incrdbil

Re: Balancing Mental Powers There may be a more mechnical thing to look at--beyond punishign the player for playing a character (which a lot of these 'methods' involve) I suggest reviewing the mental rules, making use of the breakout chances, and also giving your mentalist options other than always mind-controlling or using an illusion--maybe they have a less used TK power. There's all sorts of ways a villain can distract a Hero and make him use that power instead of attacking--for example, take an innocent bystander, and toss them off a bridge or building. It's much easier, and quicker for the TK using mentalist to catch that person than anyone else fly after them. It gives the player a chance to be heroic, and the villains a break. Smart Villain tricks: have a villain pretend to be far more affected by a mental power than they are (especially if it fails outright) then launch a suprise attack. if you need a power that just helps with breakout rolls, consider buying levels with EGO rolls, only for breakout attempts after the initial roll, easily a -1 to -11/2 modifier. It doesn't quickly negate the immediate effect, but helps on that crucial turn roll. Call it the delayed "Get..out..of..my MIND!" effect. the menatlist will have to re-apply, or pay endurance to maintain the power, which gets very endurance intensive. (Dont forget the time bonus if the player doesnt maintain the control--and buying to zeo end doesnt help--you have to buy reduced endurance again to affect the maintenance endurance cost per the Ultimate Mentalist.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game or just buy a jetpack at Firebase Zulu or in Grandville..just have a higher level person sidekick/lackey you there for safety.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game If you are going to buy the game, get the new mission architect boxed version coming out. Less time downloading patches/updates. Anyone on Victory by any chance?

Re: Balancing Mental Powers recall--without paying End--seperate from the power, the breakout roll does improve. A few dice fo flash can play hell with a mentalist. Darkness, images, etc. Or, when in doubt..robots.

Re: Ogrecave 6E interview Wait, seriously? COM is a top three? He could have tossed out the skill system, martial arts, elemental controls, or multipowers, disadvantages, ...but COM tops all that?

Re: Advice on how to gm 9 to 10 players in a Superhero campaign. Agreed. Certain sizes just dont work, regardless of the system. You have the curse fo succcess. It's time for another GM to atep up, or run two different games at different times. It may be a pain, but what you have is a recipe for frustration. PC's will have very reduced chance for input. Plotlines will be complicated by having to deal with so many characters. Nobody will have a unique ole, there's goign to be duplication of function, powers, and a struggle to avoid concept copying. Trying to have any detail on the role playing lives will just be incredible. Take a 4 hour gaming session. One combat. Lets say everyoen averages speed 5. Lets say every player manages to play quicly--only needing one minute per person to resolve their action. 10 players, 50 actions per turn, but lets say combined actions,makingthem announceat the same time means thsi only takes 25 minutes Now you have your NPC's--just HOW many do you have to run to challenge them? Lets say you manage to match the PC's time consumed for NPC's. So one turn, 50 minutes. Lets say your combat runs two turns---100 minutes total. Of that 100 minutes total, each player has recieved about 5 minutes of time focused on them out of the 100--ie, they are sort of bored the other 90. You now have 140 minutes to be split between 10 players for roleplaying, BS. talking, experience, and every other aspect of the game that goes on out of combat--or about 14 minutes per player. So of the 240 minutes, the player is actively engaged for 24. Lets say, with luck, other payers actions actively engage them for triple that amount--72 minutes. 72+25--96 total minutes out of 240 are of interest to that player-the rest of the time, they are just sitting, waiting, and sort of bored. Two groups--its a necessity. Letting them run NPC's and such--it just probably wont work efficiently. Different skill levels of the player running them, keeping a consistant tone, having to give instructions and track results, its just too difficult, not to mention the loss of plot secrecy. Sure, push comes to shaove, you can play a 10 man game. But the truth is, it simply wont be as good or enjoyable for everyone compared to the experience of a more manageable group. With two groups, you can cater to preferences about the type of game better, have more variety, and in total, in every way, it'll be a better playing experience.

