Cardinal

Re: Building a Lasso - any ideas?

I don't think that you even need the entangle. Stretching +str only for grabs does what you need.

Re: Casting "Champions Universe: The Motion Picture"

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY as Cheshire Cat

preferrably played in the skeasey woderson way - "Highschool Girls... I keep getting older, they stay the same age"

Re: [Power Build] Blur

I think the effect you are looking for -- people just don't hit the target squarely -- is basically just combat luck.

Just go with Combat Luck called blur effect and call it a day.

Re: [Campaign] DEFENDERS CONGREGATE!!

This continues to be great stuff!

Any new adventures? **hint, hint**

Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters

Nice! Was Justin's player swapping him out for Finnigan?

I'm loving these recaps!!! I think the campaign sounds like a blast.

Out of curiosity, what prompted Justin to swap to Finnegan? They sound like the builds are like for like (warrior for warrior)? Did Lonewalker want to give up being the leader?

Also, what world are you playing in? One of your own making or a published one?

Re: [Character] Richter

Oh' date=' on the subject of the Force Wall, when I put it in I wasn't so much thinking of combat but more like dramatic purpose. Along with his telekinesis Richter has some major earth moving going on. The picture I had was the classic Dam disaster. Oh no what do we do about the water now?[/quote']

If you are looking for the make a dam sort of vibe, you might want to consider entangle with extra inches as a wall. That way you would not need to use END to maintain it.

 

I like the look of your campaign. seems like fun.

Re: Power Build Question: Manipulate your own projectile

One additional idea to think about to add to the indirect is No Range Modifier. The idea being if that you are shooting it over long distances, you can steer it into the target. However, you can also accomplish that with the skill levels.

Re: [Character] Richter

I think you can shave a couple more points by adding "only on ground" to the KB resistance.

I also really like the Rocks on a Roll Power.

Looking at the End increase and the cost of reduced end on most of you powers, you might want to consider doing a draft that has and END Bat with a high recovery and large pool and compare the cost. Sometimes it is more points effective.

I have a sense that because all your powers are in an MP, this is likely not one of those times. But it might be an interesting exercise.

Re: [Character] Richter

Generally, interesting background. However, I have a couple comments on the build:

1) I agree that the character is a bit underpowered for 700

a) The Only On Ground Limitation could be a doozy as virtually all offense and defense goes away.

the DCs feel low.

c) While MA might make sense, they seem like a waste of points on an EBer.

2) End: It looks like you might run out of end pretty quickly with 10 END attacks and only 48 total. You may want to consider an END bat as that is good fit for the normal end level that can keep powering attacks all day long.

3) As a random note, you don't need to take indirect on the TK. TK is inherently indirect.

Re: MPA v. Sweep v. Combo of Two

Thanks for the comments and clarification. I might not have expressed it clearly, but I actually knew the distinctions for Rapid Attack and TWF, I was just cribbing short hand for using the RA for a non-disadvantaged Sweep. However, I did not know about that change to the DCV rule for TWF. Very interesting.

I am glad to see that I read it right and that it is as nasty as I thought it was.

One comment for PsyInt, I think the - to ocv applies to all attacks, not just the last set. Either way, that is killer.

In either case, in TL's case, if she is willing to crank out the END and use her hyperaccelerated normal attacks, you could be looking at 4-6 14DC strikes with good OCV (at the cost of leaving herself open to counter attacks).

It might be that she not quite as over matched by Morrgaine as I had thought.

I was looking at Tiger Lilly from VVV. She has purchased two fighting batons, as well as having Rapid Attack and Two Weapon Fighting.

Now looking at this combination, I imagine that her options are as follows:

1. Straight up Martial attack

2. Rapid Attack of 2 or more martial attacks (with penalties)

3. Attack with Fighting Baton (martial attack plus HTH damage)

4. MPA of 2 Fighting Batons (each a martial attack plus HTH damage)

5. Rapid Attack of 2 or more strikes with Fighting Batons (each a martial attack plus HTH damage)

6. Rapid Attack of 2 or more sets of MPA of with two fighting batons (each a martial attack plus HTH damage)

#6 seems like a particularly nasty tactic (especially if she decides to wear herself out with her hyperaccelerated normal strike for each). For -4 OCV and 1/2 DCV TL could land 6 strikes for 8 End (2 End for Str (only pay str once a phase), 6x1 End for fighting batons). Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks for your help.

