Farkling

Sorry about the Tunnelling then. I was going by the book. Now I shall peruse the appropriate listings in the FAQ. Somebody always has another obscure rule to trump the best laid powers.

Hey...Tom Sawyer would've been the wrong age anyways. Perhaps Agent Sawyer is simply the alias of one of West's protoges. Jim couldn't come anyways, he and Artie would never leave the States or their beloved train. Besides...wouldn't they be teaching at the academy by then anyways? I agree though...American weird west figures would've been better choices. Maybe a Buffalo Bill or Mike Fink type in the neighborhood. I wonder what Alan Moore thinks would mesh well from the American literary scene?

Expendable Focus would certainly be a much niftier limitation on the Control Roll of a VPP.... I'd forgotten about the expendable focus rules.

I'll take a stab at it, and hopefully the actual number crunchers can help you out further. My observations:: A) The grid is a special effect. Go with simply an END reserve, and the limitation "must have access to the grid to utilize END Battery" The rare earths combination of your effects sounds like a wierd application of recoverable charges with either increased recovery time and/or an additional limitation on where/how the charges can be recovered. 1) "should it qualify for an even worse limitation than -2?"..using that construct, I'd look at the VPP control cost modifiers for a ballpark limitation. Is this the wrong way? Up to interpretation...the charges idea gives two seperate resources. There is no wrong way however. There is always more than one answer in the Hero system. 2) Clarification:: if it can be done with charges (representing the rare earth's availability), the powers can have "charges Cost END to use" tacked on for additional powergaming effect. SideBar:: If you do not have a specific powerset in mind that does not change, and are instead dealing with a semi-sentient robot that can and will restructure itself (like ye olden NimRod of the X-Men days), you should look at a limited Variable Power Pool setup. The "change only between adventures" (-1/2), "requires access to rare earth elements" (-1/2 ?), and "character has limited control over how powers change" (-1/4 ?) limitations can go on the control roll, inherent time is already built in, and rare earth requirements become a matter of special effects. "Sorry Crystallix Prime, but there is a distinct lack of radioactive Xenon in this area, you will be unable to recharge your existing RKA, and can only replace it with an Energy Blast with 12 charges or 1/2 END"

The definition of the heal for the Transform would be a little iffy though...what removes it? I think Transform healing is done at the normal BODY healing rate. The question is, does Aid/Heal actually affect this "Transform Damage" unless specifically bought to? For a permanent BODY injury, the Transform could work merely by changing his actual BODY total to something else. So could a drain with an extended recovery time, and a custom transform advantage of (+1/2) cannot be healed by aid? (relating to the Armor Piercing advantage cost). I hate custom advantages. A linked tranform is better used for adding a limitation like "Lame" or "One Eye", and I think the reversion from the transform could be defined as "after undergoing mere mortal healing time" or some variant thereof. The GM can dictate that the Aid/Regen does not apply to Transform BODY without a special (+1/4 ?) power advantage...getting into the Piercing/Hardened point burning for your gamers. Perhaps a better method might be to use a broader interpretation of Difficult to Dispel? Each level kicks the "Regeneration" power one level down on the recovery chart for the injury purpose? Of course...the book legal way is to use the uncontrolled continuos monster...or maybe by linking an additional Drain to the BODY Drain? "2d6 Regeneration Drain (+1/4 advantage, related SFX), limitation (-2, only for wounds from this weapon/device/power construct). Aids will still effect it, but HIS healing ability will not. The Suppress would have to be somehow "installed" on the character to affect anyone using Aid abilities on him. A huge and cumbersome UOO advantage. There. I'm all out of strange ideas, and I'm talking to myself anyway.

I don't have access to the books any longer...but I seem to recall that when the screens went down, they required repairs or replacements to the generators... So, charges is not really the way to go in that case. Drawing from the ships END reserves definitely encompasses the "millions of tons of copper were vaporized as the awesome energies chewed through the interdimensional barriers encompassing Skylark Four" So, perhaps the screens are simply Force Walls with an extended start up time? Or a "force field engineering" skill roll is necessary to erect them? or both? A limitation of "requires repair rolls before activation" even leaves the possibility of firing them back up in combat, if Richard can get down to the engine room and hotwire the generators. Tres' dramatique. All the rest is special effects. And leaves the penalties to the rolls/activations in the hands of the dramatic gamemaster. What do you think? Admittedly, this is a ROUGH idea...

