Steve

Re: Relinking Figured Characteristics

Re: Relinking Figured Characteristics

Re: Relinking Figured Characteristics Thanks for the comments all. I've never really participated in the Great Figured Characteristic Debate before, but I had the idea for relinking strike me, and I didn't find this particular option discussed before (and I did look). You know how it is. Sometimes you have an idea for the system that you have to toss out and see how the wolves savage it. It sounds like I need to go back to the drawing board and study the numbers a bit more on spreadsheets. I didn't mention changing any of the figured characteristics cost multipliers, since I wasn't sure what might be a good adjustment to them. Stun costing 1/2 a point per point maybe? Recovery at one point per point?

Re: The Stormtrooper Effect Well, while I called it the Stormtrooper Effect, I wasn't intending to lock it into a Star Wars line of thinking. Good comments from everyone though.

Heresy time here... Strength has long been argued as being too cheap for what it costs compared to what it provides. Some have proposed that it be upped in cost to 2 points. The reason why I believe this is unworkable is because it is a system kuldge that flies in the face of the 5pts/DC costing method that attack powers generally work on in Hero (with Ego Attacks and Drains working against limited forms of defense, so 10 pts/DC). So, what to do? It was while I was thinking about this that I came to the conclusion that tinkering with figured characteristics was a better answer. If you drop Strength from affecting any figured characteristics, then it functions like a no-range energy blast that also affects lifting capacity. It can't be spread, but a strong character can pick up a large object and wield their strength as an area effect attack. I can already hear the gasps of outrage from some. What about Hand-To-Hand Attack? What about Leaping distance? What would you link to the figured characteristics instead of Strength? Let's walk through the questions, leaving the last one as the heart of my analysis. 1) What about Hand-To-Hand Attack? Well, it is a power that increases a character's non-killing damage in HTH combat. It functions as a non-lethal form of Hand-To-Hand Killing Attack and currently has a rather kludgy limitation applied to it. I would propose changing it to something more like an Energy Blast, a straight 5 pts/DC, maybe with a -1/4 Limitation on it at most to reflect that it doesn't affect lifting ability but better a -0. 2) What about Leaping? Well, let's look at a bodybuilder, say Arnold in his Mr. Universe days. He's very strong, but I don't see him as being able to jump as high as his Strength score would indicate. Since Leaping is pretty cheap already as a movement power, cutting the link from Strength is not illogical. 3) Well, okay smart guy, what would you link to the figured characteristics instead? Here's where I run some numbers and options. PD: Currently uses Strength/5 as a base. I would propose using Body/5 as a base, since it reflects a certain toughness and physical durability already. Plus, Body currently only affects one figured characteristic, which makes it seem a bit costly for a damage tracking characteristic. Alternately, Constitution could be used, but that would load a lot of figured characteristics on one primary, so I would propose raising the cost of Constitution to x3 in this case. REC: Currently uses Strength/5 plus Constitution/5 as a base. If we drop Strength from the calculation, an easy formula substitution would be to use Constitution/2 as the new base. With Endurance calculated as Constitution x2, it would take four Recoveries to return to full, so there is a slight boost here, since an alternative formula would be Constitution/5 and then doubled, which is a bit kludgy to me. STUN: Currently uses one of the most complex formulae for a figured characteristic, with Body+Strength/2+Constitution/2. I came up with two viable options here. The first would be to use Bodyx2, and the second would be to use Bodyx1.5 plus Constitution/2. Now, I would also propose one more link breakage, to have Dexterity no longer affect Speed. The torches are probably lighting up now. Consider this, a character buys a 15 Dexterity and a Speed of 3. Or a character buys a 24 Dexterity and a 4 Speed. In both cases, Speed is not left at the base amounts but upped to the next point since it only costs a few character points. If that first point of Speed isn't bought, then a player has left a slight innefficiency in the design, which is all right. But why does it have to be that way? If Dexterity is lowered to 2 points per point and Speed starts with a base of 2, then the cost of the DEX/SPD purchase is the same as it is now. If I buy a 15 Dexterity and a 3 Speed, I spend 20 points. Under the suggested alternative costing, it is still 20 points. Well, I'm off to don my flame-retardant suit now.

Sometimes known as Inverse Artillery Accuracy or the Mook Factor, the more bad guys that are shooting at a character, the less likely they are to hit him. And even if shot, it doesn't seem to hit an area that significantly handicaps him. This is not as big a problem in superhero games, since agents tend to be much lower in CV than the PCs, but it becomes more of an issue in Heroic-level games. How have you dealt with protraying this in your campaigns?

