Binnister

Re: Alchemica and the use of Transform in battle

I think the key word here is 'Anything'

Don't like stone? Why not animals? (Transform into Dogs, cats, birds, whales, etc)

Are they standing their smugly? Turn the ground under their feet into air/quicksand/etc

Don't like the odds? Transform one of them into your 'obedient servant'.

Are they all bunched together? Transform the air above them into a boulder and let it drop (Dive for cover!!)

I think that, if it helps to think of it as a VPP, go right ahead. As GM you basically get to control the effect (as long as the BODY gets covered).

Re: Cool take on the Golden Age: The Specialists [webcomic]

Excellent find! Definitely on my 'must check weekly' list now...

(I'll rep him for ya...was going to anyway...)

Re: Multipower Variable Slots, ever use one?

The one area I've seen Variable Slots used is primarily when a movement power (specifically Flight) is in your MP.

If it was a fixed slot, you wouldn't be able to use any other power while in the air...but, having it variable allows you to put just enough points in it to allow you to 'hover' (1" or 2m Flight) while the rest are used in another power.

Yeah, so..."Flight".

Re: Ultraman: My own take on the Man of Steel, sort of...

The only problem I have is the 'Language: Plants'. Depending on what effect you envision, this could be as simple as having a 'green thumb' (talks to plants...they grown slightly better...), or a *very* cheap version of Retrocognition Clairsentience ("Which way did they go, Fur Tree?" They went thataway! *Rustle*Rustle*)

First, a explanation of what I'm taking about:

5th Revised, pg 394

Dive For Cover is most useful for avoiding attacks that cover a large area, such as Explosions and Area Of Effect attacks. However, characters can use it to avoid regular (non-area-affecting) attacks as well. For example, a character who desperately wants to avoid being chopped in two by an axe-wielding Denebian autochthon could Dive For Cover to get away from his attacker. If a character successfully Dives For Cover this way, the non-area attack automatically misses; if the Dive For Cover roll fails, the attacker makes his Attack Roll at +2 OCV.

 

 

When a character Dives For Cover to avoid a non-area attack, he’s not required to literally dive behind cover or the like — all he has to do is travel far enough to get away from the effect of the attack. In many cases, moving 1” out of the way does the trick; in other cases, he may have to move further. Th e GM may, of course, establish a minimum distance based on the nature of the attack, or specify that the character has to Dive in a particular direction. For example, a character trying to Dive For Cover to avoid an attack by a spear-wielding opponent should have to Dive at least the length of the spear. In any event, a clever opponent may try to take advantage of the character’s ½ DCV if he simply dives a mere 1” away. As always, common sense, dramatic sense, special effects, and the GM’s discretion should apply.

Here is my question: When faced with a Non-Area Attack, under what circumstances would it be 'better' to Dive for Cover that it would be to Dodge (+3DV), or even Martial Dodge(+5DCV)?

When I first read this, I thought 'Hey...that's cool...'Auto-miss'. But, it's really not that great. Consider:

Character A

DEX 23 (DEX Roll 14-, OCV/DCV 8)

SPD 5

Character B

DEX 24

SPD 5

'B' attacks 'A'. 'B' needs a 11- to hit. 'A' aborts his action.

So, at first blush, it seems that DFC is better than Dodge...but, remember that after 'diving' you end up being on the ground and prone (1/2 DCV) until your next phase (and, in this example, 'B' would go before 'A'...)

But, what if you are already at 1/2 DCV? (i.e. 'Braced' the phase before, Did a 'Sweep' or 'Rapid Fire' attack)? Using the above example:

So, it seems, that Dive for Cover can be useful vs. a non-area effect attack. If your DCV is already penalized (Flashed, Haymaker, Sweep, etc), you can make use of this to basically 'put off' getting hit for, at least, that phase (might be useful if you have a teammate who can then come to your rescue).

Is there any other situations that might come up?

Re: Rules Question: TWF + Rapid attack, is it this simple?

So you can make a 1/2 move before attacking but you cannot make 2 sweep attacks in a single phase. The attack still is the last thing that can be done during your action..

I don't think this is quite right. With the 'Sweep' maneuver, you can make as many attack attempts as you want...but at a cumulative -2 OCV with each attack.

pg 397 5th Edition(Revised) says it better than I, but basically:

- figure out how many attacks you want to make.

- apply an OCV penalty of -2 to every attack past the first one.

- make a separate attack roll against each target (which can be the same person or a different one, as long as they are in range).

- If you miss at any time, you stop rolling (Your attack ends).

With the 'Two-Weapon Fighting' you get an extra +2 to offset the Sweep penalties (as well as less penalties to your own DCV).

So, it would be quite possible for a character with TWO and Rapid Attack, to make a half move and attack 4 times (at -4 DCV vs. each target)

(You all can correct me if I'm wrong...)

Re: How to deal with a multiform pregnancy?

I believe that their should definitely be an egg involved.

Re: Outside the Box powers

Invisibility, invisible power effects?

 

Used that to represent a "you don't notice me leaving the room" spell. The SFX was that that the character still appeared to be in the same place (doing nothing) until range got to great (or dropping the power, which came first in this case).

Interesting! It seem like you are getting a 'Image' power there for free though (and how would it work if there was nobody around?).

Invisibility, invisible power effects --- makes me think that 'The Silence' (from Doctor Who) would have something like this as their defining power

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silence_%28Doctor_Who%29

Re: Help modeling a power

I think a AOE (Line) with a limiter 'Can only effect consecutive hexs/area that he passes through'.

Could even add a trigger to it, so that it goes off everytime he makes a full and/or half move in combat.

Re: Hydroforce

I think the reason that I am shy of them is the multiple character sheet thing. It was hard to manage a multiform on Herocentral (insert tears here that Herocentral is still down) for example.

