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Alverant

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Everything posted by Alverant

  1. What's the fee? If I'm going to do more than chip in for pizza, I want to know how much.
  2. I'm not in Indy, but there is an SF con called InConJunction around July 4th each year. I bet if you contact them or go to their Facebook page you could get a lead on some gaming groups or stores that host games. https://www.inconjunction.org/
  3. Can you tell us a bit more about the campaign, please? Points? Style? Description?
  4. Do I need to bring anything or have any software installed for the game?
  5. I just saw a YouTube video about an ATV and it was mentioned that thousands of people died using them. I'm assuming most of the ATV accidents were from someone "failing a driving check" so badly that they were either thrown off or the ATV rolled over on them. So I was thinking, how would this be done in Hero? How would you make it so there were circumstances where operating the vehicle improperly could cause injury or death? IMHO even doing a critical failure (18 on 3d6) can happen too often to be realistic depending on how often you make the skill check. But if you tack on too many conditions (like failing a DEX roll after a critical failure) it becomes cumbersome an not worth it. So what's the best way to represent the kind of danger a vehicle like this presents to its rider?
  6. If you ever take the game online.... My old gaming group was together for 15+ years. Yeah, stuff gets forgiven but if a player/GM crosses a line enough times then gets defensive about it, it can be impossible to really forgive and you have to separate yourself for your own mental health.
  7. BoloOfEarth, can I join your campaign? You sound MUCH better than my old GM.
  8. Sorry if this has been mentioned but you get more leeway to putting limitations on skill levels. For example: A magic sword that can help you fight can have a focus and "only with sword attack/block" limitations. A targeting computer could have a limitation of "needs to observe target for one turn" or an activation roll like on Find Weakness (if you fail, you can't use it on that target for the rest of the combat) A low-level TK field that helps you can cost END and have other special effect limitations Since, mathematically, giving yourself +1 OCV is the same as giving the target -1 DCV you could define your combat skill as messing up with the target's attempt to avoid your attack. But that may not pass GM's approval.
  9. I ran a Dark Champions campaign once that fizzled out because while I was picturing something like Batman the Animated Series several of my players made characters too dark for Watchmen.
  10. This may fall under "do whatever I want" but what about trolling? Villains who do bad things because they know it will make others mad. It could be augmented to fit a social agenda where they want to upset a group of people they don't like. Some of it may even be legal which would frustrate the heroes since they won't have a valid reason for fighting said villains. Think of it like a mean-spirited version of CLOWN. In my campaign I had a street gang that deliberately avoided crimes like drive-bys and drug trafficking because they wanted the police to focus their attention elsewhere. They went with low-risk/low-reward crimes to slowly build power. In some ways, that's a bigger threat than the constant struggle to be on top.
  11. I have to disagree a little bit about how fantasy being first in the RPG world set it up for success. It implies that if the first RPG was (for example) a Star Trek game where you made your own crew and ship then sci-fi would be the default setting and it would be fantasy playing catch-up. I don't think that's what would have happened. There are other reasons why fantasy is more popular (tropes, general expectations, familiarity with at least knowing about medieval times, etc). Even if a Star Trek RPG was first, someone would make a Chainmail-esque system and it would take center stage leading to D&D and the like. Gamma World was released in 1978, around the time D&D (basic) and AD&D were released. D&D is well known, Gamma World is not and I don't think being first had much to do with it. D&D's name says it all while Gamma World could make people think of a planet of Hulks or something. If there was a game released in 1978 called Starships and Stormtroopers then we'd have something. (Yeah Stormtroopers are Star Wars but there's no space monster equivalent of dragons, much less one that starts with S).
  12. I've asked a similar question but about sci-fi instead of superheroes. The reasons already given are good, but I'd like to add one from my own experience. Basically, it's because there's a thing called "generic fantasy setting" and there isn't one for sci-fi or superheroes. The settings are almost always described as something along the lines of "it's like [intellectual property here] but ...." and those that don't have a big info dump that may turn players off. OTOH everyone knows what to expect from a fantasy setting, forest elves, mining dwarves, dragons with a preference for sexually inexperienced females, etc. When describing a fantasy campaign on Roll20 or something you focus on what makes it unique. For other campaigns you have to explain more. Like "are there aliens?" "what superhero origins are not available?" "what is the tech level?" So in the end, a fantasy campaign is easier to set up.
  13. Hopefully soon I will be getting a new computer and moving all my files to it. I'm using two versions of Hero Designer HERO Designer log file (build 2009012604) HERO Designer 6 log file (build 20110203) and I need to know which version of Java I should install so that both versions work. Also, do these programs work in the current version of Java so I don't have to install older editions with their security issues? Thanks in advance!
  14. I'm going to go off on a little tangent and bring up that it should make a difference on who is getting killed. In a setting with special powers and inhuman monsters, the public would be more understanding if a superhero killed a villain who could rip out people's hearts with a gesture and thought it was funny than a superhero who killed some henchmen. Supers killing supers or normals killing normals is one thing. Supers killing normals (even well-trained normals) is another. The idea is with some training and some equipment nearly anyone could be a police officer, soldier, armed courier, etc. But having a suit of custom powered armor, mutant powers, or being an alien is pretty much out. It's a different league. It would be like professional sports players crashing a pick-up game and crooning about how they won. Superheroes should be held to a higher standard when dealing with normal people. If you can fly and punch holes through steel you should also be able to take care of some street toughs with guns without killing them. Otherwise, the public should turn on you.
  15. What can you tell us about the game you'd like, please?
  16. I'd like to say I was interested but the time slot won't work for me. I only mention it because you may have a hard time finding players during normal working or sleeping hours. Putting it on a weeknight is another problem too.
  17. You miscounted on the sessions. The next game is the 5th session not the 4th.

