Sean Waters

I say this as someone who has played Hero with figured characteristics and without: I prefer figured characteristics, on a purely instinctive level, but not having them makes much more sense.  I think it makes characters a little harder to build, and is a slightly higher barrier to entry for new players who do not know where to pitch things.  I think the cost of some of the characteristics is wrong and I think we could probably lose quite a few of the 'primary' ones in favour of skill bonuses - that might take some tinkering - but, overall, it is a step in the right direction.

I say this as someone who has played Hero with figured characteristics and without: I prefer figured characteristics, on a purely instinctive level, but not having them makes much more sense.  I think it makes characters a little harder to build, and is a slightly higher barrier to entry for new players who do not know where to pitch things.  I think the cost of some of the characteristics is wrong and I think we could probably lose quite a few of the 'primary' ones in favour of skill bonuses - that might take some tinkering - but, overall, it is a step in the right direction.

I say this as someone who has played Hero with figured characteristics and without: I prefer figured characteristics, on a purely instinctive level, but not having them makes much more sense.  I think it makes characters a little harder to build, and is a slightly higher barrier to entry for new players who do not know where to pitch things.  I think the cost of some of the characteristics is wrong and I think we could probably lose quite a few of the 'primary' ones in favour of skill bonuses - that might take some tinkering - but, overall, it is a step in the right direction.

I say this as someone who has played Hero with figured characteristics and without: I prefer figured characteristics, on a purely instinctive level, but not having them makes much more sense.  I think it makes characters a little harder to build, and is a slightly higher barrier to entry for new players who do not know where to pitch things.  I think the cost of some of the characteristics is wrong and I think we could probably lose quite a few of the 'primary' ones in favour of skill bonuses - that might take some tinkering - but, overall, it is a step in the right direction.

Yeah, but you knew what I meant
 
That's the thing though: mechanically, building a character that can shapeshift is no longer a matter of deciding how many different shapes they can assume, it is deciding if they still look like their normal selves in infra red and sonar .  If you just want to look different to normal sight but like yourself to other senses, that's Self Only Images, to my mind.  Or if you want to look like something different to long range radar, ditto.
  
I mean, I can not think of a single example of a shapeshifter that looks like its normal self on sonar but can actually fit through a six inch hole because it is long and thin to the touch group.  That might allow you to do some interesting things but is very very unhelpful if you are trying to actually run a game with a shapeshifter whose player did not think of all that.
 
I mean, they shouldn't have to.  It is a conceit too far and an overlap too far.
 
I like 'sensical' though.  I might steal that.

...and therein lies the problem with trying to build something that emulates something you see in the comics.  Every different writer will have a slightly different take and on one will bother to explain how it is actually supposed to work.  Is Spiderman detecting Dangeron Particles?  Hmm?  Only there ain't no such thing.
 
If you are going to build it in Hero then you need to have a clear idea of what you want it to do, and build that.  It might end up working much like Spider Sense, but you will know the mechanics of it.  Spiderman's DS seems to be more of a pre-cognitive ability.  Maybe.  Sometimes.
 
The other point worthy of note is that no one else but Spiderman really has Danger Sense.  I mean, lots of characters can sense danger, but that is pretty much always because of enhanced senses or experience in dangerous situations or, you know, magic.  He's not just the canonical example of Danger Sense, he is pretty much the only one.
 
And another thing...how often do you ambush the PCs and have them start at 1/2 DCV?  Me, not so much.  Maybe the only time I would do it is if a character had Danager Sense so they got their full DCV and utility from the points, which makes being in a team with a character with Danger Sense pretty dangerous.
 
DS ought to be an example build in Enhanced Senses, not a separate Talent.  Targeting if you roll under half?  What?

Disagree away.  I am kind of with you though, but it does then require that you have a GM with a clear vision that has been adequately communicated to the players and the point of a rules system is to do some of that legwork for you.  Many disciplines incorporate other disciplines: it is almost impossible to do any science without some grasp of statistics, for example. 
 
My feeling is that 'Science!' is too broad, but Quantum Mechanics is too narrow.
 
Arguably, what should happen is that if you put 'SS: Quantum Mechanics' on the character sheet, the GM should note that and make sure it comes up in the game.  I am a lazy GM though, and feel I have enough to do.
 
