incrdbil

Re: The Justice Patrol

One more addition: a supplemental meber, Phasia.

I made up this NPC hero team for one of my PBEM's; just thought I'd post them for use by anyone else. They are not terribly powerful overlal, though they do have members with some potent powers. I view 350 as a good point for low power starting heroes. They have enough background for you to figure out team dynamics, and their roles are very clear, as most of them are very simple concepts. I hope you get some use out of them, and forgive me for some of the not-so-hidden inspirations from various mediums

Re: Favorite Anti-Brick tricks?

Water.

 

How many Bricks have bought up Swimming (nice necro, btw)?

 

Sure, they won't drown, but if they're in water, and swim all of 2" per phase, and can't leap, grab things and throw them practically, set or brace or resist knockback.. they're fish in a barrel.

 

How you get the water to them.. that's your problem.

Double knock back attacks. Or, if you have really strong TK..or are a brick yourself, just throw them. Ranged teleport against others (terribly overpriced for the effect, but works here.)

A brick who relies on cheap movement powers like extra running, or leaping can find those powers rather easily suppressed/drained. A Brick that can't move isn't much of a threat.

If you feel the need to cheese..extra dimensional movement, UAA, ranged.

Hmm, to annoy a brick, for a little while, make a a low dice drain attack with a limited form of continuing attack/trigger--if only goes off when the brick uses more than his casual STR.

It's more of an interesting problem than a valid combat tactic, but it could be a nice dilemma for a GM to toss at a brick PC who is in a situation where hsi high STR makes him super effective; now he has to make his shots count.

Re: Darth Vader vs. The Hulk

But the Hulk' date=' however boring, is still a hero, and a powerhouse hero to boot. And the heros always win. [/quote']

 

I've never seen the Hulk as a hero. There's really nothign heroic about him..nor Banner, for that matter in a consistant fashion.

 

Really, Hulk is one of the characters I wish Marvel had killed off. Nothing would be missed about that.

Re: Darth Vader vs. The Hulk

Ummm, so knowing the character's capabilities is handwavium now? Because really when you're talking about Darth Vader, he doesn't really have many ways to take down the Hulk.

 

I mean seriously, the Hulk's survived atomic explosions and multiple hits with Thor's hammer and I highly doubt a lightsaber is more powerful then those things.

 

Hulk has proven pretty resistant to mental attacks in the past as well, which is actually a moot point because Vader doesn't use a whole lot of mental tricks when he's fighting. Really all the times we see him fighting he's pretty much rushed forward swinging his lightsaber.

 

Finally, Hulk has managed to hit opponents with far more speed and agility then Darth Vader has ever shown (I recall a comic where Hulk managed to hit Spider-Man for example) so that's probably not going to be much of an advantage for Vader either.

 

So really, in my opinion, there is no justification for a dead and headless Hulk.

Actually, everything mentioned above is a great reason for a dead hulk. I think superman is a less tired worn out character than Hulk. Sure, power level in a straight up fight, Hulk wins.

I'll give the nod to Vader for just being more interesting, having at least some definition. Thats more important than actual power levels as far as match ups go.

Frankly, Vader's too smart not to find some way to take care of Hulk. And anything other than an 'instant combat', Banner would probably never make the transformation to Hulk.

Again, it comes down to where the fight is staged. On the pages of a Hulk magazine..well, Hulk Smash, FTW. Anywhere else..hmm, Darth Hulkious, newest servant of the Sith anyone?

Re: Darth Vader vs. The Hulk

I'm for Vader, just because I'm sick and tired of the Hulk. Hulk smash yada yada yada..big dumb lummox, bash bash bash, plus lots of handwavium for the many things that shoudl take down the stupid lummox.

Taking into account the newer movies, the video games, force powers are appropriately superheroic..so I'll take any justification that ends in a headless dead hulk.

Re: First meeting of game group to consider HERO System

I'm not sure any game system would have made Sindyr happy. He seemed to want one that was far too nebulous, and allowed immediate reinvention, and effects derived from justification, nopt balance. I don't hink it was a disservice if he was convinced hERO wasn't the game for him, I dont think any game, as written will satisfy him. MEGS doesn't even come close to the convoluted and contrary conditions he expressed, and I think anythign he does will quickly become a heavily house ruled kludge of rules that could probably be done better by the old TOON system of wierd situation resolution: 1d6 roll, 1-3 you can do it, 4-6 you can't.

He seemed to want the benefit of having rules without having to actually stick to them or follow them. Maybe there's a game like that, but for whatever he wanted, HERO wasn't it, and it would have been to no ones benefit to pretend otherwise.

