SixGunSamurai Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Howdy HERO folk, I just bought a copy of Hero 5th revised edition in order to run a Superpowers game set in the 30s and all the evidence pointed that this system was the way to go. I've read through it a few times and am already impressed and obsessed, but having never actually played it, I'm still flying a little blind. There's nothing like hands on experience, but my gamers are chomping at the bit for this campaign to start and some have started on their character designs. So, I need some expert feedback if you don't mind. One of my girls wants to play a very bohemian character with empathic abilities. She wants to be able to read the gambit of emotions from her target(s), but she also wants the power to transfer said emotions to her. So, if she reads fear from someone then she may also become frightened, if she reads rage then she might get angry, etc. Any thoughts? And please keep in mind, I'm an old hat gamer, but baby butt fresh to this system. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Taylor Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... I don't have time to make a sample build right now, but I think as a starting point maybe you want to look at a Telepathy based power, with the Empathy and Side Effects limitations, with the Side Effects being most likely a limited Mind Control (only to alter emotions) or Mental Transform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeZurKur Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... It looks like the limitation Side Effect (p. 307.) Buy the points of of the effect as a sort of variable Psychological Limitation, based on the targets current emotion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyGuardian Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... As an aside, Pulp hero might be a good source for info about the 30's even though it is aimed at a heroic level game rather than superheroic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Welcome, SGS! You've come to the right place for answers; we veterans are always eager to show the newcomers how much we know. I can't add to my predecessors' good advice regarding your specific question. However, given your situation I think you'll benefit from this discussion board thread started by someone very much like yourself, a new HERO GM with new players, looking for advice on how to start: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9188 Feel free to come back with any further questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Seconding what others have already suggested - Side Effects is probably the easiest way to go. I would probably buy it with the x2 modifier for Side Effect occurs whenever the power works, and then set the Active Points of the Side Effect so that a typical roll will get the PC at EGO+0 or EGO+10; of course, she'd still get a Breakout Roll to resist the effect, just like normal Mind Control. If for some reason Side Effects isn't quite what you're looking for, another option might be to give her a Psychological Limitation: Easily affected by other people's emotions. That's a little more nebulous and makes it more of a roleplaying thing, rather than a rules mechanics thing. Depends on you and the player see this affecting her. And welcome aboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... More generally, you might want to pick up "Pulp Hero" and "Masterminds and Madmen" for sample powers and characters and info on running games in the period you're thinking of. Also, Surbrook's Stuff has a number of characters from that period. This thread in the Pulp Hero forum has some of my powered Pulp Era supers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Personally I would use the ENRAGED Disadvantage as the basis of the Sympathetic Empathy flaw you mention. It is a Disadvantage that deals with people getting overcome by irrational behavior. It has a mechanic for how often (probably Common in this case), the chance of losing control, and the chance of regaining control. Sympathetic Emotion: May Be Overcome By Same Emotion Target Is Feeling When Using Empathy Powers (Common), go 11-, recover 11-; -20 If the Sympathetic Emotions she takes on are exceptionally strong you could also apply a parrallel of the BERSERK modifier. Sympathetic Emotion: Extreme May Be Overcome By Same Emotion Target Is Feeling When Using Empathy Powers (Common), go 11-, recover 11-; -30 If the effect is usually just a contact buzz and only particularly strong emotions in others cause this effect, just reduce the commonality to Uncommon. Define a set enforced behavior for each of the major emotions, and you're done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixGunSamurai Posted July 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Thanks fellas! That is certainly more than I had (now I just have to use the Hero tome and translate it all.) 