It is always going to be a balance between flavour and playability.  Playability should generally win, IMO.  We already differentiate between Mechanics and Electronics as specific skills, Computer Programming and Systems Operations, Bugging and Cryptography, amongst others, presumably because we thing that is the sort of thing that might come up as a thing.
 
I'd be happy if we had something like:
 
Life Sciences - the study of plants, animals and microorganisms, medicine and genetics
 
Physical Sciences - the study or matter and energy and their properties and interactions
 
Earth Sciences - the study of the earth, the oceans and the atmosphere
 
Social Science - the study of  the psychology of and interactions between people or other social groups
 
...and call the job a goob 'un.
 
Anyway: I'll see you on Monday.

Everyone thinks that until something bites you.
 
I'm with you about standard enhanced senses.
 
 
Ah, Paranoia <sigh>

Hey! Don't start pulling at that thread, the whole thing will come apart. I hear a knocking at the door, its the Union of NPCs and they want to talk to us about some missing Post-Segment 12 Recoveries ?
 
 

On the plus side, you'll be much closer and I can come 'round more often.
 
Almost all of my--
 
Aww, crap!  I totally forgot to go back and post this in Chris's House Rules thread!
 
Sorry, Chris.  
 
 
At any rate, most of my non-supers campaigns use EGO as the target for Presence Attacks.  It just makes more sense to me: presence is your force of Personality; Ego is your strength of will.  It just feels more right.
 
Why not my supers games?  Well for one, I get way more EGO: 10 characters in Supers than in any other genre.  Don't know why, but the bulk of my supers players seem to think that Captain UltraRighteous and Miss Victorious Leader should be as influenceable as any other schmoe on the street.  That, and a lot of them have drifted in and out from other groups that use PRE and PRE Attack as-is.  Even so, though: I don't use presence attacks much (outside of Horror or Occult), but I _do_ use them, and even my regular players have a nasty habit of making EGO: 10 supers.  (sometimes, when I'm really frustrated with them, I think just how inexpensively I could build a mind-controlling villain....  Not that I would, mind you!)
 
That doesn't happen as often at my non-supers games, because most people who aren't already HERO-familiar will instead look for "that particular game" instead of a HERO-based version of it, and my regular players are aware of the PRE vs EGO rule (you know: the same people who _won't_ buy a little PRE for PRE vs PRE rules!  Maddening!)
 
Another exception is my Horroresque games-- well, some of them, anyway, where there are one or more custom damage-tracking characteristics against which PRE-Attacks are directed as a form of sanity or spiritual damage.  (and of course, there are recovery rules as well.  I ain't Lovecraft).  I instituted -- sorry.  Not derailing this thread; my apologies.  _That_ can go into Chris's House Rules thread, when I find it again.  
 
 
 
Duke
 

Fun fact:
Analog Transmissions were prone to always have a slight "noise" effect. It was a physical limitation, based on electric noise along the wires.
 
Digital Transmissions (like Mobile Phones) are not affected by noise the same way. Noise reduces the Bandwidth. But you do not hear it, like with Analog Transmissions. Noise only worked on first and last few "Analog centimeters" (the microphone and speaker cables). Wich was usually laughable compared to the noise of kilometers of transmission wire.
That was a huge issue as people would ask "Hello, are you still there?" all the time when testing digital communications. So right now we end up adding Noise to the Audio Signal:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_noise
Just so people still know the channel is open.

A "Boss Fight" is a videogame concept in my view.  There is no requirement that it transition neatly to an RPG.  If I were designing an opponent to take on the entire team, I would want it to be someone unique and memorable, so I would design that opponent specifically for the group in question.  Some abilities are very useful against a single target, others against multiple opponents. 
 
In a Supers game, as Sean notes, we are looking at a 3d6, 3 DEF mental entangle.  Any Master Vilain who is intended to take on a team which includes a mentalist should reasonably have some defenses against mental attacks, which may include a pretty high EGO and a decent mDCV.  I do like requiring "mDef reduced Mental Paralysis", whether it adds to EGO or reduces Entangle BOD by 1 per 5 mDef.
 
