Frenchman

Re: CALDERA Autofire System... *Cut* *Paste into Character* This is great! I just created a heavy-weapons guy for a military SF game, and the GM told me to make my own heavy laser gun (with autofire, of course). I built it in game terms and wrote it up, but I just couldn't get over lasers not having, as you say, 'hot brass.' This will be great for him. Thanks

Re: Can Knockback cause Knockback? What if you buy Does Knockback as a naked modifier for your KB damage?

Re: Neck Snap I like the one in Dark Champions the best, but I did whip out my UMA and create a martial manuever for doing just this a while ago. BoneBreaker: -2 OCV -2 DCV HKA 4DC, Must Follow Grab, Unbalancing Cost: 5 pts. So you have to successfully grab them, then make an attack roll at -2. Then you deal 4 DC + STR of killing damage (2d6 for a 10 Strength MA). If you targeted their head with the grab, you deal double damage as normal. The unbalancing element normally means that your target automatically goes before you in the next phase, but... because of the lack of target after performing this most of the time, I house rules that it makes you go last in your next phase. This move can get really brutal with high-strength MAs or those with plenty of DCs. It is effective even if you don't target their head.

Re: Hardened vs. AP I don't think anyone has really been advocating to make hardened more expensive, and I would argue against it. You're right, one of the foundations of HERO is that defenses are less expensive than attacks. Unfortunatly, as you stack more and more levels of Hardened, the value of the advantage required to overcome that with AP (or Pen, Indirect) becomes exponentially greater and greater. In addition, attacks are allready more expensive than defenses, so even if AP was only +1/4, it would still be more expensive. Another tenant of the HERO system is that there are no absolutes (unless the GM allows it, which is the main tenant of HERO) By buying Hardened at x4 or greater, depending on the campaigns point scope, a character has essentially bought defenses that absolutely defeat AP and its cousins, especially if the campaign has an active point cap. Therefore, while the value difference between AP and Hardened appear to uphold the basic foundations of the HERO system, it in fact weakens it. If the value of additional levels of AP (after the first) was reduced to +1/4, AP would still be more expensive than hardened, both because of greater base points and a slightly higher overall advantage value. In addition, it doesn't provide a virtually absolute defense vs. AP, etc... It strengthens and upholds the core facets of HERO

Re: Hardened vs. AP Point conceded. Still, though, for this particular purpose, why not buy Penetrating x4? If you're coming up against things with that much defense, AP isn't going to do much, especially for such a small attack.

Re: Hardened vs. AP You could also buy it AVLD vs. Hardened Resistant Mystic Group Flash Defense, Does Body (+2 1/2), getting you 1d6+1 for only 70 points. That is guaranteed to get you body vs. any character I've ever even thought of, or, in fact, any character that wasn't specifically designed to resist your attack. Edit: Sorry if my tone comes off as aggressive or offensive, not meant that way. I had a smile on my face the whole time writing this post.

Re: Hardened vs. AP Yes, but why buy that when you can buy 3d6+1 KA, Penetrating x1, or 5d6 KA? And it only takes 40 points to have 10/10 armor, Hardened x4, which will stop any chance of doing body with that attack, in addition to doing everything else that 10/10 armor does.