Re: The Death Of Vinnie The Viceroy Seer is subtle. A quote I've used is "A real mentalist doesn't need powers to play mind games." Getting the minions of Takofones to get interested in the secretary would probably be done indirectly--no powers used on the minions, but used to bring the disinformation to them. Yeah, its dangerous, but if this guy showed up, in addition to Seer and the rest of the Scooby gang trying to hold off Takofones plan's..well, Seer's figuring the world is toast, may as well go for broke with a 'Hail mary' style plan. Not much to lose at that point.

Re: Going to be running a Teen Champions game... I'm doing a very basic Ravenswoood game. My kids have just enjoyed a few very basic adventures. Most of the game has centered around the school--training room fights, tension between cliques, and a few encounters with a rival team of villainous teens. I think a key is to not to be afraid to let time pass. No endless freshman year. Even at a school that caters to kids with superpowers, it should be easy to bring the 'secret makes my social life crazy' angle up.

Re: The Death Of Vinnie The Viceroy Well, Given this.... Seer --Immediately interrupts Ms. Mystic, the head of the Earth Defense Force to inform her of this. Instead of reccomending intervention, suggests a way to manipulate the known servants of Takofones (whose identities he has some knowledge of due to a time travel adventure) into conflicting or harming this beings interests..then getting the hell out of the way. If she won't do it, Seer will use his mental powers to arrange for it. May as well put evil to use..... He might even resort to making the secretary the bait by somehow making her an person of interest mentioned in reports he knows will make it into these 'covert' minions hands..then sit back and observe, maybe even make a 'coincidental' rescue and play up the agents of Takofones angle for good measure.

Re: Evaluation on an ability: Bounce Back I'm more often in middle of the road super-hero games. Anyway, the power is mainly for the use for certain player character power set, or very special super-tough villains, the kind so tough you have to Hot sleep them. (Grond, for example.) It wouldn't be something you'ld ever see on minions/mooks.

Re: Evaluation on an ability: Bounce Back Well, I'm not in many 4 color games right now. the ability isn't a general use one, more intended for super-tough/regenerative types whose schtick is healing fast, coming back fast. The intent of the power (poorly worded through the limitation) was meant to keep the recovery rate for the character as if they had 10 more stun that what their actual level was--it really didn't add on to stun (hence the part about not bringing you conscious)--and to further restrict it I included the limitation on having to recover back to 'full' stun before getting any use from this ability again.

Too much of a good thing? Ok for a street level game? Ok for a standard to hi-power game? Basic effect its hard to keep a character down, they start the process of recover quickly.

Re: DC-What if you had to draft a superpower registration act? Supplemetal thought: design the law so that enforcement is impossible. Assign it to a section thats really not capable of handling it, or has other priorities. Keep it away from the military,k or a new agency thyat woudl focus on it--give it to..oh heck, the FBI, so overworked agents with normal guns can find creative reasons why not to enforce the laws to persue heroes who can flatten buildings. Underfund enforcement efforts as well. Make a note that non-violent offenders of the law cant be restrained in a super-max metahuman confinement facility due to some BS human rights obligation, and mandate the poor US bureau of Prisons take care of these metahumans. Make the regulations for building more metahuman capable super-prisons very easy to challenge and tie up, so that the government can't spare the room for anyone other than true villains. Turn the bureacracy into the unwitting ally of the superhumans.