Re: Can this be done x 2

This is a bit of an aside but I just wanted to say that even if your games do turn into a set of characters all equipped with a VPP that does not mean everything is going to look a uniform shade of grey. I'm not advocating this approach (although it would make an interesting pick up game) but I'm just saying it wouldn't be the end of the world if it happened.

I'm running a PBEM right now where every PC has a Cosmic VPP..with a few unique limitations.

They have one major set area of specialty; outside of that, they only get to use 1/2 active points maximum for any other power. they also have to 'learn the power'. they all have the power skill, and I have a customized acquisition set of rules (extra penalthy for trying the powers out of their specialty area, modified time to learn rules)..and a virtually identical EC and basic powers.

I sort of owrry about points--they are free to spend points on skills, talents, perks, somewhat in secondary characteristics. After certain goals of the game are acheived, they go through power upgrades'--and I give the powers to do that. Certain advantages only come into play at certain levels (megascale just becoming available at the 90 point level)

They started out at 50 point VPP's, and have since progressed to 90. My plan of progression should have them going to 150 or 200 pt VPP's.

And despite these similar builds, I have very unique characters with their own areas of specialization..but a heck of a lot of flexibility.

Re: Can this be done x 2

Yes' date=' I thought I was right. You *can't* do it without VPP. And probably also right that many if not most realistically modeled characters would need a VPP to correctly model their wide range of options. [/quote']

 

Nope--but to get the infinite amount of power usage you personally want out of a special effect, a VPP might be called for.

 

The things is, other systems by giving not "effects" but "powers", do not require such a thing.

 

Umm, I dont know of many systems that give you unlimited additional powers for a simple effect.Most systems define powers abilities within fairly narrow aprameters, and when you try to make them do somethign else, the GM has to reason out an effect and apply modifiers to it for the appropriate game effect, or make the player take and pay for an additional ability if they keep demanding to use power A like powers B-Z on demand.

 

You're having problems because you're missing the basic fundamentals of character creation and what special effects are about.

Re: Can this be done x 2

So basically, if you have a summon power, you can summon anything that doesn't conflict with another power... You can summon barbed wire, but it can't Entangle people. You can summon a steel wall, but it can't protect you with PD/ED/Def the way a Force Field would. You can summon Napalm, but it's not going to be able to be lit.

 

There are some problems I see coming straight for me with this - which I guess are just how the Hero System works.

Nope, you just aren;t getting it. You don't 'summon napalm'. If you wanted to reflect an ability that matched the description of summoning Napalm, you'ld by soem form of attack powers with whatever advantages and limitation you feel simulates how you want Napalm to behave for your genre.

I have a character called the Architect, whose power is to be able to make stuff from nothing - walls, barbed wire, cars, napalm.

For Hero--that is best done as a Variable Power Pool. Thats a very powerful, and incredibly flexible ability, so no standard framework or group of powers would do.

In order to REALLY be able to do this in game, I the *player* have to know during the character building process all the different ways I need to buy various mechanics to equal this overall ability.

Withthe VPP, you wouldnt have to know during the building process. But at the time you 'summon' an object, you'ld choose the power and various advantages/disadvantages that reflect the effect you are trying to achieve, and are relevant to the use of the power at the time.

But if I leave one out, say I don't buy an RKA, then suddenly either I can bring into being being anything except napalm, or I can bring napalm into being, but the darn stuff doesn't light. Both seem to be cognitive disconnects.

Nope--that just would be a mistake in buying your powers. The system can't stop you on its own from building a chaacter the wrong way.

Of course, for people who want powers that do not correspond neatly one-to-one with the mechanics listed, you could just make everyone buy VPPs, but that seems a little cheesy.

Well, what you are describing is a 'cheesy' power to some.

Want a Speedster, while making sure that nothing is left out, buy a VPP.

"The nothing left out" sounds like wanting everythign for free, IMO.

Heck, even a simple energy projector that wants to use his blast to shoot a hole in the road ahead of a truck in order to stop it may find the mechanics don't let him because he never bought Entangle for his Energy Blast character - he shoulda purchased a VPP.

Wrong again. An energy blast can put a hole in a road. The GM could make the player of the truck roll to to avoid the hole, or keep control. A hole in the road isnt going to automatically work like a barrier created by an entangle, for free, all the time unless you buy entangle. But you can still stop the truck in the method you mentioned, of shooting a hole in the road..but maybe not as easily as someone who paid points for the perfect power to do so. It would depend on the material of the road, strength of your EB, the timign of the shot, skill of the driver--but its certainly possible, and not something you cant do because you didnt by entangle.

