MadWand

Re: Online VOIP game (Interest Check) I'm also interested. I use Skype, Maptools, and/or OpenRPG quite frequently.

Can I combine a Martial Block maneuver with maneuvers such as Fast Strike, Takedown, etc. in a multiple-power attack, so as to be able to parry attacks in the same phase I attack? Is there any legal way to buy off the effective OCV/DCV penalties for combining multiple power attacks. (For example, the effective -1 to OCV -3 to DCV for combining Fast Strike and Defensive Strike) Do penalty skill levels work? Thank you.

Re: Characters Losing Their Souls - How To Handle It? I like the "Soul as lifeforce" idea, above. I would suggest a further disadvantage: a soul is needed to adapt, change, and improve yourself. i.e., a person with no soul recieves no more XP. Optionally, they'll get back those XP when/if they get their soul back.

Re: Need help with Enhanced Senses and Megascale I'm not sure I understand -- this still doesn't explain why you want this sense to be a part of the Radio group. As far as I know, any sense you buy for a base or vehicle (which clues you have given so far seem to indicate) can be displayed on a display screen as part of the special effect, no matter what sense group it is a part of. How do you view the difference between a "mechanical sensor" and a "visual sensor"? Presumably all non-magic-based sensors have some mechanical component, whether they are part of the sight group or not. For example, the human eye is a visual sensor with a mechanical component, for a sufficiently broad definition of "mechanical". Similarly, you could buy normal sight cameras OR infrared cameras for your base or vehicle and hook them up to a display screen free of charge, as part of the special effect. I'm not sure if you would even have to pay points to buy "normal sight" in this way.

Re: Need help with Enhanced Senses and Megascale Ok, first of all -- why do you want your infrared sensor to be part of the radio group? Not only does that not make any sense, radar doesn't work well at long ranges in space, at least compared to ordinary infrared detection. Radar is also an active sense, which means enemies can tell you are there more easily. All you need is infrared vision, which is automatically linked to the sight group, with a lot of range levels. You don't need: Discriminatory: Sight group already has this Analyze: Probably inappropriate for long-range sensors. Save this for close-range active sensors. Depends on your special effect, of course. Increased Arc of Perception (360 Degrees): Many real-world sensors don't have this. Insdead, they "sweep" 360 degrees to get a complete picture of the area. So, this is optional. Targeting: Sight group already has this. Tracking: Completely unneccesary Pay your 5 points of IR vision, buy a lot of range levels, and you've got one of the best long-range sensors possible for use in space.

Re: Merfolk character concept No need for shapeshift. Just put Running and Swimming in a multipower. The "shapeshift" is just a special effect. Accidental change might apply (splashed with water) if the change is involuntary.

Re: Build your Super Self Super-healing. The ability to heal any condition in anyone, including old age, disease, or cosmetic applications large or small. Interestingly, a power like this would also have offensive applications, such as by healing "old age" a little too far... Then I'd start a world tour of hospitals, etc. I'd hire my talents out for as much money as I could get for them, and use the vast bulk of the proceeds to fund causes I am interested in, such as in the sciences, and medical research for finding permanent cures to those conditions that are too wide-spread for my healing powers to make much of a dent in. I realize I'd probably get a Hunted: Everyone 18- pretty quickly, but the rest of the money would go towards hiring bodyguards, agents, lawyers, and other superheros. It would be worth it.

Re: secure radio communicator I'm not sure I like the idea of applying advantages such as invisible to the HRRH power. It's a brilliant idea, but it doesn't quite capture the essense of what is going on here. All radios are just means of transmitting information. No amount of messing around with the transmission is going to change the fact that the radio waves will be visible to other radio recievers. The only thing that changes is the information that you send. So all that you do here is define the information you are sending over the radio as encrypted data. The radio power stays exactly the same -- now you just need the already-encrypted data to send, or a means to encrupt data on the fly. For the latter, all that is required is sufficient computing power -- and it doesn't take much to get good encryption. The computing power can be available via special effect, or you can use champions rules to buy a computer. If you really want to spend more points, buy a 1 point computer program "encrypt/decrypt data" or go with the previous idea of buying a unique language. Just to be very clear -- buying a high cryptography skill is probably inappropriate, and extremly expensive. There exist encryption algorithms that are 100% unbreakable (do a google search on "one time pads" for more information), so representing such an algorithm as a high cryptography roll makes the algorithm too easy to break. Anyone with a high enough skill or cosmic power pool could shift their points into an even higher cyptography skill and break the code, and it simply isn't that easy.

