Battlestaff

Re: Masked Vigilantes In Trial There is no need to make the database available to DA's or court officials. The information on the file is available to the limited and known individuals who work in the office. No one has access to all the information. All you need is a system by which a person can use a predetermined system to identify that a specific inidividual is who he claims to be (someone previously mentioned retina scans and a name). The representative of the registration office would be there solely to verify that the person testifying is the peron the office has registered under that particular name. For example, the office representative would be there to say that the witness really is Capt. Justice, but that would be all that he or she would testify about.

Re: Masked Vigilantes In Trial Maybe what the community wants are protectors who aren't doing the same things as the criminals they are accusing of crimes. If Capt. Justice is accusing me of a crime, I would love to know that Capt. Justice, in his civilian identity, has been convicted of perjury, falsely reporting a crime, or any crime that he is accusing me of doing. Sorry, your example was pretty melodramatic. I thought I should respond in kind. As long as these supers register with the government, as other government agents do, and work under the exact same restrictions, they SHOULD be ientitled to legal protection. However, if they operate with no official oversight, they should be treated as private citizens, with all the consequences that brings. Speaking as an attorney, I do have a problem with your assertion that lawyers "backstab" people. They do file suit for clients that have been injured by the actions of others. Actually, frivolous suits are banned. The problem comes in when the media hypes up unusual cases, without (a) properly reporting on the grounds for the case, ( attempting to determine what the case is about, and © reporting on the outcome of the case. If the media could be bothered to follow up on these stories, they would find that 95% are dismissed before the action goes further than the filing, and the remaining 5%, when examined compared to the issues actually raised in the case (as compared to what the media picks and chooses to sell the story), are valid claims. If a super is a registered government agent, he will be entitled to all such protection that position allows, as long as he is acting in furtherance of his position. However, if the hero acts outside the scope of his position, he is liable for any damage he causes. Same with the 'good samaritan' laws, that would protect a super from lawsuits if he is acting in furtherance of the public good. However, this would be subject to a reasonableness standard. For example, if a super dove behind a car for cover in a super battle, and that car was disintegrated, then he would probably be safe. If however, he picked up the same car and threw it in the river because he was angry that the bad guy got away, he should be liable for the damage to the car. Actually, not as bad as it would appear from watching the news. However, you wouldn't be able to ban it. If legal action for damages inflicted is banned, then there's no incentive to act within any set of rules.

Re: Masked Vigilantes In Trial I know, I was just basing my remark off of Wanderer's extreme example. Your example seems a lot more likely than the one Wanderer proposed.

Re: Masked Vigilantes In Trial So basically they threatened the government into doing what the supers wanted? Very heroic. What you have here are supers wanting to be able to use their powers, without accountability for the consequences. The only way the supers could set up their own legal system would be to (a) set up their own country in territory they own (either by conquest or purchase), ( staging a coup and setting up their own government, or © just ignoring the legal system as it exists, and thereby operating without the framework of only those laws they wish to obey. Of course, different supers will most likely choose to ignore different laws.....

Re: Masked Vigilantes In Trial In my campaign, most states have a SHARP (Super Human Activities Registration Program) system, which requires any super who wishes to use their powers publicly to register with the state government. Information about the individual super is kept in a secure database. When a super comes to court to testify, he can remain in his costumed identity, and a member of the SHARP office will come to court to testify that the individual testifying is the same individual registered with the SHARP office. Those supers with public ID's will often also have a representative from the SHARP office verify their identity, so that there is no claim that the super isn't who he claims to be. Those not registered with the SHARP office cannot testify in court in their costumed identity (though they can reveal their identities). This did lead to a problem in the early 90's (when the program started), when vigilantes became more violent and more likely to kill their targets, because the vigilantes knew he wouldn't be allowed to testify in court. However, the registered supers hunted down most of the murderous vigilantes, because of the public backlash the vigiliantes were causing towards the registered supers. Also, as a condition of belonging to SHARP, the super must possess "Super Insurance." This is designed to cover any damage caused during a super battle. While most states have extended the "good samaritan" exemption in tort actions to damage caused in the course of a supers duties (apprehending criminals, disaster relief, etc.), wanton damage caused by the use of powers is still actionable in court.

