Descant

Re: The UnMentalist... Hmmm... All good ideas so far. I liked the writeup Oddhat had for the empathic manipulation... I also appreciate all the input from everybody else... esp. Lord Liaden! You always put a lot of thought into your posts... thanks for that. I've been trying to think of what to write in response, to let everybody know I've been reading and thinking... but I haven't really decided what angles i like best. There's just so much suddenly in front of me for options and ideas. I suppose after a bit more time, Dust raven and I will try to formulate a writeup, probably using several of the ideas here. By the way... kudos also to David Blue... I hadn't thought a lot about heroes who weren't traditional in the biological sense... mutants and aliens, yeah, but stone and iron men had not crossed my mind... I just knew he would not be able to do much with robotic assailants. You're right... the character would most likely recover more or less instantaneously after the change, his shift having reset his body to functional norms, and after which Sapphire could do little else against him. (Might even think of a few ways to get around that for the concept, in case he's not with a team all the time! Makes me think... good going!) As for the rest of the wonderful suggestions, until my mind clears more and I can thank you all properly, I appreciate all the input.

Got a character concept I wanted to drop on you guys... I welcome power ideas, writeups of frameworks, powers, advantages, and even disadvantages... I've seen some very keen minds here, and I'd like to see various people play with this. Dust Raven and I were talking tonight about the sense discussion elsewhere on the boards, senses as opposed to other bodily processes, etc., and I brought up Sapphire. He's not a rock-star turned superheroine working with the Champions... he's a red-headed British sci-fi author who bonded unexpectedly with the Sapphire Auden Stone and acquired bio-manipulation powers. He is able to control the neural and endocrine impulses of the body. He can cause physical pain, paralysis, migraines, tinnitis, nerve-blindness and disorientation. He can affect emotions by altering body chemicals, especially adrenaline, which also theoretically could aid strength and dexterity/speed as well... he is capable of a lot of different effects, seemingly limitless... and I originally wrote him up with a VPP to that end. (He can also aid and affect his own bio-processes, and could defend himself by raising his adrenaline levels (STR, DEX and CON boost) and causing any number of other effects.) The catch is, I want his powers to work like mental powers, to some extent (bypassing armor, not easily dodgable, etc.), but I don't want them based on EGO. The effects cannot be fought off by willpower alone... it's more CON-based, wearing off as the body tries to reset the imbalance. No amount of chitchat or mental conditioning can correct some forms of depression or bipolar disorder... the person literally cannot control how they feel. Prescription drugs alleviate the symptoms by correcting the imbalance... that's kind of how his powers work. He can aid and hinder others on the biological level, and that's not EGO. So... how do you think I should go about this, guys?

Re: Flash: Inner ear/ Sense of Gravity/ Sense of Balence That's not a bad point... many things can be done to senses in HERO... while it may be a SENSE that's being affected, and it may have the appearance of "FLASHing" it... it may not actually be written up that way. Can these senses be affected by other sense-affecting attacks? Hmmmm..... (Invisibility to hunger.... *intrigued*)

Re: Why that costume I have two characters with very deliberate costumes. The first, Amethyst, shares an origin-type with Cobalt, and her costume (via Instant-Change) springs from her subconscious. She was always a big mystery fan before her powers came to her, and was a librarian for quite some time. The costume is two-toned violet, like an amethyst stone, and consists of the standard my-boots-are-connected-to-my-leggings, with a flowy-sleeved blouse, and a darker violet jumper over that, that fits nice and trim, with the skirt slit up to the hip on both sides, so the leggings show. (Credit where credit is due... This was a 'ripoff' from the incredible work of JM Linsner... it is slightly modified from the outfit worn by his character Adelle in the Lucifer's Halo comics, part of his larger Dawn universe. The neckline was raised a bit, so the jumper part came above the breasts, making a more modest-looking neckline that better framed the Amethyst stone in her chest, and the reddish color was swapped for a dark violet. I thought it looked like a good librarian-turned-superhero-P.I. outfit, and used it. I love his work... it's a bit controversial, but well-worth a read if you're in the mood for something a little different!) My original creation, though, and my favorite costume I've done for one of my own characters is Descant of the Defenders... she wears a black bodysuit that fades along the arms and legs into a vibrant purple color... then fades out again in stripes that go around her wrists and ankles... since the lines circle her limbs, it gives the effect of her having 'rings' or 'waves' of sound vibrating down her body, which after I created it, seemed to really fit the sonic character. Eventually I'll have a pic posted of her on Dust Raven's site. I just love the way the effect turned out. (Now if I just had the patience to recreate that on my miniature!)

