badger3k

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish! I can't work on it now (puppy is in ultra-max play mode!), but you can use either swimming, Aid to swimming, flight (ground movement) for really fast travel, megascale swimming (maybe a naked megascale modifier). I am not sure if there is anything to enhance the turn mode, but if so that is possible (maybe a roundabout teleport with position shift that has no or 1" distance, requires moving through hexes to cause winds to swirl and spin a ship around). Make any of those usable as attack and you can use the winds to cause damage or problems to the enemy (add in suppress swimming to cause counter winds - forgot the name). I was thinking of a brazier or something similar, bulky but it can be moved from ship to ship, that requires the individual to stand watch (but this can be sustained by an apprentice), perhaps with the color of a summoned elemental. This sounds like several games, but I remember it from a fantasy novel (can't figure out what, I don't think it was Earthsea). Of course, you could change all of this around to fit what you want. If I can, I'll try to work something up in HD like this.

Re: Learning from the mistakes of others My point was that they used terms that had their roots (mostly) in the original wargaming that spawned the hobby. I've never played any card game other than the normal (poker, gin, etc), so any connection to that is lost on me, and I'd bet on a lot of the older players. Now, the hoped-for new players hooked on other WOTC products that they want to drag into the 4e buying frenzy...they may recognize the terms and their use in that context. As for the formulaic way they describe things, that's part of every game that uses jargon. We like things to be organized and easily read, and that's going to be a tendency in any writing. The original boxed set was all over the place, and over time it evolved into what we see today. But, I do agree that they took the majority of "color" (to use a not-so-great term) and basically gives "just the stats, ma'am." It works for some people, not for others. In Hero, I don't mind just the stats, but a bit of color or description is useful. In D&D, which has a tradition of such color built into the system itself...the lack of it is jarring and sterile. That, and the artwork ranges from so-so to just plain hideous, and the whole presentation puts me off. The older books were fun to read, this...like reading a textbook in a subject you don't like, but have to take. Not pleasant.

Re: Opinion wanted about coverage of Detect Life Force power I won't quote all that, but it looks good to me. Should be fun to play - I think you covered the bases we all brought up (and your own, natch).

Re: Traveller Hero Thanks anyway, even if it is late . I guess I was looking for more of something of a hybrid between the two (something like Traveller20 tried, although that was a bit hard to follow at times). Having the books in hand did help, as it's a lot easier to flip back and forth between the pages than doing it in the pdf files. I'm not sure how I'll do it if I can get the campaign going, but for nostalgia I'd thought about rolling up the old first edition way and taking it off from there. Just because I used to love the way characters were created. You had a history before you started.

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish! Such things could be triggers - built to detect ships with a certain talisman, or have a certain word spoken, to lower force fields or defensive traps. This might be an interesting situation if the shipbuilders have forgotten the traps, but all their ships have the talisman as a part of the ship (more as tradition). The few ships that are from elsewhere that try to come in are torn apart by the traps, even though no one knows of them (they effectively do not detect the native ships and so don't activate). What about a trap that sinks a ship and transforms the dead into underwater undead? This new hazard, caused by an increase in trade starting, threatens all activity. The worried populace hire the PCs to find the creature that is sinking ships, both to stop the undead and maybe prevent a war with the original ships homes. Basically, use a "forgotten magic" setting instead of a post-apocalyptic "forgotten technology".

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish!

Re: Lance of Faith Yeah - the power gave one character (chosen by the lance of faith user) a bonus to their next attack, so long as they attacked the same target.

Re: [NEWBIE] How to decide encounter power Do you mean D&D, or did they do something to Hero in sidekick I'm not aware of?

Re: [NEWBIE] How to decide encounter power I second the "welcome aboard", and hope you enjoy the Hero System. What type of game will you be running - fantasy, science fiction, superhero, pulp, etc? This can have an effect on the consideration. A super-powered campaign uses higher attacks and defenses, and if the villain defeats the party, they don't always have to die. A fantasy campaign can work the same, but the damage is usually more lethal so death is more often a result. It does take some knowledge of the system, but the first rule of thumb is to look at the attacks and defenses of the opponents. Consider average damage for an attack. A normal d6 average roll works out to 3.5. This would round to a 4 (I'd round up in this case), so for a normal attack it would be 4 Stun and 1 Body, and a killing attack would be 4 Body. Look at the defenses, and see how their attacks stack up against the defenses. You also need to look at the OCV and DCV - a high OCV creature that does low damage can be as effective as a low-OCV-but-high-damage creature. Look at the type of attacks as well as the type of defenses. If no one has armor or resistant defenses, a killing attack will be brutal. If everyone has low ED, then a fire creature with high attacks vs ED could likewise be brutal. You also consider (in certain genres) what the characters (and the opponents) are also vulnerable to - sometimes having an enemy that targets a hero, or an enemy that is vulnerable to one hero, can be good (or bad, if things go that way). It sounds like a lot to consider at once, but it does come to you. I'd start out easy and try a few encounters first, to get a feel to how the characters handle them. This can give you a better idea of what the characters are capable of. The very strength of the system, it's flexibility, can cause some problems for new GMs (and players, too!). Just stick with it and have fun. And don't forget to come here and ask for advice (or give some!). Also, (shameless plug), when you get into the game more, consider the Hero Designer program - it's the best and easiest way to make characters, bases, vehicles, etc on your computer! Sorry, I bought it years ago and it's the best program for any system that I have found - I'm biased. (no, I didn't make it - can't program for squit, but it is good).

