Runehammer

Re: The Last Word Stepped on a hairball this morning, not a nice way to start the day, barefoot...

Re: Pimp: The Backhanding Bwaahahahahahaha! Sweetness V. Delicious I see a trend...and a new name...

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER The little machine that goes *ping* is going *ping*.

Re: Let's Talk Lovecraft K, I found my Horror hero book and flipped through it on the train for a couple days, I'm still leaning towards a simple PRE Drain with a slightly longer recovery rate, with adding a new skill of Psychoanalysis, contested roll, difference in rolls will help in restoring same PRE sooner and allowing the characters to develop Char. Def.: PRE, call it Fortitude or some such, my reasoning... In the realm of horror, whether Lovecraft of King or Barker or whomever, something, -something-, whether it be a scene bang or a character or a realization made by the character makes him suddenly aware of things that don't fit his 'normal' world, then he gets that twitchy little, -well what if everything else is not right- mindset where everything makes him jumpy. I think the only way to get a good horror game going is for you as a GM to find out what scares that particular player. I have this talk on the train with a few of my commuter friends, what scares one person won't scare someone else. Horror is very personalized, you have to be a very good writer to scare everyone or find what general impact will make everyone at least shudder. I speak from some small experience in trying to run a good horror game with a small bunch of folks back in the 4th ed. days, I could immediately get one girl all twitchy with body parts and bugs but the other two guys were like -meh-, once I animated those dead bodys and then started having bodies show up not-quite-dead in another guys house, that's what made the other two flinch. My two pennies for the dead man's eyes, anyway...

Re: Let's Talk Lovecraft Instead of Sanity Loss or a rating therein, I agree with earlier references to a standard monster ability of Presence Drain of varying strength based on the monster type that recovers either after a very long time or through a Psychotherapy roll, contested via target's Presence, I suppose, I do agree with not complicating things further... Presence pumps could be added in character as Fortitude or some such, with either extra PRE or Char Def, certain items like Elder Signs could offer protection in that form as well... On a side note, I'm with starblaze, hey, yamamura, who is that tasty little morsel you have for an avatar?