'Preciate all the input and the previous thread was a big help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Here is a possibly sample build of that type of Power: Empathy: Telepathy 8d6 (40 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2), Receive Only (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Character automatically shifts to same emotional state as target; -1/2) [16 Real Points] It may or may not be appropriate to take "Does Not Provide Mental Awareness" as a Limitation on the power as well. 8D6 gets normals and many others, if you need it to work against those with Mental Defense and/or opponants with EGO greater than around 25 then increase the dice appropriately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirViss Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... I know this is mentionned in the thread that Lord Liaden referred you to, but it bears mentioning again: The UNTIL Superpower Database is a very good reference for examples of power constructs. It has a good sampling of powers for empathic characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Welcome Valkyrie! ... er, SixGunSamarai! Looks like you're set up, I just wanted to say "howdy" also. These boards are a great resource by the way, don't be afraid to post questions here or ask for help with a difficult build. Folks here seem to love making tricky builds. Nice avatar too, btw. I always did like Logan in a western hat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixGunSamurai Posted July 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Welcome Valkyrie! ... er' date=' SixGunSamarai! [/quote'] This is either a Gauntlet reference or mistaken identity. Thanks everybody for the help and the welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... The Gauntlet one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... You know, it's tragic, I'm so terribly obsessed with the new Valkyrie Profile that was the first thing I thought of. Welcome, SGS. I am the Lord Captain Thia Halmades. I'm like you - I spent a great deal of time here early on just pestering the holy hell out of people until they coughed up answers or shooed me off to bother someone else. I'm familiar with the growing pains of HERO, and I've made it a point to buy most of the books so far (I hope to round out my Dark Champions & buy all the Pulp books simultaneously, maybe get the latest Star Hero book while I'm at it). Oh yesh. Anyway. Telepathy, surface thoughts only, only emotional state (-1/2), Side Effect: share targets emotional state, side effect always occurs. You're getting into Mental powers, something I haven't modeled much of just yet, so I'm a little bit lost, but those are some starting ideas for you to work through. I agree with my colleagues - Side Effects are the 'it' limitation in this case. I'm always amazed at precisely what you can do with Side Effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Raven Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Welcome, SixGun! I've done the empath thing nearly to death in my own games (only nearly because I love empaths). I had one character designed with a side effect like you describe. I had him written up with a Physical Limitation: Experiences Emotions Senses With Empathy (frequently, slightly limiting). This character's empathy was bought as Limited Telepathy. The trick was costantly adjucating the exact effects of experiencing someone elses emotions. Normally, it had very little effect in game and I eventually switched out the Disad for something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixGunSamurai Posted July 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Do you think it could be made more of a disadvantage? Almost crippling to the character? With maybe someway to make a roll and not suffer the effects? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Do you think it could be made more of a disadvantage? Almost crippling to the character? With maybe someway to make a roll and not suffer the effects? If you want to be able to make an EGO roll to resist the effects, you could make it a Psych Limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Do you think it could be made more of a disadvantage? Almost crippling to the character? With maybe someway to make a roll and not suffer the effects? If you scroll up a bit I already posted an example of how to do it as a Disadvantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixGunSamurai Posted July 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Ut! Yeah ya did. Sorry. Just trying to absorb it all; I guess redundancy is bound to happen. Thanks for the sample, Shrike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... KS is good for those, and of course they're both correct - if you want to roll to resist, a 'saving throw', if you will - then you want a Psych Lim with an EGO roll to get out of it. Then you just build the disad as you would any other psych lim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guyon Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... I would like ot make the suggestion to buy the Hero Designer Program. It will say you so much time. It walks you though every build and lets you make changes with ease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixGunSamurai Posted July 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... Yeah, I was looking at that, but wasn't sure if it was any good. Sometimes, depending on the system/product, those build programs aren't worth their salt or are more problematic then they are helpful or you have to already be an expert in the char. creation process to use them. So, that's one endorsement. Anybody else wanna weigh in? (as I change my own thread) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... I use Hero Designer constantly. Major time saver, and often reminds me of character creation rules I'd forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 Re: VERY new GM seeking Powers help... One of my PCs swears by it, and I've been told on NUMEROUS occassions to get it. You can DL a demo to get a feel for it, I believe. It's really a great piece of software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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