Mike W

Re: Variable Power Pools.. Again The main place I could see something like this is with weapon pools. Some guns and some martial arts weapons need to be built as multipowers. So I could see allowing a framework inside a framework for something like this but you would have to keep verys trict control of it.

Re: Things I'd like to see in a superhero RPG citybook. Spidey just did a backstory about "the Tailor" recently. It was pretty good.

Re: Things I'd like to see in a superhero RPG citybook. The main thing I would like is something I mentioned in the Dark Champions book thread - support personnel. Guys that don't count as actual villains but who are necessary to the villains. Technicians. Fences. A Taskmaster type who provides goons for the villains.

Re: Setting up super-prisons To me, superprisons are more plot devices. They are places where supervillains go away for a while to remove them from the game. When I need them, I just stage a breakout or, in some cases, have the charges dropped because evidence has mysteriously disappeared. It's a comic book staple and my players don't really care, so long as I don't over do it. I might have to run one actual adventure at Stronghold or some place similar in an entire campaign. So writing up before that isn't worth it IMO.

Re: Variable Power Pools.. Again This idea reminds me of the modular version of the armor that Iron Man used for a while.

Re: Contact and favor pools Summon could work for normals...but I don't want to figure the cost of summoning Supers in a Champs game. Since a baseline super is a 70 point summon.

Re: Wider, Shallower Variable Power Pools I did this on one of my street level characters. He was a body manipulator and he needed to have a certain size pool to be effective(and be able to get enough things in the pool) but the powers had to cap out lower than the max to fit in with the campaign type. I think Hugh's sliding scale is the way to go.

Re: Heromon... The first part would be Summon. Merging probably requires both the Digimon and the handler to buy multiform with a proximity limit. The more advanced digi-merge is probably just a bigger multiform.

Re: Variable Power Pools.. Again The multiform thing does not make sense to me. I think this is a case where you need two side by side frameworks. An MP for the stuff that is always on the suit and a small VPP to represent the modular aspects.

Re: Things that work in comics but don't work in Champions Actually, I and many of my players like grab and throw for two reasons: 1. It lets you go "bowling for characters" and possibly hit more than one person. Especially if you consider it an AOE attack(after all that character is basically a hex wide). 2. It's a good way to take a guy down to half DCV, which is really useful for guys that have decent CVs but take a lot of pounding.

Re: When you charge the PCs END? I mostly run Champs, so long term END use almost never comes up.

Re: Props and your PCs We have a "newspaper" of sorts too. But I don't consider that a prop any more than I would a character sheet. It's very useful, but to me it isn't a prop.

Re: Things that work in comics but don't work in Champions I think the only thing that is hard to manage is separating the group - unless you have two GMs. In college, we broke in new hero GMs by making them "assistant GMs" for a while before taking over the group or starting their own campaign. Once the assistant got comfortable, scenarios where the group got split up became real possibilities because, after all, you had one GM for each group. More powerful guest stars can be tough but even that can work if it is done right. If you make the fight big enough that the PCs can play a major role(it sounds like a contradiction but it isn't) then you can get away with a whole lot. Heck, I'm looking at possibly having to run the PCs alongside a front line Avengers team in the near future. But since the PCs will be "cracking the case open" and will actually be needed for the final showdown to be successful, I can get away with sticking them on the same field as Iron Man, even though he could mop the floor with the whole team.

Re: Contact and favor pools Well, it depends on the situation. I've done a few things. First, I've occasionally assigned "group" contacts to the base, rather than give each character a favor or contact. For example, when the team does something as a unit to help out someone, I'll assign a contact to the base as an alternative reward. Second, don't forget that contacts have contacts. So, in my Marvel/DC campaign, anyone buying the Wasp as a contact has to pay a couple extra points because she is a founding Avenger. Same thing with buying Oracle as a contact. She can't fight, but she can get a lot of info and knows a big chunk of the CU, so she's an expensive contact. This way, you don't have to buy a lot of contacts for the character directly because you can let the contacts of the contact go to work. Third, I will occasionally let people buy "groups" as contacts. But as a genral rule, you can't buy the group and a character/individual inside the group. So you can buy Nick Fury or you can buy SHIELD. If you want both, buy it as SHIELD and pay a few extra points in the relationship to reflect that you're on good terms with Fury and can get some unusual favors. I also find that this is a good place to give out assigned XP. You do someone a favor, then you get a free favor back. This might even be the result of a plot hook. But it gives you a chance to give people freebies, which players always like, and it also helps to establish recurring guest characters/allies. One last thing, I definitely like to emphasize the idea that contacts are two way streets. So contacts will occasionally ask for favors back. Especially if the character calls them a lot.

