HERO System 6th Edition Rules Questions

6,880 questions in this forum

1. Change Environement Duration

   I'm a bit confused about this one. I'm building a power that creates fog in an area. The power has one charge. According to p91, I can use either the long lasting adder or the continuing charge limitation. Other than any point difference (haven't figured out which is more) is there any reason to use one or the other (ie - is there any effective game reason or are they the same thing)? I know that the most expensive way should be used - is that the general rule to follow here - figure the cost of each and go from there?

   Asked by badger3k, March 8, 2004

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2. Charge

   Steve, In our fantasy game last night we had the misfortune of being charged by train cavalryman with lances. We were not equipped to set for charge. The fantasy book covered everything but what happens when you are hit by charging horsemen. 1) How much damage/where (documented) does a trained cavalryman on a trained mount do to the poor schmuck on the ground? 2) If they rules are straight move through rules, then is the damage capped at 2x the base damage of they weapon? Thanks from my gaming group.

   Asked by johnflang, March 8, 2004

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3. END Reserve followup

   Okay, I found it (BTW I LOVE YOUR INDEXES, HOW GREAT 5th IS FOR JUST HAVING THEM), Dark Champions it is, pg 32. Okay a few issues come up from it: 1) It is 4th edition, so the legality of it is questionable 2) It advises that personal END (-1/2) be taken for this kind of construct, valid for what Dark Champions was talking about, but it raises the queston of if it can be used for this without said limitation (maybe for something similar but different such as a character who wants to include holding his breath for a GL type FF Oxygen scrubbers F/x). AND IF so whether or not the character can do the following things: 2.a) Recover END from the END Reserv…

   Asked by JmOz, March 7, 2004

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4. Missile Deflection

   Suppose a character has Missile Deflection with the special effect that he catches thrown objects, bullets, and arrows. He is attacked by a character who throws an OAF or OIF weapon at him. Perhaps Captain America's shield or Daredevil's billy club. This weapon is either built as a EB/RKA, or HA/HKA with the Range advantage, but without taking the Lockout Limitation. Does the defender with Missile Deflection get to grab the focus on a successful Missile Deflection roll, preventing it from returning to the thrower and functioning as a Disarm, or does the weapon return to the thrower as normal?

   Asked by Gary, March 7, 2004

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5. Steve, A couple of questions on END Reserves

   Okay, this may sound insane: I seem to remember an option on END reserve for it to be used for certain personal things... Example a character who is really good at long distance running or holding his breath, etc... Where was this? I could have sworn it was something you wrote, but it might have been in 4th... Okay assuming it is in 5th, where was it? second, if this is applied to breathing would the character receive normal recoveries while holding there breath?

   Asked by JmOz, March 7, 2004

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6. Find Weakness IV

   Sorry, Steve - I'm obviously not communicating very well here. Anyway, my hypothetical situation goes a few phases past the other question you answered. To use an example, let's posit two characters, Deadeye who has a low DC attack, and high Find Weakness, and Rockman, whose defenses are extremely high. To damage Rockman, Deadeye needs to quarter his defenses, at least. Let's give Deadeye 8 Speed, and a 3 for Rockman. Rockman doesn't know Deadeye is there. Phase 12: Deadeye Finds Weakness on Rockman and succeeds. He can now halve Rockman's defenses. For his second half phase, he Finds Weakness again, but fails his roll. Per FREd, Deadeye now has Rockman …

   Asked by Hugh Neilson, March 6, 2004

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7. Mutant Powers and Star Hero Followup

   You answered the question for me. To clarify, Increased Arc of Perception allows you to choose which sense/sense group to use. You can purchase additional sense groups, one of which was NightVision. I wasn't sure if Nightvision was an additional enhanced sense bought as part of the mutant powers OR was just allowing Increased Arc Of Perception to work with normal sight AND Nightvision.

