Kirby

Re: Tattered Plot Threads This is so true. I once gamed with a guy who's mentalist PC lost an eye from drinking and driving in his background. Another was very "destructive" to his own characters and their history, from parents being killed by a previous Card Shark, to a mother abducted by the aliens that hunted her. Though, all his characters had 15 pts of wealth, too.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

Re: Tattered Plot Threads One thing I just thought about while reading Keith's post, you may ask your players if there's an official CU character they'd like to play (if it meets within your point requirements). You never know, someone may want to play Defender or Sapphire or even... Foxbat!

Re: Tattered Plot Threads Yes! Consider yourself repped. No, really, consider it.

Re: Tattered Plot Threads Sure. There's no conversation there. Did you offer anything positive to the discussion? No. If it makes you feel better, I'll take your apples/oranges bad analogy. They're both fruit, they're both round, they both grow on trees and they are both made into juices. They both go in fruit salad and in gelatin. So I can think outside of your analogy. As for cast and players, they both go into the 'job' knowing that the writer/GM has plans for what is supposed to happen. With reality tv/Who's Line is it Anyway, there's more ad-libbing, but the basics are the same. So, what did you add to the discussion? Nothing. You'll have to pardon me if I see that as not adding to the discussion (twice). If you want to add, put an idea forth.

Re: Tattered Plot Threads

Re: Tattered Plot Threads Eh, whatever. I consider it thinking outside a small box. I'm throwing out multiple ideas instead of harping on those given.

Re: What are the "Cosmic Cubes" of the 5th Ed CU?

Re: The Team "Vibe" Heh. I looked at Southern Belle's page and then heard the music. Sounds a lot like a keyboard version of the Divynal's "I thouch myself." But, uh, as far as team "Vibe's" go, in an older group (back in the 250 days) our Tri-City (NYC) team was very brickish. Except for 2 people, everyone had 40+ STR. The other team (Arcadia, somewhere in Michigan) was very much a martial artist team. Again, all but 2 people had martial arts (even the "pure" mentalist had the basics). Which was pretty cool when it came time for the Tournament of the Dragon.

Re: What are the "Cosmic Cubes" of the 5th Ed CU? Nice, nice. Question though from those of us who are still a bit ignorant on this subject: Where are these located? (Not cities and countries, but books.) I know the Dragon Crown is mentioned in CKC, but that's about it. (This is what I get for not liking mystics.)

Re: Working on New Constantinople I have Watchers of the Dragon if there are any characters from there you wish to have info on (including Wu's 'agents').

Re: Tattered Plot Threads Sorry, I read your "likely to be unimpressed about leaving 'their loved ones and their lives' behind" as being present or future tense instead of past tense (since it wasn't "having left" or something similar). That's your opinion. If you have more ideas, throw them out, instead of just ticking off things you don't like about what has been offered, sheesh. Another possible option is maybe using a time traveler (Captain Chronos?) for your first plot. Maybe he's doing some plan that involves "alternate timelines" in which the various PCs inevitably meet up. When the final confrontation comes, the villain (hero?) does something, jumps with glee and says something to the effect of "Thank God, it worked!" and then disappears (teleport or X-Dim travel). The PCs can't figure out what's happened, but they're all in the same dimension now. Their past is mostly as they remember it and no one that they know seems to have noticed anything different (though the PCs should when you start describing your city). Finally, just tell your players "You're all in the same world. It happens in the comics and it's happening here." As an aside, do all of these PCs have the same, or close to same, points? Someone with a 354 point character (from pre 5E days) may not be happy being in the same group as one with a 700 pt PC. Whatever works for you, though.

Re: Tattered Plot Threads

Re: Tattered Plot Threads I'd go for both of these. Sure, their Secret ID's may have been blown (or they just could have seemed to moved without a trace) in Dimenison X, but that doesn't matter any more. If they did have Secret/Public ID's, maybe give them a bonus 15 XP ONLY to buy off that limitation, once you hand XP out. I personally wouldn't do this because the PCs would find reasons to return home as well as "really, why should I keep saving that dimension? There are plenty of heroes to handle what's left." I would discard this idea. If a PC has a DNPC, then maybe they came along for one reason or another (if a sibling) or perhaps (if girlfriend) their DNPC is more of a "wild child" here. Maybe it's just exchanged for a new DNPC. That part could be tough. Maybe before-hand, you tell them that if they want DNPCs, they'll "come into play" after the game has started. This was, Mister X doesn't go through heartbreak when he leaves his wife behind. And he doesn't feel like he's cheating (or being weird) when he moves in with his counterpart's wife. (Imagine if his son is now his daughter, or his wife is now a red-head, or a twin!)

Re: Tattered Plot Threads

Re: Tattered Plot Threads

Re: Working on New Constantinople Well, yeah, but...

Re: Working on New Constantinople

Re: Tattered Plot Threads A possibility is to ask them to recreate the character for your new campaign based on whatever starting guidelines you have (such as 350 points). I know over on HeroCentral that I've seen people submit the same character into various games and modify them according to the GM's wishes. Granted that's easier to do than with friends (strange things these emotions), but it may be worth a try. Other than that, maybe do a "children of" campaign. That way they get the memory of their favorite character while you get the freshness of a new character. In a FtF gaming group I was in years ago. The wife of the GM played "Helga" in a Golden Age game. Helga had growth, shrinking and stretching. The wife played "Olga" in a modern campaign. She had growth, shrinking and stretching. Olga was the granddaughter of Helga. Go figure.

