Haven Walkur

Re: [interest in an online game?] Avengers: Generation 3 You know, some things are their own punishment. The Boss Bunny ought to let you play him...after you've written him up, of course.

My Hero character Cinnabar is a daughter of the Vision. Like him, she can control her own density (and there's a quick 'n' easy power for that), but unlike him, she can also affect the density of her opponents. So please help me out here, all you bright boys and girls; how best to build this Density-altering attack power? I'll decribe the different things I've been using to try and represent the Density-altering attack in italics. I'll underscore the problems I'm having with each approach, and I'll leave my questions in plain text. I've been using 60 STR Telekinesis, Affects Whole Object, with the Limitation: Only to duplicate density effects, to represent the Density-altering attack power. The problem is, an affected character can break out of TK using just raw STR...which seems anti-intuitive for a Density-altering attack. Can anybody think of a way to build this Density-altering attack without using TK or another power with similar physical limitations? Using multiple powers -- one to increase density, one to decrease -- would be fine, too. Apparently just using Density Increase, Usable as an Attack, is incredibly expensive...? I've also tried using two Minor Transforms: Object into object too massive to move under own power/support own weight, both with the Partial advantage. One is a 6d6 attack, the other is 3d6, Uncontrolled, Continuous -- it's intended as a "fire and forget" power. I like the idea of the Transforms -- especially the Uncontrolled, Continuous one -- but it seems that at 3d6 and 6d6, the Transforms are too small and hence too slow to take effect.... That means my character will use her power and her opponents will acquire the benefits of Density Increase (increased STR and PD/ED), increasing as the Transform progresses. The bad guys won't become incapacitated until the Transforms are complete, and until then, my character will have a heap of new enemy bricks on her hands! Can I even use Transform to immobilize the bad guys without giving them a STR boost in the meantime? Would taking the "Partial" advantage off the power and going for an "all-or-nothing" Transform -- with more dice, since Partial is a +1/2 advantage -- solve the problem? Is there any way to get a progressive effect like Transform quickly, other than just upping the number of dice? Would the "ultra-gravitate you until you can't move" Density-altering attack be better written up an an Entangle? Thank-you for reading, and any help would be appreciated. This bloody power write-up is driving me nuts! (Cross-posted to the Hero System Discussion forum)

My Hero character is a daughter of the Vision. Like him, she can control her own density (and there's a quick 'n' easy power for that), but unlike him, she can also affect the density of her opponents. So please help me out here, all you bright boys and girls; how best to build this Density-altering attack power? I'll decribe the different things I've been using to try and represent the Density-altering attack in italics. I'll underscore the problems I'm having with each approach, and I'll leave my questions in plain text. I've been using 60 STR Telekinesis, Affects Whole Object, with the Limitation: Only to duplicate density effects, to represent the Density-altering attack power. The problem is, an affected character can break out of TK using just raw STR...which seems anti-intuitive for a Density-altering attack. Can anybody think of a way to build this Density-altering attack without using TK or another power with similar physical limitations? Using multiple powers -- one to increase density, one to decrease -- would be fine, too. Apparently just using Density Increase, Usable as an Attack, is incredibly expensive...? I've also tried using two Minor Transforms: Object into object too massive to move under own power/support own weight, both with the Partial advantage. One is a 6d6 attack, the other is 3d6, Uncontrolled, Continuous -- it's intended as a "fire and forget" power. I like the idea of the Transforms -- especially the Uncontrolled, Continuous one -- but it seems that at 3d6 and 6d6, the Transforms are too small and hence too slow to take effect.... That means my character will use her power and her opponents will acquire the benefits of Density Increase (increased STR and PD/ED), increasing as the Transform progresses. The bad guys won't become incapacitated until the Transforms are complete, and until then, my character will have a heap of new enemy bricks on her hands! Can I even use Transform to immobilize the bad guys without giving them a STR boost in the meantime? Would taking the "Partial" advantage off the power and going for an "all-or-nothing" Transform -- with more dice, since Partial is a +1/2 advantage -- solve the problem? Is there any way to get a progressive effect like Transform quickly, other than just upping the number of dice? Would the "ultra-gravitate you until you can't move" Density-altering attack be better written up an an Entangle? Thank-you for reading, and any help would be appreciated. This bloody power write-up is driving me nuts! (Cross-posted to the Champions forum)

