Kirby

Re: Help with Serial Killer story I gave two examples; I don't have access to them all, but I know there's more than "3" in the 20th Century. However, I didn't refer to them as commonplace nor did I mention it was a rule. Make sure you don't confuse your generalization of "people" with "Kirby," we're different entities. As a reminder, I'm just trying to help someone with a direction in his campaign, I'm not here to play "my serial killer fu is better than your serial killer fu."

Re: Help with Serial Killer story

Re: Help with Serial Killer story I'm just going to chime in and say that this doesn't apply to everyone. Some may take this route, but I've been in a Dark Champions game before where we had serial killers and, while it was a major character, it didn't alter our game or outlook on the game. We understood that it was just a character in a plot. Our characters became more active in patrols and generally patrolled longer, but as players, we knew it would be hard to have a serial killer if he didn't kill. If we were patrolling the right neighborhood at the right time, we either prevented the guy from attacking by our presence alone, or we interrupted an attack and saved the victim. I believe it just takes a good GM to run it properly and to make sure the following adventure is more lighthearted (and Foxbat is a good follow-up!). For what may be better qualified opinions coupled with experience, you may want to check in the Dark Champions forum.

Re: Clown And yet Gravitar is allowed in.

Re: Power Company or JLA: Which is your campaign? The campaigns I've been in, the PCs are what you describe as the "Power Company" level. I've been in one which we were the JLA type, but this was back in the 250 game day and the PCs were 300 points! I wouldn't mind playing in a JLA type game (I'm currently in one where we're slightly above Power Company level, but nowhere near JLA; at least my character's not. I designed him to take out normals, but in record time).

Re: Help with Serial Killer story Some very basic basics: The vast majority of serial killers are male They tend to kill their own ethnicity (white males kill whites, black males kill blacks, etc.) There is generally a backstory to why this happens (such as a man hates his mom, so kills women, just more detailed) The first kills are generally very basic and quickly done; the more kills, the more intricate they become Many serial killers 'tease' the police with mind-boggling clues; some do this out of spite, some do it to get caught (strange, huh?) Lots of serial killers tend to collect newspaper clippings of their crimes; not necessarily as trophies, but to keep progress of what the police know None of these are hard-fast rules set in stone; there are alway variations.

Re: For FREEDOM! Ah, yes, "Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich." Has anyone else played it? (I haven't, but am curious.)

Re: Clown, Inc. Hmm, I doubt we'll see these beloved NPCs since Steve has COULRophobia: fear of CLOWN. Still, this thread makes me want to create them as best I can. Maybe build the members of the group on 300-350 points. I would love to see a "cross-over" with CLOWN and Foxbat (and his Foxbattalion). A fresh new start would have the leader be an eccentric billionaire. This way, when CLOWN and Foxbat trash the mall, one of the members throws bags of money at the store owners to help pay for repairs. Or maybe CLOWN breaks into a bank the day after it's robbed and gives it money. It might be twice as funny if they did it during the daytime. "Put this money in your register, or I'll pie you!" Additionally, one of the bags of money has exploding invisible ink on it, so when the bank teller opens it, she's covered in ink (as would be some of the money), but then it disappears.

Re: Team Base... Who pays? The games I've been in (where there have been bases) the PCs have the base on credit and pay back with an XP or two each time they receive XP. This is generally how I do it when I run a game. However, I have had a campaign where the PCs were in a city with another team (Freedom Squad) and when that team was slowly eliminated, the PCs ended up taking that base. (Basics from VOICE of Doom.)

Re: Digital Hero Materials in your Champions Campaigns

Re: Why we shouldn't worry about 2020

Re: Reviewing Teen Champions (& Ravenswood Academy) Actually, I stated the land, not the school, and for clarification page 84 states "The history of the Ravenswood and its association with children goes back farther than a century.... Over 300 years, Muulyr instructed more than fifty sorcerers...." So while it may not be a full millennium, it is at least 300 years worth, if not more. But the "secret" is that it teaches superpowered kids; this is not publicly known. Saying that everybody knows the school exists is like saying everbody knows Bruce Wayne exists, thus Batman isn't a secret ID. We don't know that, since they don't have write-ups. But "Famous" may also be a Reputation perk as well.

