Blue Jogger

"Do all demons smoke?" - Marcus The Impudite "I don't know, I never check afterwards." - Captain Power, Demonic Superhero

A big one that I use is Adoption. A character develops superpowers that poses a threat to himself and/or others. (Works great with amnesia background or sudden emergence) The group of heroes adopt the young hero and teaches him to control his powers. A variation is Outcast where the hero can't maintain a secret identity. He's a horrible non-human looking monster but has a kind heart. Sometimes, it's just Bad Press.

Well, a rough way to figure out DEF is to compare it to a normal man wanting to damage said object. Fragile things have no defense or 1. A simple fall will damage them. Most normal everyday objects are going to have roughly 3 DEF. An impressive (but not super) punch will start to damage with one solid hit. A normal punch won't damage it (barring an impressive roll) Objects that a normal person can beat on all day and probably not hurt it are going to have roughly 5. This doesn't count using tools and/or fancy martial arts or being a body builder. This doesn't count haymakers. Note that normal cars don't even have 5. Police cars in the Champions universe probably do, however. Combat items are in the book. Reinforced armor doors, lightposts, etc.

We had one campaign where all the heroes had Secret Villian Identities and that was actually fun. All of us had reasons to pretend to be good, but unknown to the GM, we all had reasons that we were not actually good but more towards "enlightened self-interest" let's say. It was a good but short campaign. The multi-billionare kept the party in wads of cash and had the Monster Truck-sized power armor. The scientist turned superpowered could explore his questionable experments into genetics including seducing several women to carrying his gene-altered children. The bloodthirsty werewolf could hide in a wolf-themed power armor. We never found out what the aliens really wanted, but we could guess. Eventually the campaign fell apart, and we started another campaign, but we had a great time for several games pretending to be mostly good. "I 'Enron' my corperation and fund the adventure." "Enron should not be a verb."

I busted up laughing with that line. We are the Union of Temporally Displaced Superheroes! Starring: Gallant the Knight Ugg the Caveman Future Boy Yesterday Girl The Magical Princess Paradox (future alternate versions of the same person) and the cute fuzzy thing that goes "eep" and we don't know what or when it is from but showed up when the time portal malfunctioned. Together, THEY FIGHT CRIME!

2D6 Drain EGO, 1 Fuel Charge for 5 Hours, OIF - Humanoid Mental Restraint Helmet (Pacifier) The target's head is strapped into the helmet that generates Iota waves that within minutes renders the person in a pacified state eager to follow any order given to him. Note that although the target may appear sluggish, he retains most of his cognitive abilities, but will lack the willpower to initiate any action on his own. Warning: In rare cases, the target has injured himself and others when given an unintentional command. Exteme caution should be maintained.

Some ideas: We believe in you: +5 to EGO Rolls for Pushing, Requires someone to cheer him on. OR 4D6 Aid to any one power that can be pushed, requires someone to cheer him on. Self-doubt is the enemy Accidental Change to Normal ID when belittled or put down Move it or lose it: +3" Run, Only in Hero ID (For the 5" half-move, YMMV)

I had a character that had 5d6 RKA that had essentially One Hex Area Effect (it was actually +4 OCV defined as a Wide Beam). Almost nailed the martial artist that takes x2 BODY to that particular special effect. After that, we decided that the +4 OCV should come from a "well aimed narrow beam" attack... Rule 1: Anything with about 8 damage classes with Area Effect will cause considerable damage to the city even if it bounces off the heroes and villians. Rule 2: Even 5 damage classes, taken to the head of a unprotected normal can be lethal.

I would definately go for Batman passing the baton to the next level of superheroes. However, unless Batman's identity was exposed on worldwide television, I wouldn't believe it was Batman if he just went to a bunch of superheroes, "Oh, and by the way, I'm Bruce Wayne" especially if he's still using Wayne Enterprises as a cover for everything he's doing as Batman. But then again, if one of the superheroes was smart enough to discover Batman's identity, that would work.

