Funksaw

Re: Money is no object... Gotta go with the bugging equipment. I'd also order a popemobile with a little sleek and giddyup to it, and a supercomputer. The handcuffs are a good suggestion - but I've already *got* them...

Re: WWWYCD: Caught in the Web Caleb: Please note that while we appreciate the interest, your website violates several trademarks, and as such, we could ask you to remove them according to the Digital Millienium Copyright Act.... Or, we could talk about this over dinner and a movie? La Madeline's followed by Phantom of the Opera? Sometime around 8ish on Friday?

Re: Fun with luck points - Refine my powers The problem is that I'm trying to reason from effects. In a number of games - even picked up in Mutants and Masterminds, there's Dramatic Editing," "Drama Points," "Drama Dice," and "Heroic Editing" -- basically a metagame mechanic where players assume control of small, insignificant events in order to move the plot along. In some games, it can very much allow for improbable events (Adventure! calls it "Obvious Continuity Violations" and charges points out the wazoo.) Others, such as Buffy are a bit more restrained - things along the lines of leaving clues, "remembering" that Old Man Margraves (before he was a zombie) used to keep a key to his shed under his potted plants, because you used to do babysitting for him, or even "Luckily, the car door was unlocked as you seek shelter from the zombies." This *really* should be a separate power -- OR a separate application of the power under Luck, and would suggest it for 6th Edition, but EDM seems to be the only thing going there.

Re: FYI: why more people aren't playing HERO (rpg.net) While you're here, Steve, what do you think of the "Hero Training" idea? You've been shilling Hero longer than I have, so any suggestions or pointers?

Power Examples: "Dramatic Serendipity/Plot Twist" A staple of many genres of fiction is the Deus Ex Machina - the fortunate turn of events which extracts a character from harm. Unlike other powers, Dramatic Serendipity is not something that a character in the game is aware, but which the player uses to twist insignificant events in his character's favor - provided the player can provide a reasonable rationale as to why the event took place. For example, a handcuffed character could have a pair of handcuff keys on him, with the rationale that "my character, reasonably expected to be in danger, would have thought to take them with them for just such a situation" or a character trapped in a burning building might say that a neighbor saw the flames and called the police. Alternately, this could be used to pick up a clue or a "hint" that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. [30] Extra-Dimensional Movement to a universe where something lucky happened... (Okay, it's a stretch.) (Requires Luck Point Expenditure -1) Actual cost, 15 ----------- "I Think I'm Okay" [60] 50% Damage Resistance, Physical & Energy, Resistant, (Requires Luck Point Expenditure -1) Actual Cost: 30 Options: "Action Movie Protagonist Fortitude" [30] 3d6 Healing (Requires Luck Point Expenditure -1) (Gradual Effect, 5 minutes or 1 new scene -3/4) END 3 Actual Cost: 11 ----------- "Righteous Fury" [105] 6d6 Aid. (More Time 20 min/5AP +3/4) (No Conscious Control/Major tragedy -2) (Self Only-1/2) (Require Two Luck Point Expenditures-1 1/2) Actual Cost: 21 ------------ "Death Defiance" [100] 3d6 Resurrection Healing (Prevention: Make SURE he's dead...) (0 END +1/2) (Persistant +1/2) (Resurrection Only -1/2) (Requires Three luck Point Expenditures -2,) (Extra Time 1 month/story -5) Actual Cost: 12

Where can I find Object Creation?