Re: Reviewing Teen Champions (& Ravenswood Academy)

Re: Opinion: Double Damage Reduction I don't find a 4d6 KA Heroic, much less Superheroic, though lots of people like to have at least one killing attack for one reason or another (undead, walls, hurt the agents/gang members, etc). I was in a PBeM campaign once where I was allowed to play Grond. I adjusted him a little bit by giving him a 3d6 HKA (6d6 w/STR) with a -2 Stun modifier. The attack was designed for tearing down walls. However, Grond got angry and quartered a cybernetic death hound all on his own. But that only happened once.

Re: Why we shouldn't worry about 2020 Bah, humbug. I think it would be much better to have CLOWN back; Black Harlequin is the mistake. YOMV, BISW.

Re: Opinion: Double Damage Reduction If you are just straying from the thread topic, that's fine. Just as long as you're not trying to associate your views/experiences of Dr. Destroyer with me, since I used his power as an example, not him in a combat story.

Re: Opinion: Double Damage Reduction My thought on that is "No" because a 10d6RKA is not very heroic. Having stated that, I've never been in a game where the PCs ever made it to 500 points, so I don't know what PCs built on 2,500 would be like, and I doubt one would make a campaign where they could last that long.

Re: Opinion: Double Damage Reduction As a calrification/reminder for the DDR, I wouldn't want anyone using it. As for "only the NPCs" aspect, do you think it's unfair for Dr. Destroyer to have a 10d6 RKA? If it is not unfair, would you allow a PC to have this as a power? I personally don't think it's unfair, nor would I allow a PC to have it. The same applies for DR at 75% level. I can see certain villains having it (Ripper already does; perhaps Grond should? [or at least some]) so that it will take a while for the PCs to bring the baddy down; I wouldn't allow the same for a PC because they're part of a team and don't need the life saver of 75% DR, resistant. Ripper (and even Grond to a lesser extent) are designed to be able to combat a group of characters and either survive, or make it tough.

Re: Really Bizarre Armor Pondering Very. At least as effective as today's armor. Probably as much as platemail did.

Re: What does a timeline need? Blind, Double, or Food? 'Cause we already mentioned chronological.

Re: Opinion: Double Damage Reduction Actually, Maxing a 10d6 KA is more likely than a 12d6 EB, considering you have two less dice to roll standard damage (one less if it's not an automatic 5x Stun multiplier). As for seeing it? Yes, I have; however, it falls in under the "house rules" that I mentioned previously. I have seen max damage rolled on a 4d6 Killing Attack that targeted the head, making the Stun die roll unnecessary. Yes, but that's another issue. It's the same issue of Damage Reduction vs conventional defenses; however, for campaigns with limits (and most have them), if a brick maxes his defenses and then starts purchasing DR and DDR, it'll be a headache bringing him down. Also, some GMs put defensive limits by character type as well. For example, a Martial Artist may only be allowed 15PD/10rpd; if he is allowed the DDR; he's in effect gone past the campaign designation in a munchkiny way. As has been stated before, the DR (and definitely DDR) seems to be for mega villains and giant monsters, which I think is appropriate; I do not believe this high level should be for PCs. But, that's my opinion; do what you will in your own campaign.

Re: Opinion: Double Damage Reduction Well, to be clear, FREd (p. 95) states that Damage Reduction only applies to normal Stun and Body, while Damage Reduction Resistant applies to normal and resistant Stun and Body, along with AVLD, NND, Drain STUN and Drain Body, but specifically states "but not other types of Drain...." Thus, a Drain DEX or Drain EGO does not apply. Suppress isn't affected at all. (I do not know if 5ER added any other catagories.)

Re: What does a timeline need? Plot seeds! If there are certain plots you're pretty certain you're going to run, then you could have bits of the background introduced into the timeline. Maybe a few years back on Date X, a hi-tech developer had Master Plans stolen. Years later and the campaign is starting out and BOOM, the Master Plans prototype is displayed by Villainous Organization Introducing Chaos Everywhere. What's that spell?!

Re: What does a timeline need? Dates. Definitely in chronological order. You think "that's obvious" but I've been in a White Wolf game where the GM gave us accomplishments of an NPC we all didn't care for (but all the other NPCs loved) at his funeral. They were all out of order. Listening to it almost made my eyes explode out of my head. Luckily I held them in with the palms of my hands smashing them repeatedly.

Re: Reviewing Teen Champions (& Ravenswood Academy) Now that I've posted all that: one thing I wish the book mentioned was a way to figure out grades. Maybe a formula that involves intelligence, ego, and popularity or something. It's easy to say "you all passed" but do you just force Johnny to get a C? Does Jenny automatically get an A because she's a band geek who loves academics?