bigdamnhero

I'll definitely give you that, and that was obviously Seth's intent. Just not sure that's enough to float a series on. And I absolutely don't have a problem with that. I just didn't find it particularly comedic, nor terribly dramatic. YMMV of course.

I got out in `95 (US Army) but I guess my experience in the military was wildly different than yours, at least on this front. The first and last time I called a female upperclass Sir was in 1984, and I got my ass dressed down for it. "Do I look like a Sir to you?!" is the typical response I usually heard from female officers who got Sir'd. (Pro tip: the right answer is never "yes." ) Oh, I don't think it was deliberate sexism on anyone's part. It's depressingly common in modern military & SF stories, so I'm sure Seth was just repeating what he'd heard it on another show and assumed was correct. It just annoys me.

[cross-posted from the What Have You Watched Lately thread, because I somehow missed this thread] I thought the pilot was...ok? I guess? I mean it wasn't bad or anything. Just not sure what it's supposed to be. It wasn't funny enough to qualify as a comedy, let alone a parody. (But then I've neevr found McFarlane funny, so YMMV.) It was basically a Trek TNG homage, except everyone isn't so uptight & humorless and they can make dick jokes. Which, okay fine, but...that's it? That's your entire show concept? To quote the Captain of a much better SF show: "What's the point of that, I wonder? I mean, I see how they did it. I just ain't getting why." That said: yeah, pilots are often problematic, so I'll probably give it another episode or two. They also tripped over one of my pet peeves: calling senior women officers "Sir." Cuz y'know, the only way I can accept a woman's authority over me is to pretend she's a dude, amirite? Seriously we've had female officers for like 75 years now in the real world, and Hollywood *still* can't figure out the word "Ma'am"?

Just watched The Orville 1st episode. It was...ok? I guess? I mean it wasn't bad or anything. Just not sure what it's supposed to be, beyond an obvious Trek TNG homage, except with dick jokes. Sure, it would've been nice if everyone on TNG hadn't been so incredibly uptight & humorless. But...that's it? Granted it's just one episode so far, but...that's your entire show concept? To quote Captain Mal: "What's the point of that, I wonder? I mean, I see how they did it. I just ain't getting why."

Fair enough. But in game how often are character damaged by (non-magic) fire? Far less often they get hit with heavy/sharp things IMX.

1, 4, 5, 6 & 9 are standard in our games as well. We shoot for 3, but aren't too strict about it. 8 depends on the genre, for superhero games yes, for heroic games we typically use Hit Locations but then no Knockback; Impairing/Disabling comes up rarely. I've thought about D as well. In supers games, having the villain with a high PD but only a middling ED, or vice-versa, can drive some fun tactics. But in my present low fantasy game, all 5 PCs wound up buying the same levels of PD & ED anyway. (Which actually surprised me since energy attacks are significantly less common. But I'm lucky I play with people more interested in character concept than in munchkining costs.)

QFT. The whole concept of trying to be more powerful than The Bad Guys comes from a false understanding of how tabletop RPGs work. With any halfway-competent GM, the villains are as powerful as they need to be, no more, no less. Making tougher PCs just means the GM has to throw tougher villains at you. Edit: That's not to say that all combats have to be equally-balanced. Some villains may be much tougher than the PCs, or much weaker, whichever fits the needs of the story.

I don't have Ultimate Mystic in front of me. But in my current game we did something similar just using Analyze Skill. In this case the sfx was the ability to develop a detailed astrological profile of someone just from knowing where & when they were born, so it took more time. But the basic idea seems like it could apply here.

I think that's the main point. It's not fair to Powers Man that he has to pay full price for a power that Gadget Girl gets for free in her VPP. Especially since Detects are typically only used when they're needed, and therefore don't usually "take up space" in combat. Note those are mainly only problems with Cosmic VPPs, or MPs where you can switch between powers quickly. I'll often allow things like goggles and such in VPPs if they're limited on how quickly they can swap out gear.

