Rebar

A logic that confounds Microsoft as well. "Why would people continue to use Windows 95, which does eveything they need, that they've finally figured out and are comfortable with, and eveyone else they work with is happy with too? Especially when they could give us money for the privilege of buying Windows StarDate3001, with all sorts of new things that they've gotten along without just fine up until now, that send them tumbling back down the learning curve, and that generally wipe out their enjoyment and productivity? Stupid customers. Don't they know what's best for us?" To qualify: obviously there are just as many valid reasons to upgrade. But surely you grant that the decision is a personal one, and perfectly valid either way.

Your description of the SFX begs the question of synchronization. If, from the outside, the fight with the Speedster appears to last several minutes, the beamer can be firing his EB into the field while that combat appears to be in full swing - not several minutes after it appears to have ended. So, even though Joe appears to be swinging his first punch at the speedster, he now appears to be having to dodge an incoming EB at the same time he's just swinging his first swing. How is this possible if, internally, Joe has landed his punch, KO'd the Speedster, looted his body, propped him up in an embarrassing pose, then sat down to have a smoke - all before that EB actually penetrated his field? Basically, at some frequent interval, the imaged actions of the character must reconcile with the real actions or you've got real trouble.

Right, but this will fall on deaf ears. Those who play as if life is cheap aren't likely too attached to their own characters. "Drat. Now I'll have to write up a new character. Well, this time I won't waste all those points on background skills..."

I believe this bears repeating. Playing should be about playing, not about spending points in anticipation of playing. An alternative that's quite in-keeping with the genre is to have the +'s apply directly to inches of distance from midpoint between the characters. You succeed when you push the beam conjunction all the way to the foe. There would be flavours to this, depending on if you wanted to make a big deal or a small deal of it. - where is the beam first stopped? probably based on success of initial block roll - it could take a long time. What if they're, like, 20" or more apart? An accelerating factor would work well. (You get +1 for every 5" from midpoint). Once it starts, it's very hard to reverse it.

I have to say, I don't think the in-game techniques will work, and will more than likely backfire. If your players have no trouble using full-power on normals, it's because they don't see the genre the same way many of us here do. Talk to them. Find out where they're coming from and what they want from the game. Hash out a campaign tone that everyone can agree to and abide by - even if it isn't what everybody's ideal is.

The best thing about 5E - and a reason for buying it even if for no other reason! The index!

A qualifier to those of you who may be wondering why this is being treated as a big deal. Granted, nobody said everything balances out in the Hero System. Nobody said that putting 60 points into SPD gets you precisely 1.5x the effectiveness that only 40 points does. Thus, there is no fixed scale by which we can say that a system is biased against some construction. Of course it is. The only thing we can say is that this system produces different results than the existing system - (incidentally, the one that has been play-tested). My point in arguing this is that, to use this system, gamers should be aware how it changes things. And there are few areas in the Hero System where subtlties are under more pressure than in the shear number of times you get to go in a turn. (That's why SPD costs 10 - count em - 10 points.)

There certainly is. One is player action. One is an unfair mechanic. The problem is that it has a greater effect on a certain group than on others - namely lower SPD characters.

1] I'm having trouble interpreting your numbers. Too much data, not enough labelling. 2] Yes, in the long run (12000 is a bit excessive), it will balance out. But that's not going to help the SPD 4 in a combat that's only 1 or 2 turns long. 3] When all is said and done, it's the balancing that doesn't balance. When it goes badly for low SPD chas, it goes worse(ly) than when it goes badly for high SPD chas. Make 10 rolls of a D10, record the average on a graph. It will likely be about 5.5. Repeat that 10 times, recording each *average*. Most will fall around 5.5; some will fall high, some will fall low. Very few will fall at the extremes. Bell curve. i.e. most combats will be mostly OK, some combats wil be biased (hi or low), a few will be very biased (hi or low).

This strikes at the heart of my question. I think I"ve got it: A SPD 4 character and a SPD 6 character. They play 8 segments, rolling a D10. When the dice do not fall perfectly, they will fall to one side of exactly average (let's say we're using a D10). 8 rolls, low average: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (avg 4.5) SPD 6 goes in 6 segments, SPD 4 goes in 4 segments. 8 rolls, high average: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (avg 6.5) SPD 6 goes in 4 segments, SPD 4 goes in 2 segments. As the rolls get more extreme, worst case for high SPD chas is that low SPD chas will go as often as they do. But worst case for low SPD chas is that they might not get to go at all. Yes, those are extreme, but the results fall on a bell curve, which means averages nearer the middle will have a less extreme effect - but still significant to favour high SPD characters.

