Dr Divago

Re: TK Throws i'd guess a TK to grab... or a special effect ie: to create an effect that "grab telekynetically a foe, lift up in the air, than smash to the ground" is just an EB with special effect that lift and smash on the ground...

Ok, that's simple; as i noted above [link] i feel that in an heroic campaign, with damage mainly from fixed-damage weapons, FF is a little overpower. I mean, a 10PD/10ED FF cost 20 point active, that's 2 END and, with some limitation could easily cost less than 10 real point. using firearms (actually: mass accelerator weapons in this setting) cost no END and maximum damage you get (point blank shotgun) is 3d6 and maximum armor is 8 PD (with some movements restriction); assault rifle damage is 2d6+1 / 2½26 thus, assuming post-12 REC give enough END to compensate for not-FF related end cost (like running or powering another power), joe average with all stats to entry level for hero can sustain a 10 PD / 10 ED for 10 phases... and it's almost invulnerable until FF goes off (only point blank shotgun with very lucky damage roll can damage him...) i feel this very unbalancing for the idea i got on this campaing i'm working for so, i'm searching a way to "nerf" the FF; i like the idea of a barrier who let you be very resistent, even almost invincible for a short time. a short time. so... ideas? i start with mine: a) uncontrolled. you need to power up for the FF; so if you power with little end it goes off before combat stop, and if you power with too much end you go without no end for other powers. plus, it increase cost (both active/real and END, and also penalties for RSR) and that's same than reducing effectiveness while keeping same cost increase end cost. better if also uncontrolled. so you need to be very careful how much you "power up" your FF or you really ends up without END c) side effect/limitation that limit usefulness like an ablative limitation, or even a super-ablative-side-effect that dispel the FF while you get damage (like ablative but completely dispel, not just reduce 5 active points) d) side effect of some sort; like a lockout, or even better a "you can't use ranged weapons while using this barrier" (FF's field disrupt mass field so mass accelerator weapons does'nt work), "you can't use radio, tech, electronics devices inside the barrier" or even worse "you use STUN not END to fuel the barrier" e) recharge time; you need to wait xx turns before using again the barrier after is dispelled/shut off/destroyed/etc (but how did you do this? wich limitation?) f) give everyone else an easy way to overcome barrier, like penetrating rounds who penetrate barrier, anergized weapon that use a AVLD to overcome barrier, etc. thank you for your help i'm almost desperate 'cause i found no way to resolve this issue other than say "no you can't use FF" ps: i'm arguing about 5ed/5ER Force Field; this cost 1 for every defense it provides, stick with the character, cost end, continuous. i know 6ed is different, btw, but i need to nerf 5ed FF...

Re: kinetic shield a.k.a. extra body for defensive purpose

Re: kinetic shield a.k.a. extra body for defensive purpose mmmhhh the problem is: a) don't like charge on "powers" (charge it's good for equipment, btw) this shield is not a "ff wich drop after some hits" (btw this could be helpful too) but more something that reduce his PD when it stop damage mmmhhhh and a FF with a side effect? a side effect wich always occur, that drop PD on the same amount than damage stopped...

Re: TK Throws i got 5ed btw, it's nice idea

Re: kinetic shield a.k.a. extra body for defensive purpose think i need to explain reasons of this discussion; a.k.a. the why i won't use standard FF most important reason is balancing: in an heroic game where maximum damage from weapon is almost set, a big armor/force field can easily disrupt the feeling when a player start "tanking" enemies. for tanking i mean: cast FF, then go forward stopping almost every attack. ok, you can't use FF up forever BUT it spoil the setting's feeling where you can easily survive a single stray shot but under fire you need to get cover. and quickly. because being hit by a lot of shots means to be dead very quickly barrier and kynetic shields are not a rare exception: they are the standard in combat, and biotic commandos (like asari commando) are a reality; they use biotic barrier to protect themselves while jumping in combat but i think making them unstoppable (even if for few seconds) is really unbalancing i'd like them "hard to kill" not "very hard to be hurt" plus, armors are what they need to stop bullet from hitting them; shields are not a way to go without armor, but a lifesaver in a painful situation this is the reason why i'm searching a way to use shield "more useful vs a single powerful shot than vs a rain of microscopic shots"

