TaxiMan

Re: "Finally a game where you can kill the fodder, just like in the movies." Thanks all, for the reminder that -1 BODY is very nearly death. With 8 BODY normals and 2 DEF, a normal 12d6 attack is truly lethal. As far as '60 AP limits', that's Hero canon but can be adjusted of course. However, increasing this changes everything in the environment, and it seems that the environment is reasonably scaled to 60 AP Powers. Disabling and Impairing options - god, with 10 players I'm looking for faster, simpler combat! So now I'm claiming that adding additional, optional rules by itself makes the case Hero doesn't handle this well (since it increases bookkeeping). But that's water under the bridge. It isn't necessary for mook-slaughter since -1 BODY = near certain death. And as I've said, this is speculation since I don't play Hero for high body counts. Bottom line, Hero can have the killing fields of mookdom if the mook stats are kept down and AP limits are around 60.

Re: "Finally a game where you can kill the fodder, just like in the movies." I don't think Hero simulates "mook massacre" well. Other than the sidebar on pg 382 (something like "let non-important NPCs go down with one shot"), it just doesn't work well. Let's look at one-shot kills. At 60ap limit (standard superhero level), you can't do 20 BODY damage to a single normal person (i.e. an NPC with 10 BODY and 2 DEF). OK, you might if the dice god blesses you on a killing attack. IF you're using Hit Locations, you've got to call shots at -8 OCV to try, and just why are mooks so hard to kill for a superpowered person? Galactic Champions is the extreme - something I feel should represent a threat to entire cities or even worlds, not mooks. It's suggested they have 120 AP limits to Powers. An 8d6 KA is representative - doing 28 BODY average, with large swings up and down. So a Galactic level super still stands a chance of not killing a Normal with a single blow? I think it ought to be an auto-kill for LARGE numbers of normals at that level. IMO, the problem is how tough normals are. 10 BODY (or 8, whatever) is too much. It shouldn't be harder to kill a person than it is to blow a hole in a safe door (10 DEF, 9 BODY) crack a boulder (5 / 13) break a telephone pole (5/5) bring down a mature tree (5/11) break through an armored wall (13/7) I don't think HERO is set up well for casual mook killing. If you want it, redefine a Normal downward a LOT - it's easier than scaling power levels up. That's essentially what pg 382 recommends.

Re: "Finally a game where you can kill the fodder, just like in the movies." Ho ho ho vs. Yo ho ho .... Depends on whether you're a child or a parent (i.e. depends on who's paying for the gifts).

Re: To Multiform or not to Multiform.... One way to limit abuse of Multiform is by examining the Disadvantages. Specifically, if a Disadvantage isn't shared between forms then it isn't as detrimental and is probably worth less. Maybe half its book value, maybe nothing at all (esp. with Instant Change). This can make it extremely hard to come up with enough Disadvantages to get to the max allowed, but that's sort of my point. GM's can use this to restrict abuse of Multiform. In my game, if a player needs Multiform to achieve a reasonable character concept I don't press the issue much. If they're trying to game the Power, I put the screws to 'em.

Re: Variable Summoning. Here I thought you'd only need "KS: Algebra". It's all about the X.

Re: garrote There probably is an "official" response, but I don't have it. How about 4d6HA, NND (defense is solid neck protection or no neck), Does Body + a naked NND, Does Body advantage for up to 20 STR? Include a Linked Darkness vs Sound, No Range, Only Affects Target (-1), Requires Skill Roll (garotting / assasination) to indicate the silencing effect. You could require "Must Follow Grab". A normal guy (STR 10, SPD 2) could kill another normal guy (10 Body) in 18 seconds this way. Sounds about right, but size it to suit your tastes.

Re: Need Clarification: Extra-Dimensional Movement If Star Trek's teleportation 'crosses intervening space', how do they get out of the ship? How do they teleport to locations in buildings or underground? Does there have to be a hole, or does Scotty ask "Open the door, and I'll teleport the Captain down"? The thought made a funny picture in my head.

Re: Can this Detect even work? Were the floating locations purchased with "fully invisible"? (humor)

Re: Shapechanging Imitation I agree with your opinion, whatever it might be. You're the GM.

Re: Change Environment's Telekinesis I don't like this ruling, it doesn't seem like it fits the genre to me. In my world, TK with AoE can lift its STR per hex. You end up being able to lift enormously heavy loads, but they have to be very big. If something has too much weight in a hex, it can't be lifted. Someone with regular TK who spent the same points can exert enormous force over a small area. So TK AoE could lift a huge, thin granite slab lying horizontally (but maybe not vertically!). Regular TK could pull a telephone pole out of the ground (requires lots more oomph than lifting a granite slab!).

Re: Overall Levels are they too good or not good enough? I think they are priced fairly. Even 5 levels doesn't bother me, the player devoted 50 points to the levels after all. There isn't any way to reduce their cost, so that keeps them from being abused IMO. As far as Find Weakness goes, that is a possible abuse with Overall Levels. I believe they can be used to improve FW rolls, according to Steve. However, game limits can probably keep that in check (e.g. FW of 14- is game max, or some such).

