gojira

Re: "Neat" Pictures

Not safe for work due to an extremely tiny costume, but it's also some really nice costuming work:

Re: Looking to buy Champions RPG 6th Edition.

I just checked CCG Armory: the copy of Champions I see for 30% off is listed as "back-ordered," and there aren't going to be any more copies produced (afaik). I don't think you can actually get that book from them.

Re: Retreat & stagger: Abort action options

Dodge already means "back up" to me. I don't imagine that Dodge automatically means leaping acrobatically out of the way. It's a general defensive stance to me (that's why it lasts until your next phase), not just a single instant act. This includes backing up or being generally dodgy.

Block = parry. A parry-riposte is a block followed by an attack next phase (which the former blocker gets to go first automatically). That's an exact correspondence to me.

There's a few optional maneuvers that might also help. Rolling With A Blow, for example, would allow an Abort after an attack has hit and allow a bit of damage mitigation.

All imo, of course.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

I'm going to challenge one aspect of this argument: that the only trope for men is a muscle-bound gun-slinging Rambo clone. There's actually a genre that pretty much does the opposite: the JRPG. A typical protagonist is fairly androgynous, dresses like he was in the middle of a fashion district during a tornado, and while is typically a "fighter," doesn't really drip machismo the way most first-person shooters do.

The JRPG is also fairly popular, so I wonder if there's a connection. I.e., is that type of character easier to play for folks who don't like machismo dripped all over their RPG?

Then there's the opposite side of that thought: you have only to listen to a few reviews by Ben "Yahtzee" Crosshaw to know he doesn't really identify with the male leads in typical JRPGs. Well I guess that proves gender identity does matter, because Yahtzee is a reasonably avid gamer, and he doesn't like a protagonist that's too far away from his idea of "male." It seems reasonable that other folks might have a similar idea, just in a different direction.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

I can certainly see some acts that would prevent me from watching a movie or playing a game, simply because I wouldn't want to participate any more. This includes repeat use of derogatory language, if its bad enough. There's certainly a point where the need for an author to say "these are bad guys" goes over the top and becomes unwatchable. Torture, rape, etc., I don't care who or why, I'm probably not going to be able to deal with it, and I'll stop participating in whatever "fun" activity it was supposed to be a part of.

I haven't seen the games in question so I can't comment specifically, but since I have limits as to what I feel I can take, I assume others do also. And their limits might not be the same as mine, too. I think that's fine, since different people have different experiences. Certainly in mass media, you have to keep many types of depictions of violence fairly light, or you're going to turn-off part of your audience.

There's nothing wrong, I think, with asking games to keep the violence/implied-violence very light, to keep the audience as broad as possible. I think that's what we're talking about here: broadening the audience and inclusiveness.

Re: [New Product] Champions Complete

Groan, "30 rundown" should be "30 second rundown..."

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

Yeah, lots of folks have suffered consequences from what they've put on their public websites. Lots of folks have been let go from a company that didn't agree with what they said on a personal site. While I can see your point, that unemployment is too harsh for what he did, I think perhaps what he did is actually far worse than what you assume, Ranxerox. I think the sexism, discrimination, and physical abuse/assault against women is rather worse than people who don't experience it assume. That's the general take-away I get from this thread.

What I'd like to see is Mr. Harris apoligize. I think he backed away from some of his comments (from another blog post earlier in this thread), but a full throated retraction would be the best solution here.

Re: First time Champions GM - advice needed

And on the third side of that coin, a more minimalist approach is to just talk over your campaign assumptions with your players. Make sure everyone understands the rules and is OK with any options being used/not used. Communication and clarity are key here.

Re: Mind Control with Dog Collars

It's Slave Women of Gor Collars!

So this would be what the cool kids call over sharing' date=' right?[/quote']

 

Oh. Right. Sorry.

Re: IFF Transponders

It could also be a penalty to Security Systems, where defeating the security is required to "unlock" the gun so any user can fire it. The SFX would then be "a small radio IFF transmitter."

I'm thinking that hacking the gun would change the gun from a Personal Focus to a Universal one, a special case of those rules that are a feature of a particular game world.

