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Farkling

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Everything posted by Farkling

  1. Re: Teleport redirection As a sidebar, there is a power that redirects movement. Martial Throw. That's all I have to mention that is relevant. Nothing to say about TK and MArtial THrow and only being able to use it against Teleporters. Nope. No wierd applications from me this week. Toodles.
  2. Re: Balls of Steel I'm in the charge him for it crowd...the balls are pretty specific, and even a Blast consisting of objects of oppurtunity should require a charge to be reliable. If he's carrying a focus around as part of his entourage, then he needs to be charged for it or lose it a lot, like it was his bluetooth cell phone or the flashlight he picked up at Wal-Mart Now, with a choice of 16 charges, it seems the character is expecting a cost to be imposed, ...since that's the most 'Charges' he can take without paying. Better if he just has two steel cojones tucked into a convenient 'pouch' on his supersuit... Modelling Hugh's example code, we generate a variant of the following: (60 AP) 12d6 Blast, OIF - Steel Cojone (-1/2), (2) Recoverable Charges (-1), Cannot multiple attack (-1/4), Range based on STR (-1/4), Beam Attack (-1/4), and Costs STR Endurance (-1/4)... Real Cost :: 17 pts
  3. Re: New to Hero FUDGE is a relative of HERO...as is GURPS....though they are distant relatives that only some of the family are fond of. *snicker* I've played HERO since ... well... its a long time. I bought my 1st books used, but not many afterwards. I remember the typewriter looking print in those books. I've read FUDGE (and Fuzion), I'm very familiar with White Wolf (MAGE, WereWolf, Changeling), and have a smattering of all the DnD editions. I can visibly see the changes to DnD that have been taken from the structure of HERO and GURPS. Though 4th edition DnD really resembles an MMO when you move to tactical combat... Mage players take to HERO pretty well, as I have converted White Wolf players. The Vampyre types I've played with do best with brick or mentalist types in a SuperHeroic environment, and with differently modelled vampyres in an urban fantasy setting. The growth of the characters is less logarithmic here at HERO, and doesn't have combat system discrepancies at the upper end (I can make a nuclear explosion, but it only does 8 health levels?) If your White Wolf was vampyre, I have no real useful advice. I'm not fond of that part of the White Wolf system. Mage I liked. Until they reprinted it to make it like the Vampyre systems... ;-) White Wolf's tendency to let you 'make up skills' if what you precisely wanted wasn't there is part of the key. It a reflection in HERO's science, knowledge, area skill structures. IMHO. Or was that a house rule we made up to reflect what was available in HERO ? I can't remember. Once they realize they can buy POWERS like that, instead of being issued a list, you've made a breakthrough. The upper end in HERO is higher. Actually, the upper limit is what you make of it. No artificial restrictions from conflicting 'schools' 'disciplines' 'spheres' and the only requirements for cross-sphere magick is what you impose on the system yourself. No, 'you've reaqched ascension' , 'golconda', 'unification' or whatever. You can play it however you like, and don't need a lot of house rules, just some point caps and imagination. We ended our old school SuperHero game back in the 90s with 850pt characters, and everyone turned in a written epilogue. I might even still have them someplace. My 2 cents. YMMV.
  4. Re: Phaser Disintegration in 6E We built our 4th and 5th edition phasers as Drain BODY for disentefration effects, though I believe the FReD phasers had a small killing attack too...probably for that 'disentegration' effect. The drain didn't work against targets with Hardened defense. The ruling used was that starship bulkheads and exteriors were hardened or had power defense. It wasn't a Trek game though, so they only needed to 'look' like a phaser effect. Speaking to Trek canon... full disentegration seems to take slightly longer on screen than a simple stun or explosion. There's that whole 'holding the beam on target' and the 'afterglow' effect used by the special effects department.
  5. Re: OCV stat vs Combat Skill Levels And in addition... One would prefer CSL's over raw stats if playing in a game with enforced characteristic maxima, if normal humans cannot buy more than X OCV in their raw stats, then you need CSL's to be a better shot... Paraphrasing from 5E and NCM limitations... haven't picked up the 6E books yet, maybe Santa will get them. ;-)
