Farkling

Bingo. Character Multiforms to Animal Form Animal Form has a a VPP to "copy" the animal from the Bestiary. "Shape" of said Animal Form is set by the power manifestation of the VPP. It also lets the characters attempt to change into a "young" form or an "old" form of said animal...by tinkering with the power purchases. A young brown bear for the initiate, an OLD Kodiak for the elder druid. Also less bookwork for the GM. Look it up, if it won't fit, then they need to lose power (be younger).

Bingo. Humans and AI's are Trinary operating systems... YES, NO, MAYBE *puters use Binary logic YES-NO Easier to handle for ye average metahuman. ------------------ Telepathy let's you communicate. It is GM opinion on whether or not you can use your skills via Telepathy for anything other than access and search...technically (by the book) inserting commands into the data stream is illusions or mind control. Telepathy allows communication. Technically, hacking and searching is communication...hmmm...I think skills could be used for slow access to systems, and to "virtually" dial up your ISP and log on. You need to have the protocols and passwords as knowledgbe skills IMHO. Also, my universe does not grant this kind of sophisticated control over relatively unintelligent computer systems. The Terminator 3 effect of "locking the brakes" or "starting the engines" or "manipulating the brakes and power steering control" remotely on vehicles is NOT a Mind Control or Telepathy/Hacking effect. It is flat out Telekinetics usable on electronic systems and limited by system operation. The conept of allowing machine communication via Telepathy to switch television channels or turn on the microwave is just wrong.

Telepathy handles communication. Orders it must obey is Mind Control. Same for "inserted program alterations" Tampering with sensory input is Mental Illusions (during or before the fact), or Mind Control (after the fact) As a side note, I have allowed Telepathy to transmit/decode JPEG files for the wielder with a Computer Programming or Cryptography roll.

The emitter itself is a physical opbject...it cannot pass through a solid wall...so sayeth my Voyager expert. The doctor can, if it is holographic or has emitters on both sides, as stated above. My critique wasn't really focused on vulnerability...it's actually on drama and playability. This character will either be there or not, which works fine on Television, and is not so amusing in a gaming environment. Either the GM goes through a lot of finagling to keep the PC involoved, OR the PC is stuck on the sidelines as an observer. Most gamers prefer to interact with the game environment over sitting to the side and chattering witty observations.

The computer game Arcanum has some nice set dressing stuff, and you can usually find it cheap at the used software shops. There is a downloadable demo of a the computer based Iron Dragon - it uses the same map. I don't remember the website, but there is a link from Mayfair. The GURPS Steampunk book has a good amount of source material. Gregory Keyes "Land of Unreason" series has a different view on the steampunk style, but is worh skimming if you find them. The Difference Engine (Gibson and Sterling) has good backgrounding without magic.

*sigh* No Bestiary. What's the most points on a normal critter? 200? PC's in Fantasy Land are what? 150? Let's see then... Wildshape VPP: Multiform Only Animal Form has stats of 10 in every category and the VPP to purchase everything needed from the Bestiary Index. The horrible part is the necessity for 200 pts of VPP !! But wait, we have some characteristics, perhaps we only need 150 in the VPP. I leave that for an exercise of Bestiary owners. AnimalForm One Power:: 150 VPP(150) 37 Control Cost (75) - only to simulate animal abilities, powers are set with Muitiform activation. (-1 Ballparking) Form Disads Physical Lim:: Animal Size Physical Lim:: Animal Shape So this costs, 187 as an alternate form. let's assume the character is about 170 pts (you mentioned 4th level, right?):: WyldShape (30+17 = 187 pt form) Costs END to activate (-1/4) Extra time (full phase) (-1/2) Concentration 0 DCV (-1/2) Personality Loss (1 hour) (-1) 47 AP = 15 RP A higher level version would be: AnimalForm 200 VPP(200) 50 Control Cost (100) - only to simulate animal abilities, powers are set with Muitiform activation. (-1 Ballparking) Form Disads Physical Lim:: Animal Size Physical Lim:: Animal Shape So this costs, 250 as an alternate form. Let's figure that the character is worth about 200 points:: WyldShape (40+50 = 250 pt form) Costs END to activate (-1/4) Extra time (full phase) (-1/2) Concentration 0 DCV (-1/2) Personality Loss (1 day) (-3/4) 90 AP = 30 RP I think this is better than buying the VPP on the character to generate the MultiForm. The power manifestation in the VPP can certainly generate the apropriate SFX for the new form. I'd use Personality loss over the concept of the continuing charges monstrosity. The time limit is something druids learn during training to prevent "truly becoming one with nature" ... Much slicker and more dramatic than *BLIP* it shuts off. EDIT:: I messed up the second calculation