Re: Highlander HERO "Meesa thinkin' theresa gonna be only one?" Decapitate and run, I don't want ANY of that quickening... Speaking of which...a playtest has been occurring during my vacation of last week and continues now, this is an update. There are three immortals total of various ages and backgrounds, two guys (550 years old and 200 years old) and one girl (115 years old). Yes, I made them all write up character histories based on 3 to 5 life events per 100 years, those writeups have recently finished as have all my new plot hooks . We all do medieval re-enactment (SCA) so history is easy, twisting the event is hard. I am a perpetual tweaker, not because I think you should get more bang for your buck so you can min-max but so that the particular elements of a power can properly reflect how they work in 'real' space. This is what we have agreed upon so far: Tweaked: Immortal Regeneration: Healing BODY 1d6, Resurrection, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (60 Active Points); Always On (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Limited Power Power Cannot Be Pushed (-1/4) 27 points Reasoning: The immortal can't not regenerate, he can't opt to not heal that wound it happens automatically, we figured that if he really really wants to not heal that hit to make it look like he's normal he'd have to spend a big chunk of END, at least 3x or better. Savings of 13 points. Tweaked: The Quickening: Aid 1d6, all [special effect] powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Century; +3 1/4) (62 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Ubiquitous Circumstances (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect only affects the environment near the character; -1/2) 11 points (Quickening Side Effect Blast: Energy Blast 4d6 (vs. ED), Explosion (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Armor Piercing (+1/2) (60 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), No Knockback (-1/4), Gradual Effect (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1/4)) Reasoning: Added the side effect to reflect the actual damage done to the surroundings. Savings of 2 points. Additional Template adds: Anonimity 3 points Reasoning: these guys slide from place to place with people not really remembering them False Identity 1 point Reasoning: always handy to have this as a floating point perk, renews every so often I also added the following to customize characters, 5 additional types of Quickening. The Quickening (Enhanced): Aid 1 1/2d6, all [special effect] powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Century; +3 1/4) (94 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Ubiquitous Circumstances (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect only affects the environment near the character; -1/2) 17 points Reasoning: Available to older immortals who know how to get a little more out of the kill. 6 extra points. The Quickening (Quiet): Aid 1d6, all [special effect] powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Century; +3 1/4) (62 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Ubiquitous Circumstances (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2) No Side Effect 12 points Reasoning: no side effect, for the more pious immortals that just have the white light and holy choir, no damge, poof, done... 1 extra point The Quickening (Painful): Aid 1d6, all [special effect] powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Century; +3 1/4) (62 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Ubiquitous Circumstances (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect only affects the environment near the character; -1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2) 9 points (Quickening Side Effect Blast (Painful): Energy Blast 8d6 (vs. ED), Explosion (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Armor Piercing (+1/2) (120 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), No Knockback (-1/4), Gradual Effect (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1/4)) Reasoning:more damaging side effect to fit a more violent personality in the immortal. 2 less points The Quickening (Peaceful): Aid 1 1/2d6, all [special effect] powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Century; +3 1/4) (94 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Ubiquitous Circumstances (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2) No Side Effect 19 points Reasoning: very old, very pious immortals only, rarest of quickenings. 8 extra points The Quickening (Weakened): Aid 0 1/2d6, all [special effect] powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Century; +3 1/4) (31 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Ubiquitous Circumstances (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-1), Self Only (-1/2) 5 points Reasoning: This was created for a cowardly and relatively weak immortal, more a brainiac than a fighter, this also works well for new immortals who are untrained, 6 less points. Weapons became a strong point of contention, specifically the personalizing, I had to limit the potential addons to a custom compound power. There were all Independent, OAF(Durable/Difficult to obtain new Focus), cannot be Pushed, Real Weapon based around a 2d6-1 HKA (STR Min 12) optional ads were required for one, one and a half or two handed and STR min to wield, most of them opted for one and a half handed. Reach was possible (1" Stretching) for 1 point(great weapons, polearms, big honkin' axes), Negative Combat skills (-1 to opponent's ocv or dcv) for 1 point (tangler type weapons or swords with big quillions), +1 w/ HTH combat skills for 1 point (basic fine balance), Penalty skill levels (+2 to hit locations w/ all attacks) for 1 point (more to reflect skill than actual weapon seeking capabilities), and +5 to either Fast Draw or Concealment for 1 point (these guys pull these things out of their shirt pockets or cleavage with ease). So far the most dangerous combinations are with martial arts maneuvers with the weapon element: Fast Strike, Weapon Block, Counterstrike, Weapon Flash, Haymaker for Decapitation (called shot to head @ -8). The Martial Flash helps with the last maneuver immensely as several test combats proved. Also helps when a target gets CON stunned. Lightning Reflexes is a big seller too, arguements were posed for adding them to the weapon creation but I nixed that. All the extra points saved earlier were put into either martial arts or more skills. Also if you add Independent to the Methuselah Crystal and bump the Immunity to include chemical agents (makes it sweet for even an immortal to own it) the cost drops to 22. Methuselah Crystal :Elemental Control, 34-point powers, (17 Active Points); all slots Independent (-2), IAF Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1 3/4), Arrangement (-1/4) 3 points -+4 with All Combat (32 Active Points); Independent (-2), IAF Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1 3/4), Arrangement (-1/4) 3 points -Life Support (Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Longevity: Immortal) (25 Active Points); Independent (-2), IAF Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1 3/4), Arrangement (-1/4) 3 points -Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Independent (-2), IAF Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1 3/4), Arrangement (-1/4) 3 points -Regeneration: Healing BODY 2d6, Resurrection, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (80 Active Points); Independent (-2), IAF Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1 3/4), Arrangement (-1/4), Always On (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Limited Power Power Cannot Be Pushed (-1/4) 10 points My two coppers, for what it's worth...(wow, am I wordy, my longest post so far I think)

