Lucius

Self Preservation Programming Here is a robotic martial art I designed for a couple of characters I won't be using after all. Note it's designed for robots following Asimov's Laws, meaning they are compelled to protect their own existance but prohibited from harming Humans. However, I think they would be appropriate any time you have robots who would be programmed more for restraining people than harming them. These would work for a "robocop" say or a security or prison guard robot, but a "warbot" programmed to kill would have very different programming. Self Preservation Programs Evasive Action: +4 DCV Dodge, may make up to full move cost 5 pts Taking evasive action. Restrain: -2 OCV, +1 DCV, Grab 2 limbs, +20 STR to hold cost 5 pts Seizing and holding an assailant without harming them. Repel: +0 OCV, +3 DCV, shove +10 STR, opponent falls cost 3 pts Shoving an assailant and causing them to fall; the most aggressive manuever in the programming. May be executed by sidestepping and tripping/shoving the assailant in the direction they were already going, or by simply pushing them backwards. (I considered making it +2 OCV and +1 DCV but I think a low OCV is appropriate; the robot is always taking great care not to HURT the opponent.) Intercept: +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block cost 4 pts Blocking a blow. Interdict Weapon: +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Disarm +10 STR cost 5 pts Depriving an assailant of a weapon. It will land 1/2d6 hexes away. Confiscate Weapon: +0 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab Weapon +10 STR cost 5 pts Taking possession of a weapon, either to destroy it or to retain it until surrendering it to proper authorities. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary still wants to know about martial arts for quadrapeds.....

Sean Waters said something in another thread that got me to thinking. He described a character that was not overly powerful, but came out very expensive because, as he put it, it went "against the hidden template." The phrase has a resonance for me. I think it is giving a name to something real, something that is part of the Hero System but hard to define or delineate clearly. Something that might make for an interesting and possibly even fruitful discussion. What is the "hidden template?" Where and how is it hidden? And how can we drag it out of hiding? I have some ideas, but I want to give everyone else a chance before I broach them. Lucius Alexander Playing hide and seek with a palindromedary

Or.... Or is STRength too cheap? Lucius Alexander The palindromedary takes a byte of pi

Re: Help! Sci Fi TV show... Yes, it was Ark II, and the thing I remember most was the chimpanzee. For some odd reason I was thinking of that show recently. Maybe because I've been thinking about chimpanzees, due to several other ongoing threads. Lucius Alexander And a post-apocolyptic cyberpunk palindromedary. What?

Re: Old Testament Hero Can I play Baalam's ***, and have Baalam as a DNPC? Lucius Alexander Can I play the palindromedary, and have Lucius Alexander as a DNPC?

Re: Sun Koh, Mr. Moto, and Heroes on the Other Side Your statements regarding after the war and during the war are quite true. But most of the Mr. Moto novels date from before the war. Whatever Mr. Marquand's reasons for presenting the oriental world of that time as he did, it couldn't have had anything to do with what was convenient post-war. More likely he wanted to make Mr. Moto an at least somewhat sympathetic character, and was aware enough of what the Japanese were doing in the name of their "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" to feel a need to distance his character from those doings. In one of the novels, Mr. Moto is trying to get control of a certain document, and as I recall seemed quite willing to kill to get it. Then when the document is accidentally destroyed, he offers to help the Americans get out of their currently dangerous location and back to safety. Yes, certainly he would have killed them to possess that document, but now it is gone, and so is any reason for conflict. Why not offer his assistance, and why should they refuse it? That scene almost defines the courteous, helpful, and absolutely ruthless Mr. Moto. If he is trying to help you, you are in more danger than you know. If he is working AGAINST you, you are probably truly "in way over your head." If the word "Ninja" had been as commonly known in the West then as it is now, Mr. Marquand would probably have made Mr. Moto a ninja. In fact, I'm not sure he wasn't aware of what the ninja were and thought of Mr. Moto as being one. Lucius Alexander And a dependent non-player palindromedary

