Ice9

I like the earth/stone idea.

Possible direct attack powers:

* Earthen Fist - Blast, Indirect (from below), possibly Double Knockback

* Stone Shards - RKA

* Sand/Dust Storm - Flash

* Magma Eruption - RKA, Damage Over Time or Uncontrolled

* Sudden Pit - Blast + Tunneling UaA

* Area effect versions of all the above

Possible Control-Type Powers:

Way too many to even count - myriad forms of Entangle, Barrier, Control Environment, Darkness (sand/dust cloud), TK, even Images (make figures out of dirt, fool people using radar/spatial awareness to see through dust storms).

Movement:

Tunneling

Moving "wave" of earth for increased Running, possibly with "doesn't have to be standing / move legs" advantage. Also possibly shareable.

Possible Defense:

Shield of orbiting stone shards: ResDef, Protects Carried, RAR

Barrier + See Through Earth/Stone + Indirect

Tunneling + See Through Earth/Stone + Indirect; Ultra effective in the right conditions

Barrier with Trigger

Just be nimble as hell, confusing people who think "stone = slow"; Combat Luck, Flying Dodge, etc.

Re: A power to swap places with someone.

That's an interesting option I hadn't thought of. Of course' date=' there is the issue with having a lowered DCV and taking a Full Phase, but it is certainly an option.[/quote']That's what the Rapid Attack (IIRC) is for - lowers the time to a half-phase. The DCV drop is an issue though, and it means that for only 30m of Teleport, you may be better off with the Linked Teleport approach.

Re: A power to swap places with someone.

Actually, since you can use UaA powers on yourself, what about:

Switch Places: Teleport 30m, Usable as Attack, Limited Range, Only to Trade Places

Rapid Attack, Only for Switch Places

+2 CSLs with Switch Places

Then when using it, you just do a Multiple Attack on both yourself and the intended target. Not much of a price difference at the current strength, but useful if you want to make the range longer.

Re: "Must cross intervening space"

It doesn't include having to get there normally. For instance, it could represent turning into a beam of light.

The thing that was being fudged in the Dark Champions power is the requirement to be able to move there even semi-normally.

Re: Most PCs...

I'd agree that VPPs should definitely have a reasonably limited "portfolio", as opposed to something ultra-broad (at least in most cases). Often a lot of that is in how well the special effect is defined. For example:

Shapeshifting Powers: Potentially ultra-board.

Shapeshifting with conservation of mass, can only get realistically tough/strong/fast, and doesn't grant mystic powers like a basilisk stare: Reasonable, even fairly limited.

Necromancy: Usually pretty limited

Necromancy that includes summoning ghosts with expert skills/knowledge for any subject, and forming any object out of shadow: Pretty damn broad

Re: Most PCs...

I find it interesting that the argument against Multipowers is that it favors certain concepts - when removing them favors particular concepts to a much larger degree.

In a world without Multipowers:

Elemental Man: Skin of Stone, Wings of Air, Nimbus of Fire, Water Blast. Result: Works great

Elemental Man: Hail of Stone, Hurricane Breath, Sword of Fire, Water Blast. Result: Cruddy

Unless, of course, you let the latter combine all his attacks into one giant Combined Attack, which vaporizes anything set up for a more typical level of offense. Even with no limits, you have a similar issue - the concept that can combine all its powers together beats the one that can't.

Re: Most PCs...

The biggest issue with multiform is that it backloads the cost of spending experience points. If all the PC's get awarded X amount of experience' date=' the multiform character has to spend points on the base form before spending any on the other forms.[/quote']Is that how it works? I got the impression that you could simply spend the XP on the base form's Multipower, thus gaining 5 points in the secondary forms for every 1 XP spent.

 

 

Re: Bricks. While that Multipower-Brick build is somewhat unusual, it's if anything less powerful than a standard Brick. Especially in 5E, where plain Strength was one of the best deals in the entire game.

Re: Discussion: 'Dive for Cover' and Non-Area Attacks

DfC is independent of the opponent's chance to hit. If your opponent hits you on a 17-, DfC becomes a lot better, comparatively.

Also, in some situations, you can DfC to safety (through a door that closes behind you, onto a transporter, into the range of an ally's defensive powers), which can make the negative effects moot - or at least worth it. With Teleport (and SBT) this becomes a lot more common.