A VPP seems to be the only way to make sure that you can employ the mechanics to live up to the vision. But if everyone is being better served by VPPs, the system itself seems flawed to me, even if it is Working As Intended.

I think your vision is a bit off, and doesn't reconcioile with things like game balance, realistic character concepts, and tends to ignore that there are ways to affect an environment without having to buya power for every attempt to do so.

Another example - you are want your character to be able to teleport small objects anywhere with 500 feet, including into closed boxes and other places you can't see.

Well, if the GM is dumb enough to allow that power, they deserve what they get.

Apart from hand wavey kludging, like "A gust of wind blows it out beofe you TP it" or (fudging) "ummm... their gas tank just happens to have a hardened force field around it." you are forced to do one of two things - say "OK, the car goes boom" giving the player a free use of RKA with AoE; or say "the rules do not permit that, no matter that there's no good reason within the story why you couldn't do that..."

Well, lets say the GM let that power slip through. He has a few options--it works, sort of. If they player can hit a moving target. If your describing a power that is unfailingly accurate..well, again, the GM's at fault for letting a game-wrecking power in his game. Sometimes, you just say no to a players desire, no matter how much he wants if, if it unbalances the game.

But if he can put it in the tank (after getting the match out, lighting it, and gettign it there before it goes out, and placing it just right in the tank to maximize the chance of ignition-then yeah, there should be a boom.) If the player demands or argues the power should always be accurate, can't miss, and the level of oposition in the game is unable to stp such effects or take such damage, then the player should be paying an appropriate cost for the ability. that may entail him having to take an attack power. (Maybe a multi-power, not everything has to be a VPP). But if you want unlimited freedom to use a special effect to represent a myriad of other powers with complete reliability at any time, then a VPP is what you should be buying, because that is what you are sking for.

But thinking how expensive the above power you desribed above, if the player is being chased by anyone who is a threat to him, they probably have taken protections against that power (or would after the first few uses), or maybe just aren't bothered by piddly such things as exploding cars. Or even easier--they have teleport nullification powers.

Re: A campaign for my kids

Whoops. Meet. Meth classmates would be the dark teen champions campaign

Re: A campaign for my kids

I'll post a summary of the latest arc--school starting up has put a little crimp into activities, so its sort of an every other week game.

But, as of right now school has started, they have gotten into their classes, meth their classmates, and are balancing their regular classes versus the 'real' ones, as they call them, plus the bickering by the cliques within the school. I"m setting up an angel if rivalry with some upperclassmen, as the girls are relatively powerful for their age compared to most freshmen--even upperclassmen, which causes some jealousy. They had a brief encounter with a young would be vigilante from Old Detroit, who they think should be in school. The focus of this sunday will be an encounter with Generation VIPER.

Re: Learning from the mistakes of others

4E gave me the 'cheap marketing grab for MMO players" feel. Is a buisness decision.

As for my feel on it: I've only played one MMO. City of Heroes. Supposedly a good MMO, in one of my favorite genres of all time. Found a group of savvy players who were into roleplaying, with shared interests..and good people to tal to. Great group.

And after less than a year, I was burned out and bored, and even the good company couldnt keep me interested in continuin.

I think of the truly bad RPG's I've played in where a great group made up for it all..and relaize the MMO element made the difference. The boring, limited options, the barriers to roleplay and character immersion..and I simply can't see wasting time or money in a game that thinks copying those play elements is a good idea.

It's amazing..WoTc did do somethign I thought impossible-they came up with a new system that in comparison makes d20 look like a great RPG system.

Re: To all GMs about a power combo

Ok, somethign I'm trying to understand

--Earthen Armour:Restrainable

--Granite Limbs: Lockout (Can not use "restrainable" powers or powers that require gestures.; (-1/2), Conditional Power Power only works as long as Earthen Armour is maintained

Ok, so you can only use the limbs while the Earthern armor is maintained..but as the Earthen Armor is restrainable, it can't be used with Granite Limbs.

the two hands/two feet requirement isn't a half limiataion IMO.

It seems these abilkities, if they are mutually exclusive, would be better off in a multipower rather than an elemental control.

Re: "Guard, begin the unnecessarily slow-moving dipping mechanism..."

You put your players in deathtraps? That is so awesome! Most GMs only put characters in deathtraps. I totally want to game with you sometime.

 

 

A small enclosed room with 6 guys, just back from a 25 cent taco special at a local taco joint, and a 6 hour gaming session is a special type of Deathtrap even the GM can't escape.