Re: Flash: Inner ear/ Sense of Gravity/ Sense of Balence Not to complain, as I kind of like exploring where this is going, but as far as game mechanics are concerned, I think we are losing track of where this original discussion was aimed. If you break it down to the simplest elements, there are two points I would like to make. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, of course, and I hope not to incite any flames here, but I think the obvious is being overlooked in favor of theories and speculation. 1) As we have been defining the term in my college Psychology class, the function of senses is to assist us in perceiving the world around us. If we could not see, hear, feel, small, or taste, we would, as living beings, be in serious jeopardy of not surviving. I throw my lot in with those that differentiate a "flashable" sense as being externalized, rather than the internal workings of the human body, most of which go on without our notice, and are automatic. Internal pangs are not so much a sense as it is our bodies telling us to do something (not about something). Hunger tells us to eat, or we will fall down. Weariness tells us to sleep, or we will be fatigued and overwork ourselves. Bladder control tells us to relieve ourselves of waste, else we will poison ourselves. "Senses" in the definition I prefer, don't tell us to DO something... they tell us ABOUT something, usually outside of ourselves, that we can interact with, or that is interacting with us whether we like it or not. 2) Does this mean that we cannot deprive a person of the internal "senses"? Of course we can! We're evil, cutthroat players and GMs! But we lose track of the fact that we're playing a GAME when we try to rationalise SFX based on what they relate to in real life. Depriving a person of a sense will rob them of information. That's a FLASH. Depriving a person of a bodily function will have a physical RESULT... that variable is what needs to be defined in game terms, not the condition. If a person's sight is FLASHed, he cannot see what is around him. If a person's equilibrium is compromised, he WILL FALL OVER, or at least become clumsy. THAT is what needs to be defined here... HOW he becomes clumsy is just SFX... the CLUMSINESS is what has to be bought and paid for. As always, just my opinion.

Re: tickle Okay... here's another question for those in favor of randomizing which NPCs are ticklish on an 11-... Any good GM would give as good as get. Heaven forbid some wacked-out villain (Foxbat, CLOWN, etc.) come up with an attack with that particular SFX... How would you handle it for player characters? Just asking players is a big clue for them to say, "Ummm.. no! No, I'm not." Would you still make it random? Newly discovered disad? Be nice and allow the players to decide? Pick on a player's character concept in some cases? Since it's a standing thing once determined, what would you GMs do? Gads, as if I don't think about enough background traits for my RPG characters... now this thread is making me think about even more! (And Dust Raven is posting to this, too... *shudder*)

Re: A Tale of two disads I am tending to throw my lot in with the "GM should make balance happen" crowd. By the way, kudos for the comments about varying the types of attack... using more AOE is a great idea, since the fringes tend to do less damage. Not every shot is a straight shot, after all! Then again, this thread in general shows a lot of thought. I feel surrounded by geniuses at times. Why aren't all MY GM's this contemplative? Very cool.

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You So... What can a pile of sand do? Can it eavesdrop? Can it talk? Can it blow a small flurry of itself into somebody's eyes before they see anything coming? Can it drift of its own accord? Would the wind be able to blow it away? What if a kid came up and dumped a pail of water on it and started building a sand castle?!? *snicker*