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman I'm glad you liked the character write-up. This is pretty much how I tried to portray her. She is no man-hater, and she has left a string of ex-lovers behind her due to her lack of desire for long-term relationships, such as the Valdorian smith who forged the sword she carries in her experienced version. I agree that she would not use her body to gain advantage, a side-effect of her moral code, since she sees herself as a warrior first and a woman second. Also, while she is a mercenary who sells her skills with a sword for coin, her moral code also tends to put her at odds with villainous sorts such as black sorcerers, vicious bullies who prey on the weak, and so on. She is a woman who is content to make her way alone in the world, but she does enjoy the company of men of good character, which are likely rarer in the Valdorian Age.

Re: Valdorian Age You have to make up a custom template to do it. This is a quickie one I did that starts all primaries at 8. I also added in the Disengage maneuver from the sword martial arts in the book, since it was not a standard maneuver.

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman Heroes in Valdorian Age are 75+75 characters, but they start with 8s in their primary characteristics instead of 10s.

Re: Building Powers based of skill? You might want to check out The Valdorian Age for ideas on how to construct these powers. There is a section on fighting tricks that seems tailor-made for what you are looking for. Two common limitations would be OIF (sword of opportunity) and Requires A Skill Roll (something like Fighting Tricks). That's a -1 in Limitations total right there.

Re: Valdorian Age Now that is an interesting idea for a linkage to the past. Continents may rise and fall, and the face of the Earth may change, but Elweir lives forever, a sinkhole of depravity and crime that the gods avoid due to its wickedness. In this case, the new gods of the Earth, superhumans, subconsciously avoid Hudson City, the current incarnation of Elweir.

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman Ah, I see what you mean now. Yes, Marna is a manslayer, but she is not a man-hating warrior woman. She's actually a cross among three archetypes from the Valdorian Age book: The Barbarian, The Deadliest Man Alive, and The Woman In A Man's World. She's the Deadliest Barbarian Woman In A Man's World, so to speak. I'm glad you liked the character. I have ideas for a few others that I will be posting in the future.

Re: Valdorian Age You know, the funny thing is that I can sort of see that. Imagine some sword-wielding vigilante haunting the streets of Elweir, killing evildoers. I wonder what a Valdorian Age version of Harbinger would be like?

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman Thanks. I got the idea for it from the Marvel Comics character Red Sonja and a Dark Champions super-skill. They have a power called "Lightning-Swift Warrior" in the book, and I combined that idea with some limitations taken from the "Berserker" power in Fantasy Hero. When Marna has a sword in hand, she is like a figure out of legend, almost an unstoppable killing machine. She can't use the extra phase to take a recovery or use a non-combat skill, just attack with lethal skill. I'm thinking of doing a male counterpart for her, maybe a barbarian from Khor or a Valdorian nobleman of some kind.

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman Thanks. She was partially inspired by the picture I used. Makes me wonder how many other characters are inspired by peices of artwork.

Marna the Manslayer - Beginning Version [b]Marna Alone - Starting Version[/b] [b][u]VAL[/u] [u]CHA[/u] [u]Cost[/u] [u]Total[/u] [u]Roll[/u] [u]Notes[/u][/b] 13 STR 5 13 12- HTH Damage 2 1/2d6 END [3] 15 DEX 21 15/17 12- OCV 5/6 DCV 5/6 13 CON 10 13 12- 12 BODY 8 12 11- 8 INT 0 8 11- PER Roll 11- 8 EGO 0 8 11- ECV: 3 13 PRE 5 13 12- PRE Attack: 2 1/2d6 18 COM 5 18 13- 6 PD 3 6 6 PD (0 rPD) 5 ED 2 5 5 ED (0 rED) 3 SPD 5 3/4 Phases: 4, 8, 12/3, 6, 9, 12 6 REC 0 6 30 END 2 30 30 STUN 4 30 6 RUN 0 6" END [1] 2 SWIM 0 2" END [1] 3 LEAP 0 2 1/2" 2 1/2" forward, 1" upward [b]CHA Cost: 70[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]POWERS[/u][/b] 7 [b][i]She-Demon With A Sword[/i][/b]: (Total: 16 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) +1 SPD (10 Active Points); Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2) (Real Cost: 5) [b]plus[/b] +2 DEX (6 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2), Linked (SPD; -1/2), Only Affects Her DEX with Swords (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2) - END=0 [b]POWERS Cost: 7[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]MARTIAL ARTS[/u][/b] Sword Skill 4 1) Counterstrike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block 4 2) Disarm: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; 23 STR to Disarm roll 4 3) Disengage: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 28 STR vs. Binds 4 4) Parry: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort 4 5) Trap: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Bind, 23 STR [b]MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 20[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]SKILLS[/u][/b] 4 +2 with swords 1 Gambling (Dice Games) 8- 0 Language: Elothian (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 2 Navigation (Land) 11- 2 PS: Soldier 11- 3 Riding 12- 2 Survival (Arctic/Subarctic) 11- 9 Sword Tricks 14- 3 Tracking 11- 3 Traveler 4 1) AK: Amyklai (5 Active Points) 13- 1 2) AK: The Crumble (2 Active Points) 11- 5 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Staffs [b]SKILLS Cost: 39[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]TALENTS[/u][/b] 10 Divine Favor 4 Rapid Healing [b]TALENTS Cost: 14[/b] [b][u]Value[/u] [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b] 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima No Age Restriction 10 Distinctive Features: Tall, Athletic, Beautiful Woman (Easily Concealed; Always Noticed and Causes Lust; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Enraged: When abilities or skills questioned because she is a woman (Common), go 11-, recover 14- 10 Psychological Limitation: Loner (Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Moral Code (Common, Strong) 15 Social Limitation: Barbarian (Very Frequently, Minor) 10 Social Limitation: Woman In A Man's World (Very Frequently, Minor) [b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 75[/b] Base Pts: 75 Exp Required: 0 Total Exp Available: 0 Exp Unspent: 0 Total Character Cost: 150 This is the version of her when she started out at sixteen, young and eager to see the world.

