Fireg0lem Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 I'm working on a one-night game as an intro to the Hero System for those who haven't played before. I'd like some help with the starter characters. My goals are to introduce people to play, but also to showcase the strengths of the hero system (ie, flexible characters) - so I've pushed the envelope of simple characters. To compensate, I've added a section that provides a English description of what each power does. I would really appreciate advice here, especially as far as the characters go. Feel free to steal them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Background Information, Black Owl Header Information: Real Name: Sebastian Moream Player: TBD Hair: Red Eyes: Green Height: 1.96 m (6ft 5in) Weight: 110 kg (243lbs) Nationality: American Date of Birth: 2 January 1964 Place of Birth: Jacksonville, Florida Background Story: For many people, it is meeting someone quite different from who they used to be that forever changes who they become – who they will be for the rest of their lives. For Sebastian Moream, a young man from a family that went back generations in America, born into a rich family, that person was Li Fouang. Li was an elderly Chinese immigrant who worked as a part-time veterinarian to support himself. Sebastian came to see Li about a sick bird. Sebastian loved birds, especially owls, and taking care of them was his hobby – but he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Archimedes. Li found the problem – an imbalance in the diet of the aging bird – but was impressed with how much the boy knew – and cared – about animals. Taking him under his wing, Li began teaching Sebastian everything he knew about birds. After a while, Li also began teaching Sebastian self-defense, in an unusual style Li called “An Ch’i.†Sebastian actually became quite proficient in the martial art. A few weeks before Sebastian was set to leave for college, he went to visit Li again – only to find police outside the clinic. Li had been murdered for unknown reasons, and apparently had put up quite a fight. However, he was dead. Determined to avenge his friend’s death, Sebastian rashly decided to track down those responsible. Luckily for him, before he got himself killed, he fell in with a group of superpowered vigilantes who he worked with, for a time. It took him years, but he tracked down Li’s killers, eventually tracing them back to an association – originally from China – called the lin kuei, or “forest demons.†Sebastian and his allies captured most of the American ones – but since then, they’ve never stopped hunting him. Sebastian realized that he’d endanger his family if he went home. He has dedicated his life to fighting against crime in Li Fouang’s name, hiding his real identity behind a mask. Quote: - "The owl’s greatest strength is that his prey never knows he is coming." – Black Owl. Quote About Him: - "Hey, what’s up with the bird?†– (Surprised) thug. Personality: Sebastian has spent almost twenty years fighting crime, and he’s used to it by now. Nothing, no matter how bad, ever surprises him for long. He is quiet, devious, and very cautious – although he is not a coward, he won’t take unnecessary risks, nor will he act rashly. Sebastian fights crime wherever he finds it, but he particularly hates organized crime (the Mafia, or the Yakuza, for example) and focuses specially on them. Appearance: Black Owl is a large man in his mid-thirties, with striking red hair and a heavily muscled frame from constant exercise. He has quite pale skin, and an attractive – if cold – face. In costume, he wears a black armored suit, with a cape that has tassels designed to look like a feathered wing. He carries a pair of batons strapped to his wrists, and a belt containing various other gadgets and weapons. Powers: Black Owl has no innate powers – he is simply a well-practiced, experienced, and physically fit human. He is multitalented, knowing a good amount of An Ch’i (a Chinese martial art that is possibly a precursor to taijutsu), and also skilled in the use of a variety of gadgets. He has a trained owl, called Nightfeather, that assists him. Nightfeather usually acts as a spy, but he has been trained to fight if need be. Black Owl Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 10 Strength 20 30 Dexterity 20 16 Constitution 18 12 Body 16 8 Intelligence 18 8 Ego 14 10 Presence 20 4 Comeliness 18 6 Physical Defense 8/11* 6 Energy Defense 8/11* 10 Speed 4 0 Recovery 8 0 Endurance 36 0 Stun 35 * 3 ED and 3 PD purchased with Only In Heroic Identity (-¼) Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 7 DCV: 7 ECV: 5 Combat Phases: 3, 5, 9, 12 Strength Roll: 13 Dexterity Roll: 13 Constitution Roll: 13 Intelligence Roll: 13 Perception Roll: 13 Ego Roll: 12 Resistant Physical Defense: 5 Resistant Energy Defense: 4 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 10 Armored Costume: Armor, 5 rPD/ 4 rED – Only In Heroic Identity (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 4 Observant: +4 PER with Normal Sight Endurance Cost 0 25 Incredible Accuracy: Find Weakness 14- with Batons Endurance Cost 0 3 Goggles: Flash Defense 5 (sight) – OIF (-½) Endurance Cost 0 7 Iron Will: Mental Defense +7 (total 10) Endurance Cost 0 6 Swiftness: Multipower, 6-point Reserve 1u Fleet Feet: +3†Running Endurance Cost 1 [6 AP] 1u Quick Swimmer: +6†Swimming Endurance Cost 1 [6 AP] 1u Long Leaper: +6†Leaping Endurance Cost 1 [6 AP] 1u Dodging: 2 rPD/ 2 rED Armor – Must be Aware of Attack and Able to Dodge (-½) Endurance Cost 0 [6 AP] 33 Gadgets: Multipower, 50-point Reserve – OIF (-½) 1u Power-suction Climbing Gloves: Clinging, +39 Strength Endurance Cost 0 [23 AP] 1u Smoke Caplets: Darkness to Sight Group 3†Radius – Range Based on Strength (-¼), 12 Charges Lasting 1 Turn Each (Removed by Wind or Rain; -¼) Endurance Cost 0 [30 AP] 2u EMP Pellets: 13d6 Dispel – Electronics, One At A Time (+¼); OAF (-1), 8 Recoverable Charges (-0) Endurance Cost 0 [49 AP] 2u Knives: 1½d6 HKA (3d6 Total) – Ranged (+½), 0 Endurance Cost (+½); Range Based on Strength (-¼), Only Has 4 Knives (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 [50 AP] 2u Knockout Gas Pellets: 5d6 Energy Blast – NND vs. LS: Need Not Breathe (+1); OAF (-1), 16 Charges (-0) Endurance Cost 0[50 AP] 2u Fast-hardening Superglue Pellets: 4d6 Entangle, 6 DEF – Susceptible to Alcohol (-½), 16 Charges (-0) Endurance Cost 0 [50 AP] 2u Flash Pellets: 10d6 Flash vs. Sight – 6 Boostable Charges (-½) Endurance Cost 0 [50 AP] 1u Finger Flashlight: Images vs. Sight, 8†Radius, -4 PER (+4) – x8 Size (+¾); Only to Create Light (-1) Endurance Cost 0 [38 AP] 1u Gas Mask: LS: Need Not Breathe – 1 Fuel Charge lasting 1 Hour (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 [10 AP] 1u Handheld Alloy Shield: Missile Deflection, All Attacks Endurance Cost 0 [20 AP] 2u Batons: +4d6 Hand-to-Hand Attack (8d6 Total) – Autofire (5 Attacks; + ½), 0 Endurance Cost (+1); OAF (-1) Endurance Cost 0 [50 AP] Talents: 12 2 Levels Combat Luck Perks: 15 Follower: Nightfeather the Trained Owl 2 Reputation: Avenger of the Night: +2/+2d6, 14-, Only Among the Underworld of Millenium City Skills: Cost Skill Roll 3 Acrobatics 13 3 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 13 3 Bugging 13 18 Combat Skill Levels: +6 with An Ch’i N/A 3 Concealment 13 3 Criminology 13 3 Deduction 13 0 Everyman Skills Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Jacksonville, Florida 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: ? 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Ground Vehicles N/A 3 Interrogation 13 2 Knowledge Skill: An Ch’i 11 3 Lockpicking 13 3 Persuasion 13 3 Science Skill: Toxicology 13 3 Security Systems 13 3 Shadowing 13 10 Skill Level; +1 Overall N/A 3 Stealth 13 3 Streetwise 13 3 Tracking 13 1 Weapon Familiarity: Common Martial Arts Melee Weapons N/A 1 Weapon Familiarity: Common Missile Weapons N/A Martial Arts: An Ch’i Cost Manuever OCV DCV Rng Notes 4 Block +2 +2 - Block, Abort 4 Strike +0 +2 - STR +2d6 Strike 4 Quick Shot +1 +0 +0 Weapon +2d6 1 Use Art with Batons 1 Use Art with Pellets/Capsules 1 Use Art with Knives Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Hunted The lin kuei (More) 11- 20 Hunted Criminal Organizations (Less, NCI) 8- 10 Physical Limitation: Normal Characteristic Maxima 20 Psychological Limit: Code Versus Killing 20 Psychological Limit: Excessive Hatred of Organized Crime 15 Psychological Limit: Overly Cautious and Devious 15 Reputation: Vigilante 14- 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity: Sebastian Moream 15 Social Limitation: Grudge (numerous individual criminals) 20 Nightfeather Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value -20 Strength -10 24 Dexterity 18 6 Constitution 13 -10 Body 5 3 Intelligence 13 -10 Ego 5 3 Presence 13 0 Comeliness 10 3 Physical Defense 3 0 Energy Defense 3 2 Speed 3 0 Recovery 3 -5 Endurance 16 4 Stun 16 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 6 DCV: 10 ECV: 2 Combat Phases: 4, 8, 12 Strength Roll: 7 Dexterity Roll: 13 Constitution Roll: 12 Intelligence Roll: 12 Perception Roll: 14 Ego Roll: 10 Resistant Physical Defense: 6 Resistant Energy Defense: 6 Running Speed: 1" Powers: Cost Power -10 Short Legs: Running -5†-2 No Swimming: Swimming -2†5 Owl Eyes: Nightvision 2 Owl Eyes: +1 PER with Sight Group 6 Owl Eyes: +4 PER versus Range for Sight 6 Owl Senses: +2 PER with All Senses 30 Wings: Flight 18â€, Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); Restrainable (-½) Endurance Cost 2 20 Claws and Beak: 1d6+1 Hand-to-Hand Killing Attack, Invisible to Hearing (+¼); Reduced Penetration (-¼) Skills: Cost Skill Roll 20 Combat Skill Levels: +4 with DCV N/A 9 Combat Skill Levels: +3 with Combat Training N/A 3 Concealment 12 5 +4 to Concealment, Self Only (-½) N/A 1 Language: English, Idiomatic, Black Owl Only (-2) N/A 3 Shadowing 12 9 Skill Levels: +3 with Stealth, Shadowing, and Concealment N/A 3 Stealth 13 Talents: 12 6 rPD/ 6 rED Combat Luck Martial Arts: Combat Training Cost Manuever OCV DCV Notes 4 Weave - +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4 Slash +2 +2 STR Strike 4 Eye Scratch +0 +0 2d6 Sight Group Flash 16 +4 Damage Classes Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Physical Limitation Near-human Intelligence 10 Physical Limitation Diminutive (.6m, +6†KB) 10 Physical Limitation Limited Minipulation 10 Psychological Limitation Devoted to Black Owl 10 Psychological Limitation Fearless 20 Reputation Black Owl’s Spy 14 15 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Black Owl Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Black Owl fits into the “trained supernormal†category. Although he lives in a world with superheroes, he does not have any superpowers – he relies on training and exceptional skill, similar to Batman. While he doesn’t have the raw power of other characters, he has a great deal more skill and flexibility. Characteristics These are the raw physical abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Strong for a human (four times the average), but don’t try armwrestling supervillains. Black Owl can lift up to 100 kilograms without breaking a sweat, and if he needs to can pick up 400 (the weight of a motorcycle) over his head. Dexterity – At the maximum for an ordinary man. Dexterity determines the ability of a character to attack and defend. Constitution – High for a human. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Good for a human. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. High for a human, Black Owl would have an IQ around 175. Ego – Good for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – Excellent for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Black Owl is quite talented in this area. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Black Owl has some PD bought with a limitation, Only In Heroic Identity. This represents the armored costume he has – if he does not have the costume on, he does not get the extra PD. Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Black Owl, while fast for a human, is slow for a superhero. Most superhumans will be able to act more often than he does. If Black Owl doesn’t have an action, but he needs to defend himself, he can give up his next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking, Dodging, or changing slots in his Multipowers (see below). Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Black Owl can skip his turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Black Owl has plenty of this – he can keep fighting for a long time before he gets tired. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Black Owl has a good amount of this – he can take two or three hits before going down. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Although Black Owl has no superpowers, he has a number of exceptional abilities that are listed in this section. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Armored Costume: This power only works while Black Owl has his costume on. It protects him from lethal damage (bullets, knives) as well as nonlethal damage (punches, electric shocks). You don’t need to worry about using it; it is automatic. Observant: Again, you don’t need to worry about using it. This power makes it easier for Black Owl to see things. Incredible Accuracy: This is an important power for Black Owl. He can spot holes in the defenses of his opponents, letting him hurt people who are normally too tough. By spending half of an action, he can use this power. He needs to roll against a target number of 14 for it to work – if it does, his opponent can only use half of their Physical Defense to resist damage from his baton strikes. Black Owl can use this power repeatedly, but the target number drops by two each time. Goggles: This power only works while Black Owl wears his goggles. It protects him from being blinded. Iron Will: This power protects Black Owl from mental powers. Swiftness: This is actually a Power Construct. Black Owl can choose, on each of his actions, to have one (and only one) of the following four powers active. Fleet Feet: Run Faster Quick Swimmer: Swim Faster Long Leaper: Leap Farther Dodging: Extra Defenses Gadgets: This is another Power Construct – except it has more powers. These power come from items, so they can be taken away from Black Owl. Here the numbers in the brackets are important – on every turn, Black Owl can have powers with AP (Active Points) up to 50. (for example, Smoke Caplets and Handheld Alloy Shield). Power-suction Climbing Gloves: This power lets Black Owl stick to surfaces – such as for climbing walls [23 AP] Smoke Caplets: Black Owl has twelve of these – they make concealing smoke [30 AP] EMP Pellets: Black Owl has eight of these. They disrupt electronics. [49 AP] Knives: Black Owl has four knives. He can fight with them in hand-to-hand combat, or throw them [50 AP] Knockout Gas Pellets: Black Owl has sixteen of these. They can knock his opponents out [50 AP] Fast-hardening Superglue Pellets: Black Owl has sixteen of these. They hold his opponents [50 AP] Flash Pellets: Black Owl has 6 of these, and he can throw more than one for greater effect. They blind his opponents [50 AP] Finger Flashlight: This can be used to illuminate dark areas [38 AP] Gas Mask: This protects Black Owl from harmful gases. He can’t use it for more than an hour without