Northstar

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The novel adaptation of the Fantastic Four movie. (Yes, I couldn't wait...) It was not bad, written by Peter David, whom I mentioned elsewhere this evening in reference to his work on X-Factor. I thought that I would hate the new Dr. Doom... actually, he is portrayed pretty well -if- you can get over that it isn't the classic Dr. D we all grew up with. It's Johnny & Reed who bother me. Johnny is depicted to be way too much of a pain in the ass, & Reed is portrayed as a science nerd with poor self esteem. (Instead of being the confident leader/father figure he is/was in the classic series.) I believe this is how they are depicted in the Ultimate series, whence from the new Doom is also drawn, but I've not read it. My impression though is that the movie will still be pretty damn cool. The story makes a lot more logical sense minus the Stan Lee Silly Science, & do I understand why they went with this rendition. Hurry, June, go by! July almost here!

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What key is this song in? A: That's why our user titles all disappeared!

Re: Characters for Hero High Name: Johnny Geller Sex: Dude Race: Dirty white boy Ethnic Group: Stoner Height/Weight: 5'9" / 146 lbs. Eye Color: Blue Hair Color/Style: Brown / Long, pony tail Distinguishing Feature: Permanent high General Appearance: Retro hippy/stoner type Grade: 11th School Social Grouping: Dope-head School Club: Flower children of the new millenium Significant Skill/Ability/Talent: Personality: Mellow, dude... Positive Trait: Mellow, dude... Negative Trait: Melow, dude... Quirks: Doesn't play or like video games (Only one of two guys at school who doesn't. The other one is retarded and blind.) Any Fears/Manias/Mental Problems?: That he'll lose his part-time job at the used record store and won't be able to afford pot any more. Religion: Hare Krishna Any Strong Opinion on Todays issues? "All we are saying is, like, give peace a chance. Dude." Does NPC Drink? and if so, what/how often: Beer only if can't get pot. Does NPC take drugs? and if so what/how often: Reeeefffffeerr, dude! As much as possible! Bob Marley knew what he was talking about! Basic Family Structure: Mom only, burned out, aging hippy babe. Tells Johnny he was immaculately conceived by the spirit of Lama Baghanda while she was in Hawaii. (Actually, she had sex with over twenty partners while there, dad was one of them... ) Short Background: Like, isn't it self explanatory at this point... dude? Have a toke, & we'll listen to some Floyd or Zepplin!

Re: Character for review -- Polaris I should have mentioned... yeah... disads and background skills are still a work in progress. I just wanted to get oppinions on the power set while I'm completing the character. Agent, thanks, good suggestions on all acounts. Hawksmoor, sure, would love to see a copy of Turbine... noticed he's not clickable yet from the GGU site. I remember when you sent the character's pic to the mercs list, I was curious what the power set was exactly... thought maybe kinetic energy or such. Sounds like a great design. As to formatting characters for the boards... well, there's two ways you could do it. You could hand code the html, or else buy and use a copy of HeroDesigner which is what I did. It is useful for posting characters here, amongst other things. It has an export function with numerous outputs, including one specifically for the HERO boards...