Re: Let's Talk Lovecraft Since I live in the area Lovecraft called home and frequently do the walking tours of all the old sites I am by no means an expert on the Chthulu mythos but I am a fan. The elements that I feel make a Lovecraft novel are primarily the overbearing sense of dread and the fact that anything the hero calls up or researches can't be put down unless you have some serious firepower or an Elder Sign. I have played the game in other systems but haven't attempted to try it in the hero system. I think the sanity element is relatively key to play as the players learn more and more of the reality (unreality?) of the universe at large and the fact that we are a tiny part of it. There are ...things... that defy description, that twist the norm of reality, that just plain consume to survive and that just plain exist to sow chaos. As a gamemaster you have a lot of work to do to maintain the feeling of doom just under the surface. I have enjoyed playing but have more fun twisting the players down the path. I had a unique chance to play a game several years ago at a con in Baltimore that was run by Sandy Petersen. I learned a bit about running a game that day... Here's my recommendation for starting a game, you make all the characters and just give the players the dice, let them figure out who they are as they awake in an insane asylum with no memory and no recollection of how they got there. The head doctor is using the players as bait to summon an ...outsider... to give him unimaginable power, that of course turns around on him as the players find creative ways to not take their medication. My two coppers for what it's worth...

Re: Highlander HERO Looking at the regeneration power you have listed, I have a question. I ran it through the Hero Designer software as I was going to build a couple characters and then have at it, I built it as you suggested but I only come up with 31 points instead of 40 and Quickening as well I come up with 12 instead of 13...I took the liberty of customizing my own sheet and used the extra points to add Anonimity (which can be useful) at 3 points, a single point in False Identity (again useful) and then I tossed 5 points into Money: Well Off (these guys always seem to have ready cash somewhere) the spare point I put into Martial Arts for use in Weapon Element The Quickening: Aid 1d6, all powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Century; +3 1/4) (62 Active Points); Conditional Power: Only when beheading another Immortal Power does not work in Ubiquitous Circumstances (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2) 12 Points Regeneration: Healing BODY 1 point, Resurrection, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (46 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2) 31 Points Also if you make the Methuselah Crystal with the Independent modifier (-2) you can save a ton of points, would that work easier as a Multipower with variable slots? My 2 coppers....I will let you know how playtest on my end turns out...

Re: Help with Zombie Be Gone Thinking more of a religious icon sort of thing... Major Transform 10d6 (zombie to dust), Hole In The Middle (+1/4), Does Knockback (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Explosion (+1/2), Selective Target (+1/4), Mobile (+1), Continuous (+1) (787 Active Points); OIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1), Limited Target ([Very Limited]; -1), Spell (-1/2), Only When Serving The God's Purposes (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) (175 points) W/Drain REC 2d6 (20 Active Points); Linked (Transform; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; -1/4) Reduced END Zero (+1/2)(24 points) (Total cost 199 points) Figure with the explosion they will take more damage the closer they come to it and adding knockback means they will be constantly pushed away. Being stupid zombies (read hungry) they will continue to close with the wielder... I rather like the zombie to dust thing and with the drain recovery it will take pretty much a century or so for the little buggers to come back for the sequel...

Re: Devious Idea that may work once....once... My problems are myriad with the current genre I'm running but my players seem to be happy, the genre is based on Bubblegum Crisis/Ghost in the Shell at present so there are battlesuits, cyborgs and fun vehicles with superheavy weapons, I rather like the mental image of the stuck blinker, however... I think I may just run a Black Magic M-66 type villian the does a metalstorm on the stray foci, possibly a permanent transform that targets foci only, I only have a couple foci that are getting unwieldy, I believe the Guv'mint will show up and confiscate those to have them studied by 'Top Men in the field'. Who? Top...men. Don't worry, it's all being taken care of.

