JSenecal

Re: Global Guardians - Champs by email (review) Overall your house is fine shape, as many people have said. Most of the problems stem from the sheer size of GG, the number of people involved, and the care taken to keep the game consistent. These problems (such as the audit delays) aren't going away. I can suggest two changes that would greatly reduce my stress, and I think the stress of others. First, confirm receipt of important messages. This would be character submissions (usually confirmed already), characters delivered to the auditor, characters delivered to the NPC Boss, and anything sent to the proofreader. Just a simple "Received" is enough to for the sender to know that the message wasn't lost in the internet, and that it will be processed in due time. As part of this, it should be spelled out on the site which messages will be acknowledged, and most importantly, how long a sender should wait for an acknowledgment before sending a followup message (with a warning of how irritating they are). Also put in an explanation that once acknowledged, that it may be a long time before anything is actually done with the request. As long as I know the message has been received, I have no problem with waiting for months (if need be) for it to be dealt with. Without a confirmation, I'm left wondering, torn between asking about the message (and possibly irritating the recipient), or waiting too long to where my input is ignored. Second is to make the audit more of a dialog. I have some concerns about suggesting this, since audits are slow enough already, but this has been a great source of pain to me. Perhaps the individual auditors could contact players about specific issues (changing framework types, disallowing frameworks, etc) at an earlier step in the audit process before all audit changes are cast in stone. Perhaps a "How an audit works" section could be put up on the web site. This would explain what should be expected, and how object and try to explain why you did things the way you did. And it could explain what changes are allowed when responding to auditor requested changes. Also I'd like to see more latitude in making changes. If the auditor directs cutting 3 points from the character, it seems reasonable to me to cut something that is more than 3 points, then spend the difference. And more importantly, the bigger the auditors changes, the more requested changes from the player should be allowed. Changing a framework type, or shifting powers out of a framework are big changes after all. I know you've had problems in the past with players trying to change things back the way they were. If they are just undoing the auditors changes, I agree, that is a problem. But if they are working with the auditors changes, and expanding on them to try and get the characer to be closer than what it is before, then that should be allowed even if it does mean another cycle of auditing. This hasn't been my experience in my most recent audit (as described above). I sent a polite message agreeing with the auditors changes, but doing more than just removing a few points. Although I had now complaints about the VPP being changed to a MP, I wanted the MP to work more like a VPP (1/2 phase to change powers). My polite message was rejected as "unwilling to cooperate". I still have the messages if anyone would like to see them.

