HERO System 6th Edition Rules Questions

6,880 questions in this forum

1. Steve a question about a ruling

   Steve, You made a comment earlier (a few weeks ago) about you reconsidering a certain ruling, so I wanted to know what you had decided (I don't know if this is appropriate for this board or not) Do you plan on reversing your ruling abuot the "no Averaging" on duplications?

   Asked by JmOz, May 10, 2003

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2. No Range Mental Attacks/Powers

   If you buy your mental powers with the No Range limitation (special effect: touch telepath) how do you attack? Do you have to make your mental touch attacks with both your OCV (to physically touch in combat) and then your ECV? IF yes, can you do this in the same phase? (normally the first attack roll ends your phase immediately - thus after you touch one phase they could move away before your next phase to make your ECV attack roll). OR do you just make the ECV attack, with the special effect being touch?

   Asked by patv, May 9, 2003

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3. Totally unskilled efforts

   I've winged this for a long time - and finally realized I could ask you! So here goes: If a PC attempts an action for which they do not have the skill, how is that handled? For example: A PC in desperation tries to jump a creek (with a car) without combat driving (or even any more than the Everyman transport familiarity!). Another PC tries bribing a guard to "look the other way" - no skill. Yet another tries to travel at night, using the North Star (while not going directly north), ... without Navigation. I've faked all these occasions, making decisions based more on what I want to happen than on a rulebook. What do you say?

   Asked by TaxiMan, May 9, 2003

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4. Towed movement for a ground vehicle

   Hi Steve, I’m just trying to make sure that I understand the official rule correctly, and I can’t find anything about it in the FAQ. Let’s assume that I’m building a rickshaw. This would seem to be best represented with towed movement as discussed and defined on pages 36 and 37. Further assuming that for our example that the rickshaw with it's passenger masses 75 kg, that we are on earth at sea level, that the rickshaw has at least 10†of towed movement, that the all potential towers have 6†of running. As I understand the rule the following will be true: A single potential tower with an effective STR of 8 or less would not be able to move a vehic…

   Asked by caris, May 9, 2003

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5. Multipower Confusion

   IF I put a limitation on a Multipower reserve do I still need to take it for each slot or is it assumed that they have it as well? If a pay for 2XKB on the reserve will all attack powers have it as well?

   Asked by tiger, May 9, 2003

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6. Extra Limbs again... Inherent this time

   I'm a bit unclear on the relationship between the Extra Limbs Power and the Inherent Advantage. In the HERO System Bestiary (page 94), the Kraken's tentacles are Inherent (though not, I note, with the Limited Manipulation Limitation -- fodder for a separate question at some other time), but it doesn't appear to me that the Mon'dabi do (I still don't have the book, hoping to get it some time next week, so I'm using Segaro Krez'shul and Ghenak Vaa'resh from Star Hero as examples). Was this simply a difference in design philosophy, or was there some sort of "Master Plan" behind it? (Reading the appropriate sections of FREd didn't help.)

   Asked by BobGreenwade, May 9, 2003

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7. Move Through

   First: Is it legal to buy skill penelty levels for the move through/move-by penalties or would you have to buy CSL's with them? This has come up with a speedster player in a group I am playing in and one of the other players believes PSL's are to cheep for the benifit of the move by-move through. So I agreed to go with a second rulling. (As the GM it has not upset game balance as the player told me durring creation this was his planned primary attack form and followed my DC/OCV limits.) Second: Should PSL's be counted when giving a maximum OCV level for a game? (I have not been counting them.)

   Asked by Ndreare, May 9, 2003

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8. move by/passing strike

   Steve, When you perform a half move and attack, we have always used the optional(?) rule of giving a -1 ocv penalty to the attacker. My question is, does this penalty also apply to move-bys and passing strikes in addition to the penalties listed or are they is it already included. Thanks in advance

   Asked by slikmar, May 9, 2003

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9. Moving attacks.

