gojira

Re: Computers and PDA write-ups I'm someone of the mind that PDAs and computers are now just ordinary items that any can have. Thus, I probably wouldn't charge points for one. Unless it's somehow connected to the character -- e.g., part of a power suit, so the character always has it available, or a gadgeteer who can always whip out his super-PDA from a voluminous coat pocket -- it's just ordinary stuff. One thing you have up there, the untraceable private connection, "Mind Link" would imo be a good thing to charge points for. Computers or even cell phones don't really provide an always on, private connection, so it's something that's not "realistic" and therefore reasonable for a super power. The other thing you have that interests me is the KS. Well, normally I wouldn't charge points for that. It's really just "computer operation" at the default everyman level of 0 points. Everyone can use Google and Wikipedia, there's no reason to charge someone for that. However, if the character can regularly find out things that really aren't available with an internet connection, like what a crime lord has been doing lately, then it's reasonable for some points. I might model it as a Contact though. Note that with Mind Link, you could just call your tech guru and ask him or her to do the internet search for you. Again, this works well as a contact, so that's why I mentioned it in the previous paragraph. Time and calculator.... really dubious to charge for those. Time is just a wrist watch, for crud's sake. The calcultor... if it's an ordinary calculator, then no points. If the character can do really insanely complicate math really really quickly -- far faster than you could with an ordinary calculator -- then sure, Lightning Calculator. Again, could just call the tech and ask too. OK, now to actually answer your question. One obvious function for a computer is GPS. Most cell phones have this built in now anyway. Another is maps and locations -- Google Maps. With a small app, you can have a Google map plot a GPS signal. Add small transmitters and you have Spiderman's spider bugs -- except the bad guy's track is plotted on a much nicer map display. Note that Google Maps is global, although it doesn't always have high resolution, it does plot over the whole globe. Let's see: bugging, wire taping, Security Systems (skill bonus), the list of electronic connections to a hand held gizmo is almost endless. How about Clairvoyance? If I had a tech guru I'd want over head surveillance (drone) with a down link to the handheld. I could probably think of other. Maybe broad band radio reception so you can track the bad guys by their cell (or other electronic) transmissions (Detect Electronic Devices). Etc. Have fun with it.

Re: New Look for Defender I like it overall. I could do with a bit more "power up" sequence myself, but they probably didn't want to change his look too much.

Re: Which tools from the toolkit can be dropped in a low powered game? I was going to say the exact same thing as ArcherMoo. Start with the Basic Rulebook, just use those. If you want, you can drop END too. I don't think I'd drop the SPD chart, mostly because it's something the GM can manage personally. Knockback, bleeding rules, hit locations, all are good candidates for simplification by axing them out.

Re: Roll With The Punch: Martial Arts? Thanks for all the comments guys. I might have to think this one over. I'll consult the books one more time about the exact mechanics, I may have been a bit unclear on how many times you can do this. I wasn't thinking about being able to do it only once.

Re: Open ended damage I didn't read through every reply (most were long) but my thought is to have it based on the Damage roll, not the To-Hit. For each 6 rolled, the attacker gets a roll on a "bonus damage" table. The center of this table, 9-11, is "nothing" but beyond that there are various bonus damage and temporary and permanent crippling injuries. Loosing hands and feet, permanent scaring, and loosing an eye should all be part of the table.

Re: Roll With The Punch: Martial Arts? RwtP does work like Block, you have to make an Attack roll vs. the attacker's OCV. Hmm, three points might be more fair at that.

Re: Roll With The Punch: Martial Arts? No, RwtP is an optional maneuver. Anyone can't use it unless the GM says "this is available to anyone in my game." I'm saying, "Hey, how about I make it a martial arts maneuver that you have to pay for." I'm trying for a low powered modern game, and rolling with the punch sounded like something you'd have to actually be trained to do. Untrained folks just get slugged hard and have to take it. So assuming that you can't get it without paying for it, what's it worth? I realize I'm quibbling over one point giver or take, but I thought I'd just ask as the discussion is sometimes interesting.