needing to replace the filter [10 AP] Handheld Alloy Shield: This lets Black Owl block ranged attacks. [20 AP] Batons: These are Black Owl’s primary weapons. [50 AP] Other Talents – Combat Luck – this lets Black Owl avoid some damage from attacks, but only if he can see them coming and move. Skills – Combat Skill Levels – Black Owl can distribute these among his OCV and DCV wherever he wants, so long as he is fighting with his martial art An Ch’i Skills – Overall Skill Level – Each turn, Black Owl can add this to his OCV, DCV, ECV, or any skill target number Martial Arts – Instead of using normal maneuvers, when Black Owl wants to block, perform a basic attack, or throw something, he uses these maneuvers which give him special bonuses. Perk – Follower – This is Black Owl’s animal companion, Nightfeather. Black Owl can give Nightfeather commands – I will run Nightfeather. Tactics Black Owl can’t trade punches with a supervillain directly – he needs to use his powers carefully. His Find Weakness is critical – it lets him damage enemies with high defenses. Using his Block and Handheld Alloy Shield helps him avoid damage, and his batons can deal decent damage. His greatest strength is off the battlefield – Black Owl has a great number of skills useful for investigation and infiltration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) And yes, I know the black superhero from a poor neighbourhood is an overused stereotype - so sue me. At least it doesn't dominate his personality. Background Information, Chango Header Information: Real Name: John Lorden Player: TBD Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 1.89m (6ft 2in) Weight: 99 kg (220 lbs) Nationality: American Date of Birth: June 29th, 1987 Place of Birth: Millennium City, USA Background Story: John Lorden grew up in the poorest, oldest part of Millenium City, the part that was being built around by the new construction rather than being integrated into the high-tech, futuristic city. He was raised by his mother, who was chronically ill, and had no siblings. As a result, he had to learn to fend for himself early on. Perhaps as a result of his need, his powers appeared relatively early in his life. Chango generated and stored electricity in his body, acting like a powerful living battery, and could discharge the energy as needed. The power also boosted his metabolism to inhuman levels, making him stronger, faster, and tougher than the other boys his age. Even though many children would have used their power to bully others, John didn’t. Even before he knew he had powers himself, John worshipped superheroes, particularly a local crusader called Photon. John spent years following Photon’s exploits, keeping a scrapbook of his newspaper appearances and learning everything he could about his idol. When John was eleven, he finally got the chance to meet his hero. He told Photon about his powers, and asked to become his sidekick. After spending time getting to know John, Photon decided that it would be well worth taking him on. Photon sought out Ms. Lorden, and asked her permission to take her son on as an apprentice. Ms. Lorden, although apprehensive about the danger, eventually decided to let her son go. From then on, Photon (now known to John as Allen Reed), played almost as much a role in James’s life as his mother. He was home schooled by Photon, and in addition to general knowledge, taught everything Photon knew about crime fighting. Whenever he safely could, Photon took his new sidekick, Chango, along on his adventures. Chango was as happy as anyone could be for the coming years. He was living his dream, slowly becoming famous and protecting people alongside his hero. He got to meet Photon’s colleagues, superhumans from around the country, and of course the obligatory villains. Unfortunately, the happy times of John’s youth ended abruptly when Photon mysteriously disappeared. John tried everything he could to find his mentor, but nothing turned up. Eventually, John decided that Photon was just gone, and that he would have to continue on his own. John dedicated the rest of his life to fighting crime in Photon’s memory. From that day on he went without his mask, not wanting to waste time keeping up a secret identity. Now he relentlessly fights crime, hoping against hope to someday be reunited with his lost hero. Quote: - "Scram or eat voltage, punks." – Chango Quote About Him: - "What, run from a kid like you? Gimme a break.†– Unfortunate supervillain Personality: Chango is a serious, relentless crimefighter. Although he’s only sixteen, he has been fighting crime for over five years and has more experience than many older heroes. Chango is confident of his abilities, but not brash or reckless. He was taught by one of the best crimefighters around, and knows how to keep his cool and think tactically. He prefers to size up situations and think about them logically, but he won’t hesitate to charge in blasting away if he needs to. Appearance: Chango is a very large and muscular young black man, standing over six feet tall. He has short braided hair, and no moustache or beard. He wears gold earrings, and has a series of lightning bolts tattooed on his left arm. He wears casual clothes, typically jeans and a t-shirt, when off-duty, and wears red pants and an orange shirt with a lightning-bolt emblem as Chango. Powers: Chango generates and stores electricity. He can attack with it, or use it to defend himself by generating repulsion fields. The latent electricity stored in his body also has the effect of keeping him constantly energized, making him superhumanly tough and fast. He can also fly by shoving against the earth’s latent electromagnetic field. Chango Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 13 Strength 23 39 Dexterity 23 46 Constitution 33 2 Body 11 8 Intelligence 18 8 Ego 14 8 Presence 18 1 Comeliness 13 1 Physical Defense 6 0 Energy Defense 7 27 Speed 6 0 Recovery 12 0 Endurance 66 0 Stun 40 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 8 DCV: 8 ECV: 5 Combat Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Strength Roll: 14 Dexterity Roll: 14 Constitution Roll: 16 Intelligence Roll: 13 Perception Roll: 13 Ego Roll: 12 Resistant Physical Defense: 0 Resistant Energy Defense: 0 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 32 Master of Electricity: Elemental Control, 64-point powers 33a Lightning Bolt: 13d6 Energy Blast vs. ED Endurance Cost 6 33b Repulsion Field: 22 PD/ 21 ED Force Field – 0 Endurance Cost (+½) Endurance Cost 0 26c Electromagnetic Levitation: Flight 19â€, Position Shift – 0 Endurance Cost (+½); No Noncombat Movement (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 3 Trained Eyes: +3 PER with normal sight Endurance Cost 0 Perks: 4 Reputation: True Hero, 14-, Millenium City only, 2 levels Skills: Cost Skill Roll 18 Combat Skill Levels: +6 with Lightning Bolt, Dodge, and Block N/A 3 Concealment 13 3 Conversation 13 3 Criminology 13 3 Deduction 13 0 Everyman Skills: N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Superhero 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 8 3 Forensic Medicine 13 3 Interrogation 13 2 Knowledge Skill: Known Superhuman Criminals 11 3 Lockpicking 14 3 Persuasion 13 3 Security Systems 13 3 Shadowing 13 10 Skill Level: +1 Overall N/A 3 Stealth 13 3 Streetwise 13 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Dependant NPC Sickly Mother 8 15 Hunted Mystery, More Powerful, NCI 8 25 Hunted Photon’s Rogue’s Gallery 8 20 Psychological Limitation Serious and Dedicated 15 Psychological Limitation Will Not Kill 25 Psychological Limitation Overconfident 10 Reputation: Former Sidekick 14 15 Social Limitation Responsibility: Must Find Photon 10 Social Limitation Public Identity 15 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Chango Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Chango fits into the category of “Energy Projector†– like Cyclops, Human Torch, or many other characters, his primary ability is fighting at range. Chango is a well-balanced combatant with useful skills for crimefighting. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Stonger than an ordinary human (sixteen times the average), but don’t try armwrestling supervillains. Chango can lift up to 150 kilograms without breaking a sweat, and if he needs to can pick up 600 (the weight of a sailboat) over his head. Dexterity – Above human limits, about average for a superhuman. Dexterity determines the ability of a character to attack and defend. Constitution – Incredible. Well beyond human average, and high even for a superhuman. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Slightly above human average. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. High for a human, Chango would have an IQ around 175. Ego – Good for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – High for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Chango is about average in this area for a superhuman. If Chango doesn’t have an action, but he needs to defend himself, he can give up his next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking, Dodging, or activating his Repulsion Field power. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Chango can skip his turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Chango has lots of this – he can keep fighting for a long time before he gets tired. However, his powers can go through it quickly. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Chango has a good amount of this – he can take two or three hits before going down. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. It doesn’t include Chango’s Repulsion Field, because the repulsion field isn’t always on. If Chango doesn’t have it up, he can be badly hurt by ordinary weapons. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Chango doesn’t have that many superpowers, but the ones he has are quite strong. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Master of Electricity: This is a power construct, not an actual power. It doesn’t do anything by itself, but it contains several other powers. They all share the same special effect, and if Chango’s ability to generate electricity is suppressed somehow, they will all be lost. Lightning Bolt: This is Chango’s main attack. It is a straightforward electrical bolt that hits a single target. Repulsion Field: This is Chango’s defense. It stops both physical and energy attacks from hurting him. He can keep it up as long as he is conscious, and he should generally have it up. Electromagnetic Levitation: This is Chango’s main movement power. He can fly 38 meters (19†on the battle mat) as his entire action in a phase, or 10" as half his action. He can fly as long as he wants to and is conscious. Trained Eyes: This power gives Chango a better chance to notice things with his normal eyesight. You don’t need to worry about using it. Other Skills – Combat Skill Levels – Chango can distribute these among his OCV and DCV wherever he wants, so long as he is fighting with his lightning bolts, blocking, or dodging. Skills – Overall Skill Level – Each turn, Chango can add this to his OCV, DCV, ECV, or any skill target number Tactics Chango combat tactics are fairly simple and straightforward. He should always have his Repulsion Field power active, and is best off fighting by using his flight to gain tactical advantage and his lightning blasts to attack. Chango needs to be careful about getting knocked unconscious or stunned while he is flying, because he will fall if he does and his Repulsion Field won’t protect him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxiMan Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) I haven't examined the characters in any detail (short on time), but I love the "plain English" descriptions of the powers for your starting players. The DEX is waay high for my games (30 is appropriate for a martial artist, lower for most others). Still, as long as you're watching the spread between different character's CV you'll be fine. Just don't let one player's character have a CV of 18 while another is 10. Try to keep them within 3 or so if you can. Edit: - Whoops! As Roseanne Roseannadanna would say, "Nevermind!". I got the cost and value columns crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haerandir Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11+defender DCV-attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. You've got the values for 'defender DCV' and 'attacker OCV' reversed. According to your formula, a high OCV makes it harder to hit things. It should read: 11 + attacker's OCV - defender's DCV. I noticed this in both writeups. Otherwise, these appear to be pretty good efforts in creating an introductory scenario. You might want to go through and standardize your explanations for combat mechanics. I noticed that your explanation of Speed, for instance, varies between writeups. I like the one you use on Chango's sheet better. Also, your explanation for various mechanics appears in different places in each writeup. A more standardized format might make it easier for you to direct the player's attention to the right section. Like TaxiMan, I'm at work, so I can't give a more detailed treatment of powers, etc. I'll leave that to someone with more time on their hands... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) I haven't examined the characters in any detail (short on time), but I love the "plain English" descriptions of the powers for your starting players. The DEX is waay high for my games (30 is appropriate for a martial artist, lower for most others). Still, as long as you're watching the spread between different character's CV you'll be fine. Just don't let one player's character have a CV of 18 while another is 10. Try to keep them within 3 or so if you can. Edit: - Whoops! As Roseanne Roseannadanna would say, "Nevermind!". I got the cost and value columns crossed. As for the CVs, I checked them by adding Base OCV + Base DCV + All Applicable Levels. The lowest was an 18 (on the massive tank-style brick), the highest were a pair of 26's (the speedster and the time-manipulator). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) You've got the values for 'defender DCV' and 'attacker OCV' reversed. According to your formula, a high OCV makes it harder to hit things. It should read: 11 + attacker's OCV - defender's DCV. I noticed this in both writeups. Otherwise, these appear to be pretty good efforts in creating an introductory scenario. You might want to go through and standardize your explanations for combat mechanics. I noticed that your explanation of Speed, for instance, varies between writeups. I like the one you use on Chango's sheet better. Also, your explanation for various mechanics appears in different places in each writeup. A more standardized format might make it easier for you to direct the player's attention to the right section. Like TaxiMan, I'm at work, so I can't give a more detailed treatment of powers, etc. I'll leave that to someone with more time on their hands... Oops on the OCV/DCV thing. I'll fix that. I also left off the section on aborting actions on Chango's sheet. I fixed that, but forgot to edit it in. I may wind up standardizing some explanations, but in general I think it might work better to just tell players what they need to know for each character....for example, the only character that has an explanation of Leaping is the character for whom it is a key method of moving (one of the bricks). However, if you see any that you don't like, please tell me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victim Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Aren't hexes 2m? