Marketeer

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon

Although they wouldn't be my favorite sci-fi weapons, Warhammer 40k lasguns just feel right for the universe: cheaply made, effective, mass-produced like blazes, and designed so that they can be recharged from pretty much any power source.

They give the right tone for a universe where the Imperium of Man is so sprawling that things need to be simple and highly adaptable to local conditions.

Re: WWYCD: Discovering the nature of reality?

You know...

...on the one hand, many of our characters would hate us for what we've put them through.

...on the other, how many of them would be even more indignant at the thought of being retconned in some significant way?

Re: Not quite a WWYCD: YWUA your PC...

Ok hands up, this is a threadjack!

 

What does your PC do in your body? (Assuming all the the PC's skills and knowledge transfer, and the comic book principles they work upon now work in 'our' world, if only for them.)

Blackberry is accustomed to the weird, so the shock value of being gender-swapped wouldn't be all that great. On the other hand, she likes being able to do all the various things she can normally do--not being able to walk on ceilings would irk her. She'd call up one of her friends and get them right on the problem--even stuck in the wrong body with the wrong voice, she'd be able to convince them of the problem and the need for assistance.

Me, on the other hand, yeah, there'd be problems...

Re: WWYCD: Discovering the nature of reality?

Blackberry has friends, family, and a generally cheery outlook on life. She'd give me a hug, make a beeline towards the teakettle, then settle down for a long chat.

Re: WWYCD: More Than Meets The Eye...

Blackberry treats everyone equally anyways; she'd have no personal problem dealing with sentient planes, trains, and automobiles.

On the other hand, she's good at getting "people" to talk to each other, so she'd set herself up as a diplomat.

If all else failed, she's pretty sure she could find a father-and-son team who worked on an oil rig to get the wheels of diplomacy in motion...

Re: Transformer HERO?

That is astoundingly awesome. Thank you!

Always a pleasure.

Re: Transformer HERO?

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mathewignash/champions.html

Look on the far right column, it's all Transformers writeups.

EDIT: not in HD format, but very readable.

Re: A Simpler WWYCD: The Lights Go Out

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Marketeer again.

Haha, that's the first time anybody has ever had to deal with that particular issue with me... I get my rep in slow dribbles...

Re: A Simpler WWYCD: The Lights Go Out

Yup, "most". Like "Enough that this would be a major hassle, but nothing like some kind of electrical-nullification field or anything like that".

Mostly, I wanted to highlight some of the different definitions of "I am helping" that different characters would have in what amounts to a relatively routine (by superbeing standards) situation.

For some characters, the lack of an overt attack upon the power supply leads inevitably to the conclusion that there *must be* some kind of covert attack, whereas other characters will take the situation at face value.

Different characters, different powersets, different universes--but it's kind of fun to see how different hero-types would respond to a low-threat "situation".

Re: A Simpler WWYCD: The Lights Go Out

Ok, related question:

Would any of your characters stop to help out in mundane or non-superheroic ways? For example, with no power, even if it's not freezing in campaign city, it might get cold.

Would any characters take a break from the patrolling to gnerically help out? Again, assume there's no crisis in terms of someone specific needing help here.

For instance:

Blackberry might drop by a shelter, and use her tiny VPP of magical tricks to make sure they can cook dinner for people.

Re: A Simpler WWYCD: The Lights Go Out

Faye would consider the first priority to get the busses to their nearest stops; many of the local municipalities use electric busses powered from overhead lines. Then get the Skytrains to their nearest terminals; they're electrically powered too. After that' date=' what the passengers do is up to them, but the vehicles will be in locations where they won't be blocking traffic, and will be easily found later. Once that's done, if the power's not back on, she'll assist the police in clearing the inevitable traffic accidents. Fixing the problems, she'll leave to [b']Hydro[/b]. That's what they're paid to do, and the unions do *not* take well to freelancers "interfering."

(various emphases added)

...you're from BC, aren't you?

Ok, this one should be fairly simple, with no real moral quandraries. (I'm offering it partially as a change of pace from some of the more... involved WWYCDs)

One evening in Campaign City, the city suffers a fairly major power blackout. Most of the sources of electrical energy to the city have either been cut off or shut down.

