Aid

[Ashura]

How exactly does 1 use Aid in Hero Combat Designer? I'm going for a Power Up option to boost STR, DEX, CON, PD, ED, SPD, END, STUN & Chi Techniques. The resulting ability making the person much stronger & faster. How would I run that in Combat?

 

(I hope I'm not in the wrong area..)

[Grailknight]

 Aid is its own Power. Like this:

 

Aid 5d6, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1), Expanded Effect (x8 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+3 1/2) (165 Active Points)

 

Slap on some limitations and you're good to go.

 

As far as in combat goes, figure out the characters current values with the additions from Aid and use those. Unfortunately there is no way to get the Aid to add in the program directly. You can make a prefab with the Aided values and add/remove it to get it done. Better buy up fade rate though(I did here) or the values will change each Turn as the Aid fades.

 

[unclevlad]

But one thing to remember is, you're only getting half effect on the CON, PD, ED, END, and STUN, too.

 

 

[LoneWolf]

Aid is not the only way to boost stats.  You could simply purchase the stats with appropriate limitations.  

[Black Rose]

21 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

Aid is not the only way to boost stats.  You could simply purchase the stats with appropriate limitations.  

This is my preferred way to do it. I generally like to have a "set" mount of stat augmentation - "with this draught, I gain the strength of five men! (+12 STR)" rather than "with this draught, I might get the strength of five men (Aid STR 2d6), or two. Not sure really. Maybe its a placebo effect?"

 

In my own ideal HERO System, Aid would be used to either boost a variety of things, or grant low-level powers to people. I really like UBO, but it can get tedious, and is one of the many reasons I think magic systems should frequently use VPPs with multiple heavily-limited Control Costs... but that's getting off-topic. 

[unclevlad]

2 hours ago, Black Rose said:

This is my preferred way to do it. I generally like to have a "set" mount of stat augmentation - "with this draught, I gain the strength of five men! (+12 STR)" rather than "with this draught, I might get the strength of five men (Aid STR 2d6), or two. Not sure really. Maybe its a placebo effect?"

 

In my own ideal HERO System, Aid would be used to either boost a variety of things, or grant low-level powers to people. I really like UBO, but it can get tedious, and is one of the many reasons I think magic systems should frequently use VPPs with multiple heavily-limited Control Costs... but that's getting off-topic. 

 

Note that if 2d6 --> 12, then odds are, you need Damage Over Time.  More likely, you need to buy it as 3 1/2 dice of Aid.  I'd let that be a flat 12;  the average would be 12.25.

 

I personally loathe the crazy-complex, convoluted, and IMO largely ridiculous paragraph of advantages and limitations that always seem to accompany any attempt to do magic in Hero.  In large part because it always feels like the writers are *desperately* going out of their way to make a Fantasy Hero world into a D&D world.

What Aid gets you is:

--it's versatile...you can Aid anything

--it's usable on anyone at no addtional cost

--it's specifically constructed to fit into a framework because it continues to work.  Enhancer-healer is a nice concept.  If you buy "+10 STR UBO"...in most constructions, in a multipower, the minute you switch the points away, the benefit goes with it.

 

Mind, if you're looking at only boosting yourself, I agree:  buy the stats with limitations, rather than Aid.

[Duke Bushido]

2 hours ago, Black Rose said:

This is my preferred way to do it. I generally like to have a "set" mount of stat augmentation - "with this draught, I gain the strength of five men! (+12 STR)" rather than "with this draught, I might get the strength of five men (Aid STR 2d6), or two. Not sure really. Maybe its a placebo effect?"

 

In my own ideal HERO System, Aid would be used to either boost a variety of things, or grant low-level powers to people. I really like UBO, but it can get tedious, and is one of the many reasons I think magic systems should frequently use VPPs with multiple heavily-limited Control Costs... but that's getting off-topic. 

 

 

Agreed.  Honestly, I've seen this done several ways (I've done it several ways), and Aid has never proven itself to be my favorite.  However, if you wish to do it with Aid, I encourage you to consider the Standard Effects Rule-- not because it will make it cheaper or more effective, but because it removes the dice; that is to say, you will get _exactly_ this much Aid applied to X; exactly this much applied to Y, etc.  None of the "I gain the strength of two or three, maybe even five men!" nonsense that Black Rose discussed  (and yes: that's one of the reasons I've never found Aid to be my favorite way to build a "powered up" type character.

 

Options included buying "boosts" by buying additional stats and dice directly on RSR, Only in Powered Up Identity (make sure there is a way to prevent or make assuming that identity difficult, or it's just a rebate with no strings attached), Time Limit, Burn-out, Activation, and even Multiform.  But not Aid.

 

Well, Aid _is_ an option.  I've simply found that in play, it's kind of a poor one to demonstrate a massive all-over increase in more than one or two abilities.

 

 

[dmjalund]

Standard Effect rule says 1d6 -> 3

[archer]

4 hours ago, Black Rose said:

This is my preferred way to do it. I generally like to have a "set" mount of stat augmentation - "with this draught, I gain the strength of five men! (+12 STR)" rather than "with this draught, I might get the strength of five men (Aid STR 2d6), or two. Not sure really. Maybe its a placebo effect?"

 

 

With this draught, I gain the intelligence of five men! (-12 INT)

[Ninja-Bear]

Well speaking of Standard Effect, you can also split it among the dice. Any dice pool doesn’t have to all Standard or All variable. So if you want a little variation in it you could have say 1D6 Standard (STR 3) and roll the other other 1D6. So then you’d have resolute of STR 4-12 instead of 2-12. Is it a better option? You decide. I’m just pointing out that there is another option.

[LoneWolf]

That would be 4-9 or 2-12 assuming you are using 2 dice. 

[Ninja-Bear]

18 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

That would be 4-9 or 2-12 assuming you are using 2 dice. 

Ah yes, my error.