Fedifensor

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central It'd be some form of Mind Scan combined with Telepathy, but I'd have to dig into the rules to come up with the specifics. Basically, you sweep an area for a particular type of mind, then use Telepathy to contact the person.

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central Okay, I looked over the background and HD file, and had a few comments. Okay, so you're a private investigator instead of a police detective. That works (though you may want to take the 1 pt Perk for P.I. License). However, I noticed you have a Secret ID. It's not going to be a huge leap if you're an expert detective and call yourself Detective Luminous - all someone has to do is start going through the police detectives and licensed private investigators in the area until they come up with some likely suspects. You may just want to call yourself Luminous. Also, the police contact is pretty huge for a starting character - you may want to have a particular person in the department as your contact instead of the entire department, then buy it up with experience. This worried me...a lot. All your powers have the -1/4 limitation "requires light to use". Including your 20 PD/20 ED Force Field. Technically, if someone drops a smoke grenade on you (Darkness versus Sight Group), you're in deep trouble. An Entangle that blocks the Sight sense group is even worse. I don't mind characters with weakness - it can be a great plot hook. However, aside from a 23 DEX, all your stats are within normal human limits, and you don't have martial arts or anything else to fall back on. That makes you pretty tough until the situation comes up (you saved roughly 40 points from the limitation), and unable to fight your way out of a wet paper bag when it does come up. Per the 5E guidelines, a -1/4 limitation limits you about a fourth of the time...that's a lot of time when you can't do anything in combat. This might be better simulated with an END Reserve, that has recovery bought with the limitation "must have light to recover END". That way, when you're put in darkness, you have a limited reserve of light you can draw upon...which ties in well with the mention of you using your own light to read.

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central

Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central This is the spot for applications. I left the submissions on at Hero Central mainly for convenience, so people can send me Hero Designer files. The first thing I'm looking for, though, is not stats - it's the essence of the character. What is your background? How did you get your powers? Why is your character choosing to be a superhero? In short, I want to know what makes your character tick. Miracle's background info (listed in one of the posts above this one) is a good example of what I'm looking for. Without seeing the character sheet or Hero Designer file, I have a good idea of where she came from, what motivates her, and how her powers work. About the only thing it's missing is how she gets her powers, and the player and I have already arranged for her to get her powers during the first adventure. Ideally, I want new heroes - ones that are putting on the costume in public for the first time when the game starts. Sure, it may seem like coincidence that 5 or 6 people happen to start their superhero career at the same time...or is it really a coincidence? There will be changes to the concepts as I work with the players to make sure they fit the game world. Part of that is my fault - I'm developing the campaign city as we go along, customizing it to fit the group. Silverstone is a city that starts out with no superhero activity - at all. The few times a supervillain has entered the area, local authorities have called for help from the Bayport Alliance in Bayport, California (who have a teleporter on their team).

Miracle Here is Miracle. She's a police officer who was shot in the line of duty, and lost the use of her legs. A certain incident (which will happen in the first adventure) gives her the powers of flight, superstrength, and a level of invulnerability that hasn't had its limits tested yet. The character sheet can be found at the Catalyst website, but here is the background information: Background/History: Eve Carpenter comes from a third generation Irish family. She is the oldest of five children. Her grandparents came to America fleeing the ongoing conflict in Ireland between Catholic and Prostestant religious sects. Her mother married into a Baptist family and became deeply involved in the church,as her husband was the pastor. Eve's parents divorced due to the husband's infidelity; after this, Eve and her mother left the church and Eve's mother reverted to Catholicism. Eve threw herself into education and would eventually became a police officer. Eve Carpenter was a decorated veteran of the Silverstone police force when she was shot in the line of duty, paralyzing her from the waist down. She was on disability for a year and, afterward, returned to the police force as a dispatcher. (Information about her gaining powers will be added after the first adventure is over). Personality/Motivation: Eve developed a strong sense of responsibility as the oldest child in a large family. She has become accustomed to taking care of her brothers and sisters, as their mother became distant after she threw herself back into Catholicism. Eve's experiences in life have conspired with her time as a police officer to make her a cynic. She is more likely than not to look for alternative motives in people who approach her and to look for evidence to back up statements that are made to her. Eve believes in the law but is experienced enough to know that there are many loopholes in it. She also has a very dry (some people say demented) sense of humor. Quote: "I'm no saint, but I can put the fear of God into you..." Powers/Tactics: Miracle's powers come from an unknown source, but the effects can be measured by both technology and magic. Her cells radiate energy that shares many properties with cosmic microwave background radiation. Cosmic microwave background radiation, or CMB, is a form of electromagnetic radiation that fills the entire universe and is associated with the Big Bang theory. This cosmic energy is utilized by her body to give her incredible toughness, strength, and the ability to fly. In addition to these base abilities, she can harness the excess energy in her cells to amplify her existing abilities in a specific area, becoming stronger, more coordinated, or tougher. By focusing on flight, she can even fly at supersonic speeds. By default, Miracle keeps her armor slot active in her multipower, switching to other slots as the situation requires. Her Overall Level normally goes to OCV, as she has the defenses to withstand several hits. Appearance:

Re: Favorite 60-point Power Construction Or, instead of trying to get a tremendous amount of knockback on the cheap because the rules are broken when it comes to using Does Knockback on powers that cost less than 5 points per die...you could just buy a linked EB with Double Knockback and Knockback Only. The deaf person would still get knocked back even though they're immune to the hearing Flash.

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central Submissions will be handled similar to how teh bunneh and Milkman Dan did them in the Avengers: TNG and X-Men: TNG games on Hero Central. First, submit your concept and background on this thread (you don't have to include a full writeup at this point). I'll give some initial feedback, after which I'd like to see a rough version of the character sheet. It doesn't have to have every point spent or every power in its final form, but it should give me a general idea of how the character will function in the game. Once there are enough submissions, I'll announce a cutoff date, at which time I'll make my choices. I'll expect a complete writeup within a week or so of cutoff - if someone doesn't follow through, I'll choose someone else. For those that don't make the cut, there is still hope. Aside from the fact that Hero Central games have their share of dropouts, American Steel's player (who played in both my previous face-to-face games, and knows the world background pretty well) is considering offering his own Catalyst game (same world, different city). So while I only have 2-3 slots to fill, if he starts his own game there will be several more slots available.

Hello, everyone. After going through trials and tribulations trying to set up a face to face game of Champions, I've decided to switch venues to Hero Central. The campaign has material assembled from all of my previous Champions campaigns, adjusted to (hopefully) form a coherent campaign world. I'm looking for people interested in playing a Bronze-Age game with character interaction, classic struggles of good against evil, and some shades of grey that require difficult decisions. I have a rather sparse campaign webpage at this link. It contains two PDF handouts that give important background information about the campaign world. More information will be added as the campaign develops. Campaign guidelines can be found below, but will eventually be added to the webpage for easy reference. Here are some specific bit of information that will help with designing a character to fit the world: Many of the classic superhero tropes are actively supported by the campaign world. A law passed by Congress (nicknamed the Good Samaritan law) allows for the protection of a superpowered individual's identity until he is convicted of a crime with his appeals exhausted. Supers generally aren't executed because the first supervillain to be executed exploded with catastrophic effect. Thus, unless it can be proven that something similar won't happen with a convicted supervillain, the death penalty is off the table. Fortunately, the main lockup for supervillains is secure enough that only one villain has escaped more than once - this isn't Arkham Asylum. Finally, disasters in our world were mitigated by the involvement of supers. The most notable example of this was when the telekinetic Teke managed to hold up the Twin Towers long enough for most people to be evacuated. The casualties were about 500 instead of over 3000, and most of those were firemen and policemen that stayed behind to get everyone else out. This has created an environment where superheroes are respected, rather than feared. Mood is generally positive. The two extremes would be Clairmont-era X-Men on the serious side, and the early Giffen-era Justice League for humor (which was funny, but realistic for the world and avoided breaking the fourth wall). I'd note that the Giffen-era JLA could be funny and still have very serious moments. Mood is also strongly influenced by the players - I'm less likely to have NPCs making jokes if the PCs are mourning a fallen ally. Lethality is generally low - most villains don't use killing attacks, deathtraps are used instead of killing a hero outright, and public opinion of superheroes is contingent on the lack of casualties in superpowered battles. The few 'heroes' that kill regularly are vigilantes, and hunted by both law enforcement and other heroes. To quote a prominent Hero Central gamemaster - no giant guns, no bulging teeth, no "Code Against Not Killing" allowed. However, if a foe is tossing around attacks that kill (such as a powerful demon, or a world-threatening supervillain), the heroes are justified in using lethal force. Besides, that kind of foe can usually survive anything the heroes can dish out. Heroes were only revealed to the world a little over 20 years ago. They existed before then, but in secret and in small numbers. While it is possible to have a hero descended from the heroes of old, the general public isn't going to know about that legacy. There is a reason why things changed in 1986...you just don't know what it is. Superpowered beings are often called Primes (that term was used in a leaked government report), but the general public just as often uses the classic words for them - superheroes and supervillains. Some things are, at least for