The one I'll be playing in the new Global Guardians 5 campaign. Magnetic power set, ala Magneto and Polaris, the latter whose name I also appropriated. (Magnetic based chararcters are really tough to name. Anything with magnet or derivations thereof in it tends to sound pretty dopey... the only other I came up with I somewhat liked was Magnos... and even that sounded too much like a villain or an action figure by Matel. ) Given 500 points to play with, I really made it a point to expand his powers beyond the typical EB/TK/FF/FW combo attributed to characters with magnetic powers. I thought of throwing in a small VPP to account for some of the more unusual things magnetism can do, but I'm aware VPP often doesn't make it past audit in GGU. In the end though I was happy with what I could cover with an MP/EC combo. But I'd still be interested to hear from anybody who has created a useful effect for magnetic powers that I didn't cover here... PolarisPlayer: Brian Shaffner Val Char Cost 13 STR 3 23 DEX 39 23 CON 26 10 BODY 0 14 INT 4 15 EGO 10 16 PRE 6 18 COM 4 10/30 PD 7 12/32 ED 7 6 SPD 27 9 REC 2 46 END 0 40 STUN 11 6" RUN02" SWIM02 1/2" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 146Cost Power END 90 Magnetic Mastery: Multipower, 90-point reserve 12m 1) Magnetic attraction / repulsion: Telekinesis (60 STR) (90 Active Points); Works only on ferrous metals Limited Group of Objects (-1/2) 9 15m 2) Electromagnetic bolt: Energy Blast 15d6 (75 Active Points) 7 15m 3) Magnetic force barrier: Force Wall (15 PD/15 ED) (75 Active Points) 7 15m 4) Generate magnetic field: Change Environment 32" radius, +7 Points of Telekinetic STR, Varying Effect Very Limited Group (+1/4) (75 Active Points) 7 5u 5) Gimme those! : Telekinesis (22 STR), Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1), Selective (+1/4) (74 Active Points); Only ferrous metal objects Limited Group of Objects (-1/2) 7 7m 6) Wrapped with love & scrap metal: Entangle 7d6, 7 DEF (70 Active Points); OIF (Appropriate materials of opportunity; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2) 7 7u 7) It was working... : Dispel electronic device powers 8d6, All Powers Simultaneously (+2) (72 Active Points) 7 7u 8) Supress magnetic / electromagnetic fields 7d6, Area Of Effect (4" Radius; +1) (70 Active Points) 7 5u 9) Absorption 15d6 (energy, END Reserve) (75 Active Points); Only effective vs. magnetism, electrical or electromagnetic energy (-1/2) 0 20 Magnetic Mastery II: Elemental Control, 40-point powers 20 1) Magnetic force aura: Force Field (20 PD/20 ED) (40 Active Points) 4 25 2) Magnetic propulsion: Flight 20", x4 Noncombat (45 Active Points) 4 20 3) Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); Only vs. electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic energy Power loses about half of its effectiveness (-1) 0 30 Perceive magnetic fields and auras: Detect A Class Of Things 15- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Range, Sense, Tracking 0 36 Internal power reserves: Endurance Reserve (200 END, 16 REC) (36 Active Points) 0 Powers Cost: 329Cost Skill 5 KS 14- 4 Artistic Skill 15- 5 PS 14- Everyman Skills (Cost: 0 Points) 0 1) Acting 8- 0 2) CA: Northern 11- 0 3) Climbing 8- 8 4) Computer Programming (Personal Computers, Cyberspace, Local Networks) 14- 0 5) Concealment 8- 0 6) Conversation 8- 0 7) Deduction 8- 0 8) Language: English (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 0 9) Paramedics 8- 0 10) Persuasion 8- 0 11) PS: Scientific research 15- 0 12) Shadowing 8- 0 13) Stealth 8- 0 14) TF: Custom Adder, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles Global Guardians Package (Cost: 3) 5 1) Fringe Benefit: International Police Powers 3 2) Criminology 12- 3 3) Deduction 12- 3 4) KS: Known Superhuman Criminals (INT-Based Roll) 3 5) Paramedics 12- 8 6) Team Base Donation 28 7) Team Communicator -20 8) Hunted by Tarot 8 or less -20 9) Monitored by All of the World's News Agencies 11 or less -10 10) Social Limitation: Celebrity Skills Cost: 25Val Disadvantages 15 Dependent NPC: Randi Cross 11- (Normal) 20 Psychological Limitation: Will not kill (Common, Total) 15 Social Limitation: Secret identity (Frequently, Major) 10 Social Limitation: Reacts strongly against those who attempt to stifle freedom of expression (Occasionally, Major) 10 Social Limitation: Reacts badly towards religious biggots or holier than thou types (Occasionally, Major) Disadvantage Points: 70Base Points: 350Experience Required: 80Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 500 Height: 1.80 m Hair: Black, silver-white highlights Weight: 77.00 kg Eyes: Silver-gray Appearance: Morgan's eyes are an unusual silver-gray color. His hair is jet black, but has a silvery-white highlight under bright light. He wears it on the longish side, generally parted to the left. Morgan is strikingly good looking, and it tends to draw more attention than he is comfortable with. He is barely an inch shy of being six feet tall and has the lean, lightly muscled physique of a runner. As to costumes... he has been through several already and yet to settle on one. The most recent is a fairly simple affair that consists of a dark blue base, with black and silver accents. In any event, he does conceal his identity and wears a mask, the sort that covers the mid region of the face, which he reckons is enough to do the trick. One of his costumes sported a cape, but after it caught in a door at an inopportune time, he has eschewed them ever since.Personality: Quote:"Magnetic powers have taken a bad rap since Ian McKellan played that guy with the funny helmet in that movie. I'm here to prove good guys can wield'em too." Background: Powers/Tactics: Polaris is a master of magnetic forces, which he can harness for numerous effects. He may manipulate existing magnetic or electromagnetic fields, or generate his own. He may lift and manipulate metal objects, or people or things with metal attached to them. His powers are incredibly strong in this regard, and he may lift up to 100 tons. He can wield magnetic force as electromagnetic bolts or force fields for use as personal defense or defense of others. He has learned how to magnetically propulse himself in order to fly as well. He can absorb electromagnetic or electrical energy directed at him in order to replenish his own energy levels. Polaris can perceive magnetic and electromagnetic fields and phenomena. He can recognize other living beings by their magnetic auras, which are distinct to him.Campaign Use:

Re: Calling Marvel fanatics The first time I saw the Beast drawn that way, I thought it was just the artist's bad rendering. Then I found out he was actually -supposed- to look that way. Ugh. I suppose Frost's being able to go all diamondy does sort of fit the character, and does serve to differentiate her from various other mutant telepaths. Overall though, I think the whole secondary mutation thing is pretty lame. The only X title I can really stand reading these days is the Ultimates. I'd rather just wipe the characters' slates clean, and have some consistancy in the story, than try to grasp all the bizarre changes these characters have been through over the past three decades or so. Of course, comics are not novels, and it's just the nature of the genre, to some extent.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Why did the Cylons not care they had only a single eye that bounced back and forth across their foreheads? A: It smells like Fabreeze!

Re: Are Guns considered killing damage? Just remember... Guns don't kill people, Killing Attacks do...

Re: Early Marvel Age x Silver Age The elements you point out are personally the reasons I preferred Marvel characters to DC when I started reading comics in the 70's. Most of them communicated as more three dimensional. But comics today are another level up. (or down, perhaps) Characters go beyond just being ill tempered or idiosyncratic. They are sometimes fully neurotic, perverse or just plain a**holes. And superheroes commonly die in the stories of today. (Three Avengers biting it in the span of two issues, as happened in Disassembled, would -never- have taken place in the Silver age.) They rarely did in the Silver Marvel mags-- it was more likely supporting characters or villains that bit the dust, not the main characters. Btw, congrats on expanding your horizons. Personally, I think it's a relief in many ways to be over 30 and freed of the onus of affected coolness...

Re: Character for review -- Pandemonium Okay, THAT is way dastardly! Repped!

Re: First Round TKO I lean towards the x3 rule as well. To be honest, I don't back off on modifying dice rolls occasionaly. While I realize the dice serve to emulate the randomness and variability of RL situations, these games are based on comics, not RL. Story integrity always outranks dice throws to me.

