Mister E

Woot ! I like this thread ^^
 
First, Mother Russia's relatives should be kept under a really well hidden custody, one that Mother Russia can't look for (even more if she's going to have N-Ray vision or supersenses), so here are a few ideas where to keep them :
 
- in an ever moving submarine vessel
- in another dimension custody
- in her mind : i,e she THINKS she has relative but they are all a creation of a mentalist or gadget that make her thinks so (what about adding a mentalist in your Russian superteam ?)
- They are all dead already, and impersonated on videos by robots or VR icons.
 
As for Putin, I won't comment the full american way you see him all; no politics in post. I'd just say, in Champions normally you don't mess with Head of States personas. You don't fight Khadafi or Kim Jung Hun. You fight the minions, the villains, yu let politics to politicians and UNO.
 
Just my thoughts
 
Opale, in soviet cosplay

She is Mother Mayhem, a mercenarie hunting down superheroes and Villians for the sake of God. Using fath and technology, she wants to rid the world of 'false gods' (ie people with superpowers).

Hah! That's a cosplayer wearing a Fallout power armor!

Superhero Archetypes Generator
 
Roll 2d6 for List, Then Roll 2d6 for Superhero Archetype
 
List Roll 2
2 Brick
3 Energy Projector
4 Gadgeteer
5 Martial Artist
6 Mentalist
7 Metamorph
8 Mystic
9 Patriot
10 Powered Armor
11 Speedster
12 Weapons Master
 
List Roll 3
2 Energy Projector
3 Gadgeteer
4 Martial Artist
5 Mentalist
6 Metamorph
7 Mystic
8 Patriot
9 Powered Armor
10 Speedster
11 Weapons Master
12 Brick
 
List Roll 4
2 Gadgeteer
3 Martial Artist
4 Mentalist
5 Metamorph
6 Mystic
7 Patriot
8 Powered Armor
9 Speedster
10 Weapons Master
11 Brick
12 Energy Projector
 
List Roll 5
2 Martial Artist
3 Mentalist
4 Metamorph
5 Mystic
6 Patriot
7 Powered Armor
8 Speedster
9 Weapons Master
10 Brick
11 Energy Projector
12 Gadgeteer
 
List Roll 6
2 Mentalist
3 Metamorph
4 Mystic
5 Patriot
6 Powered Armor
7 Speedster
8 Weapons Master
9 Brick
10 Energy Projector
11 Gadgeteer
12 Martial Artist
 
List Roll 7
2 Metamorph
3 Mystic
4 Patriot
5 Powered Armor
6 Speedster
7 Weapons Master
8 Brick
9 Energy Projector
10 Gadgeteer
11 Martial Artist
12 Mentalist
 
List Roll 8
2 Mystic
3 Patriot
4 Powered Armor
5 Speedster
6 Weapons Master
7 Brick
8 Energy Projector
9 Gadgeteer
10 Martial Artist
11 Mentalist
12 Metamorph
 
List Roll 9
2 Patriot
3 Powered Armor
4 Speedster
5 Weapons Master
6 Brick
7 Energy Projector
8 Gadgeteer
9 Martial Artist
10 Mentalist
11 Metamorph
12 Mystic
 
List Roll 10
2 Powered Armor
3 Speedster
4 Weapons Master
5 Brick
6 Energy Projector
7 Gadgeteer
8 Martial Artist
9 Mentalist
10 Metamorph
11 Mystic
12 Patriot
 
List Roll 11
2 Speedster
3 Weapons Master
4 Brick
5 Energy Projector
6 Gadgeteer
7 Martial Artist
8 Mentalist
9 Metamorph
10 Mystic
11 Patriot
12 Powered Armor
 
List Roll 12
2 Weapons Master
3 Brick
4 Energy Projector
5 Gadgeteer
6 Martial Artist
7 Mentalist
8 Metamorph
9 Mystic
10 Patriot
11 Powered Armor
12 Speedster
 
 
Superhero Gender Roll
 
Roll 1d6 - Odd Roll Male, Even Roll Female
 
 
Superhero Archetype Characteristics
 
Brick
 
Male Char Female
50 STR 50
15 DEX 18
25 CON 25
14 BODY 10
13 INT 13
10 EGO 11
20 PRE 20
18 COM 18
25 PD 20
15 ED 20
4 SPD 4
15 REC 15
50 END 50
52 STUN 48
Total Characteristics Cost: 150 Points
 
 
Energy Projector
Gadgeteer
Powered Armor
Metamorph
 
Male Char Female
20 STR 15
18 DEX 20
20 CON 18
12 BODY 11
18 INT 18
11 EGO 14
15 PRE 15
18 COM 18
6 PD 5
4 ED 5
4 SPD 4
10 REC 9
50 END 46
32 STUN 28
Total Characteristics Cost: 100 Points
 
