Peregrine

Originally posted by LadyChaos

Thanks everyone! It's been a long time since I read X-Men, so I'd forgotten about Cyclops' eye beams being concussive ... or else I thought that it was the effect that was that way, not the beams, so still nothing physical to grab.

 

I totally forgot about force wall! Once I thought of straight TK grabbing something insubstantial my mind froze.

Well, there is a power construct for energy TK. You define the TK with the limitation Affects Only (e.g. Affects Fire Only) and you get the ability to manipulate the chosen energy type.

But, yeah, Jean stopping Scott's EB was a Force Field or Force Wall; based on the visual FX I'd say the latter.

Edited because I gave the construct for TK affecting gases as energy TK. Bad form, me.

In the current issue of Digital Hero (#10), there's an article on Area of Effect variants which includes an Area of Effect (Line of Sight), which covers just this sort of thing.

Originally posted by Trebuchet

We're the big leagues, the JLA/Avengers of our universe. So we should be a comfortable cut above normals and "average" characters.

I think this may be key. The 'rule' of DEX should be 'how do the supers compare to normals?" If supers are just 'normals with a power schtick', the lower DEX scores are appropriate. If supers are 'better in most or all areas, plus a power schtick', then higher DEX scores are justified.

I'm wondering why Teleios hasn't given himself mental powers yet. Surely he's aware of the pioneering work of Dr. Sebastian Poe? Or does Teleios suffer from NIH Syndrome?

Don't get hung up on trying to make your science too 'hard' (i.e. real-world plausible). You'll spend too much time arguing modern science theory. (Ever spent any amount of time on a Traveller message board? Sheesh!) On the other hand, keep what science you do use internally consistent. On the gripping hand, it's all about the story anyway.

Originally posted by Nuadha

We all understand that weird time when you want to be an adult but your still living with your parents.

I thought that was my twenties...

Originally posted by ShelleyCM

Sounds like a campaign after my own heart.

 

-Shelley

Only one more final to go!

Well, considering the amount of inspiration I've taken from your material...

And best of luck on your remaining final!

For a strange take on post-apoc life, check out Niven and Pournelle's Mote In God's Eye. (SPOILERS... aw, hell, the book's been out for over 20 years!) The alien race was trapped in their single system for millions of years, and was resigned to a never-ending series of Cycles, in which civilization fell into savagery over... and over... and over... due to continuous population pressure, because the aliens have to breed or die - literally.

Personally, I like the "Avengers as 50s-60s astronaut-level celebrities" route, meself. (Can you say 'PRIMUS trading cards?' Sure, I knew you could.) That, and the 'mutual agreement' between PRIMUS and the bad guy organization du jour works to create the feel I'm looking for. (I'm also toying with limiting supers such that the Avengers are actually among the most powerful superheros in the campaign.)

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

For an unusual, and rather disturbing take on the fall of civilization, you might see if you can find a copy of the supplement Champions in 3-D and take a look at the "Horror World" section. Even though it was written up for Champions, the threat in this world is more environmental and not really defeatable through brute force, so the power level of the PCs is much less of an issue.

 

Remember those investigators in H.P. Lovecraft's stories who barely prevent the evil cultists from summoning the unspeakable Horrors from Beyond? In this world, they failed. Rather than immediately ushering in the Apocalypse, though, these monsters subtly insinuate themselves into the human population at first, working to tear down the fabric of society and any potential resistance before bringing in larger numbers of their fellows. By the era that Ci3D describes, the process is almost complete: true humans are a dying race fighting a losing guerilla war, our cities have become vast nests of nightmares, and the planet's native ecology has been decimated by imported monstrosities.

 

I have to add, though, in all seriousness, that this world is not for faint hearted players.

No joke. I'm in a PBeM that is currently in this world. Mein Gott, what a mess!

Of course, for general post-apocalyptic goodness, you can't beat The Morrow Project. Once you swallow the premise, there's a lot of fun to be hand.