Re: Team of second rate Villains You want some interesting villains, what about The Rogues from The Flash? Captain Cold, Heatwave, Pied Piper, Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang II, etc. All good villains. And all work well together.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat Johnny Depp is playing the captain of the ship, The Black Pearl. NT: Things it's okay to say to your doctor, but not your girlfriend

Re: Player vs. Character The difference also comes from the power of the player to affect the outcome. In the comics and other stories, characters do thinkgs like the scenario you described, in order to keep the reader involved in the story. However, the reader is a passive participant. He has no input into what the charcter will do, how he'll act, etc. The reader is just along for the ride. On the other hand, in a game, the player has complete control of the character. He can prevent the character from making all the mistakes that the player has seen his favorite comic character make. We've all read stories in which the hero does something obviously stupid, so that the writer can put the character into the situation the writer wants the character in. Sometimes the situation is more obviously contrived than others. But the player in a game takes on the role (shared with the GM) of writer. Now the player doesn't have to sit back and make the same mistakes his favorite character makes. A lot of times characters in stories do things that don't make sense to gamers because the author needs the character to act in a certain way to create tension about the character's ultimate success. For examples in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, Rand fights his way into the Stone of Tear and wins the magic sword (I forget what it's called), that makes him the most powerful person around. In the book, Rand then basically leaves the sword behind, where he can't use it, as a reminder of his power or somesuch. If this had come up in an RPG, however, the player would most certainly have kept the sword and done his best to make it impossible to take the sword away from him. However, in the story, if Rand had kept the sword, there would have been little dramatic tension after that (not that Jordan hasn't taken away the dramatic tension with his long, rambling style that doesn't do anything to advance whatever plot remains, but that's a debate for another day). Thus, the difference between the actions of story and comic characters versus player characters. Gotta stop rambling now.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat Georgia - There's more to us than just Atlanta, but we like to pretend that part doesn't exist.

Re: Adventure Seeds--Title Tag Memories of the Minotaur Taurus, leader of the team The Zodiac (no relation to the 4th Ed. team intended, of course), is attempting to recover several artifacts he used to own in Ancient Greece. The problem is, many of them are in museums now. The characters must discover the cause of all the museum break-ins, and try and stop Taurus before he recovers something really dangerous. As a complication, he could use other members of his Zodiac team to support his robberies, or to distract the heroes. And who is to say that the mystic artifact one of the heroes uses as the source of his powers didn't have a former owner, who wants it back....... "A Day in the Life of (Hero or Hero Group Name)" "The China Syndrome" "Whatever Happened to the Liberty League?"

Re: Adventure Seeds--Title Tag "Make Me an Offer" The heroes find out someone has been reselling high-tech gear that ARGENT doesn't use anymore, having deemed the technology "obsolete." Through contacts on the street, the heroes find out about an upcoming auction of high-tech weapons that will tip the balance of power in the city heavily against the police and other law enforcement agencies. The heroes have to infiltrate the auction and shut it down. The complications come in when they realize that the weapons they are looking to keep off the street can be turned against them. "Of Mice and Mole-Men" "Tuxedo Mirage" "Penny For Your Thoughts"

Re: Who Do You Tthink Thay Will Lock Up In "Stronghold" (the book)? That's the The Awesome Exoskeleton Man, if you please.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat "You mean you ALL love David Hasslehoff's singing?" (Isn't the Bavarian Illuminati from Germany?)

