Alverant

I have a Technomage character and I'm considering a new spell. Being a mage means you have a reason to use unusual powers, advantages, and limitations to achieve the desired special effect (sometimes to the point of bending the rules) and an urban/techno mage is more so. The idea is to create a field which causes a particular malfunction to occur in machines or electronics. The nature of this malfunction must be narrowly focused resulting in only a particular type of technology to be effected.

I was going to buy a Penetrating RKA with Radius and a -1 Vari Lim (for -1/2). The trick is that the available limitations would be "Only Against _____". You fill in the blank with a type of technology that would be worth a -1 or more under normal circumstances. For example Guns, Blasters, Gernades, Boot Jets, Computers, Radios, Nonpowered Armor, Engines, and so on. The player (me) would have to describe what the malfunction would be and the GM would decide what is effected and how. If I said "the gun barrels get squeezed so the bullet can't come out" then the GM would decide if the Viper agents blasters would qualify. The Sonic Screamer and other weapons that don't have a barrel per se would be immune until I cast it again with the FX of the power packs overloading (in which case the normal guns would be immune).

As an option if its too powerful, I was also thinking of the spell causing a fixable problem. Computer would need rebooting, guns ungammed, power packs put back in, armor restrapped, that sort of thing. I figure that would be a -1/2.

Would this power be acceptable with or without the option?

Re: Tacky, tacky, tacky !!!!

I've been using this pic for The King of Kung Fu:

I remember in a Ninja High School comic there was a villain who was an Elvis impersonator who got magic powers and called himself Spelvis. I wanted to do a write up of him, but I don't know enough about Elvis songs to make it believable. For that I'd need an Elvis fan and how many fans would make an evil version of him?

Re: Super-Strength Smash-Through Question

you need the "trigger takes no time" one if you want to do it instantaneously

I thought that was the "mental command" trigger was for. I don't use that advantage very often so I might have been confused. It's the same cost either way.

Could I buy another inch of Tunneling with this power to make a 2 hex wide hole (FX is smashing each fist into adjcent hexes, knocking down the walls)? Also if I bought Trigger (mental command) could I use the second inch on a second wall? For example if the character was running from one room, across the hall, to a second room, could he use one inch on the first door and the second inch on the other door? (Likewise since the power would not be bought for walls/doors only, it could be used to smash through floors multiple floors while falling, assuming it was an intentional fall.)

Tunneling 2" 10 DEF Trigger (mental command) 1/4, 0END (61 Active Points)

No Non-combat -1/4, only vs barriers 1/2" or less -1/2

35 Character Points

Re: Money in Superheroic campaigns

In the old How To Be A Superhero book, they have a very practical use for wealth that a superhero can use. (I'll pharaphrase to make it Champions compatable.)

Nest Leader: Get him my cronies!

Hero: Wait! How much are you guys getting paid?

Agent 1: $500 a week but we have to buy our own blasters.

Agent 2: Plus we have to pay for medical and go dutch on gas.

Hero: Work for me and I'll pay you $1500 a week, medical and dental included.

Nest Leader: Get him! Get him!

Hero: What do you say?

Agents: Yeah!

Hero: Get him MY cronies!

Nest Leader: $750 arugh! $800 Oww my spleen! $1000, no I give up, I give up!

Re: Is anyone running Galactic Champions?

Is there still room in that game for another player? I do have the books except for Worlds of Empire.

Re: Is anyone running Galactic Champions?

I imagine it's a useful tool for the writers - place someone in readers can more easily identify with (at least with "where they come from") and use them to explore the differences' date=' etc. Rest of the characters would take a Mark Seven Doomaflatchey for granted, but out-of-time guy's never heard of it before. Superboy, Vance Astro, Buck Rogers, etc.[/quote']

 

Yeah, they should have made a list of GC character types like that, the immortal (been around since before the previous type's time), backwater world (like the "guy out of time" but from a "primitive" planet), and so forth. Actually I can only think of these three extra types and they are all represented in Champs 3000. What other ones are there?

Re: Mystical Hero Team Archetypes

This talk got me wondering, what happens if a robotist creates an advanced robot body and is able to give it life through the kaballist method of creating golems. Would it be a magical or technological being? (keep in mind the only thing magical about the now-sentient robot is its soul)

Re: Mystical Hero Team Archetypes

Wow! I didn't think I was going to suggest this one first: Reformed Big Bad. Sure' date=' back in the day, you were all hot on the bloodletting and tormenting, but not any more. Now, for some reason (got a soul, or a curse or some other outside influence) you work for the side of Good, or at least the side of Good with a heavy dose of snark and naughtiness.[/quote']

 

The anime vampire, Hellsing, joined the good-guys because the vampire population has exploded with wannabes, thrill-seekers, goth-extremists, and others not worthy of being a vampire (in his opinion). By working with the good-guys he gets to eliminate the undesireable vampires and get the support and protection of their organization. In doing so he's not hunted as much and gets a steady supply of blood from hospitals. So the Reformed Big Bad could just wise up and go to the winning side out of self-preservation or other ulterior motive. I suspect once the vampire population is back to normal, Hellsing will quit and go back to his ways.

