Andrew Cermak

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace

What does Daredevil's radar sense see if Plasticman has changed physical shape' date=' but didn't purchase Shapeshift vs Radar Sense.[/quote']

 

Per The Ultimate Metamorph, he sees an outline of a mailbox. Shapeshift vs. Radio Sense is for changing "energy signatures."

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace

Example 3 requires Stretching and possibly some Growth to account for his extra height.

I'd let him go with just the Stretching. Since Stretching by default allows you to stretch any of your body parts (including the legs, waist, or neck) it must also allow you to be taller.

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace

Certainly it DOES make a difference' date=' without having to use Shrinking. Take for example contortionists that can fold themselves up to fit into a suitcase. They most certainly occupy a smaller, more compact, area than before. Assuming Plas does the same, he most certainly IS going to block a different section of view than if he's standing there in his full human shape.[/quote']

 

Yes, but he does much the same if he sits down or stands sideways. It's a change, but one that is in no way significant enough to confuse it with a Power that affects Sight. If Hawkman stands in the same doorway and spreads his wings, he's having a greater effect on people's vision through the doorway than Plastic Man gets from his cereal-box shape; is his Flight also affecting Sight?

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace

Doc A. specifically said shape' date=' not [u']shape and size[/u].

"Folding himself down" into a "cereal box" implies a change in size. If he's remaining a human-sized cereal box, our view of things behind him is not seriously altered, no more so than if he starting waving his arms or simply sat down. It's trivial, and doesn't represent a power that affects vision any more than an HKA via retractable claws or Flight via fold-out wings.

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace

Suppose he'd been standing in a doorway, in his human shape, and then folded himself down into this box shape. Our vision is affected, because now the objects that were behind him, some of which were blocked by his body, are not the same items that are blocked now, or they are blocked differently.

Folding down to the size of a cereal box would require Shrinking, and it's primarily the Shrinking that's affecting our vision in this example.

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace

What if I define my RKA as a rock thrown at the speed of light' date=' or a bullet fired at the speed of light? The lower level Deflections still apply. I'd agree that changing the power so it is not defined by SFX would be appropriate. 20 points to deflect all missiles, with "nothing faster than a thrown object" being a limitation defined by the campaign frequency of missiles that can, or can't, be deflected would be just as workable.[/quote']

 

UEP proposes an optional change to the Missile Deflection tiers. I don't have the pdf handy, but as I recall the new tiers are based on the maximum Active Points that can be deflected.

Re: Ultimate Energy Projector: Any one have it yet?

Ultimate Energy Projector: Any one have it yet? What do you think of it? is the art good bad indifeferent? How useful is it? Are there any good stealable ideas in it?

I have the PDF, and I'm still reading through it. There's a lot to digest.

My impressions from my readings so far are very positive, but I'm still mulling some of the ramifications.

The book introduces an optional system of adders and limitations based on special effects. Each SFX ("Fire," "Chemical," etc.) is rated against all the others based on how effective or ineffective it is against that opposing special effect. For example, if an SFX is particularly effective against another (for example, Water against Fire), than that SFX might gain 1 (or 2, or 3) DC or 1 (or 2, or 3) points of Def against the opposing SFX. If a SFX is judged to "win" against others more often than not, then Powers using that SFX are charged an Adder (of varying costs). If it tends to lose, then Powers using that SFX get a Limitation (of varying values). Some SFX balance out about even, and some react neutrally to all other SFX. Occasionally, (for example, Gravity vs. Dimensional Manipulation), there might be random results when two SFX interact.

If a campaign adopts this system, it will obviously become a very significant factor in character creation. Two energy projectors with what had been identical mechanics before may under this system be priced very differently.

As far as the art goes, it's mostly recycled. It's good art, but it's not new art. Recycled art doesn't bother me, but I know for others it can be a big turn-off.

One thing that's notably absent in this that most of the other Ultimate books had is the very large lists of sample powers. This book instead just lists a few powers for each SFX, mostly to demonstrate how to use the new adders and limitations. For SFX that haven't gotten the USPD treatment before (like Chemical and Electromagnetic), this is kind of disappointing, but I can understand why those power lists couldn't be fit into this book.

There's some other interesting things, like maneuvers that let energy projectors counter or enhance other energy projector's attacks if the SFX match-up right, but I haven't really read those sections in detail yet.

