Christopher

Re: Fading Stars...when and why should superheroes retire?

I think something we overlooked so far (except for age and family based retirement) are "mundane" resons you can get disabeled/unable to do your profession:

Normal diseases and injury's, being caught in a normal accident, or "after all the villians I fought, the one that gets me is a random robber that caught me in my secrect identity".

This can have an ironic side:

Image the ultimate electro-suite hero, one of the most powerfull beacons of heroism. Suddenly he disapeared. Not even his teammates know why, since he never called again and his suite was never found. There a dozens of rumors and wild guesses what hapened to him.

No image your "uncle", sitting in a wheelchair ever since he fell from the ladder, after getting a electro schock while installing a new Ceiling Lamp.

Now imagine you find the electro-suite in your uncles posessions.

Re: Fading Stars...when and why should superheroes retire?

I still have ideas:

The cursed power. A power with its own mind (preferebly a cursed weapon). Can't do anything alone and only very few are "destined" to wield it (one every other generation).

On the pro side, it makes you immune to aging and similar things (anything but dying). The downside is, it tries to take over your mind (with the sole result of going berserk) and suddenly a lot of people are after you (the weapon is an enemy-magnet). Of course you can't loose or destroy it. So there are basically two paths for the end of your career:

a) the weapon takes over, goes beserk and someone has to kill you to stop you (making the power dormant for some time)

you get killed before option a) can happen (only a little bit better than option a, but most heroes prefer that)

Of course this could also aply to a local protection legacy hero that always faces such unspeakable horros, every one so far has been driven mad.

Re: Spiderman's Web

N.B. the second. 1G is explicitly defined as 5 STR Telekinesis.

Thats wierd, since that would only amount to a acellaration/deceleration of about 2m/segment. (Like would a STR 5 Telekinesis in no gravitation vacuum per phase). Perhaps the weight is somehow added to that?

Otherwise, light wind could would allow you to float when hitting you from the right angle.

Re: Fading Stars...when and why should superheroes retire?

And a male could become a father at any point in his life.

Depending on the character, it may be a "child he never knew about".

When you think about it, Son Goku ended his main "run around and kick bad guys"-carreer because he was suddenly married. he continued his training to stay on par with picolo, but he was more or less limited to the area around his house (until radiz showed up).

And I agree with the palindromedary, all we can do now are thinking of more specific version of what was already said. That said, lets have some more of them:

"I've become an artist": Especially for Elemental/Force/energy Manipulators, perhaps they realised that they would rather use their power for Art than for battle. You can do exceptional Art with the fine controll of your power or when you can produce self sustaining forces at will.

"Ive become a construction worker": Just imagine how usefull a brick or superman is on constrcution site. On the other side, he may take people the job.

Re: A not so evil Master(Mistres?)mind...

I had one adittional Idea:

Summon Relay: "Controlls an Civilian and imbues him with some of your powers" From the Rule-Piont-of view, just a summon with high Piont Value for the Summon (that are used to buy Mental Powers). Put an illusion over him to make him look like you and you got a perfect "Relay" for your powers or a convincing "Decoy". After all, a GM never fights in the Frontline. He always has Minions to do this.

Re: Fading Stars...when and why should superheroes retire?

- Your powers aren't cut out to fight the crime anymore: Either they have a easily exploitable weakness that got public (Green latern weakness vs. Yellow), or suddenly halfe of the criminals can mostly ignore your attack (a lot guy with flash resistence, you only have weak blasts). Perhaps one of your weaknesses increased or your a new one (Like Suceptibily to "Scenes of active/past Crime") or your weakness became public (Where is all this green Argonite comming from?). Perhaps there is a flaw in your self, that was easily exploitable by half the enemys (Low Mental defense/EGO, when half the villians are suddenly Mentalist). Even if you are in a team, aren't you becomming a limitation to them rather than an advantage?

- Crime never was organised and you were very effective, putting many in Jail. But now they are organised(see Grod's Secret Soceiety). Or threre was a really big Jailbreak in Stronghold (Never gets old).

Interview with nameless hero:

"I always wanted to save the world/pervent others from loosing their parents/make this town a better place to live. Then I realized: What is this world I helped creating good for, when I can't live in it. There are now enough young heros out there to take my place and it is much better then the first time I put on the cape."

"I was out saving the galaxy, when your grandfather was in daipers. Besides, I think the galaxy owes me one."

- James T. Kirk to Picard,

Re: Fading Stars...when and why should superheroes retire?

- you felt it was time to leave the field to "the next generation" of heroes (not nessearily one that follow their legacy)

- you started training new heroes and with time were less and less out there, doing the fight (Black Cat from JLU)

- similar coordinating role

- you wanted to realy "change" the world, and started to go into politics (see Thundrax from Champions Of The North Outtakes). By the time you realised you got even less done this way, your were to old/to long out to just start again.