Re: the Robins

Sure, anyone who was a trained superhuman (is that the current term in the CU?) but didn't have the specific background of the Bat Family wouldn't necessarily be as driven. However, if such an individual was similarly driven, it would provide a definite contrast to the 'regular teen with powers' that most of the other students would likely resemble.

If you put Robin (and I assume you are referring to the current bearer of that mantle, Tim Drake) in such a school, the rest of the super kids will be busting their humps to keep up with him. Ditto for a younger Dick Grayson. The folks in the Bat Family are Intense, Driven, and Focused to the Nth degree.

Originally posted by ZootSoot

Star Wars is considerably less technologically advanced than Star Trek.

PLease! Let's not drag the Star Trek vs. Star Wars flamewar to this board...

According to what I've seen about the new VIPER book, she's in there...

As I recall, the Cyclone was a separate PA/motorcycle that combined to form a larger set of PA.

I'd do the PA/motorcycle combo as a OIF PA and a vehicle. Then use multiform (with the incorporation of the motorcycle as FX, as I'd say that 'must have vehicle available to combine' and 'vehicle not available when combined' basically cancel out; take a -0 limitation if you want to split hairs) for the larger PA (my initial instinct is to have the larger PA as a vehicle bought by the second form, but OIF or OIHID would probably be more palatable).

Not an official answer, but...

On the one hand, PRIMUS is a uniformed agency, akin to the military in that respect. (Yes, I know PRIMUS is a law enforcement agency and not military. But it would be similar to the military in being uniformed.) Personalization of the uniform in such agencies is not permitted, except (possibly) for the higest ranking members (remember the Eisenhower jacket, so named because Ike himself wore a jacket of that style out of personal preference).

On the other hand, PRIMUS' Avengers are fully members of and participants in the Superhuman World, and the standard therein is individualized costumes.

On the gripping hand, I see the Avenger Corps as analogous to the astronaut corps of the 50s and 60s in terms of their level of individual celebrity. Under such circumstances, I couold readily see the Avengers having a 'standard' uniform, with individual 'variations' reflecting the respective avengers' personalities and preferences.

Originally posted by Hermit

Hmm, come to think of it... Lord Liaden DID seem to know a bit too much.

 

Despite DD's resistance to cloning, I can also see Teleios getting creative if he should get his hands on some of his rival's genetic material.

That's one of Teleios' plot seeds - CU, p. 136...

Originally posted by Starwolf

Having said all that I think my favorite Western Hero Movie Genre characters would be Matthew Quigley (played by Tom Seleck in Quigley Down Under), Texas Ranger Augustus McCray (played by Robert DuVall in Lonesome Dove), and Rex O Hurlihan, The Singing Cowboy (played by Tom Berringer in Rustlers Raphsody).

Ah, Quigley. I ran a Justice Inc character who was Matthew Quigley's nephew (we assumed that the events of the movie actually took place in the early 1890's, as it had a feel of 'the American frontier is closed' to it). And I have a modern Champions character who is the great-nephew of the JI character.

Can you tell that I loved Quigley Down Under?

No doubt!

Don does have a serious, philosophical side, though, one for which Elaine seems a perfect match. Their respective 4th ed. writeups comment on their shared affinity for matters philosophical; relationships have been built on far less.

Plus, it would represent a lot of growth for each - Solitaire coming out of her shell and allowing herself to have a relationship, and Seeker 'settling down' (at least in the background; the public persona would still be as freewheeling and wisecracking as ever).

Originally posted by GestaltBennie

I recently got a letter from Seeker that explains everything. Reprinted by permission.

 

Scott Bennie

-----

Dear mate!

 

Having a wonderful time! Well, that's the cliche (and that's what they say about me, isn't it - I'm all cliche?)