Re: How would you build a racial package for NIMH Very interesting...! A few things need to be addressed, and although I'm not really as into mechanics as Dust Raven is, I can spout off a few ideas to get the proverbial ball rolling. First, how much of an impact are human characters, or even larger creatures like cats and pigeons, going to have on the game? If it's not much, then size would not be an issue, nor would social limitations/advantages (Nobody expects that kind of behavior from rats, after all.) The rats of NIMH were victims of experimentation, and so could possibly have unusual vulnerabilities, susceptibilities, or dependencies... you could get creative with this. Decide how it works with the game world you are designing, and you could have any number of unusual plots surrounding an unusually large availability of a debilitating chemical, or the hoarding by one gang of a substance all NIMH rats are now dependent on for comfort and sanity. Lots of plot possibilities, there, and it adds to the atmosphere of being former lab rats. Also, there could be lots of PsyLims related... assign each one a specific Phobia having something to do with their past (humans, sharp objects, cages/grille-like barricades, the smells of certain chemicals, etc.). There were also a lot of lasting side-effects like nightmares and the like, or even actual mental illnesses, but those would be better character-specific traits. Their overall CON and DEX were raised, but most notably, their intelligence is extremely high... the rats were never taught to read after the chemical experiments; they learned by themselves! Also to reflect this, you might state that each NIMH rat character must spend a certain number of their points on Skills to reflect their accelerated learning. Back to Disads again, there would, of course, be things like Hunted:National Institute of Mental Health, which could even be a combat-breaker if somebody related to that hunted were to show up in the middle of a gang fight... EVERYBODY would run! You might even use that to spawn a one-shot teamwork adventure where rival gangs are forced to work together to throw NIMH off the track. In the book to some degree, and more notably in the Don Bluth film, the rats seemed to favor electricity as their preferred technological medium. You could create a number of basic electrical foci like weapons, tools, and "flash"lights (pun intended) based on this... nothing is cooler than unexplained flickers of color in a dark underground world! Lastly, of course, there is the fact that they are rats. Certain heightened senses, attacks based on claws and teeth in addition to the electrical weapons, accelerated movement (including running, tunneling, and climbing)... all these are viable and vital options. Also think about immunity to disease as well, given the world they live and forage in. Sorry if I have rambled, but this was one of my favorite stories, and this idea sounds really unique! I hope to read more on this thread!

Re: tickle

Re: WWYCD #81 A True Test of a Hero Descant: Wow. So, Nightblade is real, and knowing this particular universe, actually going to escape Stronghold eventually. I guess she'd learn to live without sleep. On the other hand, she'd be much less paranoid about her growing attraction to and tentative relationship with Crystallis. Heck, with his light powers, she'd probably suggest they start sleeping in the same room (Nightblade always hated light- Ninja/used to have incredible Dark powers). I'd certainly have a time with keeping the team running smoothly, but I'd continue things. As for "telling", probably only the team (eventually) and my younger brother (to help me fill in the gaps on my life, to "reconnect", and to find out what else I need to know about stuff the GM won't tell me. Madison, on the other hand, might actually have an okay time trying to be "normal". Without her criminal past haunting her, and her evil uncle plotting revenge, the only thng she'd really miss was her powers (and Crys and the rest of the team). Wonder what Raven would do if I was suddenly more cynical than he was? Amethyst: Okay. Rock in my chest, kid in my custody with a deathwish, fabulous empathic and healing powers, glowing my favorite color, looking like my (former) birthstone. Hm. I'd probably love being an Auden, since it's the part of our Universe I have gotten the most "into". Tracy would immediately change my major in college, and get me a PI license as well. She had originally been planning to do what she does without the powers... she'd still, after recovering from her loss, want to do it. She'd go nuts if there was no mystery to solve, no criminal to figure out and pursue. And Raven would wonder why I was spending so much time away from the apartment... Touchstone: Between a bend of gender and extremely heightened senses, I'd have a LOT of physical coping to do initially. After that, I would HAVE to meet Boss and continue trying to figure him out. Just to bait him, I'd probably write in my journal about the body swap, throwing in some irrefutable reference somhow, and see if he writes back THIS time, the sneaky @$$! Then, I'd have to deal with all the in-game stuff! *migraine* Mason would find it interesting (though rather creepy) to be a girl, although initially, with the hormonal change in the female body, and the quasi-claustropohobic reaction from suddenly having all his senses WAY dulled, he'd probably have the biggest inexplicable nervous breakdown Raven has ever seen me have. After coping, however, I'd suddenly be REALLY good at fixing all the stuff that breaks around here. Maintenance would think we vanished! Nich Trevelian: Wow. Me as a man. ...And an alien. ...And a powerful psychic. Mentally, this switch would be the least noticeable, although relating to my friends might be very interesting, considering how close one of them is to my then "former" boyfriend in mundania. I'd love actually working with a version of Raven who actually knew how to play the keyboard!!! And I'd absolutely revel in the set of powers that, given the choice, I'd most like to have. Nich would be facing the second, and even more weird, displacement of his young life. Although Raven would wonder how I got so good on the guitar so fast! In a fully female body, having known Kris, he'd probably also be the one who could adapt (although slowly!) best to the roommate circumstance as well (he seems to kinda go both ways as it is in my mind anyhow). But he would definitely make Raven follow through on those singing and piano lessons!

