Dr Divago

ok thanks

Hi all in my cyberpunk-like campaign everyone owns a "superphone", some sort of high tech smartphone. it's basically a computer (an IA but with 1 EGO) with some nice skills: - navigation and ak: land (gps and maps) - language (it talk with custom female or male voice) - limited cramming (simulate intensive search on internet) - music/video player and other programs it also features some "talents" like - absolute time sense (clock) - eidetic memory (SD card of some terabyte) - lightning calculator (calculator) - speed reading (scanner) but superphone got also some nice powers, namely - mind link useable by other (to connect owner to other people... it's "super" but it's still a phone!!) - images (to create light and also to project holo movies from holo tube and like) etc And everyone who "buys" it (using points) will buy the computer as... well... that's the question: a - i need to give all powers to the "computer", and then who buy it will have a power named "superphone" who basically is a follower (or summon, or like) with OAF and Fuel Charge OR b - i give to the "computer" only skills and programs and then who buy it will have a multipower/compound-power/list-of-unified-powers with follower (or summon, or like) in the first slot and the all other superphone's powers in different slot (and adding OAF and Fuel Charge to the multipower/compound/list)??

It turned out they are more into superheroic genre than heroic, so it's not really a Cyberpunk Campaign so long, drones are just follower, or a summon if someone has the power to "hack drones on the fly"

Thanks to everyone for your help but it turned out they are more on a low power superhero than on an heroic campaign, ad whanna pay Characther Points for equipment so long, the problem are no more i just need to figure out if it's better an "high power heroic with resource point" or a "low power street-level superhero"... i think i'll need to read DC:TAS one more time in the next few days... again, thanks for your help, you all where very helpful, as long as i needed it

It turns out they whant something less heroic and more superheroic... i'm not really sure everyone understand what that's means, but they are all adult and with a lot of roleplaying experience on their shoulder so i don't think this would be really a problem and that's means all my concern about hacking is gone: it will be just a form of cyberkinesis, summon drones, and of course an hell of special effect for whatever they would pay with their Characther Points however, thanks for your help...

Interesting way to handle running i was thinking about something similar with a pool of three-four different skills (ie: informatic security system, net navigation, firewall breaching, etc) in this way you can use it as a fast and play "roll those skills, let me know your result" or for an hard way run (you know, if or when you have a party full of runners) however, what about the simple talent/powers i told on the first post? do you think can handle the "watchdog" hacking?

Good idea Indiana Joe Trading can be a complimentary skill (maybe only for not automated buy?), and extra time could increase the result i update my previous post @Christopher i don't like the idea of buying item with points on a heroic campaign; also don't like the idea of "kit and armory" to change your equip as in a videogame x_x however, i will read the resource point on APG and let you know what i think about it (at the moment i read the one on dark champions) oh, and i'm using 6th edition but i got also a lot of 5th edition book so i can use both suggestions expanded table: mod | situation ---------+------------ -1 a -4 | item in good condition, maybe modded +1 a +4 | item in low condition, need to be repaired +1 o +2 | good relationship with seller; fame to be a good buyer -1 a -2 | bad relation with seller; fame to be a problematic buyer +1 a +2 | good clothing or high PRE (for not electronic buy) -1 a -2 | bad clothing or very low PRE (for not electronic buy) +1 a +3 | very common item (market is flooded) -1 a -3 | high request, item is out of stock very quickly -3 a -5 | generally unavailable to the public +1 a +3 | extra time (+1 for one day search of special offer; +2 for a week search; +3 for a month search) +2 a +4 | it cost less than 20 bit-c/$/€/whatever +1 a +2 | between 20 and 200 bit-c/$/€/whatever -1 a -2 | between 1000 and 2000 bit-c/$/€/whatever -2 a -4 | several thousand of bit-c/$/€ -5 a -7 | tens of thousand of bit-c/$/€ -9 o + | hundreds of thousand of bit-c/$/€

