Doc Samson

Re: Golden Age Heroes...

Our games weren't quite as perpetual as my description may have let on' date=' but we'd sometimes go 2 days continuously with breaks only for the necessities (bathroom, food, liquor, & occasionally a "haircut" downtown).[/quote']

Tell us more, in extreme detail including pictures if you have em, about these "haircuts".

Re: The Big Bad Wolf

I would add this power:

"In sheep's clothing"; Shapeshift [sight, Touch, Hearing, Smell/ Taste, Limited Group: Disguises, Imitation], OIF "Objects of Opportunity" [Must be items that can be worn such a Grandma's clothes or a sheepskin] (-1/2), 45 APs/ 30 Real Cost

This will make him scary out of combat too, especially when he impersonates a DNPC or a Contact the first time.

To make him a little more versatile in combat, I might also add a Dispel slot to his Multipower. Maybe something like this:

"I'll huff and I'll puff"; 12d6 Dispel, Expanded Effect [Anything that be "blown away" such as gas or fire Powers, and Bases made of straw or sticks] (+1/4), Restrainable [Must be able to open mouth and inhale deeply] (-1/2) 45APs/ 30 Real Cost

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf

http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf

Re: Public Domain Super Heroes

Good stuff, thx!

Re: Your favorite character type

Bricks and Brick/ Metamorph hybrids.

I am not sure why, I have just always favored brick/ tank type character almost to the exclusion of all others.

Re: Easily Forgettable

Change Environment: negative mod to INT Rolls (memory is based on INT rolls and Change Environment forces an initial roll to use the affected stat, 5ER 136), No Range and Self Only (see 5ER 138 for how Self Only applies to Change Environment), 0 END and Persistent (if applicable).

Re: A Dark Golden Age game

In our "Exiles" style game we spent some time in a WWII based dimension that turned out to be surprisingly dark despite the GM intending a Golden Age feel. Here were some of the darker plot points he used...

- Personality conflicts caused clashes with British supers

- The team had to defeat conventional forces to liberate France and Poland

- A "secret mission"* had to be undertaken for the Russian government before they would officially join the the war

- Concentration camps and "medical testing" were covers for a Nazi program to create Supers.

- The Team had to capture Mussolini to to get Italy to withdraw from the Axis

- The team had to uncover the Hitler's "dark secret"** and the source of his power before he could be defeated

- The team had to deafeat Japan's supers so that the Ally forces could force them to surrender

*

**

Re: Waking up with not-so-super powers

I would take my power (the power to become invisible but only whole my eyes were closed) and become a superhero known as The Ostrich! My career would promptly end the next day after being beaten to death by a bunch of middle schoolers who I tried to stop from stealing change out of a newspaper machine.

Re: Teen Hero Names

My only experience with Teen Champs was that my group made characters for a game based loosely off of the Teen Titans but set in the mainstream Champs universe. As such, I think we all had "sidekick" style names. For example, my character was named Kid Grond (though he never saw actual play time).

Re: Paths Not Taken

Bruce Banner is exposed to a ground zero gamma bomb blast while saving the life of young Rick Jones. The blast tears open an extradimensional gateway to Hades allowing Bruce Banner to be possessed by the demon Mephisto. Banner gains the ability to change into a demon-like being of awesome physical might. The more evil Banner acts during the change, the stronger he becomes but at the cost of part of his soul. Despite his attempts to control his power, he is known to the world by the name the army game him on that fateful day. He is the Fiend.

Re: Whoops! Did I really allow that power?

Duplication is always tricky to balance. Every time I get talked into allowing it (even if it's just one duplicate) I end up regretting it.

Ghost in an earlier post (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1863992&highlight=duplication#post1863992) has a perfect story about duplication being surprisingly powerful.

Re: character with wish granting powers

I couldn't dig up the character sheet, but I did remember that we eventually changed the power from a Transform to a Cosmic VPP. As the other players in the group started to become more creative with their wishes ("I wish we were all safely on the space station." = Megascale Teleport) we needed to make the power more flexible, but we were also forced to add limitations (other's wishes only, 3 charges per day, the character must be able to hear the wish spoken aloud, ect.) to keep it fun and playable.

What proved to be most fun was granting the wishes of villains in the most literal or negative ways.

Villain - "The only way you getting by me is over my dead body."

Me - "As you wish!"

GM - "oh no..."

Re: character with wish granting powers

Giving 'something else' is usually a change to the character in the end... Major Transform can give or take away the Money perk, or Reputation, Vehicle or Base, even Disadvantages.

 

Major Transformation: Anything into Anything... for all your Wish granting needs.