Re: Who Is... Your Favorite Villain?

I always that of Grond as a relatively intelligent brick (ala the Thing or Joe Fixit Hulk).

umm... doesn't Grond have 5 Int?

Re: [Character writeup] Zl'f (revised)

Treb -

As always, it is great to see Zl'f. It is clear that you love the character and have put an extreme amount of care into fleshing her out as more than a 43 Dex and a bundle of points.

I would love to hear how the build has evolved over time. My recollection was that you used to have more offensive slots in her MP. My memory was that she started in a 350 pt campaign, so I assume with 80 odd pts of xp she has definitely changed.

How do you anticipate the build changing in the future? For example, I was a little surprised that she did not have Defense Maneuver. It seems like it would fit perfectly with her incredible speed and role as an agent buster par excellence.

Great work. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

Re: Sanctuary.....Anyone Use It ?

So, yeah, if you think about it, Sanctuary doesn't make much sense. I simply chose not to think about that. As one friend of mine told another during a Champions game, "You're arguing physics and reality, in a game where your character shoots blasts of wind from a wooden staff." It's all a matter of deciding how much of a logical disconnect you're okay with.

Well put and a point that I completely agree with.

Re: Villains Vandals And Vermin (VVV)

I've used Leviathan (anyone who thinks 8 frenzied sharks in a HtH melee is a good idea -- well' date=' they're not... )[/quote']

 

Is that as in not a good idea for the PC or the GM.

Re: Sanctuary.....Anyone Use It ?

Well' date=' Sanctuary in Fourth Edition actually had two such beings in residence. One was [b']Peacekeeper[/b], the benevolent Mechanon duplicate who protected Sanctuary because it had been programmed to (albeit for ulterior motives). It held the threat of Mechanon's raw power to keep conflicting parties in line.

Peacemaker and a Gestalt of Peace are two good examples of exactly the deux ex machina scheme that I don't like. I don't have the Sanctuary book, so I don't know the back story behind the ulterior motives of reprogramming Mechanon, but that seems like devoting a huge amount of resources (I mean it is mechanon!) to something that would provide only marginal value to the person investing those resources. If I had a pet Mechanon to reprogram and I wanted it devoted to neither world destruction or robbery, I could still think of a number of peace oriented missions that would seem to be more impactful than being a bouncer at a Super Hero Club Med.

With respect to the Gestalt idea, I can buy the concept of a powerset that would focus on wanting peace, but why would that gestalt then set up camp on an island/side dimension/bar etc. when they could theoretically do more to propagate peace writ-large by wandering to the world's hot spots and allowing cooler heads to prevail.

As always, YMMV.

Re: Sanctuary.....Anyone Use It ?

I have always been against the idea. Most heroes and villians are too "motivated" by their own passions to be able to encounter each other peacefully.

 

For example: "Villian A" has strong hatred of "Hero B." Part of the reason he is a villian in the first place is that he has trouble obeying laws, so the bylaws of a "Neutral Ground" would be a most an inconvenience. His hate would trump any desire to remain in good standing.

 

Counterwise, "Hero B" upon seeing "Villian C" recognized her as wanted under international law. Upon getting no cooperation from the "authorities" at Sanctuary, he would likely return home and start using his pull with the World's Govenments to shut this "haven for criminals and murderers" down.

I absolutely agree with this analysis. In the end, Sanctuary type places require a deux ex machina capable of enforcing the peace in the sanctuary. I have never been able to get past the issue of why such an all powerful being would be willing to devote their attention to creating such a place.

Re: Sanctuary.....Anyone Use It ?

I have always thought that the concept stretch credulity a bit further than I could take... and yes, this is in a world with people who can lift tanker, shoot beams from their eyes, etc. In short, I never thought the upside was worth the rendition and torture one had to subject logic to to make it work.