Mmmh ok let's start to write out this Wealth: it's a 3/2 skill (1) familiarity in this skill is an everyone skill: that's means everyone can use it at 8- for mundane task (ie: buying food, clothing, paying a robotaxi to go everywhere in the urban suburb) you don't need to roll, unless there are some serious reasons that actually hinder players from buying items (ie: they are hunted and cannot use electronic money, only hard cash). Still, to buy a common, mundate item you probably have a +3 - +5 bonus for routine task so it would still be a 11-/13- roll for 2 point you buy the skill at 10-, then it's increased 1 level for 2 points. you cannot use Skill Levels for this roll BUT - you can buy a Big Stash of Cash, a 1 point talent who give one use only +1 to wealth skill roll (Skill Level with IIF (universal, expendable and very difficult to obtain)); you can buy it several time and use even all of them on a single roll, or spilt for different roll - you can buy I know a guy who knows a guy..., a 1 point talent who tive you one use only +3 wealth skill (Skill Level with 1 charge who recover very slowly, like 1 in a month); you can "know several guys" but can use only one of them at a time (for a single roll) The skill does'nt mean "summon a suitable object i like in my hand"; you still have to find a way to have it. Of course, most of time buying an item means open your Agent (2057's mobile phone), go to the online shop, buy the item (roll needed) and then send the information to the nearest autofactory (big industrial 3D-printing machine that replaced the stores used in the last century) and print it. So ok, it's mostly similar to the "summon a suitable object i like in my hand" However, if you plan to buy a weapon you will need to go in a shop; or if it's illegal you will need to found black market seller. If you need to buy cyberware, you will need to go in an hospital (legal or illegal) and pay the Real Point cost of cyberware (well... part of it... as for my cyberware rules) That's some difficulty modifier guideline: mod | situation ---------+------------ +5 | routine buy (food, clothing) +3 | common buy (robotaki for suburban, common legal gear) +1 | cheap buy (old-style equipment, spider silk armored clothing, electronic pet, very economic handguns) +0 | standard buy (good looking armored clothing, standard level weapons and gear) -1 | affordable buy (brand armored clothes, liquivectran armor, security drones, electronic pet upgrade) -3 | expensive buy (dragon skin armor, cooked software, street level handguns, used smart car or city car) -5 | very expensive buy (military level weapons and armor, military vehicle or drone, sport car) -9 | insanely expensive buy (brand new ferrari, military weapon platform, advanced military weapons and armors) -11 | seriously? (private jet, titan, etc) -1 to -3 | poor condition (using hard cash, have no time to search for good offering, etc) -3 to -5 | black market for illegal items +1 to +3 | black market for legal items (ie stolen standard level electronic pet) -1 to -3 | strange request (ie cooked soft for unusual work, specifically tailored cyberware) -1 to -3 | bribing someone very loyal (as for Psycho Limitation) +1 to +3 | successful use of trading/bribing skill in a not-autofactory purchase You can spend up to 18 point on this skill (that's bring them to 18- skill); for 20 point you can buy the "Bruce Wayne is a loser" talent that means you can always buy everything you whant with 17- skill GM can forbid to put too many points on this skill, or to buy too many SL for this skill, so to keep wealth level in balance. Also, can force increase/decrease this skill temporarily or permanently based on outcome of some adventures: if an old lady nominates you as her heir you can access a boost on this skill; however if the company you bought or someone hacked your bank account, you end up on the street, probably with a broken hat and a robo-monkey dancing close to you asking for money and the skill get nerfed (for a little while, or maybe until you manage to chase down the hacker...) if you are willing to be broken, you can "buy off" the wealth skill for 1-point; you can still use the skill at 6- (and GM is advised to let you roll for everything, even mundane buy) you can buy a "poor" complication meaning you got -1 to your roll for 5 point (-2 for 10 point and -3 for 15 point). (1) it's not based on any char... or i should base it on INT, EGO or PRE??