Re: FYI: why more people aren't playing HERO (rpg.net) There is something else. I'm planning to start up a "Newbies to HERO" weekly meeting. It would be wrong to call it a game session, because it's not playing (indeed, I don't even have a genre.) But it will explain how the system works, how it's similar to many other systems, different from others. Here's what I'm going to emphasize and acknowledge. 1) First, HERO is a complex system. No "it's not as complicated as it looks" or "it's just 6th grade math" - it really is a complex system - one of the most complex out there. 2) Yes, it does take a long time to create a character in HERO, especially if you're interested in shaving points and aren't familiar with all the ways to do so. 3) Yes, HERO was designed as a Superhero game system, but that doesn't mean that it is *only* a Superhero game system. 4) Yes, there are simpler superhero game systems. 5) Yes, it is a quirk of the game system that if you pick up a gun, you have to pay for it. Trying to say these aren't true or trying to downplay this makes me look like a fanatic... these are the quirks of the system. Every system has them. Here's what I'm going to emphasise. 1) The HERO system only requires one book. The suppliments you see on the shelf are basically "pre-fab" items and specific settings, but everything in those books can be done with the original system. (I will contrast this with GURPS) 2) The HERO system emulates a wider range of genres better because of the way it is set up. If you want a gritty, "gurps-like" low power game where getting shot once or twice is going to be deadly, emphasise guns and knives are "killing attacks," keep the point totals low, and characters can be taken out with one or two gunshots. If you want to set up a "cinematic" game, keep the point totals high, use stunning attacks on your enemies, and reward risky, flashy behavior. Most other generic systems do one or the other well, but rarely do they set it up that you can do both with the same ruleset. 3) The HERO system really does let you do almost anything you can think of within the ruleset. Because one of the design goals of HERO is to keep everything internally consistant, you'll rarely find new powers - rather you'll find unusual ways to use old powers - sometimes stretched to the point of unbelievability. (The ol' "Dimensional travel emulates having remembered to carry handcuff keys" problem) Many grognards prefer all the houserules to follow this convention. In a way, it makes sense. In your game, you do NOT have to do this. This is especially true if you want to emulate a different game, which may have radically different powers - in HERO. 4) If you are a HERO gamer, it is perfectly alright to say that HERO would be too much hassle to create rules for that particular game. 5) The powers are complex as hell, but most of the system is straightforward. The characteristics start at this number, cost this much to add to it. The numbers under there start at a base derived from the top numbers - you can add directly to it as well. Most skills start at 9, plus a characteristic divided by 5, for 3 points, with each additional point costing 2 - that's really a complex way of saying that you get the skill AT your characteristic roll -- that thing to the right of your characteristics for 3 points, and it costs 2 for each additional point you want to bump it up. Perks and Talents are straightforward. Don't think the entire system is math-heavy - it's only the powers section. 6) Reasoning from effects is tricky. Don't sweat it - if you really can't find a power, assign it a point cost arbitarily and move on - a guestimate - until you can figure out how you want to do it. 7) HERO has some good settings, but they're not in the core book. If you're looking for something with a built-in setting, HERO isn't your game. You often have to build the entire game setting yourself, or adapt from other source material. The advantage is that once you master the HERO system, you don't really have to learn any other systems - or deal with other system's quirks. Finally, after I go over character creation basics, I'm going to create an entire setting in front of their eyes, in HERO. "Okay, now we've got a basic handle on character creation. Let's brainstorm a game setting which we'd like to play... it can be sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroic... gritty, bleak, or cinematic... realistic, cliched, or defying convention... silly, serious, or somewhere in between." And then, with everyone's input, I'll start talking about the world... write up something quickly, and explain how we can use the rules to help get the exact style of play we want. "So, you want to reward in-character comedy? How about we take the Luck power, place "Charges" on it - charges which can be refilled by saying funny things in character or doing cool things?" "So, you want to play a gritty game - you probably want to use Killing Attack and Ranged Killing Attacks then - and your enemies will tend to use them as well." "So, you want to play a game where everything is high-tech, but there are no superpowers? Well, we can emulate that by using Focuses." Basically go from start-to-finish of being a HERO GM or player, not just run a game and "hope they like it." Really introduce people to the system.

Re: FYI: why more people aren't playing HERO (rpg.net) Indeed, I often wonder why game companies, upon looking at the success of d20, look at how much it has increased the demand for D&D's core rulebooks, look at how d20 is the lingua franca of roleplaying, all because the system was opened, and then say "We MUST keep our IP to ourselves AT ALL COSTS!" Because d20 isn't simple, either. I'd actually say it's right up there with GURPS and HERO as far as complexity goes. Granted, I don't think that HERO should open-source their system but that's mainly because, unlike, say, d20, or even Storyteller, the system *is* the entire package.

