Panpiper

Re: Placed shots effective? I spent seven years fighting twice a week in the SCA, in addition to 13 years of traditional martial arts. I completely concur with what Susano said. Against a highly trained opponent, I will take what shots present themselves (not 'placed' shots, just what is vulnerable). Against a lesser skilled opponent, yes, I can hit them where I will, when I will (more so with empty hand than with sword).

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I am actually having a hard time coming up with 'monsters'. I guess I am more the standard fantasy trope sort, relying on the classic trolls and goblins. (Hmm... Maybe a take on the troll of fairy tales...) Anyway, I have an idea for an adventure seed of sorts, a mini module that would introduce several NPCs (that may or may not last beyond the adventure), and give people an excuse to engage in that most classic of horror genres, night of the living dead sort. I have no interest in building a zombie per say (in fact I'd rather someone else do that), it's the characters that create the context that interests me. Do you want adventures, or should I Email that directly to your GM? ;-)

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I made allusions to both extra terrestrial and extra dimensional sources for the infestations but kept them vague enough to leave it to the GM's imagination. I'd be happy to write up predators and aliens, but I think they would be a bit too high points wise for our starting type characters. And they are probably not enough of the supernatural bent to really fit.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I just sent by Email a first draft for 'Body Snatchers', as in; the invasion of...

Re: How to Build? : Ignore Pain Just buy extra non-resistant PD and ED. In my mind, taking 'stun' damage is the same thing as feeling pain.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I did some tweaking of my own on Forosati Nik to see if I couldn't beef her up a bit and stay completely faithful to your conception. I think I succeeded. (Maybe too well?) I Emailed the designer file to you. Edit: And I just now realized that the designer file you had posted was not identical to the posted HTML version. I tweaked the designer version, and so with 'my' tweak, she has her sports car, money perk and full languages and knowledges back.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters Invocation Nice, elegant and simple. All the flexibility one could desire, very much not over powered (unless one feels flexibility is itself power) and with a fun feedback to play with. It might be nice to add a few sample side effects other the obvious energy blast 'zot'. Intervention Entirely thematic for believers. I've never actually seen a player purchase a luck dice before but it makes more sense for a believer than most other character concepts. There are so many more consistently reliable ways to spend five points. At three points however, it could well be worthwhile for a character to make the purchase. I still wouldn't myself I expect, as without spending a 'lot' of points, it still wouldn't likely do the job when you really need it to, but that only means that in my opinion, it is not 'under' priced. Updated Combat Averages Did you include Joe Mundane in the averages? ;-) Forosati Nik I'm not quite sure what you mean by the complication: 10 Hunter's Burden: Professional (Evil Supernatural Entities; Rival is A Group; Seek to Harm or Kill Rival) I like the character conception and it all hangs together quite nicely, except for one niggling detail. As a GM I would be quite concerned that she actually isn't 'powerful' enough. A 4D6 kick, even with 3 lucky damage dice, just isn't very impressive. Yes, she's got knees and elbows for 2D6 killing, but in the end, that's pretty much 'all' she's got. Maybe her 'sweeping kicks' and her 'tripping kicks' could be merged together in a custom maneuver built to give her a 6D6 kick attack? (I don't have the Martial Artist book so I don't know if that is legal on a character that would then only have three maneuvers.) Spook.

Re: Moon May Have Formed in Natural Nuclear Explosion Centrifugal forces large enough to cause heavy elements to migrate 'upwards' to the equator instead of downwards to the center of gravity would 'require' that the centrifugal forces be 'greater' than the force of the gravity. If the gravity was greater, the elements would always migrate downwards, albeit perhaps at a slower pace given sufficient centrifugal forces. If the centrifugal forces were large enough to overcome the pull of gravity on those heavier elements, they would be large enough to pull the planet apart. This theory on it's face, appears to me to be utter nonsense.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters Er... Ok, maybe I have completely misunderstood what that AoE Accurate means. What I understood is that it targets a single target, at a base DCV of 3 as if it were an area effect, but it can only hit one target. With an area effect cone, it would hit every target in the cone with no roll necessary. I see that as being a HUGE increase in the effectiveness of the attack, rather than a downgrade. Plus, it is completely wrong in terms of simulating the effect of a shotgun blast. A shotgun does not kill everything in a 60 degree spread in front of the shooter. That's a claymore mine, not a shotgun. The idea with the AoE accurate was that a shotgun does hit an area. It is not however a 'large' area, but rather just enough to make it a base 'hit the area' instead of 'hit the target'. (I notice as well that some people are giving shotguns an 'autofire' effect as well, which again in my opinion is completely wrong. The effect of getting hit with multiple 'buck shot' is the effect of 'reduced penetration' not 'roll damage twice'. It halves the effect, it doesn't double it.)