Re: Mystical Hero Team Archetypes

One archtype I think you left out is Magical Creation that includes PC elementals, golems, and mudane people who have been changed by magic. This does overlap the others you listed. Elemantal creatures or their life source could come from another dimension. Frankenstien's monster is a flesh golem. Werewolves and mummies were once ordinary people until magic touched them. But I think it's still worth mentioning because it covers more. A mortal's soul transfered to a suit of armor, a person half-fused to a demon, etc. I am assuming dimensional wanderers include angels and devils.

Re: Big Question: How did superpowers come about in your campaign?

How you answer the question affects what kind of heroes you can have. In 4th Ed, Obsidian was an alien prince. His background implied half the population had similar powers. That wouldn't really fly in 5th edition since it made Earth the center of the magical event which made superpowers possible. If you reverse the positions, it's like superpowers suddenly became possible without reason. (Then according to the future history of 5th edition, vanishing for no reason.) So you don't really have to have a reason because the real cause happened on another planet.

I was working on an idea that a scientist on the other side of the universe accidently created a second big bang with a second set of physical laws which overlapped our own. This expansion wave encompassed the universe in a few centuries (there was a new maximum speed limit) and after it passed, superpowers became possible.

The only origin this forbids is the "ancient hero" unless there is something about the original physical laws allowed for it.

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

One thing you have to watch out for when you have a theme team are vilians who are particularlyeffective against that theme. An all gadget/powered armor/robot team wouldn't do well against the Anti-tech League (from 4th ed) who had EMP and other powers that were extra-effective against technology. Likewise what would an all-brick team do against a desolid or flying target? When making a theme, you have to be sure you keep your bases covered. Granted you couldn't have gadgets which affected minds or a magical robot, it's just a little harder to justify.

I had an idea for a sciences based team. "Physics" was a martial artist, "Biology" was a Beast Boy style metamorph, "E-M" (electromangatism) was your energy protector, "Astromony" had travel, enhanced perceptions, and strength abilities, "Q-M" (quantum mechanics) had the unusual powers like teleport and desolid, "Chemistry" had unusual attacks like knockout gas, acids, flash. "Psychology" was the team mentalist.

Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns

One idea an old GM tried is that the gods are manifisataions of mortal belief in them. Their personalities, abilities, and appearance is a reflection on how their worshipers picture them. They derive power from worship, not just prayer but using their symbols or domains. For example Hermes, god of healers, is worshiped in every hospital or doctor's office that uses his symbol (careus?? the twin snakes around a staff). One of the mystic books in 5th ed has Bachuus receiving worship when anyone listens to his CDs. On the other hand Thor, Heracules, and Gilgamesh were influenced by their Marvel Comics reincarnations. Posiden adopted automobiles in additions to horses since they are a means of transportation. New gods have to pick new domains or share the worship from existing ones. We once met the newly appointed the god of fiber optics.

I didn't realize it at first, but it fell apart when it came to the Abarmaic religions since their God is infinitely powerful. By defination it means that no matter how much worship and belief you pump into it, it will never be enough. Worse because the images and beliefs of said God were so diverse among the faithful, the result was a perpetually incomplete god with multiple personality disorder. Fortunately the campaign ended before this came up. But I think all of us figured it out.

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

I’ve started doing some preliminary work on making a villain team themed around the seven deadly sins. There would be Lust' date=' as a mind controlling seductress (maybe go male just to break the stereotype), Gluttony a Blob like character, Wrath a martial arts specialist, Envy uses illusions etc.[/quote']

 

What may keep your interest in this team is to build them around the other aspects of the sins. For example Lust is "intense desire" according to Mr.Webster. So instead of a seducer, how about a telekenitic who grabs whatever she wants or a Transfer/Mimic who takes what she wants from others (it would be a short term copy because she'd always be going after the next target, Lust is temporary and is always looking for something new). Actually the Transfer/Mimic might work better for Envy.

 

For Gluttony, instead of a Blob, how about one that encourages the target to be Gluttonous? Make him so skinny it makes everyone around him look fat. So strong is the illusion that those around him suffer a movement and END drain.