Re: Global Guardians - Champs by email (review) Here's another review of the process of getting into a game: It does take a lot of work to get into a game. To start with you need to write a fully developed character background for the game you're interested in. Games are open for about a week to give you time to do this (though you can start early). Then the next game opens. It's rare for this kind of detail to be required for a face to face game, but it does make for a better game. Then you cross your fingers and hope to be selected. Often there will be twice as many entries as openings (or even more). A single opening in an existing game might result in 8 submissions (and a lot of competition). Some games are less popular, and all submissions are accepted. The number of games per player is limited, this keeps a few players from taking a lot of game positions. The GM of the new game himself had a lot of work to do to develop his corner of the game world. I had it easier here, the work was already done for my game, I just need to tweak it for the reboot. But the worst part is selecting which characters get to play. It was my experience, and many other GM's have posted this, that all submissions were good enough to play, this makes the job harder as each GM uses their own criteria to make the selection. It can take several tries to get into a game. I've been lucky, I get into a game in a few tries. Some aren't so lucky, but if they keep trying, they should get in. Finally a line up is announced. Now it's time to make those character sheets (rarely needed to apply). You send them to the GM, who might request changes before forwarding them to the auditor. Background changes might also be required at this point. But these revisions are fairly painless, just the usually fine tuning with the GM. The final step is the Audit. Your characters are gone over with a fine tooth comb looking for any problems or inconstancies. It's very rare for a character to go though this process unchanged (the same was true the times I've audited characters in my face-to-face games). This is an important step for maintaining continuity in such a large game, although it is the cause for most of the delay before games are started. Most characters require only minor changes, some undergo drastic revision. More on this later. While it may indeed take months for the auditors to catch up with your new game (after all, this is a volunteer effort down in spare time), the wait is worth it. After all, it's not like a face-to-face game where you sit around doing nothing while the GM works on someone else's character. While you're waiting, you can keep doing whatever you were doing in your spare time. Also GG is not the only game world where it takes months to start once all characters are done. Finally the game starts. And yes, it was worth all the hassle and wait (in my opinion). The above process has weeded out those who aren't inclined to stick with the game (though players do leave). The players are motivated and write well. To make it simple, the games are fun. Now back to the audit. Some people dread the audit, and I'm one of them. Why? Not because I'm unwilling to change my character, but because the process doesn't have the usual give and take when working on a character with a GM. You're given a list of changes made to your character. If they're minor changes, no problem. But if drastic changes have been made to your character, it seems that you aren't allowed to work with the auditors (Worldbuilder himself at this stage) to fix your character. Instead you have to accept the auditors changes without further changes or attempts to justify your character construction. I can understand this, Worldbuilder is doing a lot of audits, and and is putting in a lot of time into this already. He needs to make this quick and painless to him (so he can get on with the next audit), but in the process, he makes it very painful to many players. For example: My most most recent audit was for a character who could assume the powers of any sea creature. This was a character I played in GG two reboots ago (I've been playing here a long time). At that time the house rules allowed senses (such as dolphin sonar) into a multipower, so the character was build with a multipower. Currently the house rules only allow senses in a VPP, so I converted the character to use a VPP. During Audit, the auditors decided that there was another way to do this (I agree), and converted the VPP to a MP, removing all senses and life supports. But this didn't quite do things as described in the characters power section. I was OK with this, and half expecting it. So I sent in a list of changes so that it would match the background again. This consisted of a limitation on the MP so that it would take a half phase to change powers, and asked for a limitation on the senses so that they would lock out that many points from the MP, even though they weren't in the MP. Then I spent the points that were saved, trying to keep it simple. The response was: That seems unnecessarily harsh to me. When the auditors completely rewrite a character, I think they should expect (and allow) the player to make adjustments to fine tune the character again. I got very upset about this, and complained (politely) to the Player Advocate, which let me blow off steam, but didn't result in any changes.

Page 91 of the rule book has a modifer "Varying Effect" for the "Change Environment" power. The example has a character using this advantage (and XP) to slowly expand his change environment power from heat only, to heat or cold, to any temperature effect, and finally to any weather effect. Yet the FAQ says "Varying Effect does not allow you to “trade†one combat effect for another." So what does this advantage do, and how should it be used? The FAQ also mentions an optional adder "Varying Combat Effects" for 10 points. But what this adder is used for matches the sample in the book of "Varying Effect", but without the different levels for different ranges of effects. Could you show how to buy Heatwave's ability to raise or lower the temperature in an area, as described in the sample?

I'm pretty sure it was made into a TV series with a couple of episodes. He demonstrated super strength right away, when he lifted one side of his car. He also had a super speed where he moved in a flash like blur. While it's been a long time, I made a villian based on him while the series was still fresher in my mind, and that's helped me remember it. I don't remeber any of the names invovled though.

To me all are the same. In any of those three cases, I would describe what Marauder is doing. If his hand glowed differently just before he fired, I'd discribed that also. For some villians that would be the case. For others (such as Foxbat), there is no way to tell what's coming. If the player thinks he knows what's coming, he can do a defensive action. But if he guesses wrong, he'll do the wrong defensive action, which either won't help, or will make things worse. But it's important to be fair to the players, and also to take into account that the characters may have spent more time studying Marauder than the player has. So if the characters are familier with the different Marauder attacks, then include that in the description. Example: Marauder is pointing his fist at you, the multicolored glow that procides his prismatic flash is building up. And he hits with with a flash attack...

