HERO System 6th Edition Rules Questions

6,880 questions in this forum

1. Decreased Arc of Perception

   When building Sense Powers, there are options for Increased Arc of Perception (from 180 to 240 or even 360). I'm building a bunch of detects for the AD&D conversion (Detect Magic, Detect Illusion, Detect Weasel [I just added that one for comedic effect], etc). So far I've been using Limited Power and kind of eyeballing the Limitation level. But I was wondering what your thoughts were. I've got a couple Detects that are "10m Line Straight Forward" which is pretty shrimpy as arcs go. I've also got some that are 60 degree cones. I've done some digging through the books, but there is a LOT of material to go through and I'm not finding anything on Decreased Arc…

   Asked by Rapier, January 20, 2019

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2. Classes of Mind and Pseudo-Mental Powers

   Are normally non-mental powers bought to simulate mental powers restricted by Classes of Mind? For instance, the hero mentalist Mind Maiden is facing a giant robot. Is the robot affected by her Mental Paralysis? Or the villain Brain Drain has a Drain vs. EGO and INT, ACV (OMCV vs. DMCV), AVAD (Mental Defense). Would that work on an Alien or Animal mind?

   Asked by BoloOfEarth, January 18, 2019

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3. How do Megascale senses work?

   Senses with the Megascale advantage are mentioned a few places in the books, but no details about how they work, other than the range modifier. Would Megascale senses take extra time to use (like attacks and movement) and make you 0 OCV and 1/2 DCV? How about Megascale Clairsentience?

   Asked by dofg_mu, January 15, 2019

   • senses
   • megascale
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4. Does Normal Characteristic Maxima still exist?

   Yeah so like the title says, does this still exist in Sixth Edition?

   Asked by starblaze, January 15, 2019

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5. combat value

   I have played starting in 82 all editions thru 5th, just got 6th 1-13-19. Why change combat value???????

   Asked by Mark Perron, January 14, 2019

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6. Costs END to maintain

   Okay, so let's say I have a character who can create a barrier, but has to use endurance to maintain it... When does the END is taxed ? At each Segment ? On the character's phases ? Each turn ?

   Asked by Tryskhell, January 14, 2019

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7. Character Ability Guidelines Table - Follow-up questions on defenses

   In regards to defenses, since the guideline presents them in terms of Def/rDef, do defense powers like Damage Reduction and Damage Negation figure into this? For example, I take four levels of Damage Negation or 50% Damage Reduction, would having either of those powers reduce what can be taken as Def/rDef by some amount? Do the guideline amounts get affected by having defenses that only work versus STUN damage? If I have 5 PD and an additional 5 PD that only works versus STUN damage, do I treat that as 5 PD or 10 PD when comparing to the guidelines?

   Asked by Steve, January 11, 2019

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8. Linking and Martial Arts

   Is it legal to link an ability to a martial art maneuver? Or would that require an Advantage such as Trigger instead? For example, a Transformation linked to a Martial Strike or a Barrier linked to a Martial Block.

   Asked by Steve, January 9, 2019

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9. Limited OCV/DCV

   Is it legal to limit OCV and DCV to only affect HTH Attacks or only affect Ranged Attacks, similar to how the skill Two-Weapon Fighting can be limited to only affect HTH Multiple Attacks or only affect Ranged Multiple Attacks?

   Asked by Steve, January 9, 2019

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10. Reduced Negation question

    Since there are no Advantages like Hardened that can be applied to Damage Negation to resist the effects of the Reduced Negation Adder on an attack power, could it be legal to buy a limited form of Damage Negation that could then only be used to resist Reduced Negation?

    Asked by Steve, January 8, 2019

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11. Character Ability Guidelines Table

    I've been looking at the Character Ability Guidelines Table on page 35 of 6E1 and suddenly find myself wondering if I've been interpreting them correctly all these years. 1) For DC, does the number factor in damage bonuses from Talents like Deadly Blow/Weaponmaster, or using skill levels to add to damage? It doesn't seem to from the text. 2) The same question as in #1, only for Active Points. It sounds like a Heroic character could be built with a 50 Active Point attack, use skill levels or a Talent like Deadly Blow to increase the effective Active Points, yet still be within the guidelines? 3) For Def and rDef, does rDef get included in Def? A chara…

    Asked by Steve, January 8, 2019

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12. DEF Builds Hell

    I really like what you've done with 6E. I made SO much sense to get rid of FF and Armour because (as you've said) they were just other powers with modifiers and it made no sense to clutter up the rules with silly things. I really like the changes. However (you knew a however was coming, didn't you?), there is one problem (and it's not a Hero problem but more of a problem with HD). I'm building a Shield Spell (basically a Force Field). So instead of buying FF or Armour (like in the old days), I have to build a Compound Power. Then I have to add PD, add Resistant, Gestures, Incantations, IAF: Turtle Shell, Extra Time: 2 Phases, 1/2 DCV Concentration, Costs End O…

    Asked by Rapier, January 5, 2019

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13. Mixed HA defense?

    Hi, Steve. It just occurred to me I have been on this board since the beginning and have never posted a question here I have been using Hand Attack adders (eg. +4d6 HA) for years and, for some reason, this question had never come up. Say I have a character with 10 STR (so, 2d6 punch) with a +4d6 HA adder defined as an electric shock gauntlet. My normal punch would be defensible with PD but my HA is defined as vs ED. Do I now have a 6d6 punch vs ED or do I have to split the damage between PD & ED?