I feel your pain.

At HC, the one thing I did was have the GM setup the form(s) as NCP's on the 'Character' page. Yes, you'd need to send it to your GM every time there was a change to a form, but at least the info was all there to see.

Re: Outside the Box powers

It was just PD/ED with Gestures. Everything else: the ads, the spells, the rock, the "victims", were all just fluff and flavor text for the SFX.

*stares*

Soooo, whenever he uses this extra PD/ED, there is a chance that one of the people he's 'helped' before will fall victim to the attack he avoids?

(They must have all missed that line in the Ad.....must be in the small-small-small print. )

EDIT: Got to say, though, I think that's REALLY stretching the SFX. You must have gotten a real (ahem) generous GM to allow that.

Seriously, though, it turns a standard defensive power into almost an autohit attack. You just need to go ahead and 'help' a target ahead of time...a really stretch of the term 'SFX', I think....

Re: Hydroforce

A 400pt Multiform (x4 Number of Forms, Instant Change) would cost you 95pts.

It would be cheaper, allow you a bit more flexibility with the individual forms, plus allow you to have a 4th Form (maybe a Hybrid-form, involving elements of all 3 states of Water?)

You can even add in fun things like 'Personality Loss' if you stay in one form too long...

Cool character! (Lame Pun intended)

Re: How to Build: Read Ancient Ruins / Writings

One other thing you might do is dig down and find out what the Talent 'Universal Translator' is actually at its core (it's likely based on a 'Detect' or some such thing). I think that 'Ultimate Skills' might have that information (someone can correct me if I'm wrong).

That way, you might be able to pull out the parts that 'fit' and add-in the spell part (incantations, etc) to just the portion you want....

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine

This really looks like fun! Where is the link to this site? I tried the few on the first page, but they didn't seem to work for me....

Re: How to Build: Read Ancient Ruins / Writings

Perhaps something along the lines of 'Universal Translator' with some limitations? (Costs Endurance, Incantations, Only to understand Ancient Writings)?

We've all seen it (in cartoons or comics): Two Energy Manipulators...blasting at each other...the beams pushing at one another...brows sweating...until, ONE beam overwhelms the other!

How would you do that in HERO? And what the 'effect' be?

It seems straight forward enough: Roll Dice vs. Dice and add up the effect/body. Whoever has more, wins.

But, what about Advantaged/Limited Attacks?

What would actually happen if you 'win'?

Might there be an opportunity for a tie?

Would you have to have a held phase, or could you Abort to it? (or, would that be too powerful...being able to basically 'attack' off your turn?)

Ideas? Suggestions?

Re: Psiclone

from a 5th Ed point of view...

I'm thinking:

* Mind Scan (No range) - To establish the 'lock'...enough to do EGO+30 (to use powers and make the connection undetectable)

* Telepathy (Linked to Mind Scan, only through mind scan) to access the memories and personality.

You could also add a 'Requires Skill Rool - Subject to Skill vs. Skill Contest (EGO)' limitation to simulate the contest of wills....with a 'Side Effect' that failing that skill roll gives him a temporary 'Physiological Limitation: Target Personality Overwhelms his Own'.

Or, something like that...

Re: aggrovated over flash/Blindness

From 5e pg 349,

Lack Of Senses In Combat

In combat, a character must normally use a Targeting Sense to detect his target. If he can do so, there is no change in his OCV or DCV, and combat proceeds normally. However, characters can’t always perceive their opponents with Targeting Senses. For example, a character may have been blinded by a Flash, or his opponent could be Invisible. When a character cannot perceive his opponent with any Targeting Sense, he suffers modifiers to his OCV and DCV:

 

—In HTH Combat, the character is at ½ OCV and ½ DCV. This applies both to when he makes attacks in HTH Combat, and is attacked in HTH Combat.

—In Ranged Combat, the character is at 0 OCV and ½ DCV. This applies both to when he makes attacks in Ranged Combat, and is attacked in Ranged Combat.

 

If a character can make a PER Roll with a Nontargeting Sense (a Half Phase Action) to perceive a particular target, then against that target only he is at -1 DCV, ½ OCV when attacked or attacking in HTH Combat, and full DCV, ½ OCV when attacked from or attacking at Range. Against all other targets he is affected by the standard “lack of Targeting Sense” modifiers described above.

So, the keys here are:

1) Has to make the PER roll (with modifiers), and;

2) ONLY verse a single opposing target.

So, yeah, if he makes the PER roll, he's only -1 DCV. BUT, *YOU* get to determine the modifiers on the PER Roll.

Quiet room, trying to listen for a single person: Normal PER roll.

Noise Combat, lots of people involved: -5 (or more!..GM's decision) to PER roll.

If you, as GM, determine that it's too noise to hear anything, you can even tell the player that he needs a critical 'hit' on the PER roll to succeed.

Re: Hero Central Down for??

My heart just about skipped a beat when I refreshed HeroCentral...and something started to load!

...but, it was just a redirect to the herogames site login

Suggestions..

If HERO-based self-improvement is your aim, might I suggest a few books that I've personally found very helpful? They are:

"The 7 Powers of Highly Effective Heroes"

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" (I'd recommend the non-mind controller version)

and my favorite,

"Think and Grow your XP"

All them have made a significant difference to my life....

This is Binnister

...who is Jay Arkinson.

We've already had our little 'chat'. But, if you need any other info/input, just PM me here.

Re: Hero Central Down for??

Bummer' date=' dude. Well, thank you for your efforts at any rate. The forums are also running a lot better for me, so thank you for that as well![/quote']

 

I will also express my 'bummered-ness'. But, at least this time around, it sounds as if there is a solution...just might take a bit to get it back up again.

 

*waves cane* Damned kids! Git' off my PBEM website!