help me!

[doro5]

I have a couple of questions:

1. I want to create a character which can control paper, and make it hardened (to be used as a variable shield, for example), and sharp (to be used a weapon). How am I supposed to do that, and can i do it without having to create a power for each function.

2. Continuing the last question, how can I create characters that can control X? Like magneto from the x-men. And more complicated powers, like controlling plant life (maybe a mind control with zero resistance?) or controlling body functions?

[Steve Long]

Re: help me!

 

Since this is a "how-to" question rather than a rules question, I've moved it to the Discussion board so interested Heroites can offer their opinions.

[Starlord]

Re: help me!

 

Much more knowledgeable folks than I will probably come along with better, more detailed explanations, but I can provide the short and simple:

 

Reason from the effects:

 

- a hard paper field formed from surrounding paper supply (or somehow changing air to paper perhaps) could be bought as a force field with some limitations that apply to certain things paper might have trouble stopping

 

- supersharp paper (ala REALLY nasty paper cuts) would be a type of killing attack, hand to hand or ranged

 

- the thing you have to do (it is mentioned often in the rules) with 'Magneto-type' powers (and a host of others) is not try to find 'Magnetic Control' but instead think about, in as basic terms as possible, what it is exactly that Magneto does. First and foremost, Magneto moves metal. Looking at telekinesis in the powers sections tells me that that is a power that allows me to 'move' things at range. Essentially, Magneto has Telekinesis with the limitation that says 'Only for metal or magnetic objects'. See?

[Doc Tough]

Re: help me!

 

Doc sez...

 

First off...welcome abroad to the Broads Doro5...I hope you find your time here enjoyable.

 

 

 

I have a couple of questions:

1. I want to create a character which can control paper, and make it hardened (to be used as a variable shield, for example), and sharp (to be used a weapon). How am I supposed to do that, and can i do it without having to create a power for each function.

 

Remember that the Hero System works effect the effects and results of the power. Whether the controled object is paper, water, or small fuzzy animals, its the result of power you want to identify. The hardened paper shield could be a Force Field or Wall that requires you have access to a mass of paper to be animated and act as a barrier against attacks. The paper attack could be a RKA (Ranged Killing Attack) or an EB (Energy Blast) with Armor-Piercing Advantage on it. Each result will have to be made as a separate power...its just the nature of the System.

 

2. Continuing the last question, how can I create characters that can control X? Like magneto from the x-men. And more complicated powers, like controlling plant life (maybe a mind control with zero resistance?) or controlling body functions?

 

Again, it a matter of what you want X to do. If you wanted to be able to control plant life to...say...grab at targets...you could make it an Area Effect Entangle requiring sufficient viny plants to be around, or even Telekinese with Animate Plants (providing the GM allows it).

 

Doc Tough

[Mike W]

Re: help me!

 

doro5,

 

Welcome aboard.

 

Now, to answer your questions, hero does not work like other systems where you buy one power like Magnetic Control and then try to convince the GM what you can do with it. You have to look at each thing you want to do with the power and buy it separately. So in the case of Magneto you have to buy Flight to fly, buy Force Field for his shield, buy Telekinesis(only vs. ferrous metals) to throw things around, and so on.

 

To do your paper based powers:

 

Well, I would normally suggest a Variable Power Pool with a limit that it requires an appropriate amount of paper(-1/2 limit) to create the object, but I don't recommend that a person new to the system try using a VPP. It can get a little complicated. If you take that option, you'll need to write up each possible function ahead of time - and realize that you can only convert so much at a time(the limit of the VPP).

[doro5]

Re: help me!

 

Thanks for the help!

Still a few more things, what about powers that don’t really fit in, like, if we take the control plant life example, making flowers blossom, or making something appear from nowhere?

[Mike W]

Re: help me!

 

Thanks for the help!

Still a few more things, what about powers that don’t really fit in, like, if we take the control plant life example, making flowers blossom, or making something appear from nowhere?