What would you charge to make Roll With the Punch a purchasable Martial Arts maneuver? I pretty much pulled a number out of my hat and said "4 points." Anybody see a problem with that?

Re: Re-Jiggering the Throwing Table Here's the short write-up I did: Throwing I've revised the throwing table in the Basic Rulebook: to throw an object, calculate how much “extra Strength” you have. For each full step on the Strength Table, you have 1 point of extra Strength (this is the normal calculation). Then, for each full point of extra Strength, you can throw the object 2 meters. Extra Strength 1 STR = 2 m 5 STR = 10 m 10 STR = 20 m 15 STR = 30 m etc. This assumes a running start or that the character can “wind up” before throwing. Halve these values if the character cannot. Divide these values by four if throwing while prone. Small aerodynamic objects that weigh less than 1 kg (2 lb) can be thrown much further than this table indicates. Multiply the values on the table by 2 for these objects. In addition, a character may be able to use an appropriate skill to boost their throwing distance if throwing a small aerodynamic object. If the player is throwing a baseball and has PS: Baseball, for example, or if the player is throwing a grenade and has PS: Soldier, allow a roll against their skill. For each point the player makes the roll by, their character can throw 2 extra meters.

Re: Re-Jiggering the Throwing Table Yup, noticed that late last night, after posting. Thanks for pointing it out though.

I was looking at the throwing table in the Basic Rules today and noticed something. The table is nearly one-to-one, but not quite. For example, between ST 0 and 10, there are two "half steps" where an increase in 1 ST only gives 0.5 meters increase in throwing distance, rather than 1 that most give. So as a result, with 10 extra ST you can only throw a object 8m instead of 10. The table continues like this, but is completely linear. E.g., and 10 times the extra ST (100), you can throw an object 80m instead of 8 (10x). So I was wondering if anyone saw any game breaking problems with making the table just 1-to-1. For each point of extra ST, you get one meter of throwing distance. 10 extra ST = 10 meters, 100 extra ST = 100 meters. Thoughts? * * * P.S. I was comparing 6e Basic Rulebook with 5er. I noticed that the throwing table was the same, except with meters replaced with inches. But one inch is two meters, so for a straight conversion the 6e table should have doubled in value. ST100 should be 160 meters, not 80 as shown. Deliberate or booboo?

Re: Your "2011" Pet Gaming Projects Would like to get an Urban Fantasy game going. Should just knuckle down and do it, but little things keep getting in the way. Soon....

Re: Civilian Rescue Power? If I was going to allow this, I'd probably require some levels of strength as well. Probably at least STR 20, and I'd probably base this on something like casual STR rather than full STR. Think about that in terms of a normal human. You're running about as fast as you can, and you're going to grab and pick up an object as you run past. Ignoring the difficulty of grabbing any given object (that the OCV roll to grab), what kind weight could you reasonably pick up and run with? I'd guess somewhere around 20-25 lbs max. Yet according to Hero your max lift should be around 220 lbs. So what happened? Well, you can use both hands to grab, you're running, there's inertia of your object to overcome, you probably can run at full speed while carrying much more than 25 lbs. or so anyway, etc.Theoretically, you can grab and run with about 10% of your STR (which is what, light to no encumbrance?) This being superheroes, I might give you a break, but certainly I think 20 STR to carry one person would be the absolute minimum. So you could spend 10 point for 20 STR, or spend some points on something else that seems better suited. I'd let you carry more with more than 20 STR, of course. For powers, "Only to rescue civilians" is probably -1 1/2 to -2, because it seems to happen frequently in your games.