I had a character in a very strange game named Wishmaster (he was the offspring of a Mermaid and a Leprechaun) and handled the wishes as a Transform. As Naanomi said, with a little creativity we were able to define almost every wish as a change on somebody's character sheet.

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine

You should probably give him Iuz the Evil as a Hunted too' date=' considering how big a Sooners fan Iuz is. [/quote']

or this...

 

Hunted: Matadors, 14- (Those guys are everywhere!), As Pow, Limited Geographical Influence (Spain, Mexico, Bullfighting Arenas), Harshly Punish

Re: Ideas for Teen Champions Mini-campaign for 6e when it comes out.

Here is a past thread with some good idead for TC. I hope it helps.

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70991

Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?

Sorry. I was having a conversation and typing a post all at one time. I meant' date=' [b']Damage Reduction[/b].

Now that's Damage Control.

Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?

If shape shifting into water, wouldn't he still retain his body temperature?

 

I don't know too may bodies of water that are that warm.

I don't think so, it is something I would ask the player if it ever came up. If you were using IR vision to see heat, the shapeshift effects the Sight group. If you were using your hand, it is also bought against touch.

Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?

Retoric question: If he gets significant benefits from doing the Shape Shift: Water and then diving into a large body of water' date=' could I get the same benefits when I Shape Shift: Air? [/quote']

That's a good question. I don't think I would allow allow it to have quite the same benefits as (and this may be a stretch) I think that characters will more often encounter air than large bodies of water in most non-underwater games.

 

This is the only reference I was able to find in a game book to support my opinion:

To fit through very small openings, characters should typically buy a Limited form of Desolidification — Shape Shift can’t spread a character’s mass out to the thinness of vapor, for example.) (UM, pg. 48, example #3)

Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?

I find it interesting he would not smell like water.

That is another thing I'm not fond of as a GM. Invisibility to Sight plus Desolidification makes a character undetectable to most senses (Sight, Touch, Sonar, Radar, Smell, and probably Hearing if the character does not speak as he cannot actually touch anything). That pretty much leaves you with Mental and Unusual (depending on their SFX) senses.

Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?

Well, looking at the situation cost wise

 

Water Form A

 

13 Water Form: Shape Shift (Sight and Touch Groups) 1end per phase

 

Water Form B

 

16 Desolidification (40 Active Points); Does Not Protect Against Damage (-1), Cannot Pass Through Solid Objects (-1/2)

 

8 Invisibility to Sight Group (20 Active Points); Chameleon (-1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (Only in water; -1/2), Linked (Desolidification; -1/2)

 

Total 6 Endurance per turn.

 

 

The Shapeshift method is definitely the better deal (even more so if the Gm won't waive that rule that requires "Affects Real World" on attack for Method B. You could put the first two powers in an EC that might reduce the cost a little.

This is a good comparison but please note that the cost of Desolidifcation includes the inability to be detected by Sonar, Radar, and Scent (147) and Only Works in Water is a -1 1/2 limitation (299). The costs are still skewed but not too terribly I think. There is also, as you pointed out previously, the Affects Physical World issue. I would have to wave this rule for the character to be able to touch things while in water form, which I'm not sure I am comfortable with (essentially granting him a free +2 Advantage on STR and all attacks).

I'll note that there is a difference between using a PER roll to see through the Shapeshift and using a PER roll to find something that is concealed. The FAQ ruling covers the first but not the second. They wouldn't be able to use a PER roll to tell that that patch of water was really Bob' date=' but they should be able to use a PER roll to tell that that patch of water isn't exactly the same as the rest of the water.[/quote']

Hmm...would you say that Imitation might be necessary to make the character indistinguishable from the water around him? This would keep me from having to rule on whether any water the character encounters resembles the water he can turn into enough for the character to hide in it.

Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?

Thanks for all the input everyone. I am inclined to allow the build based on the above feedback (and the fact that this is actually a returning character from the distant past). After doing some research on the issue, I found this in the FAQ:

Can characters make PER Rolls to “perceive through” Shape Shift, or determine that a person is Shape Shifted?

No. The standard rules for Shape Shift don’t provide any PER Roll to “see through” the alteration in form. It has to be detected in other ways, such as a PER Roll using a Sense the Shape Shift doesn’t affect (“He looks like Bob... but he sure doesn’t sound like him”). A character could Limit his Shape Shift so that observers get a PER Roll to “see through” his change in form, if desired.

The PER Roll for Shape Shift with a Required Skill Roll is going to depend on the extent to which the GM allows Skill Versus Skill Rolls with RSR powers. See 5E 199.

The PER Roll modifier discussed for Imitation is an optional thing the GM can allow if he wants, but all it does is tell the onlooker (who by definition has to know what the person being imitated “looks” like) that something’s not quite right. It doesn’t reveal the character’s true appearance or anything like that.