Re: What would you character do... Descant: She'd get hold of Crystallis and go visit Major Thomas (Silver Avenger in Seacouver), and see a) what PRIMUS thinks of this whole thing, and if he or any of his organization knows of any other active teams of ultras that might form a loose association so that they could all gang up and deal with these guys if and when things get way out of hand (if they haven't already). "Yeah, yeah... I know you PRIMUS guys don't get along too well with freelancers, but you at least among your buddies is smart enough to know when desperate measures are necessary. Figured I'd ask..." Once she found out Cobalt was staring to do this already, she'd just help him out. Amethyst: Probably she'd contact the other Auden through the network and find out if they've decided to act, and how serious they think this is, then go and try to find out as much information about every single person involved as she could dig up (and that's usually a decent amount) and try to deduce why they acted when and how they did, and where they're likely to strike next. Touchstone: Ask Boss. He knows. Probably. Nich Trevelian: Being new to this world, there would be little he could do, and little he knows to put it in perspective, but after talking to the others, he'd likely try to stay as far out of it as possible. The last time he got mixed up in something like this, he got stranded on a backwater alien world. (Earth) Torque: As long as they steered clear of her town, she'd probably just curse loudly about obnoxious ultras and how they all think they're such hot $#@+! and run around doing whatever they want, long as it makes headlines.

Re: What Would Your Character #72 (or so) Descant: "Uh..." "You know, you guys either must be confused, or haven't even managed to do your homework as well as Major Tom over at PRIMUS... which is kinda sad. Your team? No, thanks... dealing with Crystallis is enough for me." (prepares to radio for backup, since somebody has obviously done something cosmically BAD to this team) Amethyst: She would clarify that she works solo, then ask for details... obviously one or more of the evil Auden has been spotted by them, and the Council (no, really... I'm solo) would want to know about it immediately. Touchstone: "Look, I know most of the team is a bit shady, but if I'm the one person of the team you'd pick to join you, I gotta wonder about your information. My team's not all that bad, and I'm by far not powerful enough to handle what you guys take on. So why don't you just tell me what Whisper did this time, and we can call it even?" Nich Trevelian: He'd be just about certain that this has something to do with those overly powerful, self-righteous backstabbing Lantessians that, last he saw, were attacking his homeworld, and he would probably freak out and run for TJ and Kris and find a better place to go into hiding. Torque: "Okay guys, listen up a minute. I don't work with nobody but myself. If those crazy ultras are up to something, go harass them about it, and leave me and my neighborhood alone, huh?" (grabbing for a wrench)

Re: Code VS Killing Poll In response to a chat with Dust Raven off the boards (good to have roommates!) and to your post, I have discovered Descant actually has not changed her position. Had she a chance to kill him, had she planned gotten herself into a position where she could take him out of this world with little repercussions, it is actually likely that when the moment came, she could probably not do it. My only remaining concern is whether or not she could actually bring herself to intervene if another ghost from this guy's past showed up and wanted to kill him. If the Law of Consequence brought the chemist face-to-face with an enemy he made through his won transgressions, it would be the one time it would actually be VERY hard for her to stand up and stop the potential killer. She knows a few personally who have lost loved ones and had their way of life ruined by this man. She may not have the impulse to do it herself when it came down to the wire... but could she take it away from somebody with a different moral code? Normally, yes. She'll do anything to stop a killer. But in this case? It would depend entirely on how the scene played out. And if she did intervene, it would probably only be for the benefit of the one victimized by the criminal, to spare them from becoming "just like him". Like I said... the issue of CvK disads is not nearly as cut-and-dry as one might think. It gets very hard in a good game to sort out feelings towards those who don't feel the same about life and death that your character does.