Re: [New Product] Champions Complete

Pretty much what I figured: forces well outside the control of Hero Games. Thanks for that 30 rundown of the printing industry, Sammael

Re: Mind Control with Dog Collars

Consider using AI as Followers, or AI as Equipment.

The main thing for me is that the device has to be able to "know" when a person deviates from an instruction or the masters "wishes," and that requires a degree of analysis and knowledge that I couldn't personally feel a simple device could have. Whether you just allow a Trigger or require an AI is up to you, of course.

Also, if you can't build a Mind Control device, you might be able to just buy them. But if you can't afford some Mind Control collars, AI collars might also be out of reach. Thugs to kidnap their families might be cheaper. So might hiring a supervillain with mind control powers.

Re: Converting Burning Wheel into HERO

Or just use Templates, period, without modification. A Template does a pretty good job as suggested abilities for your character. "Here are the base things you really should have, here are some options to add to those."

I don't know the Burning Wheel RPG, but if you put up some life paths we could have a stab at converting them.

Re: How do GMs out there handle late arrivals

That's cool, and I was considering doing something similar myself. Not a game clock; award XP more or less normally, but then require some game-time to spend it. A skill or PSL might take two weeks to add +1. A broad skill level might take a month or two. And possibly restrict what you could spend it on, for example some skill or skill level you used that adventure.

Seems like it might add more verisimilitude to playing.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

That actually happened several years ago. I'm honestly not sure because I don't read it either, really. I'm not someone referenced PvP Online in another context, and I took a look at a few strips, and happened on that one. I tend to agree with you: the change in art style a few years back turned me off, and I stopped reading.

The idiot level in that reddit discussion drained my Int.

That's like a metaphor for the entire internet.

Re: Images vs. Detect: who wins?

-1 limitation for a power based upon the fact that it can be flashed as a sense that does not exist RAW doesn't work for me.

Yeah, I guess I was thinking that you could potentially Flash a whole bunch of things with "Far UV," so it would be a big limitation to be part of the frequency band. Given different campaign and milieu assumptions however I could definitely see less of a limitation.

Also, isn't there an Ultraviolet vision power that already allows you to detect Ultraviolet light? Unless you are stating that you do not believe that covers Far UV.

Yeah, the UV that some animals see is really close in wavelengths to regular light. Far UV covers a lot of wavelengths and is also pretty damaging to organics (think bad sunburn). I don't think you could physically see the far UV.

And I do apologize for loosing track of what your intentions were. I don't usually reread an entire thread every time a new post is added so I probably forgot over the course of this thread some of the information that was posted previously.

No worries, and sorry if I sounded testy (which I suppose I was). I was having trouble following what folks were saying relative to where I thought the conversation was at.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

Lol, at least that's some consolation.

Re: Images vs. Detect: who wins?

Right-o. I did make two posts after the first that refined what I had asked, based on the replies I got to that point. I assumed that folks had read the replies. So that mystery is solved.

I also mentioned in those later posts that I was assuming fae Images didn't buy Images vs. Detect Fae, but no worries there.

That brings up another thought. Let's say I have a Detect with a Special Effect. For example, this Detect Fae might work by sensing the far ultraviolet range, which isn't part of normal sight, and fae glamours don't affect (by GM fiat). But they might develop a spell that does produce Images vs that range of light, but ONLY for that particular SFX, far UV. So I might want to think about that too. Because other means of "Detect Fae" (scent, magic counter doo-hickey, magnetic imaging, gravity waves, bouncing tachyons off the main deflector dish, etc.) might not be effected.

Something like:

Detect Anything, 10 points, SFX: Far UV (Custom Limitation: Flashed As Far UV -1) = 5 points. Then add the rest of the Adders on that, as required. This would let you see anything visible under UV, but would also limit you to anything that blocked far UV or flashed it.

Thoughts?

Re: First time Champions GM - advice needed

Hi, I'm going to be running champions for the first time soon and I need some advice on the best ways to go about it.

 

I have experience of running other games, but I was wondering if there are any specific things I need to know (other than inwardly digesting vast chunks of the rules).

What Hero System books do you have, and which of those do you plan to use? It would help us out a little to know. Also a quick run-down of what systems you play the most might help us too.

My personal style with rules is to use them as guidelines for the way things are supposed to work and bend them like a bendy thing to keep the plot and story going. I'm not sure how well this will mesh with a very detailed rules system like Champions.