Re: Superhero Images

Re: Global Guardians - Champs by email (review) I've played in the GGU a couple of years ago. I didn't like it...and I was (and am) so desperate to game I wasn't disposed to be critical. However, it just wasn't any fun -- at all. Yes, as the Aardvark says, there is a laundry list of house rules involved in the GGU. Some of them seem to reflect the personal preferences and prejudices of Worldmaker, creator of the GGU -- which is only to be expected, but if the bias had been acknowledged up front, I would have built a very different character. My PC example: Apparently Worldmaker doesn't like PC mentalists; however, he doesn't mention this bias in the GGU rules write-up. No, instead, he waited for the player (me, in this case) to submit a mentalist PC for auditing, and then informed me that he (Worldmaker) uses the most restrictive interpretation of the Hero 5th Ed. mentalist rules. By that interpretation, my PC wouldn't work, said he. Worldmaker then proceeded to "gut" my character of her mind-reading powers, in the name of creating a "better fit" with the GGU universe. That annoyed me a great deal. I'd spelled out in my character write-up that my concept for this PC was a young and naive Herald Angel, and her big powers were megascale Flight and lots of Telepathy -- she could carry the Word around the world in a twinkling, and speak and be understood by all the races of man. She's an angel, so she should know the minds and hearts of men, right? Wrong, apparently. Worldmaker favors the strictest reading of the Class of Minds distinction. My PC would only know the minds and hearts of those exact men whose Class of Minds I'd bought. My Herald Angel was barred from reading or communicating mentally with supernatural beings or human/supernatural hybrids (despite being one herself), cyborgs (even if their brains were still organic), aliens or alien/human hybrids, and there was even the chance of some human racial barriers to her Telepathy. But Worldmaker didn't just reject my poor Angel for being a despised mentalist; no, he "improved the fit." After that "pruning", my PC could fly real fast and maybe communicate mentally with the people standing next to her (if they were human, that is). The PC that resulted from that auditing was NOT one I wanted to play. If I had known from the outset about Worldmaker's extreme dislike of PC mentalists, I wouldn't have wasted both our time by building one! And character-building in the Hero System is no small undertaking.... So since I'd already gone through all that grief with my PC, I decided to play anyway -- have I mentioned that I was (and am) desperate to game? Half the players didn't post to the game, and the GM might as well have been one of them. He was extremely lackadasical and seemed almost indifferent to the game he was supposed to be running. Periodically, Worldmaker would post nasty, scathing things to people on the GGU site for some offense or the other -- but he never criticised a delinquent GM or non-participating players. No, he seemed to reserve his ire for people who had argued with him...about anything...for any reason. Obviously, he felt that was the more important use of his time and resources. This debacle was my first attempt at playing in the GGU, and in my second week there, I inadvertantly posted a message to the wrong thread; I think it was a message intended for the "Questions List" and I sent it to the "Admin. List." And I heard from Worldmaker. Oh my, did I hear from Worldmaker! He kindly let me know that the seriousness of my transgression was matched only my astonishing stupidity.... This is the same person I had e-mailed twice or three times before, asking for help with our increasingly "no-show" GM...but about THAT, Worldmaker had no comment. I never did hear back from him about the GM situation, either. There were eight -- I think it was eight -- of us in that game. Of the seven other players, two were imaginative, creative, eager to participate...and good writers. One (bless his heart) was imaginative, creative, eager to participate...and almost unreadable due to his appalling spelling. The other four players were barely involved; one post in a fortnight, or one in three weeks. And so at last, that GGU on-line game became the first superhero RPG I've ever dropped. About two-thirds of the reason I left was the lack of interest on the parts of many of the players and GMs, and the failure of anyone to call them on it. And the remaining one-third of the reason was Worldmaker himself. I didn't and don't like his arrogance and ego -- and oddly enough, his insecurity. Yes, Jack, we all know you built this site and we're very grateful that you're letting us use it...but do you have to remind us of that by word and deed EVERY TEN MINUTES? Do you really believe that every time someone disagrees with you, it's an attack? Do you honestly think that we won't see how smart you are unless you keep showing us over and over again? Or that we won't know who's in charge unless you demonstrate it to us at every opportunity? If for some reason Worldmaker departs from the GGU, I might try the site again. If he remains...well, that's the third strike against the site, and it's three strikes you're out.