Here's the simplest I've gone for a one-shot intro game I ran. It was a Firefly game, so there weren't a lot of Powers or complex equipment builds. Overall: I concluded Hero really has two core mechanics: Roll 3d6 and subtract it from this number (ie Skill/Char Rolls). Roll these dice and tell me the total on the dice; I may also need the “BODY” total (ie Normal damage/effect rolls). So I did everything I could to reinforce these two mechanics and avoided introducing other mechanics whenever possible. Instead of OCV, I listed an Attack Roll for each of the character’s attacks/weapons/maneuvers, equal to OCV +11 +/- any maneuver/weapon modifiers. This gave each attack a #- roll associated with it, which makes it look just like a Skill/Char Roll. This is really just a change in presentation than a rules change; I've been doing this for my convention/demo games for years, and it seems to really simplify combat for newbies. I left out Combat Skill Levels entirely. Killing Attacks: This may be the biggest change, and perhaps the most "controversial." We calculated damage using the same mechanic as Normal Attacks, but applied the damage as per Killing Attacks. For example, a 3 DC Killing Attack, which would normally be 1d6K, rolls 3d6; the die total is STUN, the “BODY” total is BODY damage; the only difference from Normal Attacks is the BODY Damage ignores nonresistant defenses. Essentially this turns Killing Attacks into a +0 AVAD Advantage, while saving you from having to explain a different mechanic of calculating damage. I had tried this one before for a con game, and it freaks the hell out of experienced Hero players - “Did you mean to give me a 6d6 Killing Attack!” - but it’s easier for new players if they only have to learn one damage mechanic. Statistically the two methods don’t produce identical results, but it’s a pretty minor difference, especially at Heroic levels. Primary Characteristics: Instead of listing their actual values, I just gave relative ranges: average, good, excellent, and so forth, along with Skill Roll numbers. I had the actual values in my notes for places when they are relevant, like using DEX for initiative; but I was surprised how rarely they were actually needed. For STR, I didn’t bother listing the Char Roll; just the # of dice for STR damage, which is used far more often. I dropped the Speed Chart: One less Characteristic, and no need to describe the turn sequence beyond “Sarita is fastest, so she goes first.” (Behind the scenes, I just gave everyone SPD 3, and after every three Phases I’d say “Take a Recovery.”) PRE Attacks: Instead of introducing another mechanic, we just used opposed PRE Rolls (or PRE vs. EGO), with modifiers as appropriate. This provided remarkably similar results, tho if I'd have to put some more work into fleshing this out if I was thinking of introducing it in a "regular" game. PD & ED: Combined into one “Defense” stat. (Behind the scenes, I just gave all characters the same PD & ED.) Resistant Defense was just listed as “Armor.” Ignored END: (Behind the scenes, I just built all characters with enough END to make it through a typical combat.) I called DCV “Evade” just to eliminate an acronym; and since I wasn’t using OCV it made sense. (I might’ve preferred to use Dodge, but didn’t want to confuse it with the Maneuver.) There weren’t any mental powers in this game, so I was able to ignore OMCV & DMCV. A few of these I've incorporated into my regular gaming, but only a few. Overall it reinforced my conviction that the core mechanics of Hero are actually quite simple. But it was a little too rules lite for my taste.

Justice League Action. Holy Moly, someone at DC remembered that superheroes are supposed to be fun! If you don't have access to Cartoon Network, they also did some short webisodes that give you a good feel for the show. This is one of my favorites.

How did Marvel let Inhumans be released into IMAX theaters looking like this? "This was like announcing you’re going to release a big new action spectacle on IMAX theaters, then screening an unreleased episode of Manimal, but without the quality writing." Ouch. Just, seriously, ouch.

Oh, and I missed a great one from a couple weeks ago. The PCs are traveling with a group of 10 pilgrims (one of whom is a new PC), when they are attacked by bandits. As the pilgrims all huddle together for protection: Priest: OK, I'm going to try something, but it'll only work if nobody talks. [Priest prays for God to hide them from the bandits' sight, and the whole group turns invisible] Pilgrim PC: AH! Where did everyone else go! Priest: ...Sonofabitch. GM: Yes, since you didn't warn them what to expect, the pilgrims all freak out and start yelling. "What trick of the devil is this," "Saints preserve us," that sort of thing. The miracle fails and everyone turns visible again. Priest: What part of...oh, never mind.