 
Energy Projector Powers Template
 
15 Armor +5 rPD +5 rED
50 Multipower (50 Points)
5 u) EB 10d6
5 u) Entangle 5d6
5 u) Force Wall 10 rPD 10 rED
15 EC [Energy]-15 Points
15 1) Flight 10", 8x NCM, or Running +5", 8x NCM, No END (+1/2)
15 2) FF +10 rPD +10 rED, No END (+1/2)
Total Powers Cost: 125 Points
 
 
Metamorph [shrinking] Powers Template
 
Cost Powers
30 Armor +15 rPD +15 rED, Linked [shrinking] (-1/2)
25 EC [shrinking]-25 Points
25 1) Shrinking: Height .125m, Mass .025kg, PER -8, DCV +8, KNB +12", Cost END Only To Activate (+1/4)
25 2) EB 10d6, or Teleport 10", 2x Mass, 8x NCM, No Relative Velocity, Position Shift
20 Flight 10", 8x NCM, Linked [shrinking] (-1/2), or HA +6d6, HTH Attack (-1/2)
Total Powers Cost: 125 Points
 
Powered Armor Template
 
Cost Powers
45 Armor +15 rPD +15 rED
15 EC [Technology]-15 Points
35 1) EB 10d6
15 2) Flight 10", 8x NCM
15 3) STR +30
Total Powers Cost: 125 Points
 
 
Martial Artist
Weapons Master
 
Male Char Female
20 STR 15
18 DEX 20
20 CON 18
12 BODY 11
18 INT 18
11 EGO 14
20 PRE 20
18 COM 18
8 PD 7
6 ED 7
4 SPD 4
8 REC 7
40 END 36
32 STUN 28
Total Characteristics Cost: 100 Points
 
Weapons Master Skills Template
 
Cost Skills
3 Acrobatics 13-
3 Breakfall 13-
8 CSL: Combat +1
3 Concealment 13-
2 Navigation [Ground] 13-
3 Stealth 13-
3 Tactics 13-
Total Skills Cost: 25 Points
 
Weapons Master Powers Template
 
Cost Powers
24 Armor +8 rPD +8 rED
50 Multipower (50 Points)
5 u) Darkness [sight], AE 4"r, Personal Immunity (+1)
5 u) EB 10d6
5 u) EB 5d6, NND [LS: Self Contained] (+1)
5 u) Entangle 5d6 DEF 5
3 u) HA +6d6, HTH Attack (-1/2), No END (+1/2)
8 Running +4"
20 Swinging 10", 8x NCM
Total Powers Cost: 125 Points
 
 
Mentalist
Mystic
 
Male Char Female
20 STR 15
18 DEX 20
20 CON 20
12 BODY 11
13 INT 13
18 EGO 20
15 PRE 15
18 COM 18
6 PD 5
4 ED 5
4 SPD 4
8 REC 7
40 END 40
32 STUN 28
Total Characteristics Cost: 100 Points
 
 
Mentalist Powers Template
 
Cost Powers
15 Armor +5 rPD +5 rED
50 Multipower (50 Points)
5 u) EGO Attack 5d6
5 u) Mind Control 10d6
5 u) Telepathy 10d6
15 EC [Telekinesis]-15 Points
15 1) Flight 10", 8x NCM, or Running +5", 8x NCM, No END (+1/2)
15 2) FF +10 rPD +10 rED, No END (+1/2)
Total Powers Cost: 125 Points
 
 
Mystic Powers Template
 
Cost Powers
15 Armor +5 rPD +5 rED
50 Multipower (50 Points)
5 u) EB 10d6
5 u) Mental Illusions 10d6
5 u) Telepathy 10d6
15 EC [Magic]-15 Points
15 1) Flight 10", 8x NCM, or Teleport 10", 8x NCM
15 2) FF +10 rPD +10 rED, No END (+1/2)
Total Powers Cost: 125 Points
 
 
Patriot
 
Male Char Female
20 STR 15
20 DEX 23
20 CON 18
12 BODY 11
18 INT 18
14 EGO 18
20 PRE 20
18 COM 18
8 PD 7
6 ED 7
4 SPD 4
10 REC 8
50 END 36
35 STUN 28
Total Characteristics Cost: 125 Points
 
Patriot Skills Template
 
Cost Skills
3 Acrobatics 13-
3 Breakfall 13-
3 Bureaucratics 13-
5 CSL: Ranged Combat +1
2 Navigation [Ground] 13-
3 Oratory 13-
3 Paramedic 13-
3 Teamwork 13- (M) or 14- (F)
Total Skills Cost: 25 Points
 
