GoldenAge Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? I just allowed a necromantic mage hero (??? - yah, that alone is going to be trouble within Epic City's hero team Epic Alliance) to have a spell wherein he summons a spirit in the form of the Grim Reaper (complete with scythe) that appears and slices up his opponents. The cuts are phantasms, so no blood or guts... But the attack is bought as a Transformation: Working Limb to Non-Working Limb... It hasn't bit me in the arse yet... but I feel like I might loose its use soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkham Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Quite frankly I thought the story was hilarious. I enjoyed it a lot. I'll probably share it with other gamer friends and geeks outside of this website. Thank you for sharing it. I did not' date=' however, get the supposed pun. I still don't. If you had said "It was his idea of humour" the first time instead of "he likes punning" I wouldn't have asked again. For all I knew he actually knows Japanese and it really is clever, though I've never heard it used that way. Sorry for being curious.[/quote'] To finish murdering the humor... The character's name Bonsai, having to do with tiny trees... His power is shrinking things... Tiny trees, shrinking? Get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? I don't get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsterGun Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? High strength with double knockback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Hawk Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? The talk of transform reminded me (not my game, I was a player)... The player took major transform: Normal Person into Captain Hero. It wouldn't work on anyone over 100pts, which made it useless against villians... directly. Captain Hero was a 2000 point character, with the psych limitation "slavishly loyal to person who transformed him". Hit a couple of innocent bystanders with it, and the villians were toast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Certified Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? The talk of transform reminded me (not my game, I was a player)... The player took major transform: Normal Person into Captain Hero. It wouldn't work on anyone over 100pts, which made it useless against villians... directly. Captain Hero was a 2000 point character, with the psych limitation "slavishly loyal to person who transformed him". Hit a couple of innocent bystanders with it, and the villians were toast. Okay the GM who allowed that one ... you know I don't think it even needs to be said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Mackinder Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Okay the GM who allowed that one ... you know I don't think it even needs to be said. In that case, definitely a "What the #### were you THINKING?" moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Archer Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? So far, as a GM, I have been lucky enough to avoid a situation where I regretted allowing a power. However, as a player . . . when a new GM says build a 500 point character and you have as much experience as I do in building Champions characters . . . try not to make a speedster that totally destroys every villian he can come up with and in doing so kills the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? As a player my GM once allowed me to create an archer (Silver Archer - Guardian of Gateway City [st. Louis]) who had a VPP limited to Suppress that he shot as Continuing Charges (Various Advantage)! Heh. He literally assassinated my character after it became apparent that Silver Archer had an answer for everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtFool Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Sometimes' date=' learning your limitations as a GM is a painful experience. I've been there myself, which is why I usually don't try to GM, despite my intermittent worldbuilding.[/quote'] And then people wonder why there are not more GMs. Make an abusive character, loose a GM. Is it really worth it? This is not directed at you, Peregrine. More at those who brag about how they made the GM squirm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Well, in my case, it was definitely a matter of learning my own limitations first hand, rather than any significant player misbehavior. And there are also plenty of stories by GMs about how they "made the players squirm", with a tone of "that's the GMs job". *shrug* It goes both ways, and everyone is the poorer for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtFool Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? It goes both ways' date=' and everyone is the poorer for it.[/quote'] Agreed. Role playing is supposed to be about fun. It only takes one person, on either side of the screen, to ruin it for the entire group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? #SIGH# As I already said, yes, he knows the differance. It was his idea of humour, and I compliment you on successfully murdering every iota of humour in this conversation. If it makes you feel any better, I got it in one. The talk of transform reminded me (not my game, I was a player)... The player took major transform: Normal Person into Captain Hero. It wouldn't work on anyone over 100pts, which made it useless against villians... directly. Captain Hero was a 2000 point character, with the psych limitation "slavishly loyal to person who transformed him". Hit a couple of innocent bystanders with it, and the villians were toast. That GM has my sympathy. If he's smart, he learned from that experience. If he quit GMing, then maybe he wasn't cut out for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhoulMaster Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? SPD on Continuing (1 Turn) Charges (each charge is a +1 to SPD), w/Cost END and x4 END PER PHASE. Only 4 Charges, so not a big deal, right? Only his friend (in game and out) has Aid for to increase anybody's number fo charges. Fight starts, seg 12; Aid guy pumps Speedy's number of Charges to 20 (Speedy's got SPD of 4 to start); maybe goes into Seg 1. Speedy acts twice each Seg. By seg 11 or 12 Speedy's used up all END and burned most of his STUN. He's also wiped most of the bad guys out (way high HA, some MA too; he's acting twice each seg, remember). Seg 