Blue Jogger

Change Environment is designed to affect an area and give it a particular effect. It can be used for any number of effects: hallowed ground, cursed, more fertile, and with long-lasting can last awhile under it fades. The options are only limited to what the GM allows and what makes sense in a game world. Entering an area with a penality would probably cause a skill check to occur. Depending on the trigger of the Berserk, it might activate entering an area. Images are designed as messing what you sense (see, touch, feel, etc) It affects everyone who view the area. Images can also be used to enhance senses by being louded, brighter, etc. But they can't directly affect a person, only delude someone that they sense something that is not there. If a Berserk was based on perceiving something (the smell of blood, seeing the full moon, etc) than it would trigger if he believed what he saw was actually happening. Mental Illusions are designed to affect one person (normally). That person directly believes the illusion and acts accordingly. Mental Illusions can cause damage so they can cause other effects as well.

Alright, here's an idea, based on several systems (Ars Magica). I originally designed it for mages, but I think it will work with some changes. First off, this works off of skills. So we start with the simple one: Magic Skill 14- A mage (Iggy) declares his intent, Cast Fireball. Fireball is a 6D6 EB, Explosion. 45 Active points. Assuming a -1 for 5 points, this means he can cast it on a (14-9) 5 or less. Iggy, has skill levels, +1 for Creation Magic and +7 for Fire Magic. (Iggy likes burning things). Skill levels cost 3 points for +1 for close knit group, 5 points for +1 to a wider group, and 8 points if it affects nearly all spells most of the time. So that makes it 5+7+1 or 13 or less. Iggy rolls a 12. The spell goes off. However, Iggy still has to roll to hit. Had Iggy rolled a 14, the GM would consult the spell backfire chart. The GM might want to add a -5 penality for making spells off the cuff since it will slow down combat to calculate active spell cost. This will give players incentive to write up agreed upon spells.

Being a quadripedic in the Real World with no super gadgets and other stuff is a major pain. That means you have No Hands and Unable To Walk and that's roughly (25+20) 45 points. Oddly enough, you can't take 45 points of physical limitations (and thus be a real quadripedic) unless you are Superhero. Being a quadripedic in a world where you can jack into a robot. Hmm. How often can you NOT use the robot to be your hands? Infrequently. Ok. How often can you NOT use the robot to move yourself around? Infrequently. Ok. That makes it roughly (15+15) 30 points. Remember there's a 50 point cap on this (if you are a Superhero). And without your robot, life's pretty boring. Hope that you can still work the remote for the TV. Some would say that's not fair. You're still a quadripedic. Yes, but most of the time, you can jack in and choose not be. When you want to be and you can't, that's when the disadvantage kicks in. However, if the robot's a secret. You can still collect disability.

If your campaign allows Snap Shot. Just by +2 OCV only to offset Snap Shot and go with the description: I am not bothered by making full moves and attacking at the same time. Personally, I always buy up my half move with the understanding that I'll most likely not to a full move in combat. The hard one was a human (sort-of) character that had +3" Running with Extra Endurance x3 (Half move of 9" is 5")

Depending on the type of campaign, she may have a Change Enviroment, noticable, but not toxic radiation. (sickly green glow, not enough to read by) Although I don't know of a villian that suffers from radiation. Maybe a radiation-based energy blast? Extra Limbs. Perhaps just a small arm branching out from below the elbow? Power Defense. Perhaps limited to special effects, "radiation based effects" Stretching. Reach out and touch someone. Of course, Sociotard already mentioned extra senses.

You might want to consider a side effects for potions. This side effect occurs when you attempt all those seemly clever tricks: 1) Large batches - The ingredients need to mix in very exacting amounts. Trying to make a huge vat of potions is asking for, at best, poor quality, at worse, a big explosion. Simple processes, like preserving a large fresh kill (for later use) should not have this problem. 2) For the next week, I churn out some potions - The process for making potions should be a long time, but mages love to make shortcuts or they are rushed. Let them fix up a batch and add a side effect, to tell them it's the thought that counts. (A strength potion that makes user monsterous, maybe even give extra arms or a tail!) 3) Experimentation - Sometimes its difficult to do things exactly as you did the last 58 times in row. The urge to create and experiment (or just get distracted, bored, etc) becomes too great and something new gets added. In general, roll on the side effect (at creation time), on a critical success, the researcher learns something new, on a normal success, it's ok, and if it fails, remember, we all learn best from our mistakes. With optional rules simular to this, you should have no problem controling/limiting availability.