Patriot Powers Template
 
Cost Powers
15 Armor +5 rPD +5 rEd
15 EC [Kinetic Energy]-15 Points
35 1) EB 10d6
15 2) FF +10 rED +10 rED, No END (+1/2)
20 Leaping +10", 8x NCM, or Running +5", 8x NCM
Total Powers Cost: 100 Points
 
Patriot Disadvantages Template
 
150+ Disadvantages
10 DNPC: Love Interest (Normal) 8-
10 Hunted: Arch Enemy (As Powerful) 8-
20 PsyL: Code of the Hero (Very Common/Strong)
20 PsyL: Superpatriot (Common/Total)
10 SocL: Public Identity (Occasionally/Major)
30 Vuln: Ambushes/Treacherous Attacks, 2x STUN (Very Common)
Total Disadvantages Cost: 250 Points
 
Speedster
 
Male Char Female
20 STR 15
23 DEX 26
20 CON 18
12 BODY 11
13 INT 13
11 EGO 14
15 PRE 15
18 COM 18
6 PD 5
4 ED 5
6 SPD 6
10 REC 8
50 END 46
32 STUN 28
Total Characteristics Cost: 125 Points
 
 
Speedster Powers Template
 
Cost Powers
15 Armor +5 rPD +5 rED
15 EC [superspeed]-15 Points
35 1) EB 10d6
20 2) Flight 15", 8x NCM, Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4)
15 3) FF +10 rPD +10 rED, No END (+1/2)
Total Powers Cost: 100 Points
 
 
Under Construction

"Universal Skills": +10 Overall Skill Lvls (120 ap); Only To Use A Skill Not Possessed (Extraordinary Skill Roll Penalty Requirement; -2). 40 cp.
 
The character can make an Extraordinary Skill Roll (-10) using the appropriate Characteristic (DEX, INT, PRE, etc.) to use a skill that is not possessed by the PC.

"Everyone's a hero in there own way, in there own not that heroic way."
~ Captain Hammer

Armsmaster: (Total: 15 Active Cost, 6 Real Cost) +3 OCV (15 Active Points); Limited Power Only to counter penalty for non familiarity (-1 1/2) (Real Cost: 6)
 
 

Super Agility: (Total: 55 Active Cost, 23 Real Cost)
Breakfall 13- (Real Cost: 3)
plus Combat Driving 13-, Usable As: Combat Piloting (+1/4) (4 Active Points) (Real Cost: 4)
plus Stealth 13- (Real Cost: 3)
plus Flight 7m, Position Shift, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Variable Advantage (+1/4 Advantages; Limited Group of Advantages: Mostly "Usable As ____"; +1/2), Usable As Attack (+3/4), Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Recipient must remain close to Grantor, Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates; +1 1/4) (45 Active Points); Limited Power Only to simulate Agility Skills (-1), Requires A Roll (13- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4), no Noncombat movement (-1/4) (Real Cost: 13)
 
Most Agility Skills except Breakfall, Stealth, and Combat Driving and Piloting, can be simulated by Moveent Powers.
Climbing: Clinging
Acrobatics: Flight
Contortionist: Teleport
Lockpick: Tunneling
Fast Draw and Sleight of Hand: Teleport, Usable as Attack on the object in question
 
 

Super Intellect: (Total: 67 Active Cost, 27 Real Cost)
Analyze: Anything! 13-, Variable Special Effects (Any SFX; +1/2) (4 Active Points) (Real Cost: 4)
plus Paramedics 13- (Real Cost: 3)
plus Inventor 13- (Real Cost: 3)
plus Detect A Large Class Of Things: Answer to any question an Intellectual Skill could answer 13- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Tracking (25 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Sense Affected As More Than One Sense [very common Sense] (Usually has to see things ; -1/2), Nonpersistent (-1/4) (Real Cost: 9)
plus Major Transform 1d6+1, Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX: Intellectual Skill Effects; +1/4), Improved Results Group (+1/4), Variable Advantage (+1/2 Advantages; +1) (32 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Requires A Roll (13- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1/2), Inaccurate (1/2 OCV; -1/4), Limited Power Only to simulate Intellectual Skills (-1/4) (Real Cost: 8)
 
Most Intellect Skills come down to one of two things:
Know Stuff; "Which way did the person/beast/vehicle I'm tracking go?" or "Where can I put this bug to both hear clearly and be undiscovered?" If Detect can be used to "Detect answer to math problem" (see how Lightning Calculator was built) then it should work for any intellectual question.
Change Stuff: "Render this trap/alarm/bomb harmless" or "Alter my own or someone else's features or voice" and that calls for a Transform.
 

Animal Friendship alone is 20 pts. You want both Animal and People Friendship for 30?
 