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

Another good one.

 

Or we could use 4d6 at range so he doesn't have to get into HTH

 

Or 3d6 Ranged 1 hex AoE (and that would also work with STR) so those pesky martial artists can get hit as well.

 

Or double the dice and make it a Suppress - that gets an average of 21 STR or INT, which puts a large portion of standard Supers into a negative stat.

8d6 AE one hex accurate END suppress. Now the MA must burn stun just to be in combat (minimum of 1 end per phase)..and then using Strength, then at least 1 end to move...

Or make it a Presence suppress, so the MA has to spend the next action changing his pants.

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

The point is, that evasiveness is a valid primary defense type in 99.9% of all genres.

What's valid in one genre doesnt carry over to another genre. Genre's differ. if the genre allows mental powers like mental entangle..then evasiveness has its limitatiosn built into the genre..unless the genre is 'there are mental powers..but only losers use them, because anyone can avoid them".

On one day, you could have a very competitive, playable character. On the next, you could have a closed casket burial.

A bit melodramatic. Reliance on pure DCv has its drawbacks outside of mental effects.

It is essentially no different than what happened to the PreColombian population of the new world. They had a perfectly functioning world, when along came something they weren't built to handle. (European pathogens) which wiped out entire populations.

I missed that role playing game.

You could have a game that is focussed on Bricks, Energy Projectors and Martial Artists humming along happily when along comes a mentalist that makes them all essentially unplayable.

If the campaign includes mentalists, those who have normal defenses and normal egos are goign to be hosed. This is nort a problem. This is a choice of theplayers--much like playing a character with no-resistant defenses in a capaign that has killing attacks. Sooner or later, you will pay for that choice.

Funny, the same thing happened the one time we let a Psionic into a D&D game...

So, somethign is broken in another game, it must be in HERO?

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

Well' date=' as you know, all martial artists in all champions games are all self-trained paragons of willpower and dedication. The notion that you could play an evasive character that depended on DCV as a primary form of defense that didn't dedicate their lives to the perfection of a formal school of martial art is unthinkable.[/quote']

 

 

Well, if you want to play someone who has average willpower, but a great DCV, you have cheerfully taken on the role of someone who will be vulnerable to many mental effects.

 

The idea you shold be able to handwave away attacks you never have attained any defensive capability against is pretty unthinkable too, unless its part of the (apparently widespread) 'hose the mentalists' school of thinking.

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

On Mind Control: Well' date=' no 12d6 Mind Control lets you ATTEMPT to turn them on their allies. [/quote']

 

And a mental paralysis attempts to freeze you up.

 

Assuming you are facing a team and not a randomly assorted collection of superpowered combatants, that might prove to be a little difficult.

 

Being on a team doesn't make you any more resistant to mind control--it just means the mentalist has to choose his options more carefully. Instead of 'attack your best friend' its "take your best friend to safety'--which is just as annoying as fighting.

 

Conversely, a Mental Paralysis WILL shut down a non-mentalist for at least a full phase, probably more than that.

 

I'd hope a 67+ active point power would bother a target that chose to take no type of defenses versus that form of attack for at least a phase.

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

regardless' date=' an entangle that is transparent to attacks is still easy for any passing teammate to rip asunder, assuming they can hit a dcv of 3. [/quote']

 

And they like attacking their teammate. Also as the takes no damage from outside attacks entangel may very likely have a higher DCV (pg 168 size special effect, other factors)--with the -3 OCV for trying to hit such an entangle, the odds of missing and hitting the character are notable, and even if they do hit the entangle, they still harm their teammate. Martial Artists, not known for massive defenses, might not be terribly happy about this.

 

A mental paralysis is generally something nobody can help you with unless they have some mental powers.

 

Which is why it costs so much. Again, a few points of ego means that most mental entangels won't hold you long--heck, common flashes will more likely have you at a reduced DCV longer than this. If your ego is 10, well, you deserve what you get when mr evil mentalist comes to town.

 

The issue I have with mental paralysis and martial artists is this: The martial artist has invested a large batch of points in order to have a high DCV to protect them against attacks.

 

And if they want to avoid Mentalist problems, they should concentrate on ECV too, like anyone else.

 

A mental paralysis attack usually costs all of 6 points for an ultra slot in a 60 point multipower, assuming no limitations. (and let's be honest, how many mentalists don't have such a multipower?)

 

In a 60 point multipower, they don't have much of a mental based entangle. Not one that's goign to bother a martial artist any more than a AE accurate entangle, or flash attack, or Dex Drain/Suppress.