Another one for my Stroud's Mercs campaign. (Players-- OUT!!! ) This is a corrupted mentalist. I want to make him as creepy and unnerving as possible. Particularly to the hero team's innocent and unfledged menalist. Of course, much of that will come from the way his powers are used, and the setting. But I'd be very eager to hear of any power suggestions or tactics anyone has used for evil mentalists that were especially sinister or depraved. The lower the better. Don't hold back. Here's what I have thus far: Pandemonium Player: NPC Val Char Cost 10 STR 0 18 DEX 24 15 CON 10 10 BODY 0 18 INT 8 29 EGO 38 18 PRE 8 7 COM -1 5/25 PD 3 7/27 ED 4 5 SPD 22 15 REC 20 40 END 5 23 STUN 0 6" RUN02" SWIM02" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 141 Cost Power END 75 Corrupted Mentalism: Multipower, 75-point reserve 7u 1) Winnow will: Drain EGO 7 1/2d6 (75 Active Points) 7 7u 2) Ego Whip: Ego Attack 7 1/2d6 (75 Active Points) 7 7u 3) Frozen in terror : Entangle 4d6, 3 DEF, Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense applies; +1) (70 Active Points) 7 6u 4) Group Hallucination: Sight, Hearing, Mental, Radio and Smell/Taste Groups Images 1" radius, Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense applies; +1) (60 Active Points) 6 3u 5) Negative image : Invisibility to Sight, Hearing, Mental and Radio Groups (35 Active Points) 3 7u 6) Phantasms: Mental Illusions 15d6 (Human class of minds) (75 Active Points) 7 7u 7) Dance to my tune: Mind Control 15d6 (Human class of minds) (75 Active Points) 7 15m 8) I see minds... they're everywhere: Mind Scan 15d6 (Human class of minds) (75 Active Points) 7 7u 9) Living Poltergeist: Psychokinesis (50 STR) (75 Active Points) 7 7u 10) Cerebral Voyeur: Telepathy 15d6 (Human class of minds) (75 Active Points) 7 7u 11) Psychic leech: Transfer 5d6 (EGO to EGO) (75 Active Points) 7 7u 12) Psychic leech II: Transfer 5d6 (EGO to END) (75 Active Points) 7 4u 13) Mental shroud: Darkness to Mental Group 8" radius (40 Active Points) 4 10 Levitation: Flight 5" 1 15 Psionic reserves: Endurance Reserve (150 END, 5 REC) Reserve: (20 Active Points); Only for mental powers Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (-1/2) 0 40 Psychokinetic shield: Force Field (20 PD/20 ED) 4 20 Mental Awareness, Discriminatory, Analyze, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Tracking 0 14 Mental Defense (20 points total) 0 Powers Cost: 265 Total Character Cost: 406 Val Disadvantages 10 Distinctive Features: Ill kempt, crazy looking man with bad teeth (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 20 Psychological Limitation: Perverse love for playing mind games (Very Common, Strong) 10 Reputation: Insane psionicist, 14- (Known Only To A Small Group) Disadvantage Points: 40 Base Points: 270 Experience Required: 96 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: journal of a hero

Re: Character for review -- Carnage I like that. Definitely add that one into the mix...

Re: Character for review -- Carnage Revisions I've already decided on: 1) The find weakness ability is gonna be deleted. Revisions under strong consideration: 1) Increasing his vulnerability modifiers to 2X. (The heroes have a member with EM/electrical based powers, so that will be a plus for them. ) 2) Deleting the crippling blow talent. 3) Getting rid of the RKA. 4) Dropping KA maximums to 4D6 5) Lowering the Armor maximums. (Yeah, I did get a bit carried away in retrospect... however he does need to be powerful enough to deal with possibly being gang piled by several members of the team.)

