BNakagawa

The real secret to the Hero System is that no number on a character sheet holds any meaning without context.
 
Is my OCV high? Low? Average? No way to tell unless you know what the rest of the PCs have and what the villains' DCVs look like.

The real secret to the Hero System is that no number on a character sheet holds any meaning without context.
 
Is my OCV high? Low? Average? No way to tell unless you know what the rest of the PCs have and what the villains' DCVs look like.

The real secret to the Hero System is that no number on a character sheet holds any meaning without context.
 
Is my OCV high? Low? Average? No way to tell unless you know what the rest of the PCs have and what the villains' DCVs look like.

The real secret to the Hero System is that no number on a character sheet holds any meaning without context.
 
Is my OCV high? Low? Average? No way to tell unless you know what the rest of the PCs have and what the villains' DCVs look like.

The real secret to the Hero System is that no number on a character sheet holds any meaning without context.
 
Is my OCV high? Low? Average? No way to tell unless you know what the rest of the PCs have and what the villains' DCVs look like.

This one goes out to the southern hemisphere.
 
 
 

Mikomi Hokina is going through chemo and lost her hair and decided, lemons-lemonade, so Saitama Cosplay it is.

Here's one for 6th edition fans. 

You may not like it, but this is what peak capitalism looks like.

You may not like it, but this is what peak capitalism looks like.

Our local game uses 4th with a sprinkling of 5th.

Our local game uses 4th with a sprinkling of 5th.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

But beyond simply averaging the same (or more) stun than an equivalent active point energy blast, the fundamental problem with the killing attack is the swinginess or extreme variability of the results.
 
Due to the lower number of dice being thrown, an extremely low or extremely high result is much more likely with a KA than an EB. Also, there is the matter of the stun multiple.
 
Do a little thought experiment. Would you allow a power that just rolled 1d6 and multiplied the result by the number of damage classes? I mean, it averages EXACTLY the same as a vanilla energy blast, so it's gotta be balanced, right?
 
I'm betting the answer is, hell no. 

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

CULT

CULT

Not sure if this counts as cosplay, but here goes.
 

Mikomi Hokina is going through chemo and lost her hair and decided, lemons-lemonade, so Saitama Cosplay it is.

my favorite: Magically Delicious. Physical Limitation. Any magically oriented predator will be drawn to the PC because whatever they think is the most tasty, nutritious or whatever motivates them to hunt, the PC is the best prey they have ever encountered.

The core issue is that by nature, every Hero System game is it's own thing. If the average CV in your game is 8 and the average in another game is 10, characters are not going to play the same. One point of CV difference can make a big difference over the long haul. Same with skill rolls, defenses, attacks, movement rates, etc. Is your character good at this? Overpowered? Deficient? You'll never know out of context because different groups have different preferences.
 
For a long time, I wished that published characters and villains would have used a delta notation for descriptions where their OCV would be defined as [+- X] which is a modifier on whatever number represented average at your table. Ditto with damage classes, defenses, etc. That way, Grond is always stupidly strong and tough, no matter what the average numbers your group uses. (I have seen some truly redonkulus outliers)

The core issue is that by nature, every Hero System game is it's own thing. If the average CV in your game is 8 and the average in another game is 10, characters are not going to play the same. One point of CV difference can make a big difference over the long haul. Same with skill rolls, defenses, attacks, movement rates, etc. Is your character good at this? Overpowered? Deficient? You'll never know out of context because different groups have different preferences.
 
For a long time, I wished that published characters and villains would have used a delta notation for descriptions where their OCV would be defined as [+- X] which is a modifier on whatever number represented average at your table. Ditto with damage classes, defenses, etc. That way, Grond is always stupidly strong and tough, no matter what the average numbers your group uses. (I have seen some truly redonkulus outliers)