Fur Face

I've always presumed that a Mastermind VPP was more of plot device than anything else, to simulate l really powerful villian. Although you can buy followers & funds with this kind of VPP, I would buy them separate if necessary. Otherwise it wouldn't be practical "sorry superagents, you need to go while I muster all of my powers to fight these do-gooding heroes."

Hey Yamo, In all seriousness, BODY damage is defined as breaking bones and serious internal injuries. Any HKA will do if it exceeds defenses. I seem to remember that breaking an arm would be about 3 body, so a neck can't be too far from that. For the "Ye old necksnap autokill" you can either do a Called Shot or create a new power, which was already suggested. Old Dark Champions had a neck hit as a -12 modifier, half that if you surprise someone, as in sneeking up on a guard on watch. Wouldn't have to necessarily be an HKA if the attack was high enough. As an example, I know on Mike Surbrooks web site he simulated the old DnD "sword of sharpness" as an sword with +8 OCV, since thats all you'd need to hack off a limb. Another way to do it would be an HKA, NND(3), only to break necks, must be behind suprised opponent (-1/2), only with humans (-1/2). Of course, you might not nead anything, if the victim is already unconscious, then its an autokill. The one problem with any of this would be "whats good for the goose is good for the gander"; if a GM lets you do it, then you'd better learn how to defend yourself from it. Just my 2 cents.

Time to rent "Game of Death" or "Enter the Dragon".

Hey Crimson King, Everyone is correct about the uses of a VPP, but there is one possible problem with taking a focus limitation on the control cost: If you lose your focus, you loose all of the VPP pool points that go with it until you get it back. So, if you loose a 2d6 RKA with a focus (30 real points), then your 65 point pool is now only 35 points until you get it back. Of course, your player could not take the limitation on the VPP pool, but you could still require him to take a focus of some sort if he uses the power, and simply say the effects are that they must be gagets because its a gadget pool, and he takes a (-1/2) limited effects as a "Gadget Pool" and "Only change powers at base". That way the player can also take any focus from an IIF (for a bug) to an OAF (gun). Of course, if someone is going to get a cost break by purchasing items with a focus, then one should expect to loose the focus once in a while, otherwise its not a limitation. If the player wants to define the effects as a 2d6 RKA pistol, but never wants to loose it, then he shouldn't take the focus limitation (excluding things like Surpress, Drain, Dispel & such). Come to think of it, not buying a focus limitation would be a great way to get around the old "how do I summon a pistol to my hand from my secret armory" thing. Instead of buying a firearm, then figure out a complicated way to summon it from your armory, just don't use a focus. Hmmm. Just my 2 cents. Implore or ignore at your discretion!

Nothing in Mesa, AZ Either I finally made it to the one in the Fiesta Mall in Mesa, AZ, and didn't see anything. The did have a ton of fantasy stuff, and a small smiddgen of superhero stuff, like GURPs Supers or DC Heroes. It's the only WOTC store I know of the in Phoenix area, so if you are a fantasy buff, check it out.

Victorian Hero? Good Morning Tom, Shelly Macintire is writing a Victorian Hero supplement (last time I heard). She may have already thought of these issues.

If a character isn't going to spend a couple of points on the wealthy perk, then it doesn't really matter. If this is a heroic game, then what you allow them to buy matters more than how much they make, since a little adventuring can fix most financial problems. If a player wants to be certain of getting a certain level of technology, there was an old Dark Champions rule about granting access via a perk, with more access costing more points (I believe it topped out at 15 points for military/sci-fi). Just my 2 cents, use or abuse at your whim.

Hey mrswing, When you put it like that, I would wait. I can't afford all the books I want when I want them, so I prioritize. Right now I'm puttion off Millienum City while waiting the the UNTIL superpowers database. When funding comes in, then I buy. It sounds like you have all that you need. No, there are no earth-shattering rules changes. I postage gets easier with more bulk, I would wait until you want to order something else.