Re: Props and your PCs We use a battlemap and miniatures like most groups but that's about it. Occasionally, I've had to improvise(I once used a coke can as a minature to represent an oversized opponent). I've played with groups that liked atmosphere music, which is okay. Conan soundtrack. Lots of classical(definitely recommend Mussorgsky).

Re: When you charge the PCs END? I make PCs keep careful track in combat, but other than that I don't worry about it.

Re: Battle of Detroit I don't even want to THINK of running a fight that big. Biggest fight I've ever been in was 18 characters(7 PCs vs. the entire Zodiac minus Pisces). It took place in my wizard character's pocket dimension. I was really on that day and my dice got hot. The Zodiac got creamed. It was a good day.

Re: Who is Mister Mayhem? Give the guy lots of adjustment powers. Characters that can normally do backflips in their sleep suddenly have trouble doing basic things because he has Drained their DEX and so on. Look at Power Crusher for ideas. In a previous campaign I played in, a slightly souped up version of Power Crusher drove us all NUTS! Also, consider giving him a few some low level AOE powers that don't necessarily affect supers a lot but that can hit LOTS of normals. After all, if all of the locals suddenly flip out and riot, then you have a whole different situation since the PCs now have to not only beat up the bad guy, but perform riot control. "Okay Mr./Ms Hero. You have two choices. You can punch the bad guy, or you can stop that guy from stomping a mudhole in that old lady over there." Not necessarily a ton of points, but it definitely adds to the difficulty of the situation and to the chaotic feel. Even better, if any of the heroes cheated on their mental defenses, then you might affect one of the players too.

Re: Who is Mister Mayhem? Use a Black Cat like ability: Major Transform that gives others Unluck.

Re: Power level for God Depends on the level of the campaign. If you take the top end line for mortals and add about 20 points across the board and make it all 0 END, you'll be in business. It doesn't sound like much, but 4 magnitudes(1 magnitude=1 CV level or 1 DC of damage) is actually a HUGE amount. After all, that extra 4d6 of damage is another 14 points - all of which should be going through their defenses if you base it on the top end mortals. Similarly, another 10-15 points of DEF(or some damage reduction) can soak a TON of damage. Just make sure not to skimp on the "little" defenses like Life Support, Mental Defense, Power Defense, and Flash Def.

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See? The two things that really would make me interested in the book would be: 1. As others have mentioned, the "conversion" info for regular Champs. 2. A decent section on "support" personnel. People who help the criminals but who don't get into trouble because they don't do anything that is illegal - or at least not traceable. Fences, snitches and the like. Also, a Tinkerer type character from Marvel. Someone who provides arms but who doesn't ever commit crimes with them. Maybe a Justin Hammer type who provides "favors" in exchange for a percentage of the take - but who doesn't keep records.

Re: Hand To Hand Attacks The rule is: For heroic campaigns - weapons cannot get more damage dice from STR than the HA they provide. So a 1D6 club can do a max of 2D6. For superheroic - weapons generally just add damage like a normal HA. So a character with a 1D6 HA weapon in supers can do 8D6 with it if he has enough STR and such.

Re: Character for review --- Annihilator So you're building the equivalent of an NPC bomb? A guy who takes one shot and then gets creamed? What's the point? Just build a bomb as a one shot plot device and let a regular villain flip the switch as a 12 action.

Re: Character for review --- Annihilator Give him 8/8 PD and ED to help out the overall numbers a bit. Far more than that though, you have to find points for at least a 20 DEX so that he can hit things and avoid being hit. You'll need at least 10 more STUN too.

Re: Character for review --- Annihilator You have CVs of 3 and 3, and your character would be reduced to 0 stun after getting hit with one 12D6 attack. Everyone chant along with me now: DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!