JohnTaber

Re: Regenerating Touch Hi Ghost Angel: So you are inferring that you do not need Uncontrolled and Continuous. Is that a correct statement?

Re: Regenerating Touch Re: Trigger. Trigger specifically states that it should not be used in place of Damage Shield but maybe in this case there are no other options. Re: Decreased Return Rate. Why does it need decreased reuse? This is the main schtick and only real power on this PC...it doesn't feel like it needs decreased return rate to me...

Hi Hero Gang: I am helping another GM with a new campaign. One of the players wants a power that sounds simple but I having issues with the buy for some reason. The player wants a power that heals himself on his phases PLUS anyone else that touches him including bad guys. The healing only work on other people while they are touching the PC. It works even if the PC is knocked out. The healing should NOT cost the PC an action even if other people touch him. My first instinct is to use Damage Shield but Hero Designer does not allow Healing to use this advantage...Damage Shield is supposedly only for attacks. I bought it like this... 43 Touch Me Regeneration: Healing BODY and STUN (Simplified Healing) 2d6, Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (75 Active Points); Always On (-1/2), Healing Only Works While Maintaining Contact With The Character (-1/4) Does that work? I'm not sure it does because I think this version would still force the PC to make an attack roll against other people to use it on them. Am I wrong in that because of Persistent? Thoughts?

Re: Fantasy Art Thread Cool! Thx for the link! Rep comin'!

Re: how do you like your fantasy games Low to mid for starting PC. My latest campaign is 75+55. Caps on active pts for spells unless cleared by me.

Re: Regenerating defences I did this for my Star Hero game...similar to your idea... 1.1.1.1 Fragmenting Defense This is a new limitation that can be taken on defensive powers. It is used to reflect a defense that chips away as it is struck. In essence this is a very specific form of the Side Effect limitation. I got the idea from an article in Digital Hero and modified it to suit my needs. Fragmenting is a base –1 limitation. When struck a fragmenting defense loses 1 point of PD or ED based on the attack type. For every point of Body done that exceeds the defenses given by the power an additional point of PD or ED must be removed. The adjustment in the defense is done after the effects of the damage are applied. Here is a brief example. An energy attack that does 8 Body hits a 10 PD/10 ED Force Field. No Body gets through and the target gets to use the full 10 ED for soaking the damage. After the attack the Force Field is considers 10 PD/9 ED. If the attack did 12 Body the resulting Force Field would be 10 PD/7 ED. At the end of each turn the power recovers 1 point of PD or ED. The recovery rate can be changed by moving up or down the time chart. For each move up the chart a –1/4 additional limitation is granted. For each move down the chart a +1/4 move is made in the value of the limitation.

Re: Reincarnation Meta Concept Hi Mark and Others Who Have Replied On This Aspect Of The Topic: GREAT REPLIES GANG!!! Hi Mark: Your first paragraph above is nice. I think it is almost right on the money with where I want to go. I think I may make a minor distinction in that the newly selected avatar is not having a spirit grafted or replaced but is simple the next in the line to be choosen (i.e. bring a player up from the minors). The key is that they are compatible with the person who will be their new spirit guide/mentor. I need a name for these godlike beings...spirit guides is just ok. Any ideas? In my campaign doc for the players I tell them that their character will have a "calling" to leave their current life. I used an analogy of the summons that happened in ET. The PC know that they need to go to this place and that there is some greater purpose but they do not know where or what it is...it is during this trip that they meet the other players and their spirit guide (aka the one who has called them as avatars). I think the concepts you have re carrying over disads and such go farther than I want to go. From a metagaming aspect I do not want to tie the hands of the player that much. I want them to be a bit looser with that second PC. My players are really creative so I will hopefully not have to go to that extent (i.e. amount disads kept determines pts on new PC). Nice reply!

Re: Reincarnation Meta Concept This is the metagame reason why I am doing this...my only problem with this method is if PC 1 dies. The guy with the most ep should come back in better shape that PC 4. Not a huge deal but...yes...I agree.