All Martial Arts Known to Man? Hey SuperBlue, I'm not sure what effects you want to simulate, but if you really want someone who knows a lot of martial arts and to use a VPP, you could do it like this: 1) Buy a KS in all the martial arts you are supposed to know 2) Buy all the damage classes you want outside of the VPP 3)Buy a 6 point VPP as you suggest. Except you would add "only to simulate martial arts for which I have a KS in". A 6 point VPP would get you all of that. Some will say this would be "limberger cheese", but if you do things like buy 5 damage classes (20 points), the VPP (10 points?) and 12 KS's (36 points, 24 if you are a scholar), the cost is about the same. However, as with the others, I would suggest that you just buy maneuvers and damage classes that you want. When using martial arts, if you have a style that has maneuvers, and you want another style, just buy the KS. If you buy the KS, you can automatically switch between styles, since a marial strike is a martial strike is a martial strike. After you buy you initial style (like Kung Fu), then you only have to buy a KS (like Savate) and maneuvers that are original within each particular style. Many martial arts are nothing more than the same maneuvers with different names. Just my humble opinon, use at your own risk!

UMA differences Hey mrswing, I have both products, and both are very well done. Their primary focus was real world martial art styles, some ficticional martial art styles, advanced ninjitsu, martial art armor & weapons, and how to build your own martial arts. I was originally introduced to the Hero System because of the 4th edition UMA. I playing DnD at the time, but I could never get a good reference on martial arts. My FLGS told me should try the 4th Edition UMA, and it was so well written that I was sold. Things made so much more sense that I began to question why things worked in DnD. I guess it depends on what you want to use it for. The 4th edition was larger, but now things that were only there are now in the new Champions line, such as Yengtao Temple abilities, (or how to make special abilities using powers). Their weren't any examples of martial art characters, you had to have the 4th edition book "Watchers of the Dragon", which introduced characters and special tournament (also a great reference). Now this is covered under Ninja Hero, which is also an exceptional martial arts sourcebook. Just my humble opinion:) If you are looking for sample characters, go Ninja Hero or Watchers of the Dragon. If you are looking for the true ins and outs of martial arts in the Hero System, then its the UMA's you want. If you don't care about conversions and just want as much info as possible, the 4th Edition UMA is larger (extra 60 pages or so). Either way you decide, you won't be sorry!

? What a teaser! I have been waiting for years for a book like this! And to have Mike do it guarantee's quality and authenticity! When is the projected completion date"?

UNTIL Good Morning Colonel, UNTIL is a world-wide good guy organization, kind of like to opposite of VIPER. The exact definition is United Nations Tribunal on International Law. They were set up primarily because of paranormals. All of this is covered in the Champions Universe sourcebook, and since I don't want to infringe on copyright, I'll end my explanation here! Actually, it sounds like your GM is using them the way they are supposed to be used. Hope this helps a little.

COM & Double Dipping Another issue with COM is that it allows you to "double-dip". Most people who chose to use a higher COM and also get it as a Distince Feature disadvantage. There has been some discussion on negative COM versus things like interaction skills, but how many of yall have actually used the DF and never had to get in trouble for it? This should get you in trouble for things like: 1) Attractive people can be despised/resented because others think they might get breaks in life only because of their looks. 2) Jealousy - has anyone's character ever been a victim of this? If its a DF, it better come up once in a while, unless everyone they hang around is just a comely, in which case why would you take the DF? 3) What about stalkers? If you have a secret ID but killer looks, you could very well attract unwanted attention. Do you have to tell the GM constantly that you are "dressing down" to go unnoticed ? 4)Or, since beauty is the norm and is a comics convention, is this kind of stuff never even considered, just like Clark Kent's glasses disguiseing his secret ID? The last time this thread came up I was thinking a making a character who had high COM, with powers affiliated with it, just for the heck of it. The powers I had in mind were sthings such as an AoE Mind Control that was Persistant or Inherent (the opposite sex always wants me, or no one listens when I talk because they are too busy drooling). But then I started thinking about the questions above. I haven't played enough with the Hero system to make any reasonable assumptions. Every time I would find some people who were interested, we would play maybe one or two sessions and then quit for personal reasons of the members. Other systems I played in made it more of a role playing issue than anything else. Hence my questions!

Easy Vote Voting for DOJ was a no brainer, and I've been gaming for, well, decades! I've never even heard some of those nominations! But I don't need to, because with FRed I can MAKE my their game match!

Super Powered Thugs If you want to be really nasty, give them a skill based VPP, which can change based upon drinking from a vial that has memories implanted. So, if they come across a hero they've seen before, all you need to say is "if you see Nighthawk, drink this". The drink could then give them an incredible Acrobatics skill, so Nighthawk can't hit them. Once the players recognize how nasty these vials can be, maybe they can target the vials.