- you became your "mirror-universe-version" - and you liked it

- perhaps a different (civil) duty called you. You could have found out you rather wanted to be a normal police officer, doctor, psychatrist, etc...

Re: A not so evil Master(Mistres?)mind...

Okay, let's try this semi-serious this time:

- Imaginative, twisted, evil, michevious, mesmerizing, seductive, tough, and cheaty ... (damn players)

- mind control, illusion, empathic powers

- ability to summon tons of mobs and shit to annoy the players

- ability to scheme complex plans, so complex in fact that sometimes I get lost myself into them .. *grumbles*.

- ability to be overwhelmingly coherent and logic

- Been a girl, who has end point of a conversation adding that to been the gamemistress that gives xps...(again damn players)

What characteristics got notice and how often:

INT: 3

PRE 3

EGO: 5

So definitely some type of mentalist, with a way of summoning allies. Wich may mean, "controll local civilians/police/military", see "Arives on own Power" and "must inhabit locale".

Relatively high PRE, so destined to support their (wo)men against presence attacks (just make one/phase so your allies get a bonus). May also make presence attacks against enemys.

Intelligence supports planning, as well as tactics so she can use her minion/summons effectively. Same is true for illusions.

She would be totally missing the relevant physical charakterstics, but hey: What are minions for?

How about something themed around a "spider in the center of her net", subtely pulling the strings? Some type of Clairsentience helps here. Can be limited with "Only Through The Senses Of Others", limited to your minions/summons (this is "technically" mind link, but game effect of Clairsentience).

Re: Fading Stars...when and why should superheroes retire?

- Legacy Heros: There will always be a Red Ensign/Batman. You are burned out. When you have a sidekick/descendant itching to take on your cape, he can simply start. If not, maybe the next generation has somebody.

- Psychical Complications: Not nessesary burnout, but perhaps you got more and more brutal (like what hapened to Superman and Wonder Woman during JLU) after all these years of crimefighting and you fear to become a "mirror-universe" version of yourself.

- When your familiy knows of your identity, perhaps they want you to no longer risk your life.

- perhaps the crime was relatively silent for years, effectively driving most heros to more "active" cities. Overall low crime rate also means fewer "traumatic childhood experiences" like seeing your parents shoot, ergo fewer new superheroes.

- Something really ruined your reputation and perhaps even the police started hunting you (i.e. accidently killing someone). You can't continue your heroic iddentity anywhere in the land, you don't want to leave it and you can't just "switch" your cape (distinctive power, unwilling).

- your Power has it's own mind and you got less and less able to control it (intelligent weapon; multiform w/ spilt personality)

One fitting campaing from herocentral with exactly that theme:

Revival 2

Re: A not so evil Master(Mistres?)mind...

I think I have a answer for the following pionts:

- Imaginative, twisted, evil, michevious, mesmerizing, seductive, tough, and cheaty ... (damn players)

- mind control, illusion, empathic powers

[...]

- Been a girl, who has end point of a conversation adding that to been the gamemistress that gives xps...(again damn players)

- and of course, no, I'm not all that bitchy ! they are all lying ! you do trust me don't you ? *goldeneyes*

Now I give you an peice of text, but tell you where it comes from afterward:

"An appointment or roleplay is referred to as a "session", and is often conducted in a dedicated professional play space which has been set up with specialist equipment, such as a "dungeon". In the contemporary era of technological connectivity, sessions may also be conducted remotely by phone, email or online chat." - Wikipedia (english), Dominatrix

Take a look at the article, it may fits better than you think for that concept

Re: Reactive Damage Shield

doesn't reflecton (in 6e) have a maximum dc?

No. It has a maximum Active Pionts and suffers -1 OCV for the block for every instance of Relfection missing. Dosen't work on attacks greater than Twice you "normal" relfection capacity. Also, you may need to add "Feedback", or you wouldn't get any damage from the attack (wich is not what you wanted).

One most likely useless idea:

Absorbing the attack, and aiding some type of counter attack (that imedeatly after activation looses all his aided active pionts).

I would definitely go with the Damage Shield and Limitation as sugested above. How much Limitation that is, depends strongly on the Enemys you are going to face.

Re: Spiderman's Web

Another thought' date=' how about Teleport No Relative Velocity UAA?[/quote']

Would totally work, even with a barrier and is suprisngly cheap (as you don't need actuall movement). But it might not be, what fits the special effect best and there is the weight-limit...

Re: Spiderman's Web

Their are rules for catching a falling character on 6e2 pg. 140.

