BlackKnight

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

It's funny that I just stumbled across this thread, as I've just spent the last week or so refining this exact character in Hero Designer. I asked myself nearly the same question - "if I could be a HERO system character in the Real World, what would I be?" This is, at least for me, a very different question than "what superhero would I want to be in the Champions or any other superhero world?" As I've kept adding things over time, it's ended up pretty high points-wise (850+ at this point), but I decided from the beginning it would be a "points no object" exercise (hey, it is wish-fulfillment after all!).

Anyway, the specifics:

my top 3 most wished for powers, in order of preference, have always been:

Flight, Invisibility, Desolidification

(wow, what kinds of interesting psychological insights can this sort of exercise lead others to? I'm sure I don't want to know...)

Then I did the Immortal Guy thing - most of the Life Support suite, including the little or no sleep/eat stuff (just because you don't HAVE to do it doesn't mean you can't if you want to!). Then I added Regeneration, cuz' duh!

And then, everything else went into Mentalist powers. Along the way, this gradually merged with a concept for an NPC called Ghost that I had visualized years ago for my perpetually-incomplete campaign setting (who happened to have my Top 3 powers - must have been the same sort of exercise way back then ;-).

So, following the same line of reasoning as with the earlier character, I ended up with lots of detective/spy types of Mental powers. Not so much the "you are now all my slaves!" kind of stuff, but Telepathy, Mind Link, Retrocognition/Psychometry, some Empath-type emotion detection/influencing abilities (in RL I think I have the Lecherous Psych Lim).

Had to do some Telekinesis, just enough to equal my average human strength, but it's bought so as to be effortless (this gives me the classic Wizard's schtick of the book/laptop floating in front of me as I read, while my drink of choice hovers obediently, waiting for it's opportunity to quench my thirst. Maybe I'll take up the pipe, just for visual effect)

Also, a suite of Cyberpathy abilities, cuz I'm obviously a computer geek born-and-bred. I also had a selection of Skill Levels for various skills that could be helped by a few seconds worth of Precognition (you know, Gambling, Driving, etc.). Then, it's all rounded out with some misc. "super brain guy" abilities like Eidetic Memory and Speed Reading, and a few Mental Defense type of abilities, just in case there are any other mentalists out there and I eventually run into one of them.

I'm sure I could trim this all down to the point level proposed, this is just me way down the road with lots of experience!

I'm now at the point of "okay, what would I actually DO with all this power?" That's a fun question too!

Re: Archer ideas?

I'm currently playing the Masked Archer in a Golden Age game.

 

So far he's developed:

Knockout arrow

Suction cup arrow

Red Ray arrow (an arrow with a energy ray attached)

Web arrow

Mummification arrow

 

In the future he will build:

Roman candle arrow

Dynamite arrow

Vampire arrow - Magnetically homes in on metal and blows it up.

Radio arrow

Underwater arrow

Liberty arrow – Displays a ‘Buy war bonds and stamps’ message

Crop dusting arrow

Thousand arrow arrow (multiple warhead)

Space folding arrow

Cool stuff. Some of the arrow concepts I've seen are wacky enough that a Golden Age campaign would really be the best place for them...that's a great idea.

I'd like to hear the "special effect" or explanation of the Red Ray arrow, and also see details on the mummification, roman candle, vampire and crop dusting arrows...sounds like great stuff!

Re: a gimick fix on the 75 arrows

Since this is high tech' date=' declare you have 24-36 SHAFTS, and the way you remove the shaft from the quiver determines what arrow head gets attached. I could see a three position auto feed since you have autofire. Straight out give you broad head, clockwise spin give you explosive, counterclockwise gives you gas, tug left gives you... etc. This allows you to have a fixed number of charges for a given type of attack with 24-36 total shafts. You could also then use the arrow heads themselves for things if you didn't want to waste the shaft, such as doing a lob, hand granade style, with the explosive arrow head.[/quote']

 

Another idea popped into my head while reading this one...you could have a wireless remote control-type thing in the grip of your bow...by pressing the correct combination of buttons, the "tech quiver" could then attach the arrowhead you want next to a shaft before you even reach back for your next arrow. That's a pretty high-tech quiver, but it beats carrying 75 arrows on your back (look out, it's Porcupine man!...oh, it's that Bowman guy...)

Re: Archer ideas?

Just to keep things as all-inclusive as possible, here's a link to JmOZ's thread on some new gadgets for his archer character, Bowman...cool stuff!

Bowman gadgets thread

Re: Name Generator

At last I can actually contribute something! (bwahaha!...oh, sorry)

50 Random Superhero Names

just refresh the page for a new set of 50

Lee's Useless Superhero Generator

can do characters, teams, bases, vehicles, etc.

Obviously, as with any random generator, your mileage may vary...these are just fun to iterate over and over and see what pops up...once in a while you get a cool idea nucleus...