Re: DC-What if you had to draft a superpower registration act? Well, if its unavoidable a law was going to be passed, no way around it, I'd imagine a pro-metahuman politician might do the following. Creatie a law filled with poorly designed wording, loopholes, and fuzzy concepts so courts could strike it down, or well funded heroes could run legal circles around it all day. Use all sorts of words like 'intent', or 'reasonable person', 'excessive force in view of a 'percieved threat', 'patterns of occurance' , 'deliberately reckless' to weaken the law. Also make the definition of a super power so hard to do that it is easy to dodge-- 'ability that is completely iexplicable, beyond the capable of a theoretical technology'--all in the guise of not wanting to make technological innovation illegal, or making taltened atheletes criminals for simply performing. Or, on the flip side, make it so draconic that atheletes, or inventors of anything a smidegen beyond technology at the time of the law run afoul of the law--make the law so invaive, so restricting, so painfully stupid massive opposition will arise in a short amount of time to strike it down. Fill the law with obligations towards registered heroes--guarantees of safety, training, support to help control their powers, protect their families that it makes the anti-metahumn bigots probably behind the law sick. For those metahumans who are unfortunately registered and mainatin heroic activities, ame the law at least do something for them if they are sadly caught up in it.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game CoH/CoV is the only MMO I ever liked, but I reached the boredom point after about 15-18 months. The new features in the last set were pretty..disappointing. Day job was quite a let down, as were the new power sets. At heart, I think the problem is the missions get boring, and often don't let you feel like a super-hero/villain. I also have grown bored with the set roles of tank/scrapper/blaster/defender/controller. I have a strong dislike of PVP based games which makes me an odd man out for most MMO's, and I also prefer games where just logging on for a few hours is ok, not having to waste my time every evening. I'm waiting for Champions Online, patiently. Right now, I'm hoping for a decent single player strategy game to grab my attention.

Re: Cosmic Entity Adventures! Well, when they mindwiped Firewing a very young Stellar Lord in my campaign) and reprogrammed him to be a Stellar Knight and join their group, it took a bit to handle a more powerful NPC being around. Still, he's been very good for roleplaying, especially as he is inadvertantly swaying his romantic interest towards being a Stellar Lord in a way, as she struggles with the fragments of a 'old soul--a [phenomenon where sometimes very powerful Stellar Knights/Lords memories 9or sould, depending on your belife) somehow transfer to another years after their death. This has made some interesting moments as quantum, of the Detroit Defenders, is also a Stellar Knight and has the oversoul of the Knight who slew the PC's oversoul. I'v leaqrned to abstract out some of the impact of their day to day life--bank robberies versus normal joes/agensts just don't make for great combats--so many of those encounters are resolved through pure roleplay. I've made some rules adjustments, just to highlight the difference between powers and normal weaponry. I've long used a house rule of 'real weapon'--if their maximum body output cant breach superheroic defenes (anythign not bout with the 'real armor or real defenses limitation) it never can do any stun. For this game, I've extnded that to any environmental damage, (including knockback) in addition to weaposn with the 'real weapon' limitation. Another downside I've institututed is that real weapons can only do standard damage versus superheroic defenses (my standard damage is the 3.5 stun, 3.5 body for killing attacks per dice, not just the standard 3). So I haven't had to inflate the heroes points level and defenses insanely to get them to a point where they dotn care about machine guns, light anti-tank weapons, and other normal weapons that should not be a concern to Cosmic entities. The way I started, with limiting pool powers to skills learned via a power roll that I can obviously alter to my needs has helped me pace growth for my game. As I've grown more comfortabel with it, I'm opening up the power throttle.

Re: Review this character ok, to use the power at full 50 point effect is -5 to the ego roll. This is an 8 or less. rolling a 9 means 1d6 damage, 10 is 2, 11 is 3, 12 is 4, and 13 and up would be 5d6 damage. Correct?

Re: Review this character I'd not let that limitation affect the cost of the multipower slot. As is, the power can't be used for that anyway, so taking it as a Limitation doesnt limit the power any more than it already is, thus falling under the 'limitation that doesnt limit isnt worth anything' clause. I'd still let the character take it as a -0, to keep the one good thing: not being able to be attacked through the Mind Scan. There's nothing wrong with a multipower mind scan: Mind Scan has many useful purposes other than the long distance attack. There are many ways to tweak the character to make them better, but the OP simply was worried about gamebreaking. But the -1 side effect limitation is unclear, but it looks broken as a -1 limitation.