Re: FYI: why more people aren't playing HERO (rpg.net) I know this is a long rant, but it can be summed up in a simple, honest sentence: What HERO touts as it's main selling point, the ability to create any type of character one wants, most gamers don't want. Sure, many gamers DO want it. But most - especially first-timers who like the combat and treasure of D&D, and the next generation of gamers who branch out from D&D then tend to start looking for new GENRES, and new SETTINGS, not new systems. Keep in mind, there's a very small portion of the people at large who will even branch off from D&D into this "second generation." Then after they've futzed around with maybe 50 sessions of Vampire or In Nomine or Shadowrun or whatever, only then are they going to start looking for games where they can create their own settings, and create thier own powers, games that are elegant design wise. And then, this third generation, this subset of a subset of a subset comes to this point... and they find GURPS, Tri-Stat (although not for long,) M&M and D6 in addition to HERO. So think about this. Maybe 20% of D&D gamers go on to play other systems. Of those 20%, maybe 20% of them go on to choose games because of the system. And then of THOSE 20%, whittle down another 20% simply due to there being a large number of generic systems on the market competing with one another. And you wonder why HERO doesn't have a whole lot of market penetration? There's another reason why people who play alot of different roleplaying games - the "gaming elite," if you will, don't play a whole lot of HERO. Don't get me wrong, but it took ALOT of exposure to HERO -- AND Sidekick -- AND $10 in disposable income, and the realization that the main reason I supported GURPS for so long - the books were cheap - no longer applied -- before I even gave HERO a look. It is a very good system. I am amazed by what it can model. I am also amazed that that modeling has lead to a philosophy in system design and player habit that-- hell, it's probably "better" but it is quite weird to someone used to the typical roleplaying game model of system/setting intermarried. In many ways, it's an entirely different type of game than HERO, the difference between buying a sandwich and buying a deli. Most people will only want the sandwich. At the same time, the idea that Everything Can Fit Into HERO so Everything MUST Fit Into Hero, is a bit boggling. A person wants to do say, for example, run a Mage or Adventure Game in HERO Instead of talking "Let's create a model for Sphere Magic so he can play his mage game" or "Let's create a Dramatic Editing Power" the typical solution is to talk VPPs or "Dimensional Travel." In a way, this has made HERO internally consistant and internally elegant, but it suddenly becomes "Not the right tool for the job." That's basically it, right there. HERO is a very strong multitool, one which, when mastered can be quite useful. But sometimes you just need a phillips head screwdriver and it's just easier to use the phillips head screwdriver. And when people are going "Hey, how do I use this thing as a screwdriver," we talk about placing a phillips-head bit into the portable drill, locking down the crankshaft and get into a debate over manually twisting the entire multiool or installing a small motor to turn the shaft, and by the time you're done talking, the guy's already installed his cabinets using a phillips head screwdriver. I think that if we want to gain "converts" we should start to talk about adding powers to HERO specifically to emulate particular other games out there - this will certainly have to come from the fan community, not from the official HERO guys. Because I'm looking at my shelf, and I know I can't do Mage as written in GURPS (VPPs or whatever, is just too goddamn complex and Mage is complex enough.) I know I can't do Buffy in it (No "Dramatic Serendipity Power") or Adventure. Unknown Armies is possible but hard to model and in conversion, it loses some of it's flavor. Sure, HERO might be *better* than UA in modeling "new and made up" schools of Postmodern Magick, but it's hard to simulate passions or sanity as MUCH as UA does. (CoC, because of EGO, would be less difficult.) In fact, any game where there are characteristics above and beyond those found in HERO would be hard to emulate in HERO. And there are some games for which HERO will *never* be the right tool. Part of the fun of Exalted is the "CCG" mentality of "This power trumps that power but only in combination with this power..." That gets a bit washed when HERO players choose and design their own powers - a conversion to HERO of Exalted would be tremendous - I bet they're up to at least 600 charms by now... each one a discrete entity that needs individual conversion. And for those who want to *simplify* Exalted, HERO isn't the first choice, because it's not as simple as, say, "Wuxia" or even "BESM." I think that's something that alot of HERO fans don't realise - HERO is Not Simple. Let me repeat it because it's true: HERO is Not Simple. It's not overwhelmingly hard, but it's NOT Simple. Yes, you do have to do division in HERO. How many other systems use division? Where, outside of HERO, does Joe Six-Pack need to use division? Hell, even White Wolf went to #2 because they figured out that people don't even want to see ANY numbers on a page (they use dots instead.) Feng Shui pretty much creates the entire character for you... including personality. I have about two shelves full of books, and the only games that rival HERO's complexity are GURPS and D&D. And HERO isn't competing for mindshare with the D&D, it's competing with all the other roleplaying games. CMonkey's suggestion of "Powered by HERO" games are quite valid. The main complexity comes from the Power Creation system. If Herogames wanted to create a setting, say, a game about modern vampires or magicians, instead of having to provide a framework for the powers and a full justification and... well, instead of having to make the player "Reason From Effects" - why not just create a game with a small number of specific, discrete, pre-created powers, say 30 or so? People would then see the system at it's least complex - with Sidekick and BBB for expanding the system if they want to. This does not mean "dumbing down the system," as Nexus suggests. It means saying to people: "Here is your sandwich. Are you interested in buying the deli for not much more?" It also lets people who aren't interested in buying the deli say "Well, hey, the sandwitch was good" and they might give other "deli-owners" (GMs) a try when they create their own sandwitches. Work with me here, at least I'm not as bad as Alan Keyes and his smelly toads.

