HERO System 6th Edition Rules Questions
Post here for answers to your HERO System 6th Edition rules questions.
This forum is a question and answer forum - only members of the Rules Mavens group can post answers.
Please consider these as temporary, advisory answers until such time as Steve Long's health and personal circumstances permit him to resume answering rules questions himself.
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2. How to build questions are better posted in the discussion forums.
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6,880 questions in this forum
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Timing of END - Followup
There is a question below regarding recovery of an END reserve costing END. The answer is that END would be paid when the REC is used (normally PS 12, but S1 since no action is taken on PS 12). Can you clarify the application of Costs END to characteristics? I looked in the FAQ, but didn't find it (I could easily have missed it - I checked "costs END"). For example, STR costs END normally, and END is paid when, and to the extent, it is used. If I have SPD that Costs END, my understanding is the END cost is paid every phase (unless I choose not to use that bonus Speed for the turn). As I read these, each "costs END" stat requires a decision of when it …
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Variable Advantage minimum value
The FAQ says that Variable Advantage has a minimum value of +1/2. However, in the GMB (Green Man Book), Variable Advantage can be taken with a "Limited List", which reduces the cost by 1/4. So if I choose no greater than 4 Advantages of +1/4 value for the Variable Advantage, why wouldn't the math work out to: (1/4 * 2) - 1/4 = 1/4?
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Combat Levels and DCV
Are Combat Levels which can be used for DCV purposes (e. g. H-to-H-Combat Levels for 5 pts.) active out of combat, or does their benefit only apply after the character gets his first Phase? If not, the old, but experienced martial arts master (low DEX, but many Combat Levels) could easily be knocked out by a common, but faster thug... If the CLs can be applied to Surprise Situations/situations where the character is slower than his opponents, how are switchable CLs distributed?
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When is END paid?
If someone were to take an Endurance Battery, and take the Recovery portion with the Limitation, Costs END(-1/2), simulating that replenishing the store of energy is taxing on the character, when & how often does it cost END: 1. Each Phase of the charcter -- and if he is unable to pay it on each and every phase, the Battery doesn't get it's REC on PF12. 2. The END comes off of the character's PF12 Recovery, possibly causing a *loss* of END if the cost if greater than the character's personal REC. 3. Something else? SteveZilla
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Variable Special Effects
Lets say a character gets an energy blast at Variable Special effects:Any. Will the defense that the damage is applied against be changed from PD to ED and vice versa based on the changing special effect?
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Concealment and other senses
Sorry if i missed this in the book or FAQ, but I am unable to find anything that states how unusual senses affect someone or something that is concealed. For example I have a Fantasy Hero thief with a concealment of 21-. He hides from the nasty wraith who is moving towards him, making his roll by 10. The wraith has an Enhanced Sense: Detect Living bought as a mental sense (he just knows when something living is around). Is the thiefs concealment solely based on sight perception? Can the thief only conceal himself vs. senses he possesses? Does the wraith automatically sense the thief or does his concealment affect the wraith's perception roll? If…
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Multiform
Well, I was looking at Multiform, and basically (if I'm reading this right) I caould have a really wussy human who could turn into a bunch of huge ass powerful people, right? Now, if the base cost of characters in my campain is 200+150 disads, do all the forms need to only have disads to cover the points beyond the 200 or do they need disads to cover all their points? I had a character years ago and mulitpower seemed much more restrictive.
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Side Effects
Is it possible to have more than one Side Effect Limitations on a power, or would you just increase the Minor/Major/Extreme level and combine them? So for example, if I wanted 2 Side Effects: -5 INT when power is in use, and 1d6 Killing damage when power expires would I combine them into an Extreme Level or take a Minor Effect: -5 INT and a Major Effect: 1d6 Killing Damage?
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Automaton Defenses
1) If an automaton is being protected by a non-automaton's defenses, is that defense effectively divided by 3? For example, an automaton that is being run by a computer. The computer can throw up a force field or force wall that protects itself and the automaton. 2) If an automaton throws up an entangle as a barrier, as an impromptu defense, is that "defense" divided by 3?
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Ranged HA followup
Hey Steve - Does the exception for weapons apply only to things like creating equipment lists, or can a character use the same rule? For example, if I'm building a throwing axe for my Champions character, can I build it with HA and Ranged? Thanks!