Re: Question on character "value" (point totals) For those of you who believe that a 20-point disad is worth 20 character points, take a look at this character. 75 base points +75 of disads. But because of his background, personality, etc, he has 150 points of disads (2x as many as everyone else in the game), meaning, in a way, that all of his disads were bought at half-value. This should mean he is a 0-point character playing in a game of 75-point characters (if its true that points-disads=effectiveness). A 0-point character would be utterly useless in such a game, its ridiculous to even consider that he would be of signifigant use to the party. Sadly, he is of such great 'utility' that my GM is in the process (taken 3 days so far) of nerfing the crap out of him. I don't think he is any more flawed than anyone else in the party, and my entire group agrees. Judge for yourselves. Please note, also that our GM allows us to use elemental controls in an 'illegal' fashion (basically as an excuse to save points for a good sfx) and other characters in the group have ECs which are both larger and contain just as many such powers. Player: Roderick 'Rod' Cheyenne Val Char Cost 24/29 STR 9 14 DEX 12 18 CON 16 16 BODY 12 8 INT -2 14 EGO 8 15 PRE 5 6 COM -2 10/12 PD 1 7/9 ED 1 3 SPD 6 8 REC 0 36 END 0 35 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 0" SWIM -2 4 1/2"/5 1/2" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 64 Cost Power END 4 Cybernetic Enhancements: Elemental Control, 10-point powers, (5 Active Points); all slots Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4) 2 1) CyberMuscle: (Total: 10 Active Cost, 5 Real Cost) +5 STR (5 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3) plus +5 STR (5 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only with Left Arm (-1/2) (Real Cost: 2) 2 4 2) Enhanced Dermal Armoring: Armor (5 PD/2 ED) (11 Active Points); Visible (-1/4) 0 1 3) Bone Lacing: Armor (3 PD/3 ED), Hardened (+1/4) (11 Active Points); Only to protect from breaking Bones (-2), Only vs. BODY Damage (-1), Visible (-1/4) 0 4 4) Radio Implant: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points) 0 2 5) Ocular Replacement: (Total: 10 Active Cost, 6 Real Cost) IR Perception (Sight Group) (5 Active Points); One Eye Only (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3) plus Nightvision (5 Active Points); One Eye Only (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3) 0 4 6) Pain Dampers: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); STUN Only (-1) 0 2 7) Magnetic Grip: Clinging (normal STR) (10 Active Points); Magnetic Surfaces Only (-1), Restrainable (-1/2) 0 Powers Cost: 23 Cost Skill 2 KS: The Military/Mercenary/Terrorist World 11- 0 PS: Soldier 11- 3 Streetwise 12- 2 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical) 11- 3 Tactics 11- 2 Combat Driving 12- 2 Paramedics 11- 2 Navigation (Land) 11- 4 +1 with All Combat (8 Active Points); Requires Analyze Combat An Roll (-1/2), Only Applies vs. Targets Against Whom I have Made an Analyze Combat Roll (-1/2) 3 +1 with All Combat (8 Active Points); Only When I'm the Last Man Standing (-2) 4 +2 with Ranged Combat (10 Active Points); Cannot Use Targeting (-1/2), OCV Only (-1/2), Only vs. a Single Target (-1/4), Must Use Maximum Shots (-1/4) 5 Rapid Attack (Ranged) 5 Accurate Sprayfire 6 +2 with BFG 3 Analyze: Combat 11- 3 Weaponsmith 11- 4 WF: Small Arms, Blades, General Purpose/Heavy Machine Guns Skills Cost: 53 Cost Perk 2 Reputation: Efficiantly Destructive, Honorable Merc (A medium-sized group) 11-, +2/+2d6 3 Fringe Benefit: Heavy Weapon Permit, Mercenary License Perks Cost: 5 Cost Talent 8 Combat Shooting 3 Resistance (3 points) Talents Cost: 11 Total Character Cost: 156 Val Disadvantages 10 Distinctive Features: Unique Facial Scars (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 5 Distinctive Features: Uniform (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Distinctive Features: Cyborg (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima 5 Physical Limitation: One Real Eye (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Reduced Tactile Sensation (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 10 Physical Limitation: Medical-Resistant Skin (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: Code of the Mercenary (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Triggerhappy (Common, Strong) 15 Reputation: TriggerHappy, 11- (Extreme) 5 Reputation: Doesn't Pay Up, 8- 20 Social Limitation: Subject To Orders Very Frequently (14-), Major 15 Social Limitation: Really Bad Credit (Frequently, Major) 15 Susceptibility: EMP, 2d6 damage Instant (Common) Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 75 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: Hardened vs. AP This is exactly the house rule my group has been using for a while. The example that brought us to this was when a character bought hardened x4 for some of his defenses (10 points worth, so it only cost him 10 points). This was in a fantasy game, and said character had the most defense in the party. The idea that not only would someone come up with buying 4x hardened in a group where 2x AP had only appeared (and has only appeared a few more times since) one time, but would not even flinch at the cost. The GM thought about what it would take to create an enemy with enough AP to get him anyways, and realized it would be way too expensive. Who on earth would ever buy AP x4? Its a +2 advantage that has barely any more value than it's +1/2 equivalent. Every additional multiple of AP you buy is of increasingly less and less real value, but costs just the same. Using this house rule, countering Hardened x4 is still expensive, but closer to being affordable (+1 1/2 for APx5).

Re: How would you build a racial package for NIMH I have to agree with Dust Raven. Give rats the Hero system base stats, and make everything else using size templates. Instead of forcing the characters to spend X amount of points on background skills or whatever, just create a list of 'everyrat' skills and powers, including things like literacy, enhanced perception, nightvision, extra limbs, 1 or more KSs or PSs, and possibly eididic memory.