Crafting input I haven't seen Fantasy Hero yet...so bear with my ideas. KS: Ringcrafting KS: Enchantment If necesary for your 'packaging' purchase:: 4d6 Cumulative Transform (hmm....let's say Major for balance purposes, otherwise everyone will buy a version of it) normal mundane ring into a suitable focus to recieve ring enchantments. (The ring itself has very little BODY you see, but we are adding active point powers to it, so we have to exceed the BODY by active points, this allows for up to 24 AP). Requires 2 Skill Rolls, Takes Days, Any Powers placed in ring are Independent. GM Notes:: (Crafter must pay cost of RP change in power points, disadvantages, or character point loss for a permanent enchantment, otherwise the ring enchantment will fail in [RP] days) Of course, you can change the duration of the object to suit. I would recommend basing it on the AP of the power in some fashion, as that is technically the BODY shift of the transform. As to your Transformer... Take the Transform back and issue hima a VPP defined as "Transformation Magics", which shows him the ACTUAL cost of the power he is wielding. Accompany it with a balancing amount of Unluck Dice, and/or "Hunted by Elemental Lords, (14-)." A small VPP could do all the things he wants...just slower and with more time...a fair trade for peace between you and he. I've seen the Transform psychosis before. In Mage the Entropy magics have much the same effect on players who think it is a license to do anything since probability will allow it. Points:: Point out that transforming air into fire or swords does not dictate where they will go when they fall. He cannot impart kinetic energy with his transform. He cannot create intelligence without an additional Transform. He cannot create loyal subjects with transform, including sentient attack swords hurling through the air. Transforming earth into mud is acceptable, even lava might be acceptable. (It's too late to apply the concept of "active point" limitations by now, I'm sure). He is within his rights to create weapons with transfrom, and to use them in combat. He is within his rights to transform OTHER peoples weapons. I think I would have allowed the tunnelling. Transform should be allolwed to destroy ground at the same rate as an EB. It's a SLOW method compared to Tunnelling, but within reason.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of "Extra Turn" since it can only be used once per Turn. Perhaps halving that value? Not sure... You could use the normal power advantage to drop the fade rate, and then apply a "Points fade at normal rate after first interval" to the power also. Or perhaps the limitation would be, "points fade immediately after combat ends for x minutes" You could even build an Aid modelled on the Regeneration construct, and have it apply each turn. Link it to the actual power being USED in the turn. But that's the complicated idea.

On the rest of the math; 17" KB will put a character into most buildings. Let's see, if normal exterior walls have 12 DEF it is equivalent to an extra 12d6 attack and some minor damage in addition. He got to hit him twice. He could do that with a sweep, couldn't he? The sweep wouldn't cause as much collateral damage to the environment (civil lawsuits, disliked by rescue workers, bad press) If knocked down a clear street to tumble to a halt, you are looking at 17/2 = 8.5 d6 of damage...43 STR as an additional punch. Not so much. Not as abusive as AP or Penetration on 60 STR I would think. But you're the GM. On a side note, if his CV and levels stack up to near campaign limits ALSO, then break out the pen. "This goes, or that goes. pick one"

Looks like you have all your answers currently. I have an observation for you. HERO simulates movies/television/comics more than reality. GURPS seems to handle reality a little better. Translation:: HERO works well from the level of James Bond up to Superman, and by nature of the toolkit, is easily multi-genre, though you need to set up the base rules yourself. GURPS in my experience works well below the level of James Bond, and all you need is the appropriate book. Keep your GURPS library intact though if you plan to revisit. GURPS makes some of the most genre specific detailed sourcebooks on the market. Like they said...you can design it yourself. At the loosest, it'll look like Saturday morning cartoon DnD, at its tightest you can set up something very Cthuluian. Here are your experience points. Don't spend them all in one place. GM approval is required for exceeding campaing limits or buying skills that don't fit your character I have used feared (recurring too) villains that were created in ten minutes and consisted of nothing more than 3 short power descriptions, dex, and defenses. I have created in a few hours, villains with world destroying powers that will endanger the solar system. I have simple spreadsheet of agents that prints in just a minute, and the combat tactics were cooked up from "what will the heroes do?" Hmmm....it's more predictable than DnD, but I prefer it that way. (I only vaguely remember the GURPS system...sorry). Using 3d6 yields a bell curve (most likely to roll an 11 or less on the 3d6)...once the players are experienced, they'll be able to guess how easy it is to hit a villain...a little more and less realistic. There's even a "hit DCV X" chart somewhere around here. The players can roll the dice, add their OCV and tell you what DCV they hit. Works well with my DnD / Palladiumers. I fear no copyright violation...after all, I'm schmoozing for HERO on their own website. Short version of how it works. Attacker shoots/swings. Rolls to hit versuss defender's DCV (natural dodge, sort of). Damage is rolled. Totals added up for STUN and BODY. Defenses subtract from both. Remainder is damage. BODY is physical injury...STUN is concussion/disorientation/bruising/etc, non permanent damage. I can do it. Others here can do it. We're veteran Hero GM's and Storytellers and DM's and other things... HERO can be done quick and simple. For the anal retentive GM, I recommend a computer and Hero Designer or MetaCreator software. It's soooo much easier to manufacture and track characters with that. I still use my notebook, but I have backup files of ALL the agents/weapons, heroes and villains.