the moment, off-limits. Time travel is currently disallowed - you can speed up time, slow down time, maybe even jump forward through time...but no going back and changing the past. There are no known aliens...and if they show up, they don't have superpowers. They may have advanced technology or abilities that are considered superpowers by the average human (such as a silicon-based life form having Armor), but only humanity has the ability to gain powers from radiation accidents, genetic modification, magic, or the like. There are other dimensions, but only a few individuals can travel between them, and those dimensions don't have superpowered beings. All of the above is subject to change, but that's the state of things at the start of the campaign. Building a character - here are the basic guidelines: 200 base points + 150 disadvantages. It is possible to get a few extra points from a contribution - up to 5 extra points at the start of the game, with the potential to make more contributions later. For example, if you have a detailed character portrait, I will give 5 extra points at the start of the game. If you don't have talent to draw (or the money to commission artwork), there are several great programs that help with making character portraits. There's the character creator in City of Heroes (screenshots are fine), HeroMachine, or even a web-based program with instructions in Portugese that isn't too hard to figure out. Other possible contributions are writing up detailed information that I can plug into the campaign, such as fleshing out major city landmarks or writing up a superhero team (with Hero Designer files). I do not require you to have Hero Designer. However, I will keep copies of all characters in Hero Designer format for my reference, so it does help if you happen to have the program. The Catalyst universe uses the following as the basis for the average superhero - 11 DC attack, 25 PD/ED, 23 DEX, 5 SPD. Usually, a hero will need to give up something in one area to be better in another. For example, a classic brick character might have a 65 STR and a 28 PD/ED, but only have a 20 DEX and a 4 SPD. Other considerations include range (I'm more likely to be lenient with a character limited to melee range attacks) and how the power is constructed (just because a 2d6 Autofire NND at 0 END is within campaign limits, doesn't mean it's balanced). Certain limited attacks can exceed the normal guidelines...think of things like the Human Torch's Nova flame, which does massive damage over a large area, but completely wipes him out. Such abilities will be carefully monitored for campaign balance. Likewise, a character can exceed campaign defenses in an area of specialty. For example, a cold-using character named Blizzard may be virtually immune to cold. Despite the lower lethality of the campaign, common thugs do walk around with pistols and even machine guns. All characters should have some level of resistant defenses, even if it is just Combat Luck. I expect well-rounded characters - most Catalyst PC's should have 30+ points of noncombat skills and perks. Gadgeteers and mages should have at least 1d6 of Luck, to represent the spark that lets them create devices or spells that bend the natural laws of the universe. This does not prevent them from taking Unluck as well. I like Disadvantages that flesh out a character. Hunteds are great, as a hero is often defined by his foes. Psych Lims are essential - I generally prefer people take the full 50 pts If you don't want to assign Hunteds, just mark a set amount of points as "mystery" Hunteds, and I'll do the rest. Expect to make some changes from your initial submission. Character balacing is an art, not a science. I learned that less a long time ago, after my experience with a low defense character that could take tons of punishment because his CON, STUN and BODY were at ridiculous levels... Finally, I'd like each character to be able to have a chance to shine. I don't mind having several of the same kind of archetype (brick, energy projector, etc) on the same team...as long as those characters don't step on each other's toes. For example, having two lightning-based energy projectors on the same team is probably going to result in one of the two being outshined by the other. I am looking for a total of 5 to 6 characters. For reference, here are the current characters accepted for the game (this will be updated as characters are added): Miracle - Superpowered cop. A classic FISS (flight, invulnerability, super-strength) character, with the ability to exceed her normal limitations, becoming either stronger, quicker, or tougher as needed for the situation. Only Public ID character I've allowed so far (I generally prefer Secret ID characters for the campaign). [55 STR, 26 PD/ED, 21 DEX, 5 SPD...but can boost either STR, DEX, or defenses via a small multipower. No ranged attacks - she no longer uses a gun.] American Steel - Battlesuit character, descended from a hero of the same name that fought in World War II. The suit has a powerful weapons array, but is big and heavy. [13 DC attacks, 30/28 PD/ED, 20 DEX, 4 SPD] Tempest - Wielder of magical lightning, bearer of a mystical heritage that may extend back to figures from Chinese mythology. A classic energy projector. [11 DC attacks, 23/27 PD/ED, 24 DEX, 5 SPD]

