Ken Solo

Re: Build my Computer! Actualy, I use the "Wal-Mart Rule" too. Common stuff is esentially free if the PC can rationalize why he has it. Usually it's as easy as "I buy it." In one adventure, the PC's did stop at a Meijer store to gear up on maps, first aids kits, flashlights, and snacks before heading off to the final confrontation. For the computer, we were mostly looking for a guage to mesure a super computer against. In the modern world we have computers all around us, but I really had no idea how they measure up to the aliens starship computer. Also, I made a low budget NPC super hero team, who's Base was a donated Plantation House, and the Computer was mearly a Gateway 400E. Thanks for the ideas!

How would you build a real world desk top computer for Champions? Here are the stats of one I found after a brief Google search. Can you make Champions stats for it? HP TouchSmart IQ804 Desktop PC Intel® Core™2 Duo (2.16GHz) Processor 4GB installed memory 500GB hard drive Slot-load SuperMulti DVD Burner Touch-enabled 25.5" diagonal widescreen BrightView LCD with tilt adjustment Wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n) with built-in WLAN antenna Watch, pause, rewind, and record live TV with the dual-format NTSC or over-air ATSC high-definition tuner Microsoft Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1 HS5ER p.459 Computers tells us a computer is written with INT, DEX and SPD. (Assuming non-AI) How do we do perephial features, like a wireless connection? This would be HRRH, but does the computer have Powers? Or is the power bought seperatly? The OS is a Program (Though running Vista might be considered a Phys. Disad) But the reall question is how much INT and Dex does the above computer have? Anyone come up with a conversion chart yet?

Re: "Uh ... you can *do* that?" As a GM I live for those moments where the party takes me somewhere unexpected! I call that great gaming! It's not a plot death, it's a plot refinement.

Re: "Uh ... you can *do* that?" As the GM, I was the one saying "You HAVE that?!?" for the second or third time this last Tuesday when the 7 foot robot PC uses his Acrobatics skill to maintain his balance. C'Mon! Not being an anime guy, giant acrobatic robots don't seem right! I forget what's not right!

Re: Sex and the Single Superhuman For that matter have we done a post about how your character voted in the elections?

Re: Sex and the Single Superhuman Since I never get to actually PLAY my stable of Champions characters, I do go back and 'update' their backgrounds from time to time on the chance someone will run a game I can use one in. This is a good thread because it makes me think about aspects I may not have considered for a particular character. Like politics. It's funny, but after a character is played for a while, then used in side fiction for a while, they tend to grow in directions that I probably never should have guessed if you had put the question to me when I first scribbled numbers onto a character form 26 years ago. Even as I daydream about this, I can almost hear the political squabbling from the folder when the characters are kept, and the heated arguments about lifestyle choices' White Dwarf - Originally had the 'Girlfriend' DNPC. Though she was initially played more as a sidekick in that she hung with the super team all the time and even had her own flight belt, making her self useful with her incredible Paramedic Skill, B.J. Rigger suddenly became a more interesting character after White Dwarf 'died' the first time. When he made his (comic book inevitable) comeback he was amnesiac and she became his lifeline to his past. They traveled all over together, and he came to rely on her more and more as a series of events kept erasing his memory. I never said as much at the time, but I will presume they were having sex in those times that W.D. was comfortable with who he was and who she was and all that. B.J. was killed by an assassin who also maimed W.D.s face. Since then, I don’t see W.D having much intrest in romance, being too filled with self-pity/ revulsion. However, he has drawn closer to the re-formed Challengers, acting almost as a father figure to most. Then there is the mother figure of the group, the still attractive healer Remedy. They are very close, but nothing live lovers. Yet. W.D. is very Republican (from Texas, no less) and she a New York liberal. Charlie Cho – Also started with a DNPC ‘Mala’. Charlie was an 1860’s Chinese-Californian who was kidnapped by aliens (the Hzeel in this case) and Mala was a woman from the west coast of Africa. Many humans were harvested, put in suspended animation and sent to the Varanyi on the other side of the galaxy to be slaves. Most died. Charlie and Mala escaped, stole a ship, recruited a few other slaves to the cause and became pirates. When the Vayanyi military came, the guerilla slaves left for Earth. Now, trying to adjust to the 21st century, Charlie and Mala have only each other (and a few bird aliens, and a space dragon) that understands. My GM was good to me and made Charlie work for this. His sense of honor being what it was, Charlie had to abide by Mala’s desire to ask her father’s permission to wed. But they left Earth 150 years ago. So, adventures in Africa fighting the Sphinx (C,C &C, I think) getting the whole team involved. We never did get to the Super Hero Wedding scene… And since you are wondering Charlie and Mala were probably chaste living together aboard a tiny spaceship for many months…

Re: What ratio of superhumans to humans do you use? Partly because I like to say to my players/characters "You are one in a million!" I use that number. The other part is that I did a head count of charateres in my stable, including published characters in HERO products and home brewed characters and I got 1,854 character sheets. I count groups like 'Viper Agent, Basic' as 1 sheet. These almost 2,000 characters are just the ones who have the power level to be noticed, or the will to make themselves noticed. The later holds true for all those with no real powers, but still run in the Superhero Community. Yes, the majority of them are in the United States for one reason or another. That leaves about 4,000 people all over the world who have some ability they either keep secret, or have not realized they have yet. I like to flavor up the world with the Minor Powers once in a while. Like the average beat cop who happens to have the ability to Detect Magic. It's not enough to get him to put on a cape, and it very rarely comes in handy. But when the strange knight was slaughtering people in New York, that cop could tell others that thay wanted to concentrate on seperating the sword from the knight. I really loved 'Mystery Men' and I want those people in my world too. They have few real powers, but just enough to get them into trouble with some hero worship/ need for recognition. Then someone has to bail them out! A plot hook! That's what I do.

