LoresLost

Re: automatons

Parts wear out. Quantum effects and background radiation eventually degrade even shielded positronic brains. Even personality programs that are repeatedly uploaded to new bodies become corrupt over time. Check out your warranty. Odds are, you DON'T really have "Immunity to Aging."

Thinking on this, wear is not aging (in the biological sense) and radiation damage is not aging either. With a supply of parts, regular maintenence and some knowledge most any mechanical device can be kept going indefently. A more complex device in real life is serviced on regular intrvals. Examples of this are the US Navy's P-3 fleet of aircraft and the Air Force's fleet of B-52 Bombers. The air frames are all 50 years old, they are still servicible and used on a regular bases. (I will admit that the services all complain about the cost of maintenance and the age of air fleets but that does not make the aircraft less usable per individual flight)

Also most (all?) mechanical devices are immune to artificial aging attacks. The matrials of a device could be aged a million years and as long as their is no chemical interactions or mechanical wear the device is still usable as intended. Now biologically age the average living thing that long and you will end up with a pile of dust or pile of supporting structures.

So how do you represent something that does not "age" (in the biological sense) but does wear out???

Re: "Tesla Magnetic Bomb"

I'd skip the Nonselective and just make it a standard AE, myself. If it saturates the zone with magnetism (rather than, say, emitting 'strands' of magnetic energy, like lightning bolts in one of those globe-things*), I don't see how it could miss a chunk of metal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*What the heck are those things called again?

Answer is "The Eye of The Storm" Plasma Globe and yes it dose involve a tesla coil.

http://www.amasci.com/tesla/heli1.html

Oh my google fu is strong today...

Re: How Do I: Weapons with -OCV

In the past I've had no problems with -1 OCV saving 3 points (one negative level' date=' either HTH ot Ranged; for OCV only)...I just won't tolerate someone abusing it as why would anyone build, let alone use a weapon that was so lousey?......let alone specialize in it (buying levels w/OCV..) so I never see more than one or two minus' to OCV on a weapon...and then only in Heroic level games....[/quote']

 

A Ceremonial Weapon comes to mind, Something that is not actually meant for combat, having some other purpose, usually to look like something terrible ('war axes' and swords designed to be hung on a wall come to mind in the real world) But either has to be used or has come in to use beyond the ceremony or tradtion orgially intended for it.

Re: Countering the Speed Zone

The Speed Zone seems to be HERO's "Close-but-not-Infringing" version of DC's Speed Force which, point of order, was so imbalancing that they just recently jettisoned it.

You haven't seen the New Flash series, have you. ITS BACK

But as far as Ideas to make the speed zone dangerous, Wally had the additional ability to cause things to explode by adding kinetic energy, maybe your speedsters has a some side effect like that to work with. (Side Effect XD6 KA explosion centered on Items touched while in Speed Zone 8- Required all who use the speed zone)

Another idea is for a GM to require extra END on all tasks in the Speed Zone (Your burning energy to move Very Quickly).

Also you might have a side effect that you end up in a parallel universe if you use the speed force (A true EDM uncontrolled side effect required by all Speedsters by the GM).

Re: Ideas for the evil Mr. Smiley sought

I'm afraid all I can conjure up are images of Boss Smiley from the odd old comic Prez.

Boss Smiley is all I could come up with as well Are you sure you don't want a political controling demonic smiley guy ...

Re: Imperial Ground Equipment

Yes, in STTOS they did show spacesuits a number of times. (I consider the movies with the original cast still OS.)

I do not recall the use of spacesuits in TNG or DS9. Anyone who can cite some?

Well if you count the TNG movies then yes the movie Frist Contact has a battle on the hull of the Enterprise with Worf in some others in space suits fighting the Borg. Also in the 3rd season episode The Hunted a life support suit goes missing as Worf hunts for the missing prisoner Danar (the suit existance is mentioned and shown as a 'lump' of fabric but never worn).

Re: Imperial Ground Equipment

Interesting.

A few quibles:

1. In Star Trek OS they did once show starfleet using a mortar, it was in the episode where Kirk had to battle the lizard commander. Before the "superior" aliens stopped the battle and set up the duel (tittle of the episode I think) Kirk fired a mortar at the enemy on the colony world.