[b]Marna the Manslayer - Marna Alone[/b] [b][u]VAL[/u] [u]CHA[/u] [u]Cost[/u] [u]Total[/u] [u]Roll[/u] [u]Notes[/u][/b] 18 STR 10 18 13- HTH Damage 3 1/2d6 END [4] 18 DEX 30 18/21 13- OCV 6/7 DCV 6/7 18 CON 20 18 13- 15 BODY 14 15 12- 13 INT 5 13 12- PER Roll 12- 14 EGO 12 14 12- ECV: 5 20 PRE 12 20 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 20 COM 6 20 13- 7 PD 3 7/10 7/10 PD (0/3 rPD) 6 ED 2 6/9 6/9 ED (0/3 rED) 4 SPD 12 4/5 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12/3, 5, 8, 10, 12 8 REC 0 8 40 END 2 40 40 STUN 7 40 7 RUN 0 7" END [2] 2 SWIM 0 2" END [1] 4 LEAP 0 4" 4" forward, 2" upward [b]CHA Cost: 135[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]POWERS[/u][/b] 8 [b][i]She-Demon With A Sword[/i][/b]: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 8 Real Cost) +1 SPD (10 Active Points); Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2) (Real Cost: 5) [b]plus[/b] +3 DEX (9 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2), Linked (SPD; -1/2), Only Affects Her DEX with Swords (-1/4) (Real Cost: 3) - END=0 7 [b][i]Shrug It Off[/i][/b]: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); Only When Fighting (-1/2), Requires A CON Roll (No Active Point penalty to Skill Roll; -1/4), Character Must Be Aware Of Attack (-1/4) - END=0 3 [b][i]Eyes In The Back Of Her Head[/i][/b]: Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Normal Sight (5 Active Points); Requires An INT Roll (-3/4) - END=0 2 [b][i]Fast On Her Feet[/i][/b]: Running +1" (7" total) - END=1 [b]POWERS Cost: 20[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]MARTIAL ARTS[/u][/b] Brawling Skill 4 1) Eye Gouge: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Flash 4d6 4 2) Kidney Blow: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, HKA 1d6 +1 4 3) Punch/Knee/Kick: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 5 1/2d6 Strike 3 4) Tackle: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, -1 DCV, 3 1/2d6 +v/5 Strike; You Fall, Target Falls; FMove Sword Skill 4 1) Counterstrike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block 4 2) Disarm: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; 28 STR to Disarm roll 4 3) Disengage: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 33 STR vs. Binds 5 4) Lunge: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, -2 DCV, Weapon +4 DC Strike 4 5) Parry: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort 4 6) Trap: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Bind, 28 STR [b]MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 40[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]SKILLS[/u][/b] 16 +2 with All Combat 3 +1 with DCV (5 Active Points); Not While Wearing Heavy Armor (-1/2) 3 +1 with Swords 6 Penalty Skill Levels: +3 vs. Hit Location modifiers with Swords 9 Analyze: Combat Technique 14- 3 Brawling Tricks 13- 3 Climbing 13- 3 Concealment 12- 8 Defense Maneuver I-III 3 Fast Draw 13- 2 Gambling (Dice Games) 12- 0 Language: Elothian (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 3 Language: Valdorian (completely fluent) 3 Navigation (Land, Marine) 12- 2 PS: Mercenary 11- 2 PS: Soldier 11- 5 Rapid Attack (HTH) 3 Riding 13- 3 Stealth 13- 10 Survival (Arctic/Subarctic, Temperate/Subtropical, Desert, Mountain, Urban) 12- 11 Sword Tricks 15- 3 Tactics 12- 3 Tracking 12- 3 Traveler 3 1) AK: Amyklai (4 Active Points) 13- 1 2) AK: Blowing Wastes (2 Active Points) 11- 1 3) AK: Cynthian Plains (2 Active Points) 11- 1 4) AK: The Crumble (2 Active Points) 11- 1 5) AK: Valdorian Frontier (2 Active Points) 11- 1 6) CK: Elweir (2 Active Points) 11- 10 Two-Weapon Fighting (HTH) 7 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Siege Engines, Staffs [b]SKILLS Cost: 135[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]PERKS[/u][/b] 4 Reputation: skilled mercenary swordswoman (many lands around Valdoria) 11-, +2/+2d6 [b]PERKS Cost: 4[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]TALENTS[/u][/b] 5 Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) 4 Desperation Blow 10 Divine Favor 11 Evasive 5 Follow-Through Attack 3 Force Back 5 Hard To Hit 7 Mistress Of Her Fate 7 Not The Face! 4 Rapid Healing 5 She-Demon With A Sword: Deadly Blow +1d6 ([only usable with swords]) (7 Active Points); Requires A Sword Tricks Roll (-1/2) [b]TALENTS Cost: 66[/b] [b][u]Value[/u] [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b] 