Re: kinetic shield a.k.a. extra body for defensive purpose

Re: TK Throws yeah i know; but this is only basic throw more advanced throw get more EB "damage" to increase knockback (powerful throw is 6d6, master throw is 8d6) i want "basic" powers costs around ten points (real), and be strong enough to have some effects BUT still not so much. so if a player want only basic power can use it but are very limited; he can do something and the points are not a waste, but to get something really useful they need to spend more ie, a 1" kb is good enough to move crate and rocks, and to make targets go away from cover. it's not really useful to damage and kill/stun enemies, nor to let'em fly for three rooms, but it could be very useful if more points are spent (ie mastering the power)

Re: TK Throws well, throwing directly away is good enough for me

Re: TK Throws ty all for the answers btw, this is what i did: Throw: 4d6 EB; double knockback (+¾) No Damage, Only to KB (-1½), Reduced Range (up to 25”/d6 of effect; -¼), Need to Biotic Sense the Target (-¼), RSR (-½) Active cost: 35 Real cost: 10

Re: kinetic shield a.k.a. extra body for defensive purpose mmmhhh nope the problem is: does not give PD/ED when you're hit with this shield, assuming 5 point shield on: a) enemy roll damage damage are subtracted to the shield's body. if enemy roll 3 damage, shield drop to 2 point, i get no damage at all if enemy roll 9, shield goes to 0 point, go to c) c) i get 4 damage. i start applying armor PD to 4 damage... possible solutions: 1) entangle on self with limitation "does not limit movement" (same cost than "only to form barrier") with limitation "zero DEF" with advantage "movable" (it moves with the caster) 2) FF/Armor with focus limitation (where focus is "dark energy field"); focus get BODY (and DEF) with limitation "PD/ED only up to BODY" with limitation "shield get BODY damage = to damage absorbed" (a Side Effect) 3) Aid BODY with limitation "does not get protection from armor or FF" (a -2 limitation...?)

hi all i need an help to create a "kinetic field", a.k.a. an energy shield, star trek-like i mean: something can actually "fully absorb" a fixed amount of damage before dissipating i already build something similar for equipment, some "personal energy shield" i build 'em like some spare BODY "only to prevent (physical) damage". because of was equipment, i spent no much time dealing with the rules yadda yadda: it's just an equipment all people can buy (and almost the standard in personal combat) but now i got some problem: i need to create a power to create an energy field... aid body could be a good solution... except for the maximum limit (and the fact energy shields are supposed to be hit BEFORE armor and armor does not protect this shields' body) entangle is the only way to make a power who create structure with some BODY and you can "put" on top of armor or whatever you got... but i think casting an entangle "only to form barrier" on yourself is not a good way to create a power... force field is not usable for this BUT someone posted some time ago a FF version very expensive but working fine... does someone remember it? ty for your answers ps: i know it's forbidden to talk about previous version but... i know also defenses are very different in 6ed and 5ed... but i got only 5ed so please if you know a way to make this in 5ed rules i'll be very happy

Re: Sense to use the power: limitation or campaign rule? ok ty btw at the moment i'm guessing there are some power will not need the "sense"; ie a Shockwave (EB with Explosion, No Range, Personal Immunity) does not need to sense a target 'cause technically are "not target" (you cast the power on yourself) so maybe i need to use the limitation to keep track of wich power needs the sense and wich does not need... :\

Re: TK Throws Yeah, this is what i'm looking for it's more a "star hero settings based on ME settings" than a straight conversion; for instance i use END cost for power instead of lockout+activation time, and "thermic clip" instead of burnout roll for weapons if you're interested i got some material to share... but it's almost entirely in italian xD

Hi all again (and again and again... ) "the short question": in this ME-based campaign idea i stated you need a special sense to use a (biotic) psionic power the question is: i need to put it like a limitation in all powers, or just state is a campaign rule? explanation (aka "the long question") biotics can manipulate dark matter and energies; so to use their powers they need to "feel" the bioenergetic field of their victims (or how target's bioenergetic filed interact with other being's bioenergetic field... you got the idea?) so to use the power, they need to "perceive" the victim with this special sense Biotic Sense: Detect bioenergetic fields (mental); sense real cost: 7 some aliens got this sense; other species (like humans) need to use some equipment to give them the "sense" biotic sense is not target, so they need to use sight (or other targeting sense they use) to target. biotic sense is just a "prerequisite" to target: you can't target someone you can't "biotic perceive" (this is really important 'cause there are a tech power, who's actually a "darkness to biotic sense" used to create area where you can't use biotic attack power BUT you can use defensive/self power) so again, the question is: i need to put the limitation "need to perceive with biotic sense (-¼)" to all powers, or just state is a campaign rule so no "limitation"? (this could also be a LoS advantage, plus Normal Range limitation, where LoS is not "line of sight" but "line of sense-with-your-biotic-sense"... mmmhhhh)