For 5 pts, I can just increase STR.
 
 
 
I don't find "Optional Combat Maneuvers" on the Skill list.
 
Lucius Alexander
 
I find a palindromedary tagline under my post

In Ultimate Skill/Hero System skills, in addition to Universal Translator, other universal skill enhancers are suggested, including: True Jack of All Trades, Universal Connections, Universal Pilot, Universal Scholar, and Universal Scientist.  Logically, a few more could be created:
Universal Armsman--the character is familiar with the vast majority of weapons, and can become familiar with new ones with a skill roll. 20 points.
Universal Agility--the character can perform any Agility(dex-based) skill.  This should probably cost 30 points, not 20.
Universal Intellect--the character can perform any Intellect skill.  Also should probably cost 30 points.
Universal Charisma--the character can perform any interaction skill.  30 points.  
Universal Martial Artist--the character is familiar with the most common martial arts maneuvers, and can learn new ones with a skill roll.  40 points, extra damage classes cost 5 points, not 4.
Combat Mastery--the character can perform other combat skills(Autofire skills, Defense maneuver, Rapid Attack, Two Weapon Fighting, Optional Combat Maneuvers) and learn new ones with a skill roll. 30 points.  
 
The total cost of all 12 "Universal" skills, base, would be 300 points.  So, pretty expensive.  But if you want to "clean up" a character sheet and not clutter it with dozens of specific skills, or if you want to run a campaign where a super-scientist basically knows all the sciences, or a super martial artist basically knows most martial arts, it's probably a nice clean way to do it.  
 
 

I make cosplays, here is my Reinhardt

Pegasus40218- a board member came up with tactical notes mostly like this-
 
A character can stand up as part of an Abort ("Get to one's feet" being a 1/2 Phase Maneuver that has the defensive benefit of improving the character's DCV from 1/2 DCV for being Prone).    Ask the GM to fully describe the SFX, any "wind up" for various maneuvers, various "tells" required by activation Limitations on their abilities, and similar in-game details pertaining to the opponents' actions not only informs tactical decisions, it also results in a much better described and higher quality mental picture of an encounter. And that's just beneficial to good roleplaying, plain and simple.   Similarly that amount of detail makes opponents far more memorable and is particularly advantageous and enriching to the game in the case of reoccurring NPC's.   KNOW THE TERRAIN   The terrain is either your greatest ally or your greatest enemy. More battles have been affected by terrain and environment than any other consideration. Pay attention to the details of the battleground du jour, taking full advantage of sight lines, cover, concealment, avenues of approach, useful objects, and high ground. Use it to your own advantage, deprive advantages to the opposition, and be mindful of hazards. Ask the GM to describe the scene in detail and if not playing on a battlemap, draw a quick abstract sketch and ask the GM if it's accurate. Understanding where things are at in relation to each other is very important, particularly for highly mobile characters.   MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS   Pay attention to events in play. Be aware of where characters are in relation to each other, who has yet to act in a Phase, who has acted in a Phase, and be particularly alert to unexpected opportunities that transpire.   TIMING   Combat is all about timing. Doing the exact same move with the exact same rolls can be brilliant or stupid, all based upon timing. Assuming you Know the System, Your Character, Your Enemy, and the Terrain, you have a plethora of tools in your character's toolbox at your disposal, but without understanding when it is a good idea to use which one it amounts to naught. Some players have a tendency to find one or two actions that work for them and then just blindly apply them to every situation regardless of whether it is appropriate or not. Don't get hung up on a particular stunt or trick. It's not a question of Holding, or Aborting, or Maneuvering, or Alpha-striking, or what have you. All are good options for characters of various designs, but only when timing favors them. Similarly some players have abilities that are only useful in certain circumstances, but they try to use them in situations where they are not appropriate, or success with them is not auspicious. Growing frustrated by failure, the player then disregards the ability and never uses it again. It's like getting frustrated when a wrench fails to drive a screw, and subsequently never using the wrench even when presented with a bolt that needs to be tightened. A good chunk of solid tactics is simply using the right tool at the right time.   RISK MANAGEMENT   An important corollary to tactics is managing your character's risk. Blindly charging about doing dangerous things without a commensurate potential for payoff only works for so long. It's all well and good to take risks, but remember to Cover Your Ass (CYA). Understand when the situation is conducive to employing an all out attack, when it is conducive to holding back, when an all out defense is necessary, and when you should gain space to recover. In a larger sense you should also consider risk to your character's teammates and allies, if any. Sometimes the best thing to do in the bigger picture is to "take one for the team" to protect a crucial teammate, or to set another teammate up. OPPORTUNISM Sometimes events occur that are irregular, unplanned for, unpredictable. It is often worth extra risk to capitalize on these unexpected opportunities. In militaristic jargon this is known as "targets of opportunity". When opponents unexpectedly lower their DCV, turn their back to the character, suffer a fumble, take an action early in a Phase (and thus briefly lose their ability to Abort), have to change clips, or otherwise suffer a momentary impediment it is tactically sound to exploit the opportunity. Characters with "Code of the HERO",  "Honorable", and similar Disadvantages may not be able to capitalize on such boons, but other characters certainly can.   TACTICAL TENETS   Tactics are essentially fluid and situational so it is basically impossible to codify them into  inviolate strictures without rendering them counterproductive. For tactics to remain viable they must remain flexible and agile. However, there are some general rules of thumb that will serve you well in a HERO System combat.   DON'T BE A ROCK EM SOCK EM ROBOT   Do not have your characters just stand around hitting and getting hit. Not only is this boring, it uses like 1% of the Combat System. You might as well just roll dice randomly to kill time, if that's all you want to do. Move around, use Manuevers, Abort to defensive actions intelligently, use things in play to springboard off of, get creative. Combat doesn't have to be a race to the last hit point.   HOLD YOUR PHASE 12 All HERO System combats start on Phase 12. This gives everyone a chance to go in the same Phase and prevents slower characters from getting bent over a barrel before they get a chance to do anything. It is all too tempting to start off the combat with a bang and rip loose with an all out attack, but unless you can totally devastate the opposition or have defenses that are so good you can weather the return fire it is a mistake. Hold your action and be prepared to take evasive / defensive action if necessary. Let your opponent show their hand first, and if possible counter punch after they have committed themselves to something.- EXCEPTION: PREEMPTIVE STRIKE
 