That sound eqaully good, escpecially since there is a falling-speed table on the following page.

Of course you would need something around 150 STR to stop a max speed fall in one phase.

Edit: The basic rule for velocity, str and damage seem to be "2m speedchange equals 5 STR equals 1D6". Gravity pulls with about 25 STR/Segment (or phase, asumg it acts in every phase)

Wind resistence is a counter-force equall to 5 STR at a speed of 60m/segement.

Hitting the ground is then just the abrupt aplication of a "breaking" force, equall to 150 STR.

Re: Spiderman's Web

That's another good question' date=' how do you break something in the first place (say, a car)?[/quote']

Found it. 6E2, Page 26.

First you need to Grab (but we can ignore that for this effect, or asume DCV to be 0 for uncontrolled fall). The Moving object may make STR+Velocity Check to break free. (I would say, he does/tries that automatically the next segment, since gravitiy acts every segment).

"For every 5 points of STR a character has (including STR added from movement), he may subtract 2m of movement per Phase"

Since an AOE Change Environment stops affecting you when you pass trough the area, you may be slowed but not stoped (but that's what you can use multiple nets for).

 

Of course this could also be used to stop someone who is flying/swinging/leaping/running, but then some sort of grab-attack is nessesary (vs. what ever he has normally).

Re: Out There Idea: Universe as Mind Class

Seems more a special effect for other powers. Then again' date=' Mind Control effectively allows you to use someone else's abilities Indirectly, and Telepathy allows you to access the knowledge of others. [/quote']

That's the big question: Has the universe any influence of what happens in it in the first place? Has it any knowledge one what hapens in it and does it even has the same "concepts" that a pc does?

 

When the answer is yes, you are basically Telepahting/Mind Controlling a beeing that is way above any known god, and afaik he human gods are suposed to be 2000+ Pionts in the modern and where even more powerfull "back-then".

Also a good piont: Are you just controlling our dimension of existence, or others too (perhaps an entire d&d inspired Multiverse?).

Re: Spiderman's Web

If you want to do this with breakfall and barrier, breakfall may be 18+ (to make the extraordinary roll possible):

"If the character succeeds with his Breakfall roll by half (after applying the height modifier), he takes no damage at all; if he makes an Extraordinary Skill Roll, he can survive (albeit

barely) a fall from just about any height regardless of the height modifier.

Furthermore:

"Landing on a soft surface (such as water, a cushion or mat, or a featherbed) would make the roll easier(+1 to +3)".

That gets me another idea: Persistant AOE Change environment, with enough "telekinesis STR" to catch/carry someone? Falling character makes move-through against telekinesis-strenght (or somehow falling speed is added to his "weight", perhaps just stepping up on the str/weight scale?). If the net is strong enough, it can catch him and can hold him. Add No Endurance, Physical Manifestation/Uncontrolled and things like that. Perhaps "Side effect: Very difficult environment" (ocv/dcv mali).

If the net fails, at least his speed may be lowered.

That's another good question, how do you break something in the first place (say, a car)?

Re: Out There Idea: Universe as Mind Class

I smell cheese....

Seriously, what you describe are effects of knowledge, pregognition, being (locally) omniscient, and/or exceptional deduction.

When I am right about where this goes for "Mind Controll" of the universe, I say that effects will be going to be blast, change environment, transform or something similar.

Re: Out There Idea: Universe as Mind Class

What do you have in mind?

Do you want to make things like local manipulation of the space-time continuum? And how big is "a small part of the universe"?

Is there anything that is even remotly as big and powerfull as the universe in the official rulebooks?

Re: Anime Hero - What would be in it?

Well I don't know about not covered in other books, but shouting what your about to do seems more firmly rooted in anime.

[...] But there are a few anime series where the hero would shout LIGHTING KICK every time.

In Bleach they explained that on a side note: Knowing the name (and saying it) makes a difference in the power.

You're going to need to include mechanical system support for modeling a character's emotional/mental state. (essentially a sanity system) Anime is full of examples of characters who succeed or fail based on the state of their head/heart. Helpfully remind players that while a character that cannot be distracted from excelling at whatever the game is about is incredibly effective, it is also incredibly boring.

 

You're going to want to include mechanical system support for modeling relationship states. (how involved they are, if the relationship is lopsided, if the relationship is public or not and so on) Relationships are often the catalyst for 'game changing' events in anime, both for positive and negative reasons.

 

You're going to want to help people to model and track emotional growth. Many of the most important benchmarks in an anime character's story arc involve things that aren't related to combat effectiveness.

