HERO System 6th Edition Rules Questions

6,880 questions in this forum

1. range modifier for detect does what, exactly?

   I was looking at spacial awaress and noticed that it's built without the range option. I don't have the book with me, but I don't think any of the example senses include range. Detect is listed as no-range by default (in fact, range specifically lists detect and touch), so I'm a little confused. What does range do for detect?

   Asked by Halafax, February 16, 2004

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2. Knockback When Grabbed

   Last game, one character grabbed the legs of a minor bad guy, then another character hit the same bad guy and did knockback. The GM thought he remembered a rule about grabbed characters taking KB, but none of us could find anything in the books. The impromptu ruling was half KB distance and the grab was broken, but is there something official we missed?

   Asked by Koshka, February 16, 2004

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3. LBO Questions

   I expect the answer will be "I am away from my personal library, ask again later" but I have a few questions about Limited Buy Offs and MP A character has an OIF, and range based on STR, can he use OAF to buy off the Range based on STR lim? (at -1/2) Okay assuming yes (and I can not see why not) If the same character has a MP, where the whole MP is an OIF (A UT Belt) where some slots have the same lim (lets use Range based on Str again), but not all of them, how do you figure out the LBO Active point value for the buy off? EXAMPLE 50 UT Belt (75Point Reserve) 5u Jets: 25" Flight Red End 0 3u Blast Pellets: 8d6 EB Explosion, OAF, Range Based on St…

   Asked by JmOz, February 16, 2004

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4. costs END only to activate

   In playing ourGame a character has come up with this Followong use of the above advantage: Distruption Field: FF (15 PD/15 ED/5 Flash Defense: Hearing Group), Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4) (44 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2) So what I'm reading this as it cost 6 End to turn on this forcefield, and it stays on indefinatly Or until the character turns it off, or is knocked out/stunned. Am I right?? and if am, isn't this a far better way to save END than say buying 1/2 END for the same advantage?

   Asked by Wildcat, February 16, 2004

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5. Ranged Martial Disarm

   I have a question about a Zen Riflery manuever in the UMA pg 74. Im assuming that the Ranged Disarm's SE is shooting a weapon out of someones hand. The DMG/Effect is Disarm. +15 STR to roll. On an unarmed Disarm it would add to the Characters STR, but If you are shooting a firearm what would you add the +15 to?

   Asked by GrooveD70, February 16, 2004

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6. Avoiding Flash

   Hi Steve, I have a question regarding Flash and the statement that at the GM's discretion a character can cover their eyes or ears to avoid a flash against that specific sense (in FRED under the description for the power Flash). My questions are: 1. Under what circumstances would this happen? 2. If this were allowed (assume a flash vs sight group and the character covers his eyes), how is the action adjudicated? Does the character have to abort to cover his eyes? Is the protection absolute (ie. Stop all the Flash) or only partial (gives 2 points of Flash DEF for example). I know this may be effect specific but I am looking for a general rule to base my…

   Asked by bryanb, February 15, 2004

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7. Martial Arts blocks in FREd

   Hey Steve. I can't think of the page right now and I don't have the book in front of me but I was having a hard time figuring out what the "notes" in the Martial Arts blocks (in FREd) mean. For example, say for martial throw it might say "Grab, Abort, Str +10". What exactly does this mean? Does this mean that you have to Grab first while aborting an action and that it give you a Str +10? Or does it mean it can be used the same time you would use an Abort, etc.? I'm just trying to figure this one out. Thanks!

   Asked by Vorvodoss, February 15, 2004

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8. 2nd Grab follow-up

   I'm being dense I know. I got to buy off: Density Increase, Always On your answer to my last question was: "In the case of using Grab or Grab By to try to snatch a weapon or Focus, normal Grab rules apply re: using STR to oppose the attack." So here is how see it now: When Grabbing an opponent, the opponent is the one that chooses to exert himself to try to break free, so he has to use the free action of using Casual Strength. When Grab action is to grab a focus, instead of "Squeezing" or "Throwing", you can "Wrench" in that same phase, and this requires a Str vs STR contest roll. Since the action is actualy initiated by the attacker, the defender …

   Asked by SirViss, February 14, 2004

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9. Figured Characteristics oddity

   Rules Review: If a character takes a limitationon on a primary characteristic that is meaningless for the figured characteristic he does not get the figured characteristics To opt not to have the figured characteristics is a -1/2 lim Rules question: does this mean that the minium value of a limitation taken on a primary that would be meaningless for figured would be a -1/2 (as it would be this limiting do to theeffects of it on figured characteristics)?

   Asked by JmOz, February 14, 2004

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10. Science skill

    Sometimes sciences are taken as background skills and sometimes as INT-based skills. Why is that?

    Asked by tkdguy, February 14, 2004

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11. Grabs and STR rolls follow-up

    Under the Grab maneuver (FRed p.256) it says that to grab someone you must make an Attack Roll, and if successful the opponent is grabbed. Then it says that you have a choice to Squeeze or Throw. It does mention later on that, beacause of the Casual Strength rule, that strong characters can effectively ignore Grabs from much weaker foes, beacause you can make a Strength roll immediately with said rule. Where I encounter a problem is when I look at the rule for Grabbing Foci and Grab Bys: Concerning Grabbed Foci, it says that the attacker can, after a successful Grab, wrench the Focus away, but it doesn't specify that the first "wrenching" attempt happens i…

    Asked by SirViss, February 14, 2004

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12. Missile Deflection

    If a character has both Missile Deflection and Stretching, can the character Deflect at up to the range of her Stretching for "free"? Or would she have to purchase the Missile Deflection with an Advantage in order to do so?