12 Aid guy does his healing to Speedy while the rest of the team mops up the details. The GM thought he'd "tamed down" Speedy---he hadn't thought about Aid guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnaskar Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? I had a lightning power mage and a mutant with snot powers in my group. In one of their first fights one player asks what happens to snot when you run electricity through it. As most of the group had (like me) had a lot of chemistry and physics we were quickly able to decide that it crystallizes. The next obvious question is what the DEF of crystallized snot is. I (the GM) look over snot boy's character sheet and sure enough s/he (female player, male character) has 9/9 armor bought as crystallized snot. "nine" I answer without giving it much more thought. The problem is: snot boy had a weak AoE entangle and just hit the enemy MA with it; the MA's causual strengh had almost broken him out. It's now the lightning mage's turn. I lost around half a dozen one shoted villians to that combo move. Another player in the same group had a entangle (DEF 5, 4d6) based on CON with autofire. he also has increased END cost on it so it cost him most his END to go full auto with it, but with his accuracy and autofire skills he could eliminate the villians entire support group and even keep a brick immobile for a few segments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrix3 Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Well, in my case, it was definitely a matter of learning my own limitations first hand, rather than any significant player misbehavior. And there are also plenty of stories by GMs about how they "made the players squirm", with a tone of "that's the GMs job". *shrug* It goes both ways, and everyone is the poorer for it. A GM making the players squirm because that means he/she is "winning" is not cool, but occasionally making the players squirm because you got a hook in their characters, and they have to actually think, is required of a good GM. As long as you balance with some "fun" sessions, whatever that means for your group (mine, it usually means "and in this session, you make the bad guys go boom") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? A GM making the players squirm because that means he/she is "winning" is not cool' date=' but occasionally making the players squirm because you got a hook in their characters, and they have to actually think, is required of a good GM. As long as you balance with some "fun" sessions, whatever that means for your group (mine, it usually means "and in this session, you make the bad guys go boom")[/quote'] It's the difference between giving the PCs a challenge for them to overcome, in a manner appropriate to the genre and tone of the campaign (good!), and finding anything and everything possible that can go wrong for the PCs to demonstrate some kind of superiority over the players (bad). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhoulMaster Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Fellow not much experienced with Hero asked me about a character; lucky him, I spotted this combo, and it got nixed: Rapid Autofire Rapid Attack Skipover Sprayfire Combat Skill Levels, +2 OCV with one particular type of autofire weapon (4 points) +4 Penalty Skill Levels vs. Rapid Fire OCV penalties. (6 points) It would not have been quite a game-breaker, but it did mean the character would be too effective with autofire. Give him Set and Brace, and his target would be full of holes, period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narratio Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Way back in 2nd Edition I saw a player buy 6 levels of growth, usable on others with an area effect. The GM was nee, having moved over from 1st Edition V&V and thought it sounded sort of cool. Anyway, it was allowed. Do you know how many ants can be found in the average ant hill? There were millions of them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? I've ended up not thinking through the implications of a power or two (and in fact may have done so in my upcoming campaign since the techie character has 24- in few skills under the right circumstances...), but it has never been totally game breaking. Just enough to have to throw the outline out the window play by ear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhoulMaster Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Way back in 2nd Edition I saw a player buy 6 levels of growth, usable on others with an area effect. The GM was nee, having moved over from 1st Edition V&V and thought it sounded sort of cool. Anyway, it was allowed. Do you know how many ants can be found in the average ant hill? There were millions of them!! Wasn't there a movie about giant ants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stone Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? I had a PC try and get this one by me: Teleport usable against others w/megascale. She became upset when I told her I would not allow her to teleport bad guys a kilometer straight up and drop them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Wasn't there a movie about giant ants? Oh, no! It's Them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narratio Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Wasn't there a movie about giant ants?There have been a half dozen of them, it's a favoured subject. That game fell over when the other players decided they'd help the GM out and all took a couple of dozen dog sized giant ants and sent them on a sugar seeking rampage while the rest dismembered the cities civilian populace and tried to stuff them down the normal size ant hill. Area effect is possibly the sneakiest modifier you can add to a non standard "wham-blam-thud" power. And it's amazingly open to abuse when linked to "usable on others". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karma Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power? Agreed. Role playing is supposed to be about fun. It only takes one person' date=' on either side of the screen, to ruin it for the entire group.[/quote'] Totally off topic, but I've been in games where a player made everyone (but himself) squirm and not from his powers. That can also ruin a game. O.k. back to the topic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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