Re: TK Throws O.O coooooool this is a good idea for another power: Lift (it lift a target helplessly in the air) ofc linked to an entangle or something... ... ... maybe a TK is fine too >_>

Re: TK Throws

Hi everyone that's the problem: i whanna build a power that can actually "throw away" targets (people, but also crate, robots, pile of woods and rocks, or all my Hero System tomes together...) ok, nice. pretty easy (i said): i need to build a standard EB, then adding Double Knockback (and also Does Knockback if KB is not standard in my campaign) then a limitation "does not damage, just knockback" (-2). cool. easy. done. BUT (there's always a "but" or i did'nt post here >_> ) if this power does not damage. how can i calculate knockback? kb is calculated by using BODY rolled for damage. but if there's not damage... so i tought about building it with TK with the limitation "only to grab and throw away the target". BUT (again) 1) will go against first hero rule for power building: if there are different way to build a single power, simpler one has to be used 2) it'll be a lot less simple to use: activate the power (if RSR), to-hit-roll, then TK STR vs STR for grab, then throw calculation, then actually to-hit-roll for throw... i think the EB + double KB + "no damage, only kb (-2)" is ok... but... it's really ok? what do you think about it?

Re: one for the browncoats with big wallets well... are you a Jedi? a very very very very gifted Jedi, one with a lot of (i tought never had to say it) midiclorine?

Re: [How to Build] Shotgun area of damage Really a good idea... only problem is damage does'nt add up but really, not a problem (even 'cause it's jut an equipment, not a power ) that one, or the one where lose 2 DC for every 1" traveled (so it's 3d6 at close, 2 1/2d6 at 2", 2d6 at 3" etc)

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting mmmhhh now i found i need to create equipment first, then build some "balancing rules" about weapon-armor-shields and then building biotic/tech/military powers following the balancing rules (ie: biotic barrier give you a shield like the strongest kinetic shield; tech's sabotage inflict damage equal to assault rifle, etc.) atm i'm getting some difficulties building Shotgun area of effect attack (cone explosion? reduced by range? line aoe? nonselective aoe? etc) and of course kinetic shield (+BODY only to resiste damage? FF with a fixed body count and a regeneration?) any idea? :]