Hi all my players really hate bookkeeping and they asked me to get rid of money bookkeeping; that's mean don't keep track of how much money they have, how much they need to use buying new clips, new clothing, paying for taxi and like That's could give a narrative advantage: i don't care how much money i throw at them, how much corpse they sell to body bank, how much they loot from slaugthered enemies, they start every new adventure in the same economic condition (unless they buy a new wealth perk and that's possible only with GM permission) However, campaign will be a cyberpunk heroic campaign, where money can, and actually do, the difference from a misfit who barely manage to do something useful in his life to a well equipped professional get totally rid of money could give a serious advantage: even illegal equipment can be bought at the black market paying higher wage, and that's not a problem if you got no money and just "can buy everything your wealth can access" Hero System already has a built in system for removing money count, but that's means using characther points or resource point to "buy" equipment options, and i really don't like it for an heroic campaign also "the GM decide every time if i can or can't buy something" it's not a solution i like, 'cause force me to choose, and possibly argue with them, and also put at the GM on the position to decide power level of the players a friend of mine adviced me to keep money tracking but letting the GM keep track of them and inform the player. and that's also is something i don't like because force the GM to do something the player should (and also: keeping track of own money is not really difficult, BUT keeping track of 4-5 player's money is tedious) so long i'm searching for an alternative way to solve this; does someone else had this same problem? and how did you solved it? i got an idea reading an old d6 adventure book: a fund roll "fund" is a special roll and start at 3d6; every level of wealth perk is +1d6, every level of wealth complication is -1d6 to buy something you did just roll your fund dice, add toghether the result, and beat the difficulty based on item cost and (ie 5 if the item cost 100$, 30 if it cost 5000$ etc.) or, something similar: you roll the dice and count body, and need to score 1 body every 300$ or less of the item; or roll the dice and score one "money success" on 5+, and every item need a fixed amount of "money success", etc using a roll to decide if player can or cannot buy the item let them getting rid of money tracking and give the GM the narrative advantage BUT at the same time it prevents from destroying game setting balance 'cause they will always need to roll to buy items (i can also state they can reroll a failed roll but with less dice, or decide they can always succeed where difficulty is less than 2x number of dice, to prevent dice rolling) does someone else used a similar system? it could work or unbalance thing pretty faster? does anyone have ideas on "how to make the fund roll system" compatible with hero mechanics (like a lucky roll, or a standard skill roll, for example)? thanks for help

Ok that's the main problem of a cyberpunk setting: the hacker (decker, netrunner, whatever) i mean "the one who can connect to the internet and do things" it's the main and MASSIVELY HUGE time sink of old cp2020 rpg, and the mother of all boringness for players; so in attempt to create a new game in a cyberpunk setting i will need to change something. The only viable idea is to play it in a completely narrative idea and use some little "effect" (talents? powers? equipments?) to create what can be defined with the special effect "you enter the net, go inside the data fortress, bypass firewall, hide from security... and finally after 7-8 hour of boring play who made all other player leave and go home, you can turn on the light of the house" Luckily, none of my player whanna play the old-school-netrunner, the one who run inside data fortress across the globe to steal data. Ok. Lucky for me, i can think about it later However, a player whanna play the "watchdog style" netrunner, the one who can hack street control cameras, following a car hacking inside traffic control center, or disabling an home alarm cracking wifi and turning off the alarm from home automation control center so long, the main problem is: how can a player afford it? this can be done in two different ways: a- using talents; if you have talent "control the camera" you can turn off the camera (or spin it and point to another section). If you haven't the talent, you can't. b- using equipment: if you have the deck/computer/phone/whatever with the right software you can do it; if you haven't you can't either way, they are constructed as low-to-medium level powers (the former one are bought as talent, the latter one as powers in a vpp called "your-personal-hacking-computer") so main problem is "solved" (not really solved, but no longer a main problem) other bigger problem is: what can you do and how? i mean: what power i will need and how to build them? so far i thought about that: - scanning for wifi, dataconnection, radio connection, etc -> enhanced perception, 360° - controlling cameras/doors/systems connected -> mind control (with cyberkinesis from APG) - streaming what cameras are seeing -> clarisentience (with postcognition for data stored) - opening/locking doors -> lockpicking + range OR tk "only to lock doors/gates connected to the LAN" OR a security systems + a lot of PSL/SL on it - turning off/putting to sleep turrets/security systems -> mind control OR mental entangle - block a car with robobrain (IA computer inside vehicle) -> drain movement OR mental entangle - turn a drone/military platform/titan from hostile to friendly -> mind control vs IA of the drone/platform/titan and that's some ideas i got but dunno how to create - hacking wifi [basic to connect to systems and start doing some more complex hack] -> mind link?? mmmhhh :\ seems a bit odd - searching/following someone by using pubblic cameras and/or face recon system -> mind scan?? clairsentience megascaled? enhanced perception? - searching for some clue (ie "search everyone with a blue hat on this area") -> mind scan? enhanced perception? - hacking a car with robobrain (IA computer inside vehicle) -> mind control? possession? or something more subtle like teleport "only to go where the car go, must pass through intervening spaces, continuative, etc"? - turning off cyberware of people connected to an hacked wireless network -> suppress cyberware (it could be too powerful x_x ) - wreak havoc in an area and create chaos (turning on fire prevention system, turning off traffic light, etc) to create distraction -> environmental control? darkness? what do you think about? do you have some ideas? can someone help me/giving me suggestion on how to build those powers/talents/equipments/whatever? tyvm for your help!