Re: Archer ideas?

Great ideas, all! Keep 'em coming. JmOz, I liked the thread on your Bowman character, will definitely steal some ideas from there (use as inspiration, I mean ;-)

Re: OK Call me stupid but.....

That would be me.

 

KA.

Well said, sir*. I agree completely, and that's why I've been a fan of comics all my life (though not necessarily of all the comics produced throughout my life). And this is why I want my kids to dig comics...if I can find the right kind of comics to give them these days.

*apologies for my chauvinism if you're not a "sir"

Re: Archer ideas?

To get things rolling I'll throw out one of my favorite arrows: the "door-kicker"!

My archer, named Hunter, is a cross between Hawkeye (obviously) and the Punisher, with a little Wolverine thrown in (tracking and senses, mainly). He has a background in chemistry and has cooked up a couple of interesting payloads to deliver via his arrows.

The "door-kicker" is a shaped-charge explosive arrowhead, but rather than the typical shaped-charge that is designed for increased penetration along the axis of the flightpath of the projectile, this charge is designed to channel the explosive force outward in a vertical plane from the point of impact. This makes it perfect for shattering various walls and doors.

This is bought as 1" of tunnelling, through fairly high DEF (10 or 12). Obviously usable at range, and probably with the "limited medium" limitation at the -1/2 level (walls and doors only). He uses this arrow to open holes in doors or walls, either up close or from range (prior to using a swingline arrow to enter the bad guys' hideout, for instance).

More complications could be added to the power, such as Side Effects reflecting the damage to the immediate area, or various linked attacks or flashes for anyone caught in the vicinity of the blast (although my idea is that almost all of the explosive force is kept within the wall/door, minimizing collateral damage).

One of my favorite superhero "archetypes" has always been the Archer, especially the trick/gadget/checklist variety. Obviously Hawkeye and Green Arrow are the icons in this area, but there have been others, and some characters can be considered partial examples of the type.

It would be hard to be completely original when working in this archetype (and what fun would that be?), but in an effort to make my own archer character a little more interesting, how about posting your own archer ideas? I know some ideas have already been documented in other threads (on gadgets, specific characters, etc.), but i didn't see anything framed specifically for those Bombastic Bowmen out there! ('nuff said)

Any ideas would be appreciated, including:

- character concepts, names, or portraits;

- ideas for arrows, weapons and other gear;

- other powers that work particularly well in this kind of character (or don't);

- actual writeups of your favorite arrows, MPs or complete characters;

- interesting incidents in play;

- lessons learned for running or GMing these kinds of characters,

etc.

(apologies if this has been covered before...i did some searching and didn't find what I was looking for elsewhere)

DoJ plans?

Actually, if you view this "Terran Empire" reference in light of the sidebar on p. 52 of "Champions", it might not even BE a mistake!

under the heading "How to Destroy [or conquer] the World":

"buy a small game company and then parley it into a world-dominating economic entity"

...go HERO!

Originally posted by BobGreenwade

Nice review. I caught a few grammar/spelling errors, but nothing earth-shattering, and you did an excellent job describing things for people unfamiliar with the HERO System or the Champions Universe.

 

Funny thing, though.... My page 217 says "UNTIL Superpowers Database," not "Terran Empire."

Nice job! Well-written review and I agree with most or all of what you said...it's a GREAT book!

Power Point article on archetypes

I don't have a well-thought-out answer to your question, but I do like some of the ideas in this "Power Point" article on the subject: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/1905/haym14.html

Originally posted by GestaltBennie

Even so, I gave the PCs opportunities to bond with him, and they must have worked, because late in the campaign I ran a session where the first half hour of the game was taken up watching him fight an alien champion ("with the fate of earth in the balance!") via satellite from an alien world. I was worried the players would get bored fast, but they were quite happy to spend that time making comments and cheering him on during the battle.

That's very cool...sounds like some quality role-playing there...good times!

Originally posted by GestaltBennie

I like the archetype; it's pretty much the quintessence of the four-color genre. Just as long as the PCs in an upper-medium-to-high powered game have the opportunity to eventually reach his level of power and gameworld respect, I have no problems with it.

 

The "why do you need the PCs if Supes is around?" syndrome is a bit of a problem, (just as it can be to fanatical comic book fans who wonder why there aren't more crossovers in a superhero world). My world has a lot of active NPCs; my solution for my Superman-like character was to have him do a lot of work for the space program and be happier doing it than flying around dirty cties and getting into brawls, so there was a built-in buffer between him and the PCs.

