Prometheus

I mistakenly posted this in the Hero System Discussion board, maybe I'll have better luck here. My players and I are a bit confused on the use of the Power Advantage Cumulative with the Suppress Power. The description for Suppress describes it as open ended and cumulative (page 145), which would leave no reason to add Cumulative to the power. The Adjustment Powers text, however, cites Suppress as a power that might use Cumulative (page 75). Similarly, Drain is used in a sidebar example for Cumulative in the Power Advantages section (page 163), despite the fact that the FAQ disallows the pairing. Is this all a big mix up, or are open ended Adjustment Powers usable with the Cumulative Advantage? And if so, what is the effect?

My players and I are a bit confused on the use of the Power Advantage Cumulative with the Suppress Power. The description for Suppress describes it as open ended and cumulative (page 145), which would leave no reason to add Cumulative to the power. The Adjustment Powers text, however, cites Suppress as a power that might use Cumulative (page 75). Similarly, Drain is used in a sidebar example for Cumulative in the Power Advantages section (page 163), despite the fact that the FAQ disallows the pairing (Drain is already open ended). Is this all a big mix up, or are open ended Adjustment Powers usable with the Cumulative Advantage? And if so, what is the effect?

The original League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is set in a more industrialized version of England than found in any of the characters' source material. So the screenwriter probably saw no problem in further diverging from the original stories. Mina's character is the most different from the comic, where she is the stubborn leader of the group. She is not only divorced (she goes by Mina Murray), but was "ravaged by a foreigner", and displays the attitudes and behavior of a feminist decades ahead of their time. Mina's character is played with much more subtlety- other than the scarf she constantly wears and the occasional ability to convince others to her way of thinking, she shows no signs of vampirism in the first series. The loss of Belucci and Connery's rumored unwillingness to play "a drug-addled weakling" apparently shifted the lead to Quartermain.

A two hour movie only has so much room to work with, and in translating The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen into LXG, there were alot of compromises to be made. The original comic book series had fewer characters and more time to develop. It also didn't have to appeal to a target demographic (or at least not as much) as the film did. Hence, there are no American characters, and the lead is a strong female character with no apparent "extraordinary" abilities. The comic book ran into fewer problems involving public domain, and was able to skirt around it more effectively when it did- compare LXG's "An Invisible Man" to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's "Doctor". Actors and actresses can muddle things up as well. Monica Bellucci bowed out of the role of Mina, and while she is not very well known in the States, she would have been great. And if half the rumors about Sean Connery's creative differences with director and screenwriter are true, it's a wonder the movie didn't turn into Alan Quartermain and his Amazing Friends . Take the movie with a grain of salt. While it can't compare to the original story, it can still be alot of fun.

Ultimate Mentalist for 4E had a way of simulating characters that possessed others through the use of Transform. Bear with me on this explanation: the character ("A") transformed the enemy ("B") into the enemy's physical body with the character's mind ("A + B"). Working along the same lines, you could design the machine as Transform through a focus, with set effect and the Concentration limitation, and an Automaton Follower to Transform into a robotic version of the user. The Automaton effectively becomes a mobile AI. Convoluted, with the potential for abuse obscene, but it gets the job done.

She's done it more than once. In Savage Time she reflected bullets back at a group of Nazi soldiers and their vehicles. It's a tough build because no one power accurately represents WW's abilities as demonstrated in the show. If you're willing to buy more than one power, you could buy the Force Wall and Missile Reflection. She need not reflect every shot, and will still be protected from the ones that get through. The Power skill is another fix, and avoids a significant cost problem, but you run into a problem when she tries the same trick twice.

A few suggestions for the details on the Zeppelin: 1) Observation Deck- A reasonably sized room with a glass (or other, lighter, suitably transparent material) bottom. A dais or scaffolding would keep the crew safe, but a stray bullet or an unexpected topple during a fight would add some nice drama. 2) Aerial Harpoons- Every floating fortress needs a tractor beam. A good way to coax the character onto the zeppelin (cripple their transportation) while giving them the means to do so (the line itself). 3) Cloud Cover- It's been mentioned before, but I think it needs to be stressed. A couple of Dry Ice Fog Generators will keep the heroes from swarming the base the second it floats into town. 4) Posh Interior- No Baron would dream of taking to the skies without velvet wallpaper, a grammaphone, or some expensive objets d'art. 5) Air Force- An all female squadron (the Valkyries , of course) that maybe double as the Baron's personal guard. The rocket propelled planes sounds better for the Baron's last ditch escape sytem. 6) Teutonic Sounding Name- Don't call it the Argo. Depending how cliched you want to get, don't settle for anything not named after a historical Prussian figure or that doesn't include "Wulf" in it.

