Can some one clear up the multi-heads thing for me?

[Demonsong]

Ok I want to make a 3 headed character according to the rules that is a duplication thing. But there are just so many things that are not covered in the book. I just don’t know where to start. Has any one done this? Could you post your character or you understanding of the rules please? I looked up the hydra in the beastiary, but it really doesn’t answer the questions.

How does combat damage work?

What if one head is killed?

What powers have to be duplicated in all forms?

The hydra only has regeneration in one form so it doesn’t work for the heads?

Any thing any one has to add would be helpful and I would be thankful.

Demonsong

[caris]

How does combat damage work?

Depends on what attack powers each head has. Each head is capable of attacking seperately or coordinating their attack since they each count as a separate character. In any case the attacks are applied to defenses seperately.

As for how do they take damage, once again it depends on how exactly the heads are bought. Generaly, for me, common sense, and dramatic sense, would say that the body is part of the base character and attacks that target the body damage the base character. Also generaly, I would rule that the duplicate heads would either die with the base character or shortly after in a situation like this.

What if one head is killed?

Depends specifically on how the duplication was built, and the campaign world, and Steve's mantra of "common sense, dramatic sense, and game balance". The head that belong to the Base Character would die along with the body. The duplicate head would just be dead. Now a GM might rule that that the head of the Base Character is always the last to die from damage that targets the heads specifically, or that killing the "main head" (i.e. the one that is representative of the Base Character) will kill the body as well.

What powers have to be duplicated in all forms?

Well, this is Duplication, so technically, without an advantage all of the powers. Realistically, it is a judgement call between the GM and the Player to work out as to what best represents the character. King Ghahidra (??? Not sure I'm any where near correct with that. I mean the three-headed monster from the Japanese giant monster films.) would have the same breath weapon for each head. The classic D&D version of Tiamat would have a different type of attack representing each head, probably built differently for each.

The hydra only has regeneration in one form so it doesn’t work for the heads?

By the way the power is built that is correct. Unless the Regeneration were bought by the Duplicate, or in a manner that the Regeneration was usable by others or as an attack than the heads do not get the benefit of the regeneration. The possible exception is after the duplicates recombine, but that would not apply in the Hydra's case anyways, because those heads can not recombine.

Edited to note, that it is entirely possible to buy all of the heads as duplicates and the body as the Base Character. This way theoretically, all of the heads could be killed, but the body would ultimately be able to grow a new head by expending experience to increase the number of duplicates.

[Bloodstone]

most of the characters with multiple heads that I have seen simply have bonuses to Perception rolls and Increased arc of Perception and a few other things that I am probably forgeting...

The only reason you would write it up with duplication IMO is if the heads have an ability to individually attack somehow, such as if the multi headed character is a mentalist or has a bite attack or some such. Even then you could possibly write it up as a bonus to SPD with a lim like "only to use mental powers" or "only to bite" or somethign similar.

What effect are you hoping to gain out of having three heads?

[Col. Orange]

How about a pair of A.I.s?

Don't buy 'em on a focus, they should be incapacitated when the character is (if bought as a focus they'd only be stopped when their focus (their head) is blown off), and if they're hit the character takes damage (they're still his heads after all).
If you want them to make attacks, you'll have to buy them their own DEX and Powers. If you want to have them manipulate objects or non-specific-to-them foci, buy them each of them extra limbs (e.g. your body now has a third arm that Head 2 uses and a fourth that Head 3 uses).

Non-abusive. Fairly simple. And they can argue now.

Zaphod Beeblebrox anyone?

[BobGreenwade]

Col. Orange has, more or less, my take on it.

I'd add Extra Limbs (two extra heads), Non-Manipulative (-1/2) for the main character, and Restrainable (-1/2) on the AIs.

[Hawksmoor]

Actually the Hydra would have Healing Resurrection applied to his Heads. The heads would also have Duplication that applied after "phantom" Body was expended. SFX you kill the head and two grow back in its place.

A Lynerean Hydra would take high, very high PD and ED and 75% Damage Reduction (PD and ED), to represent the invulnerability of the main body.

Hawksmoor

[ghost-angel]

Actually, all the heads on a Hydra would have Regeneration if the main head were bought with it since base Duplication is an exact copy.

If you placed an advantage to make the Heads different from the main head/body then you would have to make sure that they had the Regen.

[caris]

Demonsong was referring to the Hydra in the Hero System Beastiary (page 87). The Hydra in that book was built with regeneration for the base body, but not for the duplicate heads. The regenerating heads effect uses limited extra duplicates as the mechanic.