The last one that I was in used both. The Wealth Perk was used to describe some form of income based on investments or holdings or the like or (as a disadvantage) a debt that had to be paid off. Now, characters couldn't start out with a high income because as you stated, "Why would a wealthy and sane person crawl into a dark hole and face undead when he can hire a more capable person to do it for him?" But, remember there are several reasons to crawl into a dark hole besides treasure. Magic items and research, rescue a friend, promises/deals made, and yes treasure (not just wealth, but information!). The treasure gained by crawling into a dark hole has to be more than can be earned farming lands or trading trinkets. Of course, it might be just insanity. That being said, the Wealth Perk was rarely as useful as say in the Superhero game. "We buy seven first-class tickets on the Concord" vs. "we smuggle ourselves into a giant box that says THIS SIDE UP"

One of the many ways to this. Have a Transform spell that does a Minor Transform - Person to Person with Tattoo. (There's a section for adding or removing abilities in FRED in the Transform write-up, page 153) Ok, then define the powers that the tattoo gives, and the disadvantages (Distinctive Features?). Since this is a one or two time use that never recharges, Transform is a good way to simulate this.

Aaron Allston is the author for METE, The Circle, Blood and Strike Force. He said last year that he's planning to release Strike Force supplements. You can get more info at http://www.aaronallston.com 9/6/2002 (Interview with Aaron Allston) http://www.gameplayersnetwork.com/rpg/features.asp?gm=herosystem&id=114

Signal Flare: 3d6 Sight Flash, Area Effect (+1), OIF - Signal Flare Rocket (-1/2) , 8 Charges (-1/2) Active 30 Real 15 Of course, you should always fire these straight up, but even heroes get bored or attacked by zombies or something... Signal Flare as Weapon: 2D6 RKA Fire OIF - Signal Flare Rocket (-1/2), 8 Charges (-1/2) Active 30 Real 15 "I thought you had 16 of these, how did you run out?" "Well..."

Thanks OddHat, 14 yards (7") doesn't sound like much in a Superhero game, but when you're in a classic 10ft by 10ft dungeon crawl, it's an impressive half-move. Here's one more, it has no combat effect, but impressive in its own way. Clean and Shiny in a 10 Foot Radius 6d6 Cosmetic Transform, Area Effect 3" Radius (+1), Gestures (-1/4), Incantation (-1/4), OIF Staff (-1/2) (60 Active Points, 30 Real Points) Caster waves his staff, says some impressive words and all matter of filth, grime, etc. is banished from the nearby area. It will not work against magical effects.

Collapsable Boomerang w/line: 6" Stretching (30 Active Points), Range Modifiers Applies (-1/4), OIF (-1/2) (17 Real or u2 in MP) Swinging: 24" Swinging (24 Active Points), OIF (-1/2), Must do non-combat stretching first (Extra Phase -3/4) (10 Real or u1 in MP) "Back in my day, we didn't have fancy explosive swinglines or web swingers. You toss out your line and you swung like a true hero! Stop hovering and pay attention!"

Hmm. (scratches head) Does this mean if I have a roleplaying reason why my human character should have a 25 STR, that I don't have to pay double? Actually, that might explain the maxima rule. If I have the Belt of Lifting and Carrying Heavy Stuff and it magically gives me +10 STR, I didn't have to pay double for the amount that goes over 20 (or have the Strength added over 20 to go by half). Same goes if I have a spell that boosts my Strength temporarily. Of course, if my reason for having a 25 STR is "I'm Conan" then I'm going to have to pay double, because that's not a good enough roleplaying reason to be preternatually strong.

My most twisted one that I haven't used yet was actually a Public ID, Stage Magician. The twisted part is using Images when the police or the press shows up. When they see the unconscious demon, "Nah, it's a puppet, if ya look closely ya can see the strings."

Well, it's almost sounds like Change Environment to lower temperature, but characters would lose long-term END and REC rather than STUN (at least at first). It would freeze water at Temperature Level -1 (or -2 to be really cold).

If you want chapter and verse. Top of Page 71, paragraph 1 of FRED "Sensing Powers and Special Effects Almost all Powers which cost END to use must have a perceivable special effect (even if bought to 0 END cost; the text notes exceptions)." The three exceptions that come to my mind are Clairvoyance,Images, and Invisibility which have special rules. Edit: Also from the FAQ under Powers "Q: If a character has power that inherently costs no END (such as Armor) and he applies the Costs Endurance Limitation to it, does it automatically become perceivable by three Sense Groups, or can he also take the Limitation Visible? A: It automatically become perceivable by three Sense Groups; he cannot also take Visible for it."