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Aren't hexes 2m? Yep. I always forget that one. Fixing it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Not much to comment on that someone else hasn't already noticed, but I love the basic concept of easy example characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobCRogers Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) I haven't had time to read these in full, but I'd swap the positions of the characteristics scores and their costs. That usage might be common in some PBEM universes. But it's actually counterintuitive and probably much harder for newbies to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) I haven't had time to read these in full' date=' but I'd swap the positions of the characteristics scores and their costs. That usage might be common in some PBEM universes. But it's actually counterintuitive and probably much harder for newbies to follow.[/quote'] Good point. It's become intuitive for me, so I don't realize it isn't for other people. I'll either switch them, or be sure to put in a few reminders. I'll leave the posted characters as they are now, so as not to confuse people with different/mysteriously changing formats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Background Information, Chromedome Header Information: Real Name: Lucille Sparks Player: TBD Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 1.76 m (5ft 10in) Weight: 86 kg (190 lbs) Nationality: American Date of Birth: July 22nd 1981 Place of Birth: Millennium City, USA Background Story: Lucille Sparks was born in the suburbs of Millennium City. Her family was wealthy; her father was a self-made millionaire who wanted to give his daughter the formal education and happy childhood he couldn’t have. Lucille was always spoiled by her parents, but was a basically good kid. It soon became clear that Lucille was exceptionally talented – she learned to read and write before most children could even talk. She skipped several grades in high school, but still never faltered from the top of her class. She just couldn’t fail where brains were concerned – it seemed there was nothing she couldn’t do. Lucille never had any friends in high school. She passed it off as jealousy over her intelligence, but the real reason was that the other students were irritated by her superior attitude. However, Lucille didn’t really care what her classmates thought of her – they were far beneath her, after all. While Lucille was away at college, tragedy struck. She, her parents, and their only other family – her father’s younger brother and his son – were getting together for a small family reunion. Unfortunately, the supervillain Rampage chose just that time to reappear. Rampage started destroying things left and right, crushing the police unit that tried to stop him. During the battle, he threw a police car into the Spark house, bringing the entire thing down on them. Lucille managed to partially save herself with the sudden, unexpected appearance of a force field over her head. However, she took a piece of shrapnel to the neck. Before she passed out, she instinctually lashed out at Rampage with her mind, stunning the destructive villain long enough for the heavy artillery that had been brought in to target and subdue Rampage. The only survivor from the house besides Lucille was her cousin, Alex. Lucille survived, but the wound cost her her voice. Lucille became Alex’s legal guardian, and spent most of the next year recovering from the ordeal. Eventually she decided to dedicate her life to fighting crime, so that nobody else would have to suffer as her family did. She used her extensive knowledge of engineering to construct a powerful armored battlesuit to protect herself, and set out to fight crime as the mechanized warrior Chromedome. Quote: - "BEEP Surrender…now…or…I…will…make…you." -- Chromedome. Quote About Him: - "No real person could possibly be that arrogant. It’s got to be a robot.†– Reporter Personality: Lucille is aloof, reserved, and generally condescending. She protects other people, but she rarely feels empathy for anyone in particular. She considers fighting crime her duty, not her passion. She can only speak using the mechanized voice she installed in the suit, or her natural telepathy, so she generally remains quiet. Lucille is an exceptionally intelligent and strong-willed individual. She solves problems in clever, practical ways, using her knowledge and brains over raw power. She does have a tendency to get obsessed with a particular mystery or problem and not look at the “big picture,†which sometimes hinders her ability to think clearly. Lucille is driven to fight crime by her past, and won’t give up a fight easily. Appearance: In civilian clothes, Lucille is an young woman of slightly above average height and weight. She has sharp, angular features and a hook-shaped nose, generally pointed in the air. She always wears a collar of some sort to hide the nasty scar on her neck. As Chromedome, Lucille looks like a metallic humanoid with blue-and-silver skin, composed of a bullet-shaped main body and four tube-like limbs. Powers: Lucille has intelligence and willpower heightened beyond the normal human limits, and her battlesuit brings her physical abilities up to a very high level as well. The suit is equipped several pieces of useful gear, including a high-tech sensory suite that feeds directly into her brain, a pair of jet boots, and a heavily reinforced exterior. Lucille has installed some cybernetics into her body to help her interface with the suit. She also included subcutaneous armor, as well as direct links to her brain that allow her to interface with computer systems, including a small language chip implanted inside her head. Lucille has natural mental powers, allowing her to psionically attack the mind of another, try to take it over, or read the thoughts of another being. She can also create small temporary force shields to protect herself from harm. Having mental powers herself, she is resistant to similar powers used by others. Chromedome Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 21 Strength 8/43 21 Dexterity 11/20 19 Constitution 13/23 13 Body 10/20 18 Intelligence 28 38 Ego 29 -2 Presence 8 -1 Comeliness 8 0 Physical Defense 2/9 0 Energy Defense 3/5 16 Speed 3/5 0 Recovery 5/14 0 Endurance 26/46 0 Stun 21/54 Numbers after the slash are bought with OIF: Powered Armor (-½) Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 4/7 DCV: 4/7 ECV: 10 Combat Phases: (4, 8, 12)/(3, 5, 8, 10, 12) Strength Roll: 11/18 Dexterity Roll: 11/13 Constitution Roll: 12/14 Intelligence Roll: 15 Perception Roll: 15 Ego Roll: 15 Resistant Physical Defense: 4/16 Resistant Energy Defense: 3/20 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 29 Powered Armor: 12 rPD/ 17 rED Armor – OIF: Powered Armor (-½) Endurance Cost 0 22 Jet Boots: 11†Flight – 0 Endurance Cost (+½); OIF: Boots (-½) Endurance Cost 0 21 Sensor Suite: Detect Physical Objects, Ranged, Sense, Targeting, 360’ – OIF: Helmet (-½) Endurance Cost 0 12 Subcutaneous Cybernetic Armor: 4 rPD/ 3rED Armor – Hardened (+¼) Endurance Cost 0 6 Cybernetic Link: Skill Levels: +4 with Computer Programming – Restrainable (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 7 Cybernetic Bypass: Security Systems +5 (20-) – Restrainable (-¼), Only Electronic/Computerized Systems (-½) Endurance Cost 0 12 Mental Barrier: Mental Defense +12 (18 total) Endurance Cost 0 60 Psionics: Multipower, 60-point Reserve 5u Psychic Lash: 6d6 Ego Attack – Visible (-¼) Endurance Cost 6 [AP 60] 4u Mental Manipulation: 12d6 Mind Control – Full-phase Action (-½) Endurance Cost 6 [AP 60] 4u Telepathy: 12d6 Telepathy – Full-phase Action (-½) Endurance Cost 6 [AP 60] 2u Psionic Shield: 12 rPD/ 12 rED Force Wall – Self Only (-½), No Range (-½), Does Not Move With Self (-¼) Restricted Shape (Raised Semicircle) (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 [AP 60] Skills: Cost Skill Roll 3 Computer Programming 15 3 Deduction 15 3 Electronics 15 0 Everyman Skills: N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Mechanic 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 8 3 Mechanics 15 3 Scientist N/A 2 SS: Mechanical Engineering 15 2 SS: Electrical Engineering 15 2 SS: Cybernetic Engineering 15 2 SS: Powered Armor Engineering 15 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Dependance Spare Parts Every Day of Use 11- 5 DNPC Nephew (Alex Sparks) 8- 20 Physical Limitation: Mute (Can generate artificial voice with suit) 15 Psychological Limit: Reluctant to Kill 15 Psychological Limit: Obsessive and Driven 20 Psychological Limit: Condescending Attitude 15 Reputation: Jerk in a Tin Can 11- 10 Reputation: It’s Really Just A Robot 11- 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID: Lucille Sparks 15 Vulnerability: x2 Body from Electric Attacks in Armor 20 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Chromedome Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Chromedome fits into two categories, “Mentalist†and “Powered Armor.†Chromedome has mental powers (like characters such as Professor X), and also wears a suit of powered armor (similar to, for example, Iron Man). Chromedome has a variety of powers and skills, but is most powerful with her mental abilities. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. A number of Chromedome’s characteristics have been purchased through her powered armor – they don’t function if she doesn’t have it. Strength – Average without her armor, but much stronger than any human with it. While she’s not a match for truly strong metahumans, she is nonetheless quite powerful. She can pick up around 2,500 pounds without breaking a sweat, and about 10,000 at maximum (the weight of a mid-sized jet). Dexterity – Slightly above human average without the armor, and around the human maximum with it. For a superhuman, she’s fairly slow. Dexterity determines the ability of a character to attack and defend. Constitution – Slightly above human average without the armor, and in mid-superhuman range with it. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Average without her armor, high with it. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. Chromedome is incredibly intelligent – she would score an off-the-charts IQ. She could outthink Einstein (although she only has so much actual knowledge she can apply). Ego – Exceptional, well into superhuman range. Ego represents willpower. Presence – Average for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. Chromedome looks quite average. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Chromedome is a little above human average without her armor, and notably above it with her armor. She is in the lower range of speed for a superhuman, though. If Chromedome doesn’t have an action, but she needs to defend herself, she can give up her next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking, Dodging, or activating her Psionic Shield power. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Chromedome can skip her next turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Chromedome has a good amount of this, and she can keep fighting for a good amount of time before running low. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Chromedome has a lot of this – she can take three or four hits before going down. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11+defender DCV-attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. It doesn’t include Chromedome’s Psionic Shield, because the Psionic Shield isn’t always on. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Chromedome has a number of superpowers, although not all of them are very powerful. A number of them need her powered armor to work. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Powered Armor: This power protects Chromedome from damage, but only while she has her armor on. You don’t need to worry about using it; so long as she has her armor it is automatic. Jet Boots: This lets Chromedome fly. She can move 22 meters (11†on the battlemat) as a full phase, or 6†as a half phase. She can fly as long as she wants. Sensor Suite: This lets Chromedome pick up physical objects (but not, say, colored gas, or light) all around her. She can use it to fight with if she can’t see. This lets her notice invisible opponents, or enemies behind her. Subcutaneous Cybernetic Armor: This provides a small amount of defense even if Chromedome isn’t wearing her armor. It is automatic. Cybernetic Link: This improves Chromedome’s ability to use computers. Cybernetic Bypass: This lets Chromedome bypass electronic security systems as though she was highly skilled at it. Mental Barrier: This protects Chromedome from mental powers. It is automatic. Psionics: This is a power construct – Chromedome can have any one of the four following powers in use at a time. During her turn, she can change it. Psychic Lash: This power is a visible bolt of psychic energy. It attacks her opponent’s mind, not their body. Range is irrelevant – Chromedome can hit anyone she can see. Mental Manipulation: This power lets Chromedome make people do things they would not ordinarily do. She has to spend her whole action using it. The more opposed someone would be to doing what she commands, the less likely the power is to work. Be careful with this power – it is easy to be unheroic with it. Telepathy: This power lets Chromedome read people’s minds, or broadcast her thoughts. The more hidden a thought is, the harder it is for Chromedome to find it. It takes her whole action to do use it. Psionic Shield: This power lets Chromedome make a powerful shield of psychic energy. It has to be right in front of her, and it tires her out to keep it active, but it is very strong. She can’t move it – she has to move herself, and then recreate it. Tactics Chromedome needs to make good use of her flexible powers. She is fairly tough, but not very quick – she won’t be able to dodge physical attacks from superhumans. However, she can use her mental power from a distance – this is generally how she should fight. Remember that her mental attacks don’t suffer penalties from long range. If she is about to be knocked out, she can abort to her Psychic Shield to save herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Why yes, I did have Stegmutt in mind when I made this character. Background Information, Dino Header Information: Real Name: None Player: TBD Hair: None (Bald) Eyes: Amber Height: 2.37 m (7ft 9in) Weight: 193 kg (425 lbs) Nationality: Naturalized American Date of Birth: Unknown Place of Birth: Unknown Background Story: When the Guardians of Justice raided the secret laboratory of the evil Dr. Abyss, they fought their way through dozens of robots, horrible mutated monsters, hired thugs, superhuman mercenaries, and finally Dr. Abyss himself, piloting his Engine of Destruction. After forcing him to flee in his Sub-Dimensional Escape Pod, they explored what was left of the laboratory and discovered something unexpected – a strange creature in a cylinder full of greenish liquid. The being looked like a humanoid triceratops, apparently the subject of one of Dr. Abyss’s evil experiments. They decided to take a risk and free the creature – the right move, for it was not hostile. Close examination of the evil Doctor’s records revealed that he had kidnapped a real triceratops using his time machine, and then genetically altered in to give it intelligence. He had planned to make an army of brainwashed dino-soldiers, but had been interrupted by the heroes. After teaching the creature to speak, the heroes let it go free to do as it wished. Calling himself Dino, the creature chose to repay the debt he owed to the heroes by fighting crime on his own. Quote: - "Put down the gun. I don’t want anyone to get hurt." -- Dino. Quote About Him: - "Lookit the tricyclotops, mommy.