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I figured that the reduced penetration would be sufficient to balance it. But another limitation on it that would be entirely realistic is some sort of 'reduced by range limitation'. I am thinking perhaps bumping 'up' the damage by one DC and then giving it the limitation, looses one damage class per 2 meters, which would roughly approximate the real world effect of the shot spread loosing it's impact. It also adds an extra degree of tactics to the use of the gun, deciding whether to hold for a point blank shot, even though that might mean getting hit in melee... A close range shotgun blast 'is' absolutely devastating, but it is such a limited use weapon that most people carry different weapons.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I think you pulled it off KS. Doing an exorcism versus a reasonably powerful possessor demon would take time and have very good reason for the presence of other non-exorcist characters to keep the exorcist from being interrupted during the process. (I expect a lessor possessor demon might simply be tied down and be quickly excised.) I do not have the APG and so don't know how much of this is your own invention, but I find it quite sound. It would be useful as well for any prospective GM wanting to run this campaign to perhaps have a bit of a packaged adventure, wherein they are engaged to cast out a possessor demon. That would require delineating the demon's abilities and give examples of what 'distractions' might be created or otherwise be available to the demon, that would involve the other characters in the process. Perhaps have two 'grades' of possessors, one that a regular 'believer' like Big T or Father Jacob might attempt that still requires the assistance of other characters, and then the demon that stars in 'The Exorcist' that requires someone like Father Max. And I like the final version of Father Max. :-) Edit: By the way, the Hero Designer file for Father Max is still the older version.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I am working on an exorcist concept. He is technically 'Christian' from the Eastern Orthodox church, just because virtually all film and book references I am familiar with that deal with exorcism are Christian. (Though a Voodoo priest could well be a great concept as well.) I am fleshing out his background and such and will Email to you KS, the Designer file fairly soon. I am leaving his 25 point believer pool entirely unspent, for you to fill in. The rest of him is well conceived, and he might already, without any believer pool, be an extremely effective exorcist, depending upon the chosen mechanic for treating exorcisms. Edit: Designer file sent.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I am impressed that you've got a working analog to a vampire working on only 150 points. The two charge characteristic boost helps a lot (I doubt I would have ever thought of that). I would have started such an attempt with at least 75 points spent on stats already and failed from there. And the conception is very alluring, great choice of photo. Her charm will have most characters melting before her. What concerns me is how she could fare in a fight. Her stats are ok, though her OCV/DCV are a bit on the low side, and certainly she can take some abuse and stay in the game, but what I fail to see is how she can contribute to bring down the baddies. Her bite attack seems to me to be an awfully expensive ability that does way too little for it's points. Though perhaps I need to reread the book to better understand; Change Environment (Stun (APG 83)). Her martial maneuvers might help there but "passing strike"? She can do 5 1/2 dice normal with a passing strike, which is 'not' very impressive. And as far as I know there is no way to use that with her bite. I guess that's my real criticism. I don't see what she is going to do to seriously help a team take down a werewolf, zombie, or anything else. Maybe I've been playing with 'too normal' characters for too long? And can you think of how to define a good exorcism ability? The world setting really needs an exorcist/believer.