Re: HOW much is this lim worth Of course, this has the disadvantage of requiring an extra roll. First you have to roll Mental Illusions, then you have to roll the actual attack. I don't see a problem with just putting a limitation on a standard Energy Blast - it means the attack is partially real (kind of like Shadow magic in D&D). However, if Mental Defense is a figured stat, that means everyone's going to have an extra 2 or 3 pts versus the attack, which makes it a bit harder to balance.

Re: GMing for a new group Well, my game is getting closer to its post-reboot launch. I have three players so far (including my wife, who played Miracle in the last game), and plan to recruit 2 to 3 more within the next week or two. Characters for the three are nearly done, to the point where I can start working on subplots, hunteds, etc. Here are the characters. Only Miracle is done, so the others could change between now and the start of the game. * Miracle - Superpowered cop with the classic FISS powers (flight, invulnerability, super-strength). Public ID, local celebrity. * American Steel - Powersuit character, descendent of a WWII era hero that used a previous version of the suit (supers didn't become known to the general public until 1986 in the campaign world, so no Reputation). Secret ID, helicopter pilot. See the 'Changing Into The Powersuit' thread on this board for more details. * Tempest - Wielder of lightning, decended from an ancient Chinese mystical heritage believed to extend back to the deities Tien Mu ('Mother of Lightning') and Lei Kung ('Duke of Thunder'). Still working on the Secret ID and personality. See the 'Lightning powers - with a big BOOM!' Thread for more details. I'd like to thank everyone for the help and support. When everything is ready, I'll start a new thread for the campaign.

Re: Lightning powers...with a BOOM!

Re: Modern Island of Dr. Destroyer In a game I ran, I had one of the campaign's shady corporations build an artificial island in international waters, then invade a small African nation (supposely, a former leader of that nation asked the corp for help). The rebel leaders turned over control to the corp after the coup, at which time they petitioned to join the U.N. The U.S. attempted to destroy the island HQ with an orbital laser strike, only to find out that the corp had large-scale force-field technology. The international outcry against the attack made the vote lopsided in their favor, and the U.S. abstained instead of using their veto power (as part of a deal to prevent the U.N. from going after them for the strike). Whatever you do, Dr. Destroyer has so much notority that you should make it appear that he is out of the picture - at least for the short-term.

Re: Changing Into The Powersuit Haven't you seen Robotech?

