KA.

Re: A Difficult Power Blue, No problem, really. You weren't getting testy, so much as expressing your opinion. Which is the same thing I was doing. As you may have noticed, the next paragraph in my post started with: "However, we did only learn one aspect of this character. While it is a bit grisly, it may be that the character's motivations are more heroic, kind of like a silver age cross between Deadman and The Spectre." And, in an earlier post, I offered a possible way to model this effect. All I am trying to say is, I wasn't intending to insult you or your player. And I don't really think I did. I do have fairly strong opinions on what I consider a Superhero, but I don't think expressing them is the same thing as shouting down anyone with a different concept. My strong preference for Blackberry cobbler is not intended as an insult to those who prefer Apple, or Cherry, or none at all. I don't think anyone suggested that this character has no business on the Champions board, other than you. I do admit to a somewhat kneejerk reaction. It is just that usually when someone combines "superhero" and "graveyard" the result is not exactly what I look for in my games. On the other hand, one of my first Champions characters was The Grim Reaper. He worked at a graveyard and carried a scythe, but his main power was a Mental Entangle, so people would be more "comatose" than actually "dead". And, as far as motivations, actions, etc. he was pretty much Four Color all the way. He looked scary, but he wasn't evil. Much like the character your player is describing. I guess both sides are a bit oversensitive to this issue. I have seen practically every character and comic I used to read go further and further in the direction of becoming an amoral Iron Age bloodbath. On the other hand, fans of Iron Age comics feel put upon by those who compare everything to the Good Old Days, even things that are meant to be original, and frankly, have nothing to do with what went before. Not trying to prove anything here, but there is one point I would like to make about this overall question. I know that no one here has anything to do with the publishing of comics. So it would be foolish to "blame" anyone for what the publishers do. However, one reason that Four Color fans can be a bit testy is this. If someone is a fan of The Authority, or Spawn, or some other Iron Age comic, you are allowed to have those characters in all their bloodthirsty glory. It is accepted that this is the way they are. But, if you are a fan of many of the Four Color heroes of the past, you have to put up with them being retconned to fit the new mold. "Oh, you just thought Captain Heroic was a good guy! He is actually a fascist pedophile working for Cthuloid aliens that want to enslave the Earth. You were a naive fool to believe anything else!" It is hard to not rankle a bit at that sort of thing. I drink Coke. Others prefer Pepsi. I have no problem with that. But if others still got to enjoy their Pepsi, while all of my Coke was converted into Pepsi, you can see how I might be a bit sensitive on the topic. I think you responded to what you saw as an attack reasonably. I hope that I have done the same. Tomato, Tomahto, I am more than willing to call this whole thing off. KA.

Re: SFX Stunts : Cool or Abusive? Okay, it looks from the majority of the posts like I may have been thinking of Power Skill too narrowly. If you all think that it could be used for minor effects that are "pure SFX" then that is okay with me. KA.

Re: Self-Exiled Angel -- Character Background Brainstorming A few, semi-random ideas. 1) A cult. Somehow a cult has shown up on Earth that claims to worship her. But they are doing it all wrong. They relish mindless violence and vengeance on anyone they dislike. She becomes so disgusted by their actions, in "her" name, that she vows to not return to Heaven until they are either straghtened out or wiped out. 2) Random violence. You may want to read "Wielding A Red Sword" by Piers Anthony. Not the strongest book in the series, but it has some ideas about the concept of what a "God of War" expects vs. how humans wage war. Anyway, there is a difference between war and terrorism/genocide/murder. An Angel of War might feel the need to come to Earth and teach humans about long-forgotten concepts like Honor and Fair Play, even while at war. KA.