  6. Re: And For My Next Trick... do not forget the staple of the pulp magician. A holdout pistol or a swordcane.
  7. Re: How about this sci-fi battle.. At the risk of dating myself... The REAL Saberhagan Berserkers (not those cheesy Borg) versus any incarnation of Enterprise Or Battlestar Galactica versus Imperial Starships Firefly vs Millenium Falcon
  8. pffft I can think of lots of non-martial artists that don't get hit while prone And where did I say "only martial artists can do this" ?? I said I couldn't picture it. it is counter genre and not a comic book staple. So name me your non-martial artist examples. I'm interested in your sources. Some options available to every able bodied character to defend themselves from hand to hand attacks while prone:: 1) Get up and run away 2) roll away at the last minute. 3) get up and dodge 4) get up and block 5) suffer from lack of mobility and lie there on the ground 6) shoot the bad guy when he tries to hit you 7) squirm around on the ground 1) Get up and Dive for Cover 2) Dodge or Block or "Crawl for Cover". Options all charaacters have. Block might be the wisest choice given how easy one is to hit. Block does NOT mean "I stop his attack", it means you don't take damage from it...there's a whole thread on that somewhere around here. 3) Stand. Dodge. 4) Stand. Block. 5) 1/2 DCV while prone. 6) requires a power... 7) Dodge or Block, but still subject to 1/2 DCV. Now....as to WHY I will not encourage dodge bonuses at full value to a prone character. These values are intended for a freely mobile character using his inbreed skill/training/combat knowledge. A prone character is by definition NOT freely mobile, and should suffer restrictions. A block is FINE in my mind, because it requires active participation and awareness of the attacks. Dodge seems so much more a passive defense to me, since it applies against everyone on the combat field. YMMV. Apparently Steve covered groundfighting in the UMA. Look at all these tidbits from the combat FAQ. Q: How does being prone affect a character’s OCV (both for attacking and Blocking), if at all? A: See UMA 159, which discusses the subject of groundfighting. The GM could certainly apply the same penalties to a prone character fighting a standing one. Q: Can a character Dive For Cover two or more times in a row? A: Yes, assuming special effects and timing allow for that (which is a matter of GM’s discretion). For example, a character who Dives For Cover and ends up prone, but is attacked in a later Segment before he’s had a chance to get to his feet, might not be allowed to Dive For Cover again, since he hasn’t had a chance to reorient himself and get into a position that would allow him to move quickly again. On the other hand, in some genres a GM might want to let characters who are “prone†Dive For Cover by scrambling, rolling, or crawling out of the way. Q: Can a character use Breakfall or Acrobatics to avoid being prone and/or suffering a DCV penalty after a Dive For Cover? A: No. Q: Does the Position Shift Adder for Teleportation have any effect on Dive For Cover — for example, does it allow a character to Dive For Cover without suffering “prone†penalties. A: No Q: If a character takes Knockback, does he lose the CV bonuses he’s gained from using a particular Combat/Martial Maneuver? A: No; being Knocked Back does not affect the CV bonuses gained from using a particular maneuver. For example, a character using Martial Strike or Dodge retains the DCV bonus he gets from that maneuver, even if he’s Knocked Back. Nor does being Knocked Back eliminate the DCV penalty from maneuvers like Sweep. Q: If a character allocates Combat Skill Levels to DCV, or obtains a DCV bonus from a Combat Maneuver and the like, and then suffers Knockback, but uses Breakfall to stay on his feet, does he lose the DCV bonuses? A: No. If he did not keep his feet he would, of course, be subject to penalties for being prone, but as long as he keeps his feet he doesn’t suffer any diminishment of DCV. Then again....i probably wasted my time digging that out. I just remembered how much stock you put in Steve's opinion of how the rules work. So I guess the cheezeball answer is a 5 or 10 pt skill in "groundfighting" or "prone combat". ick.
  9. Re: Oops... Does it drop to 1/2 immediately? Or is it at the end of the phase like force fields and powers? I can't think of any combat situation where you can fight and defend yourself while prone. Usually prone conflicts involve people who have dragged each other to the ground and are flailing or stabbing. Even pro-wrestling is pretty much waiting to execute a dodge or block against the incoming attack. Blocks depend on OCV. They can be used from the prone position. Perhaps instead of dodging and twisting the character who wants to fight from the prone position should use a block. Gee....he can even use them against ALL his HtH attackers. And next time, you get to go first....hmmmm. Stand up and belt him (or legsweep a la Jackie Chan). Savate has a defensive move that can be utilzed when one is flat on their back, but it is probably just a "stand up and dodge" in hero terms. It is primarily much leg sweeping to discourage people from approaching. I guess maybe you just need to stack some PSL's together for a cost estimate and then see what the comparable "retain full HtH DCV while prone" skill would then cost. But I also think it is a silly skill. Personally I think that any character agile and skilled enough to retain his full HtH DCV while prone should have the skills to PREVENT winding up in that situation. You can use Breakfall to stand up as I recall. you want cake and to eat it too....prone with full ocv, cover and/or concelament versus range AND full DCV versus hand to hand manuevers. Not to mention fighting at normal combat values while on the ground. Just doesn't work for me. Buy PSL's, conditional levels, or some power to do it. Or use blocks while prone. I can't think of a martial artist that attacks while prone and doesn't get hit. I will ask my friend if Bruce Lee could do it. :need ninja smiley:
  10. Re: Spell Storing Ring Hmmm....and the pool simply "buys" the spell without the requisite limitations that the mage has....hmmmm. That has possibilities for some other artifacts that I had not considered. Tres Cool
  11. Re: How to apply this Side Effect....? ah, but if you want permanent corruption to set in (like with the One Ring) you need a mechanic for the rules lawyers. Because technically those disadvantages would go away when the object was removed.