Here's some I haven't seen mentioned. Short lived series long ago, so I'm not sure of titles. One was "The Girl with something Extra" (I think). The girl was a telepath, her boyfriend a defense attorny. Another was about a kid who got hit by lightning. He got super strength and super speed from it, along with a depenence on being recharged. He needed a watch type focus to contain his power. He did missions for his dad, head of the nearby AF base. And what about Green Hornet? He started before TV had pictures (in a radio show). For that matter, so did the phantom.

I'm sure it doesn't. And all flash attacks vs. sight aren't based on light. But the descriptions of flash defense make the assuption that they are protecting from light (dark sunglasses, rapidly adjusting eyes, etc.) So flash attacks that aren't based on light need an explination of why light based defenses still work against it. Generally this means that the flash attack is NND. In your case, your world has very limited sources of Flash Defense, and they work as well against gas as bright light. So in your game NND isn't required. On the more general note. I generally a character who's covering their eyes to be immune to light based flash attacks. But the character must decide to cover their eye's before knowing what the attack actually is. Guessing wrong is not good for the characters health. Also it takes either a saved action or an abort. This seems to be the most common opinion.

Samsonite - Let MI 5 pick the new team since they picked the old one. Starfire - Logicaly and calmly evaluate available superheroes. Available superheroes being ones she knows how to contact. Guardian Angel - Pray for guidence.

I did a character with these abilities years ago. For mass increase, I used STR Drain, sticky (only when lifting original target). The idea is that the character is effectivly weaker because they are using their STR to hold up their increased mass. When their STR gets to -30, they can't move at all. The sticky is to represent that it's dificult for anyone else to move the heavy character, but the sticky advantage is limited to only apply when attempting to move the original target. For the opposite effect, I used STR aid instead (still with the sticky advantage). I treated each +5STR as half mass. The problem was that the attacks were so expensive, that they were little use in combat. Oh well, they were still occansionaly handy.

I award the same base XP to all players, based on the book guidlines, perhaps toned down for some games. I've also (when I remember) hand out XP bonuses during the game in the form of glass beads. The different colors are worth .1, .3, or .5 XP. I'll give them out for good roleplaying moments, for advancing the story, or for cracking up the entire group (esp. if was in character). Players can suggest that an action might be worth a binkie (as we call them), and if I agree, I'll hand one out. And at the end of the night, I'll ask if anyone can think of anything I've missed that they think is worth a binkie. I've also used them to help stear detective investigations. A .1 binkie means means the player asked a good question. A .3 binkie means that it was a significant question that might lead towards a solution. This lets me steer the investigation towards productive lines without leading the players. These bonuses don't add much to character advancement, it's rare for a character to get a full XP in a night this way, but they're fun, give instant rewards for good roleplaying, and do add up over time. Joe Senecal

Well the DC universe has at least two characters who've been alive since caveman days, without benefit of time travel. They're just OLD. And there's a temporally displaced warrior in the newly formed Outsiders...

What I most want to see stats for are a full sized van, and a small panel truck. I'd expect any group of agents, and even some villian groups, to be in the back of one of these vehicles when they arrive. But neither has been done in 5th Edition (other than as 'use pickup truck') Also useful would be an assortment of cars (compact, sports car, family sedan, luxury sedan, etc.) And finally, most of the time I don't need a full writeup, just speed, movement, defense, body, and weight. So one page chart that listed this info (perhaps one per chapter) would be a very handy reference chart! If you wanted to include a large number of real world modern day vehicles such as different models of sports cars, I think pages could best be spend by providing a full writeup for one, and then handle others as options. Each could have it's own line in the chapter chart

But that makes the target stronger. The best I ever came up with was Drain STR, sticky, only in regards to original target. Special effect target is heavy and takes additional STR to lift. I know he's like that now, I didn't remeber that he started that way till you mentioned it. How about I broaden my challenge to a character with Density Control as a special effect?

