Lucius

1 If a hand to hand attack has an advantage, how does that effect the way it interacts with STR? I know if a killing attack has an advantage, STR adds to it on a 1 pt STR = 1 active pt basis, up to the active points of killing attack. A NORMAL hand to hand attack, there is no limit on how much STR can add - but again, what if it's advantaged? 2 To get specific: If a 1d6 hand to hand attack has +3 advantages, would it take 20 pts of STR to add another 1d6? And if so, what if I have 40 pts of STR, or 80? 3 Does it make a difference if the attack has a STR min? LA p

SciFi Colonists An all female group could be stably-mated. Oh, and to those discussing the analogy to the colonization of the New World; The environment they came to was not exactly "untamed wilderness." North America's Eastern Seaboard had already been farmed for a long time; it was relatively empty largely because, even before the colonists came in, explorers and adventurers had exposed the population to European diseases, which wiped out whole villages. The "settlers" essentially moved into abandoned farmland. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary ruminates.

Re: SciFi Colonists No, but machines can. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary ruminates.

A pair of villains the media have dubbed "Specters" are terrorizing the Campaign City. Both are costumed in black cloaks and masks, apparently trying to resemble the Grim Reaper. They appear to be psychopathic killers who enjoy inspiring fear and who kill for sheer pleasure. Their victims are left dead or catatonic, apparently with terror. Despite their motif and methods, they have been striking exclusively at the traditional target of the profit-minded criminal, at banks. They come out of nowhere, walk through the walls, swiftly demolish everyone present - guards, employees, customers - and make off with the loot, apparently knowing enough to know where to find the most value with the least effort, and avoiding the booby-traps (i.e. the temptingly bagged money banks keep on hand for robbers that has the exploding dye packs) and disappear just as suddenly and completely. What would your characters do? Lucius Alexander What would the palindromedary do?

Re: al Origin of Batman According to Encarta, the usage in English started in the mid 18th Cent. Lucius Alexander And the bat palindromedary

Multipower active points vs. reserve points: why? Yes, because those extra points can't be used to run another slot. They can only apply if a slot is already "maxed out" and only to bring the slot's active point total up to its full potential. Slot A is 50 active, Slot B is 75 active, Slot C is 100 active, Slot D is 100 active. Say the basic multipower is at 50 pts and the "add-on" is another 50. If slot B is at, say, 40 pts, and slot A at 10, you can NOT add the "extra" 50 pts to slot C, or to any other slot for that matter. If all 50 pts are in slot A, you still can't use the "extra" 50 pts. That slot is already at its maximum value. If all 50 pts are in slot B, NOW you can use the extra pts - but only up to 75. And if all 50 pts are in slot C or D, you can add the whole 50 extra and have 100 active pts. Note that if the extra is coming into play, it means you are using only one slot - you can't have any points in other slots, because if you did, by definition you wouldn't be using all your points on one slot - the precondition of the limitation. Lucius Alexander Palindromedary Enterprises

SciFi Colonists Couples? Baloney. One option would be to send all females, with copious amounts of frozen sperm. Among other things, the females would be selected for maximum genetic diversity, and once on the new world, would be expected to breed several children (I would think maybe, three to five - no need to breed them to death, and they will of course have a LOT of things that need doing other than staying pregnant and nursing.) No one woman would use frozen sperm from the same donor twice; perhaps, in the interests of genetic diversity, the same donor would not be chosen even for two different women. Or, given how much can go wrong, including disasters that might take out the sperm bank, a selection of living men could go along - but far fewer than the women. It takes a woman nine months to make one baby no matter how many men you put on the job, but during those nine months the father could be starting several other babies on the way. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary is another matter

I always thought "bat" as in club was cognate with beat, as in batter and battery, but I never knew why an officer's valet would be called a "batman" as he doesn't seem to have anything to do with clubs - except maybe officer's clubs. I finally decided to look it up. ORIGIN from Old French bat ‘packsaddle’; the word originally refered to an orderly in charge of the bat horse which carried the officer’s baggage. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary ponders the batman and the bat horse...if they were big enough to carry packs no doubt there would be a bat bat....

Re: Need Spell ideas... Some of the traditional uses of magick... Divination. Spells for finding out things. Detect Magick, Danger Sense, variations on Clairsentience, Mental Sense, Spatial Awareness. Apotropaic Magick, or wards. Force Walls, Armor, levels with DCV, and of course Mental Defense and Power Defense. Missile Deflection and Reflection, and Mental Missile Deflection and Reflection. Healing. Perhaps a Diagnosis spell, Detect Illness or Injury. Healing and possibly Life Support. Lucius Alexander Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas

The Ultimate Toaster Thanks, now I have to go make some toast. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary prefers scrabble eggs

