JohnTaber

HI Pattern Ghost and Bartman:

Re: Life Support. I agree that the cost breakdowns is too high for the poison/disease thing. The problem is compounded in low point Heroic games with the high cost. In my Star Hero game I dropped the costs like this...

1 point immune to single disease or poison.

3 points immune to related diseases or poisons.

5 points immune all poisons

5 points immune to all disease

Works fine.

A player asked about this in one of my games. Instead of a symbiote they wanted an AI computer inside their body. They wanted to do this but I don't think a computer AI is fair. It felt like a cheap way to buys skills/5. In my case the player also want the computer to run on a very high speed so it can "think" while the PC is doing other stuff.

Personally I don't like the AI computer idea. If the computer is inside the person should it still be cost/5? See what I mean? A computer can be disabled, blown up, has to find a way to move around (i.e. verhicle, robot, etc.) this does not work.

I like the Package idea. My motto...Keep It Simple Silly. I told my player that he could get skills with a Restrainable (-1/4) to reflect the fact that there are anti-cyber device in my Star Hero game. These would be defined as in the computer inside his body. Same goes for talents (Lightning Calc, Speed Reading, etc) AND even a Speed point if he wanted to go that route. I think the points work out a lot nicer.

Hi Gents,

Great topic.

When I think of what makes Hero unique I think of two things...

1) The Special Effect - To me this is key. In my mind this is what makes everything tick. It is one of those ideas that is so simple it's brilliant.

2) Point Based - Again key. Already discussed.

I got one. Not sure if anyone else mentioned this...

What if the Morbane was cursed by a competitor? The curse prevents the user from commiting any evil act (some type of transformation that adds Psych disads). This would also open up a bunch of role-playing situation if the curse is removed. Could be fun...

One PC in my game from the past was a mild mannered glass repairman. The PC was called Shard. He got a lot of business by sticking around after fights...

One PC in my game from the past was a mild mannered glass repairman. The PC was called Shard. He got a lot of business by sticking around after fights...

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

There is a pretty good adventure that matches most of your criteria in Digital Hero #9, "Infectious Enthusiasm" by John Taber. It was explicitly designed as an introduction for new players or to run at a convention. It's a fairly four-color adventure which can be run in one game session, mixes investigative and combat scenes, and benefits from characters with a mix of detective and scientific/technical skills. The adventure includes three color maps and five each of sample heroes and villains built to Standard Super Hero criteria. A few of the characters have custom Limitations on their Powers which might add to the complexity of running them, but nothing terribly exotic.

Thanks Lord Laiden. Yeah...this would be a good way to go. I ran this sucker over 5 times and everytime the battles were pretty darn balanced. The PC are pretty generic, the story is pretty simple, it is a good starter. When I made it up the intent was to use it for a LOH game at a convention or an intro game for new players.

Most folks have mentioned these but...

+ Autofire - Add back in OCV bonues. I think the cost is fine.

+ Regeneration - Add it back. Worked fine before. Add the limb and from the dead options as adders.

+ Damage Shield - Pull back the cost to +1 or something in between FREd and 4th. Right now it is way too expensive.

+ TK Pull Punch Attack - Return to the old TK. The new TK is too cost effective. I think removing a striaght TK punch is the easiest change.

That is what I can come up with right now...the rest is great.

Hi Blacksword,

I do this when I get writer's block. I open the newspaper and grab two or three completely random news headlines. I then combine them to work out an adventure. For example, I read an article about the Alaskian pipeline, an offshore oil rig, and a radical group. I made a Star Wars adventure where the PC try to stop a radical group of undersea people from drilling on an oil platform. Give it a try!

If you count the Champions book (the FREd Alston version) that is my favorite.

As far as the suppliments go...ooh...that is tough...the ones I used the most included:

Normals Unbound

Viper

Um...MC is pretty kick butt too...

Hi Pres:

I allowed my players to forgo the "powers that inherently cost 0 END" limitation of EC. Boy did I get bit hard. Three out of four PC ended up with EC and one character has two little ones. On hindsight, I think I needed to really enforce the concept of the EC more and I MIGHT have been ok. Can you say an EC full of defensive powers defined as comming from a single power suit? Ouch.

Hi Gents: Read Steve's Heroglyphs section in the DH#13 (the latest issue). There is an article about this...it brings up some point mentioned in an older AC article. Anyway...directly about this topic.

I like the show. I think it is fun and light. It is NOT the dark Batman:TAS but that doesn't bother me. I think the animation is kind or a mix between Japanese and Bruce Timm stuff. Beast Boy is my favorite on the show with Raven a close second. I like the way they play up the character interaction. Fun. The intro rocks even in Japanese!

Reliance Reforged House Rules

We are trying to use as few house rules as possible to get up to speed with FREd changes. Here is the only one I can remember right now...

Autofire 5 shots gives +2 OCV. Autofire 10 shots or more gives +4 OCV. This is actually the old ruling. We use it because I believe it makes sense.

JMHAmmer is right. Just buy DoubleKnock on his STR.

You could also do a BOECV Entangle as well. It's Hero...there is always more than one way to do something.

How about a special effect of TK? Seems like that would cover most of the things he would want to do...

I have to send a shout out to Autorealm too. I really like it. The maps in the Champs adventure I submitted in Digital Hero were done in Autorealm.

Hi Michael,

Guess what? You hit on exactly how I am going to start a new Star Hero game for my players. I don't think they read the message board but just in case I don't want to say a lot. If you want some inspiration check the stuff on Fitz's site. It is along a vaguely similar line...I am using some of the material from this site as inspiration...

Sutton Hoo Salvage

Hi Hero Guru,

I know long term memory changes are probably best done with Transform but...what about short term memory changes that require END?

1) Should I be using Mind Control, Mental Illusions, or Transform? My initial thought was Mind Control with the Telepathy option.

2) If I don't want the target knowing the source of the power or noticing the effect. Do I need to buy Invisible To Mental Senses at 2x cost (i.e. 2 x 1/2 = +1)? Should I just go for +20 effect? Will either work? See what I mean?

Thanks Gents!

Hi John515,

Sounds like you have an inkling of this effect. Let me relate a quick stroy...

In my 200+150 Champs campaign I have a new PC with Desolid, Invis, and Flight but it is not something that is on all the time. The effect is that the PC turns into air. The player could only make it to ONE session then a personal matter came up. Even after 1 session I could tell this was a very unbalancing combination. The PC was essentially completely undetectable. It was very powerful. He followed the PC around and they had no clue he was present. Be VERY careful allowing this in any combination even with good players. I know this sounds mean but in my case I am actually contemplating asking the player to come up with another idea. It will make it tough to run many types of adventures...and forget having villains try to escape unless the plan is really intricate...careful.

There are a bunch of ways to buy it...ain't Hero grand! You could also buy the accuracy as NND (Defense is alien physiology, no nerves, lack of weakness, hardened, ...whatever floats your boat). The effect is that he can always hit a nerve...

I agree in concept with Killer Shrike.

[You can find details about the magic system I have used for years on my site. Looks at the Orbaal stuff I did for an example.]

My players and I call this the "Mystically Enhanced Fighter Syndrome". What I do is what Shrike suggests. I enforce some simple magic rules that make it difficult for a PC to make a warrior with just a few spells. I do things like set a min amount of real points that must be spent on spells. I also charge 1 END/5 active points. The end result of these subtle changes is that there are not as many PC warrior dudes with one spell... See the material on my site for details.

I like Snarf's comment...direct and to the point...

Thanks gents! Think I'll get TE first...