Fedifensor

Re: Naked Advantages in frameworks...

The fact that you HAVE to apply an advantage seems almost counterintuitive' date=' it may not always be an advantage to have an Advantage. (ooh, redundant loops)[/quote']

I've been saying that for about 10 years now. In fact, I even mentioned it in a pre-DoJ Digital HERO article. Here's the relevant text:

Using (And Not Using) Advantages

 

The following recommendation applies to any power, not just Energy Blast. For some powers, it makes sense that an Advantage shouldn't always have to be used. Picture the light-based super firing his Armor-Piercing laser. Wouldn't it be feasible that he could widen his beam, giving up the AP portion of his attack? There are two main reasons to do this sort of thing. The first, to save Endurance. If you're fighting an opponent with Hardened Defenses, why pay extra END for something you don't get a benefit out of? The second is far more heroic. When firing at an agent, you may not wish to risk doing BODY to him with Armor Piercing.

 

Regardless of the reason, it is recommended that, if the special effects are fitting, that a character have the option to ignore certain Advantages placed on their attacks. For those Special Effects that aren't conducive to this (an Energy Blast Explosion defined as a grenade, for example), it could still be possible, given the appropriate situation and skills. A gadget-using hero could modify his Stun Grenade to only affect the person it hits, or perhaps even change it temporarily from Explosion to a 1-hex Area of Effect (with a good roll and appropriately heroic circumstances).

 

If you feel game balance would be upset, you can always charge extra END, use multiple charges, assign Activation rolls, etc. A good rule is to assign a -1/2 limitation, or more if the character wants to get more than their normal point value from an item (such as raising an Explosion to a normal Area of Effect). In the latter case, take -1/2, modified by an amount equal to the difference between Advantages. The resulting number is the level of Limitation to assign to this special use of the power.

 

Remember, an Advantage is something a character has paid for. Give them the benefit of the doubt - especially if it advances the storyline. With powers in Champions so cut and dry, it's nice to have a little flexibility once in a while.

 

Here's a link to the full article, in case anyone is interested:

http://www.peakpeak.com/~fedifensor/games/hero/eb.htm

Re: UNITY 2010: A New Champions Campaign

Do you accept 'guest-stars' in your campaign? I live about an hour away from Fort Collins, and I don't have time to join another campaign, but it would be great to sample UNITY 2010 one of these days.

Hmm - thought about running a one-shot featuring Unity Team C at the next local convention?

Re: Campaign writeup advice needed

The news. Throw in the news. Regular updates-- things that may or may not interest them' date=' at appropriate times. Not always campaign-plot related, though. This helps to flesh out a world; it gives you a chance to 'update' the world with new or refreshed details, and it gets the players more into figuring out clues, etc, rather than chasing every detail as it _must_ be important because it was mentioned.[/quote']

I don't do this when making up a campaign, but every few game sessions I'd write up a handout that lists a few headlines from each section of the local paper. About half are actual headlines modified slightly for the game world - the other half I make up from scratch, giving clues for future game sessions.

Re: Blazing six guns!

Is this a standard superhero game? You're going to have a lot of dead agents on your hands with only killing attacks.

Maybe a normal EB as a MP slot, defined as "glancing shot" or somesuch?

Re: The Uber-Blast

I was trying to avoid the whole numbers keeping aspect of what's the END? Ok, how much is left? How much goes to STUN... etc...

 

And modeling that a character is taking all available energy at their disposal and throwing it into one Big Bang Finale and then spending a moment re-energizing.

Fair enough on the bookkeeping issue. Although, if you're taking all available energy at your disposal, and you're nearly empty to begin with, the blast shouldn't be as powerful.

If I was doing it, I'd just buy added dice of EB at a x5 or x10 END cost. That way, the character can use as many as he wants to drain down to 0 END without knocking himself out.

As an example, say the character's base EB is 10d6. Then buy +10d6 EB at x10 END (real cost: 10 pts). If the character normally has 56 END, the blast will almost completely tap them out (55 END for a 20d6 blast). If the character is down to 30 END, then they could use a 15d6 EB, and so on. You can even add additional limitations on the bonus dice like 'must use enough dice to drain END completely'.

If a 20d6 blast is too powerful for your game, put on a limitation like 'must spread the EB by enough dice to reduce the attack to Xd6 or below. That way they can make attack rolls on multiple hexes or get a bonus to OCV without breaking campaign maximums on damage. That allows the blast to still qualify as 'uber'...

Re: The Uber-Blast

Make the uberblast blow out all the endurance in the character's reserve?