Heavy Stone Mechanisms Check out this link: http://www.crystalinks.com/coralcastle.html Some relevant quotes.. "Coral Castle was built in the early 20th century by an eccentric Latvian recluse named Edward Leedskalnin" "Edward Leedskalnin was a 100 pound - 5 foot tall man - who wound up in Homestead, Florida - on a ten-acre tract of land just south of Miami, Florida. Somehow he managed to single-handedly lift and maneuver blocks of coral weighing up to 30 tons each and create not only a castle but other things. How Edward did his work - has never been discovered - though he labored for 30 years." Leaving aside the inevitable weird theories, it's obvious the man knew SOMETHING special; something that enabled him to quarry, carry, and work blocks of coral massing up to 30 tons. Edward Leedskalnin was quoted as saying, "I have discovered the secrets of the pyramids, and have found out how the Egyptians and the ancient builders in Peru, Yucatan, and Asia, with only primitive tools, raised and set in place blocks of stone weighing many tons!" And he was able to balance such enormous weights with incredible precision: "Entrance to Coral Castle is made through a gate fashioned from a single coral block weighing nine tons. This miraculous monolith is approximately 80 inches wide, 92 inches tall, and 21 inches thick. It fits within a quarter of an inch of the walls on either side and pivots through an iron rod resting on an automobile gear. The enormous block balances so perfectly on its center of gravity that a visitor can easily push it open with one finger." I only wish I COULD explain how he did it. Lucius Alexander He had access to forces unknown to man or palindromedary....

Sun Koh, Mr. Moto, and Heroes on the Other Side

Ultimate Martial Artist Well, I did start a thread in Company Questions about the Ultimate Martial Artist. If anybody wants to weigh in, go ahead, especially if you DON'T have Ultimate Martial Artist but WANT to. You'll also see the reason why *I* think it's such a vital resource. Lucius Alexander Did the palindromedary eat my tagline?

Different ID, Different Focus Yeah, good point about making the sword "armor" only effective against non-ranged attacks. As for the suit, it is OHID partly because, even if the character is knocked out, it will be hard to figure out how to get the suit off him, unlike even an inaccessible focus. Lucius Alexander (-: :-)

Tactical Computer for a Brain Naked Advantage, Armor Piercing (and/or Penetrating?) Usable By Others, Range or perhaps some kind of Area Effect Selective, Requires Tactics Skill Roll.... A kind of shareble Find Weakness, telling team members exactly where to aim to hurt a particular foe. Lucius Alexander Where did that palindromedary go?

Not sure if I want to ask here, or go to Mr. Long for an "official" answer... I'm working with a character concept with several powers "Only in Hero ID." He will of course have a Secret ID. I'm thinking of giving him Kendo and using it with a bo-ken, or wooden sword Except I'm thinking of using a high-tech collapsible type sword (not literally wood) in heroic ID, and a far less distinctive sword for those relatively rare occasions I'd use a sword at all in mundane ID (probably working out at a local dojo.) The attack would NOT of course be bought "only in Hero ID" because I would obviously be able to use it in both identities - just with different equipment. I wouldn't need to spend the 5 pts for an "extra focus" would I? Am I overthinking things again? I'm also considering buying a power (Armor with an activation roll - represents using the sword to block) that IS only in Hero ID, and with that focus.....normally you can't put OHID and Focus on the same power, but in this case I'm trying to A) put the power in the sword, but only in the version I carry in Heroic ID, and represent that if you grab the sword, I lose that extra defense. Oh, might as well ask another question....My Heroic ID involves high-tech armor that's hard to get off even if I'm unconscious, and is too complicated to put on to be useful in a sudden crisis. It's of course hard to damage or steal, but I was wondering if it WOULD be possible to pay the 5 pts to have a "spare" just in case, like you can with a focus. Of course, then I'd have to worry about someone stealing the spare, so it may not be worth it...... Lucius Alexander Fast as a palindromedary

