Mathew

Re: Campaign Concept Source: "No Ordinary Family"

I'll have to check again. If it's 11,000 lbs then that's closer to what? STR 38? I don't have my books or calculator near me.

Re: Campaign Concept Source: "No Ordinary Family"

I just watched the show and here are my takes on the characters:

Dad - they said he can lift 1100 lbs? What's that a STR of 21? He also seems to have maybe 12rPD armor, but he took some BODY when a headshot did double damage. Despite them saying he limbs were not faster than before, he sorta has to be to get Missile Deflection and Superleap. You have to leap FASTER and STRONGER to go a quarter mile, or to intercept a bullet. Also some artist ability, a base, and contacts in the police department (is he an actual police man or does he just work there?)

Mom - Seems to have running, high SPD and a Force Field when running. Probably some research skills and science.

Daughter - Seems to have 8D6 Telepathy, reading only, invisible power effects, 0 END, must make eye contact.

Son - So far has displayed Lightning Calculator and Science Mathematics. probably KS - TV shows.

I like that they seemed to tie the powers to the desires of the characters. The dad wants to be stronger for his family, the mom needs more time to do things, the daughter is a social networker who is always worried what others are thinking. The son wants to do better in school.

Re: Has anyone ever done the Tomorrow People in Hero rules?

In the third series of the first season we learn Carol has intuition about danger the others have come to respect. Basically she has Danger Sense, in or out of combat, general area.

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

Trying to explain an established character "in the rules correctly" is just a mental numbers game. You make the character the way you want or think the character should be and you pad out the points with experience.

I know that, but I'm pretty sure what you said has nothing to do with whether Batman should be made with 64 multiforms or one form with lots of skills. If the goal is to make a powerful Batman, I'd advise making one character with the combined abilties of all 64 forms and admit you're trying to make a character whose value is indeed greater than 350 points.

It would be funny though, if Batman (in "Batman with the Batcopter" form) was flying in a Batcopter over the ocean, resucing some ally, then they get attacked by a shark, so he switches to "Batman with silly gadgets" form, hands his ally the Bat-shark repellant, but suddenlt the Batcopter disappears, dropping them in the ocean! (oops, that form doesn't have a Vehicle!)

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

Let's be realistic - the reason such an unusual build is needed for Batman is that acquiring all the abilities Batman "should" possess based on the comics requires a character with more than base points.

 

That said, a MF of Bats, Bats in Plane, Bats in Batmobile, etc. doesn't seem 100% unreasonable. Bats can't use all those martial arts and utility belt gadgets when he's in the vehicle anyway.

You seemed to say it though... "the abilities Batman "should" possess based on the comics requires a character with more than base points", so this really is just trying to save points, not explain a character in the rules correctly. How about just take all the 64 different Batmen writeups, make one character that has ALL the abilities of them combined, figure out his cost (probably 1000+ points), and admit an comic accurate Batman is a 1000 point character.

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

Nested Multiforms? Interesting. Like having a Multipower inside a Multipower.

 

Whether or not the rules explicitly rule it out, it's unlikely many GMs would let a player get away with such a build.

 

Please note that I didn't write: "no sane GM would let..." That would have constituted a "No True Scotsman" fallacy.

 

Personally, Cassandra's build is beyond what I would allow in an actual game. As an example it's rather interesting, though. I've experimented in the past with Multiform based Superman builds, after having had some success with Multiform based versions of Ultra Boy.

 

Oh, yes, Ultra Boy. The only thing tricky about him is which is his base form. In his first appearance, he only uses his vision powers. Later on, he is shown using his invulnerability power as his default form. In theory, of course, he could use none of his powers at all.

 

Any of these could be his base form. In practice, his invulnerability power would be the least cheesy option. His first appearance can be explained as him being told only to use those particular powers. In practice, of course, it would be perfectly reasonable to build him with a rather weak "invulnerability" slot, and make his vision powers the slot that is actually useful. He wouldn't initially need to have any other slots at all!

 

They could be added later on. Really, only two more would be necessary: Superstrength and Superspeed.

 

In general, his powers are portrayed in such a way that it's not really necessary to break him down in more detail than this. They tend to clump together, and many of his secondary abilities can be considered as side effects of his main ones. (Superbreath is a good example - it can be treated as being related to Superstrength.)

 

With a bit of work, each form can thus be a reasonably well rounded character in itself. At this stage, however, shtick preservation can become an issue. That's pretty context dependent though, and not particularly relevant to this discussion.

I had written up a lower end 250 point Ultraboy once, used a multipower:

http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/csultraboy.html

Yes, it uses one slow with enhanced senses, so it required GM permission.

I generally limit my use of Multiform for only when a character has two very different forms. Different mental stats, abilities, BODY, etc. For instance I'd use it for Mighty Man from Savage Dragon, where a character has two completely seperate bodies that change place. I wouldn't use it for say, a Transformer who turns into a truck, since he has the same basic abilities, just shifted shape. I might take some powers as "only in hero id" on such a character.