2. In Menagiare (I cannot spell that) they used a "cannon" to try and blast into the mountain.

3. They rarely showed spacesuits in TOS, and I don't think that they ever did in the later ones. The explaination as I understood it was a "Life Support Belt" that produced a low power force field around the user, within which livable conditions were maintained. If so, it should work vs. RBC effects.

However, overall I liked the article.

On a related note, in 1978 when Traveller first came out, I noticed that my National Guard unit could have easily beaten an Imperial infantry unit. They fixed this later with the addition of reasonably advanced weapons in the supplement "Mercenary"; but I still found GDW inability to comprehend weapons effects to be amusing.

But that is another subject.

When I saw the article's StarTrek side I thought of the mortar in the Gorn episode. As far as space suits, and other protective gear, they are mentioned in TNG and shown in TNG movies. Worf also improvises a personal force field in one episode to deflect bullets from guns (A stuck in the Holodeck episode) so personal protective force fields are not out of the question.

Also I beleive stories being told by the Star Trek series are ment to send one message of a universe with actually little conflect, where Star Wars is a story of a group of galaxy spanning conflects where the peace keepers (the Jedi) have failed for reasons from within and without. I would expect way more weapons in Star Wars canon then Star Trek. (I could easy go on and nitpic the lack of millitary protcol in Star Trek and The lack of startagie in Star Wars but where is the fun in that)

Re: Please help me with new game setting

Maybe the gene bomb wasn't deployed by the aliens' date=' but instead was deployed by someone on Earth as a means of [b']defeating[/b] the aliens. The fact that superhumans lost their powers was just an unanticipated side-effect...

OR the result of a 'Lex Luthor' type villain or group who thought of getting rid of both adversaries at once... Protecting himself/themselves and a few key hench-people from the effect of the weapon and pulling strings to gain power secretly, controlling much of business transactions, politicians and governments in the 'time without supers', and they are not happy about this sudden change...

edited my supper. Thank you St Grimblefig for showing me the light.

Re: Myths about the Middle Ages

I didn't see "no one bathed" on there' date=' but I'm pretty sure that's a myth as well. If you didn't clean yourself somehow, you'd get a rash that could kill you. No, they didn't all have showers and in-door plumbing, but you gotta get clean some how.[/quote']

 

Well, Marcdoc has the more detailed quotes on this I would add that I remember a quote to the effect that a french men of the mid 12th century bathed more offten then the modren french. (I believe the quote was either the early or mid 20th century)

 

If I have time I will find a citation for this and added it to the post.

Re: 2300 AD Kafers?!

The speed aid is the way to go except that after a time Kafers tend to retain some the intelligence they gain in the emergency "int" mode. The more violent the Kafer the more intelligent they are, all the time. The quote I remember from the 2300AD books are that the Kafer history is always about the intelligent barbarians over running the stupid village dwellers. So How do you model permanent intelligence gain from repeat use of the Aid as above? (I am curious )

Re: Modding a Trek Tricorder

Seen this yesterday soon after it was initially posted and thought about it. Then I saw Keith's post about it being a plot device and I have to agree with that for the TV series.

But several random thoughts about the tricorder modeling came to mind.

1. Often it took time for the tricorder operator to figure out what the reading was.
   
2. It took time for the tricoder to take its reading
   
3. The FASA Startrek RPG stated that there where three types of tricorders (not verified by any other source I have seen)
   
4. Personal thought is that the tricorder is an extension of the scanner tech used by the transporter (Another Dues Ex Machina tool in ST)

With this list I come up with Detect Energy, Analyze Energy, Detect Matter, Analyze Matter, Detect Life, Analyze Life. All 360 degree with nRay sense adder (Stoppable by force fields and rare alloys) Extra time (1 Minute or more). Requires Operation Systems roll and specific Science skill roll.

In ST:TOS Spock, McCoy or the other user did some the analyst of the results. In ST:TNG The tricorder seem to have a communication link to the main ship computer and was able to provide some of the analyst. (Mind Link:Ships computer)

So That is my take on a tricorder (actual number crunch is up to reader)

Re: PS: Farmer in a Fantasy Campaign

I am not familiar with Hârn. If it is closely modeled on earth historical cultures, technology and so forth, how does it reconcile that with the existence of monsters, magic and non-human intelligent species? Or does it even have any of these?

I like worlds that have creative approaches to these problems.

