Does this look right to you? *newbie*

[pointyman2000]

Hello, Just got to borrow a friend's copy of HERO 5th and I'm still trying to get a hang of the chargen. My main problem lies in powers.

 

The character I was trying to make was supposed to be a guy with several devices that enable him to manipulate electricity (pretty standard stuff). No armor, probably just boots, gloves and a battery back.

 

Looking at the Packages, I decided to go for Elemental Control: Electricity

 

Anyway, this is how it looked like:

 

20 = EC: Electricity (OIF -1/2) (originally 30AP)

under that...

20 = Endurance Reserve (300 END 20 Rec)

20 = flight 15"

50 = Energy Blast, 6d6, Armor Piercing

20 = Force Field 30:PD 30:ED

50 = 6d6 Flash vs Sight, Hearing and Radio Groups; selective; area effect (radius); does knockback; 2 charges per day; uses END

 

for a total cost of 180... I've gone over the computations several times, , but I don't trust myself. Can anyone verify if this is right, or am I making a mistake?

 

Thanks!

[Jhamin]

Not bad for a first attempt. Alot better than mine was. Just a couple points:

 

The End Reserve isn't supposed to go into a power Framework. Among other things they violate the rule that only powers that cost End can be in an Elemental Control.

 

Your flight isn't expensive enough to fit. All powers in an elemental control have to have at least twice as many active points as the reserve. (Active points are the cost of the power with all its advantages but without any limits). If anything you might want to make your flight better, so it's active points go up & you can fit it in.

 

It also looks like you aren't actually taking advantage of the Framework. With elemental controls you add up all the advantages on a power, then subtract the reserve cost, then you appy the limits. It saves you points but ties the powers together. If some bad guy tries to shut down a power, they can all stop working. For this reason you often want a power or two outside a framework if you can afford it.

 

How about this:

 

20 Electricity Gear: Elemental Control, 60-point Powers, all slots: (30 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

20 1) Lightning Blaster: Energy Blast 8d6 (vs. ED), Armor Piercing x1 (+1/2) (60 Active Points) (uses END Reserve) 6

20 2) Barrier Field Generator: Force Field (30 PD / 30 ED) (60 Active Points) (uses END Reserve) 6

10 3) Electrc Arc Gun: Flash 6d6 (Sight Group; Additional Sense Group: Hearing Group, Additional Sense Group: Radio Group), Does Knockback (+1/4), Area Of Effect (4" Radius; +1) (63 Active Points); 2 Charges (-1 1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) (uses END Reserve) 6

 

20 Flight Belt: Flight 15" (30 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) 3

40 Battery Pack: Endurance Reserve (300 END, 20 REC) Reserve: (50 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

 

Total: 130 Points

 

By upping the damage of the Energy Blast it's active points climb high enough to fit into the Elem Control. I haven't touched the flight, but you may want to find a way to fit that in as well, or just have it remain a seperate power. That might imply that you could still have your electric flight belt even if you lose your other gadgets.

 

You may want to check with your GM though, As origionally written you had a 6d6 Armor Piercing EB and a 30/30 force field. That is a moderatly low attack and a moderatly high amount of defense. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself but you really want to make sure you are in line with the rest of the game. If everyone was bought this way then attacks would almost never do any real damage vs. defenses and combat would take forever until somebody would drop.

Most Hero games encourage attacks that have about twice the active points of most defenses. This allows combat to end in a reasonable amount of time.

 

One last thing: It is good form to name the source of each power. That encourages you to think of your character in terms of what their power are rather than what game mechanics you have access to. (Electric Blaster: 6d 6EB AP as opposed to just: 6d6 EB AP)

It also comes in handy when you forget exacty what a power was supposed to represent six months later.

[schir1964]

Unnamed

Value	Characteristic	Points
10	STR	0
10	DEX	0
10	CON	0
10	BODY	0
10	INT	0
10	EGO	0
10	PRE	0
10	COM	0
2	PD	0
2	ED	0
2	SPD	0
4	REC	0
20	END	0
20	STUN	0
	Total	0

