KX_Mushashi

It is never fun when that happens, I would probably want to talk to them anyway to make sure the character I have in mind will work for the game anyway.

Welcome to Hero System, it is my favorite of the systems I have played/looked at. Sure I can help you learn some of the rules, I tend to take the role in a group of secret rules master/lawyer, I can also let you know of a few pit falls in GMing/DMing to avoid and a few that are particular to Hero System as well.

It has been a while since I have been in a pen and paper, and have recently been inspired to make a new character that I would like to find a game to play them in. Weekends are my best days for games since I have about 10am-10pm(GMT -8) free though I haven't had to work overtime in a while so I can probably open up Weekdays 5pm-10pm. I am looking for an online or play by post game and I do have discord if the group plays with that for voice.

I do also count money spent and loot gained as part of the power level of the character, it is easier to take it away or for them to lose the item and is a littler harder to track. For one game I was going to run instead of cash I was going to award them with resource points, but that never started up.

I don't think this is limited to Hero System but is something that is wider spread to other systems that don't have character levels. Shadowrun is another example that comes to my mind. DnD steps through a couple of different sub genres as the characters level up and having character levels does make that a bit easier. In Hero and other sanslevel games it is a bit harder to compare power levels since there are different things to spend points on and some of them are not always helpful in every situation. A character that buys out a tricked out sword will almost always be able to use that sword, but a character that buys a castle can't really take it with them...most of the time.

I always have looked at it as the starting values are the average stats you see on most normal people in the world. With everyman skills it is possible that the average Bob Smith/Jane West do cost close to 0 character points making it slightly quicker to tell how your character lines up compared to the average in the world. That said I wouldn't mind if all attributes started a 1 or 0 and we just got a few more points to spend, though that would through off the nice round numbers we have for suggested starting character point values. Addendum: The way I have always handed not having OMCV and DMCV in anything I run is in Hero Designer I say the Min and the Max is 3, you can't sell back a stat that doesn't exist in the game world back for more points, and on hand written sheets (or some other non-Hero Designer electronic file) the stats just are not on the sheet to start with.

If other rules are changing then there might not be an issue, I was assuming no other rules are changing in my statement, it also depends on how common raising DMCV is though as well. If it isn't common in the setting to raise your DMCV above the min than you only need need to add 6 in either case to get to the "You only fail by rolling and 18" assuming no additional adders on either side, though I assume in that type of setting raising your non CV values is more common so the metal powers route would be a lot stronger compared to physical powers. Though again that is something that could be offset by the GM and the setting making metal powers much rarer.

To me OMCV and DMCV defaulting to 3 is a balance issue not really a carry over from older editions, and it is really focused on DMCV throwing off the balance. Sure it would cost a bit more for a mentalist to get a higher OMCV but the power they would get for that since the average DMCV being 1 makes them way more powerful since it would be hard for them to miss. Thinking on it a bit more and what traits would lead into MCVs I would say a a normal person that is a bit more scattered brain might have a lower OMCV (Harder to focus on a single task or attack), where someone that is normally focus would have a higher OMCV. DMCV wise would be more based on how quickly they can move from one thought to the next, sort of like mental agility.

As others have said I tend to not buy down unless the character's backstory or design would create a reason to. OMCV is a really odd stat to include in a story as to why it is lower than normal, if I was GMing a game and a player came to me to ask this I would probably make them buy a mental power that would be affected by this buy down. They would likely buy that power at bare min level, though that would also make sense since they will likely never use the power let alone hit with it if they do try to use it.

In my mind the Skyrim Draugr Meme is in effect for Villains, when the hero is training team work, going to charity events, and living their life the villain is training. This is sort of to show that most villains don't work well together so they will have more chances to improve, build better gear, or learn new spells. That said in a realistic setting (not one where the villains at some point won, and heroes are just starting to stand up to them again) there should be a mix, some villains will be new and less powerful, some older and more powerful. If the villain is going to solo a team them having damage reduction that kicks in after the damage gets past the armor (I forget the order of Damage reduction and Armor) might not be a bad idea that way they don't go down in a round or two but still can be otherwise as powerful as any one member of the hero team. I also tend to look at effective power level rather than total power level as well, a villain that pays for 1,000 henchmen is going to be more expensive, though he isn't likely to use them all in a single fight.

No worries if things do change let me know, I could probably make room for a F2F game even if I am in one or two online games.

