Jhereg

Re: Need some "Smart" powers I’d go with Lightning Reflexes, based on his combat analysis. I know it’s been said, but I feel I must second the Find Weakness and Mental Defense (if you want to take it to the extreme, maybe Invisibility to Mental Group or Shape Shift: Mental Group). I also really dig the high PRE, Only to defend against PRE attacks. That really fits if he has a superiority complex. Power Defense, Only vs. INT Drains and Transfers and the like Intuitive Danger Sense You could also do a “Super Deductionâ€: Retrocognition, Requires a Deduction Roll. Though, as a GM, I would be reluctant to allow that one. Since I run mysteries quite often, I prefer PC’s to figure things out themselves. If he’s technologically inclined, there’s always the classic Gadget Pool.

Re: How to Simulate the Black Company magic system? This magic system sounds like a good candidate for the optional magic system from FH, in which the mages simply buy spells as skills instead of powers. Mages have a Skill for each specific spell (i.e. Fire Blast 16-, Spell of Protection 12-), and does not have to pay for the Power of the spell. As GM you’d still have to build the spells, but the players won’t have to deal with it. With this method, the more a character wants to augment, the more difficult the Skill Roll. It’s difficult for regular HERO GMs to accept (Not paying for powers? Blasphemy!). I discounted it for a while, but lately I’ve been intrigued by the concept. I’ve started putting together a Mage-centered campaign in this fashion, but it’s not anywhere near ready for play yet. It’s unconventional, but it’s more of a free-wheelin’ ‘wahoo’ magic system. And as long as the PC’s are all magic-users, you should be able to avoid any balance issues.

Re: Help GMing travel through a mountain pass... The guide could sense something’s amiss and refuse to go further. Since the PCs have to go on, they’d have to continue without the guide. Then when they get hit by the avalanche, there’s that delightful sense of “We should have listened to the guideâ€.

Re: Living Starships I can’t believe no one mentioned Hamilton’s ‘Voidhawks’. They were interesting in that they could operate independently of their human ‘Captain’, but had a constant Mind Link. And they reproduced via Telepathic egg fertilization.

Re: A new take on "Deadly Blow" I’ve noticed a lot of GMs don’t like Deadly Blow, and I agree with their beefs. My issue with it is buying a d6 of Killing Damage that gets to add to existing damage, making it more effective than just 1d6 KA, given DEFs. A quick house rules fix could be making characters pay points for the DC’s that the Deadly Blow adds to. But that opens a can of worms. I just use an alternate (more expensive) build for it: 5d6 AID (Standard Effect: 15 Points) to HKA: Self Only (-1/2), OIF: Weapon (-1/2) That makes the costs 12/20/25 when you add the “limited circumstances†Lims. Much more balanced, as this takes into account the damage the weapon already does – the damage a Heroic Character doesn’t pay for. Furthermore, for my games I only allow 1 level to be purchased, and I don’t allow the unlimited form (only the -2 and -1/2 forms). That way PC’s only buy it if they really want it. It also fits with Steve’s advice of using the more expensive build when there’s multiple ways to simulate a power.

Re: Why is Superman being called stupid? I never read DC religiously, but I remember the same phenomena happening with poor ol’ Hal Jordan in the 80’s. Thanks to the writers, he had a years-long bout of incompetence.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... From a D20 Modern game I was a guest at last week (Reserve judgment. Sometimes you take what you can get. I just moved, and I haven’t assembled a HERO group yet.). The premise is we’ve crash-landed on an island, where as we have had no contact with natives, there is sufficient evidence that there is a pack of some sort of were-creature on the island. The groups Brick, Biscuit sits down to clean the wounds on his face recently made by a Giant Mutant Tube Worm. Me: Dude, what if you’re a Were-Giant-Mutant-Tube-Worm?

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Player 1: Whew! Now that that horrible monster is finally down, I wanna go find the body and extract a tooth for my trophy. GM: You mean the creature you just fought? This creature here on the cover of my Cthullu book? The one that just retreated into the watery abyss? Player 2: The one that’s probably just down there taking recoveries? Player 1: Scratch that. I’ll run.

Would Martial Maneuvers still add DCs to a melee weapon built with the “STR doesn’t add damage†Lim? -Thanx

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Our group’s Martial Artist, after being challenged to an ‘honorable combat’ by his arch-nemesis: “Yeah, I’ll be there, but I can’t promise I’ll be on time, and I can’t promise I’ll be entirely sober.â€

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Players have a tendency to get indignant when they should be humble. My group's one (and only!) encounter with the real Champions degenerated into combat when my group’s Power Armor PC declared, “Hey, Defender, maybe you should take that armor back to your secret base and fit it for some power armor jaws, so you can… BITE MY A$$!!!â€

Re: Not-so-Instant Change That's what I needed to hear. I might suggest an instant change just to eliminate the guesswork

If a hero requires a Focus to change to their Hero ID, but it’s not a Multiform or Instant Change, how would you GM’s work it? I can't put a focus lim on his powers, as they already have OIHID, and I don't allow both.