If your character happens to know that the opposition has an attack that is so powerful allowing them to use it results in something between an unfavorable trade and total catastrophe, then by all means take them out first even if it means going in Phase 12.
 
EXCEPTION: HIGH ENDURANCE COST ABILITY If your character has an attack that has a non-negligible Endurance cost, then use it before the end of Segment 12 if possible so that the free Post Segment 12 REC will help defray it's cost.
 
ONE IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH aka "Kick em when they are down"
 
A lot of players are used to games without a clean "STUN" concept, and once opponents go down they stay down. Not so in the HERO System. While "agents" or "mooks" might stay down at the GM's option, notable characters get Recoveries and will stand back up again if allowed to regain their composure. It's amazing how even players that have been playing HERO's for a while seem to forget this. When a tough opponent gets staggered or goes below 0 STUN hit 'em again to make sure they stay down (unless it runs against your character's roleplaying of course). LOW DCV = SWEEP, HIGH DCV = OTHER OPTIONS Once they are exposed to the idea and see how it works, many a player becomes enamored of Sweep and Rapid Fire (same mechanic), and proceed to use the Maneuver every chance they get without recourse to the consequences. This is a mistake that they are easily made to pay for as their DCV drops to half and they subsequently get drubbed by return fire. Which isn't to say that Sweep and Rapid Fire aren't good options. They are fantastic options in general, but they favor characters that have lower DCV and higher OCV via combat levels. The lower the character's DCV to begin with, the less impact dropping to 1/2 DCV is. Characters with high DCV should pursue other options to increase their volume of attacks such as Multiple Power Attacks, Autofire, or taking advantage of Two Weapon Fighting to reduce the DCV penalty of Sweep / Rapid Fire. For some characters Spreading is another useful option for affecting more than one opponent, but this has bigger ramifications and is discussed independently below. SEGMENTS (1, 5 ,7, 11) According to the Speed Chart that drives combat's flow, fewer SPD values get actions on Segments 1, 5, 7, and 11 making these Phases ideal for taking Held Actions, particularly if your character has a follow-up action in the Segment immediately following. Its also useful to set up Haymakers to end in 5, 7, and 11 (not so much 1 due to crossing Post-Segment 12). Hold to the end of 4, 6, or 10 and start a Haymaker, and let it land in 5,7, or 11.  
 
TWO-FOR-ONE SPECIAL
 
Using one action to take out two opponents, particularly in a case where one is adjacent (in HtH range) and the other isn't, is a very effective tactic. There are several ways to do this.
 
KNOCKBACK RICOCHET Not in the main rulebook, but clarified in the Rules FAQ and later publications (such as the aforementioned Combat Handbook), a character can Knockback an opponent in such a way as to hit a third character. This requires a to-hit roll using only the attackers base OCV vs. the third character's DCV.
 
PITCHING ENEMIES
 
Similarly, though not as efficiently, it is possible to throw an opponent that has already been grabbed in a previous Phase at another character.
 