Re: Review this character ok, a few questions The Multipower has a side effect of 1d6 stun per 10 active points used and mentions a skill roll. No skill is mentioned. How, as GM, are you intending to work, as its valued as a -1 limitation. The description says " make skill roll of effect is 1d6 stun /10 active used", I'm not quite clear what that means. A side effect that can be avoided via skill roll isnt what I'd call a -1 limitation, especially if the skill roll isn't facing a penalty based on active points, but is a flat skill roll. Looking at the stats, I'm guessing it may mean an ego roll. I'd require the player to take the power skill, myself. The ego roll of the character is a 14-1. A flat 14- roll to activate a power is just a 1/2 limitation. In this case, what I'm guessing from the reading is that the side effect is ignored by every point the character makes the skill roll by. Or does the player mean the side effect is avoided if the skill roll is made (which is a huge problem). As for the powers, what are the active point/ Damage class limits and average values for your games, and the range of allowed defenses? If the 10 DC of the character is the norm for all campaign characters, the character is very vulnerabel to damage. An equal 10d6 attack will tear through the characters meager defenses, Stun the character (who has a poor DCV while using powers) and have them just a few points from being unconscious. So, in that regard, having the high end of offensive powers might not be too unbalancing, as the character is an eggshell armed with a hamer, and fairly easy to take out due to low defenses and low DCV. I cant understand why the force field is in an elemental control by itself. it's the same cost as buying it straight out, really. Maybe the player plans to expand the EC in the future. It's not hurting anything, nor changing points or how the power works, so I just was curious what the intention was.

Re: Cosmic Entity Adventures! I'm workign my way to that. My PBEm characters started out fairly week, just with 60 point cosmic VPP's each, plus a EC of common powers and other related abilities. They are currently at 90 points, and I plan to have the campaign finish around the 200 point level. the scale of VPP increase is growing larger each time the players 'evolve'. Mine are still on earth, but the game will present them with responsibilities that will take them across the Galaxy, then ultimatelt multiple realities. The conflict with other entities. Characters with strong personal ethics. Do not run an iron age campaign with Cosmic entities. Just don't. See above. Maybe have the PC's reponsible for that. or have them subject to monitoring by a some Cosmic Over-Seer, who can simply return them to their humble origins, havign been responsible for their elevation. Maybe make this over-seer an 8 year old kid in mentality, just for complications. whatever the hell they want to. Such a game should focus a lot on role-play. World-spanning disasters should be the norm. Facing planets about to be destroyed should be the average bank robbery. Haltign killer asteroids, evacuating slar systems from a super-nova (or simply stopping the Nova)..that sort of thing. If you add alternative realities into the mix--they cpould be cosic beings in one dimension, but when forced to enter the loower planes, they manifest as lower powered avatars. So, on occasion, you have a Fantasy Hero game, Star Hero, Pulp Hero..with occasional extra dimensional calls for help or conflict. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer? Perhaps the Cosmic power they wield is by consensus--ie, individually, they only have x amount of power, but together, they wield 10X power. The same thing superheroes do, just on a slightly bigger scale. Here is a easy one: Piers Anthonys Incarnation of Immortality Series. Easily adapatable to Cosmic Being status.

Re: Can you see where I'm coming from? I think FX considerations really matter at this point. I have no problem saying that a long range shot is hard to spot if no-one just happened to catch the muzzle flash. Balancing that out are the numerous other fx of a gun: detection long after the fact by gunpowerder residue; ballistics matching of the projectile. Smell may be a good third sense for detection. Noting differences in visibility for day/night consideration. Well, I dont believe it automatically make the origin or special effect of every power visible, regardless of range. I think it allows the use of perception to observe information about the power use, ranging to automatic things you can't help but notice (I've been shot, or the person right next to me has been shot!) to things that might require a perception roll. That roll coudl have a bonus (was that a burst, a single shot, what direction did it come frome) or a penalty (where did that shot from long range come from exactly). I'm very comfortable with handwavign away the third sense if the first two are very common, or letting the third sense by a fairly unusual sense (or skill). Maybe visibility could be measured in points of visibility. Ie, powers must be visible by X points of visibility factors. A common sense group would be 2 points, a unusual sense group 1 point, and a very specific sense or skill could be one point. Each 1/4th of invisible advanatge removes one point of sense grouping.