Arts of Elf Defense - Sidhe Swordmastery II Sidhe Swordmaster Talent: +10 STR (10) 0 END (+1/2) (15) No figured (-1/2) Does no damage (-1/2) Only to meet a weapon's STR min or to retain a weapon against Grab and Disarm (-1) Only while using Sidhe martial arts (-1) Real cost: 4 +15 STR costs 5 Manuevers Dancing Sword Elements: 0 STR (-2) +2 OCV (+2) +3 DCV (+4) Cost= 4 The basic manuever - required for all Swordmasters Charge/Legswipe Elements: 0 STR (-2) Full move (+3) Throw (+1) Add Velocity/3 (+3) Cost = 5 Either charging forward and knocking the opponent down, or sidestepping while swinging at their lower body. Avert Elements: Block +2 OCV (+2) +2 DCV (+2) Cost= 4 Your basic parry Flying Weapon Elements: Disarm (+1) -1 OCV (-1) +1 DCV (+1) +10 STR to disarm (+2) Cost = 4 So called because it makes the opponent's weapon fly out of their hand. Embrace the Foe Elements: Bind (+1) Grab 1 limb (+2) Cost = 3 Stepping close to seize one arm and lock the opponent's weapon into a harmless position. Render Harmless Elements: Must follow Embrace (-2) Grab Weapon (+3) Throw (+1) +10 STR to grab weapon (+2) +1 DCV (+1) Cost = 5 A rather advanced move, obviously only learned after learning Embrace the Foe. It deprives the opponent of a weapon and forces them to the ground. Note, before grabbing the weapon, the Swordmaster must either release the opponent's limb, or drop his own sword. Unless he has Extra Limbs. The above are the basic art; obviously, Familiarity with Swords is required. Also suggested are: Magick Fast Draw Sleight of Hand Defense Manuever Weaponsmith Combat Sense Danger Sense Lightning Reflexes Edit: Writing in the more advanced manuevers. Ultimate Martial Artist has several examples of martial arts in which certain skills are required to practice the art at all. In this case, certain skills are required to learn the more advanced manuevers. Elf Stroke This set of 3 manuevers is quasimagickal in nature: one must have at least a 1 pt Familiarity with Magick to use them. They must also be learned in order, like Defense Manuever. These are all based on the "disable" element. The first two are "by the book" if the book is the Ultimate Martial Artist; disabling limbs, or the torso, is covered, basically a zero point element that automatically targets the chosen location and does impairing/disabling damage, but does not use the location modifiers for damage. Disabling the head is obviously more dangerous: I attempt to balance it by making it a +2 element, and forcing the player to buy the first two manuevers before getting that one. Elf Stroke I Elements: +4d6 damage (remember, that's only 2 damage classes with a killing attack weapon) (+6) Disable Limb, -2 OCV (-2) +1 segment (-1) Cost : 3 Elf Stroke II Elements: +4d6 damage (+6) Disable Torso (location 12) - 1 OCV (-1) +1 segment (-1) Cost : 4 Elf Stroke III Elements: +4d6 damage (+6) Disable Head (+2) -2 OCV (-2) +1 segment (-1) Cost: 5 To learn this last move, the character must have at least 3 pts in Magick, and 1 pt each in Fast Draw and Sleight of Hand. Flashing Sword Elements: Flash 4d6 sight and hearing (+7) +1 Segment (-1) Take half damage (i.e. take 2d6 flash yourself) (-1) Cost = 5 By moving the blade in a swift, distracting and mesmerizing pattern, the swordmaster can capture an opponent, even mid-charge, in a brief trance in which they can see and hear nothing but the flashing, humming sword. This can be dangerous because the swordmaster is also temporarily captured in the same trance. Lucius Alexander Where did that palindromedary come from? Lucius Alexander

Arts of Elf Defense - Sidhe Swordmastery I Going to post in two parts - philosophy then "crunchy bits." The secret to Elven swordplay is to rely on a trained feel for the balance of the weapon and a sure grip, rather than brute strength. Two manuevers have the "Zero STR" element. Required before buying any manuevers is the "Sidhe Swordmaster" talent: limited STR only to meet the STR min requirements of a weapon, and only while using Sidhe Swordmaster manuevers. This combination meets several objectives: 1 Prevents Elves from buying up STR just to meet a weapon's STR min. 2 Prevents Elves from buying up STR to add damage. 3 Prevents Elves from adding STR to the basic manuevers, which violates the spirit of the art. 4 Means a swordmaster intent on causing more damage must either put skill levels into added damage or into OCV and try for a called shot - much more in the spirit of the art. 5 Reflects the art's emphasis on "appropriate force" i.e. being trained to exert only the minimum STR necessary to hold a weapon firmly and direct it where you want it to go. Efficiency of force is what allows a swordmaster to use weapons that are otherwise beyond their STR. (Contrary to popular impression, Elven weapons are often heavier than Human equivalents becuase they are made of bronze or other alloys rather than iron or steel.) Theoretically, a 0 STR Pixie could learn these techniques and use a STR 10 sword (why not, if a rat can learn ninjutsu....) - if she can find one in her size. Physical limitation "Pixie size" still prevents her from using normal weapons. Lucius Alexander Where did the palindromedary go?