New challenge: A character that can increase the mass of any object (old Legion Starboy)

Martial artist using an unusual martial art: Background: Isobella was trained in detective work by both her father Mycroft, her uncle Sherlock, and even Sherlock's friend Mr. Watson (he taught her the start of forensic medicine). She moved to America in 1899 to get out from her Uncle's shadow, but thanks to Mr. Watson's chronicles, the Shadow of Sherlock Holmes haunts her even today, providing an unatainable goal for her. When she first opened Holmes Detective Agency, she was a woman in a mans world. She developed both a male alter ego to run the business and the costumed persona of Thunderfox to show what a woman could do. Durring World War II, Isobella dropped the male alter ego, but she continues maintaining the Thunderfox identity to this day. As Thunderfox, Isobella was one of the first women members of the Empire Club. Although the Holmes detective agency has a very high success rate, Isobella's drive for justice causes her to take many cases for little or no fee, both in and out of costume. As a result, she makes enough money to get by, but not by a large margin. Like the Phantom, Thunderfox is a hero who's career has spanned generations. Most believe that Thunderfox has been a succession of heroes wearing the same costume, a belief she encurages. Of course some believe that Thunderfox is a single long lived hero. In this case, they are right. Out of costume, Isobella fakes a new generation every 20 years or so. As far as the paperwork goes, she's the 6th generation to be running the agency. Appearance: Isobella has the classic Holmes features of a thin prominent nose and angular features. These do not look good on a woman. As Thunderfox, she wears a head to toe armored costume which includes a full face mask. Personality: Isobella is more than just the logical observing machine that her Uncle was. But still she's a bit distant and detached. Part of this is from her training, but part is from the knowledge that she's going to outlive everyone around her. Although she has kept up with the times, her personal values were formed in her youth and would be considered old-fashioned today. For example, she never swears, and she doesn't believe in sex before marriage. The main driving force in her life is a powerful drive to see justice done. As a result, she doesn't have much of a 'life'. Powers: Isobella was born with the power of eternal youth. In addition, any injuries she survives will heal without scars. Her long life has given her a gracefulness and smoothness of movement that are remarkable, while over a century of intense training has boosted her reaction time to be the best it can be. Isobella's equipment includes an armored costume, originally leather, but currently light Kevlar. She also carries a colapsable walking cane (walking stick). This segmented hardwood cane can be restored to one piece just by a quick twist of the handle. This pulls the steel cable running through all the pieces tight, pulling the interlocking hardwood pieces together and holding them secure. She's considering