 

I just finished visiting Antarctica (yeah, I know, more jokes), just because - with the rate the ice shelf's been cracking - I wanted to see it while it was still intact. The glaciers are magnificent, grand beyond description, they make even the pyramids look tiny (I should know, as I was once embedded into one of the bigger ones at Giza). In retrospect, though, I probably should have gone to Antarctica in summer, though I stayed close to the coast and weathered the storms without too many problems. I also ran into that old blackguard Smuggler Blue, who was apparently trying to track down an abandoned Destroyer base. I don't think I need to tell you who won that dust-up, do I? (Though I wish they'd stop taking pictures of me when I'm knocked on my bum - they do realize I get off the ground three seconds after the picture's taken, don't they?)

 

Prior to Antarctica I spent some time in Bali, looking after the victims of the recent bombing. I've never been one who takes too much of what I see personally, but I know people who visit there, and some of them are the gentlest of souls, folk well worth protecting. Anyway, I managed to track down one of the terrorist cells responsible, or allies of them that was planning more of that filth. I didn't feel like killing them - or perhaps I felt more like killing them than I wanted - so I hired a mystic from one of the outer islands whose acquaintance I made some years ago, and asked him to use his abilities to make the terrorists experience what the victims of the bombings suffered. Suffer the sins of thy neighbor. I'd hoped it would give them more humanity, but it only deepened their sense of self-righteousness and their thirst for vengeance. I tell you, I never fully appreciated Foxbat until now. In the end, I made sure the lot of them were arrested, and that's when I left for Antarctica.

 

Life's a funny thing, Scott, but you already knew that.

 

I'm wondering where my travels should take me next. I was thinking that in all my years serving with the Champions in America, I'd never spent much time in its heartland, and America's at such a turning point right now, it seems like the right place and the right time to go there.

 

I'm sorry you didn't sell the good Mr. Long on the Seeker sourcebook; I figured the expanded disabling and injury rules alone would be enough to keep the rules wankers happy, but whatever happens, happens. (I'm getting quite zen in my old age - as I call my forced retirement - please thank Mr. Long again for it the next time you see him. And please tell Mr. Surbrook that Ninja Hero "rocks".).

 

Be a hero!

 

Don

No mention of Solitaire. I'd think she'd make a fine travelling companion for Seeker, especially since Defender has that upstart Witchcraft and that poptart Sapphire hanging on him.

Or Watchers of the Dragon, which really put a spotlight on Seeker.

I have a vision of the WotD Seeker and the Ultimate Mentalist Solitaire (I didn't like Ultimate Supermage overmuch) as a wandering couple, ever seeking the elusive Truth...

I've put some thought into this as well, and I've concluded that it's a Defensive Strike, the special effect of the +3 DCV being the 'blocking' aspect of the maneuver.

Originally posted by Steve Long

2. I'd say you can pretty much make up whatever sort of aristrocratic titles you like. Given the plethora of families, planets, and species, all sorts of bizarre combinations are possible. The whole arrangement could make the Germanic title system (something I recently researched for FH) look positively well-organized.

OTOH, a logical, well-reasoned system of aristocratic titles would distinguish the TE from its historical antecedents, as well as making for a clear framework for gaming.

On the gripping hand, the aforementioned 'spice of life' structure has its own gaming opportunities.

The parameters and activities of the aristocracy, while fascinating, are difficult to enumerate for gaming, unless you are willing to have PC's who can have a significant impact on the setting, to the point of changing the campaign setting by their actions. It is my perspective that, given the role of the aristocracy in TE (or Traveller's Third Imperium, for another example), any GM-imposed limitations on the impact of PC activities would not be true to the setting.

That said, I'd love to see a good treatement of gaming at that level, with both player and GM guidelines for how to handle a campaign where the PC's actions can have direct impact on the setting.

Re: Re: Something I've noticed:

Originally posted by Starcorp Man

Glad I'm not the only one who thought that, heck you actually got less (a few styles were removed.)

I have both, and I hadn't noticed that. Which styles didn't make it forward?