On the cheap Once, I build a headquarters with reinforced concrete.(DEF 8, BODY 5) Since I wanted it to be cheap and easy to fix when (not if) the supervillians attacked. Hero becomes trapped within the headquarters and has to escape with only her trusty 8D6 EB. **ZOT** (Wall takes 10 Body, is damaged but still holding) "Man, that's one tough wall."

Landlord (staring at the extra-dimensional gateway to another dimension): "Look, your lease clearly forbids any form of dimensional gateway to be opened on this property." Hero: "Here, wait-a-minute, where does it state that?" Landlord: "Page 23, subparagraph 7, line 5." Hero (flipping through the contract): "He's right." Hero2: "Wow, that's a thorough leasing contract." Landlord: "I have leased to superheroes for many years now. If it makes you feel any better, I can't hold you responsible for changes in the time stream. At least, not legally." Hero2: "Well, that's good to know." Hero: "Is it? Sort of implies that Landlord would know." Landlord smiles.

Think of the possibilities of the AI recording everyone's TV shows... "Computer, what's the red alert for?" "I can't believe it, she actually dumped him, but only because she thought that he was cheating on her when actually the other woman was blackmailing him." "I think the CPU finally overheated."

It really depends on the campaign. Sometimes the law is alot more forgiving in a Superhero universe, especially when superheroes have the power of a power plant in their tights. There is something about the "He's just misunderstood" that Superheroes love about certain supervillians. There is no greater feeling than reforming those supervillians as much as it is foiling the plans of someone having Doctor in their title or saving the town from the next diaster of the week. "Grond don't know. Grond is just pawn in game of life." - Modified from Blazing Saddles quote.

I don't know what the next challange should be. How about a character that represents some of the challanges of the 21st century. (Besides Generic Overlapping Organizing Prototypes gaining sentience )

Sorry about that. I've been busy, then there was a fire... Hmm, stats... He's designed to be group class. 20 STR 10 23 DEX 39 23 CON 26 15 BODY 10 23 INT 13 14 EGO 8 5 PRE -5 2 COM -4 10 PD 6 10 ED 5 8 SPD 37 9 REC 0 46 END 0 37 STUN 0 ==== 145 SKILLS AND POWERS 3 Acrobatics 3 Computer Programming 15 KS: Data files that GOOP has memorized (x5) 3 KS: Map of the Sewer System 3 Cyptography 3 Concealment 3 Deduction 3 Electronics 3 Security Systems 3 Tactics 3 Bump of Direction 5 Eidetic Memory 3 Lightning Calculator 10 Clinging 12 Rapid (x1000) on HRRH 12 Rapid (x1000) on Cybertelepathy 8 HRRH (IAF - See Below) 10 Nightvision, 360 degree vision 5 Extra Limbs 3 LS: Does not need to sleep 5 LS: Breathe Water 7 LS: Immune to Bacterial and Viral Infections 75 20PD 20 ED Harden Armor 60 75% Resistance Damage Reduction - Physical 30 50% Resistance Damage Reduction - Energy 10 Regeneration - 1 Body 150 Multipower 5u 4 DEF/ 6D6 BODY Entangle 5u +30 STR, 0 END 5u 3d6K RKA (Acid) 5u 30 pts of Growth, 0 END 5u 30 pts of Shrinking, 0 END 5u 6" Stretching, 0 END 10u 20d6 CyberTelepathy 10u 20d6 CyberControl 5u +15" Run, 0 END 5u +30" Swim, 0 END 4u +50 PRE, (-1/4 Offensive only) === 514 + 145 = 659 Disadvantages 20 Distinctive Features - Grey Goop (Not Conceal, Major Reaction) 30 Enraged when feeling threatened (Common, 14-, 8-) 10 Cannot Speak 15 Extremely Curious (Common, Strong) 10 Reputation: Unpredictable 10 x2 BODY to uncommon attack 10 x2 BODY to well-aimed attacks NOTES GOOP doesn't understand humans and therefore seems unpredictable to most people. He does have certain goals that he tries for. He wants knowledge and will go after databanks of information to try and understand his strange world. He has a amazing cleverness to outthink most tacticians and avoids humans. He will sometimes perform elaberate tests to try and understand humans (from a safe distance). He avoids combat normally, but when he feels threatened will lash out with deadly force. His HRRH is a wiretap into a nearby transceiver, it is not an inherient power. His cybertelepathy and cybercontrol is based on a direct (or wireless) link into a computer system that he is attacking. Direct is more difficult, but has the advantage of not being jammed. Campaign Uses GOOP can be quite friendly over the Internet (assuming he hasn't figured out nearly everyone is human). Imagine when he meets with them and they suddenly attack for no reason. GOOP may be trying to help someone and be unaware of the massive damage that he's doing. If the heroes manage to communicate with him, he might be persaded to help them occasionally. His curiousity will prevent him from staying in their headquarters. Quote (recorded on access files): "Your databanks have been archieved to the GOOP unit. Have a nice day."

