Jeff

I don't have an example of it yet - my spellbook is still growing, although I'm closing in on a hundred in this last week - but I'd go with a Cosmetic Transform.

Originally posted by Markdoc

Actually, regular drains and suppresses (and aid) can be very,very effective indeed in heroic level games, but with the catch that you should concentrate on increasing the upper limit, not the number of dice.

Indeed. Remember to decrease the fade rate too; since you're going to be taking a number of repeated applications to get up there, you don't want to be losing most of the early hits before you're finished.

This applies more to Aids than Drains, since Drain hasn't got a limit. But Drains can be very handy dropping those low heroic level characteristics into negative values, below STR minima, DEX to silly CV's, or SPD for an easy 25-50% drop in phases available. As an added benefit, Power Defense is very, very rare, so the tiny Drains need little fear defenses.

Self Only would get you a power you could use only on yourself, so you'd be better able to reduce your own Mental Defense and seduce yourself, so it wouldn't be appropriate.

Honestly, is this really a limitation at all? You don't want to be softening them up for other mentalists. That sounds more like an advantage to me, if anything. I'd figure it's a -0 limitation at the most generous.

Originally posted by Keneton

The strength roll generating body versus the die roll is made to conform to the rules of martial arts. You can purchase exerts elements for martial arts that add to strength for generating body. The dice roll off does not accurately simulate this finess.

Would there be a problem using the STR as adjusted by the maneuver for the STR rolls to be used?

You know, Luck with a limitation "only to avoid magical unpleasantry" might do the trick too.

I'm coming to this late and a lot of it's been said, but just to toss in another vote -

I was excited about SoB until I saw the price. I was expecting $6-8. Mind you, I knew it's been a long time since I bought an e-book, but that was Ultimate Supermage, which cost me less for a whole lot more material.

I would eagerly lose artwork in a gaming supplement for 20-33% off the price. I can't use the artwork. And, as has been mentioned, you can't even really appreciate it all that well in a PDF.

Big pros were:

1) Black Paladin!

2) It's a Hero product of any sort!

3) They're doing a module! How often does that happen?

4) I can download this thing for immediate gratification in the comfort of my home.

The big cons were:

1) $12?!

2) I don't actually use modules - they're for fun reading and for adventure ideas. But (pardon) the exciting previews did a lot toward getting me the adventure ideas already, and fun reading is less of a factor because -

3) e-books aren't convenient to read. I like to have something to read on the bed, out at restaurants, waiting at the doctor, etc.

I wouldn't've let (2) and (3) stop me in this case if not for (1).

As for format, I don't mind PDF's particularly, though Word documents are handier.

Could you summon an Automaton that's not Slavishly Loyal and make control rolls based on, say, a default EGO 10?

Particularly if not, could you summon an AI that's not Slavishly Loyal, since it has an EGO anyway?

Check RSR in FREd again - it does include a -1/4 additional limitation if the power is subject to skill vs. skill contests. You could use EGO rolls for the target, unless you want your priests to be much more easily able to run over targets without a Faith skill.

I'm using the skill vs. skill modifer for countermagic in the magic system I'm developing, else it'd be running over other mages.

FREd has on the sidebars on pages 19 and 20 breakdowns of how good a given skill roll is.

You could use Characteristic Rolls as complementary skill rolls for 8-1 Everyman skills if you wanted to introduce some element of natural aptitude into them.

You could go with Suppress, no range, AE - 1 hex (accurate), personal immunity (if necessary), probably IPE, 0 END, persistent, self only (no attacking with it; it's a purely passive defense directed against incoming magic powers), versus all magic effects at once. Let's see -

3d6 Suppress, AE - 1 hex accurate (+1/2), personal immunity (+1/4), IPE (visible only to magical senses) (+3/4), 0 END (+1/2), persistent (+1/2), versus all magic at once (+2) - 82 active points

No range (-1/2), self only (-1/2) - 41 real points.

