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phydaux

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Everything posted by phydaux

  1. And let's not forget a classic from the I-II-III days: "No one could have survived that!"
  2. "Quick! To the Hoverjet!" In fact I wrote a whole introductory adventure for Champions with pregenerated characters that took place over four "episodes" and at the end of each of the first three episodes their was a reveal that the actual menace was really something ELSE that was very imminent and all the way across town. And at each transition point I wouldn't advance the plot until one of the players said, loudly and in character, "Quick! To the Hoverjet!" Because as a Champions GM 90% of your job is to enforce genera.
  3. I tell my fantasy players that magic is a multipower powered by END. And they can NEVER re-engineer it into a VPP. They can just keep buying slots with XP.
  4. Back in the day I had a half-hour long argument with a player who wouldn't stop insisting that AOE was a version of NND, and the NPC's AOE EBs shouldn't effect his character because his character's mask completely covered his ears. The REALLY crazy thing was that there were six players at the table, and initially two other players agreed with him.
  5. " I was already quite sceptic about VPPs" I only allow VERY experienced Hero System players to use a VPP. NOT "very experienced RPG players". I insist the player be a very experienced Hero System player and GM before I will allow then to play a character with a VPP. And even then I insist they show up with a "Spell Book" of various powers pre-built on paper so that they aren't flipping pages or just winging it at the table. slowing the game down. VPPs are awesome in the right hands. But you don't give a machine gun to a chimp.
  6. "Mental Paralysis (Entangle that goes against EGO, not STR)" My gaming group calls that one "The I Win Button." We don't disallow it, but anyone who uses it buys beer & pizza for the whole table next session.
  7. 400 points for 6th Ed, but be sure to put a 12 DC/60AP cap on powers, make sure every knows they are expected to spend AT LEAST 60 points in Skills NOT INCLUDING COMBAT SKILL LEVELS, and be sure players are aware of your campaign's CV norms. Also make sure they know they are each expected to have several NPC Contacts.
  8. Nearly all my PCs have Flash Defense and either Low Light, UV or IR. Most PCs also get Extending Breathing. And yes, HIDO / OIHID. Haven't used a Focus since they became breakable back in whatever edition that was.
  9. Shadowhunter - He would compile two lists - One of people close to the hero Bright Star, and one of people close to the person Starling Brighton (cracking teammates secret identities is kind of a hobby of his). He would interview them regarding her actions and behavior in the days and weeks leading up to the cocoon event. He would seek out and run down any possible clue on what might have been a triggering circumstance, and where she might have gone. Mystica - "Gemstone, it is Cosmic, not Mystic, da? So why you bother Mystica with cosmic nonsense? You have cosmic nonsense business, you go find cosmic nonsense hero to do it." Quasar - Quasar would reach out to his various Primus and UNTIL contacts - "Gentlemen, we need a plan. Star Bright, in her new form, left the planet in quite a big hurry. We don't know where she went, but one thing is for sure - We need to be ready for anything when she comes back!"
  10. Can you offer up two more character ideas?
  11. Maybe one more American and one more Brit? I'm thinking the Brit can be the girl.
  12. I'm thinking this will be a demo game with the PCs all pre-gen. I'd like at least six, with all the various western intelligence agencies well represented. This is my list so far: West German - Former fallschirmjager. Athlete/boxer/wrestler. Expert parachute. Fluent in German, Russian, English, and Bulgarian. Eschews carrying a firearm when in the field. English MI6 - Former SAS. Expert in firearms and demolitions. Expert SCUBA and parachute. Fluent in English, French, and Italian. Israeli Mossad - Female. Moved to Israel after being liberated from Buchenwald. Recruited by the Mossad. Fluent in Yiddish, German, Polish, Russian, English, and Hebrew. Expert in seduction. Casual killer. Preferred field weapon is the knife. American CIA - Former US Army Intelligence. Expert in lock picking & security/alarm systems. Expert in shadowing, surveillance, and "field craft." Always carries a pistol. Speaks only English. I think I need two more, and at least one of them female.