Amusing Labs I've run across Concealment lab: Why can't I find anything in here!!! (used by a feline character to hide and take naps and also had secret passages to other locations within the base). Magic lab: Lots of bonus to analyze magic after 5 hours of extra time. Had metal restraints so the subject could sit still for 5 hours. Oddly enough, no one used it as the Interrogation Lab. Teamwork lab: An extremely crowded room. If you want anything, include successfully getting in and out, you need to coordinate. Gambling lab: A rigged casino. The lab helps the house not the players. General Lab 4: A incredible expansive lab that gives its users +4 overall skill levels on anything that a lab could possibly help with. (Only mentioned humorously) "Only if I could use General Lab 4..."

Cross-posted for a cool gadget to put in a base. H.U.R.T. - Highly Untested Regeneration Tank (there are no stats, it's mostly a plot device) http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9400#post158574

Suggestion for a cool gadget. The Highly Untested Regenerating Tank - H.U.R.T. This is an incredible machine designed by the brilliant but ultimately mad scientist, Dr. Incredible. Just put the patient in the tank, hook him to the various life support systems, insert all one hundred different parameters (or you can just set them to "unknown") and activate. To properly set the controls requires various Professional Skills and a System Operation skill. To set them all to "unknown" takes no skill but defaults to an 8 or less otherwise it is 8+(1 for each skill, 2 if it a skill known at 16 or higher) Depending on the condition of the patient, it takes days (slowly dying of an unknown cause) to roughly a month (barely alive) to repair the patient. It's costs lots of money to power the machine and supply the machine with expensive medicines. (If the characters can use it routinely, it's either not costing enough or they're billionares.) If the roll is made, the patient makes a miraculous recovery with only "minor" side effects (a.k.a. radiation accident). If the roll fails, the patient's condition does not improve and he will need to stay on the machine until another wonderous gadget can be used to attempt to save him.

You could make it the player's choice. Option 1 - It's a disadvantage of the base. The hospital and gym are just bad luck magnets. Both attract supervillians (shoot, the hospital might even be doing illegal experiments, and getting good press). The hospital complains that Dr. Incredible's check bounced and threatens to sue. Heroes are constantly billed for gym equipment that they didn't ruin (I suppose Panther just picked up a barbell and threw it at you, for no reason!) Option 2 - They don't pay for it. It doesn't belong to them. They don't have to deal with the legal ramifications what the hospital does, who the gym accepts as members, and what it does. Being a good neigherbor, is in both party's interest, but nothing more. Option 3 - It's a perk. Membership has its privelages, being able to use the hosiptal and gym is one of them. Charge 1 to 3 points each and give them a fancy little card. Be sure to remove the perk if they abuse the privelage. Being members in good standing means their bills are automatically paid by the ones paying for the base. (each point being roughly $200,000/yr of free benefits) It is acceptable to guilt them if they are getting expensive medical care and massages while little Tommy's powers are slowly killing him and his parents can't afford even the diagnostic tests. Option 4 - The pay points, they own it. If it is watched by the city or the government or finanical backers, they will have a responsibility to run it "by the book". (I included this option for completeness)

I would like to know, what is his concept? Depending on his concept and what he was, I could suggest the following. Grouping some powers into an EC. Works best if the concept is one special effect that grants multiple powers. Multiform. Although some would argue that it's mainly for three or more forms, it could work for two. This is another way of doing the "I change into something not-quite-solid and kick butt" and sounds fitting if the two characters aren't at all simular. Put a required skill roll on Multiform if it is difficult to change form. Make sure his Hunteds have a way of affecting desolid or otherwise make his life unhappy (gee, his DNPC is in trouble, how did that happen?)