I just went to get a bottle of water. Yes, fascinating, I know, but there's more! I had just been posting here, so I was thinking of Champions/Superheroes, and a thought struck me. Let's say I am Bobby Drake (Iceman). I am walking down the street in civilian ID, when I spot a mugging in progress. I don't want to change to Iceman, too many people around, and my Martial Arts skills aren't that great, and could cause embarrassing questions too. What I need is a simple weapon, like a club. I remember I am carrying a full bottle of water. You know, if this thing were frozen, I could . . . You get the idea. Now I know that it is possible for characters to use their powers to do Power Stunts, by making a Power Skill roll. That is all well and good. But some things aren't exactly "Power" stunts, they are more like "SFX" stunts. Unless Iceman has some sort of HTH Attack Power, turning a bottle of water into an ice club does not really fall under a specific power, but based on his overall SFX, he should be able to do it. I know that a GM could just handwave this sort of thing, but, what does everyone else think of someting like an SFX Skill? Or perhaps even giving certain characters this for free? Let me put a little fine print on this first. I imagine this being for characters like Iceman who have one basic "elemental" SFX. Just because you have a napalm round in your multi-gun, it doesn't mean you can cook food over your hands. And, I think it should be for relatively minor stuff, maybe 10 AP or less. But I think it could be a cool way to allow characters to do some of the cool stuff we see in the comics, without having to buy a VPP, or tons of little powers. Any thoughts? KA.

Re: help the newbie? - two unrelated Qs secretID, First, let me say, Welcome to Hero! You probably do not need to buy 5th Ed Revised. The changes aren't that major, mostly just clarifications. Somewhere around here there is a thread on what exactly has changed. But it isn't like the D&D thing where all the other books become useless or anything. It is mainly a fresh print with as many typos as possible fixed and some clarification of rules. On the powers you mentioned. Without getting into specifics, let me tell you something that slips right past most people when they first get into Hero. Because there is a decent amount of game balance built in, and because you are encouraged to build your character however you want, and because there is a fair amount of math, some people think of Hero like a soapbox derby. Everyone starts with the same number of points, you build the most efficient character you can, and whoever makes it down the ramp, errr, beats up the bad guys first, wins. No. Hero is like a big garage full of tools. You can build just about anything you want out of them. But what you are supposed to be building with them is your character concept. When you start out to build a birdhouse, you don't get out the arc welder, riveting gun, and cement mixer, because even though they are in the garage, you don't need them for your birdhouse. The idea is to have the widest range of tools possible, so that if you are building Beast Boy, you can turn into a Tiger, or Bear, or Electric Eel. That does not mean that Martial Arts Detective Guy and Flamethrower Boy should also have the ability to turn into Mountain Lions, just because that power is in the book. As much as the designers of Hero have done their best to build in balance, there are absolutely constructs that are more "points effective". You can build things that are abusive. But as long as you stick to building your concept, and your GM makes sure that Limitations are Limiting, Disadvantages are Disadvantageous, and everyone, no matter what power level, gets a fair share of the plot, you will never get too far astray. KA. P.S. for further information on this topic (as if you aren't already bored to tears ) you may want to read this thread: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24953

Re: Temporarily and Voluntarily Reducing Characteritics For those who don't allow the voluntary lowering of PRE, pardon my density, but I really don't get what this is based on. I understand if you have Distinctive Feature : Ridiculously Impressive. But other than that, what are you saying? Does everyone with a high PRE, bought without OIHID or some other Limitation, walk around like Jon Lovitz' "Master Thespian" from SNL? "Hello, Sirrah! What appears on your board of fare today?" "Well, the special is a ham sandwich." "Very Well, My Good Fellow! I shall have a HAM SANDWICH!" Does everyone with a high STR constantly rip off door handles, crush glasses, and pull the arms off their dates if they help them to their seat in a theater? I really don't get this. I think there is a limitation for Always On or Full Power Only, but unless you buy your characteristics that way, why would you have no control over them? I understand that it might be hard to hide a very high PD or ED, especially if it was Resistant. If someone shoots a bullet straight at your chest, and it visibly bounces right off, leaving a hole in your shirt, people are going to notice. But that is not the same as always using your characteristics at max power. I think this explains a lot of common things that happen. Clark Kent will be slightly stunned (not Hero Stunned, but "taken aback") by an attack when he is unprepared. Then suddenly Superman can wade through them like nothing. Why? Because he does not have his CON and PD/ED turned up all the way most of the time. Hero doesn't really get into this topic much, and I don't know if any RPG does, but if you actually had skin that was invulnerable to Napalm, you might very well not notice if you were touching a pan on the stove that was much too hot for a normal person to handle. Which means that keeping a Secret ID would become almost impossible. So, it is my theory (based on nothing at all ) that most Superheroes walk around in Secret ID with their powers/characteristics at some sort of baseline level that is below their Superheroic level. I am not talking about OIHID here. I think the powers/chars are available all the time, but that they don't have them turned on all the time when they are trying to fit in with normals. This is the same reason why Matt Murdock doesn't scream and clap his hands to his ears every time Foggy drops a pencil. And that someone who gives Clark Kent a friendly slap on the shoulder doesn't feel like he slapped a concrete wall. KA.