Re: The things you pick up from Cartoon Network No comparison between the mess that's Teen Titans and the animated Batman/Superman series, Mikara; no comparison at all. And as I do like the Dini/Timm animation style, we'll have to agree to disagree.

Re: The things you pick up from Cartoon Network I don't watch the new Teen Titans cartoon anymore; it's too painful...and I'm a Titans fan from the early '80s. The first and worst offender in the cartoon -- that quasi-anime style. I like intelligent anime (Cowboy Bebop, Big O, Ninja Scroll), but anything that makes use of those ridiculous "stupid-deformed" faces loses my respect very quickly. It's farcical! I know the "enormous eyes-immense mouths" trick is the short-hand that some Japanese animators use to represent sudden strong emotion, but here in the West, that kind of thing is reserved for funny cartoons. In an animated superhero program, it's absurd and embarrassing to watch. Each time one of the Titans (or their foes) suffered a "face mutation" in the show, I cringed and had to look away in disgust. That sort of animation trick makes the characters (who are in fact supposed to be heroes) look repulsive and ridiculous -- and completely robs them of dignity. Yes, the Titans are comic-book superheroes, but let's not push the suspension of disbelief to the point of insult, shall we? The secondary offenders in this unbearable piece of animated offal are the apparent age of the Titans, and the way in which they're characterized. I take issue with the way the animated Titans look -- oh come ON, they're the Teen Titans, not the Prepubescent Pixies! With the exception of Cyborg, they all have the secondary sex characteristics of middle schoolers...which makes them very unconvincing as superheroes dealing with adult villains and issues. I also really take issue with the way several of the characters have been reduced to vehicles for cheap laughs, particularly at the expense of Starfire ("Ooh, the stupid Tamaran princess sings these really awful songs, and she cooks really nasty food, too,") and Beast Boy ("Watch Garth take another pratfall as he changes into a flying form and tries to land"). So when someone assures me that the people who DID ALL THIS to the Teen Titans in their cartoon are also responsible for the immanent animated Legion of Superheroes, all I can say is, oh no, oh please no. Better no Legion at all than THAT.

Re: The things you pick up from Cartoon Network Th...Th...That's meant to be the Legion? Oh no. Oh sweet lords of Story, NO.

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down What about playing a child of one of the classic changeling creatures of folklore? The Japanese in particular have a belief that some real-world animals naturally have shapeshifting abilities and magical powers. Foxes (kitsune) -- just mundane foxes -- are believed to become wise and sorcerously powerful as they get older, and often have the ability to disguise themselves as humans. Cats (neko) are seen much the same way, gaining power (and additional tails, as do the foxes) as they age, though they tend to be more often malicious towards humans than are the foxes. Cats are seen as proud and ferocious creatures, jealous and quick to take offense. More likely to be swordsmen, they're also sorcerously powerful and can often take on human form. The Japanese racoon-dog or badger (tanuki) is a shapeshifting trickster, and generally playful or at worst annoying in its dealings with humans. The tanuki can not only take on human form, it can take the shape of any number of inanimate objects, with the teapot being one of its favorites. All of these creatures have been known to pose as human long enough to enter into a marriage with an actual human and produce children. And while such children are sometimes born with tell-tale physical traits from their non-human parent (most commonly a tail, or perhaps pointed ears or whiskers), most often they are human-appearing, but blessed with uncommon beauty, charisma, grace or wisdom. Think of the things the child of a magical cat (for example) might have going for him or her! Cat qualities of keen hearing and smell, sharp eyes (especially in low light), incredible balance, sensitivity to vibrations, natural acrobatics.... You could play an o-neko speedster, spy, martial artist, were-cat warrior or even a mage or demon-hunter -- with some pronounced catlike traits (and maybe even a few catlike DFs). A cat child might be physically beautiful and beguiling, uncannily graceful, quick and alert. They might be an incredible jumper and climber with amazing reflexes. They might share the cat-parent's long life, which extends into centuries, with powers increasing with age. A tanuki child might be a natural acrobat and actor with a gift for disguise and breakfall and the ability to convince others of whatever outrageous thing he or she wanted...an inborn "gift of the gab" and a high PRE. They might have a gift for conjuring "tricks" that are really minor magics. A fox child might share the fox-parent's wisdom (or cunning) and keen sense of self-preservation (high EGO), speed, sharp eyes, incredible sense of smell. Like the cat child, they might share the parent's extremely long lifespan. All of these children of magical animals may well have a natural talent for magic and shapeshifting, and the innate physical attacks of their parent animal (bite and claws). And even though one of the character's parents would need to be Japanese (or Chinese, Taiwanese or Korean) to use this idea, the character certainly doesn't have to be Asian!