Re: Need feedback on house rules for my new campaign Sounds good, and if you players agree to it, go for it! (mine jumped up and down screaming when I suggested playing 50/50 characters, and simply refused to go along with reduced stat caps. I was suggesting pretty much what you are now) The only thing I'd differ with you on is, as HeWhoIsMatt said, the doubling of the cost of STR. If characters are being limited to 15 (unless it is 'their' stat, which is what my group has done in all our games) then str won't be too much of a problem. I doubt many non-warriors will have str higher than 12 or 13.

Re: Advice on map detail What I usually do is draw in the city streets after I label the districts. Not every single alley and side street, but all the major ones at least, and usually the minor ones as well. This gives me a bunch of 'city blocks' which I then divide up and describe as the need arises. Since they're just blobs of empty space, I can draw in buildings, alleys, pigsties, outhouses, or whatever I feel like. Thus, every time the characters visit a new building, alley, or other geographical feature of the city, I draw it into the map and label it. It ends up being a lot of work the first few game sessions in that city, but as the character develop their own 'territory' that they spend most of their time in, the mapping takes up less and less time. but the thing with the geomorphs sounds like a great way to create a city map from scratch, especially if it is one the characters aren't going to spend a lot of time in.

Re: Combat Luck variantIn response to Dust Raven's last comment; You would be able to put a limitation on the power to limit it to only going off with the trigger, otherwise the character could use his action to heal himself.Right after I posted my thoughts on Dust Raven's idea, I got to thinking, and while driving around for 6 hours at work, I think I may have figured out a simpler, cheaper way of doing what Fitz originally suggested. Cost Power END 2 Combat Luck: (Total: 7 Active Cost, 2 Real Cost) +4 PD (4 Active Points); Random Effect (-1), STUN Only (-1) (Real Cost: 1) plus Armor (2 PD/0 ED) (3 Active Points); Random Effect (-1 1/2) (Real Cost: 1) 0 Powers Cost: 2 Like this, the pips are stun taken off, and the body is body taken off. And it costs 2.5 points per die per defense type. PD & ED Combat Luck would therefore cost 5 points per die.Making the defense hardened costs 3 1/3 points per die per defense type The limitation values for this being randomly determined are somewhat arbitrary, but -1 seems to be about right for the regular def, and I used -1 1/2 for the resistant def because the odds are against you when counting body more than when counting pips, and, more importantly, it was a number that allowed me to do the math in my head while driving. This seems to confirm what most everyone was saying, it being worth about 3 points per die and all.

Re: Combat Luck variant This is a good approach to constructing this, in my opinion, and it wouldn't cost 12.5 points per die, either. Thats just the active cost. This would most definitly have limitations applied to it, such as Self Only (-1/2), Only in response to being hit (-1?), and Restrainable (-1/2). That drops the cost down to about 4 points per die. If you slap Zero END on it, it's about 5.8 per die. Instead of reduced end, I like the idea of putting charges on it (8 charges is a -0, if I recall correctly) and/or requires a luck roll. I like this better than assigning a semi-arbitrary point value to this and creating a new power.

Re: Stun Problem in Fantasy Hero (Double it) I have to agree with MarkDoc, I've never had problems with the book system. We use the hit location chart, and since everyone's defenses are under 10 (in our current game the 'brick,' a dwarf doing a tin can impression, has 6 rdef and 10 normal), most characters take body damage when they get hit solidly. Characters (and NPCs) are dropped by stun slightly more often than by body, but that is in large part because when a character is reduced to ~5 body or less (usually with similar amounts of stun left) they drop back and take recoveries or get healed. Anyone who has only 2 body left and is still fighting either has no choice/chance to escape, or is being badly role-played. Like MarkDoc said; There is a point when staying and fighting is a good idea (your side is winning), but usually foes waking up on the battlefield mid-battle had better get out of there while the party is still occupied with their friends.

Re: The Truly Evil GM I had a player who's character was 'the last of his kind.' He didn't know what he was, but when he found an isolated city of people who looked like him and told him some stories about 'his people' he was, to say the least, thrilled. He then went on his merry adventures with the rest of his party, careful to keep his people a secret (they didn't want their ancient foes to find them ) and worshipping their god, in not-so-secret. IT didn't take him long to find out that his new god had influence over mental powers, and he found a few other secretive followers in cities. Many, many adventures followed, and he kept this secret and the thought of his people lead him on towards his gods goals when he would have otherwise given up. Then he found out that his god was an evil slimey son-of-a-bitch. His 'people' were a group of mind-reading shapeshifters who took advantage of his character and were useing him to further their evil goals, which the party as a whole were combating from the other end. That guy has been very careful about the sort of 'potential' his characters have ever since.