Re: A question to the physics-minded... Assume a power source that moves with the projectile (I'm not saying how big this thing is!). Assume the ability to generate a sphere of plasma in front of the projectile, so resistance in front is very small. High speeds are possible. Assume the plasma quickly collapses violently, giving up that energy you used to create it. Now: create a plasma sphere ('bubble') in front of you, move into the bubble, and let it collapse behind you so that it ends up pushing you forward. Do this continuously as you move. End result is you gain efficiency by using more of the energy you expend to create the low-friction path. You accelerate during your flight. By controlling where you place the bubble, you can control the direction of the force from its collapse - i.e. you can steer as well as accelerate (or decelerate, but that's too easy). You have a projectile that can launch at 'low' speeds, accelerates and is guidable. It also generates a moving EMP and an 'ion trail' - useful for guiding lightning bolts or for lower-cost follower projectiles (these wouldn't need the guidance controls). If you can make it small and cheap, you've got a winner!

Re: Calling All Evil GMs How about pregnancies? Abortions don't work (though they thought they did). An incredibly high number of pregnancies occur, since the little 1-cell buggers successfully implant. Vasectomies spontaneously reverse. Other unintended healing occurs - cosmetic surgery 'undoes'. Tattoos are rejected. Perhaps a person's carpal tunnel returns because the surgery to relieve the pressure 'heals'. Depends on how this super-healing works. If it puts people back to the way they were, you get weird stuff. If it somehow knows what people want, then you get different stuff - Cosmetic surgeons complain because all their patients no longer need their services. Marriages break up as spouses visibly discover the attributes desired by their partner (I leave that to you). All teenage girls start to look like [fill in with teen star idol]. All teenage boys [damn, I don't want to go there, but parents will be horrified]. Play on!

Re: Fantasy Adventures Or Why are we always underground...again

Re: Bypassing Armor that has Activation rolls If we have a new ability to reduce someone's Activation roll (somehow), does that mean the Limitation for Activation should be larger now? I mean, you're taking something away from the guy's power that you weren't before. Seems more limited now. If I were a player & got -1/4 on 15- Activation, then kept getting -12 because enemies spent 3 OCV, would I think the Limitation was worth -1/4?

Re: Bypassing Armor that has Activation rolls Good example! OK, so if it has tiny holes or gaps, then a GM could say "it'll take a lucky shot to hit one of those gaps; not only are they small, the target is moving. Shoot first, then we'll see if you hit a gap." As long as the game is fun. I suppose those debating this issue want more and more detail and rules. I don't think it's necessary, but if that's the fun part for you, have at it!

Re: Bypassing Armor that has Activation rolls First, if the game doesn't use hit locations, then Calling Shots is not really valid. It's neat for cinematic flavor, but not game effects. Second, if the game does use hit locations, the Armor should not have Activation unless it covers everything - but disappears sometimes ("whim of the gods" or such). If it really doesn't cover the head, use that for the limitation. I don't see a problem.

Re: Metamorphosis

Re: Metamorphosis Also, the difference between Images and SS is, SS doesn't get a PER roll to see what's underneath. That's because underneath is exactly what you see.

Re: How do i Represent a Taunting skill? Ah, but what if you want to piss someone off so bad they attack you insanely? Transform, Character to Character with Enraged 18- vs PC. Oh, the lovely clean elegance of Transform.

Re: Continuous Attack Faster than Character's Speed? 1. I like Hugh's last approach (using damage-past-standard-defenses) better now. 2. I was intending to apply 2d6 KA / segment with that approach. Problems include figuring to-hit, deciding what the attacking character can / can't do since it's happening all the time, etc.

Re: Metamorphosis I think ghost-angel nailed it - with 5er, we have "clarification" that ShapeShift vs. Touch and Sight is the old, 4th ed. ShapeShift again. It certainly didn't read that way to me before 5er, and I didn't get that sense from Steve's replies but it's now clear. SS vs. sight and touch actually changes you. It shifts your mass and changes your shape - you can fit through things you couldn't before (so no more Desolid - Only To Fit Through Keyholes). If you want to get small or large, you still need Powers - but you did before too. Damn. And I had finally gotten used to SS affecting senses only. I'm not too upset, I didn't like that approach anyway.

Re: Help with time-stop ability. On a more helpful note, time-stop special effects could be put in a multipower or EC: Telekinesis, IPE - simulates you walking over & doing something, then walking back in 0 time Teleport, Must cross Intervening Space - you walk over somewhere in 0 time Teleport UAA, simultaneously - you can move people & things around Missile Deflection, Usable at Range - you walk over while time is stopped & pluck the bullets out of the air. Doesn't work on energy? (travels at light speed) Clairsentience or N-Ray vision - you walk around and see things That sort of thing should let you simulate a lot of Time Stop abilities - but it's also expensive. Just not 10,000 points.

Re: Help with time-stop ability. There is a pseudo-official Time Stop power (Steve Long wrote it up) in an early Digital Hero. It examines the need to Suppress the nuclear reaction in the cores of bajillions of stars throughout the universe, the Telekinesis needed to stop matter from falling into black holes, that kind of ordinary stuff that stopping time requires. I'm not sure, but I think it was an effort to show how unbalancingly powerful such a power is. IIRC, it cost tens of thousands of points.

Re: Continuous Attack Faster than Character's Speed? Fine, just bring common sense into a perfectly good math exercise. You know what's wrong with your 'common sense'? It's just so... common!