In a Fantasy game, I don't often see 12 - 13 DCs, so we should be looking at lower DCs, maybe 2d6, 2 DEF.  If we are up into high dice, how would that Dragon weather 13d6 of Mental Illusions that he has won the battle and can now go back to sleep (again, 0 DCV)?
 
 
I generally view Pushing as limited to truly heroic actions, but if you are frozen in place with six enemies bearing down on you, that seems like it would create the appropriate, desperate rush of adrenaline.
 
If, however, you want the ultimate litmus test of any power's acceptability in any campaign, use it against the players and then ask if they think that is a power which should be allowed in this game.

Danger Sense can work even if the danger would not be detectable by the character's normal senses and at anything up to planetary area.  It is effectively N-Ray and without range modifiers.  You COULD buy other senses that did that, but good luck picking the bones out of that soup; and you don't have to, because Danger Sense.
 
Mind you if a PC came to me with a build that included a planetary level out of combat Danger Sense they would never be seen or heard from again, and quite rightly too.  Well, that or it would just be me bombarding them with constant reports about Avi in Mumbai who is about to cross the road and so is in grave danger, and Kevin in Adelaide who is, well, in Australia and so is in grave danger.
 
 

4 pages. Just saying.  I mean I use it occasionally, but if it was not there, something similar would happen anyway. It is not needed for what it is used for and it is not a good way of doing what it is used for.
 
 
I do not understand your point.  The thing that I like about Hero is that I can build a 300 point character and it should be roughly the same in terms of utility as another 300 pint character, given certain common assumptions.  I can break the system with the best of them, but I don't because I trust in the process.
 
OK.  It matters to me.  I don't just make up villains, I cost them.  Maybe I'm an idiot and in the vast minority, but I'm happy here and cosy and warm.

Other possible reasons why you might be reluctant to summon Giant Eagles 
https://www.oglaf.com/ornithology/
 
Warning: this page is safe. Others on that site very much not! 
 

I'd assumed that this was axiomatic.  I make characters spend 120 CP on eating utensils and anyone who wants the ability to skin a cat is going to wind up points poor.
 
What?

..or the drunk GM.
 
Of course, you can my friend.  You're my best friend.  I love you.
I NEVER SAID THAT!  I hate you.  You're attacked by rabid chickens
What?  What?  Who said that?
God, I need a kebab...

Batman is terrifying, but still gets attacked by thugs on a regular basis.  The fact that Superman bounces bullets off his chest does not stop people shooting him with them, and they are probably the two greatest examples of PRE and Reputation amongst the Heroes of DC.  Similarly, Hydra never surrender when Captain America shows up.  They might say 'Oh no, it is Captain America', but they still fight him.
 
Getting an opponent to hesitate or gaining a minor bonus for your first attack, that is fine and IIRC, your character maxed out at about 30 PRE.  The problem is though that PRE Attacks are a lot nastier than that and can be absolutely monstrous while well within most campaign guidelines.  I don't like using them against PCs and you and the others only use them when it seems right, because you are naturally fair and decent people.
 
If you actually read the rules though, and apply them as intended (and by 'intended' I just mean 'allowed'), well, see below...

I'd re-write the rules on Knockback.
 
What?
 
I would!
 
This is an interesting one because it does not come up often and does not seem fair.  If my Flash does KB then it does more KB for the same points as my Drain.  That can't be right. There should be a multiplier equal to the base points of 1d6 of the power/5, so with Drain at 10 points per 1d6 you would double the KB result before applying the -2d6.

OK. Mega Man, you have been away from your wife for nearly a fortnight,  You are now in love with Velatrix the Space Fox.  Carry on.
 
What we should probably do, in practice, is have a certain number of Complication points that directly relate to the character and how the character is played, like Susceptibility, Vulnerability, (most) Psychological and Physical Complications, Accidental Change, Unluck and Dependence - stuff they take with them where ever they go, and leave the DNPCs, Hunteds, Reputations and Rivalries for the GM to assign (perhaps at your suggestion) as they come up in the game you are actually playing.
 
You can have family in your background write-up, but it should be up to the GM whether they actually form part of the story.

