike.com/MillennialMen/CharacterFiles/npcs/hegemony/ERG-9.HTML)


This character has "Luck Forms" that are permanently intangible:

Blackjack (http://www.killershrike.com/MillennialMen/MillennialMen_Allies_Blackjack.shtml)
Luck Forms (http://www.killershrike.com/MillennialMen/CharacterFiles/MillMenHiPower/Blackjack%20Luck%20Form.HTML)

This character is in fact a ghost:

Gentleman Jim (http://www.killershrike.com/MillennialMen/Villains/MiscVillains/GentlemanJim.html)

Another way to do Intangible characters without having to deal w/ the Affects Physical World aspect is to just give them Damage Reduction 75%, with the SFX of "Intangible".

[OddHat]

Another way to do Intangible characters without having to deal w/ the Affects Physical World aspect is to just give them Damage Reduction 75%, with the SFX of "Intangible".

Yup. Add some tunneling and stretching and you have most of the benefits of desolid without needing it on the sheet at all.

Of course, it's simpler to put it on the sheet. ;)

[SSgt Baloo]

This character is in fact a ghost:

Gentleman Jim (http://www.killershrike.com/MillennialMen/Villains/MiscVillains/GentlemanJim.html)

I noticed that his attacks are bought with the power advantages: "Affects Desolidified" (AD) and "Affects Physical World" (APW). I'm confused. I thought that desolid characters didn't need AD to affect other desolid characters unless the other character's desolidification was of (GM's Judgement™) an "incompatible" special effect. F'rinstance, a ghost might not be able to affect (without APW) a Vampire's mist form because, even though it's desolid, it does not exist in the ghost's dimension any more than the dresser in my bedroom.

Have I missed something?