Nakedness in advantages/limitations One of the problems with naked advantages is that they can be offset by naked limitations (Should the bow be OIF?) I can put autofire 1-3 (+1/4) and offset it by Only same target (-1/4). So, as long as can keep pulling the strings on the bow, I can automatically get three arrows into one target, if I roll low enough. In essence, not only have I just increased the Active Point threshold for free (if yall have one), but I am getting an incredible skill for free. In older Dark Champions supplements, they used to stack these in order to get a balacnce, something like "Autofire 1-5 any handgun, up to 2D6 RKA or 60 Active Points, 0 End. [in essence, +1 of 60 points, so it now costs 60 points] Offset by OIF (any handgun of opportunity -1/2), total 30 points. So you now have someone who can shoot any handgun like its an uzi, except it costs 30 points. It doesn't matter if the character is Heroic or Superheroic, because he just paid points for a power that simulates an incredible skill. It's not OAF, because it can be used with any handgun, so the character doesn't deserve the cost savings of an OAF, but it does need to have a handgun, so OIF if used. If you feel this is too cheap and could be unbalancing, then have the character take the OIF limitation without getting the cost savings, or whatever house rule you desire. In the previous discussion, I would not allow someone to take "bows only" and then an "Foci" of any sort, because to me that is double counting the same thing, and would give an incredible skill for free. Just my 2 cents I guess. Use or abuse at your discretion.

Java Error Thanks Archer, that was just the thing!

Comely Character Powers? Has anyone ever developed a character with COM based powers, or played in games that had characters like that? I'm starting to work on one, just for the halibut! If you did, was the character more for giggles, or were they serious contenders (Johnny Bravo or Fabio)? If you played in a game with such a character, how did it go?

Reputation as Model Here's an interesting thought: If you can buy a reputation as a perk (5e p 59-60), and have that reputation add x # dice based on interaction skills and PRE attacks, why not do the same for COM? Being more attractive physically is a perk in most situations. You could also define this perk as being less effective the more time you spend around the same people, is you so desire. Hmm, this sparks an idea. I just had a vague memory from my old AD&D 1st edition games, about a book from Gary Gygax that actually had a system already mapped out. It was not in the main rules, but in one of the first rules additions. I seem to remember reaction roll modifiers & such. I wonder if I still have it some where? Okay, so maybe I'm dating myself!

Java Error I get the same problem, the first time I go to the link. I do it the second time, and it goes fine. Every once in a while it will go on the first try. I've been meaning to post my problem, I just never got around to it. Curious;)

Tapping out is role playing QUOTE]But Yamo, how does that make them tap out? That would be great for putting them out. But not winning a match via submissions. Good Morning Knightraven, I believe the fundamental issue is that tapping out is a role playing action, not a submission one. In a nutshell, you are forcing a player to surrender. How many players do you know that would rather say "I won't give him the satisfaction! I pass out!". If you are trying to force a player to do that, my experience is that they will do the exact opposite, just because. Having just written that, the other day I caught the last hour of the movie "Bloodsport", where in the final match the villian was incapacitated, and the hero (paying him back) put him in a hold where if he didn't say the magic word of surrender (which the movie never defines what the word means), he was going to break his neck. You could define that as a very convincing PRE attack, or tell the player that "under these cirumstances, I'd call this a disabling move. You can surrender if you like, but since we don't have a person on the team with regenerative healing, I'd strongly consider what this guy is saying". In that way the player still has the choice.

Comliness? Good Morning All, Despite moral objections to the contrary, good looks help make a good first impression. That has been proven time & time again. And since this is an RPG, where you get the chance to be someone else, most of us would probably choose to be better looking. I agree with D-Man, that extreme looks (good or bad) rate a DF. The problem is, as they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". If I were to pick some celeberties, such as Julia Roberts or George Clooney, and ask how much comliness do you think they have, I'm sure everyone would have a different response, since "one man's 18 COM is another man's 30 COM". Since beauty is only skin deep, it tends to have less an effect once someone has been around you for awhile. Looks might be an initial attraction, but if you're a jerk, no one who knows about you will want to spend time with you (giving you negative comliness in their eyes). I think its best left to GM interpretation of the situation, otherwise I could spend a few points on COM just to get some major PRE bonuses. I would also limit any bonus to first impressions. Oh, and just to answer my own question: Julia Roberts would be a 28 COM, while George Clooney a 24. My girl characters tend to be near 30, and guys near 25, but that is probably because I'm a guy, so I hardwired that way!