 

Keith "Hârn ignorant" Curtis

I have not looked at HȃrnWorld in ages (In the mid eighties) but I remember it being based primarily on old English culturally with a late medieval economy. Few monsters, elves or dwarves and they all keep to themselves. The biggest issue for the average Hȃrnian was the Hȃrn world equivalent to Vikings/Norsemen.

Here is the link to the present maintainers design decisions http://www.columbiagames.com/HarnPage/Generalintroduction/Robinharnintro.html

Also looking around their site they have a few free pdf items (calanders mainly) for Harn.

Re: PS: Farmer in a Fantasy Campaign

Reading this thread it occurred to me that also a peasant/serf in European tradition, as I understand it, are "bound to the land". In a 'high' magic (or even a low magic setting depending on how magic works) the peasants may actually be bound to the land and/or lord through a geas or other magics that either force their loyalty or channel their desires subtly to the culturally 'correct' way of life for their class (And the Geas may be a two way street with the lord of the area being under one as well to enforce cultural norms...)

This would create a very orderly society with some unusual issues.

Most adventures would not be under such a compulsion (they are naturally immune to the spell or are some form of freeman that does not get geased) so they might be considered a danger to these communities and thus always under threat from the some the very people they are trying to help (Hey, a little angst in a campaign can be a good thing.)

Edited Spelling Errors

Re: Anatomy of a diorama

I think something is missing from your fine diarama.

Re: Build me a power - Paralyzing Touch

Ok, I've been poking with things and trying to build this and have been unable to get the actual effect I am looking for.

 

The SFX that I want is a combat nerve strike that induces paralysis. Think of the nerve-strike used by "The Operative" in Serenity. I've been trying to build this with an Entangle but I am missing something... I figure it's probably NND, Takes No Damage (Any Attack) but I can't figure out how people get out of it. (It's certainly not being attacked physically. It might be a willpower (EGO) feat but that seems to include other problems like being blocked by Mental Defense .)

 

I'm not attached to the idea of the Entangle, it's just where I have focussed my attention. Because of the nature of the desired effect, I have also considered calling it a Presence attack but I am not sure how to build a Presence attack that is based on CV... Any other ideas are also welcome.

First, I have seen this question posted before, have you searched on this? Seems to me that this is what most of answer gravitated toward. BOECV entangle or EGO based break out entangle.

Second for some silly Ideas how 'bout either building it as a SPD or DEX Drain. If you drain DEX to zero or below the target has to make a dex roll to do any thing. The dreaded transform might work (to paralyzed individual, ego roll, allowed every to heal back) if it does not make you sick . An INT or EGO Drain would have similar effects to a DEX drain and might be more devastating (EGO would be the best one to drain).

This ends this

Re: Invisable : Features

Presence = 0...save ten points!

Yeah, but how do you do a character based on the Question, who uses his lack of facial features as a presence attack. (Or as he asked your usual avatar (the Riddler) in their first (only?) meeting "Riddle me this: What does your face look like before your born?" )

Re: duplicating villians?

It'd be keen - drop Dr Copier into that vilian team you always liked but that your heroes whomp on all the time and let him use his area affect duplication on phase 12, so that the players have to fight 8 of *each* villian.

 

Or he can use it *before* you get to combat so that Team Loser can be commiting crimes in 7 different parts of the city, while the originals are setting up an ironclad albi

 

cheers, Mark

But Mark, would that not be Usable By Others, not Usable As Attack (As would the ever doubling minion mentioned by ghost-angel)

I could see Duplication UAA linked to a minor Mental Transform (Identity Confusion, I am I the original??) and altered Duplicate for some real fun.

Re: Spark (Girl Genius) Template/Package

A true challenge would be the stats of Klaus Wulfenbach or the Jagergenerals.

Klaus is never wrong, has been seen one punching a Jager and may be a construct...

The Jagergenerals are different from the run of the mill Jager being, oh 3 - 4 times the physical size of a normal Jager...

On the jager stats they need to have a weapon proficiency of choice, teamwork and tactics when they really want to do damage as a group. A resent GG online 'Advance class' shows one Jager launching two other Jagers over the heads of oncoming enemies with his unique pole arm and breaking the neck of one of the enemies with a kick. (Neat trick for Oggie).

Re: Sonic Screwdrivers

In "Dalek" the doc was having a tirade with the dalek and said he was at the last battle between the timelords and the gallifreyans.

 

The dalek implied he survived by being a 'coward'.