However, this is definitely an area where I think "YMMV" is the watch word. I have talked to people who loved the concept and used it with great abandon.

Re: Villains Vandals And Vermin (VVV)

***Rise from the Grave!!! Awaken foul thread***

OK, with thread necromancy completed, I just wanted to check to see what characters people have actually put to use and what their assessment of the book is with a couple of miles on the odometer.

Any particular favorites? Characters that you thought would be good that disappointed? Characters that you thought would be disappointing that have been pleasantly surprising?

Re: [Campaign] DEFENDERS CONGREGATE!!

Great stuff! Glad to see that the Defenders Updates are back.

Re: WWII Era Superheroine: American Angel

Looks like a couple of fun characters. Who else is on the team?

Have a great time with the campaign.

Re: [Character] Sybyl

Interesting character and a great addition to a team.

Quick question. Why did you buy Guidance three times? Would it have been cheaper to go with UBO Simultaneously x4. That would presumably allow each of the 4 recipients to choose how to apply the level.

I suspect I have misunderstood something here.

12 1) Guidance: +1 Overall, Ranged (+1/2), UAA (+1) (25 Active Points); Others Only (-1/2), Must Be Using Seer's Vision (-1/4), Must Be Mindlinked To Target (-1/4)

12 2) Guidance: +1 Overall, Ranged (+1/2), UAA (+1) (25 Active Points); Others Only (-1/2), Must Be Using Seer's Vision (-1/4), Must Be Mindlinked To Target (-1/4)

12 3) Guidance: +1 Overall, Ranged (+1/2), UAA (+1) (25 Active Points); Others Only (-1/2), Must Be Using Seer's Vision (-1/4), Must Be Mindlinked To Target (-1/4)

Re: Villains Vandals And Vermin (VVV)

I would generally agree that I found much of the art disappointing. I thought the Tiger Squad did a great job of providing pretty much every personality variant you could get on an opposing hero team (bad guy in cover of authority, good guy who believes in communism, good guy who is a pro-democracy, etc.).

Like CUNOTW, I was a bit surprised at the builds. There were a number of characters who forwent an EC for no apparent reason (e.g. Summer Cloud). While others are absolutely framework happy. Morgaine is just itching to break out a four-way MPA on some happless hero. I also was surprised to see so many heroes in CUNOTW and VVV with End Bat. It seems like the accessory of the year for the fashionable super.

Some of the villains were absolutely over the top in terms of powersets (e.g. The Curse), but intentionally so. Others were very low power. In short, it was exactly the full range of characters that they promised.

BTW, does anyone know if Darren, Steve, et al plan on releasing HDC files for CUNOTW and VVV? How long does it normally take to turn those around?

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

Minor point at best' date=' but I'm still surprised that Sapphire doesn't get her Force Field and Flight through an EC. It would just make so much sense (and free up points that I feel she could use in levels, Skills, and a better English rating. Seriously, as a big-name celebrity, shouldn't she have a better score in English Language than 2?).[/quote']

 

That was exactly my thought for all the heroes that I referenced. Dr. Vox could put her flight, ff, invisability to hearing, etc. in an EC and free up those points. Drifter could put together his FF, teleportation, etc.

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

Yeah' date=' there were a few. Not a big deal, mostly one letter typos.[/quote']

 

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but I just had a chance to get CUTW and look through it. While I saw a couple of typos and mistakes, I didn't think it was that bad.

 

However, I was surprised at the lack of consistency in some of the presentation items. For example, some OIHID characters (like flashover) did not have their OIHID stats added to the stats box, whereas others did. In addition, Combat Luck and other defenses were alternatively included and not included in the aggregated defenses for various characters. Nothing that causes a problem if you read the character, just one that caused that hobgoblin of my simple mind to rear its ugly head.

 

On an unrelated note, was anyone struck by the builds? I noticed that in most cases where there could be the old MP + EC build, the character forwent the EC (e.g. Dr. Vox, Black Rose, Sapphire, Drifter, etc.). While points don't really matter for an NPC, I was still surprised.