  12. How would you build one? The ring that you can "cast" a spell into for later recall. My KISS instinct is to simply have the ring written up as OIF (or IIF), Independent, and the power is a naked Trigger advantage. This means there will be some spells that ye small rings cannot store as there will be an AP limit. What are the views of the folks out there. I plumbed Shrike's website for sample magic items....but there weren't any.
  13. Re: D&D 3rd ED convert As a variant on this, and to point something out. Unarmored ::A character without resistant defenses takes FULL damage from Killing Attacks...Swords, Knives, Firebolts, etc. Lightly Armored is a stange mutant. I assume this would mean rDef 3-6 ?? I'd jus tleave them in place...or use a flat number for my critters. Heavily Armored would only be taking Stun damage....droppng Body completely. Pre-calc:: This save ANYTHING that is dice intensive for GM. Even works in DnD. Have the computer preprint a list of damage for the common dice attacks the NPC's use. Then just go down the list and cross 'em off as you need damage numbers. it's a convention trick. One we didn't need because we had players vs players. I would hate to drop the lethality/impairment rules completely. it gives that extra "realism" edge that makes combat scarier. Maybe they could just be applied when a character goes down. Give the PC some things to do while waiting for that REC.... A major part of Champions slowdown is from the wide SPD variance. That is much tighter in Heroic games.
  14. Re: How to apply this Side Effect....? On Game Mechanics Gradual Effect versus Cumulative:: Gradual Effect will slowly apply a large attack. It is not really designed with "modifier applications" as the gradual ..um... gradiates. There would also be some people who could shrug off the total effect of the attack unless it was HUGE. A small cumulative mental transform, perhaps with penetration, would gradually corrupt anybody...AND transform is built with "inflictment modifiers" for gradual transformations.... That's the difference I see mechanics wise. Also...Transform is a permanent change, until the "condition" to heal is met. You could actually just use the normal healing rate. It is also a natural and complete change. Mind Control is imposed, and cannot destroy/erase personality/memory, it can only temporarily (although a LONG temporarily can be built) change/suppress it.
  15. Re: How to apply this Side Effect....? I don't have my books handy (long sad depressing story) but I will give you my rules of thumb from Storytelling.... Write the helm up with the Side Effect limitation included, and the Side Effect is not rated in "dice" or "time of usage" , Seperately write up a "sample" low level cumulative transform to be used for it if computation is necessary. If I remember right, the Side Effect limitation includes AP ratings to be involved in the Side Effect creation. As the transform "accumulates" it will apply penalties to EGO rolls that contradict the psych lim of the magic hat. But I would just do it as a "gimme" in most cases. The write up would be for use against the "rules lawyer" and he doesn't play with us. MY preferred method is to tack it on as appropriate valued psych/phys limitations related to the AP of the Side Effect on the power. Side Effect: Wielder of "Bloodsword of Clan Anthalia" acquires the Psych Lim: Hatred of Demons (15, U, T), and Distinctive Feature: Demonbane (10, small group, requires demonic magic or senses) for so long as he wields or possesses the sword. Note that the character can make an EGO roll to resist/reduce the compulsion. He might need to push his EGO, which costs END, which means eventually (like Frodo) he will give in and fail the rolls. If I was building a One Ring type of artifact, I might add a low level penetrating transform to slowly add these alterations to the character. "heee smeeeellls of the ssssword Castor, we must bring him to lorrrrd morrrrninnnngstarrrrrr" In my book, slow corruption is best played, not imposed. More than you wanted I imagine...
  16. Re: Is there a Hero to Gurps conversion? I've played GURPS supers briefly, and CHampions a lot. I'd break ground on running yoour players the other way eventually. HERO does Supers soooo much better than GURPS, and you just need the one book... And maybe a couple sidekick rules for the players. GURPS makes the great sourcebooks for HERO though.