getting a stun gun, but none of the commercially available ones would meet her needs. Isobella is the last living practitioner of Baritsu, a marital art developed in England before the turn of the previous century. It's a combination of English Boxing, French Savate, Aristocratic cane fighting, and Jujustu throws. While the cane is only useful with a few of the maneuvers, any maneuver could be done with the cane in hand (it just doesn't help). It is primarily a defensive art, though with more than a century of practice, Isobelle has mastered to the level that she can take on even superhuman opponents. But Isobella's greatest power is her dective mind, trained by the great Sherlock Holmes himself. Name: Isobella Holmes (Thunderfox) Player: Joe Senecal 10 STR 0 23 DEX 39 15 CON 10 12 BODY 4 18 INT 8 13 EGO 6 15 PRE 5 8 COM -1 5 PD 3 3 ED 0 5 SPD 17 5 REC 0 30 END 0 25 STUN 0 Cost Powers/Skills 3 Eternal Youth: LS: Unaging Heal without scars: 11 1 BODY Regneration/Day 0 Regrow lost limbs 2 7" Running (14" nc, 26.1 mph) 1 10 5PD 5ED Light Kevlar Armor 4 +2D6 OAF Cane (4D6 w/STR) 1 3 KS: Baritsu (Savate + Jujutsu) 13 4 Low Kick 5 Side Kick 4 Hook 5 Jab 4 Joint Lock/Throw 5 Breaking Throw 3 Martial Throw 5 Escape & Thow 5 Disarming Throw 1 Use art with Clubs (Cane) adds to Hook and Jab manuvers 8 +2 DC with Martial Arts 6 +2 with Baritsu 3 Acting 12 3 Breakfall 14 3 Bugging 13 3 Computer Programming 13 3 Conversation 12 3 Criminology 13 3 Cryptography 13 5 Deduction 14 3 Disquise 13 3 Forensic Medicine 13 2 Forgery (Documents) 13 3 Lipreading 13 3 Mimicry 13 3 Stealth 14 3 Streetwise 12 3 Tracking 13 Extensive Training: 5 +1 with INT based skills 2 +2 Perception with Normal Vision Esoteric Knowledge skills 3 +1 with Criminology,Deduction,Forgery 3 +1 with Criminology,Deduction,Forensic Medicine 3 +1 with Criminology,Deduction,Streetwise 5 Eidetic Memory 1 English (Imitate dialects) 159 : Skills Cost 91 + Char Cost 250 = Total Cost Disadvantages: DF: Unusually flowing graceful movements (Easily Concealed by acting roll) 5 Psyc: Reluctant to Kill but will break arms (Common Strong) 15 "Psyc: Devoted To Justice" (Very Common, Total) 25 Psyc: Old fasioned personal values (Common Moderate) 10 Soc: Secret ID Includes keeping age secret 20 Rivalry with reputation of Sherlock Holmes (Prof, MP, NA) 5 Reputation as old, non-super hero (Almost always) 15 Q: Prefers not to lie 1 Q: Proving herself in a mans world 1 Q: Could only be romanticly interested in a man who was her equal 1 Q: Slightly distant and detached 1 Q: Has false Ids/records to show age 1 And since you won't find Baritsu in the UMA: Baritsu Cost Manuver Phs OCV DCV result 4 Low Kick 1/2 0 +2 6d6 5 Side Kick 1/2 -2 +1 8d6 4 Hook 1/2 +2 0 6d6 + 2d6 5 Jab 1/2 +1 +3 4d6 + 2d6 4 Joint Lock/Throw 1/2 +1 0 2d6 NND, Grab 1, Target falls 5 Breaking Throw 1/2 -2 0 1d6 HKA, Target falls 3 Martial Throw 1/2 0 +1 4d6 + v/5, Target falls 5 Escape & Throw var 0 0 35 STR vs. Grabs, Target falls 5 Disarming Throw 1/2 0 0 25 STR Disarm, Target Falls 1 Use art with canes I don't have HD, but I could attach a Excel 4 spreadsheet. Does this meet the challange?