In my perpetually-embryonic campaign/world, the Superman rung of the power ladder is filled by Omega Prime, leader of a small team of heroes (with Omega in it's name ;-) I envision him as very Superman-like in terms of powers/power level, but very enigmatic and aloof. (I think that perhaps he has never spoken, or only very rarely). The team is based in Antarctica (to avoid territorial favoritism) and generally only operates on a global-scale, most often vs. natural disasters, though sometimes vs. human-caused situations. There is a UN connection to the team, but not anything formal (they are independent and don't take orders, in other words). The other members of the team are lower-powered (though still pretty high on the scale) and more human/approachable. They follow Prime's lead though, and he sets the tone for what they do and don't do. You could ask the question why don't they spend all of their time solving the smaller-scale but still overwhelming problems of the world. I figure they have good reasons, but no one really knows what they are (hence the aloof/enigmatic thang). This way, they don't overshadow the "PC's" (if I had any), but still function as the "top of the scale".

This Omega Prime guy is obviously not the Last Boy Scout that Supes is (I've never been a big DC fan, but you gotta give props to Supes!). I haven't given that "slot" as much thought, but it would probably be filled by the US' resident most-powerful SuperPatriot (not sure who that is yet).

I haven't read through the whole thread yet (i'm responding to a post on page 3) so I'll apologize in advance if someone else pointed this out already...

We recently saw Finding Nemo and they had a preview of the next Disney/Pixar feature (due in 2005). It is called The Incredibles, and the preview centers around Mr. Incredible. We first see him in a series of photos and clippings on his den wall. He receives a call on the "red phone" and prepares to leap into action. As we finally see him, it turns out he's long past his prime and can't seem to fit into his utility belt any longer. It's very funny and should be great (as all Pixar films have been, IMO), especially for us superhero fans.

Some info

Originally posted by BlackSword

A year or two ago Cartoon Network had a series of pilot shows on and the viewers choose the next cartoon they would produce. The end product was they choose the Grim&Evil show. One of the cartoons though was about a superhero organization, and one of the heroes was the old guy from the previous age, he was pretty much a superman clone, except at age 70 or so. Needless to say the end of the show was this old guy going down and showing the young pups how to do it. It was a fairly humourous concept, but I don't know how well it would fit in the Champions Universe if you knew that if you lost some powerful older superhero would swoop in and save the day.

 

Depending on the genre an elder powerful superhero who has retired to a life of politics, debating, activism, philantropy, etc, can act as a way to ease people's minds to metahumans. On the other hand, Superman has done several things (the robots in the comics, and Legacy in the animated series) to hurt people's trust in him and hence problaby the superhero community in general.

I have a character concept who can do something similar and would like to see thoughts on this idea as well...anyone?

Re: Re: Allies

I would buy an international heroes/villains book as well. I second the earlier endorsement of the GURPS International Super Teams setting book. While I wouldn't play GURPS Supers over Champions, the IST idea is very cool and it's great brain-fodder to see lots of example heroes written up with international twists.

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

 

As far as new NPC heroes goes, while I'm not sure I'd be that interested in a book focussing on more North American supeheroes (between old and new edition writeups I think I have that pretty well covered), the heroes of many other countries would definitely interest me. International NPC heroes make good encounters as local color or visitors to this continent on special missions. Ideally I support the previously mentioned notion of a book or books detailing various regions of the world, with notable heroes and villains from each region. I'm sure there'd be a market for that. [/b]

I'm in exactly the same situation, Morningstar, and feel the same way as you. I love all of the hero-centric books I've seen from Hero in the past: the aformentioned Allies, plus Champions of the North and Kingdom of Champions, which detail lots of heroes from Canada and the UK, respectively. I've always viewed those books, along with the Mutant File, and, to a lesser extent, the enemies books, as great resources for ideas/examples for my own characters. If I'm creating a speedster character or an archer or something, it's great to find similar characters to see the way they are written up, detailed, steal ideas from, etc. I imagine that the USPD will fill that role nicely (mine won't be here until next week), but a list of powers and a book of complete characters is two different things...both would be welcome in my collection.

Originally posted by Morningstar

I would love to have a heroes book simply because(like most of my friends) I don't get a chance to play anymore but reading all the material and mentally making characters is still a lot of fun. I might be in the minority but having a good career, family and little time, makes it hard to play but easy to afford books that cost less than taking the family to one movie. Ill buy them all unless the start to become rushed or poor quality.

Names

Blue Angel, as have I -- in fact, my cold/heat using character has given me the hardest time coming up with a name I really like: I don't think I'm there yet (I'm leaning towards Temper right now, but have thought about: IceFire, IceFlare, FrostFire? Thermal? Thermax? Thermic? Extreme? Temperate?).

I have a couple others from my character group that I didn't see in the last roundup list:

Shutdown

Shadow

also, from the above list:

Thermic

Temperate

IceFlare

Thermax (which is in Hero's High-Tech Enemies book)

had also considered:

Kelvin (along the lines of Rigel's Celsius)

Otherwise, that's a VERY impressive list and will be a great resource to use (I gave up on coming up with truly original names a long time ago--everything has already been used somewhere! ;-)