   How would I do a Constant, Persistant or Uncontrolled attack that moved around after it was created? I was thinking something along the lines of the old D&D Flaming Sphere spell (creates a big globe of fire that rolls across the battlefield searing everything in its path). Is it possible to do this legally?

   Asked by Yamo, May 9, 2003

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10. Fuel Charges on Zero END powers

    Steve, I tried doing a search but didn't find anything. Are there any special rules regarding Fuel charges on powers that are normally 0 END.? Is there some sort of official cap? Here's my problem. Example: A Life Support Mask that always works is LS: Self contained breathing (10), OIF (-1/2). Cost 7 points. But a Life Support Mask that's only good for 24 hours is LS: Self contained breathing (10), OIF (-1/2), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 1 day (+1/2). Total Cost: 10 points. It's not reasonable that a mask that's useful all the time costs less than a mask that's only good for 24 hours.

    Asked by Eodin, May 9, 2003

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11. "Rapid" Sense Adder follow up

    If "Rapid" cannot be used to allow a character a PER bonus, then exactly what bonus does it provide to the character paying the 3 points for it? I see no Enhanced Senses that take X time to use over Y area that Rapid can modify. Does it allow the use of multiple-sense scans within a single half-Phase? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm just trying to learn just why anyone would buy "Rapid" instead of straight bonuses to a particular PER roll? What actual purpose does this Adder serve within HERO?

    Asked by Trebuchet, May 9, 2003

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12. Desolidifcation

    Steve, One of my players would like to buy Desolidification for his character in this way: Desolidification , Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (80 Active Points); Can be affected by physical world (-1), Cannot Move through Solid Objects (-1/2), Always On (-1/2) The power is to simulate the character who is a spirit, but can still punch or ego blast opponents in the real world. He believes that the Desolidification power bought this way would mean that his character would not have to buy "Affects Real World" on his attack powers in order to harm others. Is he right? Thanks in advance. Acroyear II

    Asked by Acroyear II, May 9, 2003

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13. Muscle-powered vehicle question

    I'm using TUV to write up a muscle-powered vehicle (specifically a boat). Is it possible for the crew to push their STR and get a little more speed in those "they're shooting at us!" situations? If so, would they be able to go over the purchased movement rate, or would the boat have to be bought with a couple extra inches of swimming to allow for the push?

    Asked by Koshka, May 9, 2003

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14. Find Weakness Plus Tunneling equals ?

    I love it when my players do this to me I have two closely-related questions; the first is broader and the second a specific case of the first. #1> Find Weakness can be used to halve (or quarter, or more...) the defenses of a "target" according to its description. Tunneling is limited to the DEF of the material the character is trying to move through. During a sample combat my players are helping me put together for my website, it occured to one of the players that Find Weakness could, theoretically, be used to reduce the effective DEF of the material the character is trying to tunnel through. My initial reaction as GM was "Heck No!" -- but I have to …

    Asked by TheEmerged, May 8, 2003

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15. Costs END and Reduced END

    Looked in the rulebook and FAQ, and didn't find this. Hope I'm not duplicating an already-answered question... If you have a Power that costs no END, and you apply the Costs Endurance Limitation to it, can you then also apply the Reduced Endurance Advantage to it... to Half END if not to Zero END? For example, let's say I've got a 6d6 Aid that I want to cost END, but I only want it to cost 3 END. Can/should I take Costs Endurance and Reduced Endurance (1/2 END) on it, or should I buy 3d6 Aid normally, and +3d6 Aid with Costs Endurance, as a Partially-Limited Power? Whatever the answer, does the situation change at all if it's a Power on Charges that you w…

    Asked by Derek Hiemforth, May 8, 2003

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16. Damage Reduction

    Is it possible to have a Drain Damage Reduction?