In the days of the BBB, Dive For Cover really had the potential to be abused. Failure burned a phase, maybe even just a half phase, but other than that, the benefits outweighed any drawbacks. Hand to hand turned into "catch me if you can", and in most instances, the half move knocked ranged combat into the next range penalty bracket. It made Dodge almost pointless, especially in single combat; why bother when you can cancel an attack outright? At least now if you fail your roll your opponent has a better chance of hitting. It works better, and fits into the more maneuverable combat system of FREd. Characters with low to mid range DEX are better off Dodging- they might blow their DEX roll- but high DEX characters can bounce around the battlefield avoiding attacks.

This one is a fairly simple trap to put together, but can be very effective. The PC's are lured to the site of the trap (the pretense varies by campaign) where they come across a room with a thermos-sized stainless steel cylinder on an a platform appropriate to the setting (a table, a crate, etc.). The cylinder should actually appear as harmless as an actual thermos, though more detailed inspection will reveal it is x-ray proofed (lead lined). When any of the heroes approaches, the top of the cylinder pops up to reveal a harmless group of lasers that quickly sweep the room and lock onto members of the team. A recorded message from the villian informs them that the cylinder actually contains a volatile explosive that will detonate should it be tampered with, or in the event that any of the laser targeted heroes move. The number of heroes locked down depends on the group, but any hero that would be able to disarm or neutralize the bomb, or who would allow a quick escape should be a candidate. If you want to up the stakes, add a timer that begins counting down, or put the trap in a populated, public area (an office building, a school, a mall), or both.

What works in your campaign depends on the role you give supers. Are they tarnished icons, bright and shiny in the public, but with dark secrets and twisted shortcomings in private(Watchmen, Powers)? Or are they a just a prominent (or dominant) part of the population that you come in contact with on a daily basis (Top Ten, Astro City)? A domestic call from the Baxter Building will have a very different feel from one to the other. The police may not want superhero involvement, either. If Rick Jones where found drowned in the Avengers' mansion pool with obvious sign of a struggle, while a house full of heroes heard nothing, chances are the cops (or the feds) aren't going to let Thor or Cap anywhere near the crime scene.

I would also add: Former Sidekick: Nightwing (or the entire original Teen Titans) Hero, Disgraced: Hal Jordan, Golden Boy

"Stars and Stripes!!"

That summarizes why in my campaign she was relegated to a Secret Weapon/Thaw When Needed role. If the heroes ever got too close, the VIPER heirarchy fetched her out of deep freeze, dusted her off, and set her loose of the heroes. Along those lines, I'd like to see some VIPER protocols or "standards and practices". What does VIPER do when the heat gets to close? How does a nest handle superheroes (in or out of combat)? What happens when an agent turns traitor? I've always imagined a black binder or Nest Leader's Handbook that outlined how to run a nest. But then again, maybe that's too corporate.

I'd like to just take a moment to thank my adoring fans. You've all stuck with me, even after the debacle with with my brother, Pandora, and that box. The doctors say my liver should be in tip top shape in no time- thank you to everyone who sent their love and support. Let me just say that it's great to be back, and if you thought fire was great, wait 'til you see what I've got lined up for this millenium. Pax.

For most campaigns I agree, but in Pulp Hero, it's practically a prerequisite. Even with only 150 points to spend, every member of my group dropped at least 3 pts into COM. More in general, most stats can be turned down- STR, DEX, SPD, you can even argue that a character can act dense (INT) or lazy (CON). While lowering your COM while wearing powered armor is not a conscience act, it could be a special effect. On the other hand, powered armor probably accentuates your musculature (+STR), and improves your posture and bearing (+PRE), so maybe you can look good in skin tight metal. Let's face it, chrome can be damn sexy.

And that's before you even consider the Orbital Mind Control Laser or the Weather Dominator.

You really get the most mileage out of Nebula when she's used as a NPC (a complication), rather than an out-and-out villian (an opponent). Every PC should have someone who's an "entanglement", someone who makes their life a little more interesting. Nebula can work some drama into a story for any character that is a hardliner or an alien (in my campaign, I'm actually blessed with a character that's both). Given her power level and personality, there's alot to work with.

Really? 'Cuz I remember talk- waaaay back when- about a date with Eliza Dushku as possible compensation....

Maybe it can just be considered to be "turned down" while in Superhero mode. Bruce Wayne in a good looking guy, but you don't see many people hitting on Batman.

Poor ol' Clark Looking at some more Justice League episodes, I think the problem with Superman is a case of Worf syndrome. In alot of old Star Trek: TNG episodes Worf was made out to be a real monster, physically superior to the rest of the crew, with impressive combat skills. The problem was that the writers- whether because they were lazy or they felt it was the most effective method available- repeatedly had other people beat up on Worf to demonstrate how formidable they were. The problem was that this just made Worf look like a punching bag. The same seems true of Justice League's Superman. Most episodes he's getting blasted/electrocuted/exploded/knocked around. Yet in a few key episodes, he take a beating from some tough competition (Solomon Grundy, Draaga, Mongul, and Wonder Woman come to mind) and holds his own.