Most things in Champions works out to "At the GM's option" or "If the players and GM prefer...". Should be fine.

Also, is there a pre calculated dcv vs ocv chart out there or should I produce my own to cut down on maths time during combat - I will freely admit that if the sums seem to be taking too long I pick a number that is roughly in the right place and make it up to the character when experience is being handed out.

There is, most rule books have a chart. However if you use the formula: TO HIT = OCV + 11, you can precalculate a lot of that stuff away. Apply any bonuses or penalties to the "TO HIT" and then roll under that. The amount you make it by is the DCV you'll hit.

Example: a hero with an OCV of 9 has a TO HIT of 20. If they're trying to hit a foe at range (say -4) but they have +2 skill with that attack, they'll roll against 20-4+2 = 18. If they roll an 11, they'll hit anyone with a DCV of 7 or less (18-11=7).

This feels pretty easy to me. It's just simple add/subtract, and then the roll gives you your hit directly. You might prefer differently, but I'd at least try that.

Also, is it a good idea to use mooks like they do in Feng Shui (Goons who fall at the first semi-serious hit) or is that unsuited to champions?

I would. You'll get a better sense of how many NPCs you want to track as GM as you gain experience playing, but any large fights, and any unimportant NPCs, should definitely be treated this way, imo.

Re: Champions Complete Freebies And Errata Now Available

Yeah, nice. Should probably sticky this at the top of the forum.

Edit: your link just goes to the top of the "Free Stuff" page for me. This link should go straight to the download file:

http://www.herogames.com/get/Champs%20Complete%20Freebies%20And%20Errata.zip

Re: Images vs. Detect: who wins?

I think it would depend on what points cost you bought your "detect fae" at and how you defined it.

Um, did you read what I wrote? Honestly this is kind of frustrating when I feel I'm asking about a specific power build that I posted, and folks seem to go off and talk why-fors and whither without even bothering to comment on the question asked.

This one:

Detect: Class of Things: Fae (5 points) + Range for a Single Sense (5 points) + Sense (2 points) + Targeting for a Single Sense (10 points) = 22 points total.

5 pt might add in active Fae magic, and 10 pts might add anything fae constructed or related or possibly even more passive Fae magics.

I read the 5 point Detect as "a class of things" and took that to mean the Fae themselves. Not their magic, or constructs or anything related to Fae, just their physical bodies. The Fae critter itself.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

More humor: I happened to cruise by PvP Online and saw this comic about the "fake female geek" row:

Thank you, Brent, now I have to go bleach my brain.

Re: Images vs. Detect: who wins?

I believe it means you can't buy' date=' for instance, Flash, Images, Shapeshift, etc vs the "Unusual Sense Group" and suddenly be able to affect any and all detects that aren't part of a simulated sense[/quote']

 

Ah, right. It was late when I wrote that and I hadn't thought about it clearly.

 

Of course part of the problem is that a "Detect" is not really a counter to Images (especially if you place it in a Simulated Group that the Images power affects).

 

Why not? If I buy Ranged, Sense, and Targeting for the Detect, and the Images doesn't work against Detect Fae (it won't), how does that not 100% counter the Images? Assume I'm using the Unusual Sense category here.

Re: How do you feel about House Rules?

For example, I just found a rule in Champions Complete that made me go "wah?" Area of Effect, Damage Shield. "When the Damage Shield options are added to a Mental Power, along with the Limitation Mental Contact Only (-1/2), this creates a Mental Damage Shield."

Wah?

Since when did Mental damage powers cost less? Mental Damage Shield is a +1 advantage, same as switching an attack from PD/ED to MD with AVLD. New house rule!

Re: Images vs. Detect: who wins?

Hmm, I can see that. I still think something could be clarified on the top of page 135 where you do mention "the Unusual Sense Group." Maybe that sentence could read: "Sense-Affecting Powers, Sense Modifiers, and the like cannot be bought to apply to these unusual senses."

I'm still a little unclear what that means though. I did buy three Sense Modifiers (Range, Sense, and Targeting) for my Detect, so I'm really confused about that part of the statement I quoted above, because I thought that was exactly what they were there for.