Walk the Forbidden Path 13" Teleport, x4 Non-Combat, x8 Mass, Safe Blind Teleport +1/4, Gestures -1/4, Not into or out of Warded Areas -1/4, Requires Skill Roll -1/2 (57 Active Points, 28 Real Points) Caster can teleport himself and up 800 kilos (minus the caster's weight) to a safe distance up to 100 yards or 14 yards really quickly.

I would probably define an upper limit, unless you don't mind that "I wake up and cast these spells that will last most of the day or until combat knocks it out." It gives a strange flavor of a mage who has to reboot in the morning.

It's not all that difficult to write up Beast Boy. Shapeshift (Sight, Touch, Any Animal, Instant Change) HKA, (+1/4 Variable Special Effects, "When Animals Attack" Claws, Bite, or Horns/Antlers) Regeneration Armor (Combat Luck?) Life Support, Gills (-1/4 aquatic forms only) Extra Limbs? Telescopic Vision, (-1/4 Only in Eagle form) Nightvision, (-1/4 Only in forms that have excellent night vision) Tracking Scent, (-1/4 Only Bloodhound form) Animal Multipower (-1/4 must shift into approriate animal form) -Growth -4 levels of Shrinking -Density Increase, ("Putting on weight?") -Flight, Wings -Running, Four on the Floor -Swimming, Flipper Action -Armor, Tough hide Distinctive Features: Green (Noticed) Psychological limitation: Some animal mentality when in animal form (Common, Slight) Psychological limitation: Team Player Psychological limitation: Prankster Physical limitation: Can't talk in animal form Background: Beast Boy got his powers from an synetic blood transfusion which saved his life, but turned his skin permenantly green. It also allowed him to change into nearly any animal form. GM's might allow senses in a multipower since Beast Boy has lots of strange senses, but limited to chosen form. If it gets too crazy, I suppose you can wrap everything into a Cosmic VPP (Animal Powers), but it should be 0-phase and no skill roll. Well, what do you think?

I think the problem is it is easy to munchkinize the races, if one is not careful. If you have orcs or orges or half-giants that have, say a 15 STR and then have doubling at 25 STR, then anyone who wants a high STR will want to be that race. High INT characters will naturally want to be mages (the "real" reason why powerful mages are so old).

Actually, there was the scene with Starfire and Beast Boy. Starfire was upset with Beast Boy for a nasty prank that accidently got her (instead of Cyborg). Beast Boy transforms into a kitten with HUGE anime eyes and mews. Starfire ignores him. "But the kitten always works" Later, Beast Boy says he's really sorry and Starfire forgives him. He turns into a kitten and Starfire catches him and hugs him close. Definately, next shapeshifter I build will have a cute kitten form.

That reminds me of Orcish Battle Cry: "We're Orken! We're Number One! We get the job done! We're Orken!" (From a commerical from the late 80s) "For this I learned Orcish?"

There are certain powerful magics (that for GM sanity, if nothing else) should not be cast once per day or even once per week but only a few times per run of the campaign. Independent (and the loss of character points) reflects this. In some campaigns, painful magic just doesn't work. But when Gandolf screams, "NONE SHALL PASS!" I doubt he's using his None Shall Pass spell that can be cast 16 times a day.

Potions In Fantasy Hero (last edition), alchemists seem to be able to whip up potions fairly easily and store them for later. The limiting factor comes from the spell itself, it can only be cast and delayed once (at full strength) or twice at half strength, etc... Scrolls They only work as treasure, or possibly trade. (I'll give you a scroll of X if you give me one of Y.) In the last fantasy campaign that I was in, my character built horses that changed into small statues which was donated to the group. He minorly glitched on one and gave it black and white markings (looked like a cow in the shape of a horse), he kept that one for himself. People would swear they could hear it moo. The real cost of independent items can be cut back by using rare and expensive materials that have "points in them". Never been in a FH campaign long enough to gather such rare and expensive things that have "points in them". In episodic campaigns, forget about scrolls. Arrows Yeah, IMHO, it sounds wrong.

Well, you got most of the bases covered. Limited ore, Limited effects, and Long Time. Hmm. First, I would try to get more ore. This could get downright dirty if the character has no code. Don't forget theft, lies, and large bribes to get more ore. Be prepared for this. Making enchantments that make money to get more ore will be on this list. Selling machines that help the blacksmith, glass blower, or jeweler for cold coin to buy more ore. Limited effects. A 10 STR telekinesis and a long time can be surprisingly effective. Especially when a trigger causes a large weight or amount of water to move naturally downhill quickly. Instant floods or rock slides makes for an impressive one-shot trick. 40 STR TK "power armor" might be fun. But if it is limited to two effects per enchantment, this will be quickly self-defeating. Overall, this one is hard to munchkin. It seems well-thought out.