I'm starting a Fantasy Hero game this weekend (again) and this time around I'd like to deal with 8-strength pickpockets in heavy plate armor before it has a chance to come up. The first (and so far best) idea I had was to put Strength Minimums on armor. This game is, like most of mine, a low-powered game in which characters don't pay for equipment. But what should the Str Min be for different armors? What effects should exceeding the Str Min have? What about not meeting it? What, if any, general penalties should be applied to those who wear armor? I've come up with this so far, but I'd like your comments, criticism, and ideas. Armor Type DEF STR Min Dex Penalty Cloth 1 3 -0 Leather 2 5 -1 Studded Leather 3 7 -1 Scale Mail 4 8 -2 Chain Mail 5 10 -2 Banded Mail 6 12 -3 Plate & Chain 7 13 -3 Plate Mail 8 15 -4 Full Plate Mail 9 17 -4 Dwarven Plate 10 18 -5 So far, I figure that the following rules should apply to this list. Unless a character has, and uses, 3 strength above the strength minimum of the armor, its wearer must spend an additional 1 END during each phase in which they use their strength. If the STR min of any armor is exceeded by 5 or more, the DEX penalty is reduced by 1. If the STR min of an armor is not met by its wearer, they suffer an additional –1 DEX penalty for every 5 points of STR, or fraction thereof, that they lack. I just put armor types in to make the list feel more whole, but I really care about relative DEF values. I based the str mins on a couple of ideals of mine (I'd like a guy with 18 str to be able to put on a good show in 8 DEF armor at almost optimum, and 5 DEF at 13-15, but I want to keep 1-2 DEF in easy reach of low-str characters). I'm not really happy with the number progression of the str mins, but I'll end up tinkering with it when I have the time. And so, thats what I've got, but I'd like some input from the rest of you (otherwise, why am I here?) Thanks, all

Re: Advantage Question: Lasts Until... They have an example of exactly this sort of drain in Monsters, Minions, and Marauders. The Lamia has drain body that doesn't return (or basically doesn't, the return rate in in years) until the afflicted hears her scream. They used a long return rate and a limitation on the power. Simple to do, effective, and straight-forward. If you don't want the points to return at ALL, use a suppress with Costs END only to Activate (+1/4) and define the release of it as you wish.

Re: Embarrasing Power Question Images to Touch Group. Finally a use for them.

Re: An EB by any other name... I like Dazed, woks much better than stunned. In my game, thought, we lean towards Clobbered. It's just more evocative. The only other ones I see as having any point to changing are seduction (I'd call it Befriend, or somesuch. The name is misleading) and Damage Resistance (DR is used for Damage Reduction and it'd be nice to have an acronym for both). Other than that, none of the names ever really confused me.

Re: Two Gun Kid = MPA?

Re: How good is "good"? As for the whole 'cannot be blocked' argument, lets pull out our FH books and open them to page 169. The top two paragraphs discusses essentially what NSG has done with her echo blade. Yes, it does say that using this give the wielder -1 OCV, but that is built as a side effect, so there really is no reason not to do it. However, it does NOT say that using indirect in this manner will make an attack 'unblockable,' only that it ignores the DCV bonus from a shield. That said, I think it would be perfectly fair to allow an attack to be 'unblockable' (or perhaps 'undodgable') for a +1/4 advantage. Like MarkDoc points out, AOE attacks cannot be dodged or blocked. The advantage One Hexe Accurate is a +1/2 advantage, so it seems fair to allow an attack to be 'unblockable' for +1/4.

Re: Hsrd to Deflect Yeah, but then why not just buy 5 3-point CSLs, +5 OCV with Deflectable Attacks? Same cost, much higher benefit. Not only are they harder to deflect IF someone chooses to use missile deflection, they are harder to avoid in any situation.

Re: NND Defenses One thing I noticed, Mudpyre, is that it seems you plan to build an NND attack vs. undead with only a +1/2 or +1 advantage. I don't know about your games, but in all the games I've played in, undead don't take STUN, so you would have to add the Does Body (+1) advantage to get any mileage out of this. Course, with 40 points you can still get a 1d6 KA NND Does Body, but I just thought you might have missed that.

Re: Some converted magic items Cool Items again, but why buy the increase REC on the Ring of the Unicorn as an Aid? Seems very expensive to me. It'll max out at 12 points (6 REC), so why not just buy it as +6 REC? The cost of that part of the ring is cut to a fifth.