CaptCastle

OK, that's not totally true . . . I did use the software that came with a copy I used to have of the 4th edition hardback, but haven't messed with anything like it since.  My question is has there ever been talk or is there talk now of including with the software the ability to design costumes of the heroes and villains in our games?  I am sure many know about programs like HeroMachine and iirc there was at one time a program that let you design characters in the style of the DCAU.  Also back in the day I did my share of creating characters in City of Heroes/Villains and the Champions mmo.

If there was a version of Hero Designer that included software to visually create characters and their costumes, I know I would get lots of use out of it.

Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain?

Of course I was casting aspersions on why Paula Von Gunther reformed.

 

The official story was that she was only working for the Nazis because they were holding her daughter hostage. I find it difficult to believe that anybody who read her early stories could possibly believe that. She was having far too much fun with her slave girls.

I haven't read a lot of WW stories with her in them, in fact I tend to read arcs as opposed to a series from first to last issue. Usually what I do is put my single issues away and read them when they go to trade paper back or a compilation, lol. If I can find them it might be worth it to track down the von Gunther stories.

Might be worth a look.

Re: Costumes

I always liked the Wonder Twins costumes, and thought it was too bad that they didn't get more attention in the regular continuity.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/5551/937971-wonder_twins_and_gleek_by_wannabegeorge_super.jpg

Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain?

No further comment is necessary on this point.

 

I should point out that in an early stage of their existence, the Avengers consisted of Captain America and three reformed supervillains: Hawkeye (a former opponent of Iron Man), the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (former members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants).

I see what you did there. After you're comment I presume you meant

Re: Trying to Understand 6E

This is where I am at. To start with I only have 2 players atm. Based on what they want for characters, both will already have flight so the rings are kind of a moot point. Just me being nostalgic for the LSH more than anything. As far as forcing them to join a team, I won't do that. If they so choose to remain separate from a team that is their choice. However, there are advantages to belonging to such. Personally, I would never punish players by making them go without something because they used all their points in creation.

The other situation I am dealing with, both my players will be first time RPers. The last thing I want to do is fall in GM traps of railroading players to what I want or giving them a big list of what they cant do. IMO, that's not the way to have a good time in an RPG. That is another reason I have no issue giving them things like flight rings or communicators. Heck, if THEY like the team idea I might even come up with a uniform that gives them a bonus or two. My first Champions book I ever owned came in the 2nd Edition of the game. I remember something there about occasionally giving players things for flavor.

I'm not a bean counter when it comes to points. IMO the super-hero genre is the best in the world, and as long as everyone is having fun, being challenged and the game is balanced that's what is important to me. If that means I have to give a freebie or two, so be it. Especially if it exemplifies the genre.

Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain?

Motivations vary, that's true. Even if it's a one time basis, such as Ms. Tessmacher saving Superman so he could stop the rocket that was going to hit Hackensack, where her mother lived. So yeah she wanted to save her mom, but I think it shows she had a heart. There is a story, where Batman helped Joker because he was framed for killing the Penguin on live television. At the time, Penguin and Joker had a friendly relationship. Catwoman has helped Batman numerous times (another case of a villain motivated by her feelings for a hero). In Hush, Ivy had Superman mind controlled & fighting Batman. My point was that such team ups can be fun and entertaining. For me personally, every time I see heroes that don't normally fight duke it out it's always good. Same with villains working with heroes, I always get a kick seeing Batman going to a villain and saying ok you know how this guy thinks. I think for me, it works because it breaks the routine up a bit.

It's also cool, imo, if villains can be reformed. However, in my Joker/Harley example the day DC permanently brings them to the side of good is the day they lose two of the best comic book villains in history and by far the best psychological match-up for the Bat. So I can't even comprehend DC doing it on anything but short term.

Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain?

I think we've learned for the Freedom Force (Marvel) and the Suicide Squad (DC) that you should never trust a Government organization that employes "reformed" criminals.

 

That's why there needs to be a legitimate organization the heroes can cooperate, even if they has disagreements with it from time to time, like SHIELD.

 

Speaking of which, what good was SHIELD in Marvel's The Avengers. You didn't see it send its ground troops into New York at the start of the invasion. "No, let's let the six unstable individuals in funny clothes handle it."

I suppose . . . but betrayal is a great for motivating people and it's a great way to really really get someone to dislike another individual. And, as far as comics go, personally I have really liked it when villains I liked switch sides. Ex. Diamondback helping Capt. America was probably one of my favorite story arcs I've read. I do think it would have to depend on the character though. I can't see a Joker or a Harley Quinn ever helping Batman without betraying him in the end. But your point about a Govt. or Govt. Agency hiring criminals is well taken.

Re: Trying to Understand 6E

Ok, so 400 = 325 character points and 75 complication points. I see now, so nothing has really changed as far as end result. The changes are more or less semantics, and really the same as it's always been. Just a bit more confusing because of a slight change in the Champions vernacular.

As far as mandated items, I wasn't going to make players spend against their points for small things like communicators or flight rings. Not really sure what to do about characters who already have those abilities built into their base. The mandated items were going to be very minimal as far as what they can accomplish, and I just figured that characters who's powers exceeded the capabilities of mandated items would just choose not to use them. I hadn't thought so much about durability as my real intent was flavor and to fill in holes that may rise from characters not being able to move or communicate.

Also, once we get a few sessions in, I'm sure the subject of things like bases and vehicles will come up.

