mallet

Well these type of situation will always crop up when you have two Players fighting each other while sitting at the same table, as they hear everything each other is saying. But when "Player 2" in your example above is an NPC, then the GM can control what the NPC does and decide that they don't know to Abort to Dodge. Now in normal play, especially in a swashbuckling style game, characters usually are aborting and dodging and moving all over the area, this isn't a bad thing, it is kind of what it should be given the source material. Think the big duel in The Princess Bride. So in this case the other character aborting isn't a bad thing. When they use their next action to Dodge, it means they are not attacking the "Feinter" and the "Feinter" can keep pressing his attack the next Phase. Sooner or later he'll get lucky and land a hit, even if the opponent keeps dodging. Yes, the Feints become more difficult to succeed the more they are used, but maybe if your campaign is really focused on combat, and this style on combat in general, maybe add different "styles" of Feints that characters can learn as different skills (or maybe sub-skills at 2pts each) Play One - "Oh, you know the Italian Style, do you?" Player Two - "I learned that when I was still in diapers". Player One switches his sword to his other hand. Player One - "Well then how about the Picard maneuver?" And the fight continues. Except this time Player One can start Feinting fresh all over again, without any accumulated penalties to his roll, since it is a new style of Feinting.

Oh, I wasn't questioning 8/9 of times, in fact I would think in play it would be closer to 9.5/10 times, as who wouldn't want to save 15+ character points on a power. What I was trying to express was that it wasn't the only way to build the power, and in fact, it was the default way that they are built in Hero (or in Hero Designer. Look at when you build a Detect power in HD, it starts as an Unusual Sense Group Power by default. You have to switch it so that it simulates another Sense Group). And if we want to get "technical" Enhanced Senses are always an Unusual Sense Group per (6th Ed) RAW, only that they can be made to Simulate another Sense Group. As I said, I haven't read CC or FHC yet so I am not sure what the current RAW rules are in there.

I'm not sure about CC/FHC as I don't have them yet (and yes, I know they are the "cannon" rules now) but in 6th Ed. all Enhanced Senses are by default in the Unusual Sense Group, but can be made a "Simulated Sense Group" by attaching it to an existing Sense Group. So Detect Magic at its "base" power does not involve any existing Senses (sight/hearing/smell, etc...) but it can be added to any of those Sense Groups. The main reason for doing so is that it is cheaper as you are basically "piggybacking" on the existing sense, but this comes at the cost of making the Detect vulnerable to everything that effects the Sense Group it is "piggybacking" on. At its "pure" build, all Detects are immune to any Sense affecting and adjusting powers. For example, a Darkness area of effect, would stop anyone from seeing into it, but a character with Detect Magic in it's "pure" build (with the appropriate range adders) would still be able to Detect Magic inside the area of Darkness, just not visually see them (although with adders like Discrimination, etc...) he/she could still locate and interact with them. An example straight from the rules: Example: Arkelos the mage wants to have “Magesight,” the ability to detect all forms of magic. He buys Detect Magic (5 Character Points) as a Sense (+2 Character Points). This allows him to detect magic, but requires him to touch any object or area he wishes to perceive and tells him only that magic is present and how intense it is. Later, after earning some Experience Points, Arkelos buys the Range and Discriminatory Sense Modifiers for his Magesight. Now he can Detect Magic at Range, and can determine the type and quality of magic he perceives. In this example, the power isn't actually "linked" to Sight, and is not effected by any Sight adjustment powers, but it costs more XP to give it the same "abilities" as Sight. It would have been cheaper for Arkelos to buy Detect Magic (Sight Sense Group) from the start, but then it would be subject to all things that effect his normal vision. Just built a couple of version in HD. Detect Magic made with the simulated Sight Group build costs 5cp (by "piggybacking" it on Sight you get Sense, Targeting and Range for free, but it is effected by everything that effects sight) The "pure" form ends up costing 22cp because you have to buy Sense, Targeting and Range as extras, but it will be unaffected by anything that effects any of the characters other senses. So a lot more expensive, but might be the "right" build for some characters. Especially once you start adding limitations to it.

I might be remembering wrong, but Players have to buy Invisibility to specific senses or sense groups, and Detects almost always fall under the Unusual Sense Group, so unless a Player adds the Unusual Sense Group to his Invisibility power build, then Detects will still detect them. J

Maybe Grab is actually to simple for Hero and in fact should be split into two manoeuvres. The first being Tackle/Takedown - which is what Grab currently is. You get a hold of someone and stop their movement and possibly bring them to the ground, but maybe the rules should be changed to factor in character weight/mass vs strength. If that fails then you can make a second/different check to instead Hold On to the target. This would add to the targets encumbrance and possibly slow them down (depending on how strong they are), but not stop all movement or bring them to the ground. This would cover the football situation mentioned above. A successful Tackle/Takedown would drop the opponent, but if you fail, you can still try and hold on to them and slow them down.

Maybe for the undecided character you could make them from the USA or Europe. They are in Africa for a vacation and get caught up in the adventure. Depending on how good your players end up being it could add a little culture clash and “fish out of water” element to the adventure.

Wildcards is still on going, I believe the most recent one came out in 2016. I personally think the first 7 novels were the best (with books 6 & 7 being amazing), after that I felt it went downhill quickly. I think I stopped reading by book 9 and only glanced at the rest in the book stores every now and then, so it might have started getting better again later on.