  17. Re: How many points? Not an allowed disadvantage. The XP's happen whether you want to spend them or not. If you don't, then that is a player decision. And there will always be a few things you want over the course of a game...nobody enjoys playing a stagnant character for an extended period, no matter what was planned in character conception. You'll find obvious things you forgot about, and want those points. If you are SET on this idea...consider the following construct outline:: Build Dial H as the main character. He has Multiform, and he collects the XP's. Then create 2-3 Superheroes. Heavily limit the form changing aspect and access to these Supers, so that when he changes form (ie, radiation accident) he cannot easily switch back to another form. Do NOT put reversion on the Multiform. Same construct can be pulled with a VPP providing all of Dial H's abilities instead. Then heavily restrict the pool switch circumstances (once in a blue moon, every 7th solstice following my birth). As to the perks mentioned earlier.... In general Disadvantages should not apply to things outside the game world. Otherwise Disads such as "25 Points: GM intensely dislikes my Player" would pop up. And how much would you have to spend for the Perk "GM sleeps with my Player." GM Intensely dislikes my player :: 5-30 points. Take (1d6-6d6) Unluck to simulate it. If the GM is going to shaft you anyway, you may as well take the points. GM Sleeps with my player :: This is not a disadvantage...it is normally a power modifier. Or an exemption. "Sure, you can put those Characteristics and Damage Redution in the EC." Even more subtly, it is sometimes represented by a % bonus on XP collection, which is a power or advantage...not a disadvantage. Perk: I brought the food. This is only a small Luck bonus, as the GM is favoring you temporarily. This GM hands out extra luck chips for that, or does not roll for Unluck. Full meal is two chips. Snacks is one chip. Microbrew Ale is one or two chips depending on the ale chosen. GM always brings his own soda....he drinks a lot of it.
  18. Re: How do people feel about multi-power attacks? I vaguely remember Steve Long stating that MPA's were the way they always played, and that this isn't a new rule, but aclarification for all the people who were not using them... What a polite way to say "you know, you've been playiing wrong for years"
  19. Re: Character Building Issues Midgame Ditto. I am for SNAFU rewrites. I am also all for radiation accidents for players who say "i didn't realize we could do stuff like that" That's how Josh went from minor mutant mercenary to mobile Plasma Projector.
  20. Re: How do people feel about multi-power attacks? You are corresponding with an individual who once purchased "1/4 Damage Reduction vs KA's with 4 Stun Mult; 1/2 Dam Red vs KA's w/ 5 Stun Mult and Full Dam Red vs KA's w/ 6+ Stun Mult" to counter "SM Roulette" and actually penalize largish stun multiples. If the mechanics are causing a problem, there's generally a m,echanic out there to fix it. Inquiring minds want to know the value of those limitations. That's a beautiful idea
  21. Re: How do people feel about multi-power attacks? no no no Agent X that will never work now that Gary is involved in the conversation. If it was put in the book and specifically stated that GM's make judgements on a case by case basis......it is a broken rule and shouldn;t have been included by the game designers. They should have fixed it. Gary will not be happy until the EC frameworks are removed, since they reward tight designs with free points. He wants to hand out the extra points instead of the framework.... Bwahahahahahahahahahaha! It comes up every month or two...like clockwork, and the debate continues over the EC's.
  22. Re: Oops... Hugh....bracing for range fire bonuses is different than bracing against knockback...I'm sure. Anchoring and using STR to "lean into" knockback are free actions I'm pretty sure. But since you called me on it...give a couple hours to find my book and my lists. Cause I haven't runa game in months and my memory is rusty.
  23. Re: Sidekick Zornwil wrote:: Personally, though I know I just brought this up in another thread a more detailed point belongs here, I would point out that I'd rather see something geared towards experienced instead of newbies on balance, or at least something on both ends of the spectrum. For me, much of the kinds of commentaries Gary and Hugh have engaged in illuminate great points regarding balance that would be nice to see on a list centralized somewhere. Kinda defeats the purpose. Once one becomes an experienced HERO player they steadily ignore a certain percentage of what Steve Long prints. They know what books will be useful to them, and they skip the rest after browsing to be sure. And ALL of us have differing ideas on balance. I think the only place you'd see something like that is in an online book...oh wait...they DO sell those....
  24. Re: Unluck I've experimented with the "chips" method for luck in the supers game...and let the lucky character trade chips to influence plot direction / random choices / rerolls / etc. But one of the players actually HAS a large amount of luck. Not quite "Fate protects fools and ships named Enterprise... but competitive" The same system works for Unluck...I keep the unluck chips with my books and toss them when I want to influence the story direction. Keeps me fair in my applications. After all, luck costs the same as an EB...they should be allowed to use it withthe same application and discretion. And if the lucky character wants to roll again during a long gaming session...I roll again for the unlucky players too.
  25. Re: How do people feel about multi-power attacks? TheEmerged Apples to Oranges Is he asking about treating his EC as a Multipower to MPA? Or is he asking about whether you would allow slot 4 ?? EC 30 30pts 12d6 EB 30pts 12d6 Sight Flash 30pts 6d6 NND 27pts (approx) 2d6 NND + 4d6 Sight Flash + 6d6 EB
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