Iuz the Evil

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! We are looking at being at or near the maximum number of players at this point if everyone remains interested following the review and negotiation of their character submissions. Depending on players dropping, which often happens right after a PBEM kicks off (people go "ooooh, here's my neat character idea" then "oh, I didn't really want to PLAY him" in some cases. Other times RL situations interfere, or they lose interest) we may have openings. I'll accept applications on an ongoing basis, and presently the final roster is fluid - so feel free to send me a character! Your unfamiliarity with Hero may be problematic, or it may not be. I'm much more concerned with good character background than a specific build, but will have to refer you to board/game resources and suggest a full rewrite if I can't utilize what you've sent me at this point. I'm willing to help, but don't have time to build the PC for the players at this point (might have time to do this later in the PBEM if we're looking for replacements, but we're at "start up" now). I'm interested in most of the submissions I've recieved so far, virtually all required some degree of modification to "fit" with the campaign I'm conceptualizing. The more potent the character build, the more likely it is I'm going to have "concerns". Don't want to put someone in the position of being the campaign Worf/Superman, where I tend to have the villain pound them right off the bat to demonstrate their nigh-unstoppable might (and avoid being beaten to a bloody pulp by the megapowered-PC). Likewise I don't want anyone sitting on the sidelines going... "I'll stay over here, don't want to get in the way of you tough guys!". Trying for balance is an interesting dilemma given the diverse builds submitted, but I think it's looking pretty good so far. Once again I will plug Enforcer84's "Hero A Day... sorta" thread. Lots and lots of great ideas, which will enhance just about any archetype submitted for play in the NorCal Heroes PBEM. If you're new to (or unfamiliar with) the Hero system, definitely check this out.

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! Think I've sent responses to everyone who has thus far given me a character for submission. I look forward to hearing from people, as this is intended to be a dynamic process... character creation being such a major part of the way the Hero System is implemented in play. Just a reminder, please submit characters as either attached text or imbedded into the body of your e-mail. It's just easier for me to copy it and reformat so I can easily read it.

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! csyphrett, got your submission, he's very cool. Feedback is back at ya. Look forward to your response etc etc. With regard to the "Everyman Skills" question, I'm not that hung up on it. Feel free to get FAM (8/less) with up to three skills you feel would be reflected by your character's background, and I'll review (and subsequently approve or disapprove) them. I'd expect FAM w/ things like KS or PS reflecting areas of interest, would allow a combat driving FAM if your character was a bus or cab driver, that sort of thing. I'll have more of a problem with a FAM w/ SS: Quantum Mechanics, obviously. I hope that's obviously, otherwise we'll be talking about munchkiny tendencies heh. I don't worry that much about Everyman skills, frankly. It's highly unlikely I'll go ballistic because you don't have every single point minmaxed so that you can buy "FAM w/ breathing air in public". I agree with RDU Neil on this one, sometimes less is more. If your character decides to try programming a computer, you'd better have computer programming (or you'll have pretty much zero chance of success). If your character wants to start up a Toyota Corrolla and drive two blocks to the grocery store, you don't need to buy the vehicle transport skill unless it's clearly outside your scope of experience. If in doubt, e-mail me and ask. EDIT: Just thought I'd clarify, there is a perfectly good reason to buy TF: ground vehicles, (and other similar "everyman" skills) despite my allowing people to drive without the skill. If something happens which requires you to check for control of the car (say a flat tire, getting shot at by a bad guy, bumped by a falling building, etc.) would you rather have an 8/less FAM or an 11/less skill roll?

Re: Marvel's Exiles: Hyperion Challenge--build a team to beat him! Well, that's pretty cheesy. But I suppose it'd work...

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes!

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! Either of those is fine, but if you do a VPP as described I'd want to see a pre-set "spell list" as in "approved by the GM" between those adventures. I don't have a problem with VPP's per se, but obviously they need to be handled carefully so as to avoid the possibility of exploitation. A restriction such as "only changed between adventures" with "can only chose spells from predetermined list" is in my mind a good way to manage this (I'm fine with a real long list heh). Just want to watch out for filling a VPP with rules exploiting spells or the like. Distinctive features that cannot be hidden would be fine in this campaign. The heroes will have a public base (in the Sacramento River Pyramid near the Tower Bridge), and are going to be deputized as state police (barring player action to jeopardize this). Hence the minimum 'heroic reluctance to kill' without prior approval. Might be a problem if the Distinctive Features somehow are harmful to the public (so horrific as to cause riots or something like that). I'm going to be closing submissions on this campaign on Sunday (5/22). I need to have everyone's character by then (preferably before) in order to review and give feedback.

Re: Roll up, roll up... Let's see how YOUR Marvel Select will do... Hey I like Plastic Man, he's fine and I'd be happy to play him too (except against Iceman or someone with that sort of power set). I am just saying Aquaman is nothing to sneeze at, and I'd be happy to play him in the JLA vs. "insert Marvelphile character here". I think he'd surprise people - especially given some of the opponents assigned him. By and large he's underestimated, and then turns out to be nastier than the opposition expected.

Re: Roll up, roll up... Let's see how YOUR Marvel Select will do...

Re: Roll up, roll up... Let's see how YOUR Marvel Select will do... Hey I'm not saying he can take Supes... I just like the new "variable advantage STR" hand he's got.