Re: A Difficult Power Champsguy, First, congratulations on reaching 1000 posts in your latest incarnation. Second, I agree with the "How is this a superhero?" question. When I was first teaching Champions to my teen nephews, one of them kept coming up with a string of Spawn-wannabe's. "I want to raise armies of demons that kill people!" "And what exactly makes that heroic?" "Because they kill bad people!" However, we did only learn one aspect of this character. While it is a bit grisly, it may be that the character's motivations are more heroic, kind of like a silver age cross between Deadman and The Spectre. I mean we havent' heard anything about RKA Flying Maggots, or summoning an army of zombies to tear flesh from the bad guys. Yet. And, even though you and I appear to have pretty similar ideas about what makes a hero, there are people who are really into the "Iron Age" stuff. I think of it like a church picnic. They come for the fried chicken, but they may pick up a little gospel along the way. As long as new people keep joining the Hero flock, some day, when they have played out all the bloodthirsty butchery, they may get bored and decide to make a "real" Superhero. And then we've got them. KA.

Re: A Difficult Power Regeneration: Healing 3d6, Resurrection, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2); Extra Time (1 Day, Only to Activate, Character May Take No Other Actions, -2 1/4), OAF Corpse (-1), Self Only (-1/2) [Notes: No Healing Max (see FREd p. 120).] (So you Regenerate the next morning, in the new body, but you must have a corpse. Until you get one, you basically just don't exist.) Plus: Physical Limitation : Dies Every Night, Body is destroyed. Distinctive Features : Undead I would just assume that the Characteristics are held within the "soul" so that the new body is always the same, it just looks different. KA.

Re: Temporarily and Voluntarily Reducing Characteritics I agree. High DEX Superheroes often trip and fall in their Secret ID. High PRE Superheroes often act scared in hostage situations to keep the bad guys from seeing them as "resisting". People with high PRE in real life, like military commanders, can go to a play without having the whole audience stare at them the whole time. They can be "low key" if they want. As far as DEX, CON, etc. I think it would take some sort of deliberate test to expose them. But you have to remember that they are good at the thing you are testing. Chevy Chase and Dick Van Dyke no doubt have very high DEX, but that is what allows them to fall, trip, and hurt themselves, so realistically. And someone with a high CON could act Stunned, in pain, etc. I would give a basic 8 or less Acting Familiarity roll to pull this off once, but if they wanted to do it often, I would tell them to buy the Acting skill. KA.

Re: Baking your noodle

Re: DNPC: My Cat For anyone who doubts that a pet can be just as much of a DNPC as a person, I submit the following: http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/hotsprng.htm Although it is from the Urban Legends site, it is a true story. They just happened to have the most detailed account I could easily find. KA.

Re: D20 style character sheet If the other posters are correct as far as what you are looking for, you may want to try this: http://www.herogames.com/FreeStuff/HeroDesignerV2/export%20templates/NumbersLiteHTML.zip It is a "Numbers Lite" Character Sheet. I believe it was created by Derek. I haven't really looked myself, but it may be a start for you. KA. Update: Okay, I looked at it! It makes sheets that look like this.

