schir1964

Protean [ Standard Power, Constant, Self-Only ] This power allows the character to move through porous barriers that would otherwise block them from passing (fences, pipes, wire screening). The character may pass through the barrier as if no barrier existed at their normal movement rate. Tunneling and Teleport are not applicable with this power Cost: 20 Points Modifiers Viscosity (-1/2), +1 Phase (-1/4) The character can still move through barriers but requires additional time depending on the porosity of the barrier. You can increase the time required for travel by an additional +1 Phase per -1/4 Limitation. The barriers porosity is relative to the character's height. Viscosity Chart Porosity Extra Time Example Porosity (Based On 2m Height) -------- ---------- ------------------------------------- 1/500 +8 Phases 4 mm 1/250 +7 Phases 8 mm 1/125 +6 Phases 16 mm 1/64 +5 Phases 32 mm 1/32 +4 Phases 64 mm 1/16 +3 Phases 125 mm 1/8 +2 Phases 25 cm 1/4 +1 Phase 50 cm No Split (x2 Modifier/Phase) The Character may not split their body to bypass barriers (SFX Limitation) which doubles the amount of time. Minimum Porosity (Varies) The character may only bypass barriers with at least one opening/passage of a certain size or larger (Porosity). The shape of the opening is presumed to be Diameter but the player may specify the shape of the opening with GM approval. Porosity Chart Porosity Limitation Example Porosity (Based on 2m Height) -------- ---------- ------------------------------------- 1/125+ -0 1 mm - 15 mm 1/125 -1/4 16 mm 1/64 -1/2 32 mm 1/32 -3/4 64 mm 1/16 -1 125 mm 1/8 -1 1/4 25 cm 1/4 -1 1/2 50 cm No Split (x2 Modifier) The Character may not split their body to bypass barriers (SFX Limitation). Reduced Movement (Varies) The character's movement rate is reduced when this power is active. Reduction Chart -1/4 Movement Rate Halved -1/2 Movement Rate Quartered -1 Reduced to 1" Movement Rate - Christopher Mullins

In order to keep the information close together... That's an interesting point. After thinking about it and debating in my head. I think that limit is to reflect those characters that can't flow through/around openings due to nature of the SFX (Elastic Man, Mister Fantastic). So this is the minimum size for a single opening. This limit wouldn't be appropriate to other types of SFX (Terminator 2, The Blob, Sandman). This measurement is considered diameter (width and height minimum).

Looks like I will be back tomorrow. I need to make some updates to this power. (8^D)

No Way!!! That's incredible. Thanks.

Rats!! I'm going to have to come back to this and try to recreate my Protean power. Duke Bushido, I'm going to steal your term porosity because it's a perfect term for the defintion. (8^D). Be back tomorrow.

I had a thread that had a New Power: Protean that addressed the non-desolid character that can squeeze through or flow through things with openings. Worked on it quite a bit. Had a lot of discussion with some useful and some not so useful (8^D). The lost threads doesn't make sense. I've found other threads I've created from 2000 to 2006, but after that nothing. Really strange. I even lost the thread that was simply a collection of various ideas people had on New Power/Options. It had a cost structure that allowed for just how Protean a character was and that would determine just how small an opening they could go through. I also had limitations that defined time constraints and so forth to make handling various SFX easier. It would make handling various SFX much easier (Sand Man, Robots that can re-assemble themselves, Fluid like characters, and so forth). I found Desolid just too far removed from what you need for a Protean character. I found trying to use Desolid like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

If only my threads were accessible on this idea. (8^D) - Christopher Mullins

Can't really say I have a preference. I was introduced to 4th Edition and loved it. I liked 5th Edition also (what little I got to play it). 6th Edition would probably would be to my liking but I didn't have the money and had other priorities. I have the money now, but have even less time to game. I would be curious as to what 7th Edition would be like and what changes it might have. Shout Out: Doc Democracy, RDU Neil, Lord Laiden, lemming, and others I'm sure I'm missing. Nice to see all of you still active here. - Christopher Mullins