    Asked by Blue Angel, May 8, 2003

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17. CE clarification

    Steve, First off i'd like to say thank you very much to you and your staff for bringing the Hero System back after all these years and in an even better incarnation than the last (didn't think it was possible). I'd like to get some clarification on something it says in the rules FAQ; Here it is: Now here's the question: can Change Environment be used to "negate" penalties from, for instance, natural environmental effects such as rain or fog? For example, the GM says to the players, "weather conditions are severe, and all characters receive a -2 to their sight PER rolls" could Stormlord negate that -2 by changing the weather to something more agreeable (w…

    Asked by Mancer, May 8, 2003

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18. Stick in H5E and UMA

    Believe it or not, this actually came up in our last game... H5E page 329 lists a Stick as a 2d6N weapon with a STR Min of 5. UMA page 171 lists a Stick as a 3d6N weapon with a STR Min of 8. (A player was assuming one "version" of the Stick, and our GM the other.) Is one of these incorrect, or do they simply represent a stick and a bigger stick?

    Asked by Derek Hiemforth, May 8, 2003

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19. Enhanced Senses Adder "Rapid" Question

    I'm a bit confused by the Enhanced Senses Adder "Rapid." When you say that "data is absorbed 10X faster," do you mean that a character with "Rapid" on his sight will see in 1 segment what most characters would see with a 10-segment long period of time? Would this thus qualify for the "Extra Time" modifier on a PER roll as if the character had taken several Phases (depending on SPD) to look around, and thus recieve a +2 (or better) to his sight PER roll?

    Asked by Trebuchet, May 8, 2003

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20. TE Battle Armor repair and maintenance questions

    Battle Armor repair and maintenance: I am putting together a "Terran Empire" campaign and I'm having a hard time with armor. 1) Why doesn't the battle armors listed (including the Dracon) have a DEF instead of a PD/ED. 2) What skills/materials are needed to repair said armors 3) Do you need a certain skill to effectively use the armors 4) How much do these bad boys weigh?

    Asked by Al_Beddow, May 8, 2003

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21. Variable Advantage on HAs and STR

    In my campaign, I have a couple of characters now that have HAs with a variable advantage, and the time has come to make sure I am ruling how their STR damage adds. Per FREd, p272, if the character has not paid for the advantage on his STR, the STR DCs get added at a rate equivelent to the cost of the HAs. I see two possibilities on how this works . In my example, we will assume a character with a STR 25, and 5d6 HA w/ +1/2 Variable Advantage, and the character is assigning "Armor Piercing" to the Variable Advantage. Option 1: As AP is a +1/2, he gets 5+(25/7.5) = 8d6 AP. Option 2: As the total advantage on the HA is +1.5, he gets 5+(25/12.…

    Asked by Silbeg, May 7, 2003

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22. Odd missile deflection questions

    1) Referring to the "Champions" maneuver "Characters as Weapons", if a character has missile deflection vs. thrown attacks, and gets her KOed teammate thrown at her by an enemy brick, can she missile deflect the poor unconscious sot to a soft landing? 2) What if the enemy brick throws one of his own teammates, using a "Fastball Special"? Could the fastball be reflected back?

    Asked by sacolcor, May 7, 2003

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23. questions about teleport

    I was wondering. 1. when you teleport do you maintain volocity? IE if I am falling could I teleport and loose volocity? 2. can I change facing? Ie do like Kurt did in X2 and charge someone and teleport and attack from the side?

    Asked by durian keldrona, May 6, 2003

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24. Shapeshift & OIHID Powers

    Supposing a character buys his powers & stats with the Limitation "Only in Hero ID", and also takes Shape Shift to assume his heroic form. He adds the Limitation to his Shape Shift "Extra Time (Extra Segment, -1/4)" (1.) Would the character be justifiied in taking the same "Extra Time" Limitation for all his OIHID powers and stats? (2.) If he did, would that mean that his OIHID powers and stats would kick in 1 Segment after the Shape Shift (and thereby, his Heroic ID) take effect, or at the same time as the Shape Shift?

    Asked by Guest innominatus, May 6, 2003

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25. Levels with Movement?

    Okay, I feel like a moron here, but I'm confused, and I can't seem to find this in the FAQ...what are levels with movement good for? For example, I see a character with "+3 Levels with Flight". What does this mean?

    Asked by Immortaldreamer, May 6, 2003

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