 

 

Same principle applies, you just have to think of what effect you are trying to create and go from there.

 

Make flowers bloom = Minor Transform(unbloomed flower into blooming one)

 

Make something appear out of nowhere: Summon for living things or automatons(robots), for equipment, it's just a power with a cool special effect(and probably a focus).

[doro5]

Re: help me!

 

Thanks!

Next power:

Someone who can eat anything (and really take a bite out of crime!)

[Susano]

Re: help me!

 

Here's a character sheet for someone who can control paper...

 

I present: "The Paper!"

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptionsanime/thepaper.html

 

I'll also quote a relevant section:

 

Yomiko has the ability to manipulate paper. She can bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate paper into almost anything she desires, whether it be a simple paper needle, or a giant paper airplane that seats two. A short list of the powers she has been shown using includes: Entangle (sheets of paper over the eyes, mouth, or hands), Force Wall (a wall or bubble of paper), Hand Killing Attack (paper knives and swords), Missile Deflection (using sheets of paper to stop bullets), Ranged Killing Attack (sheets of paper hurled like knives), and Stretching (using sheets of paper to form long "tentacles"). Other examples of her power include using a length of paper ribbon to grab the limb of an escaping giant insect and anchor it to the ground, using a sheet of paper to block a flaming staff strike, picking a lock with a paper needle, forming a parachute from the pages of a book, and turning a sheet of paper into a folded-up flying butterfly.

[doro5]

Re: help me!

 

Thank you, that was the character I was looking for!

But about VPPs- can you use more then one of the powers at the VPP at once, or can you only use one at a time?

And my eat-all question still stands.

[Susano]

Re: help me!

 

Thank you' date=' that was the character I was looking for![/color']

But about VPPs- can you use more then one of the powers at the VPP at once, or can you only use one at a time?

And my eat-all question still stands.

 

With VVPs it depends. You can use as many powers at once you have points for. So, The Paper has a 60 point VPP. That means no one power can cost more than 60 Active Points, and the total number of powers she is using can't be more than 60 Real Points. For example, she can have a 4d6 RKA (60 Active Points). Since all of her powers require some form of Gestures, the Real Cost is 48 Points (60/1.25). That leaves her 12 Real Points to spend on another power. Such as +3 DCV (15 Active Points), with Gestures (to create; -1/4) and OIF (Shield; -1/2). Her shield now costs (15/1.75) 8 Real Points, so her VPP is now using 56 points of powers.

 

Make sense?

 

What is your "eat-all question"?

[SuperKlaus]

Re: help me!

 

Eating anything sounds like big Life Support (Immune to Poisons and Stuff). If he can swallow grown men whole that's an Entangle with a Feedback Limitation representing the trapped man punching the swallower's stomach.

[Susano]

Re: help me!

 

Thanks!

Next power:

Someone who can eat anything (and really take a bite out of crime!)

 

Ah... this question...

 

Life Support: Can Eat Any Protein (1 point)

Life Support: Immunity To Disease & Toxins (20 points)

HKA: 1d6, possibly Penetrating and/or Armor Piercing

[L. Marcus]

Re: help me!

 

For a Big Bite - AoE: One Hex Accurate on that HKA.

[kave99]

Re: help me!

 

I'm going to suggest you go back and reread pg 93 to 98 H5R this is the vary foundation of system and work vary differently than most games.once you get the basic premise of the system it will make the hole process easier for you. Susano suggest not trying the VPP rules yet and i have to agree but you should look at the rules on multipowers starting on pg 316 H5R.

PS welcome to the boards and keep the Questions coming:D

[doro5]

Re: help me!

 

The life support is a start, but he needs strong teeth, neck, and any other organ required to digest.

Maybe extra limbs....

susano, you didn’t understand the question, for example, if I have a force field and change environment in my VPP, can I activate my FF, and while it is still active change the environment?

[Susano]

Re: help me!