I kind of agree with PhilFleischmann as far as the concept of Luck being out of the control of the player. I can see Luck being implemented similar to how the Disadvantage: Arch Nemesis works. This disadvantage is basically giving the GM direct avenues of influencing the game that directly affects the Player's character and the characters around him (in a negative manner). Luck could be seen as the opposite of this in that you are spending points to allow the GM to have direct influence on the game in that it affects the Player's character and those around him (in a positive manner). Nothing wrong with the mechanic. Just the concept of Luck doesn't seem to mesh with what it actually does. Just from my perspective.

I am still amazed that this thread continues to grow. And the amount of amazing artwork presented. -- Christopher Mullins

I've seen people try to use Endurance Reserve to simulate this, but it is not really what you are looking for. Basically 'Extra Time', or another way of naming it 'Pre Time', is forcing a minimum amount of time required between each use of the attack. I would simply rename it 'Post Time' and instead of the time required before the attack can be used, the time required is after each use. - Christopher Mullins

In response to some of the posts: I use the term 'Hard Core Science Fiction' which usually means that technology is based on current knowledge of science with some exceptions where super science might exist. Such exceptions should also be an extension of science and considered plausible/theoretical but not provable. Consider the technology of FTL ships. Not provable with current science but perhaps plausible based on the warp bubble theory. Social Status: Social status was used as a way for a character to have some sort of recognition of power/influence in the universe and also affected a character's amount of starting credits and starting possessions. In MegaTraveller this was utilized even more since the groundwork for existing Noble Families were fleshed out and parts of the universe where different nobility had influence. Granted it could be a two edged sword depending on where your were and in many backwater areas it had little effect whatsoever. So it's effect in game depended on the GM in many ways. - Christopher Mullins

I've created a separate thread to discuss the 'Authentic Feel' of Traveller so as to not side track this thread anymore. - Christopher Mullins

Based on what other have said, I'll try again and say that Traveller has a 'Hard Core Science Fiction' feel to it. I think this has to do with the realistic mortality of characters in the game. If a character is careless then survival is the exception, not the rule. Even if a character is careful death is just around the corner waiting for an opportunity. And the details of certain background elements helps to foster this with Ships designs being restricted by volume, fuel, and life support requirements. - Christopher Mullins

... And how do you describe the 'authentic feel' of the orignal Traveller game? I'm creating this thread to allow for a continuation of a discussion and prevent further sidetracking of the other thread. Those who were discussing it there feel free to copy your posts over here. - Christopher Mullins

This could make for some interesting type of "Early Edition" adventures. Especially if the individual feels obligated for some reason to save each one he sees with the Aura. But potentially very powerful. - Christopher Mullins

And this is all that really matters. That you find a solution that works and makes sense to you for your games. Good gaming! (8^D) - Christopher Mullins

Please keep in mind that I'm going off 5th Edtions rules for this specific response, so if this is no longer true for 6th Edition please enlighten me. Teleportation only requires Line-of-Sight (LOS) to make a Point-to-Point movement. In layman terms, all I need to do is perceive the distance and direction I want to move (not specific location) and I can move that distance and direction from my current location. To me, this is vastly different than trying to get an attack to hit (by aiming) something at a distance accurately. If teleporation movement and attacks worked the same way (even mechanically) then why do the rules let you apply a LOS modifer to an attack. They aren't mechanically the same. Thus, from this my assertion is valid. But I doubt you'll agree and that's okay. Addendum: Teleportation and how it worked (5th Edition) definitely had some 'magic smoke' built into it. (8^D) - Christopher Mullins