Re: Code VS Killing Poll This has been a very interesting read for me, since I am soon to be reviving a character from a campaign that has been in mothballs for a bit, and I have been trying to figure out how to do her disad on her to-concept rewrite. Descant is an ex-villain. She used to work with her family as Dischord, under the direction of her megalomaniacal uncle, Nightblade. She focused on enjoyment of her newly-gained (stolen serum) powers rather than dealing with the issue that she was, in fact, a robber and a criminal, as she felt she had no choice but to follow orders (when a parent/guardian is in charge of a bunch of superpowered minors, and he has stronger powers, it's a hard habit to break!). She finally risked her own health and quit the team and ran away because Nightblade murdered two guards during a botched museum heist, and seemed not to care he had taken life. She couldn't deal with this, and finally found the courage to leave. Her disad was listed, when I began playing her, in the good ol' #1-#2 range... techincally at the former (Common/Total). Never has Descant had any desire to use her sonic powers to kill another human being... not even the more than irritating insane vigilantes and the pesky, always escaping villains... not even Nightblade himself. But now, she has found the common thread to her past... a chemist who devised, reworked, and experimented with the serum her family all ingested. This man has taken the lives of many, he has mutated unwilling subjects into horrific murderous beasts, he has warped the minds of more than one group of young teenagers and turned them against society, he has ruined the lives of several people she's met, and even a few she's worked with... and there's not telling when he will stop, or if he can be made to. He has many people working for him, many contacts, and lots of connections. And if he stays alive, it is a guarantee more people will pay the price... death, or in some cases even worse. ...And Descant wants to kill him. As of this time, he's the only person in the entire universe who is on her hit list. And she's not even sure she could do it herself if it came down to it. But she wants him dead. She has thought long and hard about this, dealing with Nightblade and her past, and she has determined she would not lift a finger to save his life if given the opportunity. She might even, in a snap-decision moment, kill him herself, and would not even blink if the life of even one innocent were in immediate danger if he lived. But is he the sole exception to the rule, a sadistic figure from her haunted past who is one of those "angst-ridden plot-twists" in comic books where supers don't/VERYrarely kill, or is she actually at a different level of this disad? Or is it a judgment call worthy of debate? Hard to say. Ultimately it is between the GM and myself, and I will follow his rule; this thread certainly made me think a lot about it though. Kudos to the many intelligent people who participated (even despite the small moments of flaming) in a very intriguing discussion!

Re: Whats your favorite Attack? I've always had a thing for Empaths, so a pet favorite attack of mine is Mind Control with a Limitation- Only to Alter/Affect Emotional State. A character of mine has gotten out of quite a few snags using that ability. There's just something about two 6'5'' thugs running away from a 5'6" featherweight with no apparent weapons that just... makes me smile... I like Raven's too... again, kinda goes with the territory.

Got Dice? I have the Tower 'o Dice.... I keep them sorted in one of those little plastic containers that you can get at dollar stores with nuts and bolts and stuff in them... with like, four compartments that screw together, the bottom of one being the lid of the other... I have like nine or ten compartments full! I have five or six D6 sets, a D10 set (purple and black), and I couldn't tell you how many D20 sets... I don't quite have at least one of every finish, but I'm real close! And I have at least five different pearl finish sets of different colors. Okay... enough's enough. I don't have to go waving my dice around anymore. I'll be quiet now.

Re: HKA Damage Sheilds? So... what you are saying (just to clarify, since I got confused myself there!) is that there is a rule against RKA Damage Shield (-1/2 No Range), but there is not a rule against HKA Damage Shield (-1/2 STR Doesn't Add Damage), and these two constructs cost the same, and provide the same mechanics and points and do the same damage? And you are essentially complaining that HERO, after making the rule against the first, has published characters that are written up using the second? That does seem a bit fishy to me... if that's what you were getting at.

Re: VPPs and Limitations *wades through the slog of over three pages of back-and-forthing* O-kaaay..... I hope I'm not seen as rude, but I would like to offer my $.02 here. It's going to require I make some assumptions first, though. Shrike, I see you as the type of gamer who plays in very intense games with experienced players, most of whom have a pretty decent handle on in-game combat and tactics, and most of whom have quite a few HERO miles under their belts. They are well acquainted with rules, and some might even find a few fascinating conversations here on the Boards. (Just a wild guess, not a personal tag of any kind.) Raven, you are, as I know from experience, a GM of relatively new players, some of whom, after years of playing, still have yet to fully grasp combat concepts. Doesn't make that player/those players idiots, but the one I have in mind just has no head for strategy (then again, she's playing a brick, and is likely light-years away from a VPP anyhow). In addition, you have players who are very very savvy about combat, that you must keep on your toes by withholding a LOT if info about the more observable aspects of NPC combatants. As VPPs go, this alone makes a LOT of difference, as Shrike has many more players who would KNOW what to look for. (I myself can be fuzzy at times!) Raven does not have as many people keen with numbers. Add to that the type of combatants fighting WITH as well as AGAINST the PCs, the other Limitations (extra time anybody?) that might also be on the power, and any Limitations on the particular VPP or its SFX in a given universe, and you have one big nasty confusing ball of variables. Which, IMHO, is exactly why the book states it the way it does. FREd doesn't tell you which lims to use and which not to... just to WATCH IT in general, and only assagn Limitations that are limiting, which is what both of you advocate anyway. What Limitations in what combinations apply to what characters on what kinds of VPPs (even cosmic) in what Universes seems to be a case-by-case basis, and both of you have proven to me (and hopefully yourselves) that, for the savvy gamer, there will ALWAYS be an exception to any hard, fast rules. So do what works for you, and get over it! Like I said, just my $.02 here.