hi all in my project about merging ME settings and HERO System mechanics, i'm working on Shotguns i really don't like the "AoE 1 hex" rule of Dark Champions 'cause with that i can shoot 2 or more guys at 10 meters without hitting the 25 mob at 5 meters from me, and also i'll do same damage to guy at 10 m from me and at someone in close combat... And this is something really different from shotgun idea i get in the videogame (and idea i whanna translate inside campaign) i like more the AoE Cone idea, but also i'd like the idea of explosion (shotgun blast lose power whenever area increase) so i thought about using No Range and Explosion (cone area) on the shotgun blast but, with average of 10 DC of killing damage (3d6+1... shotgun does a lot of damage at short range) this means at 4" / 8 meters it does 2d6 (still a lot of damage) in area large 8 meters O.O hitting everyone inside the area with this in mind, why i could think about assault rifle if enemies are less than 10 meters from me? and with 2-3 shot i can eradicate all mobs inside a room O.O so that's my idea to fix it: a) add a "reduced by range" limitation. so every 4" damage is reduced by 2 additional DC. check the diagram to see how much damage does at range: Dist. Damage (killing) close 3d6 3d6+1 3½d6 2” 2½d6 3d6 3d6+1 3” 2d6+1 2½d6 3d6 4” 1d6+1 1½d6 2d6 5” 1d6 1d6+1 1½d6 6” ½d6 1d6 1d6+1 7” 1 ½d6 1d6 8” - - 1 so far, damage output is decreased for high range BUT it's still high. more important, is... "less easy"... calculation of damage without table (and you need to re-calculate table if you increase damage, ie adding mods to shotgun or adding CSL to add damage...) state it lose 2 DC for every 1". ok it's not the rule says, but make it a +1/4 advantage. shotguns are equipment so no player will need to pay points for it the damage table will be then: Dist. Damage (killing) close 3d6 3d6+1 3½d6 2” 2d6+1 2½d6 3d6 3” 1½d6 2d6 2d6+1 4” 1d6 1d6+1 1½d6 5” 1 ½d6 1d6 6” - - 1 so far damage is way less at long range but still good at close range but still hit a lot of people c) add Accurate to area of effect, stating can hit only one target for hex. so it get a lot of damage in a large area BUT can't hit 20 people inside a large room just because "cone is 8 meters wide" d) adding Non Selective to area of effect, so everyone get a chance to avoid damage. but it adds a lot more of dice rolling and still will blow away all items inside the room (items get no DCV to be hit xD ) e) creating a new advantage, name it "shotgun blast (+¼)". area of effect is a cone but less wide: 1" at 1"; 2" at 2" and 3"; 3" at 4", 5", 6" from starting point, etc. and also, of course, damage is reduced by 1 DC every 1" traveled. so damage output will be: Dist. wide Damage (killing) close 1” 3d6 3d6+1 3½d6 2” 2” 2½d6 3d6 3d6+1 3” 2” 2d6+1 2½d6 3d6 4” 3” 2d6 2d6+1 2½d6 5” 3” 1½d6 2d6 2d6+1 6” 3” 1d6+1 1½d6 2d6 7” 4” 1d6 1d6+1 1½d6 8” 4” ½d6 1d6 1d6+1 9” 4” 1 ½d6 1d6 10” 4” - 1 ½d6 11” 5” - - 1 so is still good damage at close range and low damage at higher range. still get area of effect. but area is not so wide: at 8 meters i can still do more than 2d6 damage BUT i hit only in a 6 meters area. i can wipe a corridor but got problem wiping a big room BUT i got really difficult to figure out area of effect form xD f) create a new advantage called "shotgun blast 2, this is really what i whant from it (+¼)" and create it like a cone aoe BUT damage is _divided_ amongst hex: at close range i do full damage, at 2" i do half damage etc. damage output will be Dist. Damage (killing) close 3d6 3d6+1 3½d6 2” 1d6+1 1½d6 1½d6 3” 1d6 1d6 1d6+1 4” ½d6 ½d6 1d6 5” ½d6 ½d6 ½d6 6” 1 ½d6 ½d6 7” 1 1 ½d6 8” 1 1 1 9” 1 1 1 10” - 1 1 11” - - 1 ... really weird eh? so far, shotgun blast will do very low damage on distant target and still hit a lot of guys. i can wipe a full room from all the flies with a single shot, but i'll get difficult to shoot at 3 guys at 5 meters from me... xD g) area of effect is line. explosion. really simple. and i also get no great problem with many targets (line is still 2m wide...) what do you think about it? does anyone figured out a cool way to create a shotgun blast similar to this one? did i miss something very important to solve this matter? very thank you for your precious help

Re: Military Powers or just skilled pro's talents? Well yeah the idea is running an hero game in ME setting btw i'd like to made all balanced and keep the idea of biotic-tech-military so still the problem: biotic use powers; tech too use powers (slightly different btw); military should use powers (find weakness, csl, added damage, etc. activated like powers and with END cost) or just a set of talents?

hi all again still on my "mass effect settings conversion" working on military powers, i mean the one for who is'nt tech nor biotic military powers, from the videogame, are abilities who help you in combat, like overkill (add precision and rate of fire to assault rifle), assination (increase damage of sniper rifle) and immunity (reduce damage to 1/10 for a little time) now, most of those "powers" are direct CSL, or talents, or like; some other are more "power" (like damage reduction). most are doable with just equipment (like incendiary ammo, cryo ammo, disruptive ammo...) Now the problem is: it's better to create some "military power" i mean special abilites you can activate, pay end for it etc like biotic or tech ones? or better is treat them like talents/skills (i.e. CSL) to make something different? and then, it's better to stay in the "military=better aim, able to wear heavyer armor, etc" or give them true special power (like "overcharge mass accelerator in weapon to make a super special attack with increased damage" "hack weapon system to make ammo erupt flame on impact" "trick with kynetic shield subsistem to create a powerful holografic/static energy armor field" etc)?

Re: Biotic powers and suppression... mmmhhh nope i suppose GL's powers will be more similar to a vpp with end reserve (rechargeable 1/day) and limitations about yellow things and ofc some "innate" powers like a LS and a FLy+FTL btw i suppose you'll get more visibility opening a new topic about this argument