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima No Age Restriction 10 Distinctive Features: Tall, Athletic, Beautiful Woman (Easily Concealed; Always Noticed and Causes Lust; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 10 Psychological Limitation: Loner (Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Moral Code (Common, Strong) 15 Reputation: Marna the Manslayer, the deadliest woman alive, 11- (Extreme) 15 Social Limitation: Barbarian (Very Frequently, Minor) 10 Social Limitation: Woman In A Man's World (Very Frequently, Minor) [b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 75[/b] Base Pts: 75 Exp Required: 250 Total Exp Available: 250 Exp Unspent: 0 Total Character Cost: 400 Background/History: Marna was born on a battlefield, the daughter of an Amyklai warrior woman, and her maternal forebears have served as Amyklai warriors for generations. So it was expected of her to join their ranks as well, which she did as a child. She excelled at absorbing the skills of warfare, her body growing tall and strong as the years went on and she became a woman herself. She became blooded in battle against the savage barbarians of the Crumble, killing her first man when she was only fifteen when her training cadre was ambushed while in the wilderness. While heavily wounded, she survived when many in her cadre did not. When she was sixteen, she chose to leave and wander the world, taking the name Alone as her own. Since then, she has travelled north, exploring the Cynthian Plains, the sands of the Blowing Wastes, the Nylsen Forest, and even the frontier regions of mighty Valdoria before eventually making her home in Elweir for now. In the process, her legend has grown as a fearsome warrior, a woman that men have taken to calling 'The Manslayer' out of fear and respect for her awesome skills with a blade. It is rumored that she carries the blessing of Anyu, and that is the reason for her great prowess in battle. Personality/Motivation: Marna is a warrior at heart, battle her meat and drink, but while she enjoys the passions roused within herself during combat, she is no berserker. She trains daily to keep herself as sharp as her prized possession, a blade forged by a Valdorian swordsmith she once was involved with. While she is proud of her heritage and skills as an Amyklai warrior-trained woman, she is not boastful. She follows a simple code of morality instilled within her from her youth, making her way in the world looking at each new day as an opportunity for adventure, and a chance to test herself in battle. Despite her fearsome reputation as a brutal killer, she does enjoy the company of men of good character. And while she has been involved with several lovers during her career, she does not seek the comforts of marriage or family, fearing it would dull the edge on her skills she has worked so hard to have. Someday she would like to have a girl child to train and pass on her skills to, but for now her life is good. Quote: If it bleeds, I can kill it. Powers/Tactics: Marna adjusts her tactics to suit the situation, relying on her legendary skills with a sword to deal with any situation. If she outclasses her opponents, she almost verges on berserkerhood, hacking her way through her enemies almost with abandon, blood spraying everywhere her sword bites flesh. Against more capable foes, she is more cautious, weighing her opponent's skills and striking with lethal accuracy at the smallest openings in their defenses. Against the supernatural, she is a bit more cautious, but experience has shown her that she can kill anything she sets her mind on killing. Campaign Use: Marna is intended to be the quintessential warrior woman of the Valdorian Age, the one that men sing of in taverns, much like Red Sonja is treated in Conan's world as shown in Marvel Comics she appears in. Appearance: Standing almost six feet in height, Marna is a statuesque figure of a woman, broad-shouldered, well-endowed and athletic in build. She is dressed in heavy leather boots that rise above her knees, and fine steel armor pieces that she has acquired during her travels. They display her femininity to good effect, yet still retain a practical coverage of her body. In battle, she smiles, and that smile is often the last thing that any man who has faced her seriously in combat has ever seen.