Fascinating. I just heard this recently - that a dying Samurai should be able to do one excellent thing before he expires. Now I don't remember where I heard it, but I immediately asked my GM for it for my Samurai character.

Mark's Astounding CyberEmpire O' Doom! This gentleman (whom I have yet to contact) has an interesting alternate SPD system that my GM is considering testing for adoption: SPD and actions In a nutshell: roll a D10 (or so) on a 5, SPD 5 and up characters have an action on a 1, SPD 1+ characters go (everyone) etc. Of note, - this system - randomizes not only *when* everyone gets to go in relation to each other, it also adds an element of variance to the *number of times* everyone goes. - can be made to cut back on "free" phases, thus I believe it could penalize high-SPD characters who stand to lose phases in which they could use held actions But, to my question: Is this system, though randomly affected, still balanced? Specifically, does it favour low-SPD chas vs. high-SPD chas or vice versa? I know in the long-term it wil all balance out, but in the short-term, where random rolls have a bigger effect, I suspect that it may be more likely to benefit low-SPD characters. Can some math whiz iron this out?

In an alternate thread, (I don't Feel Anything by Zaratustra), the above comment was made. This seems to suggest that you can buy negative skills that apply to a foe. I always thought this would be an excellent power. I would use it to simulate "grey" versions of black & white powers such as invisibility., or limited versions of CE. But as many times as I read the description of Penalty Skill Levels, I don't see it as reading that way. (Actually, as many times as I've read it, I still don't understand what good they are that isn't an already existing mechanic). So, what am I missing about Penalty Skill Levels?

This works much better when you consider ranged targetting. The rationale is that it is easier to target - and therefore successfully hit - a specific target than an undefined area on the ground. Imagine how hard it would have been in LXG for Quatermain to judge Sawyer's aim if he weren't shooting at buoys.

In one game the GM has us justify why we should get points. That can be a bit awkward. In another game, we use the standard rules but with a few extras, such as best move/soliloquy/classic moment, funniest one-liner or MVP. It's usually only about 2-3 points distributed around the team (not everyone gets one every time). Just last game I earned my hardest-won XP in my 20 years. The team agreed that to ambush the baddies, I couldn't hide, so I should pose as a statue (Rebar does this very well!) They told me *don't move*. Being excruciatingly stupid, my character followed directions. And I roleplayed it, striking and holding a statuesque pose for the duration of the session, including the entire combat. My arms are still sore.

OK, but how do you determine the DEF+Bod of a given tree? Probably a factor of the diameter of its trunk.

That's because you're spending all your time posting to HG...

LOL I'm not sure what you are envisioning this looking like to those on the outside, but the image in my head is vivid. It's Goldfish-in-a-Bowl-man! You can spend hours watching him swim lazily around in a circle...

Hm. I wonder if it might be more appropriate to just buy it as a larger one hex RKA, but with reduced penetration - i.e. just skip the autofire...

My plan was merely xD6, autofire +1/2, one-hex +1/2. My question was referring to how you would resolve the mechanics of hitting targets in that case.

OK, 1] AF is max 5 shots in 5E isn't it? 10 is from 4E. I'm so rusty... 2] Why is there an "initial target" that's treated differently than the others? Why wouldn't it be an equal chance against all in the hex, regardless of their individual DCVs?

I am building a character who fires a "buckshot" of blades. If only one target is in the zone, they will get hit multiple times. If anything is in the hex, they will probably get hit too. I am thinking RKA autofire, and one hex AF. What effect will those two powers have together?

Yep, and should probably take KS: Crustacean Litigation as a complementary skill...

Seems to me this could be clarified (but please shoot me if I'm wrong here): Having those extra limbs does *not* mean the character is automatically entitled to make 3 attacks against 3 separate foes in one phase, any more than anyone else can. You would mechanically make the attack like a sweep just as anyone else would, which has penalties for multiple targets. The character might however, want to buy some extra skill levels to offset the penalties.

Would like to buy my weapon Martial Arts with AP. (textbook MA, but using a magical sword). Do I buy AP on my STR, plus: - my added DCs? - the 5 points in my most expensive maneuver? - the 15 points in all my attack maneuvers? - the 35 points in all my MA maneuvers?