Re: Lightning powers...with a BOOM! I considered writing it up just as a special effect. However, the more I thought about it, the more it fit to have the thunder effect. So, here's what I came up with: ---------- Lightning Powers: Multipower, 56-point reserve * Lightning Bolt: Energy Blast 11d6 (vs. ED) (55 Active Points) * Shock Bolt: Energy Blast 5d6 (vs. ED), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), No Normal Defense (10+ resistant ED or being fully insulated; +1) (56 Active Points) * Living Lightning Arc: Energy Blast 3d6, Trigger (Activating the Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action, Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action to reset; +1/2), No Normal Defense ((10+ resistant ED or being fully insulated); +1), Area Of Effect (8" Any Area; +1 1/4) (56 Active Points); Only Along Teleport Path (-1/2) Storm Powers: Elemental Control, 30-point powers * Crack of Thunder: Hearing Group Flash 4d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Area Of Effect (2" Radius; +1) (30 Active Points) * Storm Shield: Force Field (10 PD/10 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points) * Borne By Lightning: Teleportation 15", Position Shift, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (44 Active Points) I Have Seen The Lightning...: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) ...And Heard The Thunder: Hearing Group Flash Defense (5 points) ---------- Basically, using the multiple power attack rules, Crack of Thunder can be used with any attack out of the multipower. I may add a -1/4 limitation on Crack of Thunder that says the character MUST use the power in a multiple power attack when using a lightning attack. While technically the combined attack is around 85 pts, the flash versus a non-targeting sense is mostly flavor. The only real effect in most combats is to hinder communication for those affected.

One of the players in my forthcoming Champions game wants a character with storm powers - primarily lightning. However, he wants all the lightning attacks to have a secondary thunder effect. So, I'm currently looking at a multipower for the attacks, and a 2d6 AoE (or Explosion) Flash vs the Hearing Sense Group outside the multipower, that would automatically be part of any lightning attack. Do I need to add any advantages or limitations to make this work?