Just chiming in with a few observations. Flash: Seems to have some kind of superspeed disassembly power. Used it on the mind control band in the Gorilla episode and at the very beginning of the Earth 2 episode (he disassembles part of the giant robot's foot). Hawkgirl: Has at least some superhuman lifting STR (as opposed to just straight DC's). In one Savage Time episode she carries at least three wounded soldiers while flying without really breaking a sweat, and she tosses around a number of aliens in Blackest Night. She also seems fairly graceful in the air- she generally dodges attacks in flight, while Supes soaks them up. Wonder Woman: It's implied that she uses the power of her magic lasso to interrogate a German soldier in Savage Time. However, both Faust and Hades seem able to escape from the lasso without too great an effort. The resistant defense issue is a little hazy. She deflects (and reflects on some occassions) bullets and energy beams, but exposes herself to fire from the War Wheels. Maybe it was an physical EB. Batman: Overall skills might be in order, since he seems capable of holding his own in a fight and able to pull off amazing feats of skill. Bats also seems very capable of using his environment and maneuvering for the advantage. A small "Improv Pool" might be good for simulating a hall mirror that reflects energy attacks (Fury) or a mouthful of water that shorts out an electrical system (Injustice For All). Maybe an extra point of SPD to capitalize on combat maneuver combos and set ups. Superman: Like most everyone has said, he seems to have a great big resistant PD, but with an unspectacular ED. He does wince and grunt alot though- maybe a great CON and STUN with just a "good" PD. Supes' heat vision bounced off a War Wheel (with presumably Hardened Def), while Hawkgirl's mace torn into it. Both ripped apart planes though. Sounds like a medium RKA with AP vs. a plain ol' big Damage Class attack. G.L.: Looks and acts like a pretty straightforward energy projector. Buying powers through a focus just means he has points left over for his US Marine Corps training. Martian Manhunter: Tricky. J'onn uses his powers in often subtle ways. He definitely has some desolid tricks, like knocking an opponent out or disarming them by phasing through them. He avoids damage most of the time, but seems to be able to take at least a decent hit. On the one hand, we never see him lift anything that weighs much- on the other, he does a move through on a giant nazi plane, attacks a plane propeller first, and is able to withstand afterburner thrust from a jet engine while ripping it off a plane. Maybe we'll see more come July.

Heroes don't kill because killing off sociopathic villians and choosing to ignore the justice system and/or societal morality makes them, by today's standards... sociopaths. But you only did it once, and he was a very bad man, and deserved it? Better hope that other vigilante can make that distinction before he comes for you. Besides, it's bad business.

The classic Legion Flight Rings and Transuits are standard issue, but don't forget the Telepathic Ear Plugs and- for those really cosmic style adventures- the Time Bubble. More recently, I recall at least one issue of Legion Worlds featuring a new communication device (Omni-something?). If your just going for the feel, rather than the outright background, I've always thought that a Mother Box type gadget and Radio Telepathy (from The Authority)would be appropriate. Have a look at the DC One Million TPB, if you can track down a copy. Batman's avatars, Headnet, Solaris (who's origin resembles a certain other mad computer), and even Starman's mercy destruct all have a "Legionish" feel.

The outline I have has the main plot with two "bookend" stories that relate to it. The first involves Eurostar as the Gnomes of Zurich ("Eurostar does not rob banks. We wreck economies."), the last may have to be the UFO's, since- like you mentioned- aliens tend to be a little overt. I own GURPS Illuminati and Wherehouse 23; they were actually the two key inspirations. There are some good guidelines, particularly in Illuminati, but I can't seem to get my brain to mesh them together with the Champions universe. Some of it was easy: CKC has a great representative for the Network (who also happens to fit into the plot very nicely), and everyone in the Champions Universe knows at least one Bavarian with an agenda and the power to back it up. The Servants of Cthulhu have a least one potential representative, but what about the Discordian Society, or the Bermuda Triangle (GRAB, perhaps?)? And that's before you even consider the likes of Shangri-La. Ugh.

When I run a story arc for my players, I usually like to pay a little homage to something we (or I) enjoy. Old games, TV shows, movies, defunct comics and characters- whatever happens to inspire me at the time or strikes my fancy. I generally keep it subtle, a reference to a location, an NPC's name, a quote, etc. This time around I'm going for something a little more ambitious. For a change of pace, I'm running a story arc with a conspiratorial/political bent, the inspiration being Steve Jackson's wonderful game, Illuminati. I'd planned to have the PCs' opposition each represent an Illuminati power, and I had a fairly detailed- but flexible- outline for the plot, with some room to later include the groups I couldn't immediately link to the Champions Universe. Well, "best laid plans" and all that. The story is moving along, but I'm having a bad case of writer's block, coupled with indecisiveness, that's giving me trouble with the references. I already locked down the Gnomes of Zurich, the Network, and the Bavarians- and even included an appearance by the U.N.- but that still leaves several other important groups. Anybody have some suggestions for characters/groups/NPCs in the Champions universe that might fit the bill?