Hi all another "how to do" question; i'm about to start a DC/Cyberpunk campaign and some of my player asked a way to get rid of annoying ammo count guns and firearms are central to this setting, and for every weapon player should keep track of ammo: how much ammo used, how much ammo still in on the clip, etc. however, this is tedious and need a bit bookkeeping and they should be happy to get rid of them so i thought about an "ammo roll" replacement: something like a Require a Roll, and if you fail the weapon is jammed or run out of ammo (it requires a full phase to reload a clip or unjam them... if you have clip, of course ) to lessen dicerolling i thought about placing the Require a Roll inside Attack roll: if you roll "more" than a fixed value, then weapon is jammed/out-of-ammo... something like value | roll to jam -------+------------- +1/2 | 16+ +1/4 | 15+ 0 | 14+ -1/4 | 13+ -1/2 | 12+ -3/4 | 11+ this limitation work like charges, so it automatically means No END and for high "jamming roll" it's an advantage. If you run more or equal to the number shown, weapon is jammed BUT you still could have hit i can use this advantage/limitation in lieu of charges so i can still use DC weapon table without increasing/decreasing Active and Real cost what do you think? is a viable option? or it's a crappy idea and there's something horribly wrong i can't see? or there is a better way to do it, without creating a new advantage/limitation?

i really liked the idea of ai+vehicle so i could build a limited amount of robobrain (AI) and then add a virtually unlimited array of drones. however, with ai+vehicle i can't reduce str AND body (it's based on size) and size is fixed at minimum 2x1x1m... so i'd stick with automaton. as for direct control i probably will search for some compatibility with all hacking system (at the moment i have'nt a good idea about it) but probably will be mind control (with ciberkinesis rules from APG) or summon (cost are roughly the same) i'm thinking about a more complete control, aka possession or like, but at the moment i probably stick with the standard mind control thing

mmhhh ok problem with vehicles is size: minimum vehicle size is 2x1x1m and drone are generally less than 1x0.5x0.5m (ok not everyone: but recon drone, the one player would use most, are around a football ball size. However, combat drone are bigger, from suitcase size to double autobus size for military automated weapon platform drone) i really like the idea of ai + vehicle so i can build only few AIs (standard recon, standard military, standard automated car, and maybe one or two advanced AIs) and use them with all drone however there is the size problem... don't remember if APG and APG2 solved this (i mostly use hero for fantasy where vehicle are pretty simple...) then there is another problem: i like the idea drone operator con "take control", like a sort of "possession": they open Augmentd Reality Console, and "use" the drone as if direct controlling them (ie: the player use the drone as if where a second/third/fourth characther) with "drone-as-animals" i thought about using summon or follower perk (not really liked it however); dunno how to do it with "drone-as-AI-plus-Vehicle"... ps: there is a way to connect AI to Vehicle in Hero Designer? if someone still use it...