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish! Since it is not actually a power, you could simply treat it like other items and give it a high def and body, with 75% damage reduction to everything. Or simply give it the Unbreakable Focus limitation.

Re: Skrull vs. Avengers Incredible Hulk/Hercules 120. The Eternal Skrull's name is Kly'bn, and He Loves You. That's about all the spoiler I will give unless other people are curious and want to see it. I'm not sure how to do that spoiler thing where you have to click on it, or highlight it. It's twisted, all right.

Re: Opinion wanted about coverage of Detect Life Force power If they both work off the same sense, then I would be wary of letting them both be on at the same time (unless they are "sense" as you said). To me, though, this does sound similar to the "multiple power attack" mechanic, and if used in this case, you'd make one die roll for both powers and use that result. If they used different senses, then I wouldn't have any problem with both on. If either had the "concentration" limitation, then I definitely wouldn't allow it.

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish! Cloak of Comfort: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 4 Real Cost) LS (Immunity: Common Cold/Flu; Safe in Intense Cold) (4 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF (-1/2) (Real Cost: 1) plus +3 with Agility Skills (15 Active Points); Independent (-2), Only to Counter Encumbrance Penalties for Clothes (-2), OIF (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3) I'd go with something more like that, but I'm not even sure I'd include the dex/str/agility modifiers, since a character wearing this would not need to wear a lot of clothes as long as they had the cloak (except for getting wet, that is). Encumbrance penalties mainly modified Agility skills, and I put that in to reflect that, using 3 just as a base, not because I looked into it. I left Str off, since I can't see anyone wearing a huge amount of clothing that would cause a penalty. If that is a possibility, then I'd go the Str route, but I'd leave out the "usable simultaneously" since only the wearer is affected by it. If you want the cloak to cover a group, you'd need to add that advantage to everything. Stove of Comfort: LS (Immunity: Common Cold/Flu; Safe in Intense Cold), Area Of Effect (8" Radius; +1 3/4) (11 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF (Iron Box; -1/2). Real Cost: 3 This iron box gives the people around it a resistance to cold and some diseases that tend to go along with cold weather (although colds are caused more by people staying indoors than by the cold, this item may be used in such conditions and thus the protection might not be bad).

Re: Learning from the mistakes of others

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish! Actually, there is nothing to stop these items from depleting a fishing ground, except that the likely area will be small. This assumes that the items are not in common use, are hard to make, and will be kept out of common circulation. And, if you consider our world, we have a history of destroying the environment. Why should this world be different? But...you can always have fish midwifery spells! That does put an interesting spin on things...what if these items are causing a depletion of fish, and this affects the colony of aquatic dark elves. Or, what if these items deplete the fish, and the adventurers must find the wizard who made the items, to get an item to make/summon fish from other areas. Or the players find that the magical item made to summon/create new fish has been causing some unusual side effects, such as after a dinner of cod in the inn, the characters wake up to find they have gills...and air is soooooo dry.... Of course, the obvious answer is that the fish in the area are of such concentrations that, at least for the present time and population, there is no danger of overfishing. Yet...... I like how such a simple, mundane magical item can springboard into adventures, especially from such a good observation as "what happens to the fish". Thanks for the question. I may have to use this. I like the possibilities.

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish!

Re: Opinion wanted about coverage of Detect Life Force power

Re: Opinion wanted about coverage of Detect Life Force power I actually thought of making that a linked power, but the whole "unusual senses" thing is a bit on the fuzzy side. There aren't any guidelines on what it can or cannot do. Whether the detect is active or passive, you can always adjust the PER roll for difficulty.

Re: Traveller Hero Mongoose is doing their own traveller, while he is working on T5 (I assume he is working on it)?

Re: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish! Traps and Gloves of Retrieval. These are specially prepared fish traps and a set of gloves. Both items are enchanted at the same time. When the gloves are clapped together within a certain range, the trap teleports to that location. There is no effect if the gloves are clapped together outside of the range of the teleport. Traps and Gloves of Retrieval: Teleportation 10", x8 Noncombat, Trigger (Activating the Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action, Trigger requires a Turn or more to reset; When gloves are clapped; +1/4) (37 Active Points); 1 Charge (-2), Independent (-2), Can Only Teleport To Floating Fixed Locations (Gloves of Retrieval; -1/2), OIF (Trap; -1/2). Real Cost: 6. This is a bit of a stretch, as it pushes the envelope a bit (no detect for the trigger, for instance), but for a mundane item like this, I wouldn't worry about it. If the players wanted a trap that would catch something larger and teleport to their location, then you may want to tweak it a bit.

