Simon

The FAQ exists to clarify rules in FREd that are misunderstood....or not understood clearly enough. It also elaborates on rules that may not be stated at all in FREd. Variations on rules and questions that may never have occurred to Steve when he was initially writing the book. The rullings that Steve makes in the FAQ are just as much a part of Hero System as the book itself. They exist to help people better understand the rules of the system. If you want, I believe that they keep a PDF copy of the FAQ posted, so you can easily download it and print it out. You can even staple it into the back of your copy of FREd, if that makes you feel better.

You're welcome to buy it however you want. The way I suggested is the way that I would expect one of my players to purchase it. If they came to me with your second option, I would tell them to stop being a munchkin and deal with it.....or I'd make their character's life a living hell until they learned their lesson. As for the third option, it is against the rules, so the points don't really matter. It is the same as saying that you'd save points if you only spent 3 points per level of Energy Blast rather than 5. You're technically correct, but you're not following the rules of the Hero System, which is what we're discussing.

First off, you are perfectly welcome to sell back SPD. It is completely within the rules for you to do so. If you have a 2.3 SPD and you sell back a level, you get 10 points back and end up at a 1 SPD. As for the source of the rule, I get the rule directly from Steve Long. The guy that WRITES the rules. The rule is made abundantly clear in the FAQ, since there are a number of people that have been operating under a misconception of what the rules regarding partial points of SPD were and were taking their misconceptions as cannon. This rule is not a new rule. It is not something that Steve created for 5th Edition. It has been around for a long time....it is just something which he found it necessary to clarify when folks started asking questions about it.

The only thing that I'd raise an eyebrow at would be the Ablative, though that's probably a good way to simulate the wall being chipped away by attacks which don't exceed its DEF....you'd just need to work with your GM to determine how much of the wall is whittled away each time. To answer the question: yes, you could have multiple ice walls up and then make it snow. Because the walls are Uncontrolled, they have no connection to the character once they are created....you can shift MP slots at will and the walls will remain in place.

Uncontrolled is generally used for the "activate the Power and forget about it" effect. Once activated, the Power is completely separate from the character. The character can be knocked out, killed, taken to Canada, or any number of other unpleasant things....the power will continue to function. Part of the Uncontrolled Modifier is defining a "reasonably common" circumstance which will deactivate the Power. In the case of an ice wall, I (personally) would have no problem whatsoever with the statement that it needs to be melted. Characters with Fire SFX Powers could melt the wall very quickly....others would simly wait for it to melt on its own. The only trick in there is the idea that the wall would disappear as soon as you changed MP slots.....this means that it is not entirely separated from the character. I think that it would be easiest to simply take this as part of the "reasonably common" way to turn off the Uncontrolled Power, but that's up to you...

No, it costs exactly what it is supposed to cost according to the rules of the system.

You continue to misunderstand. You cannot "buy up" your SPD to a fractional value. Fractional SPD only exists to give the player a benefit if they want to buy their SPD Characteristic up to the next whole level from its base. That's it. You cannot sell it off. You cannot buy fractional SPD as a Power. You cannot buy up your SPD to a fractional value.

Again, incorrect. It may help if you stopped looking for this to be difficult/broken and simply accepted the rule. I'll go through how to do this in HD, since that is likely going to be easiest for you to understand: On the characteristics tab: Purchase +2 DEX (giving you a 12 DEX Characteristic). This costs you 6 points. Do nothing with your SPD (leaving you at a 2 SPD Characteristic). On the Powers tab: Purchase +11 DEX, OIHID. For clarity, have it add into the secondary total. This costs you 26 points. Purchase +2 SPD, OIHID. For clarity, have it add into the secondary total. This costs you 16 points. You are left with a character that has: 12/23 DEX 2/5 SPD Conceptually, this matches what you are looking to do: outside of Hero ID, the character has 12 DEX and 2 SPD. In Hero ID, the character has 23 DEX and 5 SPD. He benefits from the boost to his DEX by gaining an extra point of SPD (he only bought 2 levels to get to 5 SPD).

As always, there are many ways you can do it. The way that comes to mind for me (offhand) would be to simply use a Force Wall. If you don't want to spend END to maintain the wall, then you can make it 0-END. If you want the wall to remain until it melts or you swith the MP slot around, you can make it Uncontrolled (with the condition to stop the power being that you either shift MP slots or simply melt the wall).

You do not see what I'm saying at all. DEX 15, base SPD 2.5 But it up to 3 as a characteristic for 5 character points. +8 DEX, OIHID. This now changes his BASE SPD to 3.3 (23 DEX total). If he wants to have a character with a SPD of 4, he spends 7 points TOTAL on his SPD to go from a 3.3 to a 4. If he wants to have a character with a SPD of 3, he does not spend anything (he gets back that initial 5 points that he spent, since it is no longer valid/needed) and remains at a SPD of 3. Some costs may help: DEX: 10 base, 15 as a Characteristic (15 points) SPD: 2.5 base, 3 as a Characteristic (5 points) Total: 20 points --------- DEX: 10 base, +5 as a Characteristic, +8 OIHID, 23 total (15+19=34 points) SPD: 3.3 base, 3 as a Characteristic (0 points) Total: 34 points ---------- DEX: 10 base, +5 as a Characteristic, +8 OIHID, 23 total (15+19=34 points) SPD: 3.3 base, 4 as a Characteristic (7 points) Total: 41 points

There are no "fractional points" of SPD when purchasing SPD as a POWER. In the example given above, the +1 SPD is being purchased without Modifiers and is bought as a Characteristic.