Re: Need help forming a scenario idea A bit more background would really help. Is Geist a known Superhero? I mean does anyone other than his former partner even know he exists? By the way, sounds a bit more like The Spectre than Batman, just not quite so cosmic in power level. Plot bits: For a character like Geist, it would be extremely easy to just happen across the needed information. I usually don't like plots that require figuring out too many clues, especially in solo scenarios. There is only one player, no one to bounce ideas off of, and no one else to come up with the answer. I think it just leads to frustration for GM and Player alike. I would not spill the beans immediately, or anything. I would just have Geist do his normal patrolling/looking for clues, and give him a chance to overhear a villain talking about the "Achilles meeting" or something like that. Now to keep things from getting too easy, he could overhear where, in general, the meeting is to take place (like "Warehouse District") and around what time. He may plan to follow the person he got the info from. You could have the person with the info be wearing some sort of amulet, or have the invitation in the form of a scroll, whatever. When the time comes for the meeting, Geist will likely figure on following them right into the meeting while invisible. Until, right before meeting time, the villain activates the Scroll, Amulet, etc. and is instantly teleported away! Now Geist will have to race across the city, trying to get to the meeting before it is over! Along the way, he could run into two lesser villains, engaged in a fight over who should have been the one to attend the big meeting. Geist can either stop to fight, hoping to gain an amulet for a faster trip, or keep going. The kicker is, neither of these losers actually has an amulet, they are just griping. He could also pick up some information by listening to them argue. But he better not take too long. When he gets to the auction site, things won't be that easy. With all those villains involved, some of them are bound to have Invisibilty, Teleportation, Desolid, etc. And villains being what they are, the owners of the list have wisely decided to keep it in a vault that is very well guarded and has all the latest security equiptment, including stuff to handle invisible snoopers. As a matter of fact the exterior of the warehouse is similarly equipped. And if he is detected, a melee will break out and he had better be darned careful. Even if they can't see him, a missed shot could kill him. So, I would make this more about sneaking and getting around security than figuring out complex clues. He won't really know what he is dealing with until the auction opens. Once it does, and the vault is opened, he could try to create a brawl by using a little TK to pick some pockets, and deposit the money on other villains. Those are just some ideas, I will try to come up with more. KA.

Re: DNPC: My Cat I think this is one of those things that boils down to: "SFX vs Game Mechanic". As long as the Player knows that the cat will be treated just like other DNPC's I would not have a problem with it. It will get in trouble. It will pop up in the middle of adventures. It will be taken hostage. It must be rescued, at any and all costs to the character. By getting DNPC points for this cat, the player is stating that to his character it is just as important as a wife, child, best friend, etc. And there are a few conditions I would put on it. 1) The GM gets to build the cat, and the Player does not get a copy of the sheet. Is it just an ordinary cat? Does it have powers and skills like Stealth, or the Batman "teleport" (no one saw me get on the team jet)? Does it have Unluck, causing it to constantly get into trouble? 2) Because the GM holds the sheet, he does not have to offer any explanations, logical or otherwise, how the cat ends up in the middle of things. Even if they put it on a leash, install cat detectors on the team transport, etc., it will be able to stow away and get into trouble. 3) It also will have some sort of movement powers, even if they just involve taking a nap in the back of a delivery truck and ending up downtown just as Grond is tearing up the city. 4) This is a DNPC, not a Follower or Animal Friend. Fluffy is not going to be chewing through ropes and fetching keys from the guard's pocket while he sleeps. Fluffy is more likely to start meowing furiously as you try to slip out the door, after all, he has a couple of cat treats hidden in that cell. Actually there are a lot of possibilities with this sort of DNPC. You may be able to convince your girlfriend to not go downtown tonight, but you could never convince a cat of anything. You would be rather shocked to find your girlfriend calmly sipping a bowl of milk at the feet of Dr. Destroyer, but a cat doesn't possess that kind of loyalty. I think I would allow it, and then fiendisly exploit it. Pretty much my standard procedure with anything a Player asks for. KA.

Re: Bondage in the Old West I was thinking the same thing. This is one SFX where combat/non-combat make perfect sense. If you are trying to lasso a moving target, then it is "combat" and you can only do it so far away, quickly enough to catch something. On the other hand, if you are trying to lasso a knob of rock so that you can climb up to the top of a ridge, and you have all day to do it, then non-combat. KA.

Re: Adding value to COM

Re: NND Defenses mudpyr8, I still don't think I understand exactly what you are trying to do here. Are you trying to put an NND advantage on the attack powers so that they will be worthwhile in a Multipower slot, because they cost more? As far as the defenses, I would absolutely not allow "Not vs. X" as a defense. For one reason, what about vampires, or other undead that are able to pass as human? Professor VonSomething: "I wonder if Count Plasma here is a vampire?" Mondar the Mystic: "Let me check . . ." cuts loose with NND (Only vs. Undead) Count Plasma: "Ouch!" Mondar: "Yep, he's a vampire, all right." KA.

Re: Island of Dr. Destroyer as a one off? Phydaux, Are we getting anywhere on this? Are the characters posted so far okay? Just checking to make sure this is still on before I make a bunch more. KA. Or do you really hate them and are too polite to tell us.

Re: Island of Dr. Destroyer as a one off?