Re: Narcolepsy

If a character is using a shield and has the WF: Off Hand, do they get the added +1 DCV bonus for the WF: Off Hand, since the shield can also be used to bash as well as simply defend?

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... This is from an old Call of Cthulhu game set in the 30s. One of the players owned a plane, but using it during a certain adventure was not allowed. So the GM, as the players were walking across the airfield, says, "You see twelve disreputable-looking men with shotguns standing near the plane." That became a tagline whenever something the players were about to do was not allowed, "You see twelve disreputable-looking men with shotguns."

Re: HELP: Of Thor and Loki This post caught my attention because I am currently GMing a solo campaign for a friend, whose character is the last surviving valkyrie and who came to inhabit a human host (sort of like Donald Blake/Thor worked). In my world, the gods currently dwell in the Land of Legends, but they are returning to Earth in dribs and drabs now that the Ban has fallen. It actually fell when the Age of Superhumans began in 1938 (I use roughly Champions Universe history), but not all the gods came back immediately. I have been treating the various pantheons sort of like fantasy superhero and supervillain teams, since they are, in a sense, the first superhumans. Currently, the character is investigating why she is the last surviving Asgardian, since she was held in suspended animation within Yggdrasil a short time before something (or someone) triggered Ragnarok early, and Asgard was destroyed. This is actually her second revival in the modern era, her first time taking place during the Golden Age when the valkyrie's spirit used a different host to manifest on Midgard. Along the path, she has run into old friends like Hercules and Bast, who are old adventuring buddies from back in the day, when they romped around the domains of various pantheons together. The valkyrie character in question is actually the child of some inter-pantheon fraternizing herself, being the child of Thor and Aphrodite. When the thunder god was off a viking ages ago, he wandered south to the realms of Olympus and was seduced by the goddess of love. He brought the girl child back with him to be raised in the halls of Asgard as am adopted daughter of Odin due to Thor not wanting to get his wife upset. So she is a mixture of the physical strength, power and warlike nature of the thunder god, with the passions and beauty of the goddess of love. Personally, I find mythology makes for a wonderful backstory for a character.

Re: Penalty Skill Levels for noncombat skills?

How would you model narcolepsy as a disadvantage on a character? A Physical Limitation or maybe an Accidental Change? How would you set it up as an attack? A big Ego Attack, an NND, a STUN Drain? Something else?

I thought I'd see what the creativity of the Hero community could come up with for episodes for the Champions Universe hottest weekly soap opera. This week: The beautiful Charisma has been replaced on the team by her evil sister Hecate, utilizing an illusion to make each appear as the other. To make matters worse, Charisma has been mind controlled to believe she truly is the vicious vixen. Can the team foil Hecate's dastardly scheme, or will Justice Force Omega fall prey to her attempt to destroy them from within?

After reading through the recent threads on drains and transfers and recovery from them, I was wondering how you would build a character that could recover faster than 5 CPs a turn. It feels like a regeneration variant, so maybe just add on a +2 Advantage when building a regeneration-like power, so it affects all stats and powers on a character? Would such a power add on top of the 5 CPs a character got back from drains/transfers? One interesting notion about having a power like this would be that the character would be like a battery of sorts for anyone with transfer, since the drained character would recover CPs faster than the draining character lost them. I could also see doing something this way to give a pair or team an almost symbiotic power structure. Together they are more powerful than they are apart. However, doing it with the power structure above would be like a weak form of Aid, only for more points in cost, so instead I would propose each member of the team buying an END reserve that is only there to act as a source of "points" for another teammate to transfer from, that they can then use to add to other stats or abilities. Add in a good Teamwork skill roll and a "DEX Aid Array" from UMA to each character on the team and watch them wreak havoc with their combined powers and ability at teamwork.