For Classic Traveller, I always got a 'Hard Core Science Fiction' feel. MegaTraveller less so. Space Master II somewhat less. Probably due to percentages of success for various things. Usually things that you depended on worked over 90% of the time. Things you were inexperienced with failed over 60% of the time (at least it felt that way for my characters). Everything else was either a 50% coin flip or complete failure most of the time. Hard to pinpoint why I guess. - Christopher Mullins

Frankly, there can be justification to handle base DCV/OCV bonuses on a case by case basis depending on SFX (even with Area Effect). First, with an example of impact grenades, the HEX's base DCV should change depending on SFX. For normal use, the DCV should be based on the sliver of ground that can be seen. For vertical structures that base DCV should be different. And for empty mid-air HEX's, the DCV approaches infinity so that no matter how good someone is, they aren't going to be able to hit the Hex, because nothing is there to hit (presuming one is not attempting to hit an obstacle that will be passing through that hex). Second, with an example of Flame Man who shoots massive blasts of Fire in straight lines, filling a specific hex with fire should be as straight forward as target practice with DCV not really playing a part. However, the rules for base DCV/OCV weren't designed to handle many of these subtleties based on SFX. There was an attempt to separate SFX from these mechanics. And it really doesn't matter what the rational was for the rules, unless one is wanting to use that rational as a basis to extend or expand on the design officially. Then it makes sense to get an idea of why a certain baseline was chosen. And as others have said, that rational is probably beyond our reach anyway. zlane has made some solid points as to why the current baseline values might work better if they were changed for his game. I hope he comes up with something that works well for him and his campaigns. - Christopher Mullins

Why were you disappointed by Traveller 5th Edition? I'm curious because I was thinking of purchasing it at some point if it were not too expensive just to see how that version compared to the classic (LBB) version. - Christopher Mullins

As far as I've seen in these posts this is exactly what everyone has been suggesting, even ghost-angel. No one has suggested that the core system books and the generic/universal nature of the system be dropped, replaced, changed, or no longer maintained. Unless you are responding to a specific post that suggested otherwise, I don't think you are really disagreeing with those of us who proposed a set of setting books created from the core rules to make it easier for new players to try out the Hero System for a 'test run' so to speak. These books would be in addition to the core books, not a replacement for them. As for any particular setting being supported, I think that is the other side of the coin that many of us are addressing. Hero needs to fully support any setting it decides to put forth. If they produce a Super Heroes setting book then they better have it fully fleshed out with everything you need to pick it up and play. The same for a Fantasy or a Science Fiction setting. - Christopher Mullins

I just had to say ghost-angel that I got a good chuckle from this. I remember the times I would be generating a character and roll the dice and go, "AHH MAN!!! Now I have to start over!". It's the one game system where I was sorely tempted to fudge the procedure and say, "I get a re-roll on that one..." - Christopher Mullins

I'll add again that the idea put forth is to not create a new system, but use the existing core rules to build a Setting just as a GM would with all the rules and groundwork a GM would have to make decisions on to create a rich Universe for the players to interact with. An example of one such setting I would consider rich in "flavor" and detail would be from Spacemaster 2nd Edition. There were source books and settings that gave such detail about the universe that I've even thought about trying to purchasing those old books off of Ebay in order to recreate it in Hero System terms. This is where sales come from I think. There's been some GMs here who've said they've purchased source books from systems they've never played or plan on playing but just wanted to read those books because they were so interesting. - Christopher Mullins

I would suggest that perhaps this might not be true. At least not based on the various posts I've read here over the years. I've read threads where the discussion was about what sources GMs use to pull ideas from for campaigns they build. Many reponses stated they have bookshelves full of source/settings books they purchased that they just use to get inspiration from for new campaigns. And many of the books they had weren't even for the Hero System. So I'm not sure that existing GMs who like creating their worlds from scratch are going to just not purchase source/settings books for the Hero System. As long as the settings are rich in detail and storyline that will inspire one's imagination, then they will sell. Now the economy being bad and it getting worse in the future, that is what will kill off many small companies in the entertainment industry. - Christopher Mullins