†– Young Bystander Personality: Dino is kind, simpleminded, and straightforward. He prefers nonviolent solutions, although he won’t hesitate to fight against obviously evil villains. He is difficult to get angry, and isn’t hurt by insults, but if someone does manage to make him really mad (such as by hurting an innocent), it’s almost impossible to calm him down. Appearance: Dino looks like a humanoid triceratops standing nearly eight feet tall, and covered in muscle. He has leathery green-brown skin and large, peaceful amber eyes. His head has the crest and three horns associated with the Triceratops. Powers: Dino is huge, strong, and extremely tough. He is also a lot quicker than he looks. His horns are a very deadly weapon, although he prefers to fight without them because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. His skin is strong enough to stop bullets and strange rays alike, and he is so tough that he can’t be poisoned or get sick. Dino Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 55 Strength 65 39 Dexterity 23 46 Constitution 33 30 Body 25 -2 Intelligence 8 -4 Ego 8 -2 Presence 8 -4 Comeliness 3 2 Physical Defense 15 8 Energy Defense 15 17 Speed 5 0 Recovery 20 0 Endurance 66 0 Stun 75 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 8 DCV: 8 ECV: 3 Combat Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 Strength Roll: 22 Dexterity Roll: 14 Constitution Roll: 16 Intelligence Roll: 11 Perception Roll: 11 Ego Roll: 11 Resistant Physical Defense: 20 Resistant Energy Defense: 20 Running Speed: 11" Powers: Cost Power 13 Big and Scary: Presence: +27 – Only Fear Effects (-1) Endurance Cost 0 48 Dino Hide: 20 rPD/ 20 rED Armor – Visible (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 10 Long Legs: Running +5†Endurance Cost 1 15 Dino Toughness I: Power Defense 15 Endurance Cost 0 10 Dino Toughness II: Life Support: All Poisons Endurance Cost 0 10 Dino Toughness II: Life Support: All Diseases Endruance Cost 0 3 Saurian Eyes I: +3 Perception with Normal Sight Endurance Cost 0 1 Saurian Eyes II: +2 Perception with Normal Sight – Only to Mitigate Darkness Modifiers (-½) Endurance Cost 0 23 Horns: Hand-to-Hand Killing Attack 2d6+1 (4½d6 with Strength) – Restrainable (-½) Endurance Cost 3 7 Effortless Might: Naked Power Advantage – Apply ½ Endurance Cost to up to 30 Strength Endurance Cost 0 8 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -4†Endurance Cost 0 Skills: Cost Skill Roll 6 Combat Skill Level: +2 with Strike, Horn, and Move Through N/A -1 Everyman Skills (No Transport Familiarity): N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 8 Climbing 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Superhero 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 5 Survival: Forest +3 14 2 Area Knowledge: Forests 11 5 Tracking +1 12 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Distinctive Feature: Dinosaur Man 20 Physical Limit: Big and Bulky 5 Physical Limit: Weird Biochemistry Requires Special Medical Care 15 Physical Limit: Limited Knowledge of Human Culture 10 Physical Limit: Herbivore 10 Physical Limit: Deep, Rumbling Voice 10 Psychological Limit: Code Versus Killing 20 Psychological Limit: Trusting and Kind 15 Psychological Limit: Slow to Anger, But Very Angry When Set Off 15 Social Limitation: Dinosaur Man 15 Social Limitation: Permanent Identity (Dino) 15 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Dino Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Dino fits into the category of “Brick†– like heroes such as The Thing, his main power is great strength and toughness. However, he doesn’t have many special powers, especially outside of combat. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Incredible. Dino is one of the strongest superhumans out there. He can pick a tank up without breaking a sweat, and he can lift up to 200 tons (the weight of a large plane). Dexterity – Above human maximum, in the average range for a metahuman. Dino is quicker than he looks. Constitution – Incredible. Dino is very tough, nearly impossible to hurt. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Exceptional, above human maximum. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. Dino is about average for a human. Ego – About average for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – Average for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. However, note than when he tries to scare people, or people try to scare him, Dino gets a large bonus to his presence score from a power. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. Dino has a face only a mother triceratops could love. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Dino is in the low range of speed for a superhuman, but still quite fast. If Dino doesn’t have an action, but he needs to defend himself, he can give up his next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking or Dodging. Usually, Dino will want to just take the hit, but sometimes it may be worth Aborting – especially if he needs to help someone else. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Dino can skip his next turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Dino has a lot amount of this, and he can keep fighting for a good amount of time before running low. However, jumping around and using his strength will eventually tire him out. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Dino has a huge amount of this – he can take seven or eight hits before going down. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Dino can also leap, using his strength, and go 26 meters (13†on the battlemat) as a full-phase action, or 7†as a half-phase action. However, this is more tiring. Powers Dino has a good number of powers, but most of them are fairly minor compared to his great strength. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Big and Scary: This adds to Dino’s presence when fear is involved (see Presence, above) Dino Hide: This lets Dino resist lethal damage. It is obvious to anyone who looks at him that he possesses this power. You don’t need to worry about using it. Long Legs: This lets Dino run faster Dino Toughness I: This protects Dino from some unusual powers that affect his body. Dino Toughness II: This prevents Dino from being poisoned. Dino Toughness II: This prevents Dino from getting sick. Saurian Eyes I: This gives Dino a better chance to see things. It is automatic. Saurian Eyes II: This decreases the penalty to sight for being in the dark. Horns: This is an attack that inflicts Killing Damage instead of Normal Damage. It does more lethal damage, and unpredictable Stun damage. Be careful – it can kill ordinary people. Dino should generally only use it against nonliving targets, if ever. Effortless Might: This makes Dino use up less endurance when he uses his Strength. It is automatic. Heavy: This makes Dino harder to knock back with powers. Tactics Generally, Dino doesn’t need to use much in the way of tactics. Get in close, and start punching. Use horns against targets where lethal damage is needed (but not against living targets). Remember that Dino can use his strength for things besides punching – he can lift and throw things, grab, or any number of other actions. One thing that Dino needs to watch out for is mental powers. Although his physical strength is great, his mental abilities are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) IMO that's waay too much information for a oneoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) IMO that's waay too much information for a oneoff. What would you suggest I remove? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyman Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) I think the key here is to ask the new players who their favourite comic book hero was and then make up a character based on that. That way the new players will be much more into it as they will have an emotional investment in the characters. Just by having several different characters you are naturally showing the depth of the Champions system. Too easy! Andyman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) I think the key here is to ask the new players who their favourite comic book hero was and then make up a character based on that. That way the new players will be much more into it as they will have an emotional investment in the characters. Just by having several different characters you are naturally showing the depth of the Champions system. Too easy! Andyman. That would be the ideal, but in this case it isn't really workable, since it means everyone who wanted to play would have to give me at least two weeks advance notice, so I could make up all the characters. My plan is to have a picture of each character (actually, I built the characters around existing good pictures, expressly for this purpose) and let them pick based on the picture which of nine characters they want to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haerandir Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Good point. It's become intuitive for me' date=' so I don't realize it isn't for other people. I'll either switch them, or be sure to put in a few reminders. I'll leave the posted characters as they are now, so as not to confuse people with different/mysteriously changing formats.[/quote'] I'd consider putting the costs in parentheses or something, regardless of how you organize them. Anything that offsets point cost from in-play value is a good thing, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) I'd consider putting the costs in parentheses or something' date=' regardless of how you organize them. Anything that offsets point cost from in-play value is a good thing, IMHO.[/quote'] Good idea. I want to keep them "normal" (for me) in my files, so I think what I'll do is write something along those lines in with pencil before giving them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Background Information, Doctor Rocket Header Information: Real Name: Samuel Leroy Player: TBD Hair: Blonde Eyes: Green Height: 1.75 m (5 ft. 9 in.) Weight: 61 kg (135 lbs) Nationality: American Date of Birth: September 18, 1980 Place of Birth: Millennium City, USA Background Story: Sam was always trying to do too much – but he seemed so good at everything that it would be a shame to waste any of his talents. He played a number of sports – swimming, track and field, basketball – whatever he could. He never stuck with just one for long. Meanwhile, he was first in his class at science and mathematics, learning faster and better than anyone else. In an accelerated learning program, Sam graduated from high school at 16 and college at 19, and earned an MD at 22. However, his young age and tendency to jump from one subject to another made it difficult for him to find a position – until he was offered an unusual job by a mysterious company called Frontier Biotechnology. They wanted him to work in their research department – and offered to pay him a handsome sum. Moreover, they would only assign him a few projects, and the rest of the time he could investigate whatever struck his fancy (although they would get first claim to anything useful he discovered). Had he investigated more closely before accepting, he would have discovered that Frontier Biotechnology was nothing more than a front for a sinister organization called the Golden Hand – a group of corrupt businessmen and politicians, backed up by money-hungry superhumans – who sought domination of America from behind the scenes. Sam found out anyways when he accidentally stumbled across illegal experiments. However, the security breach was detected, and a hit squad was sent to silence him, permanently. They interrupted him in the lab, and when he was shot, a chemical cocktail mixed into his bloodstream through the open wound. Suddenly, the vicious wound healed of its own accord and Samuel stood back up. Moving with lightning speed, he stunned the agents with super-fast punches before they even knew what had hit them. Faking an explosion, he left the agents to tell their masters he had perished in the wreckage. Making a new identity for himself as Professor Michael Robert Jackson, at the Millenium University in Millenium City, he set out using his newfound powers to fight crime. Originally, he just wanted to fight the organization that had tried to kill him, but he soon grew to realize that being a superhero was just what he had always wanted to devote his life to. Quote: - “Clearly the exothermic reaction from mixing the unstable body structure of Morphio with the ionized compound was the result of the fire. What, are you still trying to figure out who did it?" – Doctor Rocket Quote About Him: - "Say that again, slowly this time.