But when facing multiple roughly-even foes, it's not usually the best choice.

Re: Most PCs...

I feel like even most "single-power" characters in comics have - in HERO terms - more than one way to use their power, which a Multipower is a good way to model. Sure, the Power skill can handle it to an extent, but a lot of the time you've got more than one commonly used version, which makes building it explicitly a better idea, IMO.

For example - super-speed, eye beams, ___-kinesis, and many morphic powers all fall into this category.

Re: Base Power, Disadvantage or just sfx

For the darkness - no cost, that's just the absence of lighting. Buying the power would only be necessary if it was actually impossible to bring lighting down there.

For the atmosphere - I like LS: Alternate Atmosphere. Shouldn't be many points, but seems reasonable. Upgrading this to LS: Self-Contained Breathing would make the base airtight and prevent leaks, which may be a good idea.

For being underground and hard to access, the existing cost modifier works fine there.

The circumstances do give the character an advantage, but that advantage has already been paid for - by buying the appropriate powers on the character. Also, it's not a pure advantage for the base, as it prevents certain uses (keeping people you want to protect there, for example).

Re: Minimalist HERO?

It depends a lot on what the objectives are:

* Easier for new players?

* Easier to GM?

* Faster to make character?

* Faster gameplay?

* Smaller rulebook?

Those all have possible solutions, that only partially overlap.

Re: Outside the Box powers

I think he's saying that the victims are just part of the SFX - only existing for the purpose of this ability - so presumably you couldn't use this on a specific enemy that already exists.

Similar to if you had a "Summon random citizens to help you" power, you couldn't just decide it was summoning your arch-nemesis.

Re: 5e Rules question Forcewall and damage shield

Energy Blast' date=' Special Effect- Hit with Force Wall+Damage Shield[/quote']That would be a different practical effect. Appropriate if the "wall" only exists momentarily, but if it also moves around and acts as a obstacle normally (and especially - damages people who touch it when it isn't your turn), then Force Wall + Damage Shield is the best matching way to get the effect.

Re: Attacks of Opportunity (d20) in Hero

Matches my experience - if you have something that can stop people moving, you can intercept with it, but for a normal attack there's little actual difference from readying an action (for that purpose). In practice, it seems like in HERO, positional tactics are very much secondary to timing tactics - not inherently a bad thing, but if you want formations to matter you may want to make some adjustments.

Re: Remote Control

Yeah, if they're like SR drones, you can just give them orders and let the AI do the specific fighting/moving, or you can control them manually. The advantage to direct control is that it makes them more effective (assuming you have good piloting skills).

I think either Follower or Summon would work for this, with Mind Link (Radio group) used to issue commands. Jamming would be Darkness or Change Environment to that group, hacking would be Mind Control, and the requirement to be connected would just be the drone AI having a low INT, so they can't do much on their own initiative.

That looks like a good Mind Control list, although I might switch the first two entries - gaining access to their communications seems like a prerequisite for controlling their motion.

Re: Hypersonic, 450 points speedster

Interesting character. One thing that comes to mind is that if "Hostage Rescue" represents moving past and grabbing them so fast the holder can't react - as opposed to a literal teleport - then Rapid Perception or Clinging would make more sense as defenses than the current ones.

On the VPP, I think "Speedster Tricks Only" would probably count as a -1/2 - it's definitely more narrow than "Magic".

Therefore, you could potentially go: 30 base + 45 control, Zero-Phase Change (+1), Speedster Tricks Only (-1/2), Unified Power (-1/4) => 56 real points

Which seems like it would fit as many of the examples aren't things that would need time to activate.

Re: Shard 5E (350) - Mystic Sorcerer

True - probably better to drop it to a lower END multiple then, so it won't be completely debilitating in a surprise situation.

Actually, now that I look at it, x3 END on a power that takes an hour to activate is a bit dubious - if you have time to change form, you definitely can wait the extra few seconds to recover enough END. Merging the Astral Form into the multiform would free up enough points to get rid of that. For a similar limitation that seems more legitimate, you could instead have a Side Effect (Drain END, slower recovery rate) so that you'd be enervated for the first few hours after changing.

Re: Shard 5E (350) - Mystic Sorcerer

Right now the biggest problems I see are that he will run out of steam QUICK and he can't handle anything at all if he isn't REALLY aware that it is coming (his astral and elemental forms take him an hour to assume).