 

The life support is a start' date=' but he needs strong teeth, neck, and any other organ required to digest.[/color']

 

Details. The Life Support presumes he has the organs to digest whatever he eats. The HKA means he has the strong teeth and neck. These aren't powers you need to buy, they are the special effects of your powers.

 

Maybe extra limbs....

susano, you didn’t understand the question, for example, if I have a force field and change environment in my VPP, can I activate my FF, and while it is still active change the environment?

 

I understood your question perfectly. And the answer to your question is "Yes, provided both powers fit the Active and Real point limits of the VPP."

 

If you have 5th Edition Revised, pages 322-325 cover all of this.

[tgrandjean]

Re: help me!

 

Re: The eat anything power...

I personally would go with a 1d6 HKA with Pen(x2). However, if you're going with an EatMan kind of character an Extradimensional Movement, UAO: character's stomache with a additional power: summon, limited class of items: items character has consumed within X amount of time, extra time (at least 1 phase) is kind of amusing.

[Susano]

Re: help me!

 

Re: The eat anything power...

I personally would go with a 1d6 HKA with Pen(x2). However, if you're going with an EatMan kind of character an Extradimensional Movement, UAO: character's stomache with a additional power: summon, limited class of items: items character has consumed within X amount of time, extra time (at least 1 phase) is kind of amusing.

 

Speaking of Eat-Man, I present Bolt Crank.

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptionsanime/bolt.html

[doro5]

Re: help me!

 

Ok!

For you to understand my questions, ill tell you exactly what I’m doing:

I am a GM to 2 players, and we’ve already finished our first adventure.

Now, I’m want to encounter them with a hero group called "the pantheon", and its heroes are based on the Greek gods. Currently I’m working on a "Demeter" (the goddess of earth and fertility, for the mythological-impaired).

Now, lets say that Demeter can grow trees out of nothing, should I use a transform nothing into trees, or maybe a summon trees?

[kave99]

Re: help me!

 

"lets say that Demeter can grow trees out of nothing " ?

 

OK are they just ordinary trees that do ordinary tree things in a tree friendly environment in the midst of a bunch of "real" trees. then yes and its probably a minor transform. i might be convinced that it's a cosmetic transform in a forest.

if the tree is going to live in a underground parking garage than its probably a major transform .

you could make a good case for change environment perhaps with/ or without the +20 adder long-lasting .

use summon if the trees are "alive" doing things far beyond what normal trees can do.

[doro5]

Re: help me!

 

Ok, but the rules say that creating objects using transform is automatically a major transform. And they are normal trees, but can be used in a verity of ways.

You can’t change what type of transform after you buy the power!

And where do you see a "long lasting" adder? (A page will be nice)

[Starlord]

Re: help me!

 

Ok' date=' but the rules say that creating objects using transform is automatically a major transform. And they are normal trees, but can be used in a verity of ways.[/color']

You can’t change what type of transform after you buy the power!

And where do you see a "long lasting" adder? (A page will be nice)

 

You say the trees 'will be used in a variety of ways' - you need to figure out all they can do and work from there. If you want trees that will grab people, then that is an entangle with appropriate limitations not a transform. If you want trees that pummel someone - then you figure out the appropriate attack also with appropriate limitations.

[kave99]

Re: help me!

 

adder long-lasting is on page 137 H5R

well if you want to make trees spring up in a forest there's not much advantage to it , its not really nothing to tree its more like grow tree real fast . if you want to grow trees in a variety of environments take a mp with three fixed slots

 

15 mp 15pt reserve

1U cosmetic transform 3D6{big tree} in a forest

1U minor transform 1 1/2D6 {med tree} in a big patch of grass

1U major transform 1D6 {small tree} in concrete

 

yes you are right that the rules say its a major transform but i would think this was reasonable balanced and not vary abusive in my example it just means you get a bigger tree in a good environment

[kave99]

Re: help me!

 

just looked up the tree on the expanded object table i would have thought a tree would have more body