My Mage players had a conniption when the werewolves exhibited the humnform abilities from the Anitaverse. One of them went so far as to say it wasn't like that in the books...the players had it out with him. This was the same guy that had memorized the list of various lycanthropic weaknesses (silver, gold, salt, ginko plant, whatever) from white wolf, and got upset when they didn't work... (his CHARACTER didn't have the knowledge, heck his character didn't even really believe in werewolves, hah!). He was more interested in complaining than making an occult or lycanthropic knowledge roll. The players pretty much let him have it on that one too.

I have to look this up. If I'd known that Suppress or Dispel could permanently break foci, I would never have purchased Drain for the effect.

It could be affected by powers which manipulate light if it's a Hologram. High intensity light in the area would effectively "wash out" the definition. Solid Photon attacks a la Dazzler should affect it. Also, consider how the Hologram is contained / modelled. The energy field that holds the light together in a coherent pattern could be collapsed/dispersed/impacted by the appropriate psuedo science. Also, an actual Darkness power (real darkness) field should break up the cohesion or dispell it altogether. A physical limitation or a Susceptibility(Power Drain Style) Otherwise, as a simple observation, where's the drama in the invulnerable to harm character who cannot be injured? Not too mention how that could affect the morale of the other players. "You go first, you have nothing to lose, and no risks to take" As an NPC/plot device, targetting the prohector would be acceptable, but as a PC/active NPC, the character needs to have some risk and there need to be attacks that will affect her...otherwise she overshadows the other players...much like the Doctor on Voyager.

*raps loudly on podium* point of order! point of order! Invisibility to Danger Sense does not STOP Danger Sense...it reduces the PER rolls! So BatClone still has his chance (albeit small) to notice "something out of the ordinary" about the area, provided he can make an apporpriate penalized PER roll. Precog also has the same advantage, but Precog may not stand a chance at the same level as BatClone, since BatClone has an abnormally high PER roll. I would expect Precog to have Clairsentience, and thus be aware that something out of the ordinairy is going on anyway. (I can't see anything past next Tuesday...does that mean... ???) Spidey has an ABNORMALLY high Danger Sense roll...he constantly makes it by half it seems...a good schtick in some games. It also works for speedsters with hyped reflexes, they have mor etime top figure out what is going on than the rest of the mere mortals.

And for the record, to make the Blood mor eneedful, you can switch the END cost back to Pre-5th. 1 END for 5 AP for Vampiric Abilities...I would definitley switch th eSTR to that.

I play White Wolf. I monomaiacally AVOID Vampyre. Most Vampyre players are caught up in the vampiric/super powers to abuse the mere mortal cattle. The Camarilla is not a force to be reckoned with, its something that is talked about in the rules and structure books that cripples their ability to be and do what they want to whomever they wish. THOSE players would be easy to handle. Flat purchase (or MP frameworking if necessary) for Blood Disciplines is fine. Why preserve the SYMBOLS of the system? Why not just preserve the intent? HERO is famed for granularity...use it. When Blood Points are gone in White Wolf, characters are pretty much powerless to use disciplines...if you convert Blood Pool to END Reserve, They may have a few points left for a minor effort or for incidental abilities. Let players buy flavorish powers that still draw from the reserve. (Supernatural Tracking, 1-2 DCV levels, Clinging) Characters will be able to use these even if they cannot access the larger powers... Blood Pool = END Reserve No REC purchased, or (say) 5 REC/Turn, only while drinking blood from live source. Vampires Drinking Blood will kill a human in, hmmm, say two Turns, and DRAIN completely in three. Consider the Mechanic effect:: Main "source" of charging for the END Battery could also be bought as a Power Transfer (xd6) versus BODY, only affects organic mammals. So, 1 pip of BODY Transfer equates to 4 pips of END. A human is dying after 10 pips (40 END) and drained after 20 pips for 80 END. So, be certain that minor diciplines use at least 10 END, and 4 Discipline activations will entail finding another victim to drink. If conversion or props are necessary, then I would recommend 5 or 10 END = 1 Blood Point, and 3-5 phases of Blood Drinking yields one Blood Point. The 1d6 Transfer can be given to PC's for free...and they can purchase another die or two for "experience" or "occult rites" that's it for my analysis