Re: CHAMPIONS BEYOND -- What Do *You* Want To See? This is a cute idea, but I dont' think I would be happy with just one single idea. One idea tends not to fit all concepts for any game a GM might want to run. Having only one reason for aliens visiting Earth as the official reason tends to straight jacket a campaign in certain directions. Having a silly reason to visit Earth tends to straight jacket the campaign even more. I'd suggest a side bar with various reasons, all of which are official, and would fit a variety of campaigns and scenarios. For example: 1. Presence of light galactic enforcement and super technology makes Earth an attractive "hide-out" for various galactic criminal gangs. They typically dodge Star*Guard on their way in and then try to lay low while using various Earth bad guys and technologies to further their aims. Earth also makes a good place to fence intergalactic high-tech goods for various Earth products which can be resold/exchanged else where. 2. Mechanon. Incarnations of Mechanon have made it off planet, and while he was defeated fairly easily, his programming and the evolution thereof have intrigued the Prime Visor of the Empire of . They are interested in sending military scout teams to collect more samples for study. 3. Dr. Destoryer. His recent "bonding" with a dark entity was detected far out in space, and this sort of phenomena is almost unkown out side Earth. It may have religious or social reprocussions for . They wish to send emissaries to Earth, possibly to server Dr. D, or possibly to kick his butt if they determine he is a heretic. 4. Coffee/ketchup/chocolate, etc. Stimulating and worth a lot off planet. 5. Art -- certain art styles on Earth are unique and considered valuable off planet. They are sometimes stolen and fenced by unsavory members of the galaxcy. 6. Ditto for archeological sites and fossils, which are also fenceable off-planet. 7. Waffels -- desired by all members of the galaxcy, and actually worshipped as a manifestation of the godhead by a smallish race of beings. Woah to the off-worlders caught with these sacred objects.

Re: USA 5O for Sixth Edition Ah, well in that case you should probably fix his Super Surfing too. It's bought as Running, Over Water, which of course is totally useless. (Or possibly it's Running, Not Over Water, which would be pure cheese. I'm not sure which it is.)

Re: USA 5O for Sixth Edition

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD There's a few of these online on YouTube. They do have a sort of Post Apoc feel to them. Although I didn't find an explanation or premise to the series, it seems like a human family was marooned on the planet Quasar. They've befriended some native (?) beasts called Herculoids, and then together they proceed to kick all sorts of booty on space fairing alien and local monstrosity alike. Nutty as all heck, but also fun and stylistic. It's old (1967!) and seems to be based somewhat on Lost in Space, maybe with a bit of Forbidden Planet and Johnny Quest tossed in for spice. Would make some interesting game material.

Re: Mad Skills

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD And maybe some nice person can correct the spelling in the title for me too....

I almost put this on the "Hero goes to the movies" thread but it really wasn't quite in the spirit of that thread so I decided to give this its own thread. Steve stated out a Thundarr the Barbarian setting clone in Post Apocalyptic Hero. Well I just found that Thundarr the Barbarian has finally just this fall been made available on DVD. So for those of you who want to relive your childhoods (or possibly adolescence), here's a link where you can get your very own copy for any post-apocalyptic fantasy "research" you may have to do. http://www.wbshop.com/Thundarr-The-Barbarian-The-Complete-Series-198082/1000180186,default,pd.html?cgid=&AID=10811526&PID=4110512

Re: Just got 6e *impressed* I'm kinda hoping your Victorian woodsman does not wear a corset. At least unless this is the Rocky Horror version of Dracula. Cannon in hat.

Re: GM chart / screen referance? These are neat too. I wonder if the Hero Games store needs some of the blue ones? Ship with some color printouts of various Hero Books and some b/w prints of various charts and tables and Hero Games has an instant GM screen with minimal effort.

Re: GM chart / screen referance? Nice! What program do you use to lay that out?

Re: My thief can't hit a firbolg? Normally, according to the genre book. If you're not modifying the rules, then sure a multipower would work. Most fantasy books make magic cheaper to buy (like one-third cost, or even 1 point per spell) to balance it with the free equipment all the fighter types get. It kinda depends what you want to do with your campaign. Couldn't Bilbo Baggins turn invisible? And I seem to remember the Grey Mouser having some skill at spell casting. I think this works fine, personally. Any of these would work fine, imo, for "special attacks" that don't require magic at all. Or you could call them spells and have a thief that also casts. Either works. However, definitely check with the GM, he or she may have different ideas.

Re: My thief can't hit a firbolg? Ah, yes, I think you're are right. The point costs don't work out otherwise. Well, I guess I count as an experienced GM.