SHOVE
 
The Martial Maneuver Shove is quite useful in this regard -- you can Shove one character some distance and into another, also gaining some movement yourself. It is also one of the easier ways to move opponents around against their will, and all in all a very under utilized Maneuver.  
 
MARTIAL MANEUVERS AND MULTIPLE POWER ATTACKS
 
Martial Maneuvers built on different bases can be used together as a Multiple Power Attack to pull off very efficient actions like Nerve Strike + Take Away + Leg Sweep and other such devastating combos. If one is prone to watching Kung Fu movies, a lot of the crazier stunts seen therein are most closely modeled in the HERO System via creative combinations of MPA'd Martial Maneuvers.
 
SPREADING
 
A frequently overlooked gem of a rule, Spreading allows a character to either trade damage classes for extra OCV, or more commonly to trade damage classes to make a non-AoE attack into a small AoE. I've seen innumerable players with characters that could spread their attacks never use the option. There is even an option to allow characters to Spread their Strength, which is a very useful trick. Beg your GM to allow it, but beware the opposition using it on you.
 
KEEP YOUR ENEMIES WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM aka "don't turn your back on a loaded gun"
 
If possible, try to position your character so that no enemies are behind them, particularly if the character has a high DCV and lower defenses.
 
DEFENSE MANEUVER
 
Failing that, if it is at all justifiable for your character's concept, get Defense Maneuver IV. It's just about the best spent 10 points you'll likely have on your sheet.
 
TARGETABLE FOCI aka "How many points did you save with that Focus again?"
 
Don't forget you can target Foci. Even if a Focus is indestructible (most aren't), you can knock it loose if it's Accessible and thus deprive an opponent of whatever abilities were purchased via the Focus.
 
CONCEALMENT
 
When using the Terrain to ones own advantage, Concealment is often available. Use it.
 
SHIELD OF OPPORTUNITY
 
If the situation presents itself and your character is taking ranged fire, feel free to rip up or grab some appropriately useful object and use it as a Tower Shield to provide concealment and if the GM is kind some extra DEF. INTERPOSING In a situation where some opponents are close in to fight in HtH, and other opponents are standing off to use Ranged attacks try to maneuver in such a way to keep the closer HtH opponents between your character and the ranged opponents.
 
DROPPING PRONE
 
When receiving ranged fire, and assuming no opponents are inconveniently close to melee range, don't forget that you can Drop Prone as a 0 Phase Action, which is combinable with an Abort to Dodge or similar. This is not exactly the same as Dive For Cover, though you do go to 1/2 DCV for being prone. The advantages of doing so are three fold; first off unlike D4C there is no DEX Roll involved, secondly if you don't abort to it but do it on your own Phase it can be combined with other Actions (such as Full Move, Drop Prone), and finally you benefit from any Concealment which can either impose an OCV penalty on a shooter or even prevent them from firing at your character at all if they can no longer see you.
 
AERIAL SUPERIORITY
 
Ideally you want to keep enemies on the ground and your character or allies that have the capability off the ground. It is almost always a smart tactical move to ground an opponent or to get oneself or an ally off the ground.
 
ALTITUDE
 
An efficient tactic for characters able to gain altitude via some fashion is to get above an opponent and shoot from above them, seeking to do downward Knockback. This gains three things if successful; firstly the opponent takes damage from the initial attack, secondly they lose altitude at a disfavorable rate (it takes 2" to go up 1" for most forms of movement, but Knockback is 1 for 1), and thirdly enough Knockback will put them into the ground for more damage (and if they are Flying, Gliding, or Swinging they take an extra d6 of Knockback).
 
FMOVE IS YOUR FRIEND
 
Full Move (FMove) Maneuvers are great because they frequently allow your character to take three or more 1/2 Phase Actions in a single Full Phase. That's just good Action Economy no matter how you slice it. The three FMove Standard Maneuvers (Move By, Move Thru, and Grab By) are all decent, but the FMove Martial Maneuvers are all worth their weight and several are among the best Maneuvers in the game.  Whether your character has the Martial versions or must rely on the Standard ones, get familiar with them and apply that knowledge liberally.
 
CLUSTER****
 
This probably goes without saying, but if your character has a respectable AoE or Autofire and several opponents clump together in nice tight little kill radius, it might be a good idea to shift gears from what you were planning on doing that Phase and taking advantage of the opportunity to punish them for it.
 
CHANNELING
 
Similarly, it is possible to arrange a battlefield to force opponents to clump up for AoE's, and it is also possible to push them together over time via intersecting lines of fire that leave a seemingly safe pocket somewhere. The opposition naturally finds their way into this pocket and then blammo. In games with more unusual abilities this can also be accomplished by using abilities like Force Wall, Darkness, and Change Environment to render areas undesirable or off limits, forcing foes to group up. Knockback and Throws can also be used to cluster opponents; several allies could all deposit an opponent into a tight area to set a blaster or equivalent up for a big finish, for instance.
 