   Asked by rayoman, March 6, 2004

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8. Charges II

   The question below leads to another VPP question. In my campaign, I would generally rule that, if you place a power with charges in a VPP, you can't reallocate the points once the charges are used until the charges recover. Otherwise, the limitation doesn't actually limit the character and he should instead pay +1/2 for 0 END. A guy with a 60 point VPP can just take a 12d6 Ice Blast (1 charge) for 20 points of the VPP. When this is gone, switch the points to a 12d6 Fire Blast (1 charge), and so on through various special effects. Use the remaining 40 points for other effects, and get your attacks at 0 END. Assume that the attack was 4 charges (-1), so it cost 3…

   Asked by Hugh Neilson, March 6, 2004

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9. Is This Right Followup III

   I reread my question and now I'm confused... OK, let's use an example. Deadeye has Find Weakness 17- with his pistol. He targets Rockman and rolls a 15, success, halving his DEX. Next phase, he tries for a second roll, but rolls a 16 - fails due to the -2 penalty for successive attempts. Rockman is 1/2 DEF against Deadeye's pistol. Deadeye fires a shot at Rockman, but does not halve Rockman's defenses. He foregoes the Find Weakness, and must try again if he wishes to halve Rockman's defenses. Next phase, Deadeye tries Find Weakness again: Q1: Does he need a 17- or a 15-? Assume he rolls an 8. He has halved Rockman's defenses. He now attempts t…

   Asked by Hugh Neilson, March 6, 2004

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10. Mutant Powers and Star Hero

    There are two mutant powers, Four Eyes and Huge Eyes, on page 31 includes Increased Arc Of Perception[normal sight] and Nightvision. Is this the Nightvision enhanced sense or is it an additional sense for IAOP? Thanks.

    Asked by rayoman, March 6, 2004

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11. Charge Question

    If I am using a continuing charge (1 Minute) in a VPP do I loose the use of the 10 points used to create the spell for that minute? A.

    Asked by Argus, March 5, 2004

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12. Still Confused - Sorry

    Hi Steve, I'm sorry, but I'm still confused on these points. 1. Pg. 91 says that you can only halve DCV once, but it doesn't say that for OCV. So you can halve OCV multiple times? Also, what's does "or otherwise reduce it by a fraction or percentage" mean? 2. For this question, "Under skill levels on pg. 29, should the 2 pt. level read +1 with one Skill Roll? " you responded with, "No. Because Skills can already, on their own, buy +1 to the roll for +2 points, describing a Skill Level as applying to Skills is not only meaningless, it's confusing to many people. That same "change" will appear in 5ER." So, for 2 points you get a +1 when using the chara…

    Asked by Kirowan, March 5, 2004

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13. SPD Chart vs. Speed Quick-Refernce Table in SIdekick (page 87)

    Steve - Just a quick followup on a previous question where you indicated that the Speed Chart in Sidekick replicated the one in FREd: You are, of course, correct, but I think that the poster was referring to the Speed Quick-Reference Chart on the same page in Sidekick, in which there appears to be a discrepancy for SPD 1. The Speed Chart (both Sidekick and FREd) show a SPD 1 as acting on phase 7. The Speed Quick-Reference Chart shows a SPD 1 as acting on phase 12. Is this a typo or a change? Phase 12 certainly matches better with the other SPD values, but (if I'm understanding the SPD Chart right) is a deviation from the way things have been handled.

    Asked by Simon, March 5, 2004

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14. Is This Right Followup II

    In your response to followup I, you indicate the character can decide not to use his FW, even after a successful roll. Presumably, he simply doesn't target the weakness. You then indicate he would then be required to re-roll in order to use the FW again. Assume he had previously made a FW roll, then missed a second roll to halve defenses again. It would seem appropriate that, if the character refrains from using FW on his next attack, then rolls again to FW again (target back to half defense), he culd not follow this up with another roll to halve the defenses again, down to a quarter. In other words, refraining from exploiting the weakness would not set t…

    Asked by Hugh Neilson, March 5, 2004

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15. Sidekick Questions/Possible Typos

    Hi Steve, I asked you this question... "Many actions you perform or situations you are in halve your DCV. What happens when you have your DCV is halved twice? Is it quartered?" in an earlier thread. You said to reference the corebook, but I'm working from Sidekick and I couldn't find it in there. Can you help me? Also, I think I noticed two typos in Sidekick. 1. Under skill levels on pg. 29, should the 2 pt. level read +1 with one Skill Roll? 2. On the speed quick reference table on pg. 87, shouldn't a speed of 1 have a phase of 7, not 12? Thanks, Nick

    Asked by Kirowan, March 5, 2004

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16. Followup: Is this right

    Okay, this might sound insane BUT: After a Find Weakness roll is succesful do you have to use it? If not does not using it make you have to reroll

    Asked by JmOz, March 5, 2004

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17. Is this right?