If the powers normally use an END Reserve, I think that would be the best option.

Lockout works, but it's an absolute restriction. If that's what you'd prefer, great.

Or, you could just take enough Increased Endurance Cost to make it blow out the character's normal END. I think it's a bit more heroic to give the character the option of continuing to pay END to keep the powers up - at the cost of spending STUN for END and possibly knocking themselves out. Or they can take a Recovery to get enough END back to function normally.

Re: It Costs Too Much!

CON is most certainly overpriced.

Actually, I think CON with No Figured Characteristics is overpriced...

Delayed Return Rate (pg 111 5ER) allows you to move the return rate of Character Points gained or lost via an Adjustment power down on the Time Chart. Is there any advantage or limitation that can be taken to move the return rate up on the Time Chart (to 5/Phase or 5/Segment, for example)?

Re: It Costs Too Much!

Agreed. Most of the cost problems are on Advantages, not individual powers, except of course for Shapeshift.

 

*Ducks incoming flame war*

Don't get me started!

Shapeshift is a bit better in 5ER than 5E (I think - don't have my old 5E book to compare). However, I still dislike the method of buying versus sense groups. It's basically Images without the INT roll to see through it, which just seems wrong.

I'm sure this has been discussed in the past, but since Steve doesn't answer these questions on the Rules Questions board, I thought I'd revive the topic.

Basically, what powers in 5ER are overpriced for their effect?

I guess I'll go first, with my greatest annoyance in 5ER - Damage Shield.

At an effective +1 1/2 advantage (+1/2 for Damage Shield, +1 for the mandatory Continuous), the power is ineffective in any game that enforces Active Point limits. For example, a starting superhero game with 60 AP allows a character to fire a 12d6 EB. However, those same 60 AP only allow a 4 1/2d6 EB Damage Shield, which won't even penetrate the average DEF with its average roll of 16 Stun.

There is an exception to this rule, by using powers that don't target traditional defenses and something I call 'Advantage Stacking'. Basically, while a 4 1/2d6 Damage Shield isn't all that useful in a standard 350-point superhero game, a 2d6 NND Autofire Damage Shield at 0 END is incredibly effective, to the point of being an exploit. However, as this is more of a general weakness of the system than something specific to Damage Shield, I don't really consider it a justification for the high cost of DS.

Anyone else annoyed with the cost of Damage Shield, or other 5ER powers?

Re: My First Character Build -- Comments Appreciated

Defenses seem a little low. Maybe a 0 END Force Field from the Rod? I seem to recall Starman wasn't that easily taken out unless he was disarmed.

Given what I've read of JSA, I think the Cosmic Rod should have an Endurance Reserve. Remove the 1/2 END on the powers, then add a END reserve (with a high REC) to power it.

And, as others have said, you're hosed if you lose the focus. At least Stargirl has the Cosmic Converter Belt (an OIF) as a backup in case she loses the rod.

Last thing - you have multiple skills bought up, as well as some combat skill levels. Maybe chop down the improved skills a bit to free up 10 points, then take an Overall Skill Level (which you can apply to everything).

Re: Ground speed math

I still use Conversion Calculator v1.00 by David A. Fair, which I downloaded from the Red October BBS a LONG time ago...

Re: UNITY 2010: A New Champions Campaign

Thanks! No' date=' I don't have a website for the campaign. I'm too lazy and too non-technically-inclined. I just put most everything up here. [/quote']

Ah, then you just need to offer one of your players bonus points to do it for you!

 

Some of the Coloridians on the board are planning on gang-rushing Genghis Con in February. Check out the thread on the Conventions board. Wanna join us?

I'll be playing a mix of things at Genghis, and probably will be drafted into running some d20 stuff (Living Arcanis). But I plan to keep at least one slot free for a HERO game, maybe two slots. It all depends on how generous my family is about babysitting, and my wife's mood at the time.

Re: UNITY 2010: A New Champions Campaign

Finally managed to read through the entire thread. Great stuff, Bill! If only I had more time...Fort Collins isn't that far away from Thornton.

By the way, do you happen to have a website for the campaign?

Re: waiting for a good roll

Somthing similar I've done in the past. I had a character that never missed. He had levels in ranged combat' date=' but also had a perk that the Ref and I worked out. If he failed to hit with a firearm of any time, he didn't actually make the shot. He used the action and ended his phase, but didn't actually waste the bullet. [/quote']

That sounds like a great idea for a game with more 'absolute' characters. I think there was a character in Ultraverse like that - she never missed her target. It even extended to things besides combat. She managed to successfully land a plane in zero visibility because she could 'hit' the runway...