 

 

I think there was a huge battle royale between the Tls and daleks, with gallifrey being destroyed but the dalek fleet being lost in the process, with one survivor we know of, the dalek that ended up on earth thru a time rip in the battle.

 

Oh, in the ep "End of the world" the tree woman found out the doc was a gellifreyan, and could hardly believe it when she found out, so apparantly the gallifreyan's existed.

That is the current story line, but I have the nagging feeling that the whole race is still around (as the Doctor said individual Time Lords have means to cheat death...regeneration. So why not the race) They create black holes to power there devices. Move through time as easy as most beings go to the local market. There has to be other survivors. I see Rasalon and Omega making pervision for such an issue as the appearent destruction of the Time Lords. A hidden world where they can regroup and study what ever mysteries are left to them. They leave the Doctor in the dark to misdirect their enemies (or better yet the doctor is purposely misdircting them, voluntarily extiling himself to do it.)

Re: NOBLES, KNIGHTS, AND NECROMANCERS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

I'm sure you'll have most things covered, but there is one concept you may possibly have overlooked that I'd like to see - a tax collector.

In Roman Palstine I have heard that tax collection was give to the highest bidder, and then allowed to collect taxes for the Empiror, He had to meet a tax quota and and he then could keep any thing above that as a finders fee. This did not lead to a liking of tax collectors in Roman Palistine.

The weathy merchents guilds and families of Italy come to mind as a good insperation for a villianous group as well as a patron for heros.

Secret Sects with 'hidden knoweldge' were popular in differnt times and make great villians and can be used as patrons as well, especally if they are more like the real secret sects using some mind altering substaces to contact the Gods/Spirits/Other Planes of Exsistance.

That is all and please forgive the grammar and spelling errors, it is early.

Re: Fleet designations--ship types, formation symbols , etc.

Most modern Naval action is based on Fleet, which is made up of taskforces and those taskforces have squadrons in them. Often a US taskforce is usually a carrier group (one CV/CVN, the air wing(which is 6 aviation squarons), a cruser squadron and several destroyer squdrons and support vessels) But other collections can and are used

I found this page http://www.strategypage.com/strategypagegamestore/leyte_gulf.asp

while looking for naval counters. And it is as I remember from long ago, Ships are usually individually reperesented in wargames (this is 'cause a destroyer is 100 + men bout company strength and a carrier is 1.5 - 2 bragades in man power)

Re: Laughing Gas?

Wouldn't this just be the coolest effect ever? Give a PC the 'Compulsive Giggling' disad with total commitment...curing it could be your entire adventure if the wrong PC got it. Imagine Captain America or Professor X with this...

 

 

 

 

 

Or the Punisher...

Seems to be something your avatar would come up with. (IIRC There was a Batman story from the late 70's or early 80's that had this for a theme, The Joker had used it on Bats but he out willed it, of course.)

Re: How to end a dystopia...

The technology that makes interplanetary/intersteller travell cheap would in part allow for some form of von Neuman machine (a self replacating space travelling device he described, not his computing machine) This would lead self reparing mini-factories/replactor type devices that create the tech that would allow communities to function. This leads to automous comunities that not only does not need goverment, they don't need the megacorp that built the device. This would lead to a break down of the Mega-Corp social order and be replaced with a community centric model (Techno - Fuedalism) This would 'slowly' rebuild to more healthy civic minded larger goverment.

And why would Mega Corps build such devices, to keep the masses happy and complient with toys and trinkets and revenue form royalties would keep much of the cash flow from the raw materials they sell and allow them to collect money with out producing any thing, or so they think. In other words they will hang them self with their own rope (to parapharse Marx, and no I am not a commie, but greed is often totally self destroying, in the long run).

This might lead to a Traveller type universe where the Mega Corps rule the intersteller comunity but allow total automony on the worlds.

Re: Self Defeating Powers

Telepathy' date=' Self Only.[/quote']

Hey, that actually could be handy when I can't figure out what I am thinking

Re: Name That Band Hero!

Got the Beatles and the CCR one but I have not gotten many of the newer groups so here is another list from golden oldies:

Legend of a Mind : Mentalist Master Mind.

Melancholy Man: Emotion Manipulator/Mentalist

Gemini Dream: Female Duplacating MA

The Veteran Cosmic Rocker: Immortal High Power Brick

And Their Ya Go...