Re: secure radio communicator You can use mind link if you like, but I prefer to use mind link to represent systems that go beyond just radio communication in some manner, such as super-high-tech "neutrino comm" systems. Systems like this are generally not detectable by radio senses, and not usually jammable by any but the most exotic means. For the purpose you describe, which ignoring all the pseudo-computer science speak is just a radio with good encryption, using any of the ordinary radio communciation senses works just fine. Contrary to what the movies and TV would have you believe, it is quite possible to create encryption that is impossible to break given any amount of computer power, and encryption that is impossible to break given any amount of computer power that could exist using the resources available in the universe (which is what you are describing with public-key encryption). How good the encryption is seems to be an effect of special effect: the money, time, effort, expertise, and computing power brought to bear on creating and using a good encryption algorithm. With a system like this, your weak point is the "human" element. It's still possible for someone using your system to get their comm gear stolen. Good luck.

Re: Defining a teleport spell I've thought of a nifty way to teleport to any location you've preivously observed... purchase Eidetic Memory, Targeting, only to remember places to teleport. If you want to teleport anywhere you can think of, purchase Detect "area I want to teleport to", ranged, targeting (and probably discriminatory, also). Purchase lots of range levels and/or megascale for the sense.

Re: Defining a teleport spell Because your clairsentience can't precieve anywhere within 100 km of your current location, you won't be able to teleport anywhere within 100 km, unless you are using a telescope. Even then, you won't be able to teleport anywhere within 1 km. You could do 2 teleports: 1 teleport 100 km away, and another to whereever you want to go. It may take several minutes (and a lot of END) to find the location you want to teleport to using Clairsentience... how this works is up to the generosity of your GM. I've met GMs who were very unforgiving about use of Clairsentience. You won't be able to teleport anywhere that's in darkness, unless you have a way of perceiving in darkness. Some GMs may have a problem with you teleporting very long distances using this power. Worst case and without the No Relative Velocity adder, if you teleport to the other side of the Earth you will emerge with a velocity of about 6,000 mph due to the rotation of the Earth. This experience is likely to be painful. Other than that, seems about as close as the hero system can get to "Teleport Without Error". Good luck.

Re: Defining a teleport spell You will need to buy "targeting" for your clairsentience. Also, keep in mind that you won't be able to teleport anywhere within 10,000 km of your current location. I've found it useful to buy a megascale teleport and a normal teleport within a multipower, for this kind of construct. Unfortunately, the hero system doesn't do D&D style "Teleport without error" effects... a big weakness in the system, IMO.

Re: How would you design this with FREd? Transformers don't actually increase power output. They are used to change between AC/DC power, or change voltage/amerage. Because they are not 100% efficient, you will actually lose power when you use a transformer. If transformers were more than 100% efficient, this would allow for infinite power generation -- no need for electrical outlets or power companies anymore. None of this is relevant to the HERO system. If you want more power for a base or battlesuit, buy a larger END reserve. If you don't mind breaking the rules of physics, buy a END-reserve Healing slot in a multipower somewhere. Make sure you buy up the recovery time so you can boost power more than once a day -- I think a +1 1/2 advantage allows you to Heal once/turn. Or, buy a a few powers as 0 END or using your normal END supply, so you have something to do when your END reserve runs out.

Re: Design query 1-Birdy the Mighty Have each form buy a sentient AI defined as the spirit of the other person. That AI should have INT, EGO, and DEX of the correct form, and all appropriate skills and psych lims. If you want those skills to be useable by the current body, buy the "Usable by others" advantage for them.

Re: Ultimate Hibernation What you want is EDM: into the future, with appropriate limitations to reflect the fact that anyone could grab your body and throw it into the sun so you'd wake up and fry. This is how you do Verner Vinges "bobble" technology, as described in his book The Peace War. Bobble technology allows you to create impenetrable bubbles around anything. Time stops inside the bobbles, and all forces are reflected from it's surface, until a pre-set time limit when the bobble "pops". Pretty much the ultimate hibernation power, except you can use it against all or part of your enemies. You could bobble an enemy planet, or just an enemies head.