Re: Island of Dr. Destroyer as a one off? I was thinking more along the lines of: "Yeah, Baby! I'm a swinging, power-projecting, Man of Mystery, Baby! Watch my groovy Psychedelic Flower Power Blast put these squares on ice!" KA.

Re: Island of Dr. Destroyer as a one off?Okay, here is my take on the Superleaping Brick.His name is Mortar.MortarPlayer: Val Char Cost 30 STR 20 15 DEX 15 25 CON 30 20 BODY 20 16 INT 6 13 EGO 6 15 PRE 5 12 COM 1 30 PD 24 30 ED 25 4 SPD 15 20 REC 18 50 END 0 50 STUN 2 6" RUN02" SWIM018" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 187Cost Power END 15 Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED) 0 50 Energy Blast 10d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2); No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Power requires Half-Move Leaping (-1/4) 9 14 Leaping +12" (18" forward, 9" upward) (Accurate), combat acceleration/deceleration (+1/4); OIF JumpBoots (-1/2) 2 10 High Range Radio Perception (Radio Group); IIF Ear Bud (-1/4) 0 Powers Cost: 89Cost Martial Arts Maneuver 4 Fast Strike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, 8d6 Strike 4 Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 8d6 Strike 3 Martial Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 6d6 +v/5, Target Falls Martial Arts Cost: 11Cost Skill 9 +3 with Move Through\Leaping Energy Blast\Martial Strike 3 Combat Driving 12- 3 Combat Piloting 12- 3 Concealment 12- 3 Demolitions 12- 3 Lockpicking 12- 3 Mechanics 12- 4 Navigation (Air, Land, Marine) 12- 3 Parachuting 12- 3 Paramedics 12- 5 PS: Soldier 14- 3 Security Systems 12- 3 Shadowing 12- 3 Stealth 12- 3 Survival 12- 3 Tactics 12- 3 Teamwork 12- Skills Cost: 60Cost Talent 3 Absolute Range Sense Talents Cost: 3Val Disadvantages 15 Dependent NPC Brother: Jack Morton UNTIL Chopper Pilot 11- (Normal) 20 Monitored by U.S. Govt: 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 15 Psychological Limitation: Protective of Innocents (Very Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Heroic, will sacrifice self for comrades. (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Seeks Simple Solutions to Complex Problems: Who do I hit? What do I break? (Common, Strong) 5 Physical Limitation: Tone Deaf (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 10 Reputation: Gung Ho Marine, 11- 15 Social Limitation: Public Identity Frequently (11-), Major 20 Social Limitation: Subject to Orders of U.S. Military Very Frequently (14-), Major 20 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Explosive Attacks (Common) Disadvantage Points: 150Base Points: 200Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 350 Height: 1.91 m Hair: Black Weight: 86.00 kg Eyes: Blue Appearance: While Mortar has a Public I.D. he wears standard fatigues so that he can blend in with other military personnel.His JumpBoots look like a heavier version of standard combat boots, with small jet-pods on each side. Personality: Mortar isn't stupid, he just sees things as black and white.Who is the bad guy, and how do I take him down? He is fiercely loyal to anyone he sees as a teammate. His goal is to complete his mission to the best of his ability. He also does his best to protect his brother Jack when he is on loan to U.N.T.I.L. Jack is a good pilot, but no superhero. And he seems to have a knack for getting himself in hot water. Quote:Incoming!Background: Private Martin Morten was doing really well in his Marine Corps training. He was tough, strong, and agile. He was also the type of guy who would do anything for a buddy. Which is why, when his buddy Gary mishandled a live grenade during training, Martin threw himself on it without hesitation. They took him to the infirmiry, and his Sergeant and the rest of his platoon started polishing their brass for his funeral service. They were told that he could have no visitors. They waited a week, and then two, and finally the Sergeant went to make some inquiries. He came back and told the platoon that Martin had been transferred. The platoon assumed it meant to a medical facility. But Martin was actually transferred to a new training group. One for paranormals discovered in the U.S. Military. The explosion didn't kill him. And once his body healed, he was really hard to hurt with anything. Not only that, but the explosion seemed to trigger some latent ability to store up and release kinetic energy. Martin could throw himself in the air and let off a burst of concussive force when he landed. They gave him a set of JumpBoots to help him jump further, and codenamed him "Mortar". Now he does what he can to help his country, while he serves out his hitch.Powers/Tactics: Mortar does not hesitate to use his Leaping to perform a MoveThrough.He jumps in the air and lands on the target. If the target is too mobile, he uses his Area Effect 1 Hex "Explosion" to hit them. He has also had some Martial Arts Training, and his overall toughness makes him suprisingly tough in hand to hand combat. He also has received a wide variety of training, for almost any situation a modern soldier could face. Campaign Use:

Re: Island of Dr. Destroyer as a one off?Okay, here is my first stab at the Flying Brick.Take it easy on me, I was in a hurry, and I am not used to campaign limits.Also, I was trying to keep him simple.One last bit, that other poster might want to include, why would this character be sent to the I.O.D.D.?Well, Dr. D's plan for world conquest could obviously destroy the global economy, which would interest Bankkorp. Also, it is a good chance for great publicity, and who knows, it all may be a big bluff anyway, UNTIL may have it taken care of before we even get there.Auric The Golden KnightPlayer: Val Char Cost 40/60 STR 30 24 DEX 42 25 CON 30 20 BODY 20 18 INT 8 15 EGO 10 20 PRE 10 14 COM 2 11/30 PD 3 11/30 ED 6 4 SPD 6 15 REC 4 50 END 0 55 STUN 2 12" RUN122" SWIM08"/12" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 185Cost Power END Powered Armor, all slots OIF (-1/2) 30 1) Armor (15 PD/15 ED) 0 13 2) Density Increase (1,300 kg mass, +20 STR, +4 PD/ED, -4" KB) 2 3 3) Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) 0 8 4) High Range Radio Perception (Radio Group) 0 3 5) Infrared Perception (Sight Group) 0 3 6) Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group) 0 40 Multipower, 60-point reserve, all slots OIF (Armor JetBlasters; -1/2) 3u 1) Flight 20" 4 3u 2) Energy Blast 12d6; 6 Charges (-3/4) [6] Powers Cost: 106Cost Skill 3 Bribery 13- 3 Bureaucratics 13- 7 Computer Programming (Hacking and Computer Security, Personal Computers, Local Networks, Mainframes and Supercomputers) 13- 3 Conversation 13- 3 Deduction 13- 5 Forgery (Documents, Money (Counterfeiting), Credit Cards) 13- 3 High Society 13- 3 Paramedics 13- 3 Persuasion 13- 3 Power 17- (21-) 4 PS : Banker 14- 3 Security Systems 13- 3 Teamwork 14- Skills Cost: 46Cost Perk 10 Money: Wealthy Perks Cost: 10Cost Talent 3 Lightning Calculator Talents Cost: 3Val Disadvantages 15 Dependent NPC (Wife): Mildred Worth 8- (Normal; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 15 Hunted by GRAB: 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 10 Monitored by FTC, Better Business Bureau, and Corporate Watchdog Groups: 11- (As Pow, NCI, Watching) 15 Psychological Limitation: Glory Hound (Very Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Greedy (Willing to "confiscate" valuables, cash, technology, from defeated villains.) (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Protective of Valuables (Money, Precious Metals, Gems, Art) (Common, Strong) 10 Reputation: Corporate Pawn for Big Business Concern, 11- 10 Social Limitation: Secret Identity Frequently (11-), Minor 20 Social Limitation: Subject to Orders of BankKorp Very Frequently (14-), Major 5 Unluck: 1d6 20 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Magnetic Attacks (Common) Disadvantage Points: 150Base Points: 200Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 350 Height: 1.83 m Hair: Blond Weight: 82.00 kg Eyes: Brown Appearance: The armor appears to be solid gold, although it is obviously some sort of alloy. Bright, shiny, and a bit over the top.In person, Douglass is handsome, polished, and wearing a suit that cost more than your car did. Personality: Douglass Worth does not mind helping people, as long as he keeps an eye on the Bottom Line. He is greedy, arrogant, and very sure of himself. Auric is the same personality, with a layer of "Good Guy" added on. Auric's job is to make Bankkorp look less like the moneygrubbers that they are. So, he spends a lot of time trying to look good, take credit for whatever gets done right, and avoid blame for whatever goes wrong. He also cares a bit more for property than people, and will take anything that isn't nailed down if the owner is going to be off to jail anyway.Since his main job is to make Bankkorp look good, Auric trains himself with a passion. He has learned skills like Paramedic that look good on camera. He has also spent a lot of time working on creative uses of his STR, because a little extra flash never hurts. Quote:You have been operating in the red too long. Prepare to be written off!Background: Douglas Worth's life had been planned since birth. His family was wealthy, with many financial interests, not all of them strictly legal. He was going into the world of Banking. The finest schools, the best tutors, and a bit of bribery, ensured he was always the top student in his class. After graduation, he was immediately put onto the fast-track at Bankkorp. He was due to become the VP of Finance by the time he was thirty. He already had the stately home and stately wife, all he needed was a bit of field experience.One of Bankkorps assets was a gold mining operation in South Africa. After a series of odd accidents, the mine's Head of Research was left in charge. Douglas was sent to investigate, and correct any problems, if necessary. Dr. McGuffin was not happy to see the new arrival from the home office. He expressed this by attacking Douglas and placing him in an experimental separation machine along with a load of high grade gold ore. The machine was intended to extract the gold from the ore in a process involving radiation and a chemical treatment. The idea being to go from ore to refined gold in a single process. Something in the process reacted with unique factors in Douglass' body chemistry. He emerged from the machine, alive, but changed. He was much stronger, and tougher, but not bulletproof. He arranged for Dr. McGuffin to be arrested for "attempted sabotage" with no mention of what really happened. And he made sure that Bankkorp retained the right to any future use of the technology. After some time, he arranged for Dr. McGuffin's release, in exchange for building him a set of powered armor to enhance his new abilites. Now he has another identity as Auric The Golden Knight. Bankkorp officials have been told that Auric is a stuntman in a powered suit that Worth hired to give the company a more positive image. Powers/Tactics: Auric uses his Strength and Armor to overpower foes. At least when the cameras are on. The rest of the time, he is never above sneak attacks, dirty tricks, and whatever will turn the tide in his favor.He is also always ready to send a teammate in to fight any foe that he thinks could actually hurt him. His Energy Blast is a big drain on his armor's resources, so it can only be used six times per day. Campaign Use: A somewhat neutral hero who does most of his good when the camera is on him. Again, this is the first take.Once I get him hammered out, I will post the .hdc fileKA.