 

You're going to want to help GMs develop relationship graphs. this sort of thing and how to use them to predict and record which sorts of events work well and poorly. Include helpful hints on how to record changes in these graphs which help to illustrate the flow of time and the way people have grown/changed.

Very good points. Especially animes with fighters (Bleach/Dragonball) put way more story in the emotional state of the protagonists, than other anime genres.

Some adittional ideas:

Bad-Ass Transformation: Allows you to specify a transformation/Power activation visual effect of about 5 Minutes/20 Pages but that actually only takes a half phase in game time. Basically inverted speed viewing.

Groupy-power:

One fights, the other stand on the line and "comment" the fight (classical Dragonball/early Yu-Gi-Oh element). It is one way to support the fighting one ("We belive in you Yugi/Son Goku/Ichigo/Ryudo..."), basically moving his emotional/mental state towards better results.

Smack-Talk:

In anime-battles there a often divided between phases of "intense battle" and "talking a lot about who is more powerfull". In classicaly Hero System, 2 Minutes(10 turns) of talking would allow all batling charakters to fully recover.

Perhaps it would help to use a "Side effect: Drain with Delayed Retunr Rate" to represent realy energy-intensive attacks (that will conitnue to affact you, no matter how much smack talk there is going to be).

Alternative "Anime-Cinematics": Define one smack talk element to have only the in-game lenght of one turn (one time crossing phase-12 segment) or even one phase (so one recovery tops; not more, since both have to "keep their guard up").

Force-Pionts:

Some way to boost rolls is a must-have for every anime-style campaign, at least from my piont of view.

Re: Encyclopedic General Knowledge

Its massive blocks of text like the one above to represent otherwise simple effects that has increasingly led me to avoid genres that can't be run without the powers section; and minimize my use of said section as much as possible. If I can't represent an ability in one sentence or less' date=' or have to do mental gymnastics to represent an otherwise straight-forward shtick, there is something desperately wrong.[/quote']

It is nothing wrong with the genre or the system. It just that you sometimes try to make something and go for the completely wrong way (the kind of wrong way, where you aimed for the ocean floor and land in the desert-dimension).

Thats the reason it is so important to describe the effect and let others do the thinking about. That way you might get someone who just realises that the entire concept of "Save Game", can be boiled down to a use the power "precognition".

 

Kind of how Programming forums work: You toss in a problem and someone points out a solution that is so unbelievable simple (from your piont of view before you got that solution), you ask yourself where your brain was on vaccation the last 1-24 hours, why it didn't told you and especially why you didn't noticed.

Re: Looking for Everyman Skill ideas

I have found this version of an JLU-Style Earpiece Communicator:

Comm Link: Mind Link , Specific Group of Minds, Freebie; Only With Others Who Have Mind Link (-1), Sense Affected As Radio and Hearing (-1/4), IIF (Earpiece; -1/4)

But Considering that you can attack with Mental Powers through a Mind Link, this may not be the best way to archieve this (or a good way, for Audio Based Mental attacks)

Re: Ward to keep out vampires

Note that the need for vampires to drink blood is yet another 'geas' laid on them.

But a simple one: Dependence with Incompetent, Weakness and maybe Power Activation Roll.

If he is a hero, negative Reputation or Social Complication may be used adittionally. ("He drinks blood!")

@Manic: Sorry for that. Most likely used multi quote and then deleted the wrong quoute-start-tags. But I don't really remember it.

Re: Encyclopedic General Knowledge

That leaves me with the mental image of someone desperately calling up schematics for piloting an airplane only to have them obscured by popup ads for online dating sites and Cialis tablets.

"Look out, the Mountain"

"Where? All I see is this popup saying 'Enlargement so effective, even giganta would be suprised'".

Re: Counter-stereotyping

Are you speaking of the make-up rouge (pronounced "roozh") or the mutant with power-absorbing powers' date=' Rogue?[/quote']

I extra look up the name in Wikipedia, and then I copy and paste the wrong one

 

What' date=' like the Hank McCoy/the Beast?[/quote']

Or Bruce Banner, aka "Were-Hulk".

Re: Ward to keep out vampires

Buffy had an actual physical force that prevented entry. At last it appeared to work that way. It could have been the excellent mime skills of the actors involved' date=' but I remember at east two occasions when vampires stopped as if they hit a brick wall at the threshold.[/quote']

A Mental based, "Telekinetik" barrier. Not attackable (except for dispel/drain) but hold the not so living out. To reproduce such an effect (especially since it would let her attacks trough, right?) may be impossible for this system.

This is more the stuff for a Plot Device, not an actuall player Power.

 

By the way, I have just noticed that the OP had his answer found in Post Nr 12. So aside from talking about different Interpretions of the "Vampire can not enter"-fact, we can't do much more here