MitchellS

Re: Three Heroes to Save the Universe

Re: Quarternion Banishment.

 

It may not be that only the Archmage can use it, but it *is* a requirement... and I think that if anybody *else* used it, they'd quickly find the entire mystic world kicking their tails half way to Vulshoth's hidey-hole, given the costs involved.

I think the restrictions more about the fact that the QB is a 97 point spell. Most mages are not going to have access to a 100 point vpp or multipower to add the spell to their list. Off the top of my head only the 4 listed above and Rashindar have that much spell ability.

Re: Three Heroes to Save the Universe

Being fair' date=' all the existing 150 Cosmic VPP types have something particular behind the VPP. The Drifter has a tie to a cosmic archetype, Luther Black stole the Power of Sharna-Gorak, both Takofanes and Dr Yin Wu are extremely long lived ( if to wildly differing extents ). "I achieved Archmagedom" could legitimately be one of these types of properties.[/quote']

I always forget about Yin Wu. Thanks for reminding me.

 

That said, the Archmage also benefits from his status, in that there are at least some spells and effects that *only* the Archmage can use, notably the Quarternion Banishment.

I believe anyone who gets the 3 gifts can use the Quaternion Banishment whether they become Archmage or not. That spell isn't limited only to the Archmage.

 

It seems like the big advantage to Archmages is that they don't need to make skill rolls and they can use any magic they like. These restrictions also seem lost to Takofane, Yin Wu, and the Drifter who already have "cosmic" vpps and so don't have to deal with switching time or skill rolls [the Edomite needs the skill roll].

 

As an aside, the Drifter's the only vpp mage who doesn't have the "magic only" limitation. I wonder if that's a fluke in design or if he really can use his power for anything?

Re: Three Heroes to Save the Universe

Just a quick note on Drifter- he strikes me not so much as true wizard but instead a mystical being. He's not so much weaving spells and channeling raw mystical or cosmic energy. Using DC as an example, he's not Doctor Fate but the Spectre who I think no one could see as an Archmage despite his overwhelming power.

 

Then again, maybe I'm just being stubborn.

That's a fair statement. The Drifter's learned a lot in the last 60 years or so but he really had all that magical might thrust upon him rather then seeking it out and trying to harness it. The Specter is a good analogy.

It does make one wonder what benefits the Archmage gets when you have characters like Takofane, the Edomite, and the Drifter with 150 pt cosmic power pools.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

And as far as I know there are no "official" 5e statistics for English superhero teams published yet. Or did I miss that issue of Digital Hero?

 

Sorry, maybe it's just my mistake for going off material for a different edition, but that's all I have to go off.

No, there aren't any. But that still doesn't mean we can make comparisons with 4E versions. As I said in the original post, until we see 5E writeups for those European characters there's no way of knowing how powerful Eurostar is in the European theater. They might be very powerful or only average. Their reputation would suggest very powerful.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

I don't know if I'd equate confidence to willpower. Yes' date=' Spider-Man sometimes doubts his role in life, but I don't think he lacks willpower. He's shown himself often enough to struggle against overwhelming odds. Someone with limited willpower would just give up the fight.[/quote']

I guess my point was that while I can see Spidey with a 15 ego [he's stronger willed then average but only barely strong enough to overcome his psych lims in major emergencies] I can't really see him with the 25 Metaphysician was talking about just to overcome the problems with mental attacks in the game.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

Sure, but I assumed we were talking about "official" things in this thread.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

Oh I don't know about not knowing how tough any teams out there are. Their character sheets probably look a bit different now but the London Watch doesn't have a single member it didn't have in 4e. There's tactics of course but CU makes it sound like the Watch can hold their own' date=' at least before Visigoth and Pantera came along.[/quote']

While the characters have remained the same the writeups could go anywhere. The change between 250 and 350 point campaigns has altered many characters. Just as Eurostar has been depowered London Watch could be likewise [or they could all be 600 point characters].

 

There are very few characters in 5E who I think are more powerful then their 4E counterparts [and almost all of those are in the VIPER sourcebook]. In general 5E tends to depower characters while spending more points on them, IMO.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

A better solution: upping heroic Ego levels in general. In my opinion' date=' pretty much anybody who actually becomes a super hero should end up with decently high Ego, and veterans even higher. A normalish level mentalist has alot harder time if he's having to fight people with 25 Ego rather than 15. That, combined with a careful interpretation of what level of effect a given command or illusion is, would reduce the 'instant KO' factor alot, and make the ( less hazardous to a group's success ) Ego Attack the better option generally.[/quote']

I honestly don't believe ego inflation is the answer [not that I don't think many characters couldn't use more ego]. Most supers are not strong willed, IMO. Heck, Spiderman's Marvel's most popular hero and he's one of the most self-doubting, down on himself characters there is.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

Are powerful mentalists so prevalent' date=' that they need to be watered down, or is it up to the GM to keep them in check.[/quote']

If the GM needs to keep something in check then it's probably a game flaw, IMO.

 

There are plenty of mentalists in the comics that don't make characters quake in the boots. Does anyone think Marvel Girl was too powerful for the rest of the X-Men [not counting the Phoenix issues]?

Re: Three Heroes to Save the Universe

Which does beg the question' date=' of who was the Archmage back in the Turakian era. Unless thats part of why Takofanes is weaker- he lost his Archmage status when he got killed. Probably not, though.[/quote']

I believe once you get killed you lose the Archmage status. The books say "At the death or retirement of each Archmage, his chosen successor gains the office's awesome power..." Just because Takofane came back from the dead doesn't mean he regains his Archmage status. He has to re-earn it like everyone else.