The difference is that even a low killing attack will do body damage to a normal, and if a character is unluckly on stun modifier rolls, may have to kill the target to stop it. In your example above, the character should use the 15d6 EB (if he can bring himself to do so), because it will stop any normal oponenent. A 1d6 killing attack is far to likely to not even stun a normal human, though it would not kill him. However this discussion started assuming that damage was normal, and I was asking how much normal damage was too much to use against a normal.

I agree. Someone with code against killing might have a very large killing attack, they just won't use it against anything alive. Thundar the Barbarian was a good example of this. In each case the damage was done with one blow. The heroes were't using full strength, but I haven't yet explained the pulled puch manuver to the new players. Make that no body past defenses. The tougher a targets defenses the harder you can hit them. The most annoying opponent for my characters is a normal with a big gun. They're dangerous, but so soft a target that you cann't do more than touch them without causing them serious harm.

I'm just using the default settings for this game. It's been maybe a decade since I've done just a generic supers game, it was time to do one again. My tendancies are for very low violence (don't do body ever), but I wanted to see how others handled this for 4 color heroes. Just because my characters don't like to see blood doesn't mean that it's part of the genre. Considering that Silver Age heroes did often knock out thugs with a single blow, perhaps I should downgrade how I'm describe body damage. Example: Instead of 4 Body = broken rib, use 4 body = sore for weeks (broken nose at most)

Thanks for all the useful replies! To be more specific, the game is intended to be 4 color, and the heroes didn't use maximum power. One had a killing attack available, but chose not to use it. The consensus seems to be that that level of damage is reasonable when innocents are threatened. The next question is, would this level of damage be reasonable if only the heroes themselves were threatened (say a late night back robbery). The heroes are presumably bullet proof, so the same guns wouldn't be lethal force against them, My guess is that it would be much less acceptable when the lives of bystanders weren't at risk (unless the heroes themselves were).

I'm starting a new game in the standard Champions setting. In the first encounter, the two normal thugs received 4 or 5 body damage. To me, that seems enough that they needed hospitalization. So the question is, in Millennium City, is this too much force to use against thugs threatening innocents with machine guns? Would the cops start hunting the heroes as a result? And the closely related question, is this appropriate for a character with Code Against Killing (they weren't close to death after all)? Since new players are involved, I would talk to the players and explain how much force is too much before I start any in-game ramifications.

I did once. It was a published adventure in the Adventure's Club. Character's rarely take leathal damage in my games. When they do through no fault of their own, I'll fudge the dice roll so that they barely survive. If they do something really deserving of death, I'll let the death stand. The one case I can remember (from decades ago) was when the heroes were confronting a villian in is lair. While the villian was explaining his doomsday switch, one of the heroes went up and grabed the villian out of his chair, setting off the doomsday switch (release monster on nearby village), and provoking a retaliation from the villians guards. This left the hero bleeding to death, but not yet dead. He died when all the other heroes along with the villian left to deal with the monster that had just been released before it harmed anyone.

I think you should keep the other catagory. Although NND's might be considered Physical or Energy, they still bypass defenses, and are very potent. I look forward to seeing your revised and streamlined ER

I am following your discussion with great interest. I agree that rating gimic powers as if they weren''t limited is a bad thing. My example would be that it penalizes characters who work hard on keeping with a tight concept by limiting powers so that fit. Example: Flame guy who has 75% damage reduction vs. fire attacks. This fits the concept much better than just an unlimited 75% damage reduction, yet is rated the same.

Most of my heroes would fit one of those catagories. A couple that don't would be: Built to be a hero (for artifical beings) For acceptance For living heroes, the first could be (Trained from birth to be a hero, and never questioned it) The last is for characters who either can't live a normal life, or have dificulty doing so. One of the characaters I've had that fit in this last catagory was a self made robot (acidental AI) who decided that was the best way to be accepted by the general populace (it wasn't a cute robot). The other was a normal looking brick, whose limited sense of touch made physical contact with normal humans dangerous. As a hero, she didn't have to be keep her distance at all times. She could have friends again! (going public with her powers would have done the same thing).

It keeps characters with balanced attacks and defenses. It's most helpful for those new to the game so that they can make balanced characters. On the other hand, characters who are unbalanced can be fun as well (High attack, but glass jaw, or very hard to hit, but can't do much damage). A combined rule of X allows for these. But even with a separate rule of X for offense and defense such characters are still possible if the GM uses the rule of X as a guideline instead of an absolute limit. So for a custom simple rule of X for your game, pick the factors above you want to consider for Offensive, Defensive, or Combined. Use the values you consider typical for your game, and use the resulting value as the rule of X for your game. Keep in mind that CV usually counts twice (as OCV and DCV). And when ambiguities arise, use common sense to resolve them. And finally, keep in mind the limitations of a simple formula, and look for powers or combinations that could cause problems. On a different note, can the effectiveness rating be used to balance power levels between a group and a single, more powerful villian? If so, can you give advice as to how?