Ok i thought about using AI+veichle but this configuration lack the possibilities to give them "commands"; ok a computer/ai can run some programs, but everyone can give them orders and use them while treating them as "artificial pet" mean operator will need to give orders using drone handling skills also, how can an operator "overcome" ai control and being in control of the drone vehicle? it will need mind control equipment/cyberware/talents... as for cyberware: for balance sake it will be bought with character point (however, some of them can be given by GM at the cost of additional complications, to reflect the humanity loss)

Sorry i write this topic in rush, and now i read it and see it's not really clear :\ ok so far i thought about having this "drones" that are something really close to animal but made of metal. drones are equipment and campaign is heroic, so they can be brought with money however, you cannot "control" them like you would with followers, they are just "GM's character you can somehow control with drone handling skills" i'd like also the idea of having someone specially trained in "drone using" who can actually "control" them, i mean: open an Augment Reality panel inside his visor/cybereye and remotely control the drone, or giving them a more complex order (that can also be: "attack the guy on second stairs to the left, using stun weapon on his right arm so he drop the weapon") but i don't whant to create a "techno-druid controlling robotic animals" so, how can i do something like this, but without falling inside the "superpower to control robots" or "magic to control robotic animals"? at first i thought about using summon (slavishly loyal, +1), with limitations "must posses private key to drone (-1/2)" (similar to "must inhabit locale") and "arrives on his own (-1/2) in this way, the operator can control drones he bought but also every drone someone else gave to hime, etc, changing this control everytime he "use" this talent. if the drone is destroyed, he does'nt lose any point because the drone is just bought i don't like the idea of using the summon as a way to "uber control" something you own... :\ then i thought about using follower. operator spend some time "reprogramming" the drone so he can connect to them and this is done by spending point in follower perk. You can't change the drone you control, because you need to "spend time reprogramming his robobrain (aka buy follower perk in it)". However, if your drone is destroyed you will lose the points, but you can "have back" the points buy buying another drone and spend some time reprogramming his robobrain (or if the drone is the same model, just reinstalled backupped software image). In this way you will not lose the point, it work exactly like any other follower i don't like much this idea becase reminde me of fantasy druid or ranger with a lot of animal pet there is also the idea of mind control, or possession, limited to personal drone only, to mind control your drones and force them to do whatever you need them to do All this ideas brings me the idea of drone operator like a "class": only if you have this talents you can control drones; if you are "not a drone operator" they are just NPC running around you... Another idea, that's quite different, is to use skills: in this way, i should create more than one skill (something like "drone order" "drone attack" "drone scout" etc) and use them to "specifically control drone". However, the mechanics to do this seems something really different of what should be "normal use of the skills" in HS so i'm pretty unsure... @Deejmeister: i'm keeping the idea of control drone of someone else more like hacking system; i will cover it with hacking (whenever i will found a good idea for hacking) in this topic, i would cover only the idea of the "drone operator" like "someone expecially trained to use his own droid to a superior level than normal people"...

Hi all about to start a Cyberpunk Hero campaign (well... at the moment only one one-shot and maybe few adventures but it's still a good start) and wondering how to rule the drones in the settings, drones uses a sofisticated computer-like semi-AI called "robobrain"; this let the drone acting in similar way than already trained animals. Drones are built as automaton-like animals (and i can also use some animal sheets from bestiary to build drones just adding them automaton powers and something else) So long, drone users just have to turn on the drones and then issue some command (using a drone handling skill similar to animal handling) and the drones will act. Obviously, they will follow orders just like animal would and that's means they can do ligical assumption: you can say them "go inside the building and tag the criminal with bigger gun" but can't say "go inside the building and tag the leader"... however, drone operator can "pick up the control" of the drones: this means they can directly control drones actions. i though about using summon for it: you "summon" the drone, and so you can control their actions or it's better using mind control?