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat

Re: Adventure Seeds--Title Tag "Price of No Power:" A particular NPC hero that the characters are acquanted with has always wished that his life was normal, and that he didn't have his powers. He is contacted by [Name of Evil Genius], who tells the hero that the powers can be taken away, and the hero can lead a normal life. The NPC hero agrees, but asks the PC's to come with him in case [the Evil Genius] doublcrosses him. When the heroes arrive, they will be paranoid as can be. [The Evil Genius] performs the operation, using lots of weird devices, which proves to be a complete success. The players will try to find out what the catch is, and there are several options: {Evil Genius] is on the up-and-up, and just wants to remove a super thron in his side, [Evil Genius] has sevretly stored the power to give to a henchman, or the power is given to the NPC hero's DNPC, who either goes on a rampage, or who enjoys being a hero the way the original NPC hero didn't. "Alien Invasion" "Downsizing the Dead" "What Are You Looking At?"

Re: The Batman Handbook I loved How to be a Superhero. I laugh every time I read it. Is the Batman book as funny? There really wasn't any information on it at the site on the contents.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat She sits and talks with you for hours about things she and her friend Barb, have done. Only later do you realize she's talking about a Barbie doll.

Re: Super humans populations in cities Most of what has been said before I have to agree with. I think most villains are living in larger urban areas because (1) there is more money there, (2) there is more diversity in the types of stuff that can be stolen, and (3) there is more stuff to spend their ill-gotten loot on. (1) is pretty self-explanatory. As to population goes up, the amount of cash in the bank goes up, the number and types of precious items available to steal goes up, and there are more targets to hit. In a small town, once you rob the jewelry store, you have to wait until the insurance company comes through, then they restock, before you can hit it again. Besides, you're going to have to go somewhere else to fence the stuff. (2) presents the greater diversity of goods to be stolen. In a city, you have, in addition to the banks, jewelry stores, etc., that are regularly robbed, you have the art museums with the precious paintings, you have the natural history museums with the weird ancient artifacts, etc. More traveling displays/big ticket items go to the larger urban areas, not poduckville. However, never underestimate the various pieces of local fame that most small-towns have enshrined somewhere in their town (town hall, the courthouse, etc.). (3) is also pretty self-explanatory. If you're a supervillain just looking to get rich, you're probably going to want to spend your loot when you escape. In a big city, this could be any of a number of things. In a small town, there's not a lot to spend it on (unless you're stealing the money for a specific purpose, such as to pay medical bills, etc.).

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat One member of the gaming group keeps bringing the Jack Chick tracts to games....

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat It's a pleasure to be under you.

Re: columbia! I like the look. The only other criticism I have concerns her breasts. In most skintight outfits, the clothes usually don't wrap themselves around the breast such that they stick out. Rather, they tend to flatten out the breasts. Just my observations from lots of Victoria Secret's catalogs....

Re: columbia! It looks fine. Don't worry about real life unless you are playing a "realistic" game (and if you're doing superheroes, it ain't all that real). As to the picture, you did a good job. Her figure isn't out of proportion for the source material, and is actually more believable than most professional artists wish-versions of women. As for the breat size, which you seem to be concerned about, they don't appear to be out of proportion based on the rest of the figure (again, as opposed to a lot of artists wish-versions of women). They work well, giving obvious feminine characterstics without going overboard. If you are concerned, post a drawing with reduced breat size, and we'll take a look at that.

Re: Hiding from Detect A lot of this depends on the nature of the Detect. For example, if the Vampire Hunters can Detect a vampire through the vampire's physical mannerisms, then Acting or Disguise skill may be appropriate to defeat the Detect, or allow a skill vs. skill roll. If the hunters can Detect the vampire by observing physical characteristics, then Disguise might be appropriate skill to resist the Detect. Disguise would also work if Detect used other normal sense to detect vampires (such as smelling them, etc.). If, however, the Detect works by detecting the supernatural element of a vampire's makeup, then I don't believe Disguise would work to resist that. Reading the Disguise description, it appears to only apply to physical disguises. I usually require a power to overcome another power, though there are exceptions. Invisibility may work, but as Sean pointed out, it may raise an alarm when you are seen, but the Detect picks up a void. Images in my opinion would be the way to go. So, I would recommend looking at the Detect's special effect to determine what will overcome it.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat

Re: Design a ME Team Has a clue. And repped for it.