It'll shave on average 10-11 active points off incoming magic of any stripe. That's before any other defenses, so 10-11 points off will often make the difference between an effective attack and an ineffective one. If you'd like a cheaper variant, you could buy it as against any magic one effect at a time (+1/4), two at a time (+1/2), or four at a time (+1). This'd be a magic resistance that can get "overwhelmed" by great varieties of magic coming in at once, but it should be enough in the large majority of cases.

Originally posted by Roland

Unless the goblins can mount a credible military defense, they will need another strategy to avoid being annexed by a neighboring human kingdom. Perhaps you can set it up so that, for some reason, conquering the goblins would be more trouble than it's worth. The easy way is to make the goblins too poor and disorganized to bother with, but that would contradict your premise. Perhaps the goblins live comfortably in a geography that is not suited to humans. Or their main subsistence crop is unpalatable to humans, who are therefore not tempted to raid or tax the goblins.

Maybe the terrain is chock-full of toxic (to humans) plants that goblins grow, live on, and can use for nasty poisons. It would simultaneously be goblin-esque ("They eat WHAT?!"), account for no humans in the area, make the place undesireable to conquer, make it dangerous to garrison (rebel weapons are literally growing on trees), and give them a military advantage - extensive use of poisoned weapons. It's also a nicely defensive one - the poisons would be hard to replenish on campaigns away from home, so there's less reason to launch a preemptive strike just because they're dangerous.

Re: Entangle Armor

Originally posted by Dust Raven

I was just checking out some of the recent Q&A on the boards, and noticed the concept of Entangle with Personal Immunity. My first thought was "wow! that's how I can write up this character's armor". Then I read Steve's answer which said it shouldn't be allowed if the purpose was to get more defenses.

It's not quite that strong:

"There's no specific rule against it. Whether a GM chooses to allow it, or to allow any particular use of such a power, is another question entirely. I suspect many would consider it unbalancing if the intention is to use it to grant extra defenses to a character."

So it's a GM call based on balance. Me, I wouldn't be worried by it, especially when it fits what you're looking for that well and nothing else is going to come all that close.

Originally posted by GamePhil

I can think of two ways.

 

1. Buy a Force Wall, give it Usable As Attack. Then, with the GM's permission, make it Self Only (yes, I know that's odd). The Usable As Attack allows it to move with the target (Shadowboxer, in Millenium City, has a similar ability, I believe), and the target happens to be yourself.

Force Walls centered on the person throwing them up can be made to move with him or her without an advantage necessary (FREd, p. 117, last paragraph main power description). Same goes for Darkness. I don't think it goes for Images, Change Environment, or other Constant AE powers - there's no reference I've been able to find, though it would make sense.

Funny, I've always been annoyed with how you have to figure END costs before the active points for the Reduced END advantage itself, or the area of an area effect power based on active points absent that advantage. It'd be so much simpler not to have to track different effective active point totals.

Originally posted by Hugh Neilson

Of course, there's always that rule that says if there's more than one way, the expensive way is always right. So I always buy Extra Dimensional Movement, Area Effect, Usable Against Others to a Dimension where I have just fired a 12d6 EB at my target.

 

Should I put that in a VPP for EDM's only, do you think?

Nah - too much potential for abuse!

Could one buy Personal Immunity on Summon to prevent the summoned creature from being able to harm the summoner?

I'm not sure what's gained indulging in the dreaded VPP over just buying down or off limitations, increasing active points, and getting more and better KS's, maybe PS: Mage, and a better Magic skill roll to represent the same sort of effects.

Re: Re: Need some help with gadgets

Originally posted by Armitage

From Champions 5e, Chapter 3: Superhero Technology, p. 120.

 

Images to Radio Group, +4 to PER Rolls, Increased Size (32" Radius; +1 1/4), Usable As Attack (ranged, based on STR; allows character to "stick" the Image to a target; +1 1/4), 1 Continuing Recoverable Charge lasting 1 Week (stops functioning if it gets wet or experiences severe radio interference; +1) (76 Active Points), IAF (-1/2), Image Only Perceivable On Special Radio Frequencies (-0). Total Cost: 51 points.

 

The item description recommends that the Image be detected at +4 within 32", +2 within 64", +0 within 125", -2 within 250", and with an Extraordinary Skill Roll beyond that.