 

I think Precognition, special effects, or a combination of the two is a good way to handle this.

Re: Between Two Cities

In Texas: Dallas/Fort Worth.

I had a campaign (around 1991-1992) that took place in Middle City, directly between Dallas and Fort Worth. It was basically the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area combined into a single campaign city, fictionalized in the same way Metropolis is basically New York.

I eventually renamed it to Middleton, Texas, to make the name a bit more realistic. Regardless, Dallas/Fort Worth is an excellent choice, because the two cities are fairly close together - less than an hour's drive away from each other.

Re: Question: 'Class of Mind' Cost

Here's the link:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4023

Re: Duplicates boosting attacks

I asked something similar a while back on the Rules Questions board. Here's the link:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18083

Re: Question: 'Class of Mind' Cost

I asked Steve about Class of Mind once, when trying to make a battlesuit character that switched to the Machine class of minds when going below 1/2 STUN (SFX: person is knocked out, and the combat computer is taking over). He said that if you want to change the class of mind, use Multiform. So, if you're already using Multiform, you shouldn't have to pay anything extra.

I'm trying to make a Fire Elemental that is healed by Fire attacks (it already has enough purchased defenses to be effective immune to fire). Originally, I wrote the power this way:

10d6 Energy Absorption (1/2 to STUN, 1/2 to BODY), Only Versus Fire (-1/2), Only To Starting Values (-1/2)

However, in reading 5ER, it seems that even if the character is only going to starting values, the amount gained from Absorption fades after a few turns. This means the Fire Elemental which took enough damage over a combat to reduce it to negative BODY would die, no matter how much BODY it absorbed from fire attacks (such as by fighting in a burning building).

Is there any advantage I can place on Absorption to make it work more like Healing, instead of being a temporary boost?

Re: Campaign Notes so far

Haven't had time to read anything more than the first half of the first post, but I was wondering why your campaign world's presidential elections were two years off from the real world (Bush Sr 1988-1992, Clinton 1992-2000, Bush Jr. 2000-present)? In your journal, Clinton is elected in 1994.

Re: Campaign writeup advice needed

The best advice I can give is to start small, and build on what you have over time. I made the mistake of trying to do everything at once - the end result was that I never was ready to run the game.

This time around, I've started with a simple, two page handout to give the players the general background of the game. When I'm ready to begin, I'll simply build on that background with the help of the players, until I get something about as detailed as Champions Universe (well, I can dream...).

In case you're interested, here's the kind of thing I'm suggesting:

http://www.peakpeak.com/~fedifensor/games/hero/CatalystCampaignIntro.pdf

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

As a reminder, the CoV Beta requires that you agree to a NDA before you enter it. In fact, the devs recommend you don't even tell anyone you're in the Beta.

Despite being in the CoH Beta, I am not in the CoV Beta...of course, if I was in the CoV Beta, I'd say the same thing. Last thing I need is a whole bunch of people begging me to break the NDA and spill the beans.

Re: WWYCD: Power Loss

Actually, Power Loss was written into the background of one of my superheroes. Backblast received his superpowers from a set of alien armbands, and was employed by the military. He was an epic-level super, capable of destroying tanks with a single bolt of energy. The armbands were damaged in a fight against a supervillain team, eventually collapsing into dust and causing him to lose all of his powers.

A few years later, forgotten by the military, he accidentally interrupted a delicate experiment at his brother's lab, ending up in the hospital. A few weeks after he was released, his powers came back...well, some of them. Instead of being a 600+ point superhero, he was at the starting campaign level. He had Fear of Losing Powers and Needs to be a Hero as two of his Psych Lims.

While I didn't cover his time without powers in detail, being a hero was everything to him. He probably did everything possible to try and get his powers back, even volunteering for experiments and clinical trials in the hopes that something would happen.

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

Well, I've been wanting to run my Catalyst (http://www.peakpeak.com/~fedifensor/games/hero/catalyst.htm) campaign for a while now. It's a fairly standard superhero world, although it makes an effort to justify the time-honored superhero conventions (wearing masks, causing property damage without being arrested, reluctance to kill supervillains, etc). It also builds on many elements from my previous Champions campaigns. I've talked about it on these boards in the past, and I got as far as running one session before I realized I didn't have the time to flesh it out in the detail I wanted. So, it's been sitting on the back burner for over a year.

I also played in a short campaign where the characters were all kids (pre-teens and teenages) genetically engeneered by a secret government organization with nefarious motivations. We got as far as escaping from the compound before the game ended due to real-life issues. Something like that would be fun to play.