I think I actually read ALL of "Doc" Smith's fiction in my misspent youth. I will need to ponder this, but I think that the answer is less complicated than it. I just can't put my finger on it at the moment.

um...I read this discussion but had no useful observations until this point. I have a question about passing through walls. Isn't that what Tunnelling is for? Correct me if I am wrong, but Force Walls only break when they take BODY damage in excess of their defense? I think I'm reading the rules correctly... Aren't we supposed to refrain from building powers that mimic other powers? Teleportation is fine for a Star Trek world, but I preferred Babylon 5 and Firefly (yea, even the original Battlestar Galacticas...). Besides, a teleport has to mess around with extra mass and the *poof* special effect when players actually look up the powers (they will, they always do). Shouldn't one person be able to provide access, and carry supplies in and out? SO....how's this look? (Assuming the 4 PD wall) 1" Tunnelling (+5) through DEF 4 (+9). Invisible Power Effects (+1/2), , Can fill Tunnel in (+10), 16 charges, can only be used on Force Walls (-1/2), OIF - Control Baton (-1/2). So, that's 36 Active and 18 Real, and leaves room for the active gadgeteer to tinker it into a force field key. The invisible power effects is to "cover up" the tunneled point of the shelter wall. The user can also keep the portal open for multiple entries...instead of charges itt could have an internal END battery, or even be 0 END cost so it ALWAYS works when used. Could even add extra time to simulate opening the hole. The 0 END version is 48 active and 19 real. This could be tuned to your heart's content. Including a supervisor wand versus "personal use" access bracelets.

I was curious So I got out the book. A first. But I was working on things anyhow... Says right here under Dispel (4th Paragraph, Page 90) "A character can use Dispel to protect himself from incoming powers, but he must have a Held Action to do so. Assuming the Dispel applies to the attack, he uses his Held Action to "attack" the incoming Power with his Dispel. He rolls his Dispel dice (no attack roll is needed). The attack is Deispelled if the total of the Dispel dice exceeds the Active Points in the attack" So. I myself was unaware of the "no attack roll is necessary" Hmmm. So with the advantage for "Fantasy Magic", you could use it on any spell in the repertoire. For "Schools" of magic, I would have there Dispel (s) be more restrictive, like Fire or Ice or some such. Let the Arcane stuff Dispel anything. Now, as a GameMaster, I would have very little problem with using a Dispel as an abort action for an incoming spell. Though I WOULD make the character roll it as a block. Perhaps a formal write up would require some us of Trigger with which I am unfamiliar, or maybe an element from the UMA booklet. Imagine designing "school" magic combat as specific forms of ranged martial arts...

Hmmmm. This is a gray area. I apologize in advance if I offend you. As a sidebar. (And no offense intended!!) Does that make Autism a Psych Limit or a Physical Limitation? Or could it be either? You can function in spite of it, impying it has been "suppressed" by the appropriate EGO-roll (mental focus and concentration) But it can never go away completely, acting much like a Physical Limitation. And the rule as I remember it was "the hero may make an EGO roll to reduce the effects of his Pscyh Limit one level", meaning Total to Irrational, or Irrational to Moderate, or ignore the Moderate limit.... That imlies Psych limit. But I understood it to be a "hardwiring" problem in the brain (according to the NOVA special I caught on PBS). Ah well....game physics never survive impact with reality. Have a good day!

Hi Victor!! I have a moment, let me break it down the way I see it. I think it would be more of a Psych Limit actually. My rule of thumb about a restriction on "power usage" is this: If the hero could do it in spite of the consequences, it is a Psychological Limitation. If the hero CANNOT perform the action under any circumstances, it is a Physical Limitation. Let's look at a mind control example. We override the programming (Mind Control) a poor android (perhaps Data of Star Trek fame?) We order him to kill a crew member (BOB) on his starship. If he has a Psych Limit, his mind is fighting the Mind Control, and may break free. Or poor BOB may bite the big one. A Physical Limitation of Cannot take a Human Life would cause our same android to lock up or freeze as he cannot even PERFORM the action. He is physically unable to do it! The mutants are CAPABLE of using powers...just reluctant. And yes...there a re a few groups looking for the mutants... My old example from 3rd edition onwards used swimming. The Psych Limit "cannot swim" can be overridden, and the character could splash around and might swim. The Physical Limitation "cannot swim" will not be overridden by any amount of effort. Toss the character in the water, and he sinks like a stone. (dwarfs anyone?)

My legal mishmash is to involve someone at the Federal level, as tehy are "loosely" qualified to supervise any and all parolees. Alternatively, you could only draw your ex-cons from the "federal" convict pool, but federal crimes are usually stiff enough to discourage parole. Hmmm. In a superhero universe, I'd recommend a mobile parole officer with various knowledges of State laws, some federal laws, and perhaps status much like a US Marshal or Texas Ranger (movie versions). Alternatively, add some legislation and create a division of the ATF that operates in conjunction with SAT or the federal law agencies and provides a monitor. Or some variant thereof. your Mileage May Vary. No Warranty is Expressed or Implied. Thanks.

I imagine at the point that penetrating becomes common, you could add a custom 5 or 10 point adder to Harden your Force Wall (up to half DEF maybe?) against Penetrating attacks "only"... that would certainly be easier to deal with than doing the math on the limited polwer advantage to cover part of the wall's defense.