Points	Powers	END
13	Electricity Control (20-pt reserve); SFX: Elemental Control; OIF: -½
a-20	Endurance Reserve (300 END, 20 END/1 Turn); Slow Recovery (1 Turn): +0; SFX: Elemental Control; OIF: -½
b-13	20" Flight (40" Noncombat); SFX: Elemental Control; OIF: -½	4
c-17	6d6 Energy Blast; Range (225"); Armor Piercing (×1): +½; SFX: Elemental Control; OIF: -½	4
d-27	Force Field (30 PD, 30 ED); SFX: Elemental Control; OIF: -½	6
e-68	6d6 Flash; Range (700"); Targeting Sense Group (Sight Group): +5; Extra Nontargeting Sense Group (Hearing Group): +5; Extra Nontargeting Sense Group (Radio Group): +5; Area Of Effect (Radius): 10" Radius, +1; Area Of Effect - Selective Target (Radius): 9" Radius, +1¼; Does Knockback: +¼; Costs Endurance (Only To Activate): -¼; SFX: Elemental Control; OIF: -½	14
158	Total Powers

COSTS:	Char.		Powers		Total	Total		Disadv.		Base
	0	+	158	=	158	200	=	0	+	200

OCV	DCV	ECV	Mental Def.	PD/rPD	ED/rED	Phases
3	3	3	0	32/30	32/30	6, 12

[Southern Cross]

Elemental Control :Electricity

 

First off,Special Powers (such as Endurance Reserve) normally require GM's permission to be purchased in Power Frameworks,so the character would have to pay the full Real Cost of the Power (33 points if bought through an OIF).

Next we come to the characters Elemental Control.Assuming the entire EC is bought with an OIF,we have an Electrical Powers EC with a base of 15 Active Points 9The base points Real Cost is reduced to 10 because of the OIF Limitation.I 'd buy these Powers as follows:

Batteries: Endurance Reserve (300 END, 20 REC) (OIF -1/2) (50 AP/33 Real Cost)

Elemental Control : Electrical Powers: (OIF -1/2) (15 point base,Real Cost 10)

Jet Boots: 15"Flight (15/10)

Electro-gloves: 6d6 AP EB (30/20) Electrical Field: Force Field (30 PD/30 ED) (45/30)

Lightning Flash: 6d6 Flash vs. Sight,Hearing and Radio Sense Groups,Area Effect(Radius),Selective,

(90 Active),2 Charges that Cost END(-1 3/4) (75/23)

[pointyman2000]

Hey, thanks!

 

I'll try fiddling with this a bit more, I should be a little more cost effective this time.

 

I'll try posting a modified version once I'm done for more critiques.

[MisterVimes]

Originally posted by pointyman2000

Hey, thanks!

 

I'll try fiddling with this a bit more, I should be a little more cost effective this time.

 

I'll try posting a modified version once I'm done for more critiques.

 

Let me recommend something. When I am working on an EC and I notice that I have a lot of attacks in it, I consider moving the attacks to a Multipower. Like this:

 

Cost	Power	END
10	Electircal Control: Elemental Control, 30-point Powers, all slots: (15 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)
10	1) Flight 15" (30 Active Points) (uses END Reserve)	3
10	2) Force Field (15 PD / 15 ED) (30 Active Points) (uses END Reserve) (added to Secondary Value)	3
11	3) Force Wall (5 PD / 5 ED; 4" long and 1" tall) (31 Active Points) (uses END Reserve)	3
35	Electrical Control: Multipower, 52-point reserve, all slots: (52 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)
3u	1) Energy Blast 7d6 (vs. ED), Armor Piercing x1 (+1/2) (52 Active Points) (uses END Reserve)	5
3u	2) Flash 4d6 (Sight Group; Additional Sense Group: Radio Group), Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1) (50 Active Points) (uses END Reserve)	5
3u	3) Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6 +1 (vs. ED), Armor Piercing x1 (+1/2) (52 Active Points) (uses END Reserve)	5
40	Endurance Reserve (300 END, 20 REC) Reserve: (50 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

Powers Cost: 125

 

In the above example, you are getting off with two more powers (FW & RKA), you are 5 points cheaper and further offensive powers cost just 3 xp per slot. The logic here is that if you can only use one attack power a phase, why not put them under an MP?

[pointyman2000]

Been fiddling with the suggestions you guys have made, but I'm still not sure if I got it right... what do you guys think?

 

50 - Multipower: Electricity Control (OIF) [75 Active Points]

m1- 5 - Blaster = 10d6 Energy Blast (vs. ED); Armor Piercing; OIF

m2- 4 - Stasis Field = 4d6 Entangle; Backlash; Both Target and Entagle take Damage; Cannot make Barriers; OIF

m3- 2 - Energy Sword = 5d6 HKA (vs. ED); OIF; no STR damage; gestures with both hands

 

20 - Elemental Control: Electricity (OIF) [30 Active Points]

ec1- 21 - Flight; usable underwater, 25"; OIF

ec2- 22 - Force Field (25 PD/ 25 ED); half END cost; OIF

 

35 - Power Source = END Reserve (200 END, 15 Rec), OIF

4 - Visor = 6pt. Flash Defense (sight group); OIF

 

Total Powers/ Equipment Cost: 159

 

Does this look balanced already?