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) The thing about TK, is that I also think Aid and Supress wouldn't work if, say, you wanted to decelerate a falling person from say, 9.8m/s*s, to 0.3m/s*s... You'd effectively be supressing the STR of "The Earth's Gravity" and somehow, that's too much for me to reason with...

Is there any way to limit TK to accelerating or decelerating objects already in motion? I.E, if a bad guy throws a trash can at the hero, the hero would be able to slow it down even to a full stop, but he wouldn't be able to deflect it to one side? Similarly, if the bad guys have him tied up (but they don't know he has this power) and they are just about to throw the "something nasty" lever, he could "decelerate the object at rest" so that it remains at rest? (I.e, 0 velocity + bad guy's STR - good guys TK STR?) I think this might be a useful limitation for those who, let's face it, like that cool "bullet stop thing" in the Matrix movies.

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) Oh, no. Now I see why. Turn modes. In that case, Running is more appropriate for the character, who might have to do lots of turns.

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) Huh? Why would a character *ever* choose Running instead of Flight with "Only in contact with surface?-1/4"

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) Heh... I just thought of something. Is there any way to limit a TK to "Can only be used to accelerate or decelerate objects. (Or if the object isn't moving, to help keep it at rest?)"

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) 1) I'm not running solely off sidekick, but I thought the rules were compatable enough that I could use the Sidekick for most of the rules and Big Black (5E, not 5ER) for the rest. Seeing how they're incompatable makes a big difference. 2) Now I'm beginning to see it... didn't know what the "m" notation versus the "u" notation stood for. Yeah, that could work... Either a forcefield at full strength (50/20PD-20ED) and a punch at limited strength (3d6+strength) or the punch at full strength (7d6+strength) and an 8pd/8ed... nice. Using Flight for a La Parkour runner seems counterintuitive when there is a "running" power. Remind me to suggest for 6E that Flight, Leaping, Clinging, Swinging Tunneling and Running be combined into a single "Movement" power.

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) Okay, I've been using the sidekick rules when i should have been looking at the big black book... Still, though, if I'm reading this correctly, I'd have to drop the forcefield every time I wanted to attack someone.

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) You really want me to create a character whose vulnerability is chafing?