Based on the above and your feedback, I think I am going tp tell the player the following:

1. If you are simply in water, other characters will not get a roll to detect you with the effected senses (Sight and Touch), however, if you do anything water cannot normally do (like punching someone in the face) they will be able to detect you. If you would like to remain undetectable while attacking, you will need Stealth or Invisibility.

2. You will be able to escape holds and slip under doors but will not be able to pass through anything that water could not (like a sponge!). To do so, you will need Desolidifcation.

Does this seem reasonable?

Re: The Namesake Thread

Normally i use comic book heroes codenames for message board usernames but seeker was alreadytaken so i used my real life nickname

real life stats pls

Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?

It's an interesting discussion. If the power was Shapeshifting into a tree and the character was in a forest, would you:

1. Determine that opponents cannot tell the character from the other trees without using some other sense (similar to invisibility)?

2. Allow opponents a PER roll to determine if one of the trees was a character (similar to stealth)?

3. Allow all opponents to see that there is a character in the shape of a tree present because he did not buy invisibility (no effect on PER)?

[edit] Another example; If the character was a human mage who shapeshifted into an Orc, would you:

1. Determine that Orcs cannot tell the character is human without using some other sense (similar to multiform)?

2. Automatically give all Orcs a PER roll to determine if the character is human (similar to disguise)?

3. Allow all Orcs to see that there is a human in the shape of an Orc present because he did not buy multiform (no effect on PER)?

I'm looking over some potential characters for an upcoming game. An upfront but clever player comes to me with this build from an old character:

Shape Shift [sight and Touch Groups], Single Shape [Water]

He points out the following passages to me with a question for each:

#1 "A character with Shape Shift can change his form as perceived by one or more Sense Groups without altering his powers or other abilities." (5ER, pg. 216)

Question: If the character jumps into a body of water, is he effectively invisible to the sight group?

Clever/ Cheesy: Is this a clever use of the power or an attempt to get Invisibility, Only in Water for free?

#2 "alter his actual physical shape or mass distribution (though his total mass would not change), thus allowing him to, for example, slip out of bonds, radically alter his form, or within reason to fit through openings a human-shaped being cannot fit through (the classic meaning of “shifting shape”)" (5ER, pg. 216)

Question: Does this allow him to slip out of holds and flow under doors?

Clever/ Cheesy: Is this clever or just a cheap way to get Desolidification, Cannot Pass Through Solid Objects, Does Not Protect Against Damage for free?

All thoughts, opinions, and rants are welcome. Thanks in advance for replies.

Re: Grabbed by Multiple Opponents

I took these answers from the online FAQ:

 

 

What happens when a character (A) wants to Grab a character ( who’s already Grabbed by another character ©?

 

If C is willing to have A help him hold B, A simply makes a normal Attack Roll against B’s DCV (which is reduced by the Grab, of course). If C doesn’t want A to Grab B (maybe A is trying to pull B free), A has to make his Attack Roll against the higher of C’s DCV or A’s DCV. If A succeeds, he can then engage in a STR Versus STR Contest with C to free B (B takes no damage from this, unless the GM feels it would be appropriate to apply some measure of the STR involved to reflect the tugging on B’s fragile body).

 

What happens when a character (A) wants to Grab a character ( who’s already himself performing a Grab on another character ©?

 

That depends on A’s declared intent. If A wants to help B hold on to C, or simply hold on to B and stop him from moving, the Grab takes effect as normal. If C wants to break out, he has to defeat the higher of A’s and B’s STRs.

 

If A is trying to help C escape, he makes a Grab attack against B as normal. He may then pit his STR against B in a STR Versus STR Contest to pry B’s arms from around C, and if he succeeds, he frees C.

 

If Character A Grabs the arms of Character C, and Character B Grabs the legs of Character C, how does Character C break free?

 

If the Grabbed victim wants to escape both Grabs at once, add the Grabbers’ lifting capacity (not STR, lifting capacity based on STR) together, then consult the STR Table to determine how much STR is required to lift that much. That’s their “group STR” against which the victim must struggle to escape.

 

If the victim only wants to free the two limbs Grabbed by one person, he has to make his STR Roll versus that person’s STR, but if he succeeds he only frees those limbs.

Awesome, thx all.

Must spread rep...blah.

Re: HeroMachine 3 Alpha

These pics were made using Hero Machine 3 (Alpha version). It's a great app. You can rotate every item, change its size, change layering, mask items etc.

http://www.heromachine.com/heromachine-3-lab/

 

This next one was created as one pic with HM3. No photoshopping involved.

 

Thanks!

Blah...need to spread rep...