Vondy

Jim McDermitt

High School. On a more serious note: I would probably define it as Mind Control with the apropos advantages and lims, though an entangle BOECV with a limit on its duration, or being linked to the mentalists consciousness might work. The latter of those is more abusive, and the first is generally cleaner from a design perspective.

Re: hey there Edsel I say you kill 'em al!!!

Now that's my kind of compromise!

A Prositute

You might consider surfing the boards for characters other people have made, or starting a thread entitled: I need archetype templates, please help.

When he says “Whatever you just refuse to compromise†respond with: "Yes."

Re: Block and STR Stopping a stike cold?! With the exception of some extremely painful blocks this is a rarity, and more of a superhero/action movie shtick than a realistic option. Stopping attacks cold hurts, and can cause injury (to both the attacker and defender). Some Muay Thai blocks are "cold stoppers" if you will, and I'm sure a few other matial arts have them, but they are the exception to the rule. Most blocks I've learned are designed to deflect the blow so that it doesn't hit you, or glances off a less important, tougher part of the body. Blocks tend to depend on angle, timing, and moving yourself a little bit (but not completely dodging). Some of them still hurt. Even in armed styles their is a mix of blocks that stop attacks cold and deflect them. Even the first can be reliant on blade angle. Weapons can break like bones do. Nevertheless, strength can be a factor when there is a huge disparity between the opponents. A trained 200 pound man fighting a trained 100 pound woman has a significant strength advantage, and the woman would be advised not to go toe-to-toe with him in a slugfest, or try to block his blows cold. She could probably still pull off a deflecting block (regularly if she's more skilled than he is), however -- so in game mechanics I'm not going to sweat it. Its also a matter of style. The man in the above scenario is likely to be a powerhouse fighter, and know he can use that to his advantage with this particular fighter. The woman will likely be more reliant on speed, feignts, and funky angles. She will also be more heavily reliant on staying in motion and maintaining space. Tactics, Analyze Style, and Skill Levels will all play a significant roll in her ability to win. I guess my point is: strength is important, but it isn't everything. The SFX and circumstances matter more in most cases, as do the styles of the respective combatants. The man in my above example will try to force the woman to block him cold in hopes of breaking her bones or knocking her down, the woman will try to avoid this at all costs, and will shoot for his fleshy parts. Defense Strike combined with Martial Dodge = +8DCV. Martial Block = +2CV. The weaker character could block... but staying away is smarter, even mechanically. I had a similar problem in a recent fantasy game where a knight made a desperate stand against a giant to buy the party time. Could he block? With a strength disparity of 30 points my answer was: you can do a block maneuver with your shield (not a weapon), but you'll take knockback, and your shield may not survive. He was saved by that, and rolling with the impact (three times). He hurt the giant really badly before disengaging, too. In superheroic games the strength disparity is even greater, and even a deflecting block might get you hurt. Its a matter of: can Batman block Superman's blows? The answer is: who wrote this issue. I think bats would dodge and hold actions for throw maneuvers, but that's just my opinion.

Re: Detect This is one of those GM approval type of things. I have allowed Detect, Emotions in heroic level games, where mental defense makes it more difficult, and characters who know their dealing with an Empath can enter an Ego contest to submerge their emotions. It works well so long as the Player and The Game Master know how its intended to work up front.

Probably true, which would effectively bring the cost back up to 40 points. Its a power that has EC written all over it, however. I assume flame form!!!

I think you should look up the rules for Desolidification as a form of invulnerability in Fred. Its essentially a -1 lim on the deso and it suggests you needn't by Affects Physical World for your other powers because it doesn't allow you to walk through walls or ignore damage from attacks without the correct SFX. Using this method Invulnerability to fire would cost you 20 points.

I have a player who delights in playing bumblers. One of his characters (a merchant in a fantasy game) bought a follower who is basically Andre the Giant. He;s actually more competent, and has more common sense than the guy he's working for.... The follower took the PC as HIS D-PC.

What, like NND (defense is being a gay member of the opposite sex)? That way they don't apply their Presence to your presence attacks when COM is a factor:confused:

Vanguard (power armor) is a pizza delivery guy with an MS in Physics. He doesn't have time for the PHd program because he's out heroing at all hours of the day.