And other variants on the themes, referred to more commonly as Farkling's two cents:: We routinely purchase mutant as a distinctive feature in my world. The Mutant Registration Acts are in Congress, and there are problems with being a mutant. So, we have a Distinctive Feature causing a major reaction and detectable by a simple blood test, the more "human baseline" mutants can take a lesser version that requires "complicated" or thorough testing. Here's the blurry area though. That can also be done with Physical Limitations, but DF seems more elegant to me (and my players). Physical Limitations sometimes show up as "Radio Emitter" (bonuses to PER rolls to locate) or "Paralyzed by Sonic Emitters". Now, the pulled muscles and worn out bodies sounds like one of the old super soldier gags. The formula didn't QUITE work... so, Jasper was "Susceptible to Sustained Physical Exertion, 2d6 STUN/minute" and recovered quickly due to the remnants of his regenerative abilities...out of combat he would literally pass out from the pain. Long Term Susceptibles are great. IceWarrior is Susceptible to Heat (1d6 Drain vs. Ice Powers/Hour) and has a seperate one for (3d6 STUN/Hour). The longer the Heat, the less his powers, until eventually he dies from his powers pulling the last of the moisture out of his body. And the "noisy" or "unskilled" psychic has Vulnerability to Mind Scan for 2xeffect. Overall, with the addition of Side Effects, and limited powers, I have a very thorough array of disadvantage type powers.

I would Megascale a 1 Hex Change Enviroonment

SuperHeroic uses of Wealth 1) Incidental purchases 2) Speeding the dramatic wheels 3) Purchasing any equipment within the 15 point range. And as stated above, all such equipment is REAL and subject to all comic book violence. If your force field doesn't protect the stuff you carry, it will get fried REAL easily. As an incidental rule of thumb, don't allow the character to routinely use "off the rack" equipment valued at more that 15 pts worth of real power. Break it, smash it, confiscate it, limit it. Oh yes, and there is that pesky waiting limit if you need a gun in a hurry. Guns bought on the black market, well, they may have other problems...

Let's see. Normal Superheroic REC will deal with the STUN damage in the selected time period. So we need to deal with the BODY. Most of these effects are built using NND's and/or gradual effects, right? So...power constructs that come to mind:: A) Low speed limited Regeneration or Gradual Effect Power Defense (match the chosen time scale) or C) A limited or Gradual Effect Life Support would cover it if all symptoms disappeared after a certain amount of time. Does the damage just cease to be? Or is the SFX for a "healing" of the damage? The other side effect of this would be that he would always suffer from the effects. No permanent immunization factor. or D) Terrestrial/Biowarfare Life Support with Side Effects. or E) Some wierd combination of all of the above? Any takers on these ideas?

Heh. I have more ideas. Put decreased by range on a small one...then its only real impressive when you are cloe to him. Or maybe gradual effect....the longer you are around him, the more lasting the effect of his presence. "Only for an instant effect" DOES imply a different power. Perhaps some advantage on his presence itself? Well...I'll leave you to ponder...I must shower, shave, make breakfast, and take out the trash before I leave for my game.

One of my players wanted to control any vehicle with a computer in it (basically anything built after the emissions laws qualified)...he thought it was Mind Control, and I made him buy TK...the special effect being he could manipulate the vehicles a' la T3. A mere virus couldn't make a car act that way...unless it was a transformation attack giving an onbooard AI. The Summon effect could be useful for that..."Summon invasive electronics control virii", I can see it now. I hope he doesn't read this board. IMHO:: TK is for unintelligent machinery Mind Control is for computers and AI Keep in mind, according to FREd, you can utilize mental powers through a Mind Scan, so range doesn't really need to be a factor. A TK of the psychokinetic variety could "concievably" work over a Mind Scan/Mind Link. A normal TK could function over an appropriate Clairsentience ability. I am muchly impressed by the Terminator's multitasking ability though. This even leads to some interesting effects, if you cannot control the onboard AI of an operation system, you still have the option of trying to hack control of particular areas (brute force TK to try and control the object), Can anyone with STAR HERO tell me if they constructed cyberspace with Extra-Dimensional movement? Or did they use the inherent aspects of Mind Scan?

Just to chime in... With the expense of a DEX-Drain applied as primarily a special effect, why not go with a Vertigo causing Change Enviro? Apply a minor DEX/movement penalty. People stumbling around, unco-ordinated by his very presence. Perhaps a point or two of INT penalty, for the tongue tied and intimidated...