Back to Batman, would there be a limitation that all the various forms would take BODY and STUN from when he's in another form? If not then when "Detective Batman" gets shot, he could change to "Martial Artist" Batman and be healed.

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

The problem with this idea for Batman is the 64th Multiform then has multiforms himself, with 63 more forms of Superman, and a 64th with YET MORE MULTIFORMS. So this becomes an infinite loop, covering every hero, and this character can become EVERY 350 point hero EVER!

Re: Help name my Hero Group

The Kit Shickers.

Re: Which older modules are worth running?

So, updating the Black Enchantress to 4th editon (and just dropping the base for now), she would look like this:

http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/PDFs/BLACKENC.pdf

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

I also put up a Batman with the Batmobile' date=' Batplane, and Batboat as followers.[/quote']

 

Followers? Not Vehicles?

 

Also, I'm not sure about the idea of a multiform slot with a vehicle. That is definitely double-dipping for points. Where does it go if he changes form?

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

Those senses are for the most part already 'one at a time' abilities. Allowing them in a Multipower is just awarding a point savings for no real drawback to the character. At some point it just becomes GM favoritism for one concept over another. That is never a good thing.

Not true at all, there are times when you need X-ray and telescopic (seeing into a room far away), or where you need x-ray and to dark (seeing into a dark room).

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

Putting enhanced senses in a Power Framework are allowed with GM permission. I've allowed it when it makes sense - Particularly for VPPs. For instance a gadgeteer with a VPP can make a radio. A shapeshifter with a VPP can get night vision by turning his eyes cat-like. A Multipower or EC is harder to justify, since then it's just the character trying to get a power on the cheap by saying "He has superman powers, and everyone knows Kryptonians have x-ray vision! So it's a theme!" Even if you don't allow it in a Multipower or EC, they can still buy it, at full cost.

One time I did allow it was a Multipower with enhanced visions as the theme, for a character whose powers were all enhanced visions. He could swap (IR, UV, telescopic, x-ray) one at a time.

When I wrote a lot of 250 point project characters that had things that required GM permission, I wrote that the character sheet needed GM permission in the notes.

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

There was multiform in 4th edition.

Yes, but the price was calculated differently. As I stated in another post "In 4th editon rules this kind of Multiform would cost 2275 points. 70 for the first form, and 35 each for the other 63." So you could write up this character, but instead of being 350 points, he would cost over 2000!

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

Leech once suppressed an Inhuman's powers. Also, what about the Aquarian, who nullifies all powers?

Anyways, I wouldn't do it because it would be the same as having a follower buy a vehicle for me to drive in. It's just playing with points.

Re: Kingdom of Champions expanded character sheets.

p139 - Chime http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/PDFs/CHIME.pdf

p158 - Blizzard King http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/PDFs/BLIZKING.pdf

p167 - Brutalloids http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/PDFs/BRUTALLO.pdf

Blizzard King is based on his low power version.

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

You don't get free immunity to a power because your special effect is "I played games mechanic". Adjustment powers would effect a Multiform power. What is the justification for this change in multiform? I want to be stealthy now, so I change Multiform to the Batman with a 23- skill in Stealth, then I want to solve a riddle, so I change to the Batman with a 23- skill Deduction. Oh wait, I need to research the new formula the villian is using to poison the city, I need to switch to the Batman with a 23- skill in Chemistry! As a GM I'd rule this was just abusing the rules to save on buying skills. I also wouldn't allow someone to make a skill VPP that they could just make any skill at will, just switching as they needed it. You want them, buy them.

Batman would be in "kick ass in the alley" mode then someone would hit him with a dispel, and he woud turn back into base-level Batman. Or some power duplicator would be able to gain his Batman forms.

Hey, why limit him to 350 point Batman forms, lots of people have written up the league as 350 heroes. Why not make a hero who can be every member of the league?

Still, this would make the Wildcards character of Captain Trips easier to write up.

BTW - In 4th editon rules this kind of Multiform would cost 2275 points. 70 for the first form, and 35 each for the other 63.

Re: Which older modules are worth running?

White converting Black Enchantress to 4th edition rules I noticed her "base" cost a heck of a lot more. I take it in oder editons you didn't have to pay 1 to 1 for the point costs of based that cost more then the character who made them?

Re: Batman! Collect them all for 350 Points!

Part of the reason I prefer 4th edition over 5th. You couldn't do this, and shouldn't be able to! It's just a way to buy skills and equipment on the cheap.

BTW - What about power negators? If Batman goes near Marvel's Leech, he looses his skills?

Re: Which older modules are worth running?

I never found any problem with WotV, it's a great time travel scenario. Do the heroes you save the "bad guy" to keep a badder guy from doing evil?

Now throw in The Ayran from Allies as an NPC and that game gets really fun. Which side is he on? What if his alternate version on Nazi world is an Anti Nazi hero who helps the PCs?

Re: Which older modules are worth running?