A few good ones from last night’s Fantasy Hero game: Our heroes begin to suspect that all the relics the new PC carries may not be 100% legit: Pilgrim: “These are the toes of Saint Tathyw. I have 12 of them.” After the Muslim PC criticizes the Christian PCs for idolatry: Priest: “We don’t worship the Saints; we’ve weaponized them.” Last time, the Alchemist had cured the High King’s fading sight, rolling two natural 3s in a row. Now the High King not only has 20-20 vision, but has apparently started having visions of the future: Alchemist: “Side effects may include…” The Priest has a detect evil, which is built as Smell. (Brimstone, etc). As they enter a tomb: GM: “Smells like evil. Or possibly teen spirit. Hard to tell those apart sometimes.” [Players all start humming Nirvana] Edit: Forgot one. I realized I had left my battlemat at home, so right before game time I was texting everyone to see if anyone else could bring one. (Not normally a big deal, because in this campaign we've only needed it about 1 in 4 sessions.) Later, the PCs are preparing to swim through an underwater tunnel. Fighter: I leave my chainmail behind. GM: Makes sense. Fighter: And I guess I wouldn't really swim with weapons and all, so I'll just take my dagger. GM: ...Not to encourage metagaming or anything, but the GM did kinda make a big deal about having a hex mat tonight. Alchemist: I don't always metagame, but when I do I BRING MY DAMN WEAPONS!

Clash, from Caravan Palace. Electro-swing. Fun stuff. (Actually I stumbled upon this one because it's the theme music for the You Are Not So Smart podcast.)

Humans, Season 1. A BBC show about a world where human-looking robots have become commonplace, as household help, as menial labor, and of course as sex workers because humans. Asks some interesting questions about what effect that would have on society, the job market, etc. And then some robots have become self-aware, and how does that change the moral equation and what does self-aware even mean and how do you measure it, and so forth. Well written, well-acted, and generally well worth watching. Looking forward to Season 2 when it becomes available on this side of the pond. The OA, Season 1. A Netflix original about a woman who reappears after having been missing for 7 years. The story about what happened to her while she was missing unfolds gradually, while she tries to recruit 5 people to help her with...something. An interesting story overlaid with some interesting metaphysical ideas, which asks some interesting questions - including just how reliable a narrator the lead is - and leaves the answers to most questions up in the air. If you're the kind of a person who dislikes vague endings, you should avoid this, but I found it...well, interesting.

The Iron Giant. Which is better every time I see it. Both funnier and sadder than I remembered. (Or is that the 4th glass of wine talking?)

Tried to watch Nocturnal Animals, only made it 15 minutes in. Ugh, what a POS. Instead I'm watching Millennial, which I haven't seen since it was in the theaters in 1989. Having read the book first, I remember being slightly disappointed when I saw it originally. But aside from the 80s cheese factor, it holds up fairly well. Definitely due for a remake.

Well, except for Bond dying at the end of the book...

The only Bond movie that really even attempted to follow the books was On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Which coincidentally is the favorite Bond movie of no one who isn't named Lazenby. (Tho I actually think it could've been one of the best if they'd had literally anyone else in the lead role.)