 

I guess in the end when working on a theme or even a name for an NPC consider the other meanings that come after the most common. It makes them distinct in the minds of the player.

Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns

God and the Big S don't show up in the comics much' date=' if at all (I can't think of one appearence off hand. Well I'm sure the Big S has made a few.) [/quote']

 

There was an early issue of The Savage Dragon (#3X I think) where, when having a near-death experience, God and Satan got in a fight. Satan fought dirty, who would have guessed. There are two versions of this issue. In one after defeating Satan, God shouts "Don't mess with God!". The other has God saying a more "iron age" word in place of "mess" as a center page poster. I remember a bit of dialog. (Hopefully this won't be too offsensive...)

 

Dragon: Wait, what happens when you die?

God: Whatever you believe will happen happens. You are an atheist, so when you die you will cease to exist.

D: I can live with that. Wait, if I solidly believe I'll spend eternity making love to leggy supermodels, that will happen?

G: Yes

D: (surprised) Woah boy.

I recently heard "Rocket Ride" by Tom Smith at a convention and it got me thinking. As I understand it Pulp hero is the world of pre-Golden age. Good and evil were clear cut. Plots were straightforward and resolved quickly and completely. There was also a space "version" where you had rockets with tail fins, villians with style and knew how to wear a cape, bubble helmets, space pirates, real heroes who are not all muscles and guns. Ignore little details like light speed, gravity, and steam in a vacuum. I mean ignore it, not explain it with technobabble. Will this be in the Pulp Hero book?

And if there is a Star Pulp hero, why not a Fantasy Pulp hero? I guess it raises the question of what is pulp hero and is it restricted to private detectives wearing cool trenchcoats?

Re: Is anyone running Galactic Champions?

I'm not exactly sure most of the Legion of Superheroes were that powerful. Yes' date=' Superboy, Mon-El, and Ultraboy had some power but most of the DC Heroes write-ups had the Legion members in the 10-15 AP range [which basically converts to 10-15d6'].

Agreed. Most of the members had one main power then the rest are generally power stunts they wound up paying for.

I don't believe GC was trying to emulate the Legion. I think DOJ made a conscious choice to present a high-powered campaign for the players to enjoy and chose GC as the platform for that. DOJ justified this by saying magic is more powerful in the future, and so super-powers are more powerful as well. Fans wanted rules for high-powered games and so DOJ gave it to them in GC [in much the same way Teen Champions represents low-powered play].

 

One of the big turn offs to the meta-verse idea has just been that I need to own so many books to get the complete picture [and even after owning almost everything I still don't have the complete picture]. I'd much rather see books written in a way that makes them useful to multiple campaign worlds [WoE usable for TE, AW, and GC] then to see individual books that I probably will never buy. It seems to me that too many pieces are scattered across too many book. That's great for DOJ if you can get the fans to buy them all, but it doesn't appear as though they are.

 

I'd rather see $30.00 250 page books which can give me information I can use to play in several related genres then $25.00 160 page books which don't give me enough information to easily play in one genre. GC could be a great genre to play in. As it is right now though I need too many other books just to get basic information [like race templates] to play the game, and it just requires too much work on my part to get even a basic game started.

Again I agree. To me, one of the biggest problems with a meta-campaign is that you have to find some way to link them all. How do you justify going from high fantasy to low fantasy to historical to pulp to superhero to cyberpunk to future war to space opera, to finally galactic superhero? The waxing and waning of magic is good but it puts the kabosh on a campaign that has long-term game time plans. In Fantasy Hero, before the characters get old, Takoclees (I can't spell his name, the evil lich with the crown) takes over the world. In Champions, you have until the year 2020 to do what you want to do because then the magic that makes supers possible is gone. Talk about a lousy retirement plan!

On the other hand you have the appeal of linking every campaign together, it has the "cool" effect as well as an excuse for campaign crossovers (not that it's the only excuse). Your fighter in fantasy hero could bury his magic sword so his superhero could conveniently find it which in turn can be carried to a distant planet by a Terran Explorer then rediscovered by an alien swordsman. But the odds of anything like that happening appear to be less than the odds of someone feeling like they have to buy lots of books for a complete campaign picture. (I bought Valdorian Hero for that very reason.)

On a side note, is it me or does every future superhero team have some poor guy from our time?

Re: Is anyone running Galactic Champions?

Matter-Eater lad at 699 pts? Is there any way you can send me/post the character? I don't know much about that incarnation of LoS, but his main power in the next-to-current (I stopped when they reset everything ... AGAIN) his main power, eating anything, can be defined in less than 45 pts. Life support (does not eat with limitation of must eat something) and a 1 or 2 DC of HKA with 0END and NND Does Body (defense is energy force field).