Re: I want to construct, with as little fuss and bother as possible... Exactly what you are looking for: http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/ShrikeMagicSystems.aspx

Re: Lockheed Martin HULC Exoskeleton Petrol burning fuel cell would do the trick nicely.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters With the current description at 3 points, I would start a new character with 3 points already spent and build from there. I do not see myself 'not' buying at least one die. So yes, it is probably now too cheap. At four points, I would still consider buying it, but it would not be an automatic thing, so that is probably the best price for the way it is now written (and I like the way it is now written). Sorry Tyrone.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters The way Heroic Recovery is defined now, I would seriously consider buying at least one or two dice of it for any character. It could very well be a lifesaver. The recovery from Con stun is the most imprtant thing in my mind, and the ability to do it more than once if splitting dice (assuming more than one die obviously) is big. The healing factor is actually secondary to me at this point. Here There Be Monsters is potentially a very lethal game. This sort of Heroic Recovery can make it much more survivable for characters, which I see as a good thing. Oh, and yes, Big T looks better now.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters My Vampire package deal is available among the Hero Designer package deal listings, under 'Horror Hero': http://www.herogames.com/hdPackageDeals.htm?genre=Horror+Hero&ruleset=6E The vampire is not built as a 'robot' or some other sort of automaton construct. My feeling is that the 'undead' aspect of a vampire is very much more 'un' than 'dead'. With regard to the Heroic Recovery Talent: "Fervent Prayer of Intercession": Simplified Healing BODY 5d6 (50 Active Points); 1 Charge per day (-2), Gestures, Requires Gestures throughout (Requires both hands; Complex; -1 1/2), Incantation Prayer (Requires Incantations throughout; Complex; -1), Extra Time (Extra Segment, Character May Take No Other Actions, -3/4), Costs Endurance (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2) Powers Cost: 7 The above is usable on others, which makes it roughly equivalent IMO to usable only on self as a zero phase action. The fact that Heroic Recovery takes no endurance and does not have the other limitations listed above makes it roughly worth 10 points to me for a similar effect. I would consider taking Heroic Recovery on 'any' character if it were 2 points per dice of effect. I would consider taking it on a character for whom it made sense for 3 points, but I would probably 'sell it back' on even such a character at three points and go with a 'lay on hands' effect like above instead, both because it would cost less and be more useful for others. I am perhaps underestimating the game effect of Heroic Recovery and therefor under valuing it. But right now I would say that 3 points per is probably the best break point. Yes, technically that makes it better than say Kilroy's "Heroic Healing Rate" of one body per day. But maybe the solution there is to imagine some other 'super skill' that would achieve a similar rapid healing effect that costs only 2 or 3 instead of 4 points?

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters Yes. Just after making my previous post, I fired up Hero Designer, started a new character with the campaign parameters, and added my vampire package deal with the intent to see if I could somehow trim it down to 125 points. And... Not a chance.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters That was really nice work on Jon Bregg and his Were. The game really needed a sample werewolf, that being a staple of horror genre. Now of course, we also need a sample vampire. A vampire with a soul maybe?

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters I'm not sure how you calculated the points cost for the effect, but it seems to me to be on the whole, rather well point balanced. A suppressor having spent 60 or 75 points on suppression will not 'completely' nullify supernaturals, but will make it much more difficult for them. It will certainly make it a 'lot' more difficult for casters and such to use their magic. I do see it as being a massive amount of brainpower on the part of the GM running a game however and were I a GM, I would likely keep this in the realm of NPCs and even then have it relatively rare, like when visiting James Randi, Richard Dawkins or a science laboratory surrounded by experimental physicists. Sorry I don't have anything particularly insightful to say.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters 3 Hickwise 12- LOL!

Re: How do you build a vampire template in 6E? No... No... You 'transform' it into a vampiric horse! ;-)

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters Well, it does 'seem' to hurt someone who just wants a couple of followers, but from a balance perspective I would be very wary and am kind of happy with your rule. I would be most wary of someone wanting to play a 'Willard' character having purchased for himself 32 rats built with 125 points a pop, for the same points as Master Shuida spent. If each of those rats has 1D6 penetrating attack, they could clean to the bone one or two NPCs per phase. However paying full points is just as much a problem for someone who actually wants to play Willard legitimately (with each rat having a one pip, non-penetrating attack perhaps). What I might suggest is that if a player wants more than one follower worth full points (125 to start) then they have to pay full points for each. However, as an option, they can do the double followers thing for each 25 character points they shave off of the follower. So for spending 25 character points in the follower pool, the Willard character can buy 8 25 point rat followers (and likely pick up a summon for bringing more to bear). If he wanted 16, he could either make them 0 point rats, or pay full points twice, IE: 50 character points in the follower pool for two sets of followers, brought down each by four increments of 25 points to gain four doublings in the number of followers.