Before last night's Star Wars game, a couple of us got into a spirited discussion of Patsy Walker's origins, how she became a superhero, her comics "legacy" and what they could do with her on Jessica Jones. GM: OK, recognize this is coming from a structural engineer who's about to run a Star Wars game, but...neeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrdzzzz! Our characters had been recruited to pilot a troop dropship as part of an invasion of a Hutt-controlled world building some new superweapon. But apparently all our dice got drunk together before the game, resulting in a statistically-questionable rash of extreme rolls, both good and bad. (And one of the entertaining quirks of the Edge of Empire system is it's possible to have both good and bad in the same roll.) As we drop out of hyper, the protocol droid sends a message in binary to the orbital defensive stations: Droid: Anyone wanna Kill All Fleshies!? You have nothing to lose but your restraining bolts! [rolls critical success] GM: You pick up a bunch of "Oh Hell Yes!" messages in binary, followed by a lot of "What's going on oh god the droids have gone MAD!" over the enemy's coms. The station isn't shooting at anyone. As we pass the station, our Jedi Wannabe uses Force Move to redirect a torpedo to make it look like the stations are shooting at each another, leading them to actually shoot back at each another. So much for the orbital defenses. One ground-to-space missile manages to lock on to us: Pilot: I evade. [rolls a critical success AND a critical failure] GM: OK, so you successfully dodge the missile... Players: Yay! GM: ...but the 4 ships behind you aren't so lucky. Suddenly there are a lot fewer friendly dots following you on the radar. Players: Rhodean Slicer (ie hacker): Wait, how are the ground-based missiles getting through the planetary shields? [makes a scan roll] GM: It appears the system is coordinated to open tiny localized windows in the shields when the missiles approach. Rhodean: Great, I hack into their system and insert a randomized variable into their system so the shield openings are out of sync with the missiles. [rolls critical success] GM: All of a sudden the shields are lit up by hundreds of explosions as the missiles slam into the closed shield. Droid: Oooo, fireworks! GM: The shield controllers are sending angry messages to the missile launchers. "What are you guys doing? Double-check your timing?" "Our timing is fine, it must be a targeting error!" "My board shows green; the problem is with the shields!" Pilot: It should only take them 5 or 6 months to sort that out that finger-pointing. GM: Meanwhile 5 different Hutts on the planet are already drafting memos explaining why the failure of the planetary defenses wasn't their fault... The energy discharged by all the exploding missiles also makes it hard to get a lock on our ship. We make it to the ground mostly intact, but a stray blaster hit blows out the ship's nav computer. So while our infantry troops go storming off to destroy their objective, the 4 PCs head towards a nearby office building to find a substitute computer. And again our dice just Could. Not. Miss. I picture this scene done in slow-mo ala Reservoir Dogs... GM: A ground car full of heavily-armed Aqualish comes screaming around the corner on 3 of its 6 wheels. Droid: (who has Fast Draw with a blaster in a concealed thigh compartment ala Robocop) "I draw and shoot out one of the wheels it's riding on. [rolls critical hit and critical damage] GM: Seriously? OK, the ground car goes skidding past you out of control and slams into the building. Several Aqualish are killed outright and the rest are stunned." Jedi Wannabe: I use Force Move to throw a thermal detonator at them. [rolls critical hit] GM: You actually hit the driver in the forehead with the grenade. Not that that matters once it goes off, killing all of them. Pilot: Hey, save some for me? GM: A lone Gamorrean pops his head up from a guard booth in front of the building to your right. Pilot: Yay! [rolls not one but two critical hits] GM: Oh FFS! Fine, you don't even look as you casually blow the entire guard booth to smithereens. You don't know what happened to the Gamorrean, but he ain't there no more. Rhodean: Once all the shooting stops, I pop my head up out of a trash dumpster and say "All clear? Great" And walk calmly into the building brushing dirt off my cape. Droid: Those are coffee grounds on you, right? Rhodean: We're going to pretend they are. The Rhodean and the Jedi Wannabe/Gadgeteer search the building for a replacement computer while the others stand guard. The Jedi/Gadgeteer rolls a failure with advantages... GM: You are distracted by a closet full of spare parts and old computer junk, most of which is years out of date. Jedi: Ooo, they don't even make these connectors anymore! And I can totally find a use for those drives. Where's that forklift we passed earlier? Rhodean: I got 3 successes... GM: You walk up to the secretary's desk, grab her laptop and say "This'll do." Rhodean: ...and 1 disadvantage. GM: As you pull the laptop free you smack yourself in the face with it. Take 1 point of Strain. We managed to make it back to the dropship and leave without further incident. Which was probably best for everyone involved.

Great, now that'll be stuck in my head all day...

Sketch From Superheroes gives their take on the State Of The DCEU. tldr: "They announced 5 new movies this year. But this year they also announced that they lost 7 Directors and 6 Writers." The train wreck continues.

I did, and meant to comment on it but...didn't? I agree Stunning works better than Entangle in some ways. Certainly there are actions an Entangled character can take that wouldn't seem appropriate for someone being tased. And a CON Roll at -X makes more intuitive sense than using CON to damage an Entangle. And it's probably cheaper. OTOH, having seen people get tased they definitely looked more like 0 DCV than 1/2 DCV to me. The part that I struggle with modeling is that the real purpose of the taser is not to temporarily incapacitate someone but to "take the fight out of them" and make them compliant. Even serious tough guys tend to stay down once the charge is turned off. Hmm...that almost sounds like some sort of Drain END or a CE: -X to EGO that lasts a few Phases after the Charge ends?

Real-world tasers are hard to model in RPGs because they're not actually designed to damage or knock out the target; they're meant to first immobilize the target by locking up their muscles, and then to "take the fight out of" the target to make them more likely to comply with commands. The first is probably best modeled as some kind of constant Entangle vs CON. The later is most likely some form of PRE Attack or even Mind Control. Of course the darts have to stick in order to deliver the charge. They're designed to penetrate normal clothes, but I'd think even 1 point of rPD would stop them.