Boll Weevil Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 I’ve been thinking lately about our old friend Change Environment. In games past, CE has been more of a nuisance power or at best just a flavor-enhancer for combat vs elemental characters. Fred changed things a bit when CE was made the power of choice for making ice-slides, fog and other things that were before just special effects for existing powers. This year we had an uncharacteristically nasty winter in Cincinnati. We usually get a couple days of bad weather a year but they often go away as quick as they came. This year was different and gave me a little more respect for our Environment-Changing friends and foes. Ice slides. I hate them. In game terms, it is often merely a -4 DCV or Dex roll. Most of the characters I make have lower Dexterities than the average CKC character. My driveway has been subject to this Changed Environment for most of the last two months. I boffed a Dex roll myself (3 sixes, baby!) once while taking out the garbage. I ended up prone in my starting hex, half DCV. The evil GM made me do another Dex roll to get up which, thankfully, I made. Thankfully, I rolled a very rare snake-eyes on my Unluck roll and the lids stayed on the garbage cans. Cincinnatians in general are not very good drivers when it comes to inclement weather. This year has been particularly bad for auto accidents from fast-forming snow and ice. It’s cold. Penguin cold. By the time I get done scraping the ice off my car my hands are completely numb. I love cold weather but temps in the minuses are no fun at all. When I am walking to my car, face freezing, eyes tearing I wonder what would happen if it were to drop to that temperature in the middle of July. Everyone in the vicinity would be wearing shorts and t-shirts. I remember about 10-12 years ago it snowed on Halloween. The trees were still green and full of leaves. Trees bent, branches snapped causing power outages all around the city. Not to mention the sad faces of the kids with their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes underneath winter coats. Cities, especially southern, are not prepared to deal with snow in the summer. The devastation would be massive. The snow would melt a lot quicker but with the intense sun, the snow would surely sublimate causing pea-soup fog for a large area. All told, Change Environment has my full respect and I will surely make room for it in my games. Cities with known weather manipulators had better make implement some emergency procedures. If I were to start a campaign from scratch where I eventually wanted to foster anti-mutant sentiment I would most definitely start with a big ol’ Change Environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon All told, Change Environment has my full respect and I will surely make room for it in my games. Cities with known weather manipulators had better make implement some emergency procedures. If I were to start a campaign from scratch where I eventually wanted to foster anti-mutant sentiment I would most definitely start with a big ol’ Change Environment. 5th Edition definitely moved Change Environment to its deserved place among "How Do I..." standbys like Mind Control and Transform. In my experience with it so far, the biggest effect I've seen has to do with the CV affecting effects. One of my players built a -8 OCV CE, and the effect was that anybody within the radius couldn't hit the broad side of a barn (no really, at that point even hitting a hex is iffy). Another effect that worked much better than expected was when I built an NPC whose power list included a -5 Ego Roll CE. I realized it would be good, I wasn't expecting it to be as effective a it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 In my experience with it so far' date=' the biggest effect I've seen has to do with the CV affecting effects. One of my players built a -8 OCV CE, and the effect was that anybody within the radius couldn't hit the broad side of a barn (no really, at that point even hitting a hex is iffy).[/quote'] Hee. I'm quite fond of that trick, now that I've used it for a distracting Legs Up To There power. I love it when the rules can be used to explain goofy costume choices (Black Canary fishnets = -CV change environment, superheroic capes = OIF Lack of Weakness, etc.) I just wish that Change Environment came with a -DC effect -- as several of the cited effects of the environement include a -DC penalty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted February 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Another effect that worked much better than expected was when I built an NPC whose power list included a -5 Ego Roll CE. I realized it would be good' date=' I wasn't expecting it to be as effective a it was.