Tom

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine Fabrica site seems to be back up again. Since I just (finally) got around to watching Iron Man on DVD, and play in one of the Bunnyverse games, here's one take on Iron Girl...

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine Hmmm, maybe it's really a glimpse of Dash as an adult?

Re: Hunted Power Level I think in this case, the situation would be better described as a Social Complication (This Complication means the character’s ability to interact with society and/or other people is somehow limited, restricted, more difficult than usual, or dangerous -- 6e1, 428), rather than a Hunted. Though the character could arguably take both: While I would think people wanting the char to heal them once they find she has the ability would be a Soc Com, someone like Dr Destroyer (or any other 'powerful' individual (or group)) willing to kidnap her (or someone close to her) to force her to heal them would be a Hunted. Sticking with the 'Hunted' complication, the question becomes: How capable are they of forcing the char to act how they want? And are they acting in concert or individually? A whole bunch of sick people (or their relatives) who each want the char to help them as individuals aren't going to be very effective unless the char has some sort of Psych Complication (or similar) which would force her to at least try. The mob boss willing to use his organization and contacts to make demands of the char will be much more capable, even if the char would be inclined to refuse assistance under other circumstances.

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine What's black and white and red all over....

Re: Gods of Mesopotamia Ishkur wants YOU! (must spread rep, yada, yada, yada...)

Re: Need some plot ideas for a campaign The three major 'opponent' options that spring to my mind sticking with CU source material are DEMON, The Crowns of Krim, and The Devils Advocates. The Shadow Queen could be all sorts of fun too, but I don't know that I'd try using her as the primary focus for the campaign. My FtF game tends towards the mystical and the Hero Central game I used to run had a heavy mystic element, but I have to admit, I'm kinda in a bit of a slump right now so the best I can offer in terms of plot advice is some of the stuff I've used. What sort of stories were you wanting to run?

Re: Quantum Propulsion Machine May Lead To Propulsion Without Change In Mass That sounds like something I'm remembering from a Poul Anderson book...

Re: Cool Guns for your Games Geez -- but the WTF???? moment has got to be worth a few extra d6 on the PRE attack...

Re: Cool Guns for your Games "There's an app for that..." The Economist, Dec 10, 2009

Re: HERO SYSTEM MARTIAL ARTS -- What Do *You* Want To See? Cares, yes. Players/GMs using MAs with generic "I hit him lots' descriptions can make me grind my teeth faster than almost anything else in a game. The problem is getting anything meaningful from simple diagrams -- never mind the cost/time/space required to put them in the book. I've used books to learn kata, and static images and simple diagrams can be an exercise in frustration for most people. There are a lot of movies, and video on the web, which can be good visual references. Especially if you're just looking to spice up your descriptions. A breakdown of 'good examples' of these, maybe in the 'genre by genre' section as opposed to just being listed in the back of the book might be good. The bigger problem is whether or not the player is willing to make the effort to find what is available -- still a good pointer in the right direction of where to look would be a big plus for many people. I'd be inclined to call this more of a 'mind set'/plot consideration more than a game mechanic. This is where discussions can break down into a 'sport fighting vs REAL fighting' argument with the right/wrong mix of people. The 5e UMA already touches on this in part with the 'jutsu vs do' description. A couple of sentences on the differences between regulated competition and combat probably wouldn't hurt. As gamers, we usually focus on 'combat' and the rules are built along those same lines. My favorite 'quote' on the topic is from one of the side plots in David Weber's Honor Among Enemies, where a couple of senior NCOs are teaching a newbie how to defend himself: There really is a difference between two competitors matched by some objective standards meeting under agreed upon circumstances with rules and a referee, and 'lets you and me and my three buddies have a talk' in a dark alley where somebody isn't going to be walking out under his own power when the dust settles...

Re: rank and age It at least used to be you could enlist at 17 with your parents' consent. I enlisted Delayed Entry a week after my 17th b/d, went to basic a week after I graduated HS, and was still 17 when I graduated basic... (Lets here it for a September b/d -- course they keep pushing back when you can start school. My son was among the last Sept b/ds eligible to start school in our system while still 4. He was the youngest kid in the district. Now in 8th grade, he's in advanced placement math and one of the tallest kids in school. The boneheads wanted us to hold off another year before starting him...)

Re: Time related powers She was a lot of fun... And I changed templates, she's a bit more readable now...