 

Again, run mentalist with a 14 or 15 ego, and most mental entangles you run into at an equal AP level are going to hold him up maybe for a phase..and numerous other common powers messup the same character for even longer.

 

There's no issue here.

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

Any hero who clobbers/kills a totally helpless opponent isn't being very heroic (and might well trigger PsychLims such as Code of the Hero or Honorable; as casualplayer has noted) or even find many of his teammates unwilling to follow through.

It depends on the target too. Freezing up Foxbat and pummeling is bad. 350 point heroes using it to slow down a target the team combined is having a hard time against is not so bad--especially if its a target that the entire teams firepower will need to be combined to slow them down, and will only be delayed by the mental entangle for a phase. I see no reason why an 'honorable' hero would avoid attacking Grond or Firewing, or some other high-scale threat because they are at a disadvantage. There's honorable, and then there is crazy.

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

This is true..but they have a better than average shot of dodging or diving for cover...which isn't the case with the mental power.

 

Rob

Well, yes. Nobody shoudl be immune to everything. Of course, small AE flash--or the same entangel bought area effect one hex (accurate) takes care of dodging--and by diving for cover, they've reduced their DCV and blown an action anway.

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

IME this attack isn't as unbalanced as it seems at first. If your campaign enforces Active Point caps' date=' the required +1 1/2 in Advantages eats up a lot of them. Characters are allowed to Push their EGO to escape; and since GMs can allow characters to Haymaker when attempting to escape an Entangle, you're justified in letting your PCs Haymaker their EGO for this purpose. [/quote']

 

 

I'd disagree with this. Allowing everyone to Haymaker their ego vs such holds makes the power relatively useless. Every joe normal will be cracking through 3 DEF 3 BOD mental entagles, which only come from a fairly expensive power.

 

It's 27 active points per dice. 2.5 d6 costs 69 active, 55 real (or 2d6 +1 Def, or 2d6, +1 Bod, whatever you prefer)

 

In terms of making someone a target you can get a 4d6 Entangle (5 body) that takes no damage from outside attacks for 67 ative points. Low STR characters, focus users of many types are going to be equally challenged to get out (and I wouldnt let everyone automatically Haymaker their STR to get out of entangles as well). The poor martial artist is just as likely going to have more of a challenge getting out of the normal entangel that takes no damage from outside attacks than the ego entangle...unless they have joined the legions of points effective but weak willed superheroes.

 

As long as every villain in your game isn't walking about with a 10 EGO, it shouldn't be that terrifying.

Re: A campaign for my kids

ok, Highlights so far.

The young would be heroes met while headed out to go shopping for back-to-school clothes. By odd coincidence, they happen to be on seen for a bold robbery by 5 2ell-armed thugs. More importantly, these thugs actually had the support of an actual supervillain. Fortunately, the young heroes had time to deal with the Thugs before Ogre turned his attentiosn to them. They were just puny little children, after all.

The three heroines manages to bring down the Ogre, after a scary fight. They left immediately afterwards to talk. Plans to meet again and perhaps fight crime together were made.

Rowan, former superheroine and headmaster of Ravenswood Academy managed to witness the fight. It wasn't hard for her to keep an eye out for the girls, and she eventually approached them, offering then a chance to go to her school (using scholarships for synapse, whose mother could never afford the school). The girls accepted, andf the parents agreed, all 'surprised' to hear how such a prestigous school was interested in their kids.

Fun items of note: Wildefires impromptu attempt at instant change, by wearing her uniform underneath and activating her forcefields led to her burning up her normal clothes. she said she had an extra set of cheerleadign workout clothes..carried with her, and burned up as well.

Synapses attempt at teleporting the girls out of the arealed to them making a splash, literally, in a nearby park pond/fountain.

Starstrike attempting a move through even if my daughter didnt know the combat move by saying 'I jump at the Ogre as hard as I can and tackle him"--trying to save Synapse who was in trouble.

Another fun moment was Wildefire discovering just how far out her flash-explosion went. StarStrike found out just how far that was as well.

Lot's of girly-behavior (with my wife getting to ham up playing a 14 year old giel with her daughters) and talk during the fight ('ohh, look at those shoes).

Next week, they tour Ravenswood with the parents, then the first day of high school.

Re: "Stun Target" power -- what am I doing wrong?

I could even see this as a form of EGO based entangle, with a limitation it only lasts for one of the targets phases, maximum. This could handily represent that its not physical toughness, but willpower alone that would allow some to shrug off the special effect that causes the stunned condition.