  13. "Hunted: Opposing Intelligence Agencies Infrequently (Less Pow; NCI; Limited Geographical Area; Harshly Punish) -5" Thanks for the reply. I would nix "Less Powerful" and "Limited Geographical Area." I think the resources and global reach of the Soviet Bloc espionage/counter espionage agencies warrant that. So that makes -15, -10, and -15, for a total of -40. For EVERY PC. And I was only planning for each character to have 50 points in disadds total. sheesh. From a player perspective, what do you think of 75 + 50 for PC point levels? I'm thinking each PC would have AT LEAST 60 points in Skills. Even assuming Human Maximums they'd want ~40 points for Stats. That would leave 25 points for Talents, Perks and such. Hmmm... Should I bump it up to 100 + 50? Not every PS should have Martial Arts. That's a hot button of mine, personally. But I'm thinking 75 points each in Skills, particularly when you factor in Area Knowledges & Languages. Any recommendations?
  14. I think I didn't explain myself well. I'm not looking to point-up Bond himself. I'm looking to quantify some "standard" disadvantages that ANY PC in a cold war espionage setting would have. So far I've come up with: Hunted: Eastern Intelligence Services Expectation of Loyalty: Western Intelligence Services (NOT Sense of Duty. The expectation is there if the agents are feeling it or not) Watched: Western Intelligence Services I'm wondering what those disadds should be worth.
  15. To bring this back around on topic, what about the Disadds? I'm thinking something like: Hunted: Eastern Intelligence Services Expectation of Loyalty: Western Intelligence Services (NOT Sense of Duty. The expectation is there if the agents are feeling it or not) Watched: Western Intelligence Services The question is what should each of those be worth? Think of an American or a British Intelligence Officer operating under cover in East Germany in the '50s/'60s/'70s, Russian & East German Counter-Intelligence Officers constantly on the lookout for suspicious activity. Is that moist, nubile, young research assistant REALLY a political dissident, or is she secretly a KGB-trained assassin?
  16. I've been watching a lot of the old Sean Connery Bond movies, and reminiscing over my many sessions of playing Top Secret back in the day. And now I've got a huge jones to play some classic Cold War espionage. Turns out the old TSR Top Secret modules are available on eBay for reasonable prices. I'm thinking 75 + 50 for point levels, but shouldn't some disadds come "standard" as part of the setting? The other side is trying to hunt you down and kill you. Your own side is watching your every move and probably doesn't fully trust you. What do you guys see as dissads appropriate to the setting of classic '60s/'70s Cold War espionage? Also, do I play it straight like Connery/Craig Bond, campy like Moore/Brosnan Bond, or over the top like season 1-3 Archer?
  17. Quasar - Coordinate with PRIMUS and state & local police (all paid-for Contacts) to find this love terrorist. Mystica - "Again and again you come - 'Mystica, we need tracking spell' 'Mystica, we need disenchantment spell.' You no need spells. You need keep better track of dangerous mystical artifacts! Today, love arrows. Tomorrow, what then? When demon eats face, how you ask Mystica for help? You no have face to ask for help with! Bozhe Moi! What you do before Mystica? You can not tie shoes!" Shadowhunter - "Sure, I'll help hunt the perp. Who knows? Maybe somebody will shoot Mystica with one of those love arrows. And I'll be right there. I always said the thing she needs to get the stick out of her butt was a good, long, hard... Oh crap, she's looking right at me. She's reading my mind right now, I KNOW she is. Awe HELL... The last guy who pissed her off, by the time she was done there wasn't enough left to soak up with a Sham-WOW. Screw it. I'm going to the park and beating up muggers."
  18. Seriously? I think 5th Ed Dr. Destroyer was 8k points, and he didn't even have a 12 SPD.
  19. I remember reading somewhere that a "god" would be ~5000 character points. So I started experimenting with 5000 point character builds, I made a very viable 5000 point Olympic-type god. He had a 1000 pip cosmic VPP so he could literally do ANYTHING just by wanting to. I decided that this template would be ALL the gods in my pantheon. Then I made a 5000 point "god killer" to be the pantheon's enforcer. He wouldn't do anything unless 2/3 of the other gods agreed. And then the only thing he did, COULD do, was kill other gods. But 20k points? Meh. I guess that means my gods have a 200 Comeliness instead of "just" a 50 Comeliness.
  20. Back in the day I used foci all the time. Nearly every PC had at least a few powers linked to a focus. Then the Breakable rule was introduced. Now the guy in Power Armor takes a single point of Body, and WHAM he is POWERLESS. Nowdays I take OIHID.
  21. "The secret compartment of my ring I fill with an Underdog Super Energy Pill."
  22. It has been literally decades since I've seen a PC that didn't have PD=ED.
  23. A little too dark for my tastes. Not that I like campy. I'm more of a Bronze Age guy. But that is WAY PAST Iron Age.
  24. Yeah, the print got smaller. THAT'S what happened. /scarcasm
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