Actually, a villain NPC. This one is for my GGU campaign, Stroud's Mercs. (So Hawksmoor or any other of my players who might haunt these boards... now is the time to stop reading! You've been warned... ) Any constructive input here is appreciated. I am in the process of relearning HERO after some time away, so forgive any less than flawless workmanship. (That's why I'm soliciting your opinions.) The situation: My players' characters are built on a standard 350 pt. basis and there are six of them. Carnage is leader of a team of four (total) villains whom they will be facing off against shortly. The characters are supposed to be outmatched... it is their very first combat as a team and they are going to be warned of the danger. I want the odds somewhat against them, yet not to any gigantic or gross extent. (No, I'm not that sort of GM.) Their assignment is actually to subdue Carnage and deliver him to the person who has contracted their services. If they're clever, they will devise a way to seperate him from the rest of his team rather than have to slug it out to the bitter end with all of them, though that may well prove necessary. The power concept for this villain is a metahuman (that's mutant in GGU vernacular) who exudes an 'extraderm' (i.e. second skin) which is a bio metallic (literally living metal) substance, the solidity of which he can vary at will between a mercury like liquidity to harder than steel. Given the homicidal nature of this bloke, it is most commonly used to form some combination of bladed talons/weaponry and armor. Among other things, I'm thinking the Find Weakness ability may be a little much in combo with his H & RKA's. (As a note, the other three villains will be built on lower point totals... he is their leader by power.) Enough preamble, this is him: CarnagePlayer: NPC Val Char Cost 23 STR 13 29 DEX 57 23 CON 26 15 BODY 10 14 INT 4 19 EGO 18 20 PRE 10 10 COM 0 10/40 PD 5 10/40 ED 5 6 SPD 21 18 REC 16 50 END 2 50 STUN 11 6" RUN02" SWIM016 1/2" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 198Cost Power END 75 Bio Metallic Morphable Extraderm: Multipower, 75-point reserve 15m 1) This is why they call me... (Various sharp contrivances to produce blood & more blood) : HKA 5d6 (6d6+1 w/STR) (75 Active Points) 7 15m 2) Death at a distance (Various bladed projectiles) : Killing Attack - Ranged 5d6 (75 Active Points) 7 15m 3) Hard as steel: Armor (25 PD/25 ED) (75 Active Points) 6m 4) Hooks & anchors: Knockback Resistance -15" (30 Active Points) 2u 5) Instant shield: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) (20 Active Points) 2m 6) Instant springs: Leaping +12" (16 1/2" forward, 8" upward) (12 Active Points) 1 5m 7) Limited only by the imagination: Various HTH augmentations: Hand-To-Hand Attack +8d6 (40 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 4 5m 8) Protrude hooks: Clinging (63 STR) (23 Active Points) 30 Doctorate in hurting others: Find Weakness 11- with All Attacks 15 Hard as steel: Armor (5 PD/5 ED) 3 Seamless armor : Lack Of Weakness (-5) for Normal Defense (5 Active Points); Linked (Hard as steel; Seamless armor - no joints or chinks visible; -1/2) 8 Fierce Will: Mental Defense (12 points total) Powers Cost: 196Cost Skill 5 Acrobatics 16- 3 Breakfall 15- 3 Defense Maneuver I 3 Disguise 12- 3 Interrogation 13- 3 Stealth 15- Skills Cost: 20Cost Talent 16 Crippling Blow Talents Cost: 16Val Disadvantages 10 Distinctive Features: Bio Metallic Extraderm (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Enraged: When humiliated or made to look weak or ineffectual (Uncommon), go 11-, recover 11- 10 Hunted: Paladin (Avenging hero, his cousin) 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 5 Physical Limitation: Physiology requires special medical treatment (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 10 Psychological Limitation: Vindictive and vengeful (Common, Moderate) 20 Psychological Limitation: Sadist (Very Common, Strong) 20 Psychological Limitation: Very arrogant and self assured (Very Common, Strong) 10 Reputation: Cold blooded, sadistic mercenary, 14- (Known Only To A Small Group) 15 Social Limitation: Considers normal humans as cattle (Frequently, Major) 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN EM blasts/fields (Common) 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Electrical / lightning (Common) 10 Rivalry: Professional (The Reaper, death themed villain with scythe & similar 'tastes'.) , Rival is As Powerful, Seek to Harm or Kill Rival, Rival Aware of Rivalry Disadvantage Points: 145Base Points: 285Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 430 Height: 1.90 m Hair: Brown Weight: 90.00 kg Eyes: Brown Appearance: Personality: Quote:"Some people have a very difficult time getting the point. Let me assist you."Background: Powers/Tactics: Fights to win and inflict maximum pain and bloodshed in the doing of it.Campaign Use: Leader of Omega

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Why is this thread running so long, and what can be done about it?

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What did Anna Nicole Smith get from her divorce? A: The chunky, NOT the creamy.

Re: Answers & Questions

Re: Answers & Questions Q: H I J K L M N.... ?? A: Don't do that with peanut butter!!

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Saints alive! That donkey is buidling a fusion device?? A: Ham & pineapple pizza

Re: Answers & Questions Q: The extension cord is frayed-- what shall I use to power this vibrator? A: A veritable cornucopia

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What is a completely ill advised way for a single woman to try and pleasure herself? A: Ahhggh!!! It burns, it burns!!!

Re: The cranky thread Right now I am hold with with the Host provider my business partner and I use. (1and1.com... AVOID!) We've had nothing but trouble with them since the outset... both with the site and the e-mail. Insult to injury: I've been on hold about 15 min. now... the song selection has been (no joke) Puff the Magic Dragon, If I had a Hammer & Tom Dooley. ARRGGHHH!!!! My thanity, my thanity...

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat "It's been a rough day. I'm feelin' sorta wooly... "