Re: Question about Hawkman villains

Was just looking at the latest Hawkman collections from DC, and I'm wondering: Batman has the Joker, Supes has Lex Luthor, Flash has the Rogues... who are the great Hawkman villains?

Shadow Thief and the Gentleman Ghost are as close to "great" as Hawkman's villains get.

Re: Villains Vandals And Vermin (VVV)

Just as in comicbook universes, there's room in the CU for both mooks and jokes.

Re: Villains Vandals And Vermin (VVV)

I certainly understand the concept of a nuisance character [that's the whole point of Foxbat after all] but someone like Buzzsaw is obviously a combat character who is not even a nuisance in combat.

Buzzsaw's Campaign Use section says what he's there for: to get whipped. He reminds me of the Ultimate version of the Shocker: a loser with a nifty weapon who gets repeatedly trashed by Spider-Man while Spidey's on his way to an actual challenge. He makes the protagonist look good, and he provides a little extra action and humor if the story needs it.

I, for one, see it as a positive thing that the Champions Universe has similar characters available.

Re: Vvv

Any new mentalists?

Forgot one; Kanrok the Aquisitioner is both a cosmic energy projector and a mentalist.

Re: Vvv

Who's in there that would be good for comic effect?

As mentioned, Avant Guard is a Dada type who would work both for comedy and for Morrison style high weirdness.

Buzzsaw is an overconfident supervillain built on just over 150 points. His description explicitly says that he works well for making your heroes look good and feel tough.

Overbrain is a floating megalomanical brain; his absurdity combined with his self-importance makes him a good comical mastermind for those who want one.

Lash is a low-powered skirt-chaser who could certainly provide comic moments if you have any female PCs.

Re: Vvv

The Overbrain is after world conquest. The members of the Brain Trust are genetically programmed to be loyal to him. Besides the Overbrain itself, they're average to low-powered, so they'll likely be committing general crimes to increase their power base for quite awhile.

Re: Vvv

Any new mentalists?

A few. Overbrain, the leader of the Brain Trust, is a telepathic and telekinetic brain who spends a fair amount of time in a jar. Blindside is a blind mentalist who can rewrite neural pathways; besides his many other powers, I think he's the first CU character without a VPP who can pull the Mind Switch trick. Dreamwitch has some mental-esque powers. Mindgame is a potent illusionist. Rictus is a zombie-raiser with some supplementary mental powers.

Re: Vvv

With all the chi powers that Susano has built for Ninja HERO and Digital Hero' date=' I'm sure SD can do some Kewl Stuff.[/quote']

 

On the subject of chi powers, Overdrive is an interesting villain along those lines. He has baseline Characteristics except for a 15 Int and a 3 Spd...but he also has a 120 point Multipower that allows him to pump as much as 60 points into any of his Characteristics (no figureds). From phase to phase he can be a brick, a speedster...or a 70 PRE, 130 COM recruiter of a cult army.

Re: Vvv

Thank you for this service to the community' date=' Andrew. [/quote']

 

My pleasure!

 

Are there any "old school" villains whose names we'd remember from earlier editions?

 

Sunburst is the only direct port (same Secret ID, same origin, pretty much the same powers except moreso), but two more, Exo and Spirit Dragon, are recognizable versions of previous characters: Exo-Skeleton Man and Dragonmaster, respectively. Spirit Dragon is a former Tiger Squad member who has fled to the US and desires to overthrow Communist China, while Exo is a former petty crook who somehow managed to build himself a suit of power armor, but remains a fairly hapless thug regardless.

 

Spirit Dragon, besides being an accomplished master of a unique form of Kung Fu, also has some Iron Fist-esque powers. So far, he's one of my favorites.

Re: Vvv

How many of the charcters are 350 points or less vs total in the book ... please.

13, plus one more who is 356. So nearly a quarter.

One, Buzzsaw, is 153! (You can see him in Gadgets and Gear, demonstrating the Bladeshooter against Nighthawk).

Re: Would you allow it?: A FF buster

I'm not convinced "FF or FW with an unknown energy signature" is a reasonably common defense when the character has the power to Detect Energy Signatures.

Also, if the attack is conceived of as a force field buster, by what rationale does it also bypass Armor and ED? For that matter, how does it interact with physical Force Walls (such as those a geokinetic might create)?