SWITCH UP
 
Often a GM will present a group of opponents that are individually well suited to facing off against one or more PC's. If the GM then engages the PC's individually with these mini-nemesis and the PC's get stuck in with them accordingly, it can make for a long fight. Let the GM have a little fun, but after about a TURN or so consider having your character deliberately disrupt the pairings. Cheapshot an opponent that is giving a comrade a hard time of it, freeing your ally to either finish them off or in turn helping out another ally (maybe even you). This is good tactics (it's never smart to fight your enemies battle), but on the other hand it can be frustrating to the GM, so use responsibly.
 
DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO
 
If for some reason you aren't sure what to do, or no particularly worthwhile target is presenting itself then 1/2 Move and Hold a 1/2 Phase. Consider it your filler action of choice. If you frequently find yourself with nothing to do it's possible you need to reevaluate the character and either get an ability that takes time to use like Find Weakness or Aid so that you can translate all those extra actions into something useful, or perhaps lower your SPD and recoup some points. Alternately you might just be indecisive, which you are on your own to resolve.
- 

I get the point you are making but my first thought when reading your post was "Playing Batman would still be pretty fun".
 

Amen! I always use simplified character sheets that focus on playability and leave out most of the math. (You need to know AP cost for Adjustment Powers, but most of the other numbers are irrelevant once play starts.) If I need to reference the mechanics in mid-session, I can always pull up the HD file for reference.
 
Yeah, that's always a challenge when introducing players that are used to D&D/Pathfinder/et.al.  A few thoughts:
One advantage of most class/level systems is that combat and noncombat abilities are segregated to an extent and don't really "compete" with each other: you go up a level and your combat stats go up by "x" and you have "y" points for skills, etc. But in Hero, every point you put into, say, languages is literally one less point you have for combat skills. That can really encourage min-maxing if the players get focused on that rather than on building three dimensional character. One way to counter that is to start with the "tell me about your character concept" discussion before anyone goes near actual mechanics; get them thinking about their character as a character first, rather than a collection of stats. Be absolutely clear that the maximums include skill levels & bonuses, not just the base, and that you will be very stingy about granting exceptions. In fact, you may want to call them "parameters" or something instead, since guidelines implies optional adherence. One trick I've seen is to ask each player "what is your character the best at?" and allow them to exceed the guidelines in that one area only. So if the character's concept is "strongest man in the room" then he's allowed a STR that maxes out or exceeds the guidelines, but he couldn't also buy his OCV or INT above the guidelines. Then if another player wants a STR above the guidelines (initially or with later XP) you can play the "I'm concerned you're going to step on Bob's Strongest Man schtick" card. I have sometimes required that PCs put a minimum number of points (typically 10) into Background Skills. I don't have to worry about this with my current group of players (Thanks guys!), but for some players it really forces them to think about their character as a person. And they don't have to worry about putting themselves at a disadvantage by "wasting" those points, because everyone has to do the same thing. Don't forget the "min" half of min-maxing: occasionally put the characters in situations where they're put at a disadvantage for having below-average abilities. You don't have to be a dick about it - in fact, you can sometimes play it for laughs to the players don't feel you're picking on them. And you don't want to overdo it, unless you really want all your PCs to trend toward the middle of the bell curve. But at least once in awhile, highlight the fact that choosing to minimize certain areas will put them at a disadvantage. Lastly, few things are more frustrating as a player than to have your combat monkey sitting on the sidelines for 2 hours watching the more well-rounded characters handle the interact-and-investigate phase. So when a player drafts an all combat PC, say "I see this game as including a fair amount of investigation and interacting with NPCs outside of combat. I'm not sure what this character will have to do during those scenes, and I don't want you to be bored. How do you see your character contributing in between fights?" The catch here is, are they playing that way because that's all they know? Or because that really is what they like to play? Part of the GM-Player contract is that you'll do your best to run a game that everyone will enjoy (including yourself of course). It may be they're used to games where points in noncombat skills are essentially wasted, in which case you need to reiterate that not all problems in your campaign will be solvable by fighting, and then reward them when they use those skills.
 
On the other hand, it may be that they really just want to play a series of combats and regard everything in between as filler. If that's the game they really want to play, trying to change their style of play can be an exercise in frustration for everyone! I point to the comic Full Frontal Nerdity, where the GM is always trying to run these thematic, role-play heavy games with lots of character interaction and drama...but his players just want to kill things and get more powerful. And after every game, he's surprised and disappointed that the players didn't play it the way he wanted them to. That's a fundamental disconnect that in real life will kill a game group quicker than anything. So have that conversation up front and find a middle ground that everyone can live with.