Oooooh.... HERO envy.

I've been requireing spells to: take at least one full phase to cast to require concentration to cost long term endurace to cost increased endurance for flash and dazzle spells (combat) Skill roll In addition spells should have other lims on them where appropriate: incantations or gestures, or both components (often expendable or expensive) time or material restriction (during the equinox, not versus cold iron) Side effects (i.e. channeling entropic energies is risky: 1 Pip Major Transformation, Cumulative, BOECV, AVLD "soul corruption") This allows mages to have major hoo-doo spells without being able to cast them every five minutes, though some sort of mana system is a good idea (lotus powder, expendable crystals, whatever). I've found restricting spell and component access to be among the best ways, though. "Hah! I have mastered the spell of major hoo-doo! Now all I need is a fire-opal the size of a baseball with an intricate filligree of runes and dragons that has been dipped in the freshly spilled blood of a dying elven monarch on the night of the winter equinox! Once I have it I shall rule the world! Mwahahahahahahaha!!!!"

Is the tanks combat values just as high as the lightly armored fairies, or is it lower because he put more points into strength and con than they did? If they're harder to hit than he is I don't see an imbalance, and really, even then there isn't one. Who said elves don't wear plate or chain? Maybe they carve them out of "ironwood" or "witchwood" or something. If they choose to go about without armor that's their choice. So the question is how do you balance it so they don't get killed? Option 1: Don't do anything. Let them run about without armor and reap the rewards and consquences. On the one hand they're major attack fodder. On the other hand they won't sink when knocked into the river, or clank when stealthing about. Option 2: Penalize the character with the armor. There's a problem with this: he spent just as many points as his fellows did, but used his money for armor instead of other things (a choice the players must make). If you increase the penalties (beyond those in the book) you're penalizing the player for spending his cash on armor, or picking a more traditional walking tank design. Option 3: Creative Game Mastering. That's right, have the big monster focus on the tank and pay less attention to the lightly armored chaps. Not entirely fair, but it avoids penalizing someone for their spending habits. This could also be translated into: forcing situations where ARMOR is a must (heavy weapons combat), and then forcing other situations where ARMOR is a musn't (commando tactics, social situation, etc). This will force all of the players to meet in the middle. The faries will realize they may need to invest in some armor (chain at least) for situations where they know combat is going to come, and make the tank invest in some finesse (point wise) to stay alive when the armor is off. I'd go with #1, but #3 is also an option. I really don't like #2.

There's no reason you can't buy off the Incantations limitation after play begins. It just means the individual spells or frameworks becomes more expensive. The cost differential becomes the cost of the Feat, with GM permission, of course.

I'm with Yamo on this one - the lim should be required.

What about going to the other exteme? Why not build a character who doesn't have lists of powers or variable pools at their disposal. What about a character who relies on skill and wit instead of power. Certainly they'de need a certain amount of gear or what have you to get buy, but it could be a challange. What about a patriotic commando or grandmaster martial artist? Or even... no, never mind.

My Freedom Patrol campaign happens all over the world, but their primary headquarters (waterfront campus) is in Annapolis, MD, with their operations center on Parson's Island in Chesapeake Bay (within superheroic throwing distance of the main hq). The Seattle Sentinels are in... Seattle. Freedom, Inc. -- the spinoff of the now defunct Freedom Patrol game (after 10 years, thank G-d!) is based in San Francisco. I also ran a street level game that took place in Detroit.

Its not just a matter of strength. Its a matter of size, balance, and leverage. A two handed sword / claymore can be as much as twice the length of this characters height. Let alone the fact that this characters arms are probably only 1.5 feet long (max)! The grip/handle/pommel thingy on a good two-handed sword is as long as this characters arms are for G-d's sake. If the blade is expertly balanced and has a full metal tang the balance point will be at roughly 3 - 3.5 feet from the base of the grip. The balance point alone is farther out on the apex of the swing than this character is tall. He'll fling himself all over the place with every swing. And don't forget that it takes more strength to stop and control a blade than to swing it! Every miss will spin him around like a top. Too be frank - you can, according to the rules, weild a weapon you don't have the strength for if your willing to take a -1 OCV (i don't remember if that's a flat pen or per 5 character points of difference). Even so, I think your ruling is fair. Instead of just saying no, however, why don't you: Assign a -3OCV unweildy weapon penalty AND tell the player that everytime they miss they'll be 1/2 DCV Personally, I don't care how tall you are, with the exception of pole arms there should be a penalty for any weapon thats longer than you are. Its just unwieldy (unless you have superstrength). For this character a broadsword with a long grip IS a 2 handed sword.