Re: Champions Universe History and Continuity

Re: Changing Into The Powersuit The armor being hidden in a car is a good idea...though I think you'd need at least an SUV to hold this suit. Based on conversations with the player, here's the latest version of American Steel: American Steel VAL...CHA...Cost...Total...Roll......Notes 15....STR.....5....15/40...12-/17-...HTH Damage 3d6/8d6 END [1/3] 20....DEX....30.....20......13-......OCV 7 DCV 7 19....CON....18.....19......13- 13....BODY....6....13/17....12- 13....INT.....3.....13......12-......PER Roll 12- 14....EGO.....8.....14......12-......ECV: 5 15....PRE.....5.....15......12-......PRE Attack: 3d6 16....COM.....3.....16......12- 13....PD......3....13/30.............13/30 PD (7/24 rPD) 13....ED......2....13/28.............13/28 ED (7/22 rED) 4....SPD....10......4...............Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 8....REC.....2......8 32....END.....-3....32 32....STUN....1....32/37 7....RUN.....2.....7"...............END [1] 2....SWIM....0.....2"...............END [1] 3....LEAP....0....3"/18"............3"/18" forward, 1 1/2"/9" upward CHA Cost: 95 Cost...POWERS American Steel armor, all slots OIF (-1/2) 12.....1) Servomotors: +25 STR (25 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) - END=2 3.....2) Protective Shell: +5 STUN (5 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 4.....3) Suit Reinforcement: +4 BODY (8 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) 32.....4) Composite Plating: Armor (17 PD/15 ED) (48 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5.....5) Stabilizers: Knockback Resistance -4" (8 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 17.....6) Fusion Plant: Endurance Reserve (60 END, 20 REC) (26 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5.....7) Combat Computer: +1 with All Combat (8 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 6.....8) Rangefinder: (Total: 9 Active Cost, 6 Real Cost) Absolute Range Sense (3 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (Real Cost: 2) plus Penalty Skill Levels: +2 vs. Range Modifier with All Attacks (6 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (Real Cost: 4) 7.....9) Radar: Radar (Radio Group) (15 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) - END=1 3....10) Polarized Visor: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 7....11) Jump Jets: Leaping +10" (3"/18" forward, 1 1/2"/9" upward) (10 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) [Notes: 3 END from reserve and 1 personal END with full leap (includes END for STR)] - END=1 45.....Weapons Platform: Multipower, 67-point reserve, (67 Active Points); all slots OIF (-1/2) 9m.....1) Blaster Cannon: Energy Blast 13d6 (vs. ED) (65 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) - END=6 4u.....2) Gatling Laser: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6 (vs. ED), Autofire (3 shots; +1/4), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/2) (67 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) [Notes: 6 END for 3-shot burst] - END=2 3u.....3) Concussion Rockets: Energy Blast 9d6 (vs. PD), Explosion (+1/2) (67 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) 3u.....4) Flashbang Mortar: Sight Group Flash 6d6, Indirect (Parabolic Arc; +1/4), Area Of Effect (4" Radius; +1) (67 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) 1u.....5) Cloaking Field: Invisibility to Sight Group (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) - END=2 6m.....6) Flight Mode: Flight 21", x4 Noncombat (47 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) - END=5 17.....Combat Bodysuit: Armor (7 PD/7 ED) (21 Active Points); IIF (-1/4) [Notes: Worn under clothing] 7.....Earbud Communicator: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points); Affected as both Radio and Hearing sense groups (-1/4), IIF (-1/4) 5.....Lucky: Luck 1d6 POWERS Cost: 201 Cost...MARTIAL ARTS Kung Fu 5......1) Flying Kick: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, -2 DCV, 7d6 / 12d6 Strike 3......2) Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 3d6 / 8d6 +v/5, Target Falls 4......3) Martial Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4......4) Martial Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 30 STR / 55 STR vs. Grabs MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 16 Cost...SKILLS 3......Breakfall 13- 3......Combat Piloting 13- 3......Computer Programming 12- 1......Demolitions 8- 3......Electronics 12- 1......Inventor 8- 3......Mechanics 12- 3......Systems Operation 12- 3......KS: Aviation (INT-based) 12- 1......KS: Kung-Fu 8- 3......PS: Military Pilot (DEX-based) 13- 2......SS: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) 11- 3......TF: Combat Aircraft, Helicopters, Large Planes, Small Planes 4......WF: Small Arms, Vehicle Weapons (group) SKILLS Cost: 36 Cost...PERKS 2......Fringe Benefit: Pilot License, U.S. Military Veteran PERKS Cost: 2 Value..DISADVANTAGES 20.....Normal Characteristic Maxima 15.....Social Limitation: Secret Identity Frequently (11-), Major 10.....Dependent NPC: Grandfather 8- (Incompetent; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills) 5.....Distinctive Features: Large, bulky battlesuit (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 10.....Physical Limitation: Extra effort to change into Hero ID (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 5.....Physical Limitation: Big and heavy in Hero ID (8" tall, 500 lbs) (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 15.....Hunted: Rising Sun 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 10.....Hunted: DDI 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 10.....Hunted: Mystery Supervillain 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15.....Psychological Limitation: Patriotic (Common, Strong) 15.....Psychological Limitation: Protects Innocents (Common, Strong) 10.....Psychological Limitation: Losing faith in "the system" (Common, Moderate) 10.....Psychological Limitation: Must prove herself the equal of "superpowered" beings (Uncommon, Strong) DISADVANTAGES Points: 150 Base Pts: 200 Exp Required: 0 Total Exp Available: 0 Exp Unspent: 0 Total Character Cost: 350

Re: Changing Into The Powersuit Okay, time to reply in more detail. As mentioned earlier, I'm not a big fan of the vehicle rules. Making the armor a vehicle causes point-balance problems with the other characters, allows teleporting villains to teleport the character out of the armor...it's just not a good fit. I looked at both of these options (along with the related suggestion of using Instant Change), then realized the problem is a matter of special effects. According to the rules, it takes at least a Full Phase to change into a hero ID (based on the Only in Heroic Identity limitation). Older editions stated anywhere between a phase to a turn to change. So, I suggested a slight physical limitation to reflect the difficulty changing, and I'll handwave the suit arriving within a turn or so without requiring a point expenditure. Of course, the character will still have to find a way to get into the armor without blowing her Secret ID...