Ok, I haven't played Champions since 3rd Edition. I haven't bought books since 4th Edition. I now have Hero System (vol. 1 and 2), Champions Villains vol. 1 and Champions Complete. Rather than use the older books, I want to go with 6E. So, I have started reading the books and it looks a bit different than what I am used to. I need some clarification and if any one can give that to me that would be great. So as I understand it characters now are built on 400 points that they can distribute however they choose (attributes, skills, powers, whatever), according to the guideline table. Each character also takes 75 points of complications to help develop and/or flesh out the character. However, if the player doesn't use all 400 points, they can buy off complications. Likewise experience can go towards getting rid of complications as well. Am I understanding all that correctly?

Also, I would like some clarification on this. Say I wanted to make the player characters part of a team, Justice League, Legion of Super-Heroes, Avengers types, whatever. I can opt to give each player perks such as a radio communicator and flight ring without them spending points. I give the same thing to each pc and npc, more for flavor than anything but also a certain amount of usefulness. However, because I gave those things to the players/non-players they are subject to being broken, lost, taken away or whatever at any time. Is that the gist of it? Thanks.

Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain?

The U.S. Government should recruit superhuman into a covert military/intelligence organization to deal with National Security threats.

 

Several teams would be created, assigned to the various Military Branches, and the teams would have members with different powers to fill the missions needs.

 

They probably have a simple name like Strike Force.

 

Think The Unit meets the X-Men.

Or unknowingly serve a dishonest government as was done in the first story arc of the Superman/Batman comic and remade as the DCAU movie Public Enemies where some heroes and eventually even villains (granted amnesty for their previous crimes) went to work for the President. In an rpg, it might even be fun to give players a chance to work together with villains they previously battled.

Re: [New Product] Champions Complete

Just got my copy today. I do get to look through it a bit before it gets put away for Christmas. I have to say I like it. My big concern is that the pages will start to fall out once I start using it. Other than that, I am glad I got it.

Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished?

Armageddon The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 by Max Hastings. I saw it in the bargain bin. It turned out to be a good read. It focused on events during the last 8 months of the war. It contained a lot of interesting maps to go along with the prose.

Re: Since CoH is gone...

I'll be blunt: I'm far too bitter about NCSoft's "d*** move" to play another superhero MMO without a great deal of resentment' date=' right now. This is especially true when a) CO always felt more like an arcade "fighter" game than a genuine MMO, and I trust Cryptic and PWE almost as little. Which is 0.01% above "none", honestly.[/quote']

 

I'm not that bitter towards Cryptic/PWE yet. But I'll never give NCSoft another chance. Their decision to pull the plug on CoH/CoV was enough to pass on GW2. Will also pass on Wildstar. It looked worth a look to me, but I'm done with NCSoft.

Re: Costumes

I always liked Liberty Belle's costume.

Re: Costumes

some of these may seem like such cliche answers, but here goes anyway. Batman, the Flash, Spider Woman/Jessica Drew. I also like Fire's Green Fury's costume from her Global Guardians days.

Re: Starting up a new 6E campaign w/wife & granddaughter

Thanks for the input guys, think I see a way it will work for me. LOL, I like the idea of her being remanded to my wife's character's custody. I think my granddaughter would have a fit though. Could certainly be fun to watch all that play out though.

Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain?

Cops on the take and crooked politicians.

Re: Starting up a new 6E campaign w/wife & granddaughter

Doesn't seem to be a DC vs. Marvel thing' date=' since DC had Etrigan the Demon and Blue Devil long before Marvel had Azazel. It could just be that your granddaughter wants to be a teleported, not so much about the devil trappings. But even with the devil shtick, there is a long tradition of devilish superheroes, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.[/quote']

 

The only thing I meant in making a distinction between DC & Marvel is that I am more familiar with DC's characters than Marvel's. So, I only know about Azazel what I can wiki or Google. That's right, forgot about the characters you mentioned. They are all good characters, imo. My issue isn't the devil shtick in and of itself. In fact, super powerful beings from other dimensions are a staple in comics and make some of the best reading/stories. What my big concern is from what little I read is the amount of power Azazel has. And even when I asked my granddaughter what Azazel can do she said he can teleport to any place he can imagine, he can regenerate, he's immortal, he's got an army of followers he can summon and he can can completely change his appearance. I think I would be less worried, as well, if she hadn't asked do I have to be a hero.

 

Understand, I'm not against those powers per se, Those are all cool powers. I just am not sure how to come up with something that is not completely overpowered for the campaign I intend to run. My wife and granddaughter are new to role playing games, so I don't what their first experience to be what the can't do. I talked to my granddaughter a little more and it seems what she really likes is the tragedy of Azazel's back story, and how sad it is. Tragedy is great, you can tell some great stories through it. My campaigns are usually story driven, so I have no issues there. I just need to find a way to make it fit in a manner that doesn't turn the campaign into one where every character is the Beyonder, Darkseid, Mephisto, or Galactus.

Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain?

Why is it people who aren't comic book fans hired to make comic book movies/tv shows?

This always bothered me. I always felt that they never took it seriously, and even thought of comic books as silly. However, some of the recent movies do seem to indicate a change in this trend.

Should be fun, but I can use a little advice. I'm not much of a Marvel guy. I'm more a fan of DC. Bats, Supes, WW, JLA/JSA, etc. A little nervous though when it comes to my granddaughters character. In a nutshell, she want's a character that has the powers of Azazel. First thing that popped into my head was a character who has the "stop signs" after ever power on her sheet, lol. Power level is going to be 400 pts/75 points complications. That right there seems low to make an Azazel type character. Th other thing (and remember not really a Marvel guy) from looking up his powers is here is a guy who for all intents and purposes has the powers of the Devil. Doesnt seem a real good fit for a traditional hero group. If I was going to use him as a character, I think he would be more of a plot device rather than an actual character. So how can I get her thinking a bit more traditional? Any help or advice would be appreciated.