    Asked by Gary, February 14, 2004

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13. Grabs and STR rolls

    I'm sorry but I am getting my RPG systems confused with one another. When a character is grabbed, is there an immediate STR roll to hold on to the Grabee? If so, how much strength can each character use? I've checked the FAQs and I know that a casual strength check is a free action. I just want to make sure I got it right.

    Asked by SirViss, February 13, 2004

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14. Move Thru - Sweep?

    Can a character do a move thru attack and a sweep. Could you do knockback on the first attack then move some more and then "hit" another character nearby? The second move thru would take an additional -2OCV (and so on, and so on for each additional attacks)? Can you do this? If not, could an additional power/skill to a character grant this ability? Thanks in advance for your answer.

    Asked by Barton, February 13, 2004

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15. Lifter Example Character..

    So the example character Lifter has +50 Str, only for pushing 10x End. does he get the figured characteristics for it? Or does the "only for pushing limitation" imply no figured characterisics?

    Asked by Enforcer84, February 13, 2004

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16. Usable against others (+1) Question

    I am purchasing the following: Force Field: 12 pd/12 ed, Usable against others (+1), Ranged (+1/2), Invisible to normal sight (+1/4) I am purchasing this power to use on fellow team mates and hostages at gun point. My question is this: Can I use this force Field on my self? Thus, can a power with Usable against others be used normally as if the UAO advantage were not on it?

    Asked by SullenSandman, February 12, 2004

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17. Change Environment

    This is probably an obvious question that I already know the answer to, but I need to ask just to make sure. Is the use of a Change Environment power visible, or just the effect? Thanks! Aroooo

    Asked by Aroooo, February 12, 2004

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18. Hitting with objects...

    Hi there. Just wanted to ask a quick question. In the main book, it says that if I pick up a DEF 5, Body 5 object and hit someone with it the maximum damage it can do is 10d6. So what I was wondering, is this 10d6 flat, or is it 10d6 on top of my Str??? If it's the former it seems broken, as if I'm Str 60 I'd be better off just punching the guy as opposed to hitting him with a telegraph pole which seems incongruous with the comics, etc. that the rules are based upon. I think the latter makes more sense where, I could do up to 10d6 more but limited to double my Str damage or something like that similar to the way Str adds to a HKA. So my Str 60 cha…

    Asked by Prototype, February 12, 2004

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19. General distruction pt 2

    The rules concerning "holes" are as follows: " A character who exceeds the walls body has created a human sized hole in it. The size of the hole doubles for every +1 BODY inflicted over the walls base body" Now on the face of it, it is saying that if I do, say, 20 BODY to a 13 DEF 6 Body wall, I have made a hole twice the size of a nrmal human. This seems Like an AE type effect, but... What if, When considering nigh-infinite body, (Like a Planet) How much GROUND (DEF 3) is Displaced? Human sized or otherwise? How big a hole does Dr Destroyer make with his 30 dice attack? Can't we come up up with some formula?

    Asked by Benzini, February 12, 2004

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20. Easy To Operate Vehicles

    Steve, Apart from buying a Computer for it, is there any (legal) way in the system to make a vehicle so easy to operate that it almost literally "drives itself"? (That is, can be operated without penalty by someone who doesn't have the appropriate Transport Familiarity.) Would something like a car with "TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicle, Usable By 1 Other (Driver)" be permissible?

    Asked by Dr. Anomaly, February 12, 2004

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21. General Destruction

    OK, The Rule Book on destring things mentions "man sized" holes....Wait....let me start again. lets say there's a patch of earth with a general DEF of 3. You blast-straight down and do 20 Body after defenses. How deep is the hole? What about AE? or Explosion? Any Volume/Damage ratio? I will re-read my FRED, in the mean time. Thx ahead of time

    Asked by Benzini, February 12, 2004

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22. AE and Continuous

    character A has AE continuous attack up, Character B enters the area and is affected performs the move-by and continues out of the area then still has enough movement to turn around and enter the area again in the same phase. Is Character B only affected once per phase or is B affected each time he enters the area? And is the inverse true, Character A moves [for this example assume the area sticks to A] and catches B once in the continuous area, then moves away and back to catch B again in the same phase. Is B affected more than once in this instance?

    Asked by The Maxx, February 11, 2004

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23. Triggered Aids

    If an Aid is bought with the Trigger Advantage (say an Aid triggered by sunlight) would the Aid take up points in a VPP or Multipower the phase after it was activated?

    Asked by Southern Cross, February 10, 2004

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24. CSLs and Autofire

    If combat skill levels are used to increase the damage of an autofire attack, does each hit generated by autofire recieve the bonus damage, or only the first one?

    Asked by Victim, February 10, 2004

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25. Flash & Darkness vs. Transmit

    If a character is Flashed can their senses with Transmit (i.e. HRRP) still transmit? What about in a Darkenss field? (If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around, does it still make a sound?) Thanks! Aroooo

    Asked by Aroooo, February 9, 2004

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