HERO System 6th Edition Rules Questions

6,882 questions in this forum

1. Multiform and Instant Change

   Steve, I hope that hasn't been asked before, so here goes. I have a character buying the Multiform power to have 4 alternate forms: all humanoids representing the four elements (earth, air, water, and fire). It's kinda a trite concept, yes, but there it is nevertheless. My question is does multiform confer any kind of Instant Change power with it? Since the forms differ in height (from 5' to over 8') any "normal" clothes would never withstand the shifting forms. To avoid being naked atfer shifting forms, would Elemtnal Dude have to buy an Instant Change cosmetic transform? Thanks much.

   Asked by Rigel, December 16, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
2. Standard Effect

   Steve, I found a certain amount of this in FRED, but I just want to verify. For normal attacks, the standard effect stun is 3.5 per d6, and standard effect body is 1.5 per d6. For killing attacks, standard effect body is 3.5 per d6, while the standard effect stun multiple is 3. Are those both correct statements, and if not, can you set me straight? Thanks! John

   Asked by Spideyguy, December 16, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
3. Power can draw END from Character or End Reserve

   Many Advantages increase the END cost of a Power when added to that Power. Does this include the Advantage "Power can draw END from Character or End Reserve"? It doesn't really go into it in the book. My first reaction is that since it deals with where the END comes from, it shouldn't increase the END cost of the Power in question. Is this one of the Advantages that will make a Power cost more END?

   Asked by Caped Crusader, December 15, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
4. 'Increased Points of Maximum Effect' and Advantages

   Mental Battery Guy has 4d6 of Aid, Any Power of a Mentalism Special Effect, All Powers Simultaneously (+2): 120 Character Points. Mental Battery Guy also buys +20 Maximum Effect for his Aid, allowing it to increase affected Powers by a Maximum of 44 Points. Does the +20 Maximum Effect Cost: a.) 10 Points, as implied by the example in Adjustment Powers Section of the 5th Ed Book, as well as the 'Attack Nanobots' Power from the spacers toolkit (wherin a Heavily-Advantaged AID manages to nonetheless increase its maximum points of effect via AIDing itself) b.) 30 Points (10 Base Point, +2 Advantage) as is the case in Hero Designer, and as I -think- Ive seen elsew…

   Asked by Marcus, December 15, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
5. Question about CSL's and Limitations...

   I've run into an apparent contradiction. It says in the 5th Edition book that a 5-point CSL is the smallest that can be bought with Limitations. I was looking at the example characters in Champions, and I saw that Green Dragon has a Multipower with a 3-point Reserve (Stances). Slots 2, 4, & 5 all appear to be 3-point CSL's with the Limitation of Costs END. Slots 2 & 4 also have Requires a DEX roll. What am I missing?

   Asked by Caped Crusader, December 15, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
6. base rules vs. supplements

   (Not sure how to phrase this non-confrontationally, so I'll just ask it.) Twice now I have asked rules questions which have been answered with 'look it up in one of our supplements'. I have been buying HG products for 20 years. While I buy supplements as needed when I want to expand on the rules on 5E, I do believe I should be able to get clarification to existing rules without having to do so. I've asked for clarification on a rule in HG 5E: What is my effective STR when resistng a disarm? I think the answer to this is within the scope of 5E. Thanks.

   Asked by Rebar, December 14, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
7. Casual Escape?

   When determining casual str for the purposes of escaping weak grabs and entangles, can a martial artist with martial escape and/or damage classes use half of the str? For example, a 20 str martial artist has martial escape and 3 DCs for a total of 50 str for purposes of escape. Does he have a 10 str, or a 25 str to determine casual str for the purpose of escape?