    Okay, character is a trick ammo archer from a supers game He takes a ranged Martial Arts package (Including Defensive Strike I think it is called the -1/+2 Ranged Strike) He then takes Find Weakness with Defensive Strike One of his slots in his MP is a Broadheads: 2d6 RKA, AP, AF-3, +1 Stun Multiplier, 6 recoverable charges So if he finds weakness and uses his defensive strike he can quarter defenses (1/2 for FW, 1/2 for AP) He can further use his FW with any power in the MP as he can use his Ranged MA with Bows, as long as he is using his Defensive strike manuver

    Asked by JmOz, March 5, 2004

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18. NND Martial Manuevers

    Can you add STR damage to a martial manuever that does NND damage, such as a Choke Hold? I know from the FAQ that you cannot use a weapon to increase the NND damage, but I have not been able to find where you can STR to NND MA manuevers. Thanks! Silbeg...

    Asked by Silbeg, March 5, 2004

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19. Some Minor Questions

    I looked through the FAQ for these but couldn't find them. 1. Many actions you perform or situations you are in halve your DCV. What happens when you have your DCV is halved twice? Is it quartered? 2. A character has 'casual strength' equal to 1/2 his normal strength that he can use without thinking. If a character has a Strength of -10, does that then mean his Casual Strength is -5 (twice as strong as normal)? While I'm here at might as well ask the source. Does Fantasy Hero have an equipment list? Thanks so much, Nick

    Asked by Kirowan, March 4, 2004

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20. I'll accidently change, just gimme a sec

    When a character's accidental change conditions are met, does the transformation happen immediately, or does it wait for the character's action? If the latter, is it a zero phase action, or does the character actually waste a half phase invoulentarily transforming?

    Asked by Guest Kolava, March 4, 2004

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21. Cost End & invisible powers

    Hello, Does adding the "Cost End" Disadvantage to an invisible Power (like Aid) make it visible ? Merci

    Asked by Cyz, March 3, 2004

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22. Instant Powers (just add End) and MP's.

    Steve, I've looked through the FAQ and couldn't quite find the answer to a question I have. If you have an Instant Power (Say Entangle for example) and you use it on a target and then switch slots in the MultiPower, does the entangle (or other instant power) go away? Thanks!

    Asked by Vanguard, March 3, 2004

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23. again MA.

    Dear Steve, regarding the Block Throw Maneuver... (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13347) the all or nothing part... there's a partial maneuver paragraph in the UMA; and regarding this information it would be possible to use parts of the maneuver regularily not "in that case, that should be the exception, not the rule"; so I'm a little bit confused now - how should a maneuver with different elements be handled? thanx

    Asked by h-leqin, March 3, 2004

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24. VPP Control Cost Minimum

    Let's say you have a VPP of 5 points. The Control Cost starts at 2 points. Throw on a bunch of Limitations appropriate to the VPP. Shouldn't the Control Cost be at least 1? It can't drop to 0, can it? I ask because in Hero Designer, that's exactly what it does. Witness: Cost Power END 5 Variable Power Pool, 5 base + 0 control cost, (7 Active Points); all slots Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), -1 1/4), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Limited Class Of Powers Available Slightly Limited (-1/4) Powers Cost: 5 Is this correct? Shouldn't it cost 6 instead of 5?

    Asked by devlin1, March 2, 2004

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25. Force Wall resisting Knockback follow-up

    Sorry about that. Okay, a character has a AoE Flash that does knowback. At one point, he uses the Flash against a group of "bad guys". In the same area as the effect of the Flash is also a Force Wall. Does the Force Wall suffer any direct effects from the knockback of the attack? The reason I ask is, if a character was knockback into the Force Wall he might do enough damage to it for it to go down. But what if there is no character being knocked back into it? Positing that most attacks like this would be caused by a pressure wave, repulsor beam, or some such: - Would there be an effect on the Force Wall? I know that you have to exceed the Def of the…

    Asked by SirViss, March 2, 2004

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