†– Police Officer Personality: “Hyper†is the word that comes to mind to describe Doctor Rocket. Young, idealistic, and energetic, he is impatient and always on the go. Good natured, but impatient and excitable, he can be irritating at times. He has a proclivity for acting surprised that other people don’t know what he’s talking about when he jumps to conclusions – something that is no small frustration to his students. Appearance: Normally, as Doctor Jackson, Doctor Rocket is a very young-looking black man – he often is mistaken for an undergraduate, even though he is twenty-four, because of his boyish good looks. He has black hair that he keeps cut short, and wears a goatee (although he is prone to change his hairstyles frequently). He wears immaculately prepared suits most of the time, except when he is concentrating on something (he has been known to show up for lectures in blue jeans and a sleeveless shirt). As Doc Rocket, he wears a bright red spandex suit that covers his entire body, with a white stripe down the right left side. A black caduceus is just over his heart, and a small whirlwind is on the center of his costume. Lastly, he wears a visor over his eyes that appears white from the outside, but is transparent to him – although it provides excellent protection for his eyes. Powers: Doc Rocket possesses superhuman speed – he is many times faster than an ordinary human in all ways. He heals almost instantly, can run at incredible speeds – even across water or up walls – and can react in only a slight fraction of a second. Doctor Rocket Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 3 Strength 13 84 Dexterity 38 26 Constitution 23 0 Body 10 13 Intelligence 23 16 Ego 18 3 Presence 13 1 Comeliness 13 1 Physical Defense 4 0 Energy Defense 5 42 Speed 9 0 Recovery 8 0 Endurance 46 0 Stun 29 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 13 DCV: 13 ECV: 6 Combat Phases: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 Strength Roll: 12 Dexterity Roll: 17 Constitution Roll: 14 Intelligence Roll: 14 Perception Roll: 14 Ego Roll: 13 Resistant Physical Defense: 4 Resistant Energy Defense: 3 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 50 Hyperspeed Tricks: Multipower, 50-point Pool 3u High-Speed Vibration: Desolidification (Affected by other speedsters) – ½ Endurance Cost (+¼); Cannot Pass through Solid Objects (-½) Endurance Cost 2 [AP 50] 3u Lightning Punch: Hand-to-Hand Attack +6½d6 (9d6 Total) – 0 Endurance Cost (+½); Hand-to-Hand Attack (-½) Endurance Cost 0 [49 AP] 3u Hundred Strikes: Hand-to-Hand Attack +2½d6 (5d6 Total) – Autofire 10 (+1), 0 Endurance Cost (+1), Penetrating (+½), Affects Desolid (Vibrational/Hyperspeed Special Effects; +¼); Hand-to-Hand Attack (-½) Endurance Cost 0 [49 AP] 3u Split Strikes: Hand-to-Hand Attack +2½d6 (5d6 Total) – 0 Endurance Cost (+½), Area of Effect (Radius; +1), Increased Radius (16â€; +¾), Selective (+¼); Hand-to-Hand Attack (-½) Endurance Cost 0 [45 AP] 3u Mass Action: Telekinesis 13 Strength – 0 Endurance Cost (+½), Area of Effect (Radius; +1), Increased Radius (6â€, +¼), Selective (+¼); Limited Range: 12†(-¼) [41 AP] 2u Faster than the Eye: Invisibility to Sight – ½ Endurance Cost (+¼) Endurance Cost 1 [25 AP] 2u Super-Dodging: Missile Deflection vs. All Attacks Endurance Cost 0 [20 AP] 1u Mega-Running: Running 6†– Megascale (1†– 1 km) Endurance Cost 1 [15 AP] 15 Combat Velocity: Flight 11†–Useable Underwater (+¼); No Noncombat Movement (-¼), Only Along Surfaces/Underwater (-½) Endurance Cost 3 12 Instant Regeneration: 4 rPD/ 3 rED Armor – Hardened (+¼) Endurance Cost 0 7 Long-Term Regeneration: Healing 1d6 (Regeneration 1 Body per Turn) – 0 Endurance Cost (+½), Persistent (+½); Self Only (-½), Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼) Endurance Cost 0 6 Super-Fast Mind: Mental Defense +6 (10 Total) Endurance Cost 0 Talents: 18 3 Levels Combat Luck N/A Perks: 1 Credential: MD Skills: Cost Skill Roll 3 Acrobatics 17 3 Breakfall 17 3 Concealment 14 3 Contortionist 17 0 Everyman Skills: N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Professor 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 8 3 Forensic Medicine 14 3 Paramedics 14 3 Scientist N/A 2 SS: Molecular Biology 14 2 SS: Chemistry 14 2 SS: Mutations and Metagenetics 14 2 SS: Genetic Engineering 14 3 Stealth 17 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Hunted : The Golden Hand (More, NCI) 11 25 Physical Limitation: Weird Biochemistry 15 Physical Limitation: Hair/Fingernails Grow Too Quickly 5 Psychological Limitation: Short Attention Span 15 Psychological Limitation: Absentminded Professor Syndrome 5 Psychological Limitation: Scientific Curiosity 10 Psychological Limitation: Code Against Killing 20 Reputation: Impatient and Arrogant 11 10 Rivalry: Scientific Rivals 15 Social Limitation: Fake Civilian Identity 20 Social Limitation: Publish or Perish 10 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Doctor Rocket Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Doctor Rocket fits into the category of “Speedster†– like heroes such as The Flash, his main power is great speed. However, he can easily be hurt by the powerful attacks that supervillains have. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Slightly above human average, but nothing special for a superhuman. Don’t try armwrestling supervillains. Dexterity – Incredible. Doctor Rocket is one of the quickest people out there. Dexterity determines the ability to dodge and connect in melee combat. Constitution – Good, in the low superhuman range. Doctor Rocket is reasonably tough. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Average for a human. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. However, Doctor Rocket can regenerate, so he doesn’t need to worry too much in this area. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. Doctor Rocket is brilliant, on par with people like Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking (although he does not have that much experience in a single area). Ego – High for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – Above average for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Doctor Rocket has a very high score in this – he will be able to act more often than almost anyone else. If Doctor Rocket doesn’t have an action, but he needs to defend himself, he can give up his next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking or Dodging. An important maneuver for Doctor Rocket is Dive for Cover – if an area of effect attack (such as a grenade or fireball) is coming his way, he can Dive for Cover to get clear of it. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Doctor Rocket can skip his next turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Doctor Rocket has a decent amount of this, but he can run out quickly because he acts so often. However, many of his powers cost no Endurance, or very little, to use. Be careful to balance this while playing. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Doctor Rocket hasn’t got that much of this – two or three solid hits can take him down. He needs to work on avoiding damage as much as possible. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Doctor Rocket has a good array of powers, giving him lots of flexibility while fighting. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Hyperspeed Tricks: This isn’t exactly a power – it is a power construct. On each turn, Doctor Rocket can have access to up to 50 Active Points [the numbers in brackets at the end of the power descriptions] from the following eight powers. High-Speed Vibration: This power makes Doctor Rocket literally untouchable – only other super-speedsters can touch him. However, he can’t go through solid objects. This power is an important defense. Keep in mind that he tires himself out by keeping this power up. [AP 50] Lightning Punch: This power is one of Doctor Rocket’s main attacks. It does a fair amount of damage to a single opponent in hand-to-hand range. [49 AP] Hundred Strikes: This is another of Doctor Rocket’s main attacks. It is actually several punches – the slower Doctor Rocket’s opponent, the more times he can hit. Moreover, it will do at least a little damage against almost any foe. [49 AP] Split Strikes: This is Doctor Rocket’s last attack. It doesn’t do much damage, but he can hit a number of different targets at once with it. [45 AP] Mass Action: This power lets Doctor Rocket lift, move, throw, or strike a number of objects or people at once (for example, he could use this to run around a room and instantly collect several dozen blackjacks scattered on the floor) [41 AP] Faster than the Eye: This power prevents people from seeing Doctor Rocket. It only works against normal sight, and it will eventually tire him out to leave this power up.[25 AP] Super-Dodging: This power lets Doctor Rocket dodge ranged attacks. [20 AP] Mega-Running: This power lets Doctor Rocket go incredible distances along the ground – he can get over 20,000 mph at top speed. [15 AP] Combat Velocity: This power is Doctor Rocket’s normal movement power. He can move 22 meters (11†on the battlemat) as a full phase action, or 6†as a half action. Moreover, so long as he has something (anything) to stand on, he can move. He can even run up buildings, across (or under) water, or across other surfaces one could not normally move on. Instant Regeneration: This power provides a little bit of defense to Doctor Rocket all the time. It is automatic to use. Long-Term Regeneration: This power lets Doctor Rocket heal damage to himself over the long term. It won’t work if he is dead. It works automatically. Super-Fast Mind: This power protects Doctor Rocket from mental powers. It works automatically. Other Talent – Combat Luck: This power negates some damage Doctor Rocket takes, but it only works if he can see the attack coming and dodge it. So long as he is in a situation where it works, it is automatic. Tactics Doctor Rocket has relatively weak attacks and defenses, but he can act very often, and he is quite hard to connect with. However, he can be knocked out very quickly, so be careful. Make sure to use his various powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Background Information, Lumina Header Information: Real Name: Lillian Kines Player: TBD Hair: Black Eyes: Blue-Green Height: 1.79m (5ft 10in) Weight: 65 kg (145 lbs) Nationality: American Date of Birth: October 28, 1980 Place of Birth: Millennium City, USA Background Story: Lillian’s mother was a writer. That much was true, but while most people thought she wrote fiction, her works were more along the lines of autobiography. Although she made her living selling apparently ordinary fantasy books, Janet Kines also had a part-time occupation as a witch. The books chronicled her exploits…with a few modifications, of course. She was responsible for investigating and dealing with magical problems in the newly-formed Millenium City, a job which she was very good at. During the course of one of her investigations, she found an abandoned baby girl with an unusual magical aura, and adopted her. She named the girl Lillian. Lillian found out about what her mother really did when she was about thirteen. Naturally, she wanted to grow up to be a witch too, and sought out training from her mother and her mother’s friends. Lillian discovered she had a special aptitude for controlling light from the sun and the moon. She had a gift for magic, and decided to pursue a formal apprenticeship from the circle of magi her mother belonged to. She spent several years living in New Orleans, completing her formal training. When she returned to Millenium City on her 22nd birthday, having finished her apprenticeship, she was expecting to meet her mother at the airport. When she didn’t show, Lillian cautiously used her powers to fly there. She was shocked to find the apartment torn apart, and her mother missing. According to witnesses, an immense blast of flame had annihilated the floor they were on. Several others were injured, and her mother was missing completely. Lillian decided to take up her mother’s former position in Millenium City, hoping to find and bring justice to whoever killed her mother. She has thus far not had any success. Although she is required to investigate paranormal occurrences, Lillian (now calling herself Lumina) has also begun working on “normal†crime, in case the attack turns out not to have been magical in nature. Like her mother, she writes books about her cases. Unlike her mother, her books are awful, although she doesn’t really need the money, since she inherited a very large amount. Quote: - "What? You were expecting a pointy hat and black robes?" – Lumina Quote About Him: - "Shouldn’t witches be more, y’know, sinister?†– Bystander Personality: Lumina is a calm, charismatic, and upbeat young woman. She smiles often, and remains optimistic even when things look grim. She enjoys using her powers, although she is careful to maintain her civilian identity. Lumina is very protective of innocents and bystanders, and will always attempt to keep damage to a minimum. Appearance: Lumina wears a black reinforced costume, covered with a white robe and cloak. She has a silver metallic partial facemask that serves to keep her features hidden well enough to protect her identity (she doesn’t go out much in civilian ID, and wears glasses when she does). Her hair is long and straight, colored an unusual shade of black that seems almost dark blue, and she has sea-green eyes. Powers: Lumina magically controls the light of the sun and moon. It makes her much faster than an ordinary human, and also provides the energy source for her spells. She can create a staff out of solid moonlight that lets her fly, protect herself with magical shields, and project light. If she loses a staff, she can recreate it in a magical ritual that lasts for eight hours, with no interruption (this destroys the old staff). Lumina can harness solar energy to cast spells that project heat and fire, and when she does so the staff pulses with lunar energy, accompanying her spells with a blinding light. Because Lumina accesses these energies magically, they are not dependant on environmental conditions. Lumina Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 3 Strength 13 39 Dexterity 23 26 Constitution 23 12 Body 16 3 Intelligence 13 8 Ego 14 10 Presence 20 4 Comeliness 18 5 Physical Defense 8 5 Energy Defense 10 27 Speed 6 0 Recovery 8 0 Endurance 46 0 Stun 35 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 10 DCV: 10 ECV: 5 Combat Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Strength Roll: 12 Dexterity Roll: 15 Constitution Roll: 14 Intelligence Roll: 12 Perception Roll: 12 Ego Roll: 12 Resistant Physical Defense: 4 Resistant Energy Defense: 3 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 11 The Staff of the Moon: Elemental Control, 40-point powers – IAF (-½), Considered Obvious Except For Purposes Of Covering Itself With Invisibility (-¼) 11a Moon Shield I: 14 PD/ 13 ED Force Field – 0 Endurance Cost (+½) 11b Moon Shield II: Missile Deflection and Reflection vs. All Ranged Attacks – Costs Endurance (-½) 14c Fade Away: Invisibility to Sight, No Fringe – 0 Endurance Cost (+½) 11d Celestial Flight: Flight 11â€, x4 NCM – 0 Endurance Cost (+½) 11e Sympathetic Radiance: Flash vs. Sight 6d6 – 0 Endurance Cost (+½); Linked to Solar Magic (-½) 13f Moonlight Glow: Images to Sight, -4 PER (+4) – 0 Endurance Cost (+½), x32†Radius (+1¼); No Range (-½) Only to Create Light (-1) 3 Lunar Tranquility: Mental Defense 11 – OIF (Staff of the Moon; -½), Shared Framework Effects (-½) 4 Mitigating Moonlight: Flash Defense (Sight) 5 – OIF (Staff of the Moon; -½), Shared Framework Effects (-½) 34 Solar Magic: Multipower, 60-pt. reserve – Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Noisy (Traces of Magic) (-¼) 3u Heat Beam: 12d6 Energy Blast [60 AP] 3u Fire Bomb: 8d6 Energy Blast – Explosion (+½) [60 AP] 3u Mini-Fireball: 6d6 Energy Blast – 0 Endurance Cost (+½), Penetrating (+½) [60 AP] 3u Set on Fire: 1d6+1 RKA – Continuous (+1), 0 Endurance Cost (+½), Uncontrolled (2 Turns, or douse fire) (+½) [60 AP] 3u Raw Heat: 6d6 Energy Blast – NND vs. LS: Extreme Heat (+1) [60 AP] 3u Laser: 2½d6 RKA – No Range Modifier (+½) [60 AP] 3 Detect Magic: Detect Magic, Ranged; Incantations (-¼), Gestures throughout Use (-½), Noisy (-¼), Lockout with Solar Magic (-½) 2 Heat Resistance: Life Support: Extreme Heat 10 Resistance: Power Defense 10 10 Reinforced Costume: 4 PD/ 3 ED Armor, OIHID (-¼) Talents: 6 1 Levels Combat Luck N/A Skills: Cost Skill Roll 18 Combat Skill Levels: +6 with Multipower N/A 3 Conversation 13 0 Everyman Skills: N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Magician 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 8 3 Knowledge Skill: Magic 12 4 Language Skill: Magical Runes (Fluent) N/A 3 Language Skill: Fey (Fluent w/ Accent) N/A 3 Persuasion 13 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Distinctive Feature Magical Aura 10 Hunted Watched by the Circle 8 15 Hunted Mystery, More Powerful, NCI 8 25 Psychological Limitation Overly Cheerful and Optimistic 10 Psychological Limitation Code vs. Killing 20 Psychological Limitation Overly Protective of Bystanders 15 Social Limitation Responsibility: Must Avenge Mother 20 Social Limitation Secret Identity 15 Social Limitation Must Investigate All Paranormal Crimes in City 15 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Lumina Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Lumina fits into the categories of “Energy Projector†and “Super Mage†– like heroes such as Doctor Strange, she has great flexibility in her powers, and principally is effective at fighting at range. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Slightly above human average, but nothing special for a superhuman. Don’t try armwrestling supervillains. Dexterity – Good. Lumina is in the low superhuman range. Dexterity determines the ability to dodge and connect in melee combat. Constitution – Good, in the low superhuman range. Lumina is reasonably tough. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Good for a human. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. Lumina is clever, but not a genius. Ego – High for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – Above average for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Lumina is about average for a metahuman in this area. If Lumina doesn’t have an action, but she needs to defend herself, she can give up her next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking, Dodging, or using Moon Shield. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Lumina can skip her next turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Lumina has a decent amount of this, but she can still run out if she isn’t careful with her powers. If she is low, remember that her Mini-fireball spell can be used without paying endurance, although it isn’t very strong. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Lumina has a good amount of this, and she can take three or four hits. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Lumina has a good array of powers, giving her lots of flexibility while fighting. However, a number of them can be prevented from working in various ways, so be careful. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. The Staff of the Moon: This isn’t a power, exactly, but rather a set of related powers. All of them require that she have the Staff of the Moon in her hands, and if it is stolen, broken, or it’s powers are drained, they all will stop working. Moon Shield I: This power protects Lumina. She can keep it up as long as she needs, and it should generally stay active. Moon Shield II: This power lets Lumina attempt to block ranged attacks. Fade Away: This power prevents Lumina from being seen with ordinary vision. She can keep it up as long as she wants. Celestial Flight: This power lets Lumina fly – she can travel 22 meters (11†on the battlemat) as a full action, or 6†as a half-phase action. Sympathetic Radiance: This is an important power – whenever Lumina casts one of her spells from Solar Magic (see below), she can add this effect on at no further cost. It blinds her target temporarily if she hits. Note that this effect always affects only a single target, even if her spell has an area of effect. Moonlight Glow: This power makes the staff glow brightly, illuminating the area for 64 meters around Lumina. Lunar Tranquility: This power protects Lumina from mental powers. It is automatic so long as she holds the staff. Mitigating Moonlight: This power protects Lumina from being blinded. It is automatic so long as she holds the staff. Solar Magic: This, too, is not really a power, but a power construct. It works differently from the other one – these powers can only be accessed one at a time. All of them require that Lumina be free to cast spells – if her hands are bound, or she is gagged, they can’t be used (she can still use them while holding her staff, but might not be able to while holding other objects) Heat Beam: This power is a straightforward attack that hits a single target. Fire Bomb: This attack explodes out from where it impacts. It gets weaker as it expands up to a 16 meter (8â€) radius. Be careful about frying your allies! Mini-Fireball: This power is fairly weak, although it will do a little damage to most opponents. It does not cost endurance to use. Set on Fire: This power sets somebody on fire. Be careful – it can kill an undefended target. It doesn’t cost endurance to use. Raw Heat: This attack is weak, but only opponents who are immune to the effects of high heat can defend against it. Laser: This attack doesn’t take penalties for long range. Be careful – it does lethal damage, and can kill undefended targets. Detect Magic: This power lets Lumina see if there are any magical effects in her field of view. Heat Resistance: This power protects Lumina from the effects of extreme heat. It only protects against environmental effects, not being burnt. Resistance: This power lets Lumina resist attacks that transform her body – such as some spells. Reinforced Costume: This power gives Lumina some protection, but only while she is wearing her costume. Other Skills – Combat Skill Levels: Lumina can divide these among her OCV and DCV while she is fighting with her solar spells. She can also use them to increase the damage from her solar spells. Talent – Combat Luck: This power negates some damage Lumina takes, but it only works if she can see the attack coming and dodge it. So long as she is in a situation where it works, it is automatic. Tactics Lumina has many powers, but they are all limited in some way. She needs to be careful about being grabbed by enemies – this can prevent her from using her spells. Lumina is most effective when she uses good teamwork – allies can prevent enemies from fouling her powers, and she can blind and damage them with her powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Background Information, Rail Header Information: Real Name: Daniel Martin Player: TBD Hair: Black (Blue when powers are used) Eyes: Blue (Become solid blue when powers are used) Height: 1.89m (6ft 2in) Weight: 174.87 kg (387 lbs) Nationality: American Date of Birth: October 15th, 1970 Place of Birth: New York City, New York Background Story: Daniel Martin, or “Danny†as he was better known, was born in New York, the son of a very wealthy businessman. His mother had left his father when Danny was still young, and Andrew Martin was too busy to spend much time with his son. So, Danny spent most of his time in the care of hired help, or in after-school programs and the prestigious private school he was sent to. Danny spent most of his free time walking around the city, observing the metal, glass, and concrete that made up the city. Something about the power and majesty of the buildings, dark and dirty though they might seem, appealed to him. When he was young, he made things out of clay. In high school, an art teacher introduced him to working with other materials, including postmodern metal artwork. Danny found that he had a talent for shaping and piecing together metal, and he decided to become an artist. His father, however, didn’t want Danny to waste his time on what Mr. Martin saw as meaningless junk. He wanted his son to become a businessman, or a doctor – something professional. Danny refused, and went to art school. His father refused to pay for any of it, and Danny was too wealthy to receive any scholarship money or aid. He had to make the money himself, and he got it by working part-time while in school, and selling what artwork he could. He had to live a lot more sparely than he was used to, but he was making it through. In his last year at art school, Danny tried to restore his relationship with his father. Impressed with his son’s ability to fend for himself, Mr. Martin agreed to try and patch things up. Andrew returned for Christmas, hoping to make peace with his father. However, almost as soon as Andrew walked in the door, the expensive restaurant they were meeting in began to shake. A trio of powered-armor wearing supervillians marched in, and attempted to take the patrons hostage. Reacting instinctively, Danny lashed out at the attackers, activating innate powers he didn’t know he had. He destroyed the powered armor they wore, turning it to liquid without even heating it, and encased them in bonds made from their former weapons. In the confusion, nobody was quite sure who it was that was fighting the villains. Danny quickly shaped some of the metal into an impromptu suit of armor to hide his identity. Since then, Danny has managed to keep his identity secret from everyone except his father. He moved to Millennium City, and has since helped to design artwork commissioned to improve the appearance of the developments there. He has also been moonlighting on the side as Rail, the metal-wielding superhero. He found that he really enjoys life as a hero, and has begun devoting more and more time to it since he discovered how to use his powers as a shortcut with artwork. Unfortunately, he has also discovered a side effect of his powers – his body is no longer entirely organic. He has an unusually high concentration of metallic elements in his body that has been slowly building up since he first got his powers, making him heavier than a normal human, and also stronger. They also make him resistant to things like mental powers and drugs that are normally designed for human targets, but he cannot turn this off. As a result, he has to be careful around things like pressure sensors and metal detectors, and he needs extremely large doses of any medication for it to be effective. Quote: - "What’s the problem, got lead on your feet?" – Rail. Quote About Her: - "He did what to your armor?†– Doctor Abyss, villainous mastermind Personality: Danny is an imaginative, optimistic guy, who is a superhero as much for the fun of it as to help people. When things get serious, however, so does he – if he is pushed far enough, he can be really dangerous defending people. Danny is a relatively easy-going man in his civilian identity, and relatively so as a hero. He gets annoyed easily by heroes that act “like they’ve got a metal rod up their backside,†and prefers to go with his intuition when deciding how to act, rather than any formal code of heroism. However, even though he tries to keep it concealed, Danny is worried about the transformation that his powers have begun in him. He fears that he is going to become inhuman, or that it will eventually kill him. He has begun looking for a solution, but nothing has presented itself thus far. The change is slow, but constant. Appearance: Danny is a fairly tall, athletic-looking individual with straight, coal-black hair and bright blue eyes. He tends to dress very casually. As Rail, he wears a self-made metal bodysuit, made of blue and metal-tone. The suit fits him like a second skin, and “flows†as he moves. Powers: Rail has an affinity for metal, and it is this that shapes all of his powers. He can move or change any existing metal, or even summon it out of thin air. He can cover himself or others with metal, shoot metal bolts out of his hands, or tear apart metallic objects with ease. He can even fly by picking up his own metallic armor. Rail is also partly metallic in composition, making him stronger and tougher than the average man. He is also insulated against effects that normally only affect organic humans. Rail Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 13 Strength 23 39 Dexterity 23 26 Constitution 23 4 Body 12 3 Intelligence 13 2 Ego 11 5 Presence 15 1 Comeliness 13 2 Physical Defense 7 3 Energy Defense 8 17 Speed 5 0 Recovery 10 -13 Endurance 21 0 Stun 34 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 8 DCV: 8 ECV: 4 Combat Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 Strength Roll: 14 Dexterity Roll: 14 Constitution Roll: 14 Intelligence Roll: 12 Perception Roll: 12 Ego Roll: 11 Resistant Physical Defense: 24 Resistant Energy Defense: 23 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 36 Metal Armor I: 18 rPD/ 18 rED Armor – Visible (-¼), Nonpersistent (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 13 Metal Armor II: 6 rPD/ 5 rED Armor – Hardened (+¼);Visible (-¼), Nonpersistent (-¼) Endurance Cost 0 5 Partly Inorganic Nature: Mental Defense +8 (total 10) – Always On (-½) Endurance Cost 0 7 Partly Inorganic Nature: Power Defense 11 – Always On (-½) Endurance Cost 0 19 Metal-Energy Power: Endurance Reserve (180 END, 2 REC) – Personal REC (-½) Endurance Cost 0 90 Metal Mastery: Multipower, 90-point reserve, All Powers Draw from Endurance Reserve 9u Rail Gun: 2d6 Ranged Killing Attack – Autofire 5 (+½), 0 Endurance Cost (+1), Armor Piercing (+½) Endurance Cost 0 [90 AP] 4u Metal Manipulation: 60 Strength Telekinesis – Metal Only (-1) Endurance Cost 9 [90 AP] 6u Self-Propulsion: Flight 25†– Variable Advantage (0 Endurance Cost, Megascale (1â€=1km), Megascale (1â€= 10km), Combat Acceleration/Deceleration; +¾), No Noncombat Movement (-¼), Linked to Metal Armor (-¼) Endurance Cost 9 [87 AP] 3u Metallicize: Major Transform 4d6 – Target to Any Metallic Object (+½) – Recovery Per Minute (-1¾) Endurance Cost 9 [AP 90] 4u Metal Walls and Bonds: 4d6 Entangle, 8 DEF, Opaque to Sight – ½ Endurance Cost (+¼); Vulnerable to Magnetic Attacks (-1) Endurance Cost 3 [AP 90] 4u Rend: 6d6 Ranged Killing Attack – Metal Only (-1) Endurance Cost 9 [AP 90] 9u Warp: 24d6 Dispel – Any Power Relying On Metal, One At A Time (+¼) Endurance Cost 9 [AP 90] 4u Right Through Metal: Tunneling 4†Through 14 DEF Materiel, Fill In – 0 Endurance Cost (+½); Metal Only (-1) Endurance Cost 0 [AP 75] Perks: 6 Money ($600,000 a year) Skills: Cost Skill Roll 15 Combat Skill Levels: +5 with Multipower N/A 3 Analyze Artwork 12 0 Everyman Skills: N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Sculptor 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 8 1 Forgery: Metalwork 12 3 Knowledge Skill: Art 12 2 Knowledge Skill: Metals 11 5 Professional Skill: Artist 15 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Dependant NPC Andrew Martin (Father), Normal, Useful 8- 5 Distinctive Features Sets off Metal-Detectors 10 Hunted Mystery Hunted, More Powerful, 8- 15 Physical Limitation Heavy (Infrequent, Greatly) 10 Psychological Limitation Code Versus Killing 20 Psychological Limitation Doesn’t Take Things Too Seriously 15 Psychological Limitation Fears He’s Losing His Humanity 15 Rivalry Professional Rivalry with Other Artists 10 Social Limitation Secret Identity 15 Vulnerability x2 Body from Magnetic Attacks 20 Vulnerability x1½ Stun from Electrical Attacks 15 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Doctor Rocket Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Rail fits into the category of “Energy Projector†(despite the fact that his powers don’t involve energy) – like characters such as Magneto, his main powers involve fighting at range. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Stonger than an ordinary human (sixteen times the average), but don’t try armwrestling supervillains. Rail can lift up to 150 kilograms without breaking a sweat, and if he needs to can pick up 600 (the weight of a sailboat) over his head. Dexterity – Above human limits, about average for a superhuman. Dexterity determines the ability of a character to attack and defend. Constitution – Above human limits, about average for a superhuman. Rail is fairly tough. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Slightly above human average. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. Above average for a human, Chango would have an IQ around 125. Ego – Good for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – Above average for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Rail is a bit low for a superhuman – most superhumans will act a bit more often than him. If Rail doesn’t have an action, but he needs to defend himself, he can give up his next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking, Dodging, or using his Warp power to counter an appropriate attack. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Rail can skip his turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. However, unlike most characters, Rail’s superhuman powers are powered by a separate reserve of power. Rail’s Strength and Running use his base Endurance, but his superpowers use his Endurance Reserve. Thus, you don’t need to worry much about the value here. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Rail has a good amount of this – he can take two or three hits before going down. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. It doesn’t include Chango’s Repulsion Field, because the repulsion field isn’t always on. If Chango doesn’t have it up, he can be badly hurt by ordinary weapons. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Rail has quite a few powers. A number of them only work with metal (although bear in mind that they can affect people indirectly – dropping a large metal object on someone is often quite effective). The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Metal Armor I/Metal Armor II: These powers protect Rail from damage. They only work while Rail is conscious – if he is knocked out, they go down, and he has to reactivate them. Rail should generally keep them up all the time. It is obvious to everyone that Rail is using this power. Partly Inorganic Nature: This power protects Rail from mental powers. Rail doesn’t need to do anything to use it – in fact, he cannot turn it off. \ Partly Inorganic Nature: This power protects Rail from powers that attempt to change his body structure. Rail doesn’t have to do anything to use it – in fact, he cannot turn it off. Metal-Energy Power: This is the source of Rail’s metal powers. It contains a lot of energy, but it takes a while to come back when Rail runs out. At the end of every turn, Rail gets back the Recovery of the reserve in endurance – he cannot recover it faster by resting. Make good use of the powers Rail has that don’t cost endurance to keep him powered up. Metal Mastery: This is not actually a power, but is a power construct – a set of powers. Rail can have any one of these powers accessible during each phase. Rail Gun: This power doesn’t cost endurance to use. It can hit several times if Rail’s opponent is slow. However, it doesn’t do much damage. Also, be careful – this power can kill unprotected targets. [90 AP] Metal Manipulation: This power lets Rail lift great amounts of metal at long range. He can pick up as much as 100 tons. [90 AP] Self-Propulsion: This power lets Rail fly very fast, but only while he is wearing his armor. Rail can move 50 meters (25†on the battlemat) as a full action, or 13†as a half-phase action. In addition, whenever he uses the power, he can do one of the following: move without expending endurance, go vast distances (25 kilometers per phase), or be able to reach top speed instantly (note that the last one is rarely useful – generally, Rail should use the ability to fly without spending endurance when he uses this power)[87 AP] Metallicize: This power lets Rail turn anything into any metal he wants (he can even create metal out of the air). It lasts for a few minutes. Rail can attack with this by turning his opponents into metal. [AP 90] Metal Walls and Bonds: This power lets Rail conjure metal to make barriers or prevent people from moving (by summoning chains or manacles around them). It is a good attack to use against opponents without great strength. [AP 90] Rend: This power tears metal objects and beings apart. [AP 90] Warp: This power also damages metal objects – it is used to prevent other people from using powers dependant on metal (for example, he can break guns, deflect bullets in midair, etc). [AP 90] Right Through Metal: This power lets Rail tunnel through metal, such as walls and doors. He can move eight meters (4â€) per phase. Rail can use this power without costing endurance. It cannot be used to attack metal beings – use Rend instead [AP 75] Other Skills – Combat Skill Levels – Rail can distribute these among his OCV and DCV wherever he wants, so long as he is fighting with his metal powers. He can also use them to increase the damage from his metal powers. Tactics Rail is quite tough, and his powers are very strong – but specialized. He should be sure to use the battlefield to his advantage, and use his variation in powers. He will be more effective against some opponents than others, so choose your targets carefully. 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Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Background Information, Star Sapphire Header Information: Real Name: Regina Baxton Player: TBD Hair: Dirty Blond Eyes: Green Height: 1.71m (5ft 7in) Weight: 61 kg (135 lbs) Nationality: American Date of Birth: February 9th, 1984 Place of Birth: Millennium City, USA Background Story: The Baxton’s were among the richest families in Millennium City. Money was in their blood – they had been wealthy for generations, and were used to it. However, that wasn’t the only thing that made the family special – one child in each generation was born with a set of powers revolving around personal telekinesis. George Earl Baxton III had been the World War II hero Titan, and his nephew, James Ward Baxton, had been the well-known superhero Gripper. Naturally, Regina Baxton, George’s grand-daughter, had a lot to live up to. As the “prodigy†of her generation, she was expected to continue to the history of the Baxtons, socially and martially. She was trained to use her powers from a young age, learning to fly, protect herself, and augment her strength. Her family also taught her about the history of her family, particularly the villains they knew about, training her in the mental aspects of crimefighting as well as the physical ones. Regina grew up surrounded by things she didn’t have to work for – the best of everything money could buy, her powers, her family – but she was also ingrained with a sense of civic responsibility. She never thought about rejecting her heritage, and when she became an adult, she designed her costume – with help from her family, of course – and chose her codename, Star Sapphire. Armed with her training, and an honest desire to help out, she set out to fight crime in Millennium City. Quote: - "Why would they want to steal that? You can’t do anything useful with it, and it’s only worth a few hundred dollars at most." – Star Sapphire. Quote About Her: - "The powers possessed by the young woman codenamed ‘Star Sapphire’ are very similar to those of Titan and Grip. However, it is clear that they are different people. The timing of their appearances make it likely they are a line of descendants, but this has yet to be determined. However, if the past is any indication, she is trustworthy and brave.†– Bureau of Metahuman Affairs: Known Metahuman Files Personality: Regina is a serious, driven heroine with a desire to prove herself, and an honest inclination to help out the less fortunate. However, she is hampered by her rather cloistered upbringing – she isn’t exactly in touch with how ordinary people live, and she tends to think in terms of ideals rather than practicality. Appearance: Regina is a very beautiful young lady with dirty blond hair, pale skin, and green eyes. She is short, and athletic in appearance without being unusually muscular. As Star Sapphire, she wears a white bodysuit and a flowing blue cape, with red shoulder pads and a green visor to protect her eyes. Powers: Star Sapphire has immense telekinetic powers, but they are limited in scope – she can only affect herself and things she is touching. She can fly, and protect herself by reflecting things that come in contact with her. Her physical abilities, particularly her strength and speed, are greatly enhanced by her powers. She has an incredibly strong grip – it’s nearly impossible to break free from her locks once she gets a hold (it is this power that her uncle developed, giving him the codename Grip). Star Sapphire Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 50 Strength 60 57 Dexterity 29 26 Constitution 23 10 Body 15 3 Intelligence 13 16 Ego 18 8 Presence 18 4 Comeliness 18 3 Physical Defense 15 10 Energy Defense 15 21 Speed 6 0 Recovery 17 0 Endurance 46 0 Stun 57 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 10 DCV: 10 ECV: 6 Combat Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Strength Roll: 21 Dexterity Roll: 15 Constitution Roll: 14 Intelligence Roll: 12 Perception Roll: 12 Ego Roll: 13 Resistant Physical Defense: 0 Resistant Energy Defense: 0 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 26 Personal Telekinesis: Elemental Control, 52-point powers 28a Telekinetic Flight: Flight 18†– 0 Endurance Cost (+½) 26b Telekinetic Field: Force Field, 15 rPD/ 15 rED – 0 Endurance Cost (+½), Hardened (+¼) 12c Telekinetic Grip: Strength: +55 – Cannot Inflict Damage (-1½) 16d Telekinetic Backlash: Hand-to-Hand Attack +4d6 (up to 8d6 with Strength) – Continuous (+1), 0 Endurance Cost (+½), Damage Shield (+½), Double Knockback (+¾); Does Only Knockback (-1½), Hand-to-Hand Attack (-½) 3 Visor: 5 Flash Defense Sight – OIF Visor (-½) Perks: 5 Wealthy ($500,000 per year) 7 Contact: Titan, Retired Superhero 11-, very useful skills/resources, good relationship Skills: Cost Skill Roll 6 Combat Skill Level: +2 with Punch, Grab, and Dodge N/A 3 Conversation 13- 0 Everyman Skills: N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Millennium City 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Mechanic 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 8 3 High Society 13 2 KS: Baxton Family History 11 2 KS: Known Superhuman Criminals 11 3 Tactics 12 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Distinctive Feature: Gorgeous 5 Psychological Limit: Code Versus Killing 20 Psychological Limit: Dedicated and Serious 15 Psychological Limit: Code of Honor – la noblesse oblige 15 Reputation: Her Powers are the Same As Grip and Titan 11 10 Social Limitation: Must Live Up to Family Ideals 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Regina Baxton) 15 Social Limitation: Out of Touch With Ordinary People 15 Hunted: Traditional Enemies of Grip and Titan 8 20 Hunted: Watched by the Baxton Family 14 20 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Lumina Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Star Sapphire fits into the category of “Brick†– like heroes such as Superman, she uses great strength as her main weapon. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Incredible. Star Sapphire has massive strength – she can pick up 25 tons without breaking a sweat, and can lift up to 100 tons if she has to. Dexterity – High. Lumina is very quick, in the above-average range for a superhuman. Dexterity determines the ability to dodge and connect in melee combat. Constitution – Good, in the low superhuman range. Star Sapphire is reasonably tough. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Good for a human. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. Star Sapphire is clever, but not a genius. Ego – High for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – High for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Star Sapphire is about average for a metahuman in this area. If Star Sapphire doesn’t have an action, but she needs to defend herself, she can give up her next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking, Dodging, or using Telekinetic Field. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Star Sapphire can skip her next turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Star Sapphire has a decent amount of this, but she can still run out if she isn’t careful with her powers. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Star Sapphire has a lot of this, and she can take five or six hits. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. It doesn’t include Telekinetic Field, because that power is not always active. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Star Sapphire doesn’t have that many powers – mostly, she is just strong. The powers she does have are strong, though. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Personal Telekinesis: This isn’t actually a power – it is a set of related powers. If Star Sapphire’s telekinesis is suppressed somehow, they all stop working. Telekinetic Flight: This power lets Star Sapphire fly. She can move 36 meters (18†on the battlemat) as a full action, or 9†as a half-phase action. She can fly without using endurance. Telekinetic Field: This power lets Star Sapphire protect herself. It can be kept up as long as Star Sapphire wants, but it won’t work if she isn’t conscious. Telekinetic Grip: This power gives Star Sapphire great strength for the purposes of gripping, lifting, and holding. She cannot inflict more damage than normal, but she can prevent enemies from getting loose from grabs, or carry incredible weights – she can lift up to 200 kilotons this way (over twice the weight of an aircraft carrier), although she will get tired quickly. Telekinetic Backlash: This unusual power can be turned on or off as Star Sapphire chooses, without costing endurance. Whenever someone touches Star Sapphire, they are struck back. Each time the power is triggered, Star Sapphire can add between 0 and 20 points of her base strength to the damage, costing her 1 End (for 15 or less), or 2 End (for 16 or more). She doesn’t ever have to pay more than once per round. Visor: This power protects Star Sapphire from being blinded. This power works automatically, so long as Star Sapphire has her visor on. Other Skills – Combat Skill Levels: Star Sapphire can divide these among her OCV and DCV while she is fighting with her fists, grabbing, or dodging. She can also use them to increase the damage from her punches, or crushing damage. Tactics Star Sapphire doesn’t need to be too cautious in a fight – she can take hits. She should use her flight to her advantage, and get into the thick of things. Don’t forget the tactical value of grabbing opponents – but be careful who you try it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted April 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Re: Starter Characters (Critique/Steal) Background Information, Temprax Header Information: Real Name: Sir Anthony Wethram III Player: TBD Hair: Light Brown Eyes: Green Height: 1.82m (6ft) Weight: 70.3 kg (155 lbs) Nationality: British Date of Birth: December 16th, 1895 Place of Birth: Greenwich, England Background Story: Anthony was born into a prestigious family, the Wethram’s. His family history went back far into the history of Great Britain. He was raised as the heir to the family legacy, and he never questioned his destiny. That is, not until he discovered the secret of the old grandfather clock stored away in the