OddHat

Re: Weird request Depends on how you want to build him. That said, I like three Overall levels for a Fonzie type in order to let him move long tasks one step down the time chart (which requires three overall levels). Tweak the SFX slightly for Thumb/Fist/Snap magic. For instance, say seduction to cause a pretty girl to drop her date and come over to spend some time with you would normally take a minimum of one turn of conversation; Fonzie applies his three levels, and moves it down to a one phase snap of his fingers. Or the GM rules that a mechanics roll to start a jukebox without inserting cash is a one turn action; Fonzie applies those three overall levels, smacks the box with his fist (sfx), makes his mechanics roll, and in a single phase he has his music. Cinematic and goofy, but fun.

Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Watching Season One of Dexter now. Something about a serio-comic heroic serial killer that just has a solid, Dark Champions appeal.

Re: Stats for Dad He has the basic Superman package to start with, though his flight is only along a surface. STR doesn't have to be much past 40 or so to do that amount of damage (he's doing a lot of move throughs), though you might go up to 50 as he isn't straining in any of the scenes, and elevator cables are tough. Small cosmic VPP for useless but colorful effects like the sword and the stage; the final charming of the cops in the first clip was (imo) either a massive PRE attack or a success by 10 or more on an Oratory (Rock Performance) roll. Also, he has the psych limit "Commits Random and Inexplicable Acts of Violence Against Property".

Re: Superheroes, Power and Responsbility And the idea of Superheroes inspiring the public to be better people is one of the oldest in the genre, as well as one referenced in many popular films (Superman II, Batman Begins, Spiderman II).

Re: Superheroes, Power and Responsbility Getting back to the first post, the idea that superior people (almost always meaning "Us") have the right and obligation to rule inferior people ("them") is one of the oldest saws in politics and philosophy. Looking at it from the point of view of Superhero comics just gives a group that's undeniably superior in some ways. Kind of a moot point with the Supers example, imo; rulers past the small group level are chosen based on their ability to organize and lead. Person A might lift heavier weights than George Bush or John Howard, and his standardized test scores might be better, but very few people would consider those to be serious qualifications for running a country. I'm more a "Good government requires the informed and willing consent of the governed" type myself.

Re: Superheroes, Power and Responsbility

Re: Superheroes, Power and Responsbility

Re: Superheroes, Power and Responsbility

Re: Superheroes, Power and Responsbility A related trope worth examining is the "Superhero as Other". Partly because American Superhero stories are mainly aimed at a younger audience convinced of their outsider status, and partly because people like to categorize, these conversations often focus on the idea of the Superhero as an outside force or racial minority, separate and distinct from his own society. When they act to solve a societal problem, it's put in terms of outsiders stepping in to fix that problem, sparking anger and resentment from "real" people. I'd rather look at it as members of a particular society stepping forward and dealing with an issue. When a real world scientist works to cure a disease, most people accept that it's a case of society dealing with the problem (and a few will sometimes argue that the problem shouldn't be solved); in a world with Super geniuses, I'd write the story from the POV that most people accept Reed Richards curing cancer as the way things are done. The Great Man Theory of history would be demonstrably true; "Great Events occur because Great Men act, problems are solved when Great Men step forward and solve them." Whether that's true or not in the real world has little bearing on the case in a world of Supers. And yup, Alien Invasions, Supervillains, and Giant Monsters are real problems in Superhero worlds. No one is going to be left to whinge about the cause of the week if the Superheroes are all so busy attending protest marches they let Galactus eat the planet.

Re: Fifteen points of wealth is very justifiable Player: "OK, I made my stealth roll. I move in behind the guards." GM: "Your cell phone starts ringing. The William Tell overture is your ring tone, right? Anyway, the guards hear it." Player: "What?!?" GM: "You never said you were setting it on vibrate, and you were talking on it in the last scene. Phase 12."

Re: Fifteen points of wealth is very justifiable I see the above as a genre simulation issue. In some campaigns, with a "grittier" feel, I do require characters to buy the appropriate skills and sometimes perks to use and maintain their foci; in an intentionally campy campaign I wouldn't bother.

Re: Fifteen points of wealth is very justifiable Being "Filthy Rich" buys what you as the GM say it buys, to the degree you allow it. If being Filthy Rich is not going to provide fifteen points worth of utility in your campaign, I'd suggest either repricing it accordingly or informing your players that there's no point in buying it and getting on with the game. As to "Crossover", there's tons of crossover in Hero, and many ways to accomplish almost anything. I have no problem with Wealth being allowed some crossover with other perks, on the understanding that buying those perks directly gives the player more of a say in the matter than trying to get them through wealth.