Re: Darth Vader vs. The Hulk I'm am pretty much already convinced that in a purely physical contest Vader will lose. But Vader has more tricks that just hacking at the Hulk like a D&D fighter. Is there not a way he can direct the actions of the seething Hulk? "The Force easily distracts the weak willed." or something like that. On the other hand, aparently Prof. X can't mind control the Hulk.

I've looked around and I cannot find what I need so I turn to the HERO boards. I want a writeup for a typical police patrolman. I have seen various writups for policeman characters, but each was customized in some way for an interesting character. Which is fine, but I still do not have a baseline to work from. Is there a HERO on the boards who is a cop, or knows one well? (I have a cousin who is a cop in Detroit, but we rarely see each other) What will a REAL WORLD cop look like in HERO stats? All apropiate skills, and especially equipment. Cops carry a lot of stuff these days other than a gun, handcuffs and a nightstick. What about the car? What is in there, and what will it's stats look like? I have a feeling that two patrol officers in a cruiser encountering a lower level supervillian are not so easily written off. FOr that matter, how likely is a cruiser to have two officers? I see lots of cop cars with only one cop. In a similar vein, I'd like to see a TYPICAL Army Infantryman, freshly assigned to the field and in full equipment load. What are The Things They Carry? Dont forget stuff that may not have a HERO System power. Do soldiers still pack rations, or is support prevelent enough to not need that? Lots' of hardware is listed in the Rule book and Dark Champions and the Ultimate Vehicle etc. but I need men to use it. can someone knowledgeable in such things write and post a Typical Street Cop and a Typical Army Infantryman? Thanks so much for the help!

Re: how do you deal with guns and superheroes in your campaign

This is one of those cross-genre match up questions. In discussion, we cannot seen to settle this one, so I am asking for the considered opinions of others who ponder such things. We have the Hulk write-up from Game Trade Magazine, and the Vader write up from Surebrooks page of Champions write ups. But have not fought the battle yet. The debate is mostly between a Non-gaming Hulk fan and a new gamer Star Wars fan. I am the vetern gamer moderator. The consesion is that Hulk is stronger, tougher etc. Vader, on the other hand has Force powers and a slashy light-thing. The real sticky point is the argument on one hand that the Dark Side has more power over those who give in to their rage (Which Hulk is all about) and on the other hand, Hulk is shown as being immune to to mind control powers by virture of having too many multiple personalities. So, assuming one gets ported to the others Universe, who will come out on top? (I have to show this thread to the two debatees, to settle things)

Re: Doctrine for beginning vampire slayers? I just re-ran the Mob Rule Scenario from the 4th ed Blue Book. The PC's dispersed the Asasinos and had to hunt them down. Stalker was the best equipped to hide in a forgien city, and was (along with buddy Mosquito) the last found. He started turning locals into vampires, keeping the PCs busy. When they finaly found his lair (the basement of the house of a little old religious lady) they did all the right things. Waited until 1pm when the sun was high. The invisible team member scouted. The robot grappled Stalker and shoved him through the wall into the driveway. (After an intense fight (The lady died)) Stunned, Stalker burned up quickly. Mosquito got away again. I very much liked using Stalker as written, because he is so different from the recent conception of vampires!

Re: Custom Mechanon When 4th Ed first rolled out, I ran the 'Mechanon Tries To Melt The Ice Caps' Scenario. Our robotic villian jacked a bunch of tech (to save time because his resources were tied up) and recruited Armadillo to his team. The Armadillo armor was mass produced (see, the Mechanon factories were preocupied) and thugs recruited to wear the armor (building computer controls for all those power suits would take more time and resources - humans are cheap, free, and expendable). Once set up at the Frozen North, teams of heroes from all over the world responded. Our PC's got to meet other heroes - Everyone was shocked to see fifty Armadillos, and I got to explain why the Russian guy went from having 128 duplicates for 3rd Ed to only 8 duplicates for 4th Ed. Copy a power suit, put expendable humans inside - the heroes don't hit the living as hard.

Re: Supervillains and the death penalty This is a problem? For the most part all I do is photocopy the character sheets of villians and NPC heroes published in HERO Games products. This alone gives me a villian population of more than 2000 characters. (I think I'll get into the folders and take a census this weekend) On the other hand, recuring villians the players can develop a good grudge with are the best!

Re: WWYCD: The Invasion Is On...