Every so often something happens in a game that completely crosses into another genre (without ruining the plot or anyone's fun). Here's one that recently occured in my game: One of my players is playing a knight with a 25 point code of chivalry. He has shiny maximillian style full plate, a helm with plumes, the whole 9 yards. He's very... paladin cavalier like. The group is travelling through a no-mans land claimed by two kingdoms (the chelen gap if you're familiar with harn) when they come to a bridge fording a river. Its the only way to cross for miles and time is of the essence. There is, of course, a knight (in black) on the other side of the bridge who will not let anyone pass unless they prove themselves worthy in the flowering of valor. That's right. Combat. The guy playing the merchant decides this isn't his show. The pixie decides to hide. The actress (confidence artists and thief) decides it'll be a good show. And, before the shiny knight can answer the challenge, the groups mercenary says he'll accept the challenge. The knight holding the bridge isn't interested in fighting "unmounted peasants" and just rides him down for him impertinance (he got knocked into the river and had to abandon his mail) and returns to his place on the far side of the bridge. When I describe the scene again (a desolate place, a bright and dry day, a rustling wind through brown grass) the player of the shint kenigget, who had seen the good the bad and the ugly the night before gets the whole spagetti western theme going in his head. He dismounts, mentions the clinking of his spurs on the dusty road (okay, the road is dusty now) and the passing tumbleweed (eh, tumbleweed?!), and comes to a halt on his side of the bridge. He nods, scratches his stubble, notes the sweat dripping down his temple, and gives the "black knight" a silent nod. The "black" knight, seeing he wants a hand-to-hand fight dismounts and comes to his edge of the bridge, spurs clinking. They regard eachother intently for a long moment and start walking towards eachother, intending to meet at the center of the bridge. In that moment, before I could speak, one of the other players (who had his laptop at the table - its that kind of group) starts playing an mp3 of the theme to the good, the bad, and the ugly. They meet and the "black knight" (black hat wearing bad guy) says... "Draw" Both were dex 14 and had fast draw. The PC won the roll by one and ended the fight. We couldn't stop laughing. Any good genre busting moments in your games?

I think that once your comfortable with the system (know the chart by rote) it doesn't slow play to use hit locations. If you want a simplified version why not use an activation roll?

So many choices... Mind's Eye (the mentalist) could pump her entire psionics power pool (80 points) into mind control and force him to surrender. "Nice bomb, disarm it." Liberty Belle could envelope him in a 16/16 hardened force wall and ask him if he wants to die alone, or if he'd like to surrender. Of course, that in of itself depends on the size of the bomb, and whether you build such things with KA or NDAM DCs. Bane could do any number of things with his 70 Cosmic Power Pool (No Mental Powers). He might just x-dim move him to the picasso-verse, he might reinforce Liberty Belle's forcewall, he might transform the bomb into a very annoying confetti or rose petal bomb, he might flight-usable-against-others-megascale-10km the guy out a skylight (yeoWch!), he might use images to convince the guy everything is normal while the team moves in, or invisibility them, he might teleport the guy to the dump.... Shadowdancer would use his amazing ninja skills to close with him and then use his TWF (HTH) to get him with 2 6d6NND Indirect, Affects Deso "Dim Mak Attack" (rendering him inert without killing him). If the guy really didn't know he was there he might sweep with the twf hand attack. Aquarian would hit him with her extremely nasty 5d6 Drain (Con) Affects Physical World, Indirect, NND. She might go with rapid fire if she thinks theres a decent chance of hitting him. Some characters are scary. Unless he doesn't rely on having water in his body he's going to take it. Anthem (the team leader) would likely talk him out of it. He has 25 Pre, Reputation Honorable +3d6, and a persuasion skill (with levels) of 15-. At the very least he'd try to convince him to exchange himself for the hostages (he's basically an 880 point normal).