Re: Time related powers Here is a character I used in a game with at least similar abilities. Nothing like the 'temporal fugue' ability, but short term time stoppage is the primary SFX for most of her abilities... Amy Jackson Player: Tom (DNPC) Val Char Cost 35 STR 25 26 DEX 48 21 CON 22 10 BODY 0 13 INT 3 12 EGO 4 18 PRE 8 14 COM 2 19/25 PD 12 14/20 ED 10 6 SPD 24 15 REC 8 42 END 0 39 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 7" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 166 Cost Power 50 In the blink of an eye: MP, 50-point reserve 7m 1) All the Time in the World: +5 Overall; Costs END (-1/2) 5u 2) Already Done: Minor Transform 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (Complete simple tasks (homework, cleaning, etc)), Partial Transform (+1/2), Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1) (50 Active Points) 3u 3) Sidestepping: Teleportation 12", No Relative Velocity, Position Shift, Safe Blind Teleport (+1/4) (49 Active Points); Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-1/4), no NCM (-1/4) 3m 4) Timing the Setup: HA +4d6 (20 Active Points); HtH Attack (-1/2) 2u 5) Taking a break: Aid END 4d6 (40 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2), Only Restores to Starting Values (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2) 4u 6) Being Everywhere at Once: Area Of Effect (up to 4" Any Area; +1), Selective (+1/4) for up to 35 Active Points of STR (44 Active Points) [Notes: 7 END total] Looking Ahead 8 1) Reading the Field: Defense Maneuver I-IV; Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) 8 2) Saw it coming: +2 with DCV; Costs END (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) 3 Damage Resistance (3 PD/3 ED) 5 Mental Defense (7 points total) Powers Cost: 98 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver Aikido 3 1) Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 8d6 +v/5, Target Falls 3 2) Takedown: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, 8d6 Strike; Target Falls 4 3) Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 55 STR vs. Grabs Disciplined Strength 4 1) Determined Blow: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, 10d6 Strike 4 +1 HTH Damage Class(es) Martial Arts Cost: 18 Cost Skill 3 WF: Small Arms, Knives 3 Stealth 14- 3 Riding 14- 3 Combat Driving 14- 1 TF: Horses, Motocycles, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles, Snowmobiles 1 Computer Programming 8- 2 KS 11- 3 Breakfall 14- 5 +1 with DCV 3 Teamwork 14- 3 Streetwise 13- Skills Cost: 30 Cost Talent 27 Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) 12- 12 Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED) Talents Cost: 39 Total Character Cost: 351 Pts. Disadvantage 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 5 Social Limitation: Teenager (Occasionally, Minor) 20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture) 15 Watched: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 15 Psych: Protective of innocents (Common, Strong) 15 Psych: Strives to live the "Heroic Ideal" (Common, Strong) 5 Distinctive Features: Unusual aura -- not entirely in synch with linear time (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses or Special Technology) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Temporal or XDim SFX (Uncommon) Disadvantage Points: 100 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 51 Total Experience Available: 51 Experience Unspent: 0 This is from the powers/tactics section of her sheet...

Armored Worms??? Can't quite do pointy heads, but we can blame it on the helmet -- right?

Re: Martial Arts Resources Assuming you're looking for suggestions of potential additions to the list: Non-Fiction Books Modern Arnis: Filipino Art of Stick Fighting by Remy Presas Comprehensive Applications of Shaolin Chin Na by Dr Yang Jwing-Ming Classical Weaponry of Japan: Special Weapons and Tactics of the Martial Arts by Serge Mol Fiction Books Steve Perry. Particularly The Musashi Flex or Black Steel.

Re: Happy Halloween! What Would Your Character Wear? I can't see Vagabond going trick or treating, but he'd have plenty of options since he's got full Instant Change if he did... Speedzone would only get 'dressed up' if Tim and Janice were invited to a costume party. The fun part would be the pair of them trying to decide what to go as. They both have costumed ID's, and they're both tech geeks. Maybe an Oxygen molecule. Though if Jan decided to be a bit daring (unlikely, but possible given her transformation)... Decisions, decisions... Focus is old enough to not be into the idea of the house to house bit (never mind being ridiculously rich), but a costume party is an excellent excuse to go out with Miranda. A good excuse to get her into a harem costume again too, but the one she ended up in the one time isn't something her guardian is likely to let her out of the house in and anything else would be too much of a letdown for teenage hormones (;D). All things considered, JT would probably end up a 'knight in shining armor' unless Miranda wanted to talk him into something different...

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread. Nice! Superheroine nose art on a B-17...

Re: Nebula from Conquerors, Killers, & Crooks p.184-186 Duress Durance Hmmm. both certainly work within the context... (Yeah, you got me wondering enough to look them up... )

Re: Anybody else having problems? Hmmm, isn't the free weekend next week? The promotional blurb in the other thread specifies 10/30 - 11/02. Or are they having more than one?

Re: Nebula from Conquerors, Killers, & Crooks p.184-186 The villain was 'Blackfire', but no name is mentioned for the hero. There is no mention of anyone 'returning' from Duress, but if the sentence for 'bank robbery' is only 50yrs, presumably return is possible. Not sure if she's in CO (haven't played, not likely to), but her Duress Guantlets are Extra-Dimensional Movement used as an attack in more standard game terms. She basically transports her target someplace else, which they cannot (in theory) escape from.

Re: Karate Weapons I think they were specifically listed in one of the earlier editions (maybe 4e). For my purposes, I've generally used the weapons that have the 'karate weapon' note on the melee weapons table of the UMA.

Re: Karate Weapons Hmmm, UMA lists: Bo, sai, nunchaku, tonfa, kama, eiku, timbe and rochin, suruchin, kue, and tekko under the 'Karate' heading. The 'Master List of Weapons' has the principle weapons of karate being: Bo, eiku, kama, sai, tekko, timbe and rochin, tonfa, and nunchaku. The 'Melee Weapons Table' includes the note 'Karate Weapon' for: Bo, kama, nunchaku, and tonfa. Apply salt to taste...

Re: When Robots Rule Uhm, wow... (must spread rep... *sigh*)

Re: Poison's Champions Art Thread Thank your wife for us...