HERO System 6th Edition Rules Questions

6,880 questions in this forum

1. vehicle size

   When calculating the size of a vehicle, is it nessacary to count every level in together to get the total square inches

   Asked by AKA Squad, March 14, 2004

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2. +1 Damage Class and Killing Strike

   Could I have you say it really clearly for me that it takes two +1 DCs to add 1 DC to the martial maneuver Killing Strike (like it was in BBB, pg 31)? I know it's in the errata to fix the text on 5E 266 regarding Extra DCs and Killing Damage, but do the rules on 271 specifically include the martial maneuver Killing Strike? Aren't all of the references to DCs and Killing Damage under Adding Damage (and in the related FAQ) about adding maneuver damage to other attacks? Except for under Doubling Damage I see it used in the example, but not spelled out in the text. Thanks.

   Asked by JayH, March 14, 2004

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3. Comliness question

   Question about adjustment powers and comliness. When you take a comliness drain/aid effect, do you have to specify whether the power affects positive or negative comliness, or will it automatically affect both, just going in whichever direction is appropriate? Eg, Fleshsculptor has a COM Drain. In phase 12 he goes after Starlet, and drains her 24 COM down to a 14. Next phase he goes after Repulsor, who has a -20 COM and rolls another 5. Does this bring Repulsor to a -10, or just have no effect because it was originally defined as affecting positive COM?

   Asked by Javed, March 14, 2004

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4. Same Power, multiple uses

   2 questions about END usage for multiple uses of the same power. 1) It says in FREd that you use END once for STR no matter how many times the STR is used in a phase. The rule is cited for Casual and normal STR usage. Would this mean that a character who used Casual STR to attempt to push past a barrier, then in the same phase use normal STR to break the barrier, then used normal STR to leap to something beyond the barrier would use END of the STR only once? 2) Does this rule apply to other powers? For example, a character is entangled and uses an enregy blast to free himself, then blasts someone with the same energy blast after freeing himself.…

   Asked by Javed, March 13, 2004

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5. VPP & Multi Form

   A player of mine has a VPP and wants to buy Multi-Form. I personnally don't have a problem with this. The question comes up though is this. He has a 70 VPP He wants 4 Forms. Does he get 4 - 350 point Forms. Each Form bought as a power in the VPP, he must change back to his real form and make a skill roll before he can change forms. Which is what I think. Or, Does he get 4 - 300 point forms. Multi-Form bought as 1 power in the VPP. He can change forms with out changing back to the main character. Which is what he is trying to build. Or are we both right? A.

   Asked by Argus, March 13, 2004

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6. Extra Weapons, the Second...

   So the +5 for a second gun should be treated as an outside power that adds to a single slot of the Multipower, then, like in the Extra Powers For A Slot example on page 208 of FRED...?

   Asked by Foxiekins, March 13, 2004

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7. Missile Deflection in Elemental Controls

   How do you put a Missile Deflection & Reflection Power into an Elemental Control ? Does it need the Costs Endurance Limitation ? May the "Costs Endurance Only To Activate" Limitation suffice ? Otherwise, may a custom "Costs Endurance Per Use" Limitation be used? The ordinary "Costs Endurance" every phase of maintaining the power Limitation seems too expensive for a Constant Power that in some ways works just like an Attack/Instant Power.

   Asked by Wanderer, March 13, 2004

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8. Extra Weapons

   In the FAQ, it says that the +5 points to have a second weapon is not subject to Limitations... Does this mean the +5 points is not added to the Active Cost, but to the Real Cost instead...? I'm trying to figure how this effect would fit into a Multipower... My best guess is it would add to the Active Cost, for purposes of fitting it into the Multipower, but be a separate piece of the power slot that no limitations apply to... So if I had a 75 point reserve Multipower, and a 70 Active point weapon, could a pair of them count as a Multipower Slot...? If so, I'm assuming you would figure the slot cost by applying any Limitations to the 70 points, then adding the +5…

   Asked by Foxiekins, March 13, 2004

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9. Growth Momentum and Move-Throughs