Re: Supervillain Monologues What a chilling quote, and what restrained menace. It's a promise of much worse things to come...very effective. I applaud you, Chimpira. And I also have to applaud your brilliant handling of the "VIPER-as-laughing-stock" situation that the other GM had introduced..."no, that's not a VIPER plot; now this is a VIPER plot!" [delivered in a quite convincing Australian accent] Kudos and rep for you...and when are we going to see some more of your excellent line art on the Board?

Re: Which Villain Do You Want to Play? Oh, that's an easy one: Lightning Lord Mekt Ranzz, villanous older sibling of Legion of Superheroes members Lightning Lad and Light(ning) Lass, the twins Garth and Ayla Ranzz. Mekt's a psychopath, but he does have his own invariant code of honor...and he has a noble streak to go with his assumed aristocratic title. Both of those might be exploited to start him on the path to -- if not redemption, then at least working for the common good. Especially if his little sister Ayla gets involved.... But if it has to be Champions specific, well, that's still easy: the swashbuckling thief of Monaco, that mischievous lord of luck, Blackjack! He's got more of a naughty boy mentality than a truely criminal attitude, in any case, and the right influences (friends or lovers or both) could probably convince him to at least limit his criminal activities to those who deserve it, if not stop them altogether.

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread. Wait...my daddy is a tribble?

Will somebody please explain, simply and clearly, how the Variable Power Pool works, and how to use it? I've never really understood it, practically or philosophically. In recent years, I've just been making a practice of avoiding the VPP entirely. But now, I'm trying to build a HERO character for a game that uses prefab powers -- and some of them employ the eeeevil VPP! Oh no! Please help.

Re: Legion of Super-Pets Ah, no...Ace, like his owner, existed in the wrong century to be a member of the Legion of Super-Pets. The Bat-hound was a 20th Century puppy, and didn't have the ability to time-travel to the 30th Century -- unlike Comet and Streaky, who were members of the Legion.

Re: Legion of Super-Pets I love the idea of a "dark" Legion of Super-Pets; that's not only taking the Pets seriously, it's making them seriously frightening! I've been doing some research on the Inuat, the unbodied and malevolent spirits of Inuit belief, and I thought that some of their dog/wolf creatures might make an effective origin for "dark Krypto." Adlet Ten children were once born to an Inuit woman and a red dog. And of these children, five were dogs who crossed the seas to engender the European races. The other five children were the Adlet, wolf-monsters that drink blood, and their offspring are the flesh-eating shape-changers known as the Erqigdlit (singular: Erqigdluq). Akhlut is a spirit that takes the form of both a wolf and a whale. It is a vicious, dangerous beast, and its tracks appear as wolf tracks that lead to and from the ocean. Amarok is a giant wolf in Inuit mythology. It will hunt down and devour anyone foolish enough to hunt alone at night. Sometimes considered equivalent to the Waheela, a wolf-like cryptid reported from Nahanni Valley in the Northwest Territories of Canada. [The waheela might actually BE a prehistoric bear-dog (an Amphicyonid), or perhaps a Dire Wolf (Canis dirus), a creature that co-existed with the gray wolf in North America during the Pleistocene. The waheela is reported to travel alone and not in packs as modern wolves do.] Keelut is an evil chthonic spirit who resembles a hairless dog.