Re: How do you get players to role play in genre? Oh, that's funny! I loved that. I went through it, I have seen many go through it, I'm helping see somebody through it now... *grabs a breath* Hmm. As Raven said, close to what he does, but it's more cooperative. What I like about his Universe is that there are several Campaign Cities within his world. Knight City is techie/cyborg/robots/kick-Mechanon's-@$$ style, Seacouver is more basic comic-book hero, X-Men-ish with a little supernatural and alien stuff flavor (IE-Champions default style), Edge City is more of a vigilante-ridden Gotham with a few bright sparks and a gritty sense of humor, and New Amsterdam is Captain America meets The Tick. Something for everyone. As players' moods change, we can switch cities. Also, it is always good to know when to say "no". We got guilted into continuing several different games that were not working out, and it still ended up the same... ending. Just with more time wasted. You said you weren't a quitter. I believe that, and I think people can change. But, if all else fails, giving up is not wholly wrong. At least you tried valiantly.

Re: How do you get players to role play the genre? Okay... Had to say it... I wrote you a big, big post in the other section, because I feel your pain. See the reply in HSdiscussion. So I get to make a point here. I have done an AWFUL lot of role-play in D&D. It is not just a hack-and-slash game. Okay... rant done. Go read.

Re: How do you get players to role play in genre? I don't envy you. I firmly believe that a GM's job is to give the players the kind of game they want to play... while still hurling a few surprises now and again! As a player, if a game stops being fun, I look elsewhere. It's a game. It's supposed to be something you play because you enjoy it. As a GM, that's a bit heftier of a responsibility, because your dissatisfaction will let several people down. And it really seems to me that everybody in the group, save you, likes hack-and-slash. And they aren't wrong in this; it's their preference. Then again, just because Raven's son likes macaroni and cheese, that doesn't mean we can't introduce him to a good pepperoni pizza! If you're really set on seeing this through, and trying to get them to see role-playing in a different light, I suggest a few things that have helped out the few-and-far-between hackers that have come Raven's way (my ex, for one!) truly become involved in gaming scenarios, and their characters, in ways they never thought possible. Try out a two-part plan. Thing #1: Demonstration. Set an example for them. Find a role-playing buddy who knows what those words mean to you. Tell him about the campaign you want to run. Then, break the news to him about how the campaign has been so far. Tell him you're looking to make things a bit more story-oriented, and would like somebody to show just how it's done. See if he'll help. If you're good with bigger groups, make it two, if you can. Thing #2: Incentive. Introduce your new people to the group, in and out of character. Before the scenario, look at the disads of each character, and try to find ways of working them into the story. Make the characters react, not just chit-chat. Remember, you'll have at least one other person who'll get their hooks into it. The others might think, "whoa!", and try to get in on the action, too. Also, don't give the butchers any more agents. They want a game where they don't have to pull punches, give it to them. Have them fight supers. If they insist on villainous behavior, give them guys who'll make their bloody battles seem like boxing matches. Real mean guys who make them look nice by comparison. Maybe even make a character or two who is immune to almost all of their usual cut-and-dry attacks, but who's got a major achilles heel they'll have to work together to find. Make the bad-guys taunt the characters, and see if they throw it back with more than just their guns. Let the villains get away, make your guys mad, hit their egos (gently) where they'll feel it. Then, let them trash the jerks in an all-out final scene and reap the glory. HERO-style. (There is a scenario I used once, and I cannot for the life of me find the %$#@! book, but it had three adventures in it, one of which dealt with a supergroup called Spectrum, and put the heat on the heroes in a neat way. It might be just what you need!) If your role-player buddy/ies have done their job, and you have done yours, they might just get caught up in it, and find that something truly involving is just more fun to play. As a side note, see what books they read or what movies they watch. Make a few plot-parallels. Meet them halfway. See how well you can draw out the things that they might like to role-play, and see if they go for the bait. Best of luck to you... and keep us posted on how it works out!

