Doc Samson

Re: Looking for ideas for a "useless" power. Cool idea. Turning everyone and everything in the room the same color would be a great special effect darkness. Now I think I might create the whole "useless" team to use against my players. I could have these guys audition for the player's team (and really stink it up) but then come back after training together to whip the group's butt.

Re: Looking for ideas for a "useless" power. I wasn't actually looking for a useless power but thanks for the laugh (it took me minute to understand you were replying to the title and not the post).

Re: Looking for ideas for a "useless" power.

I was recently watching the Legion of Super Hereoes cartoon (here) and saw the episode about the Legion of Substitute Heroes (here). The basic idea is the team is made up of heroes with not so good powers. I must admit, as portrayed in the show they seem pretty bad to me except for one, Stone Boy. Basically his can transform into an invulnerable (even though it appears to be stone, in the comics it seems to make him nigh invulnerable and super heavy) form, but while invulnerable he cannot move at all. I love a challenge and was thinking of creating a character with this power. I am looking for creating uses for an invulnerable but immobile form. For the base invulnerable form (granted in Champions you can't be totally invulnerable) I was thinking of Density Increase with No STR Increase, Life Support, and tons of Linked Defensive Powers with a Side Effect: Total Immobility. Here were some ideas I though of for creative uses of this form. "Leap and Crush" HA Linked to Leaping and Density Increase. "Grab and Hold" Clinging, Must Follow Grab, Linked to Density Increase "The Human Wall" Entangle, Only to Create Barriers, No Range, Linked to Density Increase (when the Barrier callpses, the character is knocked over or pushed aside). "Stuff Bounces Off" Missile Deflection, Uncontrolled, Linked to Density Increase I was also thinking maybe a Mental Sense Invisibility to simulate that the character is inanimate while in the invulnerable form. Anyone have any other ideas for creative uses of this "useless" power?

Re: You against Them: Battle of the Superheroes! Take one of your characters, and then select an established comics character from any era. This works best if they are thematically similar, but this is not a requirement. Give each character a profile detailing strengths and weaknesses relevant to the combat. Biohazard (link) vs. The Hulk Biohazard: What Biohazard lacks in strength compared to the Hulk, he makes up for in cunning and a willingness to fight dirty to win. His greatest strength is also his biggest weakness, he never backs down from a fight. The Hulk: The Hulk's ever increasing strength is his biggest asset in a straight up slugfest. His weakness may be his overconfidence that his strength alone is enough to win any battle (as seen when he lost to the Juggernaut). Give a synopsis of a comic book scenerio to bring these two characters into conflict. The set up would be simple matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two attitudes this bad in the same area would have to clash. Perhaps the Hulk is on a rampage and Bio's newfound conscience tells him that this is his big chance to do something right. Tell how your character would win against the opposing hero. Though out of his league, Biohazard would simply refuse to lay down. The Hulk's conscience would eventually worry him that he might have to kill his opponent to win (as when he fought Thor without his hammer) and Biohazard would take advantage of the situation to take the hulk out with a cheap shot. Then tell how the established hero would win against your character. After a much longer battle then anyone would have anticipated (even Bio), the Hulk's raw strength finally proves to be too much and Bio goes down for the count. Even though he lost, Biohazard's reputation is elevated to the big time for being able to hold his own for so long against the "strongest one there is". A tie! The two behemoths slug it out, demolishing several city blocks until multiple groups of heroes arrive to break up the brawl. Biohazard walks away at the end of the fight barely able to stand exclaiming "I told ya nobody can beat me, I don't back down from noone!" and then falls flat on his face and lays there for several minutes (shades of Thing vs. Champion).

Re: Analysis Thread: Synergistic Advantages Though I don't think we currently have any banned builds, I like the "Scrutinize any power that has more than +2 in Advantages stacked onto it for possible synergy." guideline as it doesn't really prohibit much conceptually. I think our biggest unwritten house rule (to prevent one of the most obvious abuses of synergy between powers and advantages) is that you must attend the combat. In other words, these combos are frowned upon under most circumnstances in our campaigns: Desolidification and an Effects Physical World attack EDM and an Indirect Transdimensional attack Mind Scan and a Mental attack (sometimes) Increased Maximum Range and alot of Movement

Re: Analysis Thread: Synergistic Advantages Synergy is a hard thing to quantify. If you adjust a value for one circumstance, you may break it for another. Here is an example of extreme synergy (a 60 AP campaign is used for the example), though I think it's difficult to say exactly when it breaks or how much it should cost to fix it. 2d6 NND [vs. Force Fields] (+1), Autofire [10 shots] (+1), [Autofire Penalty] (+1), 0 END [Autofire] (+1), AE [One Hex] (+1/2), No Range Modifer (+1/2) This attack will do an average of 10d6 NND (assuming an OCV of 11) for 60 APs (and will hit for 18d6 on a roll of 3). My point of this build is that if you throw enough advanatges together something is gonna break. Sometimes the GM must step in for the sake of fun and balance no matter what value you assign to it.