    Asked by Boll Weevil, January 5, 2019

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14. Damage Negation - STUN Only

    For other defensive powers, such as Damage Reduction, I've seen that a Limitation "Versus STUN Damage Only" can be applied to it. Can this Limitation also be used with Damage Negation? If so, how would it work?

    Asked by Steve, January 5, 2019

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15. Penalty Skill Levels - Targeting Specific Location

    For Penalty Skill Levels bought as Targeting Skill Levels, is it legal to apply a Limitation to them, so that they can only be used to target a specific hit location? For example, a Boxing uppercut maneuver built by using Penalty Skill Levels (Targeting) that apply to Martial Strike. Those skill levels are limited in that they can only be used to offset the hit location penalty for Martial Strikes aimed at Hit Location 5 (the chin). They can't be used to target any other Hit Locations.

    Asked by Steve, January 5, 2019

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16. Extra Time, 1 Turn

    So, I'm converting AD&D spells into Hero for GenCon next year. It's been fun, but I've made some mistakes along the way that have forced me to go back through what I've already done. I've finished the Cleric and Druid spells and am getting into the Magic-User spells and suddenly I'm coming up against a bunch of spells that have 3 Segments (1 Segment = 6s) casting times. I'm assuming that everyone is going to be SPD 2, so it works out nicely to a 3 Phase casting time (ezpz). There are some spells that are 2 Segment (which I've given Extra Phase) castings. So I'm trying to draw the distinction between 2 Phases vs 1 Turn. At SPD 2 they are kind of the same t…

    Asked by Rapier, January 4, 2019

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17. Mental Combat Skill Levels

    Happy New Year, Steve! I hope everything good you seek comes to you this year. I apologize if this is covered in the rule book and I just couldn't find it, so feel free to point me there. I know that Mental Powers in general require their own Combat Skill Levels, and can't be improved with other types of CSL, even All Combat. Suppose a character were to have a Multipower of more than three attack Power slots, and wanted to buy Large Group CSL for it; but one or more of those Attacks was a Mental Power, while the others weren't. Would the CSL apply to the Mental slots, or would one still have to purchase separate Mental CSL for them? As always, th…

    Asked by Lord Liaden, January 1, 2019

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18. Pushing in Heroic Campaigns

    6E2 p.134 states, "A character in a Heroic campaign may push his STR or abilities up to 5 Character Points with a successful EGO Roll, +1 Character Point for every point by which he makes the EGO Roll." Our group has read and re-read this and discussed subtleties of grammar and word order. We think it means either A character with a STR of 10 who makes his EGO roll by 3 can push his STR to 1) 18 (5CP plus 3 for the 3 points by which he made his EGO roll) OR 2) 13 (3CP because the 5CP is a max, not a starting point.)

    Asked by Stagliano, December 26, 2018

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19. Healing on Objects

    I am trying to create a mending spell that will repair objects. Can healing be used for this or would it require transformation? If it does work does that mean that normal healing can be used on object or does this require some sort of advantage or limitation?

    Asked by LoneWolf, December 25, 2018

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20. Steve Long still answering questions?

    My apologies if this question is naive, but I don't visit these forums often and just don't know. I learned fairly recently (hadn't even known) that Steve Long was no longer in charge of the main Hero Games line, nor actively writing books (which I was sorry to hear about, as I thought he did a great job). But I saw that several questions in these forums have very recent replies by Steve Long. Is that just someone else (presumably whoever is in charge now)?

    Asked by intp, December 21, 2018

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21. Grab and Disarm

    Can someone use a Disarm maneuver to free another character from a Grab? Or can he only do this if the Grabber is using the Grabee as a makeshift "club" to pound other foes?

    Asked by BoloOfEarth, December 13, 2018

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22. HA/HKA No STR Bonus and martial arts

    So, the notion is a healer with a nasty streak too...4d6 HKA, conceived as literally unweaving flesh. The power to help is the power to harm. Ergo, I decided...No STR Bonus seems to fit that. OK, that's fine. Now, the character also has some martial arts, mostly with a defensive focus, but with a couple strikes and a couple bonus DCs. So...when using the HKA with a Defensive Strike, where I've got +4 DCs coming...do I get those, when I'm not using any STR? Because it feels like, yeah, the OCV and DCV adjustments make perfect sense...but the extra DCs don't.

    Asked by unclevlad, December 11, 2018

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23. Mental Damage Shield and Telepathy, Mind Link

    If the mentalist has an active mental damage shield and makes a Mental Power attack against a foe (e.g. Telepathy), does the damage shield automatically affect the foe? (I'm figuring that's the mental equivalent of a person with a normal damage shield reaching out and Grabbing someone.) If so, since Mind Link is a variant of Telepathy, if a mentalist has a mental damage shield active when he establishes a Mind Link to his teammates, does the mental damage shield automatically affect his teammates (assuming they agree to the Mind Link)?

    Asked by BoloOfEarth, December 10, 2018

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24. Reducing tiny Endurance

    Does a power which costs only 1 END need to pay a ½ advantage to become +0 END, or does the rounding rule allow a +¼ advantage to suffice? The rules seem to imply it has to be the former:

    Asked by Christopher R Taylor, December 3, 2018

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25. Mind Link and Telepathic Mind Control

    I see under Mind Link that a character with Telepathy can eavesdrop on Mind Linked conversations - would that work in reverse? If a character is part of a Mind Link, and a foe hits that target with a Telepathic Mind Control, would other people Mind Linked to that character automatically hear the telepathic command given to the targeted character? Or can the Mind Controller exclude the others from his "conversation" with the target?

    Asked by BoloOfEarth, November 29, 2018

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    1 answer