Been a while since I have played so figured I would see if any games out there are looking for another player. I am looking for a 6th edition game (I have the core book for 5th but I have only ever played 6th) and I am leaning a bit more towards champions though I would be ok with a Fantasy game as well. An online game would also probably be better, though if there is one around the Portland area in Oregon I would be up for that. Weekends for either would work better for me since it is less likely that I will get overtime at work though a 6pm-10pm game on a week night could also work most of the time.

Just got my book today in Oregon

Re: Most PCs... The Statement is true you can build all characters without a MPP or a VPP...they will either lose versatility or will cost a lot more points. If the rest of your campaign is built to that then go a head and enforce it. Lets say you go from fighting 4 minions of a master villain if you have 4 players that might be an easy fight they don't need a MPP or a VPP even when they get to the Master the same powers will probably effect him. Lets quadruple the number of Minions (if you are a Master Villain you really need more the 4 Street Thugs/gobblins/ect. working for you) in that case to 16 of them, your single target powers will still taking them out fast but now they have time to damage you since you can only take out at most 4 per turn...so you take that into account and you buy instead buy a weaker AOE attack and forgo the single target powers, but now you can't even hurt the big guy at the end. You could go with a Variable advantage and hope that swapping between an AOE and a AP attack will work but most Masters have harden and you are in the same boat. I know that in early comics MPP and VPP like abilities where rare, but that is why groups like the X-Men had more to fear from a mob then they did someone like Magneto. A MPP and VPP is a tool to make it so that the foes people should fear are not the little cannon fodder characters but the one pulling all the strings. The other important thing is that a MPP and a VPP have close ties to the powers with in them, does a brick need +HTH dice and flight in the same Pool...probably not so it shouldn't be allowed; however does a mentalist need Telepathy, Telekinesis, and Mental Illusions all in the same Pool...that fits a bit better. VPPs in my mind should be restricted but then again try to do a master of the arcane that has spent 30 years studding magical tomes without a VPP. In reality this Arcane Master probably isn't more effective then the brick or energy blaster standing next to him, but he needs the VPP to symbolize all the spells he knows and can cast.

Re: Campaign Damage Caps, Code vs. Killing & Pulling a Punch Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, I don't think I have seen it, but there are other things heroes can use strength for as well that they can use a full uncapped value for, Large portion of a building falling on them; get out of holds quicker with half strength rolls among others. I am also not big on post creation caps since you could end up with all your players with 60 strength, high defenses, high speeds and maxed powers. For the Complications being the driving force not to use the power beyond the cap; not every player will abide by that so it has to be the consequence that drives them. If they know that the full force of Primus, Until, and just about every Superhero that calls them an ally would be brought down on them if they used their full power then most would think other wise. Normally I would say it would be a multiple offense deal unless they are just ruthless (16d6 with a fast move through on a normal human with military grade armor...that is going to be a one strike and they are hunting you down deal). Even better if they don't get the idea give the little human foot solider a life and have that life suddenly interact with the player character's life, such as a distressed loved one finding out what happened and asking why their loved one was injured so badly. Personally I love playing characters that have to hold back a bit, it gives them another level to their personality. Thought it isn't something for everyone, if the player can do it well then why not let them, if it becomes an issue well that is what stripping them of their powers and having to still act like a hero is for.

Only have a Level 9 character right now but if people want to group up let me know Mirage Mentalist@kxfalkinrath

Re: Looking for Feed back on Sat guide lines I have posted one build here so far and I think it went well I think. I will be taking everything from here and applying it to characters I make. Thank you to the three that gave feed back I think it will help me out a bit.

Re: Looking for Feed back on Sat guide lines I am trying to be balanced minded I think it is more fun personally and when I create characters I try to create balanced and fun characters for me to play so this is all helping for when I roll out my next batch of characters.

Re: Looking for Feed back on Sat guide lines A lot of the stats came from a combination of the characters in the villain books and what is in the 6th ed champion book. I threw out characters from the villain handbooks that where 700+ points(the champions book said witchcraft(400) was as powerful as talisman(600-680) in the same book. I tossed two of the members in my group against Piledriver listed as a ~550 point character. The two characters are brick like (one is a brick and the other I conciser more brick like then a brick) and through a combination of missed attacks and poor rolls on Damage I think they managed a whole two points of damage to him and ran. In the game I am/was playing in at Hero Central the very frist attack with using my new build of Shroud (close to the one I posted here after the edits) would have been into the negative on stun after the attack had he been the target. So what I am getting from this is I probably have to do alter the villains to work in a 'standard' game.