Re: A question of balance Actually no, or not necessarily. It depends on the circumnstance of coarse. If you attack from a state such that the target cannot sense you (Invisibility, Stealth, great range, ect.) then the target does not know where you are to attempt to retaliate (or at least make a PER to determine your exact location). Without this advantage, game mechanics wise, they know where you are.

Re: Analysis Thread: Synergistic Advantages No Problem . 5ER page 272, right column, second paragraph from the top, second to last sentence. "At the very least he should require the power to have a set duration in addition to reasonably common and obvious way to turn it off." You can see the limitation in action under the Missile Deflection power description in the Adders (Uncontrolled) section.

Re: DEX levels in your campaign. We have this same inflation in our games as well. Here are some steps we took to keep it from getting out of hand. We play with a roughly 60 AP max (350 pt. campaign), which applies to characteristics as well (i.e. max EGO is 30, max STR is 60, ect.). Dex and SPD are the only exceptions to this rule. For these stats the maximums do not include the Base Skill (i.e. the first 10 DEX and 2 SPD). Our DEX and SPD campaign caps are therefore 30 DEX and 7 SPD. Our averages look like this: DEX/ SPD Speedsters, Martial Artists 26-30/ 6-7 Energy Projectors, Gadgeteers, Mentalists 23-26/ 5-6 Bricks 17-23/ 4-5

Re: Firewalling Mental Attacks This seems to be the closest thing to a working game mechanic. Perhaps you could work out with the GM a BOECV Missile Reflection. Otherwise, a Mental Sense Invisibility in conjunction with a Mental Sense Images (and Invisible Attacks) may do the trick.

Re: That's Easy?? Show me how _you_ did it. Great ideas. I actually had Clairsentience in an earlier build, but it runs into problems when the Target depends on Senses that you didn't buy or didn't take Clairsentience with. Also, the Telepathy serves a very important function (in addition to giving commands and letting you know what the victim is sensing), without it you don't know what Powers and Skills the victim has unless you have seen him use them. Buying your own skills with a Naked Transdimensional UBO is brilliant and closes a hole in the build, thanks. In a more aggressive version of the character, to speed up the possession process I also bought this (below), but it isn't really necessary unless your getting hammered by Breakout Rolls. Possession IV 4d6 EGO Suppress, Based on ECV (+1), Indirect (+1/2), Transdimensional [the Material World] (+1/2), No Range (-1/2), Linked to Mind Control (-1/2) "Demonic Possession"

Re: Analysis Thread: Synergistic Advantages I think I understand what you are looking for, but I "think" most of these situations have already been balanced and do not require further modification. As above, Autofire incurs an increased cost (+1) when combined with other advantages such as AE, Explosion, AVLD, NND, ect. Reduced Endurance incurs an increased cost (double value) when used with Autofire. 0 END when used in conjunction with Succor and Suppress requires a Reasonable Way to stop the effect to be defined. Uncontrolled when used in conjunction with 0 END must have a set duration (in addition to the defined way to turn off the effect). Missile Deflection can be listed as example here (Uncontrolled Missile Deflection only lasts 1 Turn). I'll add more synergies as I think of them. [additions below] Continuing Fuel Charges might apply here due to their shifting cost PD and ED Absorption together costs more than it should (+3/4 Advantage where effecting 2 stats usually costs +1/2)