Re: [Alera - Furies of Calderon] Advice on Summoning/Elemental Ally I've seen many effects. Classic summoning, enhanced characteristics, powers such as flight. Of course, technically the player should have summon..and the summoned fury has a VPP of powers usable by other. But the furies can be just the FX. You could do it both ways, to be honest. Some furies could be purchased as followers: as the country folk tend to . name their furies, and know them better, as opposed to controlling them. Or, instead of follower, buy a loyalty advantage to summoningtheir furies, based on locale. Limitations seem to come along with having or using furies--the emotional sensitivity of watercrafters, for example.

Re: Need Premade Character for Beginning Player! http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68801&highlight=justice There is a thread with a few more characters for inspiration.

Re: Need Premade Character for Beginning Player! Here is a straightforward character. His power is telekensis. There is room to customize the character--some of the skills and disadvantages have been left for you to fill out. Note: the GM may impose an active point limit that makes the character non-feasible, due tot he high cost of the Telekenesis power. Note I've chosen Magnetic fields as his undoing: his powers don't work there, and he's vulnerable to those attacks. Val Char Cost 20 STR 10 23 DEX 39 25 CON 30 12 BODY 4 13 INT 3 14 EGO 8 15 PRE 5 14 COM 2 8/28 PD 4 8/28 ED 3 5 SPD 17 9 REC 0 50 END 0 35 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 4" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 125 Cost Power 30 Telekentic Mastery: Elemental Control, 74-point powers, (37 Active Points); all slots Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Doesnt work in intense Magnetic Fields; -1/4) 90 1) Telekinesis (60 STR), Fine Manipulation, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (150 Active Points) 30 2) TK Flight: Flight 25", x8 Noncombat, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (75 Active Points) 30 3) TK Protective Field: FF (20 PD/20 ED) (Protect Carried Items), Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Hardened (+1/4) (75 Active Points) 16 Multipower, 20-point reserve, (20 Active Points); all slots Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness 9Doesn't work in Intense Magnetic Fields (-1/4) 1u 1) TK Block: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) (20 Active Points); Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) 1u 2) Telekentic Limbs: Extra Limbs (10) (5 Active Points); Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) 1u 3) Tk Steady: Knockback Resistance -10" (20 Active Points); Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) Powers Cost: 199 Cost Skill 2 City Knowledge: Campaign City 11- 3 Breakfall 14- 3 Custom Skill 3 Sleight Of Hand 14- 3 Hoist 12- 6 +3 withTelekenesis 3 Power 11- 3 Stealth 14- Skills Cost: 26 Total Character Cost: 350 Pts. Disadvantage 15 Psychological Limitation: Code vs Killing (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Protective of Innocents (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Can't resist a Challenge, Thrillseeker (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: (Insert Personality trait/quirk) (Common, Moderate) 20 DNPC: Significant Other 11- (Normal; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 5 Rivalry: Romantic (Rival for significant others affection; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry) 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Frequently, Major) 20 Hunted: Archvillain/Personal enemy 11- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 20 Hunted: Evil Secret Agency of Campaign 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 5 Hunted: Journalist with a Grudge against the Hero 11- (Less Pow, NCI, Watching) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY (Uncommon) 5 Unluck: 1d6 Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: Need Premade Character for Beginning Player! As you are a first time player, I'm going to suggest that all submitted suggestions are straightforward characters.