Re: Reincarnation Meta Concept Hi Curufea: AWESOME! I plan to liberally steal from those concepts. The idea that fits best with my vision for the campaign is that the PC are avatars of very powerful spirits. When the PC dies the avatar ensures that the spirit finds another appropriate host that will act in their behalf. The first session is the powerful spirit calling the avatars together to inform them of their destiny. A turning point in the campaign will be when one of the main 4 avatars dies leaving only 3. Shhh...don't tell my players. My thought is that I will let the PC have the following on the new PC: Half their EP. They get this from the start but starting PC maximums are in effect. The other half of their EP are converted to karma points at a 1 to 2 rate. They are ephemeral points that are spent to aid attacks and such...similar to Fudge points. (If anyone wants the rules I am using I can post them. They work neat. ) They must take some fundamental concept from the old PC and use it in the new PC. It can be a mindset, a key disad, a key ability, or similar. I might allow them to do a 180 degree opposite as well but I need to think that through. For example, dead guy give his funds to the poor. New PC is greedy. Either way there is a fundamental link to their desire to control how money is distributed. That is probably not a great example but you get the idea. Any other thoughts from folks?

Re: Reincarnation Meta Concept Good point about the age. I was imagining that the "essence" of the dead PC would inhabit another being who is "destined for heroics" (i.e. another PC). Carrying over disads might be fun be fun but I would have to set some point values. Maybe carrying over at least 20 points of disads? I need to decide how much EP to move as well...half? Is that too much? Humm...still noodling...

Hi Folks: I have an idea for a meta gaming concept that I want to enact for my new FH campaign but I need some help generating ideas. What better place to drum up ideas than this very humble but lovable board. Here is the concept... In the campaign all magic is based around the control of spirits that are inherent in all living things. Think of American Indian and Japanese folklore and you get the idea. Also the campaign will be tougher that ones I have run in the past...characters might die. For these reason I thought it might be run to come up with a meta game mechanic for reincarnation. Here are the goals I want to achieve with these new mechanics: I want there to be a "golden parachute" of sorts if a PC dies. It could be starting with the EP of the last character or a percentage of the last character as well as the Karma (a luck system) that I have implimented and/or maybe something else. I want "something" from the dead PC to move to the new PC. I'm not sure what or how to do this. Maybe a character motivation? Maybe a mindset? Maybe a disad? I dunno...but I want to promote the feeling of rebirth as this new PC. I need help with both bullets but my primary hole right now is the second bullet. Does anyone have any ideas?

Re: Armadillo Wrap Great reply Phil! Thanks. Good comments all around. If you are interested my 44 page campaign notes are available at my gaming blog under Spirit Storm on the File Downloads page. A link to the blog is in my sig. Thanks again...take care!

Re: Armadillo Wrap I thought about those...I may add them...the total package was getting costly... Thanks!

Re: Armadillo Wrap Sorry, formatting got hosed. ...and I noticed some things I forgot...close!

Re: Armadillo Wrap Here is what I came up with...it is actually part of a racial package deal. Don't worry about the cost of Armor being wrong. It is a campaign rule (defensive powers/spells cost double). 1.1 Armadillo Kin (“Dillos”) 1.1.1 Concept Armadillo Kin are armor plated humanoids that closely resemble their namesake. 1.1.2 Physiology Dillos are stocky humanoids with developed arms and legs but they retain many of the characteristics of Three-Banded Armadillos. These traits include clawed appendages that are suited for digging, armored plates, the ability to curl up into a ball for defense, great smell and taste, and poor eyesight. They have short gestation periods of 60 to 90 days and live to an average age of 45. 1.1.3 Personality Armadillo Kin are survivors. They are not above getting into scrapes but they will also take the most defensive option if one is presented to them. 1.1.4 Society Armadillo Kin are small in numbers but they have made their presence known on the battlefield. They are stalwart warriors and excel at sapping where they can use their digging talents to tunnel under walls and barricades. 1.1.5 Quirks Some Dillos can actually grab another person then roll up into a ball protecting them from harm. Here is how this is purchased. Cost Name Ability 3 Roll Into Ball With Target Usable Simultaneously on Roll Into Ball, Concentration (0 DCV Throughout, (-1)), Side Effect (Major, Always Occurs, Affects Recipient, Movement is reduced to 1”, vision is restricted, and recipient is reduced to 0 DCV (-1 1/2)) 1.1.6 Racial Package Cost Name Ability 6 Survivors +3 Constitution 18 Armored Plates +3 PD/+3 ED Armor 6 Roll Into Ball +3 PD/+3 ED Armor, Concentration (0 DCV Throughout, (-1)), Costs Endurance (-1/2), Side Effect (Minor, Always Occurs, Movement is reduced to 1” and vision is restricted, (-1/2)), 2 End 4 Find Grub Enhanced Senses (Enhanced Perception – Normal Smell/Taste (+2)) 8 Claws 1/2d6 HKA, Reduced Penetration (-1/4), 1 End 1 Slow Metabolism Life Support (Diminished Eating (1/week)) 7 Digger 1” Tunneling (Through 5 Defense material), Gestures (Hands and feet throughout, (-3/4)), Only Rocks And Dirt (-1/4), Takes 1 Turn Of Digging Per 1” Tunneling (-1/2) -5 Bulky Armor Plated Body Distinctive Looks (Easily Concealed) -15 Poor Vision Physical Limitation (Frequently / Greatly, -2 Rng Mod on Sight Perception Rolls)