Thanks for all the help, by the way, I'm still getting the hang of the system.

[Black Rose]

Originally posted by pointyman2000

Been fiddling with the suggestions you guys have made, but I'm still not sure if I got it right... what do you guys think?

 

50 - Multipower: Electricity Control (OIF) [75 Active Points]

m1- 5 - Blaster = 10d6 Energy Blast (vs. ED); Armor Piercing; OIF

m2- 4 - Stasis Field = 4d6 Entangle; Backlash; Both Target and Entagle take Damage; Cannot make Barriers; OIF

m3- 2 - Energy Sword = 5d6 HKA (vs. ED); OIF; no STR damage; gestures with both hands

 

Will your GM allow a 15 DC killing attack in their game? I admit I don't know your campaign parametres, but that is a tad potent. The "no STR add" makes it less brutal, but still...

 

20 - Elemental Control: Electricity (OIF) [30 Active Points]

ec1- 21 - Flight; usable underwater, 25"; OIF

 

:eek::eek:You're gonna fly underwater using lightning?!?!?

 

ec2- 22 - Force Field (25 PD/ 25 ED); half END cost; OIF

 

35 - Power Source = END Reserve (200 END, 15 Rec), OIF

4 - Visor = 6pt. Flash Defense (sight group); OIF

 

Total Powers/ Equipment Cost: 159

 

Does this look balanced already?

Thanks for all the help, by the way, I'm still getting the hang of the system.

 

Other than the comments I made, it looks good.

[schir1964]

Unnamed

Points	Powers	END
50	Multipower (75-pt reserve); SFX: Electricity Control; OIF: -½
m-10	10d6 Energy Blast; Range (375"); Armor Piercing (×1): +½; Multipower: Variable Slot; SFX: Electricity Control; OIF: -½	7
m-8	4d6 Entangle (4 DEF); Range (350"); Backlash: +½; Entangle And Character Both Take Damage: +¼; Cannot Form Barriers: -¼; Multipower: Variable Slot; SFX: Electricity Control; OIF: -½	7
m-6	5d6 Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand (HKA) (5½d6 Total Damage); Range (0"); No STR Bonus: -½; Gestures (Throughout Power): -½; Active Points: 75; Multipower: Variable Slot; SFX: Electricity Control; OIF: -½	7
20	Elemental Control (30-pt reserve); SFX: Electricity Control; OIF: -½
a-21	25" Flight (50" Noncombat); Usable Underwater: +¼;SFX: Electricity Control; OIF: -½	6
b-21	Force Field (25 PD, 25 ED); Reduced Endurance (Half Endurance): +¼; SFX: Electricity Control; OIF: -½	2
23	Endurance Reserve (200 END, 15 END/1 Turn); Slow Recovery (1 Turn): +0; OIF: -½
4	Flash Defense (Sight Group, 6 Pts); OIF: -½
163	Total Powers

[BasilDrag]

Gestures?

 

Originally posted by pointyman2000

(snip)

m3- 2 - Energy Sword = 5d6 HKA (vs. ED); OIF; no STR damage; gestures with both hands

(snip)

Thanks for all the help, by the way, I'm still getting the hang of the system.

 

Swinging a sword is not a legitimate use of the Gestures Limitation.

 

Or did you have something else in mind?

 

--

Friends, books, a cheerful heart, and conscience clear are the most choice companions we have here. -- William Mather

[pointyman2000]

Originally posted by Black Rose

:eek::eek:You're gonna fly underwater using lightning?!?!?

 

Now that you brought it up, it does sound a little silly, doesn't it? ) Oh well, I'll probably just slap on something else. Thanks for pointing it out.

[pointyman2000]

Re: Gestures?

 

Originally posted by BasilDrag

Swinging a sword is not a legitimate use of the Gestures Limitation.

 

Or did you have something else in mind?

 

I was thinking of brandishing it whenever it comes out in a "He-Man"-ish sort of way whenever he brings it out. Perhaps I should use the delayed phase limitation instead?

[KawangaKid]

Keep in mind that you'll be incurring those gestures and / or phase delay each time you attack. Kinda puts the damper on things...