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Doubling Equipment
Steve, Suppose I've built an item like this: Magic Picnic Basket: Character Does Not Eat (3 pts) IAF Never-Empty Picnic Basket (-1/2) Active Cost: 3, Real Cost: 2 Now suppose I want 4 of these gizmos. What's it cost me? According to the "+5 points, double the number of items" rule, it's a grand total of 12 points (2+5+5) If I just buy 4 of them straight up, it's 8 points. I thought I had seen a reference to doubling equipment with a cost of less than five, where you use the equipment's cost as the doubling price...in this case, 2 points doubles it. But I couldn't find it. If that's the case, 4 of them would be 6 points. Am I mis-rem…
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Ranged on Hand-to-Hand Attack
Hey Steve - The Rules FAQ, under Hand-to-Hand Attack, says, "Q: Can a character apply the Ranged Advantage to an HA, thus creating an attack usable at Range to which he can add his STR? A: No. Once he adds the Hand-To-Hand Attack Limitation, he’s signifying that the attack can’t be used at Range." However, UMA says (on page 187), "Many weapons are built as Normal Damage attacks instead of Killing Damage attacks. In the chart above, Normal Damage weapons are built with the Hand-to-Hand Attack Power, while Killing Damage weapons are built with the Hand-to-Hand Killing Attack Power. Thrown weapons take the Ranged Advantage (+1/2). Ranged-only Killing-dam…
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Fiddly Reduced Penetration question
It seems as though rolling half the number of dice for a Reduced Penetration attack wouldn't always be feasible. For example, how would one calculate the BODY done by a 5 1/2d6 Energy Blast with Reduced Penetration? Thanks! Ben
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END cost for HTH attack
Does a standard HTH attack have an END cost? I'm trying to find the answer in the book but once again can't find a definitive answer. The reason I ask this is because I notice when using Hero Designer that there is a number next to END on the STR line (it reads HTH attack xd6; END [2] or something like that). Thanks Steve.
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Transform
Hello Steve: I have a question about Transform. You cannot use Transform to kill a target, but could you turn a target into an object and then destroy the object to kill the target? Say...could you turn people into cookies and then eat them? Cheers
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Tunnelling
I have two kinds of questions about tunnelling. Both relate to the filling in adder in some way. 1. In principle, I can think of three ways a tunnelling power could be set up, and I believe that the rules should allow for all three: a. tunnel cannot be filled in, b. tunnel fills in, c. character chooses when using the power whether or not to fill in. Without the filling in adder, the power is of type a. With the adder, I believe it is of type b. Is there a way to buy type c? Or, if I am mistaken about the adder, then is there a way to buy type b? 2. If a tunnel is not filled in, then someone can follow behind the tunneller. If the tunnel is be…
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Where does Armor Piercing apply?
This came up in game: Someone was shot with an AP Killing Attack. The GM halfed his rPD and did BODY as usual, but then he declared that the STUN damage (Killing Damage x STUN multiplier) was also cut in half. The player began to argue. Who is correct?
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Damage Shield+Twisting the blade
In both The UMA and FH, there are optional rules for impailing an opponent, then "Twisting the Blade" for additional NNDesque damage. My question is this: What are the effects of a Weapon with a Damage Sheild setting on it (Like a magical Blade of Flame, or some Lightsabre writeups) when used to impail an opponent in that fashion? Does it continue to do its DS damage each phase? Can it also be used in a "Twist the Blade" action for additional damage as well? Or does the DS supercede this?
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Two Mind Link-related Questions
Question A: If the target of a Mind Link also has Mental Powers, can he use them to attack the originator of the Mind Link as described on H5E page 132, or is using Mental Powers through the Link something that only the originator of the Link can do? Question B (meaningful only if it is legal for a Mind Link target to use Mental Powers through a Link as asked above): Can a character take the Cannot Be Used Through Mind Link Limitation on Mental Powers, even if he doesn't have Mind Link himself? Thanks!
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Naked Advantages
Hello, If a character has a power with a Required Skill Roll limitation and a naked power advantage that adds to it, do the active points of the naked power add to the skill roll penalty? for instance if character with a 30 pt EB. has area affect radius as a Naked advantage (another 30 pts active). is the -1/10 skill roll made at -3, or -6?
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Air related powers are not weak! GM will not allow this without checking with Mr Long
I have the whole air MP bit, but my GM will not allow Martial Arts with a Ranged adder to represent the great control that I have with my TK. He wants me to check with you on this. He tells me that MA are a skill and that adders are for Powers only.
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Rules Lawyers Unbound, bur should be
I have having some problems with Physical Limitions... Limited Mobility: some of my players have been, I think anyway double dipping for points. Like for example: Limited Mobility (limps) as a disadvatage and a running penality under powers. This don't sound right. Both sound like disads to me. I have chosen that its a Running Penalty listed as a disad. I would like a professional opinion.
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Monster question followup
If you can't use duplication, what power/construct is there that allows a character to make 2+ independent combat actions during a phase? F.ex. the character that prompted those question, kicking target A while shooting an arrow at target B. /Henrik
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Penetrating Follow-Up
Regarding Terra Nova's previous Penetrating question: 2d6+1 KA, with a roll 6 and 1; isn't the Penetrating damage 3, not 2? From the FAQ: "Q: If you have a 1-point Killing Attack, how do you apply Penetrating to it? How do you apply Penetrating to Killing Attacks with half dice (e.g., RKA 1 1/2d6)? How does Penetrating interact with the Standard Effect Rule? A: For a 1-point KA, Penetrating means it does 1 Penetrating BODY automatically."
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Penetrating, how does it work exactly?
Ok, I've got a question about how exactly does the Penetrating advantage work. Let's say we have a hero with a 2d6+1, Penetrating HKA who hits a villain who has rPD of 25. The hero rolls a 6 and a 1 on his damage, and a 3 on his STUN multiplier die, for a total of 8 BODY, 24 STUN. This bounces off the villain's rPD totally, but since it's a Penetrating attack, what is the minimum? My guess is that because a roll of 6 and 1 on a normal attack would do only 2 BODY, then the minimum done would be 2 BODY. Now, does the attack also do a minimum STUN? I'm kinda confuzzled right now and any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
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