Advantages as Powers?

[LordQulex]

A cleric prays to his deity and his sword is engulfed in holy flames. A mage casts a spell and a sling bullet becomes enchanted. A witch blesses her father's service revolver to be able to damage demons. These are all examples of things I can not figure out how to do in the HERO system.

 

They all have one generic thread in common - how to enhance a mundane item with adders. In heroic campaigns, where above average people purchase average gear with in-character money, how does a hero magically enhance their equipment? . If the cleric is to harm ghosts, it needs affects desolidified. If the mage wants to enchant sling bullets to hit better and explode, it needs range advantages and area-of-effect. If the witch needs the bullets to pierce the hide of a demon, it needs armor piercing.

 

Can the noble and benevolent community share how you have enchanted equipment in your games? I'm looking for powers that give adders to common equipment.

 

Thanks!

[Steve Long]

Since this is a request to the community, I've moved it to the Discussion board, where anyone can reply.

[Doc Democracy]

They are called naked modifiers. Check them out. :-)what edition are you playing?

[Nolgroth]

Well there is Naked/Independent Advantage. That might be a good place to start. For Sixth Edition, you have the following resources;

 

• 6E1, Page 314 (called Naked Advantage)
• Champions Complete Page 95 (called Independent Advantages)
• Fantasy Hero Complete  Page 112 (also called Independent Advantages)

 

Naked Advantages also were in 5th Edition, though I don't have my 5th Ed resources as readily available.

 

Edit: Ninja'd.

[Christopher]

Mostly naked advantages.

 

"Extra resistance to attacks" is usually done by limiting a defenses to a special effect/not against one.

Some powers (like Desolidification, Regeneration, Resurrection) even have what I call a "mandatory weakness".
Just add "Variable Special Effect" as a naked advantage.

 

For the Holy/Flaming sword, also consdier my answer to this thread:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/93923-making-fiery-tackle/?p=2526512

[dsatow]

I'll give you several options.  As the saying goes, "There is more than one way to skin a cat.  1d6 HKA, 1d6 Body Drain rec/century, 1d6 Blast does body NND, ..."

1) The naked advantage option. (Give an advantage to the base weapon)

2) Major Transform. (Transform mundane weapon to magical weapon)

3) Usable by other with appropriate limitation (ex: 1d6+1 HKA AP lim: replaces base weapon damage -1/2)

4) Give XP to buy up the power and possibly a disad/complication to pay for it.

5) Treat it as part of the story and just allow the weapon to be enchanted. (ex: with this expensive and ridiculously hard spell, I transform the sword to "Middling" the sword before they got it right and made Excalibur)

[InfiniteKarma]

This depends on heroic or superheroic games, but it sounds like this is for heroic based on your examples.

 

The other option is building a power with the effect you want (e.g. an enchanted weapon does 3d6 killing damage whether it's a sword or a knife.), and a "Focus of Opportunity -0.5" limitation. As long as you have a suitable weapon available, it can be used to produce that effect, without worrying about what the weapon did before.

[Wardsman]

A cleric prays to his deity and his sword is engulfed in holy flames. A mage casts a spell and a sling bullet becomes enchanted. A witch blesses her father's service revolver to be able to damage demons. These are all examples of things I can not figure out how to do in the HERO system.

 

They all have one generic thread in common - how to enhance a mundane item with adders. In heroic campaigns, where above average people purchase average gear with in-character money, how does a hero magically enhance their equipment? . If the cleric is to harm ghosts, it needs affects desolidified. If the mage wants to enchant sling bullets to hit better and explode, it needs range advantages and area-of-effect. If the witch needs the bullets to pierce the hide of a demon, it needs armor piercing.

 

Can the noble and benevolent community share how you have enchanted equipment in your games? I'm looking for powers that give adders to common equipment.

 

Thanks!

Caveat I don't play 6th edition but I don't think it has changed that much.

 

Nothing you listed is inherently an adder or an advantage. Can be done that way though

Flaming sword is extra HKA with fire sfx. 

Sling bullet? Depends on what the blessing does.

 

I build my demons with disadvantages vulnerable and susceptible to consecrated items and use a transform to make weapons consecrated.

Others have suggested a simple KS as ritual can make a weapon consecrated.

 

Variable sfx advantage is another option. Could be an naked advantage(advantage as a power).