I think I'd sooner do this with an Indirect Naked Advantage with a Limitation restricting it to bypassing appropriate SFX Force Walls with identified energy signatures. Unfortunately, that doesn't cover Force Fields, though GM fiat might allow it in this case.

My copy of VVV just arrived in the mail, so I figured I'd make myself available to satisfy any curiosity anyone might have about the contents.

One thing that stood out is that GMs looking for more low-powered adversaries will be very pleased. But some do tip the scales in the other direction; The Curse is a particularly nasty piece of work.

I was also pleased to see an homage of sorts to Exo-Skeleton Man; he's not precisely the same character, but he's definitely cut from a similar cloth.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

Maybe now that News Of The World has introduced some new villains we should revive that challenge.

Of course, VVV is due any day now and will certainly add some new wrinkles of its own...

Re: [book Review] Champions Universe: News Of The World

That seems a little crunchy for the game. I wouldn't require a player's underwater character to take personal immunity for something like that. Sometimes you gotta run with the special effects.

It's a GM's call, but the official rules in Hidden Lands give GMs the official option of making characters who use electricity underwater without PI roll to keep from officially frying themselves. I don't blame Hydro for not wanting to be at the GM's mercy.

Re: [book Review] Champions Universe: News Of The World

More PI strangeness: Hydro has personal immunity on a Damage Shield.

It's a No Range electricity effect on a character who spends a lot of time underwater. That makes Personal Immunity a good idea.

Re: [Question]Three Unusual Powers

10 It's Not Nice to Hit a Lady: Teleportation 12", Position Shift (29 Active Points); Can Only Teleport To Intercept an Incoming Attack (-1/2), Conditional Power (Only to Intercept Attacks Against Others; -1/2), Activation Roll 14- (-1/2), Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-1/4)

Those first two Limitations appear to be identical. Also, adding Trigger would be a good idea.

Re: Luthor-type villian

For those of you who have the 5E VIPER sourcebook' date='

the Supreme Serpent would IMHO be a good beginning template for such a villain. Immense wealth, vast Contacts, Skills geared to using and manipulating people and institutions. Just get rid of the gadgetry and Martial Arts, tone down some of the physical Characteristics a bit, and you're well on your way.

[/quote']

 

Hmmm. It seems to me that changing

 

 

the Supreme Serpent in that way basically leaves you with a male equivalent of the Duchess, from the same book. So, why not just use her?

 

Re: Mutants and Materminds

 

That's just 20 good guys off the top of my head. I could probably double that in villains off the top of my head as well.

Freedom City has that beat, despite drawing from a significantly smaller pool of characters.

Centurion: Superman

Lady Liberty: Wonder Woman

Johnny Rocket: Flash

Dr. Metropolis: Swamp Thing

Pseudo: Martian Manhunter

Star Knights: Green Lanterns

Bowman: Green Arrow

Arrow: Speedy

Raven: Batman

Sea King: Aquaman

Nereid: Aqualad

Scarab: Dr. Fate

White Lion: Black Panther

Megastar: Captain Marvel

Lantern Jack: The Spectre, by way of The Hanged Man

Eldrich: Dr. Strange

Sonic: Static

Atom Family: Fantastic Four

Midnight: Dr. Mid-Nite

Freedom Eagle: Hawkman

Envoy: Wonder Woman

Patriot: Captain America

Zandar: Tarzan, by way of Ka-Zar

Those are just heroes, and just the ones with write-ups. There are more homage heroes in the timeline and glossary. And that's giving them the benefit of the doubt on some borderline cases, like Daedalus/Iron Man, Black Avenger/Black Lightning, and Captain Thunder/Electro-Superman.

The villains aren't any better. As an example, take the book Time of Crisis. One group of villains? Note for note copies of Flash's Rogues Gallery. Another? Copies of DC's Freedom Fighters, reimagined as alternate universe Nazis. The last is a bunch of super-powered apes led by a Gorilla Grodd homage.

I like homages in moderation. Freedom City is homage laden. I'd rather just game in a published comic book universe than saturate a supposedly original setting with winks and nods.

They even have an homage to Vibe. Vibe.

That said, the books do have great production values and good writing, and if you're someone who wants a lot of homages, well, look no further.