Heh. It's now a three slot Multiform thanks to the discussion group. One Slot is the Statue, one slot is the human, one slot is the gargoyle. I assume the gargoyle should pay for it all? Now the physical limitation dicatates the daylight form switch. Keep the stone statue on the switch for character concept, and change the |reason| at a later date when the human becomes the day default. The statue form does not "go away" because he can revert to human, but the GM could change the trigger to "near death at sunrise" or something like that. If you want the human form at the start, well, present to him and see if you get an appreciation of a well thought up character. He might be happy that you are at least available to play in daylight. PL or Accidental Change: Reverts to Human Form in daylight Accidental Change or PL: Transforms to statue under unknown circumstances Make the Multiform only work at sunrise and sunset (-1.5 maybe?) Now, the statue only needs massive armor, and has quite a few physical limitations. Make the statue invisible to magic too. The regeneration runs all day. That way if something injures the statue, it will still transform if mostly intact. Actually, the speed of the regeneration IS irrelevant. I'd have the regen on the statue, since nowhere in canon did it dictate they healed at point of the form change...they just awoke healed. Alternatively, the gargoyle is "only in Hero ID" and switches from Human to Gargoyle under some "circumstance", amd the statue is a Multiform slot. I like the two Multforms much better myself, since the powers/fighting options would be different for both forms. As a human, I think Goliath retained his weapons knowledge, some occult knowledge, a sensitivity to magic (the detection of it), and his combat knowledge (buy both forms martial arts, the gargoyle has more manuevers). I'd have to ask my niece. She knows. Keep things like that in mind during construction. And since his gargoyle mitts were too big and clumsy for firearms, maybe he's practiced with them as a human?

Hmmm. Speaking as a "build my own world" GameMaster, Buy the new book. I used the BBB for many years...so many years I had to punch holes in the pages and put it in a notebook, and I bought a copy of the Hero Sysytems Rulebook JUST to have the powers in a book that WASN'T falling to pieces. Though my noteook did make it easier to create handouts... I really like the 5th edition HERO book. Overalll it's better organized, and there are in depth explaniations of every power, with a few sample examples riding alongside in the margins. Many similar powers have been streamlined and their costs have been brought into balance. More common advantage and limitation effects are included with the power descriptions. Some of the special functions we had to homecook before (like position shift or velocity damping on TK, acceleration boosts on flight) have been redefined as power adders. Adders a nice power step between powers and full fledged advatages. My brother thinks the best improvement at the SuperHero level is MegaScale. He thought the book might have been worth it for that and the rules streamlining alone. I can't think of any comparable advantage from the BBB, and it has made some power effects (Storm, Thor, Iceman, Dr. Doom, Hulk) reachable for playable characters. I also live in sunny Arizona and have a habit of leaving FREd (the book) in the car occasionally (a no no in our summer heat). It has yet to suffer the fate of the old one. The old one wouldn't take it. Our whole gaming group (SIX) could stand witness to that.

One more nit to pick !! "The Orc takes 1 BODY, dropping him to 2 BODY, and no STUN." unless I am not following that right....the orc should take one STUN....if BODY damage gets through, I believe you take STUN equal to the BODY |regardless| of the actual defenses. Did I miss a rule somewhere? Other than that, I plan to bodily steal the supehero example. It is excellent. I have a couple people who should read it. Way to go oh Shadow of Amber!

He could buy leaping for x2 or x4 END instead, with the "restrainable"? limitation for the wings. I think that would more accurately reflect the "beating th e air into submission" effect, since the implication is very little actual flight control. It would also allow for some long jumps in combat without actually invoking the gliding. x2 End probably the most appropriate in that case, to represent the need for a "launch" instead of true flight. Might simulate hard landings better also...

And now friend Klytus, we have reached the point in the game physics where they appllied comic book physics to a real situation. If you hit something hard enough it breaks, bends, snaps, deforms, shatters or becomes useless. In my mind, it doesn't matter if you hit me with a glass rod, or a professional weightlifter does. The rod will shatter or break after I am hit. Are there any engineers reading this who can give a real world comparison of some kind? Hmmm.....the old west bar fight comes to mind also. A beer bottle (fictionally) only dowe so much damage, and shatters. Same for chairs, excpet stronger folks break 'em faster. It still only effectively uses the exerted STR. One swing versus two or three is the difference. The big fella's swings HURT more. Mechanically there is a spreading/deteriorating effect. A brick getting his hands on a DEF 8, BOD 5 object gets one swing at 13d6, about 3-5 swings at 9d6, or all he wants at 6d6. Myself being an Energy Thrower, I feel that's a good mechanics tradeoff for using the environment for Area Effect attacks at no penalty, or to get free range. After all, his STR was the same price as mt EB. Let's face it...once you reach about 50+ STR, the world is effectively made of plastic and cardboard. There is very little steel from your perspective. Maybe some plywood though. I think the model in FREd is trying to simulate that effect. As an optional rule, you could always let the strike that shatters/destroys the object do full damage, but the hero should be left with handfuls of toothpicks or shavings in my opinion.