There if no indication that the power plants or electrical relays are "under attack"--they might have been sabotaged, but in any case there are no armed (super)villains or any such holding people for ransom.

Likewise, there has been no outbreaks of rampant lawlessness. There have been a few of the expected spikes in rowdy behavior that you'd expect from a blackout, but no major gang violence or any such.

In other words, your character is relatively free to choose how (s)he assists; there is no immediately pressing crisis to attend to.

WWYCD?

Re: WWYCD: A Bomb for Two Cities

Blackberry isn't trained in demolitions, and while she's much faster than most, she doesn't have the capability for fast overland travel (think Spider-man levels of overland speed).

In all likelihood, this would be her last stand; she'd snatch up the bomb and try to find a location where she could minimize the damage.

Re: WWYCD: A Bomb for Two Cities

Where are our characters? Some of mine would have travel problems...

Re: WWYCD: Lost in a world without Supers; 9/11/2001

Yes, and the planes that hit the WTC are the ones Hell's Angel would try to physically prevent taking off if she can't convince the authorties to act.

 

Also, one slot in Hell's Angel's fire-based multipower is Megascale Flight (essentially she uses her flame powers to propel herself like a rocket). She can easily reach Boston from New York in the time she's got.

 

Still, the best plan is to get the authorities to grab all the hijackers at the security gates before they reach the planes.

Would that mean she'd take the risk that the Pentagon flight would get through? Or would she be fast enough to stop all 3?

Re: WWYCD: Lost in a world without Supers; 9/11/2001

Blackberry would be in over her head; she hasn't got the raw speed to get to the right places, and she hasn't got the raw power to prevent a plane from landing or whatnot.

She hasn't got credibility in military circles, either.

If she could get on one of the planes, she could almost certainly stop that plane from being hijacked (or hijack the plane back), but that's as much as she could accomplish.

If she could somehow get to the right plane in time, she'd probably try to save the last flight, the one that crashed prior to hitting the Pentagon, in its entirely. She'd just need a ticket onboard.

Re: WWYCD: Get Robbed...By The King

The only way to catch a King is with a King

Blackberry would convince Bruce Campbell that he really wanted to do a promotional tour for Evil Dead 4 in campaign city right about now...

Re: WWYCD 101:A question of faith

In actuality the fact of whether or not the human sacrifice works is utterlly irrelevant to the morality of this issue. Even if it works (and there is ZERO information within Nexus' original post to indicate whether it actually works or not); the people in this world have elected to kill an innocent person because it supposedly guarantees them a peaceful and idylic lifestyle. That's not enlightened; that's pure selfishness. We wouldn't consider that a moral decision if it was being made by a utopian society run by a megacorporation or dictatorship, and it doesn't suddenly become ethical because it's being done by a tribe of neo-pagans.

As originally laid out, the selected person retains the option to say "no".

I think it's totally fair to make an argument that even making the request is immoral, but I think you can also argue that there is difference between "forced compliance" and "strenuously worded request" that does change the moral analysis.

Re: one year to change the world

Things to do:

1) Find out who is guiding/controlling/whatever The Beam.

2) Figure out how to take out the next Beam-powered dude if he or she proves to be dangerous.

3) Discover if there is a) habitable planets Life or c) Intelligent Life out there in this big darned universe, help scientists get proof, figure out how we can get there without my superpowered deus ex machina, and/or set up colonies/contact.

4) Near-space exploration? Deep-sea exploration? Yup.

Basically, I'd want to focus on stuff we simply cannot do at our current levels of technology and understanding, and go from there.

Re: HERO experts.. help a NUB build his mentalist?

Another way to represent Psychokinesis which is a little less pricey...

 

Psychokinesis 50 STR, Ranged (+1/2), Based On EGO Combat Value (Standard Defenses apply; +1) (125 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) Real Cost: 83 points.

Wet blanket time:

The rules are actually pretty clear that you aren't supposed to be STR with Ranged specifically because Telekinesis exists; GMs might let you house-rule it, but in general it's something that is specifically barred.

Re: WWYCD: "Dude, you stole my shtick!"

Blackberry has relatives who answer to "Blueberry" and "Strawberry"; she's not particularly possessive about a "Berry-esque" name.