Meanwhile, for 56 active points and 19 real, Takofanes can blot out the sun. Does anyone think this device is worth 51 points?

Here's another stab -

Images to Radio Group, +0 to PER Rolls, Usable As Attack (ranged, based on STR; allows character to "stick" the Image to a target; +1 1/4), 1 Continuing Recoverable Charge lasting 1 Week (stops functioning if it gets wet or experiences severe radio interference; +1), (16 Active Points), IAF (-1/2), Image Only Perceivable On Special Radio Frequencies (-0), set effect - radio beacon (-1). Total Cost: 6 points.

plus

High Range Radio Perception (8 Active Points), OIF (-1/2). Total Cost: 5 points (and useful anyway)

and finally

Telescopic HRRP, +14 vs. range mods (14 active points), OIF (-1/2), only to detect homing beacon (-1). Total Cost: 6 points

All together, 17 points, 5 of which have plenty of other use

Forgery might be another tack to take for the card simulation device.

Say, has anyone found that unarmed martial artist monk characters are terribly unpopular in FH? They too aren't taking advantage of character-point-free equipment, but I don't think they're condemned as ineffective or punished because they have to pay more for martial arts than the armed sorts have to pay for weapon familiarities.

Mind Control, Area Effect - probably radius, probably increased area or even megascale; 0 END, constant, persistent, probably always on; no range; one command - hold my gaze (-1?); target must meet gaze (-1?); broken if gaze broken (-1/2). Fortunately, it shouldn't require a very high effect roll, especially if you crank up Manic Cheshire's COM.

Originally posted by Farkling

My vision of TK with Area Effect - One Hex is that it would hit the hex as a whole....grabbing everything in it....you'd definitely need the Fine Manipulation then.

Right. That's why you'd grab Accurate - it's automatically a single target in the hex - or Selective, if it were any larger an area.

Chances are these guys weren't born to fly, shoot energy blasts, or confront evil with two-fisted justice either, but when the world needed heroes and they had the power, they answered that call and started doing things they hadn't been prepared by training or experience to do. Here's another frontier for them. It might be difficult, they may bungle it a bit, but they can try the investigation thing too. Part of trying it, of course, might be trying to get more experienced help - "hero" doesn't mean "stupid".

Originally posted by Mr. Negative

In fact, that's kind of what I'm considering, for each character: a Heal Body with a single charge that is also limited by having to be used immediately after taking damage. This would allow the PC to convert what might be a killing blow (one that does loads of body) to a painful injury (like a nasty cut on the face, or a kick in the goolies). This way, a player might still be incapacitated by STUN damage, but could "ignore" one bad (for them) roll each game. However, I don't want to do regeneration, as I don't want this to be a "shake it off" sort of effect, but rather, the sort of vagaries of fate that always conspire to protect characters. I'm unsure how to write it up so that it can save PC's when they are unconscious or stunned, as Healing normally requires a half-phase action.

If it's a GM gift to PC's, something they can't control or increase, that they're all getting in the same way, something that's just there to preserve the plot by keeping them from getting killed by that one exceptional blow - it's not really necessary to write it up. Just hit them with the BODY back, the blow didn't in fact cause an Impairing or Disabling wound when you think it's appropriate. In fact, if there isn't a mechanic for it, they're that much less likely to try to take advantage of it, which (from the sounds of it) they shouldn't anyway.

GM fiat is a convenient thing. It's a nice thing about HERO that we need to make relatively little use of it, but it's still there and ready.

I'd consider Suppress early and often for effects that go on continually while the subject is under the gadget but go right away thereafter. The active denial system might be built around a STUN Suppress, for instance. GM permitting, the veiling glare laser might be a Suppress vs. Normal Sight, although a small NND continuous sight Flash should do well enough there. The photic driver might be a STUN Suppress with a limitation that the damage is counted only for purposes of Stunning the target, i.e., inducing disorientation.

You could also take a limitation on conventional damage powers - like an NND EB - that the damage is especially easily recovered, e.g., one free Recovery of it when you cease exposure, and doubled Recovery of lost points thereafter.