I tried writing up Black Enchantress with 4th edition rules, and for the same point cost she paid for "1D6+1 Ego Destruction" you could buy a 1 1/2 Ego Drain, ranged, vs. ECV that had a recovery rate at the 5 year rate. That's petty long term.

Re: Which older modules are worth running?

I have very fond memories of the Coriolus Effect. The first part of the scenario where the heroes discover the involvement of the Black Enchantress became the best ghost story scenario we ever played as a group. I threw away the rule book as far as mental effects went and removed all the player's power over the environment by GM fiat funnelling them towards a conclusion they could see coming from a long way off.

 

I think there is the basis of a good game in most of the scenarios but most of them need work to give your players the experience they expect of a game today...

 

Doc

I just got the Coriolis Effect module. It has Black Enchantress with a power called "1D6+1 Ego Destruction, ranged, vs. ECV", what power is that?

Re: Has anyone ever done the Tomorrow People in Hero rules?

I just started watching the series from episode #1.

So far I've rediscovered that the teleporting seems to be limited to a couple kilometers without belts to boost the power. (in one scene Carol doesn't have a working belt, and says it took her 5 seperate jaunts to get from her house to John's house.) Also the belts are controlled and powered by their computer Tim. He increases the power as needed, and can help in the navigation (his scanners confirm that a place has no people around to witness a jaunt for instance, and makes sure they don't jaunt into something dangerous). With a belt they can jaunt planetwide. As the belts are powered by Tim, if you shut Tim off, the belts don't work at all.

Telekinesis is limited. Lifting a kilogram or two is about the max in this early story (although I know they do more in the later audio books). Also, some people seem to have very little TK ability, as they haven't practiced it.

There talk in the second episode about using their powers on an artifact they find to learn it's history (which they think they should be able to do theoretically), but they loose the object before they can try. So potentially there is "object reading" in the powers they could develop.

They also seem to be able to "link" (join hands around a table) to boost their telepathic strength. Their telepathy is also directional, as they found someone who was transmitting by listening from different places around the city, the drawing on a map the direction where each person heard it coming from. The result was them learning where the person was when they broadcast.

Also, Tim the computer is partly organic in nature, so he can hear/send telepathy, and he also has the basic abilities of a Star Trek replicator (can make meals appear on a table, for instance).

The bad guys have large scanner devices that can detect if someone is a telepath, and they have headbands they can put on someone to nullify their powers. They also have traps that can be set to mess up teleporting in an area, making someone who teleports get caught in "hyperspace".

Re: Boomerang Pistol

Looks like Missile Deflection when he stares down a bullet.

The part where he makes an empty guitar case fire a missile that throws a car at the enemies - EB, requires a Focus, only to throw, area effect.

The boomerang pistol throw could just be TK to operate the gun at range. TK STR 10 (15 points), invisible Power Effects (+1), Gestures (-1/4). Total cost 24 points. Then he could do that with any weapon. I'd assume he just has about +20 OCV with all ranged weapons. Clairvoyance to see from the point of his TK. Doing it this way he could do this sort of attack with any weapon.

Re: Kingdom of Champions expanded character sheets.

p132 - Mole http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/PDFs/MOLE.pdf

p151 - Aggro http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/PDFs/AGGRO.pdf

p152 - Sidestep http://home.comcast.net/~mathewignash/PDFs/SIDESTEP.pdf

Re: Has anyone ever done the Tomorrow People in Hero rules?

Yes, all Tomorrow people has those three powers. To define how they were used in the show:

Telepathy - At a base level mostly used to communicate with other telepaths over long distances. They would think something, and the other telepath would hear it. Used like a private radio. In some cases if another telepath was nearby, they would hear it too. Perhaps more like Mind Link or Radio transmit and recieve vs. ECV in Champions rules. Some individuals could do things like tell is someone was lying by hearing it in their thoughts, and understand languages by hearing the thoughts behind the words. They could also translate for others this way by putting the words in their heads.

Telekinesis - At basic levels they could make simple object float. They would glow, it was visible. At higher levels, I recall someone reflecting bullets with it. This was the least used power.

Teleportation - They could "jaunt" from one place to another. Usually by standing and concentrating. If two worked together they could carry the weight of an additional person. They had "jaunting belts" and platforms that could boost range of a jaunt. In some cases interplanetary range!

They also seemed to be really smart, learned quickly, total recall, the like.

Most alien species were essentially human-like, most had similar telepaths and non-telepath members. Telepaths ran most of the universe, and they had a rule to leave "primitive" species alone, which is why most aliens avoid Earth. With the emergence of the first telepaths on Earth, contact is made (secretly) and the series starts there.

The "Tomorrow People" have advanced tech like stun guns, environmental suits, and AI computers.

I have the original series on que at Netflix, but I warn anyone who plans to watch it DO NOT judge it by the episode "A Man for Emily"! That was the worst episode of any TV series ever broadcast. With Platinum haired bimbos and cowboys from space looking to reproduce with earthlings you'd think it would be a good episode, and yet somehow they still failed to make anything worth watching!