Okay, my first thread in a long time... since the conversion, even! Speaking of conversion, I'm working on a character concept that I've played for years, and making the ultimately perfect version of him in HERO system, where he can have all the cool stuff I want, and none of the extra stuff that I don't need... YAY HERO! Problem is, he's got something unusual about him that I'm not sure how to construct. He's an empath. Aside from being highly emotional himself, he picks up on what other people are dealing with as well. Add to that his history and background, and the fact that he's had to make do with his psychic powers and little else at times, and you get one boatload of stress! Occasionally, this becomes too much for him to handle, and he snaps. The Hulk apparently has a little redheaded psionic musician brother. Basically what I'm looking at is a huge boost in STR, CON, EGO, PRE, and STUN (no change of size or weight, though), a side-effect of lowered INT and END (mentally and physically exhausting, like coming down off a drug), the ability to ONLY use one of his mental powers (an attack) or HTH (not a thing he normally even does!), No Conscious Control, and the way to snap him out of it is identical to the methods a person can use to break somebody out of a Mind Control. The catch: I'm trying to keep this from being written up in a full power framework, or as an alternate form (as per Multiform). It's something that occasionally happens, maybe only once every one to three adventures at most, and would only in the most extreme of circumstances be a thing he would induce himself, but it does affect combat and story a LOT when it happens, and could very easily be used against him. So I want it to be part of the character, but not a primary power set worthy of a framework or separate character sheet. What would you all do with this, mechanic-wise?

Re: Things We'd Like To See:PRIMUS In our campaign, the Defenders have a contact with the Seacouver (Seattle essentially) Silver Avenger, and through a lot of the very in-depth backstory, one of the major NPS of the game has become an employee in PRIMUS. He's got a pencil-pushing job, but he's also good friends with the SA there, and is a crack with gadgets and powered armor! Because of his little "hidden influence" in the tech department, we have been planning to introduce a lot of new armor and gadgets into the PRIMUS in our universe, so Iron Guard writeups and lots and lots of spiffy new SA gadgetry would be fabulous and wonderously adaptable to our campaign. *shamelessplug* In fact, Dust Raven has already developed some stuff for PRIMUS gadgets and such, and is very easy to email if you were looking for ideas for your book. All things are best when drawing from many sources of inspiration. By the way, Shelly, we both have been to your site, especially since doing a lot with PRIMUS in our games... I love all the background you have on the SA and the GA... very cool. Of course, we have made a few changes, but then, who doesn't? I just thought I'd add, since few people have complimented you in this, that I AM hoping to see the awesome backgrounds for the SA that are on your site. You have done a great job so far!

VPPs and Limitations... MUCH to ponder! All of this is quite interesting. Not something I ever thought about before. Normally, I'm a "concept" gamer, and most of my characters that would benefit from any type of VPP would have Lims on the pool itself, and maybe on the powers within, all based on concept. I haven't ever had a character that had what you seem to be referring to as a "cosmic" VPP (I don't think). I have seen both a Luck character and a Chaos character, however, that had seemingly endless possibilities in their VPPs, because, even in concept of character, they literally could do almost anything! As a side note along this line of thinking, how much does having a concept for your VPP tend to limit your powers as opposed to how much of it is SFX? I mean, if you had heat powers, what kind of powers would be unavailable for your concept in a VPP, or would they all be possible if you stretch the concept? (Flight... heat rises! TK... explosions and air currents!Teleportation... anybody see "Backdraft"? ...You see where this could go.)And an EB does purchased damage, whatever the SFX is, but some characters are immune/vulnerable to certain SFX, so that could make a difference in combat. I guess what I'm asking it to see how people have used "Cosmic" VPPs with their own games and see how they vary. Some questions are answered well with mechanics, some better with examples. How have you guys found ways to "limit" VPPs in your own characters, and how much have different SFX mattered to the limitations?