VPPs -- what's the logic? Well, there is a more logical way to do it, that Amadan pointed out not long ago in a forum, although he claimed it wasn't his exclusive invention but the fruits of an earlier long-term online discussion. Use the Pool Cost as the restriction on Real Points. If you have spent X on Pool Cost, you can have up to that number of Real Points worth of powers. Use the Control Cost as the restriction on Active Points. If you have spent Y on Control Cost, any single power you have can only be up to 2 * Y in Active Points. You can put advantages and limitations on the Control Cost. This way, you can buy, say, a 15 pt Pool Cost. Your total powers can't go over 15 Real Points, all added together. You can buy a 30 pt Control Cost, and apply whatever limitations. Any given power cannot be over 60 Active Points. But with only 15 Real Points to spend, you won't have too many at a time. Or you can buy a Pool Cost of 75, and a Control Cost of 15. No power can be more powerful than 30 Active Points, but at 75 Real Points to spend, you'll have a lot of little tricks. Hopefully, such a reform will be incorporated in the next edition (there's always another edition to look forward to eventually isn't there?) Lucius Alexander And the inevitable palindromedary

Zeno and other Paradoxes That's one thing I love about this site. Interacting with people who know so much more than I do. Actually, I probably DID know this at one time but had forgotten. I was considering majoring in Philosophy after all. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary whispers "If you ask him now what the difference is between a Stoic and a Cynic, he'll say one is a bird that brings babies and the other is where you wash the dishes...."

One Word Autofire LA p

Ultimate Martial Artist The Ultimate Martial Artist is out of print??! I'm sure glad I got my copy! Lack of demand? How can there be a lack of demand for it? Is any of the same information in other books I don't know about? Lucius Alexander Let's see, Palindromedary Riding Skill, Animal Handler: Palindromedary.......

Hitting the Head an FX or mandatory? You said you wanted a "realistic" campaign. Therefore of course I assumed you're using hit locations. Lucius Alexander Still beating a dead palindromedary.

Zeno and other Paradoxes And I'd try to figure out ways to make you THINK I'm really trying to get to someplace I'm not.... Thank you, I couldn't have said it better myself. Well, maybe I could, but I don't have to, since you said it well enough. Thank you. I was aware the paradox had been refuted, but couldn't remember the details. Thanks you for putting things so clearly and succinctly. Yeah, thoroughly disproven...but how many millenia did that take? I only wish I were good enough that it took millenia to refute me even when I'm wrong. Lucius Alexander Actually, I've found quite a few palindromedaries wandering the internet, and even one in a book by Richard Lederer. It does seem quite possible that most of them derive from mine, including Lederer's. Most, but not quite all.....

Start BODY at 2 instead of 10 Yes. Way too low, and obviously too low. So obviously I'm having trouble understanding why you are asking the question. You want a club or mace to "have a decent chance of braining you in one go, and getting stabbed by a dagger can actually be fatal." Just make BOD 10, or maybe 8 for a normal Human, and use the hit location, impairing and disabling and bleeding rules. That gives you what you say you want. Remember, even a mortal wound is seldom INSTANTLY fatal. People killed by knives and clubs tend to die in seconds or minutes, not right that second. If you make BOD standard 2, you're not saying "I want a gritty, realistic campaign." You're saying "I want a totally unrealistic campaign in which, if you are unarmored and struck by anything bigger than a dagger, you're probably dead in one blow." Not "Possibly dead in one blow" which is realistic, fine, and what you already get at 8 or even 10 BODy. But "Almost certainly dead in one blow." Assume a shortsword, or a knife in the hands of even a moderately strong character: a 1d6 killing attack. Average roll 3 or 4. That gives a 50% chance of being instantly fatal; a roll of 3 means BOD is at -1 and the character will bleed out in about 12 seconds. Only 1 in 3 chance of anything less than a mortal wound. And if you get hit twice, you're dead, unless both hits are to the arms and legs and thus half BODy. Even then, if you roll max damage, you have possibly severed the limb, inflicted 3 BODy (after the reduction for hit location) and the victim is again dead in about 12 seconds. Use a slightly bigger sword, and you have almost certainly severed a limb and killed the person at once. I can't imagine why you would want to do this. Now, if you have BODy of 8, and say a mace does 1d6+1, average 4.5 ; say it hits the head ("braining" you) that's double damage, average 9. You're at -1 BOD, have taken a disabling shot to the head, and could easily be ruled dead on the spot - if you're a player character and get the benefit of the doubt, you're probably dead in 7 turns; a minute and a half. This isn't lethal enough for you? If it's max damage, then even if you're wearing a helmet (say DEF 4) you've taken an impairing shot. I forget if you apply hit location modifiers before or after subtracting defenses; if it's before, then once again you're DEAD. If after, you're down to 2 BODy, probably stunned if not unconscious, about to get hit a second time, and likely enough dead in two blows. Is there some reason you want a game where everybody is terrified of combat because there is no such thing as getting hurt - you either don't get hit, or you die? Lucius Alexander Beating a dead palindromedary