Re: Fifteen points of wealth is very justifiable I go by the idea that what is on the sheet is a request from the Player to the GM, and the more points, the more the Player is asking me as the GM to make that item part of the game. A player who sinks 15 points into wealth is asking for his character's wealth to serve as a major game element, showing up about as often as five base level skills. If I don't want it to be that much of an element in the game, as GM I'm obligated to tell the Player he's wasting his points and give him a chance to spend them on something else. If I allow him to spend those points that way, and don't warn him that I won't give him much screen time related to his wealth, then as GM I've agreed to let him make those 15 points count in the game. I'd have no problem with him using Wealth to justify getting into exclusive parties, clubs, or political fund raisers. Since he hasn't paid for contacts, people he meets this way are effectively everyman contacts justified by his wealth, and are fully under my control as GM; if he'd paid points for a contact, he'd be justified in expecting more control. The same goes for mansions, fast cars, private planes, etc, etc. If he justifies having these through wealth, but doesn't spend the points, I as GM control them completely, and can remove them or turn them into liabilities, or not, as suits me. If the Player had spent points on them, while I as GM could still manipulate them in negative ways, he would be justified in expecting them to be mostly reliable and more under his control. High tech weapons and gear are established as costing points in most Supers games, and wealth does not allow an end run around this. However, as a GM I might allow a wealthy character to purchase (for example) a piece of high tech if it furthered the plot; if he didn't pay points for it, I as GM could have it fail or backfire at the worst possible moment, or not, as I liked. If he paid points, while I could still screw with his equipment, he'd be justified in expecting it to mostly work. Some things in some campaigns will require the right contacts and other skills no matter how much wealth you have; GMs call as to what those things are.

Re: Order of the Stick Heh heh heh heh ...

Re: I hate adding damage MA damage is not prorated when added to damage from an advantaged attack; this does present potential balance issues that a GM should keep in mind when allowing it at all.

Re: Yet another attempt at "Regeneration as a Defense". If I went with this at all, I'd go for Hyperman's triggered Healing; something very similar was used in one of Dave Mattingly's GenCon games (Bring Your Own Brick iirc), and then banned as too effective. I'd probably only allow it to come into play once per turn if I wasn't tracking individual wounds. However, the easiest answer, and closest to what Steve Long has presented in Dark Champions and Pulp Hero, is just to buy Armor with the Special Effect "Regeneration" and the limitation "Does not Prevent Penetration (-1/4)". The character still gets cut, disabling may still take place at the GMs option, but he is protected from damage. Invisible Power Effects are not needed; armor is already invisible.

Re: "Not in the face, I'm a pretty man!" I'd use an MPA; a HA plus a COM Drain with a delayed return rate. That it's a punch to the face is just a special effect in a campaign without hit locations.

Re: Would Marvel/DC Sue? Just a note that this is very campaign specific. In most games this would just be a comic relief sub-plot, and in many it wouldn't fit at all. Bloodpunk the Iron Age murderous vigilante doesn't have enough of a public identity for RealBadComics to sue him, and wouldn't care if they tried; Captain Galactic the Silver Age Cosmic Hero doesn't live in a world where this sort of thing happens at all. In my own campaigns, supers who want to make money through endorsements and such get a Fictitious Name License, just like a small business. They couldn't register a name that had already been registered by a comic book company. If a super wants to call himself "Uber Dan" but doesn't get a license for the name, he can't conduct financial business under that name at all. If a super made public appearances under a fictitious name, but took payment under her own name (i.e. if Dragon Jane makes public appearances as Dragon Jane, but takes her checks as Jane Collins), she could be sued by someone with legal rights to the name Dragon Jane. I guess I see this as something unlikely to happen in a world where a legal name registration process exists, save in cases where that process is ignored.

Re: Thoughts on some superhero origins

Re: Thoughts on some superhero origins

Re: Thoughts on some superhero origins

Re: Combat Skill Levels vs Martial Arts Here's one I did 3 or 4 years ago, since then modified by Killer Shrike. I'd probably do it a bit differently now, but I still like the build: http://www.killershrike.com/EnforcersINC/Characters/King%20of%20Kung%20Fu%20.HTML

Re: Combat Skill Levels vs Martial Arts Yup, that as well. Can't remember the name. Pre-crisis Supes was all that and a bowl of soup. Lots of critics take pot shots based on that, yet when another all-that and a bowl of soup character rolls around they salivate. Strange creatures, we fans.

Re: Combat Skill Levels vs Martial Arts Superman was trained in boxing by Mohamed Ali, and has proven able when without his powers to overpower both normal criminals and minor super-villains in HtH combat. So, martial arts for him, depending (as is true with any comic book character) on the writer and the era. Poor Supes, gets no respect post Crisis. I blame Richard Donner's Super Savior, John Byrne for cutting the whimsy out of the character, and the nature of fandom.

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth? And even if there are more subtle means to handle dissent, the occupier and foreign lord is always resented, no matter how benevolent. Given a few generations, V'Han may be able to convince the people of Earth's nations to think of themselves as "citizens of the Empire", especially those who profit most from the new regime; for the first generation or two after the conquest, how many patriots will die to defend their countries sovereignty, and how many political leaders will struggle to cling to or regain power no matter the cost? V'Han Occupied Earth would make a great Days of Future Past type scenario for Digital Hero.