   Asked by Gary, December 14, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
8. Throwing someone into the next county

   For those immpossibly strong bricks ala the Thing, Supes etc. Is putting megascale (Only to Strength Throws) an appropriate way to build their ability to launch others or objects well, to the next county (or even the moon!)? Thanks, David

   Asked by Myrmidon, December 14, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
9. TK Grab/Throw

   Hey Steve. I've checked FREd and the FAQ, and just wanted to confirm this with you (since another GM in my group disagrees): Lodestone is 26" away from an iron statue massing 400 kilos. 10" beyond the statue is Our Hero. Can Lodestone, whose Flight is 20", do all of the following in a single Phase: a) Fly 10" towards the statue Use his 60 STR TK to Grab the statue c) Throw the statue at Our Hero using the stats for a Running Throw with 40 excess STR (32" max distance)? If so, what rolls would be necessary on his part? I assume the Grab will need an attack roll at -4 for range, but only against a DCV of 0? Then for the Throw he'll need another atta…

   Asked by BenKimball, December 14, 2003

   0 votes
   1 answer
10. DCs & disarm

    I have a 20 STR, martial disarm and 4DCs. I have an effective STR of 50 when disarming. My opponent has the same thing. When my opponent attempts to disarm me, what is my effective STR to defend? 50 or 20?

    Asked by Rebar, December 13, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
11. Ego attack and Mental Classes

    Does an ego attack have to be set with a certain class of mind that it affects (such as human, animal, etc). The book and FAQ have no mention on this being needed. To me it makes sense that it would, but what's the official ruling?

    Asked by badger3k, December 11, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
12. Only With Move Throughs Limitation

    UNTIL p31 shows the Horn of the Rino power as having a -1 Limitation of Only With Move Throughs. The Jackalope on p93 of the Bestiary shows the same limitation on it's Antlers power, with the same value. However, the Bighorn Sheep on p151 of the Bestiary has this limitaiton as only a -1/2. What is the correct value? -1 or -1/2 Thanks in advance.

    Asked by Bloodstone, December 10, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
13. Pushing Adders

    Hi, When you are pushing a power, can you apply the push to a power's adder? ie Character has 10" Teleportation with 4x Weight mult. Could she push just the weight multiplier? Thanks, Tasha

    Asked by Tasha, December 10, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
14. FHG entangle

    The hands of stone spell (p 75 FHG), is an 8d6, 5 def entangle for 65 active (normally 80) points. The write up has no explanation for the difference from a normal entangle, and I can't find anything to help me out anywhere on how this was done. Can you help?

    Asked by badger3k, December 10, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
15. MP Slot Limitation Question

    Let's say that Multipower Man has a MP where it is hard for him to change slots but easy for him to use the powers once he does. For instance if I want him to have to make a skill roll or take extra time to change slots ... but the powers themselves will not have these limitations. How do I buy this? Do I apply the limitation to the slots, the reserve, or both? Follow-up. Is there an appropriate limitaion to make changing MP slots take a half phase action instead of being a 0 phase action?

    Asked by Vanderbilt_Grad, December 10, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
16. Life Support: Heat

    Does Life Support vs. Intense Heat confer immunity (or partial immunity) to fire- or heat-based attacks? Thanks, Mike

    Asked by Alcamtar, December 8, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
17. No STUN Knockback

    Hey Steve. I'm trying to build a nonlethal sonic weapon that causes knockback. To do so, I tried: EB 8d6, No STUN (+0), Double Knockback (+3/4); 70 AP. The special effect is the same as that huge speaker Michael J. Fox plugged his guitar into in Back To The Future; hitting a power chord, he was stunned and thrown across the room, but no real damage was done. (Of course, if he'd landed on a bed of nails, that would be different.) Anyway, the obvious problem is that No STUN stipulates that the power it's applied to does no knockback. So: does the Double Knockback Power Advantage "put back" the knockback into the EB, or would a greater advantage be r…

    Asked by BenKimball, December 8, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
18. Dispelling Entangle

    After an Entangle has been activated, is it subject to the Dispel power? For example, can an Entangle defined as "bonds of pure magic" be removed, after it has already taken effect on a character, by a Dispel vs. Magic on that character? Also, if the Entangle has acquired extra body (either by repeated use, or because it is Continuous), does this affect how it functions for Dispel?