Seasonal Haiku I would have written A haiku about Winter - The Censor prevents. I would have written About the snow storm we had - The Censor prevents. I would have written About the freezing rain, but - The Censor prevents. I would have written Bitter cold, fear, danger, pain - The Censor prevents. Only ugly words Mostly those with four letters Do Winter justice. (Insert expletive) (Profane and obscene remark) THAT's for the Censor! Lucius Alexander How many ways can A palindromedary Fit in a haiku?

Chronicles of Gor Darn. I was hoping you WOULD have something for Witch World. And while I admire your modesty in admitting you don't always CREATE the materiel you make available, you do a great service in enabling our access to it. Lucius Alexander Implied by its absence.

Re: Freezing the Time How is the character going to use the attack AND the levels at the same time if both are slots in a multipower with only enough reserve to cover either one or the other, not both? Of course, with variable slots, you COULD use a half-strength attack and get 3 of the levels. Lucius Alexander And a hungry palindromedary

Limitation Boondoggles? It's important if there are side effects. Also if it's on charges, since you just expended one anyway. And even noncombat time can be important, if you have to take all night to do the summons and failing means trying again next day. Lucius Alexander "Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas" is an incantation to summon a palindromedary. To dismiss the palindromedary, say the same incantation backwards.

Teleportation with variable range... Yeah, who is this guy Zeno? A lot of people have asked that question. Zeno was very mysterious. My philosophy professor, Professor Morgan, said he was called the Enigmatic Eliatic, because one of the few things known was that he hailed from some place called Elias. The paradox referenced was the one about Achilles and the Tortoise. Or the one about the arrow and the tree, they are basically the same. Zeno maintained that if you shot an arrow at a tree (I think it was; whatever the target was doesn't matter) or if Achilles, fastest of mortals, decides to pursue the Tortoise, slowest of beasts, neither Achilles nor the arrow could ever actually reach their target. You see, whatever the distance involved, before reaching the Tortoise, Achilles must pass the point halfway between his starting point, and wherever the Tortoise was. This will take a small but finite amount of time. Then he must pass the point halfway between THERE, and where the Tortoise is, taking a shorter but still finite amount of time. Then he must pass the point halfway between THAT point and wherever the Tortoise has gotten to (because it is crawling, however slowly) and again this takes a finute time....you see the paradox. There are an infinite number of such "halfway points" and if it takes any time at all to move from one to the next, it must add up to an infinite amount of time....meaning Achilles can never actually catch the Tortoise. The only problem with this conclusion is that Achilles did in fact catch the Tortoise, and present it to some Anatolian king, who cooked it up in a stew with a lamb in a failed attempt to confound the Oracle at Delphi. But that's another story. Regarding Zeno's Paradoxical Teleportation, however....what's to keep the teleporter from selecting a destination that is twice as far away as where he actually wants to go, trying to teleport there, and ending up only halfway there - which is where he wants to be anyway? Lucius Alexander The palindromedary is lying to you.

Re: Quickie CSL question. I used to give superior knights skill levels only vs dragons. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary says "No, he doesn't have anything useful to say, he's just suffering insomnia again."