Re: new spin on Justice League Nah, dude, nothing to forgive, I was being silly on that part. Sorry I didn't make it clearer. Well, I could make the basics of characters, but I'm too lazy to write them up just for the heck of it (though I may be tempted to add them into my CU campaign later). I already did Hawkman/Hawkwoman, here are some others (with much less detail): Instead of Green Arrow, how about Green Eros - Creates jealous lovers. Green Lantern - Either an Irish-themed pub, or the actual HQ. Wonder Woman - Mentalist; powerful Mind Scan and Telepathy. Batman - (villain) Scientist who attaches small, incendiary devices to bats. Drops them from 'bomb cages' in the daytime so that they'll fly into homes and try to sleep until night. Incendiary devices go off after 30-60 minutes, killing the bats and catching homes and buildings on fire. (Actual WW2 concept.) Flash - Detective with photographic memory and the ability to teleport. Instead of in a 'bampf' he's gone in a 'flash.' Superman - a clone of Telios. Was used to attempt certain actions Telios didn't wish to risk, but was sure he would be able to complete; Wonder Woman managed to give him free will. He has become a good guy and hopes to right all wrongs done by Telios. The Atom - can change lead into gold! Actually has the Transform, Major power, able to change anything into anything else. (Put him in the military and call him Captain Atom.) Second possibility, he changes anything into basic elements (not compounds), so he might change a brick wall into helium, or perhaps he breaks compounds down into their elements (water into hydrogen and oxygen) as well as able to stabalize radioactive elements. Plastic Man - celebrity known for his numerous "cosmetic surgery enhancements." Due to upsetting Dr. Fate, he's been changed into a person who's unable to display his emotions, as well as having eternal youth. Pays for all purchases via credit card. Aquaman - grown up version of the water boy. Decided to stick with the team instead of going to college. Now, he gets the team refreshments when they return from outings. Dr. Fate - Has retrocognition. Any time something good or bad happens to someone around him, he has the ability to explain "this is what you get for..." and relate it to something in their past. He loves to quote sayings.

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! You spelled it correctly. (but I like the "too lazy" part )

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! As an aside etymology lesson, the actual phrase is scot-free (adj.) meaning "completely free from harm, restraint, punishment, or obligation." It uses the word "scot" (not Scot) (noun) 1. a payment or charge. 2. one's share of a payment or charge. 3. an assessment or tax. [ME < ON skattr tax, treasure; c. OE gescot payment. (all thanks to Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, 1996, p.1719) Yes, I'm a word nerd. Now, having stated that, I don't think there's a copyright infringement since DC's Scott Free (a pun) is regarding a comic character while Scott Free Press' use of Scott Free, while also a pun (unless accidental misspelling), refers to a business and is thus not infringing on the name. Related, when I go see my eldest niece, I drive by a Champions Real Estate, but there's no infringement between that company and HERO Games' Champions universe. I *think* this is relatively along the same line of DC not being able to copyright a bat for Batman (they had to copyright a symbol, not merely the animal) and Marvel not having a monopoly on the name Juggernaut (just for a comic character). When I used to work for a business credit management company, I discovered that there could be a (example name) "Paul's Pizza Palace" in one state owned by one person and a "Paul's Pizza Palace" in another state owned by a second person and no infringement (as the name is only reserved for that state). This is different from MegaCorp having MegaStore in each state. Okay, sorry for being so glib.

Re: [interest in an online game?] Avengers: Generation 3

Re: Which published characters do you use?

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Did you use Hero Designer for this, and if so, what version? Using HD 2.42, I've found several flaws: STUN: Figured Characteristics give him 48, so it should only cost 2 points, not 3 to bring him to 50. RUNNING: 19 doubled is 38, not 28 COST: I show his characteristics costing 255, not 260 (Aside, why if he has 19" of running and 20" of leaping, does he only have 2" (default) of swimming? ASSAULT RIFLE: Once the charges become an advantage instead of a disad, you receive 2x the # of clips (thus, 4, not 2). CONTACT TNI: This needs to be expanded/detailed. Is it merely a 13- for a group? (If so, does it not have any useful skills?) WF: This should only cost 5 points, not 10. Assault Rifles/LMGs are part of the "Small Arms" catagory, it doesn't need to be purchased/listed twice. REPUTATION: This should be given "Extreme" to make it worth 15 points, otherwise, it's just 10. POINT COST: The character has 125 pts in disads, +250 in base (are you sure 250? Not 200?) +83 in XP = 458, but I'm showing the charcter only costs 450 (unless the 250 base is changed to 200 [standard Superhero] in which case, there are 42 points missing). The biggest weakness of the character is NO Resitant Defense! The Powers and Tactics states "Ariswanto prefers to eliminate targets before they are aware of him (usually through the use of explosives or stealth and silenced handguns)." However, he has neither an explosive nor a silenced weapon. It says his weapon is an M-16A (is this A1 or A2?) If an A2, the autofire should be reduced to 3 shots. I would personally change the flashlight to "Change Environment" instead of Images.