Re: That's Easy?? Show me how _you_ did it. I always like the idea of a character with a Possession power like Jericho or Nocturne. The problem with this power is that it is often so costly, it will only effect the weakest of opponents (read as opponents probably not worth possessing). I am aware of the Bodyjacking power from the Ultimate Metamorph, but not only does that build exceed the AP limits of most of the campaigns I have played in, it was very clunky to run when I did finally talk a GM into letting me try it. Here is what I came up with the last time I tried to write up Possession (assume a 60 AP campaign). It's time consuming if their are no low EGO foes to possess, but cost effective. Possession I 4d6 Mind Control, Cumulative x2 (+1), Indirect (+1/2), Transdimensional [the Material World] (+1/2), Mandatory Effect: EGO +20 (-1/2), Eye Contact Required (-1/2) "The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul." Possession II Extra-Dimensional Movement (20), Travel to a Single Location in a Related Group of Dimensions: [the Target’s Soul] (5), Linked to Mind Control (-1/4) "Spiritual Possession" Possession III 6d6 Telepathy, Indirect (+1/2), Transdimensional [the Material World] (+1/2), No Range (-1/2), Linked to Mind Control (-1/2) "The Victim's Thoughts and Memories" Total Cost = 80

Re: That's Easy?? Show me how _you_ did it. After seeing this power in 5ER, I felt it may have been added with the Hulk in mind. For actual limitlessness, there is a an optional power listed under Aid called Succor. Like Suppress, it has no maximum limit. A very simple build for unlimited STR would be 1d6 Succor, 0 END, Continuous, Uncontrolled. Like Suppress, you must define a reasonable circumstance that causes the stat to return to normal. In the case of the Hulk, I think a simple Only While Enraged would be appropriate. The game-play effect would be, when the character becomes Enraged, he gain 1d6 STR every phase. He STR immediately returns to normal when he is no longer Enraged. For faster STR increases, increase the Succor dice. For slower gains, add an Activation roll.

Re: That's Easy?? Show me how _you_ did it. Animal Communication? For a 60 AP campaign I would have to go with a... 2d6 EB, NND [defense is not being an animal] (+1), Autofire: 10 Shots (+1), Area Effect: One Hex (+1/2), No Range Modifier (+1/2), Especially Effective Autofire (+1), 0 END Autofire (+1). Sorry, it just struck me as very funny how the thread went from Animals to Eye Beams so abruptly. "Animal talkin? No problem, let me just get their attention...ZZZAP!"

Re: [Group] Mega Force Tons of fun, thanks much!

Re: Get the tomato juice ... This is way overkill but we once had a character named the Skunk (all odor based powers such as pheromones, aromatherapy, ect.) who had an AVLD EB against Smell/ Taste Flash Defense.

Re: [super Team] Young Titans Repped for coolness.

Re: [Group] Mega Force Hehe..."Gunk is Sticky". Now he's my kinda guy! One question though, just outta curiosity, how come you went with a TK Damage Shield instead of a Clinging (buy it a second time) Damage Shield? Great character, I'll rep again when I can.

Re: [CHAR] Cowboy Good stuff and repped.

Re: [Char] Biohazard He is a bit thin on skills I agree. I had a great GM, however, who still involved the character in tons of non-combat situations. From time to time I ran across other supervillains I had worked with the past, he often tried to tempt me into turning bad again, and I constantly got harassed by police and NPC heroes. It was great fun. Even though she was not DNPC or anything, my (attractive female) parole officer also dragged me into more than one plot. Despite the lack of skills, I always seemed to have something going on outside combats. I must admit, taking Visible on just about everything without required SFX (i.e. doesn't cost END) was a bit of metagaming. Here are some arguments that I used to convince my GM to allow it. 1. He's huge. His superhuman form is large, heavy, and very noticeable. As per Visible, he takes a -4 PER roll penalty, all the time, on all attemps to detect him because he is so big and so loud when he moves. His thickened hide and muscles are noticeable to sight, hearing, and touch. 2. Unlike many characters with the Armor power (such as characters like Superman or Luke Cage), it is obvious to all that his extreme musculature provides physical protection (I would argue taking Visible on Armor for the Hulk, the Thing, ect.) 3. From a rules perspective, knowing that a character's defense includes Armor (as opposed to having to guess between Armor, a FF, or PD/ ED with Damage Resistance) provides an advantage for those with defense reducing powers, such as Drains, Find Weakness, NNDs, ect. 4. I also took some Disadvantages, so the GM could use his height and weight for dramatic purposes, to reflect his overall size and mass. Thank you for the comments. It's hard to reflect on a character sheet some of the fond memories you have from playing a past character.

Re: CHAR: Doctor Atomic Fun read, repped.

Re: Telepathy build question What's wrong with just buying Voice (above) for your telepathic voice?

Re: Penalty Skill Levels for Sweep