Re: Island of Dr. Destroyer as a one off? Oh, I am not ready to build him yet but I also have an idea for the Superleap brick, so if no one else builds him, I will. KA. UPDATE: I built him. His name is Mortar. See Below.

Re: Island of Dr. Destroyer as a one off? I'll give a try at a Flying Brick, if no one else has built one. Also, Phydaux, if there are any standard bits you want all the characters to have, Code vs. Killing, a Radio Link, some Group Member Package Deal, please write them up and post them. That would save everyone else a lot of time, and ensure consistency. KA.

Re: Baking your noodle I have been thinking about this for a while. My only confusion came from the text itself, because of one of those multi-part sentences that are so prone to cause trouble "Images cannot cause any physical effects and are totally intangible (unless bought to affect the Touch Sense Group)." As I said before, there is more than one way to read this. So, just to get an official answer, I posted in the "5th Ed. Questions" Board. Here is Steve's answer: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25058 which is basically "No, Images can't do things like that." As usual, Steve's answer includes the concept that an individual GM can do what he wants in his own game, but at least I now know what the official ruling is. And, that does not mean that there is no point in continuing the discussion. Rules are like laws. First you see the need for change, then you hammer out the details, then you try to get your change made official. But, for me, I don't have a problem with how things work now. I guess I see it as the difference between active and reactive. If I walk up to an Image that includes the Touch Group, and I reach out and touch it, then I will experience the effects. But it can't reach out and touch me. Even though some devices work on the principle of "Detect if something is touching me", I would not say that they are "touching" the thing they are trying to detect. A fine point, but a point nevertheless. If things like Touch screens are actually "reaching out" and "pushing against" things that are near them, to try to detect their presence, then wouldn't someone with a lot of Shrinking, and therefore very little mass, be "blown back" by their "push". If you really want this construct to work, maybe the thing to do is design how a touch screen works in game terms. I don't think anyone is actually saying that they expect Images to be able to type on a manual typewriter, or flip light switches, or carry your luggage. So if things like touch screens are the real sticking point, why not build them as some sort of Detect or Sense that can be "fooled" by Images. KA.