JadeAvenger

Re: Designing a Speedster (Help Wanted!) Thanks for the heads up QM- a couple of great threads on Speedsters. I've got the first UNTIL book, so I'll go thumb through its pages. I've been following some of your Champions of Vancouver thread, and it sounds like an exciting campaign! Thanks again! -ja

Re: Designing a Speedster (Help Wanted!) Javelin sounds cool, Killer-- I'll have to check him out. (That silver skin idea is especially intriguing...) I will do my best to post her when's finished-- so far she's just been a lot of talk and fussing with HERO Designer! Thanks again! -ja

Re: Designing a Speedster (Help Wanted!) Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Boiled down, I was trying to figure out how (or whether to) apply the "mag lev" principle as some sort of limitation on a power or as a Disad (some sort of Dependence or Vulnerabilty to magnetic fields, etc etc.) But I finally just decided I was making it too difficult on myself, and realized that the "MagLev" idea is just a SFX of her speedster powers (which are related to magnetic/gravitic forces). Killer Shrike - you have some great characters written up on your site-- & thanks for some ideas on "Slipstream" As for her unlikely powers, I'll admit to the character being born of a brainstorm session so the whole concept isn't fleshed out completely. I had "Mag-Lev" & "Speedster" in mind and went from there. And let's face it, the whole idea of superpowers is such a big handwave anyway, I try to have fun with the idea and worry about it later! Certified- also some good things to think about in terms of additional powers. I had in mind Force Fields, maybe some EBs, and some other Tricks. As for the boots, if I still go with the idea, maybe they just help her "focus" her powers and she'll eventually learn to do without them. That would work well, I think. I don't own "Ultimate Speedster", yet. Have you all found it essential? I'm edging back into HERO, and am trying to keep things simple... Anyway, thanks for the good ideas! -ja

Howdy all, I'm giving some thought to running a supers campaign again, and am starting to tinker with some Allies/villains ideas. Now it's been a while since I've cracked open my Hero books, so I'm a little rusty on things. Give a guy a hand? I'm designing a speedster type character, and the concept is that she has some "frictionless"/kinetic based powers as the theme. I had the idea that somehow her powers functioned only when she wasn't "grounded" by contact with the earth (really with any surface) leading to my theory she has to be "suspended" in a planetary magnetic field for her powers to function. Sort of a mag-lev thing... Okay, its a handwave, but I like the concept Her powers are "natural" (ie, not gadget-based). But I thought she might need some "repulsor boots" (an OIF Limitation) on her Speed powers to suspend herself in the magnetic field (Levitation power?)... Of course, maybe her floating a few inches or a foot above the ground is just a special effect of the power. In that case, I'll just buy some Limitation (reduced effectiveness when "Grounded?"). How would that play with buying running tricks as Flight (Only in Contact with the Ground), which seems to be a good way to simulate running up a building... Am I overthinking this? Wouldn't be the first time! Thanks in advance for the suggestions & advice! -ja

Re: Martial Arts versus Powers Very nice! That answers my questions, I think. Thanks for the rapid responses I'll pass this thread onto my buddy... -JA

Howdy HEROphiles, One of the players in our group wants to make a Martial Artist-type character, and he was asking me "What's the difference between spending points on Martial Arts or just buying those attacks as Powers?" (probably as a part of a multipower...) I'm still relatively new to HERO, so I have difficulty formulating my response as concisely as I'd like, and there are certain aspects I'm not 100% sure of myself. Would anyone be willing to clarify some of the reasons you might take one over the other? Or how you might pick a balance of both? it seems to me that Martial Arts are good for enhancing a character's options in combat, and tend to cost less than Powers, use less END, and especially when combined with "Use Art with X(Blades, Chains, etc) provide for some flexibility during a melee. Powers are good for achieving very specific results: A Whirlwind attack that knocks your enemies down (Autofire or AoE), Esoteric Pressure Point Locks (Entangles), or even Ch'i Blasts (EB, etc). But once you buy a Power, it always works one way, (unless you buy Variable Advantage) so you lose some flexibility, but you tend to have more powerful abilities. But then, I have seen some writeups where ALL Martial Arts abilities are written up as Powers. oh, and if you buy a MA Manuever, Say "Martial Strike" can / do you combine it with a HA Power that you built? Thanks much for any and all comments & suggestions! JadeAvenger

Hi Steve, I'm new to the system, and have been very impressed so far! I'm in the middle of planning a Star Hero game, and this question came up: Heroic campaign guidelines suggest a range of 3-8 on Damage Class, and 10/5 of DEF/rDEF. Are these guidelines primarily designed for characters who are buying Powers or does it include the range of equipment in the setting as well? I.E,: a certain Blaster rifle (10d6 normal), exceeds the DC guidelines --any character wanting to buy an EB with Psionics or Cybernetics (ie, 'Powers') wouldn't get as much for his CP than if he just buys a good blaster. Similarly, a suit of powered armor may be rated at 12 PD/ED or so, which exceeds the recommended range in the guidelines. Is equipment bought with Money exempt from these guidelines then? Thanks! -JA-