[/quote'] Cool. What was the SFX for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbdaury Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Cool. What was the SFX for that? Well, it was not my effect but I would hazard a guess and say psi static zone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doppler Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Speaking of which, I love the idea of making TK str in an AE. Even a 0 strength TK (Intense magnetic field) brings to mind a pretty cool visual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhammeWhamme Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Well' date=' it was not my effect but I would hazard a guess and say psi static zone... [/quote'] I'd have said a television screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted February 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Does anyone else play (or play with) a weather controller whose powers caused problems or caused resentment with the public/authorities? Chiller (Deathstroke, 4th ed) had a Change Environment extreme cold, always on. That sucks. Weather is such a chain-reaction thing. A little localized warming here can cause flooding and snow there. Big fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Let go. Ok ok, I'll let this thread die but I can't help but notice the "Delete me please" thread has 15 replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon If it's any comfort, this thread has me realizing that i tend to overlook Change Enviroment and the wonderful things it can do to PCs I believe I'll be tinkering and see what VIPER gimmicks I can present in my game based on such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: Let go. Only because many people haven't seen the 5th Edition version of the power in action yet, BW. For some this is a practical issue; a disappointing number of HERO fans are not actually in campaigns under the system. For some, it's simple hideboundness -- they're so used to using adjustment powers for some of these effects they haven't realized 5th has made CE far more efficient (especially for DEX effects). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted January 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Sorry, folks, for the thread necromancy but Cincinnati is fearfully awaiting the Icy White Death (3-5"...seriously) and I am once again impressed that an entire city can grind to a halt with about 40 points of Change Environment. When it is 4F and windy I am painfully (literally) aware that I have not given ice/cold powers their due. As a GM or a player, I resolve to play icy cold CE's to their fullest. Winter weather, especially when ill-prepared, is a bitch. On those really cold and really windy days, you can barely keep your eyes open as you shovel snow. Your eyes tear up and make it hard to see. The biting cold hurts. A lot. It hurts your face, burns your ears. After a turn or two, you begin to lose manual dexterity with ungloved hands. I don't think I could disarm a bomb in subzero temperatures and I love cold weather. It hurts just thinking about punching a guy in metal armor with cold hands. I am pretty good (my original post story not withstanding) at walking in ice without falling but after a while it really takes a toll on your back muscles, especially for us old farts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted January 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Speaking of which' date=' I love the idea of making TK str in an AE. Even a 0 strength TK (Intense magnetic field) brings to mind a pretty cool visual.[/quote'] What would a 0 Str AE TK do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daltwisney Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Part of the reason CE seems so under-appreciated is probably historical. As an example, most of the people in my gaming group have been playing Champions/Hero for a LONG time, hailing from the days when CE couldn't even make your toast land butter side up. So, when a new edition of the rules comes out, they leaf through the Powers, see CE, and skip reading it, because they 'know' it's useless. It doesn't have a fancy new name, and in the new edition's 'What has changed' section, there isn't a heading labeled "Change Environment - not just for flavor anymore". The sad thing is that even though the utility of CE has been improving over 2 editions of Hero, some of these people still 'know' it sucks, so they haven't read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SidBadguy Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon What would a 0 Str AE TK do? Off the top of my head. Northern Lights effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Part of the reason CE seems so under-appreciated is probably historical. As an example, most of the people in my gaming group have been playing Champions/Hero for a LONG time, hailing from the days when CE couldn't even make your toast land butter side up. So, when a new edition of the rules comes out, they leaf through the Powers, see CE, and skip reading it, because they 'know' it's useless. It doesn't have a fancy new name, and in the new edition's 'What has changed' section, there isn't a heading labeled "Change Environment - not just for flavor anymore". The sad thing is that even though the utility of CE has been improving over 2 editions of Hero, some of these people still 'know' it sucks, so they haven't read it. I danced with glee when I saw the change to CE in fifth. Now I could do marbles alot easier and able to put them in a multipower without breaking the bank. It was one of the main reasons that I even got the new edition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherSkip Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Re: Change Environment: a dangerous weapon Heck I allways though it was dangerous (in 4th not so much) in 5th I was wondering why Steve didnt build the traps in the FH book with a change environment.... but then it could be abusive for really cheap. (GM-ok make a dex roll at -8 or else fall 1000 hexes.... PLayers- WTF!?!?!? GM- pit trap.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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