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) I thought the tradeoff was that you couldn't use two powers in a multipower at once. The KB resistance is concept-based, the guy has inertia powers. Objects in motion tend to remain in motion (thus his powers have 2x knockback) Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. (thus clinging/knockback resistance.) What's "Environmental Movement?" It's a 6d6 total 2xKB HA when you add strength. I suppose I *could* drop it, but I want to be able to punch people. It's a visual thing. But I see your point too - when using the punch attack, it's the same inertial control as the 7d6 EB. I'll talk with the GM, but wouldn't it just make sense to say that he can use the EB in close quarters, and while he's *punching* the guy visually, game mechanically, he's using the EB? If so, that's something I can drop. Same SFX, but different visuals. You go through 12 years of brainwashing and see how much EGO you have left Everyone keeps talking about putting it into an MP. Indeed, why wouldn't anyone ever put anything into anything BUT an MP? But I'm trying to visualise a character who can do a number of things at once, specifically, keep a forcefield up while attacking, and MPs just can't be used that way. I can't really think of Vulns that would make sense. I mean, what's the opposite of "Inertia?" Bond villians name their kids Persephone, their dogs Cerebus, and their robot Hephastus.

Okay. 1) You can't take a power in an EC unless it costs END. 2) You can (from the example character in Sidekick) take a power in EC and then provide it with the +1/2 advantage "Costs 0 END" Can you take a power in EC, such as Leap, give it the -1/2 limitation "costs END" and the +1/2 advantage "Costs 0 END" Cause... that's just a little messed up right there.

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) I'm 150/150, but I can't load on any more disads. The problem with loading the travel powers into an MP is that again, can't cling while leaping, can't leap while clinging. Might work in an EC though: Inertial travel?

Re: Please help critique character (Origin/Background/Points) The problem with multipower is that you can't use, say, forcefield and energy blast at the same time. I could move Energy Blast and Entangle into a multipower, I suppose. But the EC costs 120 with all the powers. If I put the Force Field outside the EC, it'll cost 60, and Inertial Blast and Remove Inertia would cost 6 per slot +60 for the Multipower slot. So we're already running a deficit. I think it's best to go with EC on this one. You're right, I'd like to push his SPD up to 4 or 5, but I just don't have the points.

Alexander Hades thought he had it all. A lovely wife, Demeter, a bright (if rebellious) teenage daughter Persephone, job security, a well-above-comfortable standard of living, and a secret underground lair from which to terrorise the world. Oh, and superpowers, though, at times, that was a perk. That was, until he got captured trying to strip-mine Alaska for gold. (Granted, it was the entire state of Alaska... all at once...) Knowing that he'd just escape, the Powers that Be decided to try a new type of experimentation. Without trial, Hades was placed into suspended animation for 12 years in a device known as the Burgess Box, and his mind and personality rewritten, changed by a mutative process. His dreams of world conquest replaced by dreams of world peace. His greed replaced by selflessness. And his family... just gone. A mind murdered by Project Burgess. But while Hades slept, Demeter hid. Not wanting to accept that Hades was dead (and able to tell a faked death from a real one a mile away) she secluded herself, let Hadestech grow more ambitious, and raised Persephone as heir apparant while she waited for his return. The current day: Not even knowing his name, the man once known as Hades awakes, a world both familiar and unfamiliar, fleeting memories of a different life, and a penchant for Truth and Justice. Project Burgess hopes he'll become a productive member of superheroic society. Other people have other plans. Most wouldn't recognize Hades - he kept a low profile as a supervillian, and people have short memories anyway. Some would.

Is there a listing for "Amnesia" or "Cinematic Amnesia" that I can't find? Is this a Phy or a Psy or Soc lim?

Re: WWYCD: Sleeping With The Enemy Caleb, the neurotic vampire: "What was the name of this website again?"

Re: Sorry Officer... Can't Remember What He Looks Like! This sounds extremely similar to the "arcane" power in GURPS Mage: the Ascension - try googling for HERO mage conversions and someone might come up with something.