  18. One of my players has 40 Strength TK and is very effective with it. In combat she will grab one of the villains and keep him/her/it from pretty much doing anything since to fight they need to break a 40 STR hold. To make things worse, she has an Ego Attack, but I can deal with that some with Mental Defense. What can I do to reduce her effectiveness? Thanks in advance!
  19. The problem is, what kind of campaign do you want to run. The campaign has to be tailored to the players desires and the characters. For example if none of the characters uses magic then you don't really need magical enemies. If all the heroes are mutants you need to develop the human/mutant relationship a bit more. This isn't fantasy. It's hard to say there's such a thing as a "standard superhero campaign" past "you're heroes, they're villains, heroes beat up villains". Perhaps there can be a small book giving "generic" comic book tropes like street gangs, evil organizations, shadowy government cabals, etc but I can't see that for being really useful. What I think you're looking for is a book giving plot ideas which I think is in the 5th edition book Villainy Unbound.
  20. I had a character who was third generation Japanese immigrant who was possessed by his samauri ancestor who was disgusted at how "lazy" the American culture made him. Another character started out being a hanger on to a supergroup because his friend was a member. He went on to being part of the support staff (ie monitor duty and communications). Then when the base was under attack he cobbled together a suit of powered armor built from trophies the team acquired on previous missions (a Viper heavy blaster here, an alien power source there, etc) and became a full superhero from that.. I also had a mage who developed a new style of magic, technomancy, and became a hero to legitimize it.
  21. If you want to have it be an illusion you could go with Images with limitations. If you want to go extreme, you could buy Invisibility and call it the ultimate illusion with the special effect of no one noticing who you really are (which is kind of like being invisible).
  22. Well in a sense the speedster is the biggest threat. I play a little loose with the rules to speed up combat but the speedster is able to disarm 3 or 4 people with one action (and good rolls). When you have a force of 12, that's a significant reduction in firepower. Plus, I figure it's pretty easy to go to your local hardware store and pick up a length of chain. The one near my place has a bunch of different types on spools for your convenience. Plus, there was a fashion fad of using chains as belts so you have a dual purpose. Just clip your gun to your belt and hope it will get yanked out of the speedster's hands when he grabs it. And even if they are just your basic baddies, it doesn't mean there's not a boss who is smarter than the rest pulling the strings and planning ambushes.
  23. I started a superhero campaign in my group and we have a speedster who likes to grab the guns of multiple gangbangers doing a move by disarm. It worked well the first few times so the bangers were prepared when they tried to ambush the heroes by using velcro. I simulated that with some extra STR to resist disarms. It didn't work out well for them so next time they try an ambush they're going to attach a chain to the gun (probably along the bottom of the handle) and either wrap it around their waist like a belt or secure it to a parking meter, street lamp, fire hydrant etc. So my question is, what happens rules-wise when the speedster suddenly realizes the gun he just grabbed is tied to something heavier? Does he get yanked back like a dog who forgot he was on a choke chain in a Warner Brother's cartoon? Does the chain will snap? Does gangbanger gets dragged along? What? Thanks!
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