A thought! SPD = (2+DEX+EGO)/20 Genre Conventon; Characters may only use half their SPD rating for physical actions in a Turn

Observation:: Tracking the two seperate SPD tracks will be hell in combat. fix:: Nothing comes to mind

If gaming with book followers, or creating new players:: Up EGO to 3 pts per Add a Mental SPD characteristic PSPD = (1+EGO/10) (Psionic Speed) +1 per 10 pts Alternate 2:: If physical actions will be taking much lower priority in your psi-based games, then you could simply swap EGO and DEX, and have the SPD rating based on EGO. Let each character default to SPD for mental actions. EGO = 3 pts per (determines OCV/DCV - Mental) DEX = 2 pts per (determines PCV - Physical) SPD = (1+EGO/10) +1/10 pts Mere mortals will rarely have speeds over three without PSI training. Personnel trained in PSI will have the ability to focus and push the envelope. Include basic muscle control and biofeedback in the standard PSI training tactics, and you have a justification for increases in action. And there's my two cents.

Less cheesy than 2 characters acting in concert on SPD 6. Probably about the same as Feedback, so in the neighborhood of (-1) Gut instinct says mindlink. If Body #2 was incorporeal/intangible I would think of it as Clairsentience...as a physical body, it is likely a duplicate. Duplication IS self limiting, just not very much so. The more points spent on Duplication, the fewer actual character points exist. The "splitting consciousness" between two bodies can be covered with Side Effects on the Duplication (Side Effect, Mind cannot split), but SHOULD be modelled with Physical Limitations...as they will duplicate onto the duplicates.

I usually just allow 4 BOD / die on KA's, and 1 per die for Normal attacks when used "out of combat". Especially if a roll would slow the story down. Recently I started allowing haymakered attacks out of combat for characters taking extra time and making a concentrated effort. Much the same as the brace effect discussed. So far that works pretty well too...though Cory scares most of the gaming group...haymaker on her STR reaches 100 at max END drain...most of them top out at 75 AP, and have advantages on those powers. Her raw power and impulsivenes (along with "I'm mostly invulnerable, it says so right on my character sheet") has gotten them INTO a few scrapes. Gamer:: "Liz, Cory has mostly invulnerable as a disadvantage" Liz: "how can being invulnerable be a disadvantage? I can't get hurt" Gamer:: "Liz...you are not invulnerable!" Liz:: "...but the Terminator didn't kill me when it blew up, and THAT I was vulnerable to...says so right here. It didn't work...'cause I'm mostly invulnerable" Gamer:: "AAAARGH" Liz:: "I suppose not being able to get shots is bad, but I don't get sick, and I don't like needles. I'm invulnerable, mostly!" Gamer:: *stunned silence* I am never bored at the games. House rule is 1 XP bonus to anyone who reduces the whoel group to hysterical laughter during the natural course of the game. Sadly the player that wrote "AREA 51" across the Helipad in 20 foot high letters only reduced half of us to hysterical laughter.

I can certainly see that as a minor benefit to having it. And on the gaming side of it, I have NO players buying the fractional SPD points back...they almost ALWAYS buy it up to the next level.

IT also states somewhere in that bundle of rules that 5 pt levels bought for DCV only apply ranged AND HtH aitacks. This supports the general consensus so far on 3 pt levels. It also provides justification for the 8 pt level. It is actually morecost efficient than a 5 pt level and a 3 pt level, unless you have a very tight spread of attack powers.

Extra Limbs is good. The tail could have a STR boost for the Grab (+25 STR, only for tail, no Figured Characteristics) Perhaps an 1" of Stretching, if it is a long tail. Additionally, if you want a different feel for the Grab, you can build an Entangle that doesn't take damage (the tail is strong and agile), and immobilizes the tail. (Picture your grabbed target wrapped from head to toe)

It's a toss up on the expense also... The naked UAA Advantage versus the accumulated Transform BODY to shift the actual attacks....hmm...do you technically need to rewrite the entire power? Or is an SFX a 0 pt modifier on the power. If I use Transfrom to "confine the beam generation" of an attack, and put AP on it, do I need to transfrom the 60 AP of the attack? Or just add on 30 AP for the advantage? Need to break out the book and check it out.\ On a side note...the UAA advantage would be a localized effect, the Transform would last past the end of the encounter... IE:: the UAA would have all the line of sight limitations and such of standard powers. The Transform allows an effect that lingers. As a matter of fact, the Transform allows for "confused" effects if the partial transform advantage is applied (half fire, half ice - or maybe a fire bolt that ices overr the target instead of burning it...)