    Asked by Fireg0lem, December 8, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
19. Power defense at range?

    Power defense protects against suppress. If character A has a suppression field vs RKAs, and character B has power defense and fires an RKA into the field, does B get to apply power defense against the suppress by default, or is this a GM/based on SFX call? (or just requiring the Ranged advantage on the power defense?) I said yes before, but after thinking about it some more, I think I'm thinking too much...

    Asked by ChocolateMousje, December 8, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
20. How visible is visible followup

    Let me try to clarify: If the power is on, but not active (for example, a damage shield defined as a pop up weapon), should it be easily visible to casual observation to someone who doesn't know what to look for? I don't dispute that once activated the effects are fully visible, and afterward you could pick out the source, or that it could be predefined as visible even when on but inactive (fire aura damage shield). I just don't think that, on a first meeting, without seeing the power in use yet, characters should automatically be able to say, "Hey, force field... I'll use my NND not vs FF on someone else"

    Asked by ChocolateMousje, December 8, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
21. Equipment doubler followup

    Steve, in response to ChocolateMousje's question on this subject, you remarked: "if a character wants two distinct pieces of equipment, he should pay for each of them. " By this do you mean two identical pieces of equipment built the same way, each costing the character the same amount of Character Points? If so, what if any are the restrictions on when you can use equipment bought with the five-point Doubler, and what it can be used for? For example: 1) Can a second weapon bought with the doubler be used as part of a Multiple-Power Attack, or with Two-Weapon Fighting? 2) Can a second item of defensive equipment like a Force Field generator add cumulative…

    Asked by Lord Liaden, December 8, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
22. How visible is visible?

    As a default, must a power be clearly visible when it's on but not actively in use? Example 1, a force field. Can I define it as clear (maybe a little distortion if someone looks for it) until it blocks an attack? Example 2, a damage shield. Defined as pop-up lasers, hidden under cover until attacked. They're there if you know what to look for, and the effects are fully visible so I don't think IPE is appropriate. I personally think something easily visible like a fiery RKA damage shield is a -0 visible limitation (since it being that visible is just as much a deterrent advantage as a tactical limitation).

    Asked by ChocolateMousje, December 7, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
23. Equipment doubler

    How should you buy the 5 point equipment doubler and when? 1. Simultaneous use (a pair of 6-guns) or backup only? (sword and extra sword)? 2. Frameworks. Is it bought as part of a slot/framework, or outside it? (Gun multipower plus 5 point second gun, guns multipower with a pair of guns slot... 5 points in slot or outside framework?) 3. For active point limits, should it be considered an adder? (60AP, 55AP power +5AP) or not? (60 AP power +5 per double) 4. Can you buy it with an EC, and if so, how? (If #2 and #3 don't already answer this)

    Asked by ChocolateMousje, December 7, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
24. Megascale follow up third party

    Reading there post made me doubt the legitamacy of a previous construct. If I have a charcter buy megascale +1 & scalable +1/4. Can I then choose to use the scale of 1m=1m or is the minimum 1m=1000m? (or even something more obscure like 1m=1.1m) I have a wizard I built a scrying spell for and based on the previous question that was worded funny I am now unshure. So I guess my question is can I do this with megascale or do I need to buy the Variable Advantage and limit it to megascale advantages? (I have been doing it as a megascale scalable)

    Asked by Ndreare, December 6, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer
25. Clairsentience and megascale

    I have a character in my game with clairsentience, he's megascaled to affect a greater area. Does he also need to purchase the can be scaled down modifier for the megascale? I'm a little unclear as to when that modifier is necessary, it seems to mostly apply to movement powers, and not area of effect powers (unless you want to effect a smaller area) which doesn't seem to be the case here, but I want to be certain.

    Asked by McBain, December 6, 2003

    0 votes
    1 answer