New Advantage: Stackable Sounds like a variation of Usable by Others....hm. Or maybe not. Perhaps Succor is closer, because it adds to someone else's powers. LA p

What's Up With Combat Skill Levels? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that those levels are already so cheap, you could easily buy a +10 with something for 20 pts, apply a few limitations to make it really really cheap, and then hit everything you aim at. But I'm sure if you want to do it in your game, you can go ahead - you can always decide after trying it if it works or if it's unbalancing. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary works for me

Re: Re: Re: I'm not saying it's not true that people say that. I'm saying that what they say isn't true. Lucius Alexander Say it ain't so, palindromedary

A Difficult Write-Up That's easy. Knowledge Skill: Hero System Or possibly Profession (hobby) Skill: Hero System Lucius Alexander Transport Familiarity: Palindromedary

The limits of the toolkit approach Regeneration: I've posted this before, and not long ago. If you take REC and define a custom advantage to make it recover BOD faster, by moving it up the time chart, at 1/4 per step on the time chart, when you get to 1/turn, you find it costs 10 pts to regenerate 1 pt of BODy. Not all that complicated a build, and I see no reason not to add the "regrow limbs" adder. Funny, but in some respects I'm not sure the "toolkitting" approach goes far enough. For example, Desolidification is really two powers and should be built as such. One part is a movement power, Tunneling with No Normal Defense. The other is a defense power, basically Damage Reduction taken the next step to 100%, just as the No Normal Defense advantage is the Armor Piercing advantage taken the next step up, from "ignore half defenses" to "ignore all defenses." Similarly, I wonder about the need for Telekinesis when we can use Flight, Usable as Attack, or STR at Range. Contrariwise, if we really need to have these defined as seperate powers, I don't see why we can't have Regeneration, Instant Change, Possession, and maybe even Astral Projection. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary is hiding from the classical musicians.

THE ULTIMATE SPEEDSTER -- What Do *You* Want To See? Oh, try not to take it personally. I think people are more "rambling or thinking 'out loud'" or maybe reminding the rest of us, not you, how broad a topic it's meant to be. Or try to think of it as more cheerleading than nagging - the fans don't urge the athlete on because they think he'll forget what he's there to do, but because they approve of how he's already doing it. Lucius Alexander Wondering how often the palindromedary is actually cheerleading me, and how often it's just a nag....

The Invisible World Yes, they do. When they do, I will remind them that Hero System is not just Champions. No. It's not. Hero System is not just Champions. I've been told I have a keen eye for the obvious. Sometimes I also seem to have a compulsion to point out the obvious, especially when people are ignoring it or pretending it isn't so. Perhaps it's a way to mitigate the pain of the painfully obvious. Anyway, neither the mechanical aspect nor the story aspect are more important. Both must operate synergistically, or else you have a story with no mechanics, also known as reading a book, or mechanics without story, which is many video games. They are both equally important. And this is a great quote. I think I'll rep you for it. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary explains that Lucius has this psychological limitation...

THE ULTIMATE SPEEDSTER -- What Do *You* Want To See? That may have been an objection in our campaign, but that's not why Mr. Long said it wasn't by the book. Well, for one, I didn't "always want to run one." There were quite a few slots in that multipower. And putting the other 2 slots in a multipower was also specifically disallowed. And putting it all in an Elemental Control was specifically what I did NOT want - I didn't want to use all 3 at once, not at full power. I wanted to be able to teleport farther if I teleported less mass, and not as far if I teleported more mass. Lucius Alexander And I want a palindromedary, but I already have one of those.

Arts of Elf Defense Well, thanks to the recent exchanges with Steve Long to clarify some rules, I've had to comletely re-imagine my Sidhe Sword Mastery package. After I've worked it over a bit I'll post it. Lucius Alexander Contemplating the yin and yang of the palindromedary

THRILLING PLACES -- What Do *You* Want To See? As far as sunken lands go, Atlantis is overdone. I would want to see Ys and Lyonesse, the less well known legendary sunken lands. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary likes the romantic idea of the city appearing in the desert once every 365 years....

Spells You Don't Want to Model in FH Well, yes, it's not hard to do at least as a temporary thing. But you don't get it. I'm not talking about a spell to let you see things. This spell lets you see THROUGH things. Through Everything. Nothing obscures your view of Infinity. In other words, it turns the universe invisible to you. You build it as a Flash to sight group. Lucius Alexander Trying a Charm Palindromedary spell

Multipower active points vs. reserve points: why? Yes - a very good idea. I was just thinking the extra potential couldn't be tapped until experience was spent to increase the pool, but you're right, you could just Adjust the pool Lucius Alexander Pardon me while I adjust my palindromedary

The Invisible World