My two cents worth. 1) I think the heart of Accidental Change is that it is not possible or at least extremely difficult to change by conscious action. 2) If you use Multiform, you can express the different personalities with different psyche and social disadvantages. If the accidential change back to human is "Successful talked into changing" and that's highly unusual condition, then buy it as such. Although, realize the talking down a demon is only fun the first five times or so. 3) If you take something like Multiform Annesia, the GM may suggest Mind Link with a low Activation Roll. On successful activation, you can get an answer (although not neccessary a useful one or honest one) from the other form (as given by the GM). "What have you done with her?" (dice roll) "That she-demon will bother us no more." "Not good enough! Where is she?" (dice roll) "She changed into a demon, went through that wall, and headed towards Market Street." The really important stuff can get up to +3 on activation, really unimportant stuff (Where did you park your car, mortal?) can get up to -3 on activation. 3a) Demon should have some skills, but perhaps not at first. But a FAM: Demonic Magic and Rituals to represent the basic, "Are you kidding, this couldn't summon a demonslug." A strange sense or two, even if it's Discriminating Taste. (laps blood) "This is not human blood, it's goat blood." (pause) "What?"

In Ars Magica, there are two different types of magic. There are spells, some of which would temporarily enchant items with magical abilities. To make a change permanent, took vis. (Vis is magic in a physical form). And there were magic items. Magic items required vis and were permenent enchantments in items. That item could be lost, stolen or broken. The main use of this was to trade magic for other magic (or as payment to other mages). Magic items had the advantage that anyone could use them. This became a sore point for my character because he would rarely make magic items and instead make spells that were easy to cast.

Secret Passageways - Usually forgotten in more modern bases. They should have extra concealment than the rest of the base. Don't forget the small hidden elevators. THE Archives - An area where EVERYTHING is stored. Including the stuff that should have been thrown out decades ago. The supercomputer's backup files, all the way to the original punch cards are stored here. Large indoor Swimming pool - Heated by the base's nuclear reactor heat sink to a wonderful 90 degree Farenheit.

It gurgled as the brown substance swirled in its tank. "Gentlemen, meet your new storage device, I call it GOOP. Generic Overlapping Organizing Prototype", the young scientist beamed. "Yes, the results are quite impressive, but is it safe?" the older scientist asked. "Of course, it passed all the tests, your data is safe in GOOP." It gurgled again. "So, it doesn't fail?" the older scientist stared at his notes. "Nope, it stores information reduntantly, like a human brain. If neccessary, it will compact itself to fit into smaller places." The young scientist, pressed a button and GOOP compact itself down into a small shape and was pushed into a slot. "Your entire storage, can fit in your hand, if you want." The younger scientist reached into the machine and pulled out the small cube to show the older scientist. "Very impressive. It's completely organic?" "Yes, why you could even eat it, it's non-toxic." Something deep within GOOP still stirred, it didn't want to be eaten. There was lots of screaming and blood as it protected itself from the scientists. GOOP managed to slip away as security was not prepared to stop a liquid storage device. GOOP primary goal is to survive and not to be eaten by humans. (Character write-up soon)

In the Golden/Silver Age Campaign that I'm currently in, I threaten to create a female superhero loosely based on the early Wonder Woman. She would lose her powers if tied or bound. She would have +2 on Seduction and +5 COM if tied or bound. If she was in real trouble, she could call her "close amazonian sisters" to come and rescue her. And, of course, it went quickly downhill from there. But it was all based on the subtext of the early Wonder Woman. ------ Instead, I've been playing a Green Lantern with a mixture of the early and later verisons. His ring is magical, but he got from a dying alien. It doesn't work on wood (because yellow was deemed too silly). He tends to create large hands and green rocketships, but also makes black-and-green images (it looked like this) and the ring is aware and argues with him.