Re: Changing Into The Powersuit Well, I think I should chime in as the GM. This will be brief, as I'm posting via my G1 phone, but I'll post in more detail tonight. Suit as vehicle - Makes sense, but I really don't want to deal with the vehicle rules in this game. AI to control suit without pilot - Very interesting idea. However, what do you use for STUN and BODY when the pilot isn't in the suit? I really like Grimble's take on the van. Anyway, I'll have more to add later.

So, one of my players has submitted multiple character concepts. The one I like the most is a powersuit character - a small woman in a large (roughly 8" tall) powersuit. This isn't the Iron Man suit that folds up into a briefcase - it's heavy armor, weapon launchers...definitely not portable. This presents two problems. First, how does she cart the suit around so she has it nearby when trouble occurs? Second, how does she quickly change into the suit without endangering her Secret ID? So far, what I've come up with is a custom van that has the suit stored in the back. She'll also take some sort of disadvantage that reflects the extra time and effort needed to change into her heroic identity. Finally, I suggested having one of the slots in the suit's weapon multipower be Invisibility, so she could get out of the van in the armor without people noticing where she came from. Thoughts?

Re: Help Make Energy Projectors Interesting Well, to share two of my past PC's: Wavelength - A fairly standard energy projector with an "enhancement suit". The last 2 DCs of damage for his attacks (and all his resistant defenses) were provided by the suit, but it made people think he was a powersuit character. Never got the suit taken away in the brief time I played him, but it would have surprised the heck out of a villain the first time he was put in a deathtrap! Backblast - A 4 SPD Energy Projector with Absorption (to STUN and END), with brick-level defenses. Basically acted as heavy artillery in a battle, able to take hits and give as good as he got. Spreading his EB was done a lot to make up for his lower SPD, allowing him to hit multiple foes (or for extra OCV to hit high-DCV foes).

Re: Angel, the worst original character concept ever? The original Angel was actually a bit tougher than other people have been giving him credit for. He's definitely a speedster with martial arts - he's had extensive combat training, as evidenced by the early danger room sessions. His training focused heavily on defense and dodging - Professor X usually had him going through some insane obstacle course, which he did flawlessly. If I had to write him up to be competitive with the other X-Men, I'd do the following. * 25 STR (based on his Wikipedia entry, he's at top human ability, which makes a 25 feasible) * 26 or 29 DEX, as he could dodge even better than Beast. Definitely the highest DEX character on the original team * Movement-based Martial Arts (every maneuver has the FMove property) with extra damage classes (and/or +velocity/5 to damage). Most maneuvers would give a bonus to DCV, making it so the average foe would only hit him on an 8- roll. * Very high combat move. I wouldn't buy many multiples of noncombat move past the free x2, but I would give him 25" or 30" combat Flight. Maybe even give him the advantage of No Turn Mode, since he could basically turn on a dime. * Enhanced Senses (Sight) * 10 or 15 nonresistant PD and ED (tough enough to fly at high speeds, resistant to cold at high altitude), with a slight amount of resistant PD and ED from his standard-issue X-Men costume. Maybe 20 PD and 20 ED nonresistant (including 5/5 resistant) when in costume. * Some sort of multipower for his various combat tricks, such as the wing buffet. Combined with his noncombat skills and wealth, I don't see a problem making him as an effective 350-point character. Not as flashy as the other X-Men, but it works.

Re: GMing for a new group

Re: GMing for a new group Bad news - the campaign ended up foundering close to a year ago, and died with a whimper as people never had room in their schedule to pick the game back up. I think player issues were the primary reason...two players in particular just never seemed that into the game, and they were married to two of the other players. Good news - I plan to do a reboot of the campaign, with new players (save for my wife, who plans to play Miracle again) as a play-by-post game. Still working on the details, but I hope to have something put together in a few weeks. Now, I have to figure out a common link for the group. The high school idea is out...it didn't work so well last time, as only half of the group had strong ties to the school.

Re: Going from Champions to Mutants and Masterminds So...what happens when 6th edition comes out?