I'm having this idea roll around, comes from having an hour train ride to work in the morning that allows me to think of this stuff... Currently one of my players is a focus hog. Add to that the fact that he may be convincing one of my other players to help him out and start confiscating foci from the bad guys as research points I came up with this adder.... Take any focus, say an alien tech battlesuit ala Guyver (yes, I carp back to that one), be annoying and make it an OIF,OIHID, and throw in Independent to make an impossible to pass up lure, (You mean I could put this on now and use it? Yes...go ahead...). Now add the following: Side Effect: Suppress Ego Xd6, with Berserk Rage 14-/8- (Bomabarded with alien images of death and destruction) Or Side Effect: Suppress Ego Xd6 w/ Mind Control Xd6, single command (Kill!) The Xd6 I'd figure out once I build the thing from scratch, figure the previous owner managed to slowly get that aspect under control to a certain degree, gets me a chance to teach a lesson, yeah it may mean that the party may have to pummell one of its own but hey... Which wold work better? Or anyone else have any ideas?

Re: Question on a Villain Bonus. Thanks Ternaugh, right now they are still meshing as a team so they tend to be ball hoggin grandstanders, this villian will more'n likely make 'em work together, building a bigger mousetrap works for me. And Lotus, as for the movie about Guyver....Cool! More stuff for my wish list...

From the old days a bad guy could be made with a disadvantage slot called Villain Bonus. I saw this as a pump to cover the fact that one villian may wind up facing 2 to 6 heroes in a game. Since I have all kinds of great ideas for bad guys in the new 5th ed and am retiring most of the 4th ed guys I have a question. Since I have currently 5 heroes as listed below and currently one villian in the works for a campaign epic in my Dark Saviors milieu. What is a good rule of thumb (if there is one) on a villian bonus to hero ratio? (Considering I may not need one with two heroes vs one bad guy but may with more heroes vs one bad guy) hero 1 :275 pts martial artist/stealth infiltrator (de facto team leader) hero 2 :300 pts psyker with issues hero 3 :250 pts straight up in your face brick hero 4 :265 pts energy projector/gadgeteer hero 5 :255 pts the next sorcerer supreme (potential disaster but will try to make it work) fringer character not currently affiliated with team but may run into group shortly villain 1:295 pts (currently without villain bonus) psychotic bio-booster armor based however loosely or not on one of my favorite anime titles Guyver Ideas? TIA

Greetings all! Don't know if this has been asked anywhere and I apologize if this is redundant but... Long time player this one is, yes... I started this game system as a player/gamemaster in '88 after I discovered the first book at Zocchi Distributors, been playin' pretty seriously ever since. After a brief hiatus that started three years ago a player friend handed me, as an early birthday gift, a copy of the version 5 rules. Once the initial impact of this textbook sized encyclopedia wore off, I started the read. I understand and can nitpick the rules changes as I have done some of them as house rules already except for one major difference. I would like some input on how I should handle the following. In 4th ed 99% of the heroes and villians were built with a 100 point base with about a 0 - 150 disad base. I see by the new rules a low powered character starts with 150 as a base and a standard hero starts with a 200 point base. I can see the point difference as reconstruction points for the few changed powers/talents/skills/etc but that really doesn't amount to a full 50 or 100 additional points in some cases, actually most. How can I justify this point spread between the existing characters and any new guy on the block?* Do I do some global event that suddenly washes over every hero and villian that will give them a healthy deposit of 100 points? I actually only have about 60 characters (players and their associated arch rivals plus a few global characters). What is fair? What is workable? What is everyone's general opinion? Thank you for any ideas. (*I can do an Esperanza type crash to steal an idea of a global event that infuses characters with power from the d20/storyteller system of Aberrant if that's the case...)