Re: Passenger Damage Ah, I think that would work perfectly for me. Thanks As an addendum. How would you simulate the following powers: Heads-up Display Voice Masking (Images to Hearing or mimicry?) Remote Control for the vehicle.

What rules do you guys use for damage to passengers when a small vehicle takes damage?

Re: Things a wise super hero should NEVER say As I'm from the South, it's: "Hey Y'all, watch this!"

Re: What are the most annoying player habits!

Re: What are the most annoying player habits! I would like to see stats for the Cream Pie Cannon and Nude Ray (Instant Change, Usable as Attack?)! ... ... ... Though I wouldn't allow them in my game, of course... ahem.

Re: A character for your perusal As for the DEF: I’ve considered a Kevlar Vest, but the hold-up is he relies on the Combat Luck, which, in my campaign, cannot be used in conjunction with Real Armor (A character can have both, but if Real Armor is worn, the Combat Luck is negated). So it’s kind of a cost issue at this point. Plus I think he gets added smooth-points for getting by without armor. His overall PD & ED is around 20, which so far is the norm for the campaign. Regardless, I’m currently working on an update. Question: How would you guys do the 5-point Duplicate Equipment in a VPP, if at all? I’m thinking, if indeed it can be used, I would only need 1 slot for “Duplicate Weapon†which could be any one of the duplicates at any given time (Hence the ‘Variable’). Here are some plans for the distant future: -Martial Arts -Teleportation -Combat Aportation -More sophisticated Mentalism (low priority) -Being able to pull ammo from his pocket dimension directly into the weapons (Removing Charges, and having the RKAs pull from an END Reserve or costing personal END), No more reloading. -Cybernetics (just a maybe) PS: Should I post a new update, or edit the original?

Re: What are the most annoying player habits! I have a similar, but opposite one in my group: A Mad Hacker that tries to play quiet, contemplative, passive characters. Then he maintains the status quo of initiating every combat before it’s necessary. Throw in the occasional slaughter of an innocent because he's bored. That's one unstable monk.

Re: A character for your perusal The lethality of his powers will hopefully be balanced by his cop mentality and values (Bring ‘em in alive. Graduated use of force etc.) Just like real law enforcement (ideal law enforcement at any rate), he hopes his presence alone will help resolve issues. If he’s blasting away at someone, it’s probably going to be at someone who’s proven to be able to take a bullet (Supers w/ R Def). I agree that a normal damage attack would be a good idea, I just don’t want to sacrifice character concept for it. As a GM character, I should be able to keep him from killing someone. And plans for future XP include Martial Arts.

Re: A character for your perusal MikeW, Thanks for the input. I will indeed be fleshing out his skills. I agree that the VPP would work better, but the problem is I’m building the char with the same restrictions as the players, and a VPP large enough to accommodate weapons would violate my own Maximum Active Point cap for beginning characters. Choco, I’ve seen people using the 5-point rule for duped equipment, but I haven’t seen (or noticed, at least) it in print. Is it in FRed? I realize the need for altering the Mentalism, but I’d hate to let such a mental novice have invisible powers. I think I may revive some of the “Mentalist Skills†from The Ultimate Mentalist, like Cloak, which would give him a good chance at hiding his powers from normals, who would be his primary targets. Thanks, fellas.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Competent Normal character caught prowling in disguise: “I am the Environmental Avenger! Waste not, lest ye be wasted!â€