   I did my research on this one, and I'm pretty sure I know the right answer. However, I didn't find anything that specifically addressed this situation, so I'll spell it out and get the official take on it. Shrinker. Extra Leaping. Villain on a rooftop two stories up. Shrinker elects to do a Move-Through on the villain, and wants to add Growth Momentum to the damage. I knew this wasn't growing up under the guy's chin, but I was in the middle of a heavy combat, and didn't want to stop things to look this up then. I ruled on the spot that the shrinker could do STR/5 + velocity/3 + 1/2 growth momentum damage, with the reasoning that the shrinker had nothing 'to push agai…

   Asked by Agent 537, March 13, 2004

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10. Force Walls and NND's

    OK, I didn't see it in the FAQ... A Force Wall with no exotic defenses is transparent to exotic attacks. A force wall with only exotic defenses is transparent to non-exotic attacks. What category do NND's fall into? Obviously, SFX will sometimes matter - it's hard to envision an anesthetic dart or knockout gas arrow penetrating a PD Force Wall, and if the defense is Flash Defense, it won't pass through a Force Wall with Flash Defense. [i also view "force field" and "force wall" as analogous for this purpose.] But if the NND itself is not subject to any of the five norma;l defenses, will it pass through all force walls? A further item: I assume that…

    Asked by Hugh Neilson, March 12, 2004

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11. "Brain Freeze"

    Do surprise and/or other modifiers affect Ego CVs? J

    Asked by John T, March 12, 2004

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12. Dispel vs. END Reserve

    If an END Reserve is Dispelled, how much END is in it when the owner of the END Reserve turns it back on? The obvious answer would be "the same amount of END that was in it when it was Dispelled," because that's how Dispel works with other Powers. (Flight does not turn back on with only part of its inches, for example.) But something about END Reserve in particular seems a little odd with Dispel, perhaps because it's the only thing I can think of that Dispel can effect, but is measured in pips (in the same manner as BODY, END, or STUN). That kinda makes it seem like the END Reserve would "empty" itself when Dispelled, and would have to recharge once reactivated. …

    Asked by Derek Hiemforth, March 11, 2004

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13. Knockback & Falling II

    Steve, let's take an example following up on the prior post. FlyGuy is flying high in the air, not expecting any trouble. On Segment 12, Blaster zips out from behind a cloud, ambushing FlyGuy with an energy blast. He hits, rolls 35 damage. FlyGuy was completely surprised out of combat, so damage is doubled to 70. FlyGuy has 25 ED and 30 STUN, so he's at -15 Stun. FlyGuy takes 20" knockback (it's a Double Knockback attack), but there's nothing up here for him to run into. Blaster flies off giggling to himself. I would see this working as fllows: Ph 12 - FlyGuy flies back 10" (we'll assume Blaster was level with him) and starts to fall. There's nothi…

    Asked by Hugh Neilson, March 11, 2004

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14. Knockback and falling

    Searched the FAQ and this group and didn't find this question/answer. If you're say 10 hexes in the air and get hit with an attack that knocks you back 22 hexes (and stuns you), what damage do you take? Falling damage would be 10d6, knockback would be 11d6 (half because you're flying horizontal, and hit the ground instead of an object). Would it be 11d6 What would happen in the reverse situation. I.e. 10 hexes in the air (10d6 damage), and 12 hexes knockback (6d6 damage)? I guess I'm asking if in the air, and you take knockback (and end up hitting the ground because you're stunned or the like), do you take damage equal to the max of fall damage/knockb…

    Asked by paul_runstedler, March 11, 2004

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15. Punching a car

    How does KB affect velocity? For example, what happens if a brick punches a runaway car as it slams into him? Does the KB from the punch cancel out the Move-Through's velocity inch for inch, or does KB behave normally? In the former case, what if the velocity is nullified completely? Does the move through still happen, and is there some sort of penalty (of the sort something gets for ramming into a wall and doing no KB)?

    Asked by Guest Kolava, March 11, 2004

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16. Personal Immuntiy and Force Wall

    Would putting Personal Immunity on a Force Wall allow the character to not only walk through that wall but allow his own attacks to by-pass it as well?