Since I saw this: I was curious to see what I could come up with. So, here are a few items invented by the Mage Pisciwiddle the Third, who loved sailing and wanted to reward the fishermen who indulged him in his hobby and aided him in his studies. The first is a net that summons fish to the area, for others to haul in. Fish net of Bountiful Harvest: Summon 1,024 50-point Fish, Friendly (+1/4) (75 Active Points); 1 Charge (-2), Independent (-2), OAF Bulky (Net; -1 1/2), Arrives Under Own Power (-1/2), Summoned Being Must Inhabit Locale (-1/2). Real Cost: 10 (I was unsure of how many points a fish might cost, so I went with 50 as a base. That obviously is a bit small for predators, so they should not be summoned) --------------------------------------------- This is a net that enhances the skill of the individual using it. It both makes them a better fisherman in general, but gives a bonus to searching for food (the survival skill). These nets were often gifts to fishermen who ranged widely, but some were sold to other captains, who kept them as survival gear. Fish net of the Skillful Catch: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 4 Real Cost) +5 with PS: Fisherman (6 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF Bulky (net; -1 1/2) (Real Cost: 1) plus +5 with Survival (Arctic/Subarctic Coasts, Marine Surface, Temperate/Subtropical Coasts) (13 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF Bulky (net; -1 1/2), Only for Catching Fish (-1/4) (Real Cost: 3) ------------------------------------------------- This is a net that can increase the speed of surface vessels, to aid them in getting to and from an area. It can also work when trawling with the net. Net of Fast Travel: Swimming 10" (x4 Noncombat) (15 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF Bulky (Net; -1 1/2), Surface Only (-1), Only to increase the speed of a vessel (-1/2) Real Cost: 2 ---------------------------------------------------- This is an amulet he gave to certain captains, who used it to find areas rich in fish, especially certain types the the mage loved to eat! Amulet of Fish Sensing: Detect A Large Class Of Things - Fish 15- (base 11- +4)(Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range, Sense, Telescopic: +10 (36 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF (Amulet; -1/2) Real Cost: 10 ------------------------------------------------------ This net causes all fish in a certain area to come to the net and be caught. It's like the summons above, but a bit more specific. Note that the net has no modifiers to actually catching the fish, and they can be added in, or adjudicated as desired. I left this simple since fish don't have real intelligence and the "reeling them in" can just be handwaved if desired. Net of Fish Attraction: Mind Control 8d6 (Animal class of minds), Telepathic (+1/4), Continuous (+1), Area Of Effect (72" Radius; +1 3/4) (160 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF Bulky (Net; -1 1/2), Set Effect (Come to the Net!; -1/2), Limited Class Of Minds [subset of a class] (Fish; -1/2), 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 Hour (-1/4) Real Cost: 28

Re: Opinion wanted about coverage of Detect Life Force power I'd say that generally that would be up to SFX, but you can always say that some things prevent it from working, or give a minus to the PER roll due to that (-2 per 1m thickness material, or -4 for force fields). Maybe require the power to be Penetrating or AP to work through solid objects. That could work, but it would mean that it requires hardened armor or force field to stop that detect. Given that such a Detect is a staple of Sci-fi stories, and they seem to have no problem working through objects (although some force fields and powers can block the). It would be hard for a spaceship to scan another ship for life if the detect couldn't get through armor, or for the same ship to scan for life on a planets surface if it couldn't penetrate buildings.

Re: D&D Magic Items 3.5 to HERO Appreciate all the work on these. For this ring, a possible option is a VPP, limited in power. The ring can't be set unless the parameters of what a 1st - 4th level spells are. KS's 15 active /level (IIRC) is one option. If you use this, then a ring for 1st level spells would be limited to spells of 15 active points or less, 2nd level from 16-30 active points, etc. The "doubling" would be tricky, since there is no idea what the standard is - it depends on game world - but you could simply build it with 1 charge in each slot, or else make sure that the Pool has enough points for a typical compliment of spells. Or...you could make it a simple END reserve (if you do not forget spells), with enough power for an average doubled casting. This ring is just really, really hard to try to make without knowing they magic system that is in use. Other items can be dropped in as is...this one, not so much.

Re: Traveller Hero Pg 12 of book 1 does have a bunch of sites, but I can't say what was in the preview version. I figure an easy place to get a lot is the Traveller Webring (http://www.webring.com/hub?ring=traveller), but I haven't gone there to see how many sites there are (found it at another site). Travellers Aid Society (or Journal of the Travellers Aid Society) are other search options that can find good links.

Re: Active Points For Spell Builds