Now, on the other hand, if this person was making the family look bad, then she'd get on the phone...

Re: Self-Exiled Angel -- Character Background Brainstorming

Hmm. I wonder what she'd write about.

Could she possibly write thinly-veiled stories from her own past, dress them up as "fiction", and distribute them that way?

For that matter, maybe she wrote a log or war journal of some kind (I can't see her writing a diary, but a notebook of some sort, yes), and one of her associates suggest she have it published just because of the inherent value of the contents?

After all, "routine thoughts" for an angel would be deep metaphysical revelations for most humans, right?

Re: Self-Exiled Angel -- Character Background Brainstorming

"I know he's done terrible things' date=' Saviel, but he's the only one who can set them right, and he's [i']trying[/i]. He might even deserve to die, but killing him will makes things worse, not better."

I was thinking more along the lines of the repentent perpetrator himself (or herself) coming to Saviel and saying "I'm sorry. If I could undo it, I would, but I can't. The best I can do is try and atone. But, I can't fix this alone. You're an angel. Can you help to make amends?"

Saviel is shocked to realize, at that moment, she doesn't know how--and ostensibly, the whole reason she went into smite mode is because of the evils being perpetrated on souls. Not being equipped at all to fix the problem, when she's the only being the repentent soul has to turn to, is a reality check.

The Hidden War refers to the struggle between different factions of mages, other mystics, supernatural beings, etc?

Actually, it was an excuse for me to randomly capitalize those words to make them sound important; but yes, the core concept would be that various mages and other supernaturals conduct their own affairs, away from the intense scrutiny mainstream "supers" operate under.

Re: Self-Exiled Angel -- Character Background Brainstorming

She might be able to make some money by agreeing to be interviewed by historians, however.

 

 

And as her character sheet says, it's amazing how much cash the typical VIPER or DEMON opperation has lying around...

I can see her being a very inspirational writer if she ever put her mind to it, or someone who wrote "historical fiction".

She just gives me the kind of vibe as someone who would find it faintly distasteful to take money from criminals for personal use. I don't think she'd have a moral objection, she'd just find it... gauche.

Re: Self-Exiled Angel -- Character Background Brainstorming

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=555649&postcount=67

 

OK, been thinking. Brainstorming follows...

 

When she first arrived, she failed to stop the destruction of Detroit, and it hit her hard. It's likely that, as you suggest, Saviel sets about smiting and thwarting a lot of evil in those first few months or years. She's ancient, and a few years wouldn't mean much to her. At some point, though, I want the other aspects of her besides the fighting machine to show through.

Well, given her origin and overall tone, she probably spent a great deal of time focusing on supernatural or particularly vile "evils". Perhaps at some point she encounters a genuinely repentent evil being--I think a human who wants to atone for mundane wrongs works best narratively--and needs her help to make things right.

All it takes is one moment of epiphany where Saviel realizes "oh, I don't know how to help"; even if she works it out in time to be of useful assistance, that moment of shock might have been enough to snap her out of smite mode.

As I said before, she likes books. She needs somewhere to keep her books.

 

I'm thinking that she might outgrow the CU a bit, at least in its canon form. One thing I'm considering in all this is a hidden community in the mortal world of exiled angels, and fallen seeking redemption, and demons going what demons do, and angels doing what angels do, a hidden world that overlaps with the mystic world and the superhuman world to some degree.

I haven't kept up as much as I'd like with the 5th edition supplements, but that was the essential premise in 4th ed Mystic Masters; that many remained largely ignorant of the Hidden War.

Perhaps, rather than outgrowing it per se, Saviel eventually concludes/decides that the "open front" of super-dom is not where The War shall ultimately be decided?

She won't rely on any church for support.

And analogously won't support any church (I take that as a given).

Trying to think of what event or person might have brought her out of the smiting binge that probably began after what she saw as her failure in Detroit. "The Scourge" is a strong part of her psyche, and as you said she could have easily gone right on smiting for decades...

I have posted one theory as to what broke the binge above; even if she wasn't a "healing" or "messenger" angel in terms of specialization, having a hurt soul who needs her help simply because no other is available would probably do it.