 

It does make one wonder though, since even the gods can't find information out about Takofane's past, what were the requirements for being an Archmage during his time in the Turakian Age? Since the Turakian Age precedes the Atlantean Age maybe Kal-Turak was the original Archmage and the energy released at his death created the position of Archmage.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

One of the things I really hate about Champions is that mentalists are really too powerful in the game. Most people are going to be hit by them 95% of the time and they'll take damage 100% of the time. Superhero encounters shouldn't be about taking out the mentalist first, IMO. If there ever is a 6E I hope mental powers gets a complete rewrite.

Re: My next characters vehicle

I must be getting old because that design seems a little too hard on the testicle.

Re: Three Heroes to Save the Universe

I thought the info on him stated he could be an agent. It sure sounded like Merlin or the like when you read his background and not Bromion.

The write up makes the comment that some believe he should be the next Archmage but that doesn't mean the people making those comments know the origin of the Drifter's powers. Drifter is in violation of the 3rd criteria for being the Archmage. He'll just have to settle for being the most powerful "good" mage in the CU without the title [not that you must be good to be the Archmage. The book mentions Takofane only needing the crowns to have the power get the third needed gift].

Re: Champions Worldwide?

I don't see that my ideas need to be in an "Iron Age" setting. "Silver" could work just fine.

In my experience iron age settings tend to be more about using the realism of the world in them. Silver age settings tend to avoid real issues. It's not like the Avengers or JLA couldn't have taken Cuba from Castro back in the 60s but the genre limits of that time period would never allow it. It was much easier to give Dr. Doom his own kingdom then deal with any real political issues of the period, IMO. An iron age series like the Authority or Stormwatch wouldn't have any problems dealing with real political issues.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

Hmm... I can see taking that position' date=' but OTOH "hardness" doesn't necessarily have anything to do with chemical reactiveness. You can dissolve the hardest steel pretty fast in the right corrosive.[/quote']

Still, special effects have to have something to do with it. A 3 pd force wall made from ice or paper shouldn't be more resistant to his acid then a diamond. The nnd info is just a special effects guideline, IMO.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

So basically Eurostar's not quite as invincible as all the books make them sound.

Without seeing what the European superhero teams look like we can't really say. IMO, Eurostar could take UNITY. The New Knights, London Watch, Nightwatch, and Vanguard might not be all the formidable, which would make Eurostar fairly tough in Europe. Maybe that's why they don't come to the US too often.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

Actually' date=' Fiacho *could* beat him, but its unlikely. His hardest hitting move is the acid pellets, but he'd need three hits to take down Diamond. Likewise, he could use Find Weakness, but even two successes won't let him stun Diamond.[/quote']

As a GM I'd probably rule that the corrosive gas pellets don't work against Diamond's double-hardened skin even though the defense of the NND acid is FF/FW. The special effects would indicate to me that it shouldn't work on someone as hard as a diamond, IMO.

Re: [Review] CU: News Of The World (+ Long Argument On MPA's & Frameworks)

Thanks for the info. I had forgotten the index in the CU.

Re: CHAMPIONS OF THE NORTH -- What Would You Like To See?

I'd like to see more Canadian independent heroes. Last Champions of the North I seem to recall some solos getting mentioned' date=' but all we were given were the organized heroes.[/quote']

Ravenspeaker, Celestar, and Forceknight are all mentioned as indy heroes [that going along with The StarForce and COMET teams].

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

Der Westgote has a 60 str, but can hit for 14d or crush for 16d. His big attack is a 6d6 hka [but it uses 1/3 of his end!]. Unfortunately he only has a 25 pd and a 30 con. Diamond's 17d punches average will do 59 on average, meaning DW is stunned after each hit.

I don't think the battle'd be a cakewalk but unless DW and Durak roll high damage they're looking at doing 4 stun from punching and DW can do 11 from a crush [the hka all depends on the stun lotto, if you use fixed at 3 you're looking at 18 through]. Diamond can suck that up for about a turn before getting KO'd. DW, on the other hand, will be stunned on the first hit and drop on the second hit and Durak can only last 3 hits. I'd put my money on Diamond.

Re: [Review] CU: News Of The World (+ Long Argument On MPA's & Frameworks)

I forgot to say this before' date=' but did anybody else notice how some of the Justice Squadron members got sex changes?[/quote']

No, I didn't notice any such thing. Care to elaborate?

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

You seem a little fixated on the ladies getting spanked' date=' MS. [/quote']

I get confused on days when my wife stays home from work.

Re: Eurostar vs Sentinels

I personally believe even adding Der Westgote and Pantera to the mix wouldn't make them strong enough to defeat the Sentinels. Diadem can spank Mentalla. I doubt even combining Der Westgote and Durak on Diamond would allow them to win. Dr. Vox is as immune to sonics as can be possible, so goodbye Ultrasonique. Black Rose easily blinds Pantera and can use the darkness to turn Pantera against her own teammates. Proteus spanks Scorpia, Bravo might win against Fiacho, and whoever's left can deal with Feuermacher.

Re: Three Heroes to Save the Universe

Yeah' date=' I wouldn't trust Dr Destroyer anywhere near this. He's no Doom.[/quote']

I think the "noble villain" idea comes from the fact that he's helped fight off the Gadroon invasions [but that was only 2 years after he appeared and his villain goals were different then]. In many ways Dr. D's history is as convoluted as many comic book characters'. I just don't see him as the noble villain.

Re: Three Heroes to Save the Universe

You gotta love that the general consesus of this tread is "when push comes to shove' date=' I'm counting on Dr. Destroyer."[/quote']

I honestly don't feel that way. We're talking about a guy who once wanted to kill off most of the world's population in order to make it more controllable. IMO, Dr. D would be more inclined to let the dimensional threat wipe out most of the people. Then he'd take his carefully shielded supervillain army against the threat and eliminate it himself; with the added benefit of making himself ruler of all when it was completed.