I ninja the post to ask a related question: does someone did a 6E conversion for Atlantean Age setting?

Hi all i'm reading CV3 and i see Captain Chronos (as in old CKC) got very complex power to simulate time manipulating; however, i'm reading also APG2 and i see there are some new Time Powers (and also Speed Zone that could be used to represent slow time) so i'm wondering does anyone adapted Captain Chronos for rule in APG2?

Re: 6E Villains books... Thank you and do you know where i can find a summarized table? i mean a table where i can quickly see for each one villain total point, archetype, etc? i sure can do it by myself, but if someone else already did it, i spare my time

Re: 6E Villains books... Ok, this is done... i just bought volume 2 and 3, and also volume 3 HD pack atm i don't need master villain and i can always use some powerful solo villain as a master villain now a little question: what's the threath code? A, B, Delta etc? i don't have CU so i can't consult the book :\ last, but not least, CKC had a big table for cross reference of the villains' main stats (also including total points) there is somewhere something similar for CV?

Re: 6E Villains books... So, assuming i got also Arcane Adversaries, Evil Unleashed, Villains Vandals And Vermin, Champions Universe: News Of The World, Champions Worldwide (i can get them from a mate) villains books is not indispensable... i can still use just the HD Pack? 'cause buying all villains books + hd pack is expensive (1) and maybe a little useless for my campaign so i was thinking about buying just HD Packs for all three books, or just one book (solo villain i think) + HD Pack for this book only (1) i already spento over 150$ on various Hero manuals and HD Pack last week...

Re: Exploding Armor the rule is you can't use 0-phase action two times in same segment (afaik) so the problem is if switching on is the same than switching off or if they are two different 0-phase action

Hi all i just did a semi-massive purchase at Hero Store (some books, some pdf, even some HD pack) but... for some reason, it does'nt seems enough so i'm planning about Champions Villains books now, problem is i already have "Conquerors Killers and Crooks" (5E villains books for those who does'nt know) plus i still need to adapt them to my campaign (more like a iron age/dark champions the animated series than a regolar champions/champions universe setting) and i know some of the villains are the same and then i'm thinking about buying just the HD pack, to help me into conversion from 5E and 6E (using description from 5E and stats from HD packs) so, i'm asking a) what's the big differencies about CKC and 6E Villains Books? i mean how much new team/solo villain there are in 6E? it's worth buy just the HD pack and then arrange them to my campaign? or the HD Pack is almost useless without the books? thanks for your advices

Hi, another pointless question about move through 1) let's assume A got a TK; B got a melee attack A can "grab" B and "throw" him for X meters through a target; assuming A and B are coordinate (teamwork, held actions, etc) B can do a move through attack as with X meters of running what if B was actually run for Y meters? they can "add" their relative velocity (thus attacking as he was running for X+Y meters)? or only tk movement counts? 2) let's assume C got a teleport UOO/UAA; C can't teleport someone into move through however, teleport does "interrupt" movement? i mean: assuming B and C are coordinating (teamwork, held actions, etc) B run for X meters through C; then C use his teleport and teleport B at few cm from target: B attack target with a Move Through as he ran for X meters? or teleport just "reset inertia" so B just make a normal attack? and if C was using a "gate"? ty for your answers

Re: Turakian Ages meets Terran Empire magic and technology... how did you mix them? magic is a different word for technology? and rockets are powered by fire elemental engine... tv is a magical clairsentience sphere and Volta discovered how to bring electrical elemental energy into special crystal creating his first "Battery"? i'd like to play in a "technomantic" world, but i see it's not really easy: you could easily tend to create technology with a different name. However, one setting i really love (and one of the campaign i miss more) is Star Wars that is technically "High-and-Epic Fantasy Setting in Space with SciFi colour" so i think i'll love this type of campaign