Incorrect. The problem was a basic misunderstanding of the way SPD and DEX relate. it does not matter what order the DEX is purchased, it always affects the base (starting) SPD. If he wants a character with a 3 SPD, he doesn't need to spend anything (and actually gets back the 5 points that he spent initially on the +1 SPD, since it is no longer necessary). If he wants a character with a 4 SPD, he just needs to spend the 7 points necessary to take his SPD up to 4 from 3.3 -- assuming he does not put any modifiers on his +1 SPD. The only time he would need to spend 10 points for that initial +1 SPD instead of 7 would be if he purchased the +1 SPD as a Power, in which case the "partial SPD" does not apply. Per Steve.

That is incorrect. The extra 8 DEX affects your base SPD. It doesn't matter what "order" you purchase the characteristics/powers in. To be clear: If you have a 15 DEX, this gives you a 2.5 base SPD. If you then buy +1 SPD as a characteristic, you are left with 3 SPD for 5 points. If you then buy +8 DEX, OIHID as a Power, you have a 3.3 base SPD and your choice of: 4 SPD for 7 points or 3 SPD for 0 points

Err...no it doesn't. If you have a 24 DEX, you have a base SPD of 3.4. If you buy it up to 5, you have spent 16 points on your SPD. If you then increase your DEX (with experience, or whatever) to 25, you have a base SPD of 3.5. Your +2 SPD now costs you 15 points rather than 16. This is, of course, assuming you bought the +2 SPD as a Characteristic, not a Power. Actually, if you have a 15 DEX and 3 SPD and purchase +8 DEX, OIHID and +1 SPD, OIHID, you are left with: 23 DEX (total) 3.3 base SPD 4 SPD (total) The +1 SPD costs you 10 points because it is a Power (it has Modifiers on it). This is per Steve and according to the rules of the system. If you purchase the +8 DEX and tell HD to have it add into the secondary total, then you have (assuming the +1 SPD is also added into the secondary total): 15/23 DEX (total) 2.5/3.3 base SPD 2/4 SPD (total) Outside of werewolf form, the character has 15 DEX and 2 SPD (correct). In werewolf form, he has 23 DEX and 4 SPD (correct). There is no breakdown.

You seem to be under the impression that (a) this is difficult to work around in HD and ( that this is a new rule. Neither is the case.

You'll find that these boards are a fantastic resource for any questions that you run into. If you have any questions on Hero Designer, just let me know and I'll do what I can to help out

You have two options, that I can see: 1. Purchase the Aid outside of the EC and link it to each slot. 2. Purchase the Aid multiple times....adding it into each slot as a Compound Power. Each slot is then a new power which is a combination of the original power and an Aid. From what you describe, (2) is likely the best way to do things, though if you're talking about a large-scale Aid it may get pricey.

Yes and no. You can buy the negative Skill Levels and apply the Lims just fine. The only issue that you'll run into is if you place everything into a Compound Power -- HD will total the Active Costs of each component Power to come up with the total Active Cost. Because the negative Skill Levels have a negative Active Cost, the value that HD lists for the overall Active Cost of the ability will be less than the value listed in FREd. There's some ambiguity in FREd as to which method is correct....

More notes: As noted on page 333, OCV penalties are bought as 5-point "negative" Skill Levels on a Focus (OAF; -1). This changes the math you have posted above. -2 OCV (as in the example with the Derringer) is -10 Active and -5 Real Cost.

I've worked through most of them (in the process of checking over HD) and they all work out (or are noted as errors in the Errata). I'll use the .38 Special as an example, since it's simpler than the .38 Derringer in that it does not include negative skill levels: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6 + 1; STR Minimum 7 (STR Min. Cannot Add/Subtract Damage; -1), OAF (-1), 6 Charges (-3/4), Real Weapon (-1/4), Beam (-1/4) Active Cost: 20 Real Cost: 5 Just like FREd states. In working out the .38 Derringer, if memory serves, the Real Cost total will actually work out to a negative value, due to the OCV and RMod values. The minimum cost for anything, however, is 1 point, so the total Real Cost for the weapon is 1 point.

Just realized: don't build your Automaton with Absorption to a Defense....it's not worth it. First (assuming you've got a "true Automaton" with Takes No STUN), the cost of all Defense Powers is tripled. Then you halve the effect of your Absorption. So you'll only go up by 1 PD for every 6 BODY Absorbed....

Well whaddya know....never even noticed that one ;-) I'll just stick to handling the character creation software and leave the combat software to other folks

I am aware of no such rule. Absorption adds to Defenses just like any other Power. The only statement in FREd (to my knowledge) about Absorption and Defenses is "...but if the Absorption increases any defenses applicable to the attack, only the pre-Absorption amount of defenses protects him that Segment..." -- I followed this in the "example" above. Absorption adds in 1 Character Point for every BODY Absorbed. PD is 1 Character Point per +1, therefore it is a 1/1 with the BODY Absorbed.

OK...an example: I've got a guy with 10d6 Absorption versus Physical Damage. The Absorption goes to his PD. The character has a natural 20 PD (for the sake of argument). Combat begins. He's hit by a punch, taking 12d6 damage. The roll is average and he takes 42 STUN and 12 BODY. His Absorption give him +12 PD now. He takes 22 STUN from the attack. So far so good. Next time he's hit by the same attack, he takes only 10 STUN, and his PD goes up another 12 points. He's now at a respectable 44 PD. After only 2 hits. Third hit does the same damage. He no longer takes any STUN from the attack (he shrugs off the attack) and his PD is now at a whopping 56. This will continue until he maxes out his Absorption (+60 PD for a total of 80 PD). Not too shabby of a Power, if you ask me.

Yup.