The PARANOIA GM in my says that sounds like the most wonderful mistake a player could put on their character sheet. 
I'd warn them that it's a lot of information and most of it won't be helpful.  I'd tell them that they mostly tune it out, but they should give me a list of people they pay attention to danger to and other circumstances like sudden "danger clusters" that will make them pay attention so I can know what to tell them about. 
Then start handing them sticky notes with dangers on them.  During downtime, their DNPC is about to drop their phone on their toe.  During a fight with Doctor Defenestration, Doctor Defenestration is about to throw their buddy out a window.  As they run after Baron Barren's smog-o-car, their Contact is about to burn their tongue on hot coffee.  As they're tracking down the mafia, a bus two blocks over is about to crash.  As they're fighting their way out of the sub-subterranean mazes of the sub-molemen, their Contact is about to get in a fistfight with a drunk.  As they're responding to the scene of a bank robbery in progress, their DNPC is about to be kidnapped by Doctor Defenestration and this is the thing they wanted to know.  So if they're willing to slog through the tiring humdrum of reading every expletive sticky note, they'll be able to intercept Doctor Defenestration.  When If they tune it out, then I get to be a smug bodypart and point out that the sticky note said exactly what was happening why didn't you read it?  Doesn't your hero care, citizen?  Doesn't he want everyclone to be happy?  You answered yes?  Explain why you think they're not happy, and enumerate any other failings in Alpha Complex you believe Friend Computer has failed to correct. 
And if they're perversely clever enough to tune their Danger Sense to their enemies, then they deserve a reward for their cleverness.  And to wander into a six-supervillain free-for-all once they're complacent about their "perfect plan".  But hey, noclone's perfect.  If they were, they'd be me Friend Computer of course! 
 
The rest of me says they've just handed me the holy mother of plot hooks because I can encourage the party to go anywhere at the drop of a hat with no explanation needed beyond "IGUANA SENSE TINGLING HAWAII HAWAII!"

In America, it's known as Fox News.
 
(And that's probably enough politics for this thread.) ?
 

I think that's just a Distinctive Features.
 

Q1.  We play a game on Monday nights over Discord.  There are six of us and we usually notice pretty quickly if someone drops and we have not heard from them for a couple of minutes.  You don't get any information about the person on the other end of the line other than what they say or "hear".  I'd treat it like a landline conversation where the other party has hit the mute button, probably.  OTOH, you can only establish links with minds and, arguably, someone who is dead does not have one any more.  I think it is probably up to you to make a judgement call, but if it was me, if it was a one to one link you would know that it had dropped as if they had hung up, but not why.  If it was a multi-person link, you would have to make occasional INT rolls to realise that someone was no longer participating, but if you specifically spoke to that one person (as opposed to the group) it would be obvious they were not there any more, but, again you would not know why.  The rule is Link A character can voluntarily leave a Mind Link as a Zero Phase Action (just like deactivating any power).  When you die, your powers deactivate.
 
Q2. Mind Link is a Party Line but you can speak to a other single individual without anyone else hearing with an EGO roll requiring a half phase action.  While you are doing this you will be on mute to the rest, so they may notice you have dropped as above.  When you are speaking one to one I'd rule you can only hear one to one too.  If the other party does not want a one to one conversation they can decline it, in which case you drop from the party line until you stop trying to connect one to one.
 
Q3. Being point-to-point all the time sounds less useful than being party all the time so I would say it was a -0 limitation.  You would need to make an EGO roll to speak to (and hear) the group with this version.  Depending on how you read the rules you COULD set up multiple single person Mind Links - normally you can run multiple versions of  a constant power at the same time.  The rules do say A character can usually only maintain a Mind Link with one person at a time (even if he can establish the Link with anyone in a group). He can double the number of minds for every +5 points but I take that to mean that they can only maintain a link with a single mind per Mind Link in operation (without an adder) not that they can not establish multiple simultaneous mind links.  There is no adder for the number of Mind Links you can run simultaneously 

I've been pondering something similar for once I have enough free time to run a HERO game. 
Tell the players it's 350 points base, everyone has Code of the Hero, CvK, etc and needs another 50 points of psylims, soclims, physlims on top of that.  Then say you can add another 5 disads and each one you add is 5 CP for things from a short list of flavor abilities. 
 
 
With regards to the setting shift cough sudden ruining of backstories and plot hooks cough I'd have just told the players to take half as many disads but not to take dfs, soclims, hunteds, or DNPCs.