Re: Help with a name please Starshine Sunstorm Supernova Starlord Helios (Greek) Ra (Egyptian) Utu/Shamash (Sumerian/Babylonian) Captain Comet

Re: Help me name a team KAOS Recombyn (from "recombinant DNA) Transcription Errors (or just "Errors") Evolve! Gene Genies Select Men Darwin's Children HELIX (from the "double helix" shape of the DNA molecule) Lords of the Twisted Ladder (from the shape of the DNA molecule)

Re: Wow....that is a useless power for sure.... What's even sadder, Armitage, is that I know you're right -- also without looking it up. I believe the Deuce's name was "Mr. Rainbow"? Now that I would have to look up.

I'm running a Canadian character in a "Gamma Flight" on-line game, but I'm trying to avoid playing the "comicbook Canadian," eh? As I've never lived in Canada, I'm in desperate need of any tips that the Canadian members of the HEROBoard can give me on how real Canadians actually behave. Please help. I understand that I'm asking the HEROBoard Canadians to speak for all Canadians, but give it a shot; anything you can add about how Canadians might think and act will help! _____________________________________________________ 1) Do the English-speaking Canadians have characteristic speech habits ("eh")? If so, do these vary with province? 2) How do the people of one province feel about people from other provinces? Do Canadians feel the same way about the provinces that the Americans do about the states? 3) How strong are Canada's ties to the Commonwealth and to Great Britain? Are pictures of the Queen displayed in schoolrooms and places of business? How much does Great Britain come up in everyday Canadian life, and how much does the U.S. come up? Be honest, could real live Canadians care less about either country? 4) How do Canadians feel about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? Are the Mounties equivalent to America's FBI, or more like the Texas Rangers? 5) How much tension is there between the English- and French-speaking Canadians? Is it something people see every day? 6) Do the Canadians travel much inside Canada? How much of Canada is accessible (without heroic effort)?

Re: [Online Game]New 'Marvel: Next Generation' game Oho, I like. DocSamson, Log, that is a most impressive costume!

Re: [Online Game]New 'Marvel: Next Generation' game Goodness, hubba-hubba is right! Is that a pic of Emma Frost? Thanks for posting; it's a great pic and I appreciate the thought. No, that's not Argent -- the clothing and setting are too immodest, too immoderate -- but that is EXACTLY what Noir (Argent's evil twin) looks like! And now you know why Argent (a heroine of deep and serious religious convictions) has a problem with her! Rep for thee, G.A.

Re: [Online Game]New 'Marvel: Next Generation' game Could we go back to the face-on pose, instead of the profile, please? (The profile pic makes her look a bit like Power Girl, if you get my drift....) But the pose thing is just nit-picking; she really does look wonderful. Thank-you, Serpentissimus. And as far as the masks of comedy/tragedy -- Argent actually has a rivalry with Noir (I've been misspelling the word; there's no 'e' on the end). So yes, anything to suggest that she (Argent) has a handle on this whole duality business; anything to suggest she's in control. The masks emblem is something she'd do. Rep for you (actually either on the post before this one, or the one before that).

Re: [Online Game]New 'Marvel: Next Generation' game That looks good, Serpentissimus, especially the lighting/texture effects that break up the gray. I like the white gloves...but would it be possible to make them gauntlets that fit over her jacket sleeves? And perhaps the mask would show up better if you made it gray, like the darker parts of her jacket and pants? Thanks for taking the time to fiddle with the pic. I really appreciate it. By the way, what's that little emblem-thingy on her the left breast of her jacket?

Re: [Online Game]New 'Marvel: Next Generation' game

Re: [Online Game]New 'Marvel: Next Generation' game Maybe not to a female hideous aquatic mollusc looking to do a little external fertilization.... Okay, alright, I'll put down the mollusc and step away from the Squid-bashing. After all, we are going to be team-mates and sisters-in-arms.