 

His Thaumaturgy VPP is relatively weak, and he can only boost one power he picks out of it. Also, since activating his force field will take 24 of his 46 END any attack powers he builds with it will pretty much have to have charges or 0 END cost or he will be out of END with just a couple of uses.

In a standard 60AP environment, the Thaumaturgy attacks will be weak and his defenses low, but if the other characters (and foes) are sporting similar defenses and attacks, that's not an issue. Also, while the amulet is expensive to activate, it can be kept running at no cost, so it would probably be pre-activated when entering a dangerous situation. Actually, the only time I'd see turning it off is when trying to be incognito. Also, Thaumaturgy can be used to supplement those defenses (Charm of Hummingbird Alertness: Danger Sense + Combat Luck).

If it is for a "standard superheroic" stat environment, then this is definitely more of a utility/investigation character than a direct combat type.

If you wanted to beef it up, I'd start by merging the Astral Projection into the Multiform (as a 5th form, which is the astral body, with the physical body being a Physical Limitation / DNPC). That should free up some points, to give the 1/day shard-boost the Trigger advantage (so you can use it without giving up a round), and make Thaumaturgy changeable as a zero-phase action. Also, the way you're buying Sense Magic has its benefits (it lets you see invisible things, or see magic things even in darkness/fog) but is overkill if you just want to identify stuff you can already see as magical - put it in the Sight group in that case.

Re: Clone Drones

Yeah, I'd say Summon (if they're replaceable without too much trouble) or Followers (if it's more difficult) would work. They're automatons with Int 0, but some of the higher-end models have an AI with basic programs for handling disconnection. This would also handle the case that you could be piloting a drone body fairly different than your own, or have several drones with different capabilities.

Re: no one stronger then me

The simplest way would be to build for the highest possible strength (in a street level game, the GM could probably apply the "absolute effect" rule at 30 Str or so), and limit it based on how uncommon that amount of strength would be.

For a rough estimate:

Str 10 (+5) - Very common, no limitation

Str 15 (+8) - Less common, maybe -1/2

Str 20 (+10) - Fairly uncommon, let's say -1

Str 25 (+13) - Rare, I'll call it -2

Str 30 (+15) - Very rare, -3

That gives a cost of 5 + 3 * 2/3 + 2 * 1/2 + 3 * 1/3 + 2 * 1/4 = 9 1/2

That's pretty close to a -1/2 limit overall, so I'd write the final power as:

+15 Strength, Only up to Half the Highest Strength Around (-1/2); 10 points.

Re: Passing Strike

That's how I've always played it (not taking damage), but on an occasion when itwas questioned, I realized there was no definite source.

Re: The lance though, the knight already wouldn't take damage with a Move-by - the weapon would.

Re: Passing Strike

One thing I've never been completely able to determine about Passing Strike (as I've never seen a description, just a table entry) is whether the striker takes damage as with a move-by. On the one hand - Move-by results in damage, and this is like an improved Move-by. On the other hand, the table says nothing about taking damage yourself, and possibly that's an intended perk of the maneuver.

Re: HKA's and STR in Champions Complete

I don't know where you're getting that - flaming swords would be as allowable in 6E as any previous edition, and adding strength damage would be simpler, to boot.

Actually, I feel like "add as much as you have" is a more logical situation for martial artists and other skill-based damaging types. The idea that a character with say "Deadly Precision: +10 CSLs, Only to Add DCs, Only vs Targets with Anatomy" would need to use a greatsword instead of a stiletto to achieve full effect seems pretty bass-akwards to me.

Re: VPs, charges, triggers & multiforms

If you base detect magic on sight you can get a big chunk of points back. 27 points is an "ouch"; generally I find that Supernatural Awareness or similar is worth about 10 points or less in most settings.

Re: Trying to Understand 6E

I don't think you need to worry much about the free equipment. I guess if the flight rings provide a good flight speed, then someone with inherent flying powers is losing out a little, but they know that's part of the campaign, so there's no reason they would be spending much points on it anyway. If someone does seem to be missing out, you could let them take a different piece of team equipment instead.

But inherently, any free resources are going to be more useful to some characters than others. Team gets a base with state of the art medical systems? Doesn't really help the guy who regenerates himself. It's not usually a big issue.