mansion. On his twenty-third birthday, Anthony stumbled across the forgotten timepiece. The grand clock was still in perfect condition, and surprisingly it still was running, counting the time off perfectly. Curious, Anthony examined the clock – and by chance, he touched it just as it struck noon. With each reverberation, Anthony felt the world begin to warp around him, slowing down to a crawl. Once it ended, things went back to normal – but Anthony still felt strange. He came back at the next hour mark – only to find that the clock had stopped the instant he had left. Over time, Anthony discovered that he possessed strange powers – powers that could warp the very world around him. He could slow or speed relative time for anyone nearby, particularly himself, and he could twist space around himself, letting him move from one place to another instantaneously. Anthony hid the secret, worried of the consequences if his family should find out. However, he eventually came to notice another consequence of the change – he had stopped aging since the day he touched the clock. Anthony decided to simply keep his secret to himself, and went on with his life as though he was just an ordinary man like anyone else. He kept his secret until the outbreak of World War II. Anthony felt the call to serve his country, and he joined the Knights – the multi-national (although primarily British) team of superheroes that fought for the Allies – as the time-manipulating Temprax. During the invasion of Germany at the end of the war, he was assigned as the liaison to the American super-team, the Liberty Legion. He became good friends with the leader of the Legion, the telekinetic hero Titan. After the war, Anthony decided to leave Britain, feeling lost there with most of his friends dead. Following Titan’s advice, he went to see the world. Eventually, he settled in America, planning on retiring – but of course, things just kept coming up, and he couldn’t just sit back when he was needed. Eventually, Temprax decided that he was just going to give up on retiring, and become a permanent superhero. Over the years, Temprax moved from place to place, always maintaining professional contact with Titan, and later his son and granddaughter, Grip and Star Sapphire. He moved to Millenium City shortly after its reconstruction was announced, knowing that it would need heroes. He was right. Quote: - "Time is on my side." – Temprax Quote About Him: - "The man’s spent over sixty years fighting the good fight. If that isn’t dedication, I don’t know what is.†– Titan Personality: Temprax is an odd mix. He is an old-fashioned British nobleman, but still young at heart. He values old-school superheroics, and holds himself and others to strict moral standards. Although he seems impulsive, he rarely acts foolishly because his powers give him plenty of time to think things through. Temprax prefers tactics and skill to raw power whenever possible. Appearance: Temprax is a man of slightly above average height, with aristocratic, clearly British features. He has light brown hair that is always neatly combed, and striking green eyes with rings of orange around the pupils. When he is moving quickly, he appears slightly blurred, as a result of the distortion his powers cause. His costume is a black bodysuit with a facemask, set off by an orange grandfather clock on the chest. Powers: Temprax can warp space and time with his powers, allowing him to move with far greater speed than the average man. He can twist space to disorient others, or to move directly from one point to another, and he can also alter the relative speed of others, speeding them up or slowing them down as he needs. Lastly, he can generate a flux field around himself that nullifies or deflects attacks against him to a degree. Temprax Characteristics: Cost Characteristic Value 3 Strength 13 66 Dexterity 32 16 Constitution 18 10 Body 15 3 Intelligence 13 2 Ego 11 10 Presence 20 1 Comeliness 13 0 Physical Defense 3 0 Energy Defense 4 58 Speed 10 0 Recovery 7 0 Endurance 36 0 Stun 31 Combat and Roll Information: OCV: 11 DCV: 11 ECV: 4 Combat Phases: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Strength Roll: 12 Dexterity Roll: 15 Constitution Roll: 13 Intelligence Roll: 12 Perception Roll: 12 Ego Roll: 11 Resistant Physical Defense: 0 Resistant Energy Defense: 0 Running Speed: 6" Powers: Cost Power 20 Warping Space and Time: Elemental Control 20 (1) Flux Field: Force Field 14 PD/ 13 ED – 0 Endurance Cost (+½) Endurance Cost 0 16 (2) Warping: Teleport 11â€, Position Shift – ½ Endurance Cost (+¼), Safe Blind Teleport (+¼) – No Noncombat Movement (-¼) Endurance Cost 2 20 (3) Slow: Drain 2d6 – Any Speed-Based Power, One At A Time (+¼), Variable Advantage (Ranged, Penetrating, 0 Endurance Cost, Autofire 5; +¾) Endurance Cost 4 20 (4) Haste: Succor 4d6 – Any Speed-Based Power, One At A Time (+¼), ½ Endurance Cost (+¼), Ranged (+½) Endurance Cost 2 16 (5) Twist: Energy Blast 4d6 – No Normal Defense (Space-Manipulation Powers or Teleportation) – Not vs. Targets That Can’t Be Disoriented (-¼) Endurance Cost 4 5 Immortal: Life Support: Immune to Aging Endurance Cost 0 8 Iron Will: Mental Defense +8 (10 total) Endurance Cost 0 Perks: 1 Reputation: Golden-Age Superhero (Worldwide, 8-) 1 Reputation: True Hero (USA and Britain, 11-) 1 Reputation: True Hero (Millenium City, 14-) 4 Wealthy ($400,000 per year disposable income) 1 Knighthood 8 Contact: Titan, Retired Superhero 12-, very useful skills/resources, significant contacts of his own, good relationship Talents: 3 Absolute Time Sense Skills: Cost Skill Roll 3 Bureaucratics 13 12 Combat Skill Levels: +4 with Slow, Twist, and Dodge N/A 3 Conversation 13 0 Everyman Skills: N/A Acting 8 Area Knowledge: Great Britain 8 Climbing 8 Computer Programming 8 Concealment 8 Conversation 8 Deduction 8 Language Skill: English - Idiomatic N/A Paramedic 8 Persuasion 8 Professional Skill: Superhero 11 Shadowing 8 Stealth 8 Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 8 3 High Society 13 3 Stealth 15 3 Tactics 12 3 Teamwork 15 3 Traveler N/A 1 AK: The USA 11 2 AK: Millenium City 12 1 CuK: British Nobility and Royalty 11 Disadvantages: Classification Disadvantage Roll Points Distinctive Feature British Accent 10 Hunted Rogue’s Gallery of Enemies 8 15 Psychological Limitation Old-School Hero’s Code 20 Psychological Limitation Code Against Killing 20 Psychological Limitation Old-Fashioned 10 Reputation Widely Known Powers 11 10 Social Limitation Old Man in a Young Body 15 Social Limitation Responsibilities of Knighthood 10 Social Limitation Secret Identity (Anthony Wethram III) 15 Social Limitation Strong Friendship with Titan 10 Susceptibility Time/Aging Based Attacks 3d6 15 Playing Information Although most of what makes the Hero System unique is the exceptional flexibility in character generation and power creation, here I will only be covering the aspects of gameplay you need to run a pregenerated character. First, the basic rolls of the Hero System. First, the pass-fail 3d6 roll. This is used for attacks, skill checks, characteristic rolls, etc. There is a target number between 3 and 18, and you roll 3d6. If you roll less than or equal to the target number, the attempt succeeds. How much the roll is made by affects things in some instances. The second is the damage roll. Obviously, it is used for damage, but also for some other things such as contests of strength. A set of d6 are rolled. The BODY of the dice is calculated as follows – every 2-5 is one BODY, every 6 is 2 BODY. The STUN of the dice is simply the total of the numbers on the dice. Example: A 12 dice damage roll is needed. The 12 dice come up 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6. The BODY is 11 (seven dice have 2 through 5, two dice have 6). The STUN is 40 (the total of the dice). Different powers all have slightly different ways of using the damage roll to determine their effects – and of course, not all powers do damage. Doctor Rocket Although characters in the Hero System do not have “classes,†or anything equivalent, it is possible to loosely categorize characters by archetypes (ie, is a character more like Batman, or Superman, or Flash, or Professor X)? Temprax fits into the category of “Speedster†– like heroes such as The Flash, his main power is great speed. Unlike most such characters, Temprax is not actually fast – he can manipulate time to provide similar effects. He is fairly fragile, and can easily be hurt by the powerful attacks that supervillains have. Characteristics These are the raw abilities that a character has. For now, you only need to worry about the number on the right – this is the value. Strength – Slightly above human average, but nothing special for a superhuman. Don’t try armwrestling supervillains. Dexterity – Incredible. Temprax is one of the quickest people out there. Dexterity determines the ability to dodge and connect in melee combat. Constitution – High for a human, in the low superhuman range. Temprax is fairly tough, but be careful. This determines the ability to resist being stunned by attacks. Body – Average for a human. This determines the ability to resist lethal attacks. Intelligence – Raw brainpower. Temprax is clever, but not a genius. Ego – Average for a human. Ego represents willpower. Presence – Above average for a human, this determines the social skills and impressiveness of the character. Temprax is a natural leader. Comeliness – Good looks. This statistic doesn’t directly influence much. PD (Physical Defense) – This number is subtracted from damage by physical attacks (punches, etc). Some powers add to PD in various ways. ED (Energy Defense) – The same as PD, except it applies to Energy attacks, such as fire. Speed – This determines how often a character can act every turn. 12 is the absolute maximum. Temprax has a huge score in this – superhumans faster than him are few and far between. He can act five times for every one action a normal human takes. If Temprax doesn’t have an action, but he needs to defend himself, he can give up his next phase to immediately take a defensive action. This is called Aborting. Defensive actions include Blocking or Dodging. An important maneuver for Temprax is Dive for Cover – if an area of effect attack (such as a grenade or fireball) is coming his way, he can Dive for Cover to get clear of it. Recovery – The ability to recover health. At the end of every turn, this number of used-up Stun and Endurance (see below) is restored. In addition, on any phase when he has an action to use, Temprax can skip his next turn and rest to regain Stun and Endurance. However, resting in combat is dangerous, because defenses are lowered. Endurance – How much energy a character has. Temprax doesn’t have too much of this, but his powers don’t cost too much either. Be careful to balance this while playing. As a character does strenuous activity, his Endurance goes down, and when he runs out he has to start taking damage from the strain. Stun – How hard the character is to knock out. Temprax hasn’t got that much of this – two or three solid hits can take him down. He needs to work on avoiding damage as much as possible. As a character takes damage, he temporarily loses Stun. When he is out, he goes unconscious, although it is possible to wake back up. Combat and Roll Information OCV, DCV, ECV – These are the base values that are used to determine if attacks hit. (Offensive, Defensive, and Ego Combat Values). With most attacks, the attacker’s target number is 11-defender DCV+attacker OCV. With mental powers, ECV is used in place of both. Combat Phases – Each turn has 12 phases. This denotes which phases the character acts on. (Characteristic) Roll – These are the target numbers for rolls against a characteristic. Resistant Defense – This is the character’s ability to resist lethal damage. It doesn’t include Temprax’s Flux Field, because it is not always on. Running Speed – In Hero System, 2 meters of game-world distance is 1 inch on a battlemat. This value is how far the character can run as an action that takes their entire phase. For half their phase, they can run half this far. Powers Temprax has an odd array of powers, giving him unusual powers that can confuse his opponents, and hinder their normal tactics. The first number is the cost – you don’t need to worry about that now. The italics are the special effect of the power. The next part is the game information about the power, and the last part is the power’s endurance cost. For now, don’t worry too much about exactly how the powers work. I put a brief description of what the powers do here. Warping Space and Time: This isn’t actually a power, but a collection of similar powers. If Temprax’s ability to warp space and time is suppressed, they are all deactivate. Flux Field: This power protects Temprax from damage. He can keep it up as long as he wants, and he generally should have it on. It doesn’t work if he isn’t conscious. Warping: This power lets Temprax teleport from one place to another without traveling the intervening space. He can move 22 meters (11†on the battlemat) as a full action, or 6†as a half-phase action. In addition, if he is knocked down, Temprax can get back on his feet immediately, by expending 1 Endurance. If Temprax tries to teleport somewhere with a solid object in the way, he won’t be hurt but will instead reappear in the nearest safe place. Slow: This power is an unusual attack – instead of doing damage, it lets Temprax slow his opponents down. If they have speed-based powers, he can drain those; otherwise, he can target either Dexterity or Speed. He can eventually leave his targets totally immobile. Whenever he uses this power, Temprax can choose to use one of the following effects: not have to pay endurance, get a little bit of effect through to most opponents who cannot normally be affected, use the power at a distance, or score multiple hits against slower opponents (using the last effect makes the power cost more endurance). Haste: This power lets Temprax temporarily speed someone else (or himself) up – he can boost their Dexterity, Speed, or speed-based powers. He has to pay endurance to use this power, and to keep them boosted, although he can have multiple effects up at once. He can use this power at range. Twist: This attack is weak, but targets who do not have space-warping powers of their own cannot defend against it. It doesn’t work against beings who don’t have an innate sense of balance (most robots, for example, beings used to outer space, and most non-intelligent targets). Immortal: Temprax never ages. Iron Will: This power protects Temprax from mental powers. It is automatic. Other Skills – Combat Skill Levels – Temprax can split these among his OCV and DCV while he is fighting with his time-manipulation powers or dodging. He can also use them to boost his damage. Tactics Temprax has relatively weak attacks and defenses, but he can act very often, and he is quite hard to connect with. However, he can be knocked out very quickly, so be careful. His powers are unusual – he is at a disadvantage in some situations, but with clever use of powers, he can be extraordinarily effective. Make sure to be a team player – Temprax’s Haste and Slow powers are most effective in tandem with others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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