My biggest epiphany in teaching people to play HERO has been treating the provided character sheet simply as a building sheet and designing a sheet that hides most of the numbers not needed often in gameplay, that uses words to describe powers rather than game terms, and has some design features that tie the sheet into the genre being played (even if that was simply a decent font).
 
This is a long-standing rant of mine.  game designers spend forever thinking of the mechanics and getting the rule book right and then seem to ruch out whatever black and white set of boxes with numbers in it that will suffice to hold the details the GM requires.
 
The character sheet is the players window to the system and the game.  The character sheet is the primary way in which the game designers must hook the players with the system and genre they are peddling.  We deserve better!  
 
I would say the first sheet that put me on this loop was Justice Inc - it screamed pulp to me.  That was pre-cheap printing and PC design tools...so much could be done now.

...aaaand done! The Canaanite Mythology chapter of Mythic Hero is finished. It clocked in at a shade over 6,000 words.


 


I had initially intended to move on to Incan Mythology next, but I think I have enough books out here in the RV to stay in the Near East and polish off the Hittite Mythology chapter. Or if not, at least I'll get the foundations laid before I head off to South America.

Sorry, but I'm afraid not. Even if it remains my primary work focus for the foreseeable future -- and I intend for it to -- there's still a lot of work left. But I'm going to finish it, come Hell* or high water.
 
Fortunately, with the exception of Celtic, the "big" mythoi are all behind me. Most of what I have left is comparatively minor -- though that doesn't mean that I can skimp on the research for any of them. Sometimes even a small mythos requires a lot of reading.
 
Here's what I have left to do, roughly speaking:
 
1. Research and write all the chapters for mythoi I haven't yet covered.
2. Read all my "general" books on mythology. In some cases this will mean skimming through a book, in others I will have to read through reference books one entry at a time looking for obscure gods I've missed somehow. So it'll take awhile.
3. Read all the mythology books I've acquired since I began work that I haven't yet read. This will serve as a way to go back through the book and "double-check" to make sure I've got things right (in a sense, #2 fulfills this purpose as well).
4. At this point, with the manuscript finished (including appendices), I can contemplate running a Kickstarter for the project. Preparing for that will require some work, of course.
5. Getting the artwork and layout done. Then I have to do the Index, which is going to be an absolute nightmare due to all the weird names and words used.
6. Getting the book printed, shipped to me, and then shipped out to KS backers and whatnot.
 
So, like I said, a lot left to do. But I'm having an absolute ball working on this book, and do not intend to stop.
 
*:  Or other underworld of your choice.

...aaaand done! The Hawaiian Mythology chapter of Mythic Hero is now complete. Clocking in at 28,000 words, it features five gods with character sheets, dozens of others without, a whole mess of heroes, several monsters, and a complete system of Hawaiian magic.


 


Well, OK, to be fair, I have three or four more books I want to read -- but for some damn fool reason I didn't bring them out to the RV along with all the others. So I'll take care of that this summer after I'm back in the house.


 


On to the next chapter: Canaanite Mythology! A somewhat broad and sometimes vague topic, but I think I can handle it. That oughtta be enough to hold me until I'm back in the house, but if not I have books on Incan and Inuit mythology out here too.

I have the odd notion that we should be able to model a crowbar almost purely with skill levels (though needed to look in the rulebook to check current rules)
 
How about
 
Crowbar:  4 overall levels, only to increase damage or with skills that could be enhanced with use of a crowbar (-2), OAF (-1)
 
It potentially looks a bit expensive (12 points) but maybe not for the value...
 
Doc

Operate a Crow Bar: (Total: 5 Active Cost, 5 Real Cost)
Animal Handler (Birds) 11- (Real Cost: 2)
<b>plus</b>
Fringe Benefit: License to serve alcohol (Real Cost: 1)
<b>plus</b>
Contact: A Scarecrow (to act as bouncer) 11- (Real Cost: 2)
 
Lucius Alexander
 
The palindromedary says my business plan is for the birds and I'll end up eating crow

Cost        Powers
7                 Crowbar: Multipower, 15-points reserve; all slots OAF (-1)
1u               1) Prying: +15 STR; OAF (-1), Only For Prying/Leverage-Based Tasks (-½)
1u               2) Use As A Blunt Instrument: HA +3d6; OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-½)
1u               3) Sharp Prongs: HKA 1d6 (2d6 with STR); OAF (-1)
 
Total Cost: 10-points

Transformers Fall of Cybertron (Game Movie-Full Length):
 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=htP-ohk2nmg

Oh, they're on a table, shot with a phone, and a light bulb behind. In the first picture I thought they were flying through a super structure tube with a borg cube chasing them.
 
Good job on the origami