    Asked by Vanguard, March 10, 2004

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17. Code of Conduct Limitations followup

    Whoops, I hadn't thought about the Mind Control loophole. Well, I'd guess that a Very Common/Total Psych Lim loosely translates to a All The Time/Fully Impairing Phys Lim, and a Common/Total one to a Frequently/Fully Impairing one. well, for the first Lim, we have a standard (OIHID) rule; for the second, there is an analogous standard Lim (Only When Serving the God's Purpose), of similar scope, so I guess the same value (-1/2) would be appropriate (since the constraints that a Com or Very Com Code would give are similar to the ones any typical fantasy god would impose). For the third, I'm more undecided, and I found the Limited Power Limitation guidelines so…

    Asked by Wanderer, March 9, 2004

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18. Code of Conduct Limitations

    This idea aroused some controversy, which somewhat clouded the feedback, so I'm taking it to an higher court in search of a complete answer... Is it legitimate to give the Only In Heroic Identity Power Limitation to a character (e.g. a super-hero or a ninja) that NEVER uses any superhuman abilities (including persistent ones) while in civilian identity, out of a deep-rooted psychological imperative to preserve its Secret Identity or its cover, even if it has no separate "civilian" and "heroic" physical forms? Similarly, reasoning from analogy with the "Only When Serving The God's Purposes" Limitation, is it appropriate to give a character a similar "Only When Fo…

    Asked by Wanderer, March 9, 2004

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19. Points gained through absorption and transfer

    Sorry if i missed something in the Rulesbook or the FAQ but a player of mine insists to have a clear explanation on that : How are considered the points gained through absorption or transfer ? is it an effect similar to aid (points gained fade at the rythm of 5 pts/turn) or is it similar to healing (no fade but you cannot absorb more than your starting value) ? is it similar to 4ed Aid ? Is it possible to set the effect at the creation of the power (Aid OR Healing effect) ?

    Asked by altamaros, March 9, 2004

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20. CE followup

    From your description, the long lasting adder can apply after the power is not being used then, is that correct? For example, if I use CE "make plants bloom" with long lasting: one day, then I'll use the power once, and its effects will last that long. It may sound the same as a continuing charge, but to me theres a difference. With the Con Ch, the power is active that whole time, not just the effects. While up it can be dispelled, suppressed, or whatever. Does that sound like I understand it correctly?

    Asked by badger3k, March 9, 2004

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21. TURNING ON A POWER AS AN ABORT

    I could not find an answer to this question, so I turn to you all the wise sages... In last nights game a charater wanted to abort to d-solid...to avoid a grenade tossed at his feet. After reviewing the FAQ and 5th ed book It was ruled a dive-for-cover move...is this the what others would have done? Any other suggestions?

    Asked by Black Drake, March 8, 2004

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22. Another CE duration query

    I made a character armed with a black-powder machine gun, and added this linked effect: Clouds of Smoke Change Environment 2" radius w/-2 OCV, No Range, Zero END, Personal Immunity. The idea was that it would be harder to target him in the smoke. The issue hasn't come up, but: how long should this no-END-cost effect linger?

    Asked by Tom Carman, March 8, 2004

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23. Limiting a Limitation?

    Steve, I have a question about Limiting the Value of a Limitation. Example: Let's say I have a Power a 10d6 Energy Blast defined as Electrical. 50 points. Now I want to give it a Jammed Limitation 11- (-1 1/2) to show that it doesn't work sometimes. So, now the Power costs: 20 points. (The Limitation saved me 30 points) But, what if the Jammed Limitation only occurs when I am in Water (it short circuits) Assuming that "Only in Water" would be -1/2, Would I apply the "Only in Water" Limitation to the 30 points I saved with the Jammed Limitation? Giving a a result like: 30 / (1 + 1/2) = 20 So the actual cost of the Power is now 50 …

    Asked by KA., March 8, 2004

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24. FRed?

    OK, I remember that the BBB is the Big Blue Book (the 4th edition rule book) and I know that FRed refers to the 5th edition book with the black cover, but I can't--for the life of me--figure out what FRed actually *stands* for. It's driving me crrrrazy--help!

    Asked by Speedball, March 8, 2004

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25. Followup to my followup

    Okay, sorry I rambled, but there were a few questions in the rambling. I will try to be more concice with the questions I was asking (However this has become mute as I have built the ability in a different way) 1) As written are you still allowed to use END Reserves for natural abilities (Holding your breath or LTE), or with the expanded life support and other changes in 5th has this become an obsolite method and discarded. 2) Assuming a character has taken it on holding his breath, does the END reserve recover normaly (Per turn) or does it recover only after he has stoped holding his breath. If the latter will he get normal Recoveries while using the ability…

    Asked by JmOz, March 8, 2004

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    1 answer