I wanted to post this character to see if anyone has better ideas about power mechanics. Also, I wanted to see if my own “modifier intelligence†is working within parameters. And I just want to share it. I hoped to avoid over-muchkining. He’s a GM character designed primarily to provide combat support for the PC’s, as well as a contact source, and a medium for GM info-dumps. Likewise, he’s most likely to be my character on those all-too-rare occasions when someone else GMs. Upon completion I realize there’s a similarity to the Harbinger of Justice, but believe it or not, that wasn’t the intention. Actually, he’s heavily influenced by The Shadow, and Dante from Devil May Cry. Also, I realize that most people would have done his weapons as a Multipower, but I wanted to be able to pick n’ mix the weapons he might be using at any given time. That is also why there’s redundancy in the weapons. The Shotgun’s bought w/o Reduced Pen, simply because we don’t use it. It’s an overcomplication my players despise dealing with, and I can’t complain. So without further ado, here ‘tis: Reckoning Alternate ID: Andre ‘Dre’ Washington Appearance: ‘Dre’ is a black man of medium build. He often wears a two-piece suit with a tan trench coat, sometimes accompanied by a fedora. Reckoning is usually found in the same outer garb with a solid burgundy cloth mask. Background: ‘Dre’ has always prided himself on being a good cop. So when he discovered that he was a "nexus", in tangent with another dimension and able to manipulate its energies, he saw it as an opportunity to do more. He uses his abilities to wage a one-man war on street crime, while maintaining his career as a homicide detective. Powers/Tactics: Reckoning’s primary tactic is firearms, which he pulls from his ‘Pocket Dimension’ (like a bag of holding). In combat, he likes to stay airborne, attacking while on the move. He sees his mental abilities as useful supplementary skills, rather than core powers. Personality/Motivation: Reckoning is possessed of a "tough cop" mentality, which guides his actions as a hero. Val Char Cost 23 STR 13 26 DEX 48 21 CON 22 21 BODY 22 15 INT 5 14 EGO 8 18 PRE 8 18 COM 4 12 PD 7 12 ED 8 5 SPD 14 9 REC 0 42 END 0 45 STUN 1 10" RUN82" SWIM04 1/2" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 168 Cost Power END 7 Weapons: Elemental Control, 34-point powers, all slots OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4) 7 1) Glock 19 C (Secret ID Sidearm): RKA 1d6+1, 4 clips of 10 Charges (+0); No Knockback (-1/4) [10] 7 2) .45M Automag: RKA 2d6, +1 STUN Multiplier (+1/4); No Knockback (-1/4), 2 clips of 7 Charges (-1/4) [7] 7 3) .45M Automag: RKA 2d6, +1 STUN Multiplier (+1/4); No Knockback (-1/4), 2 clips of 7 Charges (-1/4) [7] 9 4) Uzi 9mm: RKA 1d6+1, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2), 40 Charges (+1/2); No Knockback (-1/4) [40] 9 5) Uzi 9mm: RKA 1d6+1, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2), 40 Charges (+1/2); No Knockback (-1/4) [40] 14 6) 12G Double-Barrel Sawed-off Shotgun: RKA 3d6, Autofire (2 shots; +1/4), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4); 4 clips of 2 Charges (-1), Reduced By Range (-1/4) [2] 5 Dimension Tangent: Elemental Control, 10-point powers 10 1) Dimensional Pocket: Minor Transform 3d6 (standard effect: 9 points) (Store objects in pocket dimension); All Or Nothing (-1/2), Only handheld objects (-1/2), No Range (-1/2) 3 10 2) Running On Walls: Flight 10"; Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4), No Noncombat Movement (-1/4) 2 2 3) Superleap: Leaping +3" (4 1/2"/4 1/2" forward, 2"/3 1/2" upward) (Position Shift); Upward Movement Only (-1) 1 3 4) Light As a Feather: Gliding 5", Position Shift; Costs Endurance (-1/2) 1 20 Telepathy: Multipower, 40-point reserve, all slots Limited Power: Completely negated by any Mental Defense (-1/2), Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) 2u 1) Mental Illusions 8d6 4 2u 2) Mind Control 8d6 4 2u 3) Telepathy 8d6 4 Powers Cost: 116 Cost Skill 2 +1 with Pistols 10 Two-Weapon Fighting (Ranged) 5 Rapid Attack (Ranged) 3 Acrobatics 14- 2 CK: Millennium City 11- 3 Combat Driving 14- 3 Criminology 12- 3 Fast Draw 14- 3 Interrogation 13- 2 KS: Law 11- 0 PS: Detective 8- 3 Sleight Of Hand 14- 3 Stealth 14- Skills Cost: 42 Cost Perk 3 Contact: Millennium City PD (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Contact limited by identity), Organization Contact (x3) 8- Perks Cost: 3 Cost Talent 9 Ambidexterity (no Off Hand penalty) 12 Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED) Talents Cost: 21 Total Character Cost: 350 Val Disadvantages 20 Enraged: when Innocents harmed (Common), go 11-, recover 11- 5 Hunted: Local Mafia 8- (As Pow, Limited Geographical Area, Harshly Punish) 25 Hunted: VIPER 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture) 5 Physical Limitation: Allergic to Cats (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 10 Psychological Limitation: Arrogant (Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Cop Mentality (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Devoted to Justice (Common, Strong) 5 Reputation: Police Detective, 11- (Known Only To A Small Group) 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID: Andre "Dre" Washington (Frequently, Major) 20 Vulnerability: 2 x Effect Drains (Common) 15 Watched: Superiors 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching) Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Total Points: 350

Re: Help: Sniper Syndrome It just occurred to me, it may be less of a D&D habit and more of a video game influence. His behavior smacks of a common video game tactic.