Re: Armadillo Wrap Hi Phil: The block/dive idea could also be done with the power if it is done correctly (i.e. block + power). Also I would expect something to happen if the block/dive fails. I think from a rules legal point of view I have to use UAA as the target may not always be willing. Also I did not add details but yes, it would have Lockout and limitations on movement and visibility for the character AND target. If he is in a ball he can't move real fast. I guess just forcing the PC to do a grab might get around the problem...huh...have to think about it. I was fishing for the main build. Other thoughts?

Re: Magic Systems: Why spells are 1/3 cost KillerShrike got it on the money. I want to have magic be rare so I don't divide by 3. In fact I have never divided by 3 or any other number for spells. I have always used the simple buy technique and it gets the feel I want...

Re: Devils Tower: How to? ( TK is what I would use. )

Re: Armadillo Wrap Even buying it twice would be fine as you do not have to buy that much defense for FH.

Re: Attacks That Follow The Target. Not sure if anyone mentioned...Area Affect with Selective and a limitation if you want the attack to be slow. You aim at a target then unless the guy moves out of the area it hits him. If he runs around the corner as long as it is in the area it gets him. I think that works most of the time.

Re: Armadillo Wrap FYI. UAA on his Armor was the way I saw it as well.

Hi Gang: I have some ways I would build this but I was wondering what method the massively creative board members would devise. Here is what the player is after... The character is an Armadillo-humanoid. He wants to be able to essentially grab another player and wrap up in a ball around them (i.e. essentially protecting them). Thoughts?

Monday night I finished up my Terra Incognita : Ancient Mysteries campaign. I will now be starting a new Fantasy Hero campaign called Spirit Storm. The document for the campaign can now be had at the File Downloads page of my blog site, Kingbeasts Lair. To wet your appetite here is the introduction… Welcome to the exciting fantasy world of Spirit Storm! Spirit Storm is a high adventure fantasy campaign set after a cataclysmic magical war that devastated most of the land. If the adventures have a high tension, anime mixed with fairy tale feel, then I have achieved my vision for the campaign. This campaign is standard fantasy fare with some changes that will be detailed below. A mere six months before the start of the campaign a great magical war was waged that lasted for almost fifteen years. This war devastated most of the known world creating large wastelands that did not exist previously. Fallout from the war also resulted in a dense layer of clouds that blanket the skies. This cloud layer limits the sunlight that can reach the planet and the stars can no longer be seen at night. Overall the land has become much colder. This dense cloud bank has also put an “emotional pallor” on the people of the land. The name of the campaign comes from the fact that spirits are the source of all magical energy. Spirits are found in all living things. The more majestic the being the more powerful the spirit. Thus the spiritual energy in a blade of grass is much less than that of a large majestic oak tree. In concept this is similar to the belief of American Indians and Japanese folk stories. Spells and magic are the summoning and control of called spirits. Although this is “standard fantasy fare” there is a difference with the races. Instead of dwarves, elves, etc all of the races are based off of animals. The dominant race is the Ape Kin. As far as the game is concerned Ape Kin, or “Ape Men”, are “humans”. Other races can include those which are spawned from mammals, avians, reptiles, fish, and insects. Several of the prevalent races can be found in this document but PC are encouraged to come up with their own races if desired. (Note that I am not a “Furry” or anything like that.,..I just thought this would be a fun change that I have always wanted to try.) The PC have been called by a powerful unseen force to leave their homes. This force is calling them together for some yet unknown reason. Players are encouraged to work this into their back stories. Another thing that the PC have in common is that on the day the mage war started something important happened in their lives that involves spiritual energy. It could be the devastation of their home village, the death of a loved one, a birth, an emotional turning point, etc. Again the PC are encouraged to be creative in this area.

Re: A Time Traveling Character Ding ding. This is how I would build it too. With the overall levels you can also mimic things like the guy spending time studying a lock before using his lockpicking skill.

Re: Thor's Hammer, Mjöllnir FYI. I agree with Hyper-Man. It is not even a limitation in my mind...just a special effect of a set of powers.