Re: Roll up, roll up... Let's see how YOUR Marvel Select will do... For the "Arthur is tougher than most people think" crowd (me included)...

Re: Roll up, roll up... Let's see how YOUR Marvel Select will do...

Re: Roll up, roll up... Let's see how YOUR Marvel Select will do... I disagree with Namor winning vs. Captain Marvel, and Dr. Strange would likely be KO'd before he could say "By the Crimson Bands of ... uhn".

Re: Roll up, roll up... Let's see how YOUR Marvel Select will do... I don't think many Marvel characters would last very long against that lineup frankly. Then again, I realize there are a bunch of Marvel fanboys on the boards... I'm sure this will get plenty of play. I wrote up a whole writeup on why I disagreed, but I just don't feel like getting into it tonight. Suffice it to say I think there's a whole different power level between the majority of Marvel and DC characters, which is reflected in this lineup. And don't be dissin' Arthur... he's got a sweet new hand to play with. Namor would be lucky to avoid months in traction.

Re: How long to make Master Mold? Bah, you guys are making this wayyy too hard! Bondo, duct-tape, and baling wire. That's what they'll find (once they get past string theory and all that hoooey) is the true stuff holding the universe together. You can buy the essential material which is the source of universal cohesion at Wal Mart, I don't see why you can't build your cyber-revolution! (At an appropriate point cost)

Re: Who is your campaigns "Bad Guy they love to hate" In my last two Champions campaigns I used Dr. Destroyer as the recurring "mega-villain whose plot is foiled but whose master plan is even closer to fruition". That's what he was there for, after all. The one I'm using for the upcoming PBEM - well, he's a home brewed baddie.

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! EDIT: We are reaching full capacity. Deadline for submissions is by 5/22/2005 at this time.

Re: Marvel Universe trivia Nefaria rules! I remember the Byrne illustrated Avengers where he got his powers... one of my favorites. The two part episode had Nefaria just absolutely TRASH the Avengers (sans Thor), throws Cap's shield into space, gets dropped on from near earth orbit by Vision at max density and shrugs it off (while dragging K.O.'d vision out of the crater by his cape), and pretty much laughs off everything they throw at him. Then Thor shows up in the last panel and he gets all pasty faced "oh no". Next issue is him smacking around Thor as he realizes he greatly outpowers the God of Thunder as well. His flinching block of Mjolnir inches from his face, look of surprise, and then laughing backhand biatchslap of Thor is a great couple of panels. I love those issues...

Re: Super humans populations in cities I (obviously) agree with the Chinese angle. My Indian supers are impacted to a large degree by the "style" of their powers. Lots of spiritually-oriented or ascetic power based type powers (it can be hard to be a superhero when you have your points tied up in wierd extra-dimensional movements or transforms that affect people's spiritual state or multiforms that serve primarily to look wierd and be a personification of an idealized state). They've also got a bunch of social norms which impact the ability of their citizenry to be active superheroes, such as a caste system (more rural than urban, but still a factor) and very rigid gender roles (again, more rural than urban). All those factors together reduce the Indian "active superhuman" population to slightly less than the United States', and they're considerably less "active" being tied up with their country's internal difficulties of famine and frequent military conflicts with nearby Pakistan (who has their own supers). All told, this effectively greatly reduces the role of the Indian superhuman in world affairs in my world.

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! Well, try not to do anything that's gonna make the GMs eyes bug out in disbelief that you'd try such an obvious exploit (like so). Y'know, like dumping all your points into a persistent desolid (barely affected by anything whatsoever) and taking "strength affects real world" and a buttload of martial arts or something like that? Actually that would be pretty cool, but I'd still be hesitant to consider it acceptable, 'cuz I'd be spending too many of the badguys points on "Affects Desolid" all the time. EDIT: I might even let that one go, barring invisibility or some sort of wonky other defenses on top of the desolid. Just go ahead and make your character build, it's pretty much all fair game.

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! Well, as for a time commitment, I'd have to say it's largely what you want to put into it. Minimum of weekly is largely the standard I've seen, sometimes people get going faster, presently (ahem) one I'm in is going much slower. I'd say weekend access isn't a problem, per se. If you are interested, e-mail me a character. (Yeah it's wierd how much the area has changed... I grew up here, and moved back a couple years ago. I'm sure there will be some anachronisms in my descriptors, heh, the players may note the big concrete dinosaur play structures near Macy's for instance... I keep forgetting they're at the Sacramento Zoo now).

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! Not even close csyphrett, feel free to submit a character.

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! Thanks Vanguard, I will.

Re: Marvel Universe trivia You could have the Red Skull borrow a trick from Dr. Doom and steal the powers of a Cosmic Powered individual such as Silver Surfer. Or maybe imbue himself with massive reality-altering powers by attempting to infuse himself with the power of a Cosmic Cube, but only partially succeeding. Or possibly he could put his brain in the Hulk's body or some such nonsense. Hmmm... expose himself to Gamma Radiation? Genetically modify himself with DNA from every mutant on earth? Bask in the glow of depleted uranium tank shells until he becomes a terrifying Abrams Tank/Human hybrid? Those are the ones that spring to mind...

Re: PBEM Submissions: NorCal Heroes! Bumpity Bump Bump...

Re: Super humans populations in cities