How far does their equipment go towards the point totals? From what I've read, a few of them are cosmic level, but the rest are standard heroes, if that. A few may violate established campaign limits by the concept of their power (Triplicate has 2 duplicates which may have more active points than allowed).

Re: Power Rangers

2 Anime episodes and 9 manga tankoubons for Shinesman(I should know. I have all nine/Still learning kanji. I have Katakana and Hiragna down) Let me guess, the color you had to look up was sepia.

 

Just toss the Shinesman into a Champions universe and watch the fun.

Yep, "a dark redish brown color" (because I know people will want to know what it is). Crayola never made one for this. Except for red, this was the most muted group of colors I've seen.

Re: [Humour]SciFi TV Quotes

I have to wonder, is it fair to use Red Dwarf. To get all of them, we'd have to put the complete scripts.

Kryten: What do we do now?

Rimmer: Follow the Rimmer-shaped blurr (runs away)

Everyone else: (runs in another direction)

Rimmer: There's one flaw in your plan.

Kryten: No sir, I took your cowardess into account

Rimmer: Can you imagine an entire society based on me?

Cat: I did and it took me two weeks to dry out the matress.

Rimmer (sans bitterness): The Cat had his cool sucked out of him. Now he looks so geeky he couldn't get in a science fiction convention.

Lister: A fistfight with a T-rex?

Killcrazy: Yeah! They have short arms, no reach!

Rimmer: What about the Rimmer directive which states, "Never tangle with anything that's got more teeth than the entire Osmond family?"

Rimmer: forgive me if I'm being thicker than the offspring of a village idiot and a TV weathergirl...

Cat: Raise the defensive shields!

Kryten: An excellent idea sir but with just two minor drawbacks. One, we don't have any defensive shields and two we don't have any defensive shields. I know that is technically one reason but it was so glaring that it is worth mentioning twice.

Re: Power Rangers

 

The anime Shinesman is a send-up of the various battle teams.

 

Oh yes, can't forget the Shinesman with their fantastic colors (one color I had to look up the dictionary) and their awesome weapons. Too bad there were just two episodes. There's a thread in the Star Hero section about funny quotes from sci-fi. I wonder if anime counts....

Re: [Humour]SciFi TV Quotes

I'm surprised Stargate SG-1 or Red Dwarf or Mystery Science Theater 3000 haven't seen much here. Well since RD MST3K are comedy series maybe I should leave them out here and stick with SG-1.

Jack: Te'lek take point and look scary.

Extra: But Anubis is a god!

Te'lek: False god. Dead false god.

Jack: Wait, isn't he on our list of powerful DEAD bad guys?

Well how about two from the MST3K movie:

Crow: Well look at that "breach hull, I'll die" even had it underlined.

Crow: Believe me Mike I calculated the odds of this succeeding vs the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid; and I went ahead anyway.

(I use this to explain the difference between INT and WIS in D&D)

Re: City of Heroes writeups

Also baseball bat and sledge hammer tend to do more damage than pistols.

What about the thrown rocks in Brickstown? A Colt 45 has nothing on a pepple tossed at you by an escaped prisoner.

Re: City of Heroes writeups

The big problem I see is that some powers won't translate well into Hero. As early as lv6 (out of 50) you can get this power that teleports an enemy from 200 yards away to right next to you even without line of sight. (You have to see the enemy to target him, but the target sticks so you can run around the corner.) A quick Champions conversion would make it:

Teleport 100" (200 yards), Useable Against Others, Ranged, Full Indirect, 0END, Only to pull foe to withing 5" of your location (-1), Full Phase 750 Active, 300 Real. (I made it 0END because in the game it does cost way less than 75% of your END)

It's a cool power and one I love using, but it would exceed even Galactic Champions limits.

On the other hand at a higher level you can get a defensive power that I'd put at 30 points or less. When converting the City of Heroes game to the Hero game system, there will be problems because of the nature of each game system. CoH is more action, Hero is more stradgic and detail oriented.

Re: Intelligent multipowers

Well I used this example because it was from the book so it's "official" which is also why I asked the question "what happens to the burning man?" But to be devil's advocate (not the superteam), how often will this happen? If it's once-a-game, then pay the points, but if it's a once-in-a-blue-moon, like a power stunt, save the rules mongering and let it stand. Why spend the points for a rare event? I revise my position, the best situation is to buy both powers linked together if it will be used often.

But my own example of the "disruptor" stands, it really is different effects for different situations. I'd go with Supreme Serpent's suggestion but it's expensive and puts more weight on the GM.