I think a bit more detail is needed for Character A. For example, with the people only seeing his/her picture or image for long enough, do they then have to come face to face with Character A for him/her to use the mind control power, or can Character A use the mind control remotely without ever having met the person they are controlling? And is Character A giving specific commands to each individual person under his/her control, or is it just general commands that all the effected people will obey? Or is it more like that the people under his/her control or just big fans of Character A and they just generally want to do what Character A wants and if they ever met him/her and were given specific commands they would do those as well? One version is full on mental slavery to Character A, the other is more like becoming an obsessive fan of Character A or falling in love with Character A. I might be wrong, but I feel like you are more looking for the second option given the "more willing to obey his orders" you mentioned in your write-up, plus with Mind Control you need to be able to communicate with the target either verbally or if you take the Telepathic adder. Either way, Character A needs to be directly addressing each person under their control. So, iff it is the second one (people "falling in love" or "becoming a willing slave" with Character A) then maybe it is a cumulative, long lasting Drain PRE Power vs people who see his/her image with the limitation it is only vs Character A's Presence Attacks. Or maybe a cumulative Mental Transform to give the people seeing his/her image overtime a new Psychological Complication "Obsessed/In Love with Character A - Total"

To create the "full" effect of wings (that also act as a defence) I think the power needs to be broken down bit more. Power One: First, wings attach at the characters back, so his/her back should always have some Resistant Defence, even when flying, because any attack that hits him from behind, whether just walking down the street with his wings folded up behind him, or when flying, still has a chance to hit the wings. So that should be a "separate" power. Power Two: Flight Power Three: Then you have the "full protection mode" when he/she wraps the wings in front of themselves to protect from all attacks. This is a different build of either Resistant Protection (with the adder "protects carried items") and maybe an Activation Roll or other Limitation, or it could also be built as a Barrier (with Englobing and other Limitations and Advantages). This is the power that would have the Lockout Limitation on it, not Flight, as when the character is wrapped up or englobed in the wings, he can't use them for anything else, and it also possibly restricts other aspects of the character (maybe can't see out? Maybe cant move at full movement speed (only walk, not run), etc...). Of course, maybe the wings being so tough/Defensive means they should be build as their on Power Framework build around those defensive abilities. For example, Then can wrap around the character (as described above), but the character could also stretch out one wing and use it to shield another character (which would be a different ability, possibly Deflection), and then maybe the Wings can be used for other effects like pushing things over or knocking things out of the way, so maybe they should be built as Extra Limbs, or a heavily limited version of Telekinesis. If you do add in all these different applications of the wings, then building them as a Barrier with the Variable Advantages Advantage might be the best way to go. That way the Wings could be manipulated to cover different areas and have different effects as the character desires. Powers Two & Three could maybe be built in a power framework, but the frame work shouldn't include the first power of resistant protection for the character's back, which, in a sense, is always on.

I think that the fact that it can lead to a 5 page debate shows that using Images as the RAW way to create light is not a good thing. I think if there is ever a 7th Edition, changing it to being Change Environment is the way to go. Also, there should be Adders to it to simulate different types of Light. Generic light/glow is the base. If you want it to be Sunlight it could be +3pts. Moonlight +2pts. etc... because not all Light is the same, especially in genre settings. Another (somewhat crazy) option is maybe to use Flash with an "Only to Create Light (-1)" Limitation, which means it has no blinding effect but the higher you roll the brighter the light is at the source, then a character could add on Area of Effect and Constant/Charges, etc... to make it an on going effect. Because, lets be honest, that has just as much (if not more) relevance to creating light as Images does. Glowing Hand - Sight Group Flash 4d6, Area Of Effect (16m Radius Explosion; +1/4), Constant (+1/2) (35 Active Points); Only to create light (-1), Costs END To Maintain (Full END Cost; -1/2), No Range (-1/2) (Real Cost: 12)

I'm not sure you can use Dispel to dispel any natural occurring darkness (or any other natural occurring condition). I believe Dispel can only be used against other game ruled power effects, so it can be used against the Darkness power, but not against the normal darkness of a cave or night sky. I believe to effect natural conditions you have to use either Change Environment, Transform, or the like. But I might be wrong. EDIT: I found the relevant ruling in the 6th Ed book... To use Dispel, the character must declare what power or ability he’s trying to Dispel, then make an Attack Roll. If he succeeds, he rolls and totals the Dispel dice and subtracts the target’s Power Defense (if any). If the remaining total exceeds the Active Point total of the target power, the target power is Dispelled — that is, it stops working.Dispel is an all or nothing attack: it either completely turns off a Power or it has no effect. And... A character with Dispel can turn off another character’s power. So that seems pretty definitive that it can not be used against any natural or normal conditions, only against Powers that an other character or object has.

here are some examples of official builds in the Equipment Guide. You need to use either Usable As Attack or Mobile Perception Point to have your Foci work from a distance. Examples below (only including relevant descriptions): Tracking Bug (but could be swapped out for a Light spell): Images to Radio Group, +4 to PER Rolls, Area Of Effect (64m Radius; +1¼), Usable As Attack (allows character to “stick” the Image to a target; +1¼), (76 Active Points); IAF (-½) In this case the Foci (bug) doesn't need Mobile, it moves with the target it is "stuck" too. Ultraviolet Tracking Spray (but could be swapped out for a Light spell or glow (and in this case the Foci is the spray can)): Images to Ultraviolet Perception, +4 to PER Rolls, Usable As Attack (allows character to “stick” the Image to a target; +1¼), Continuing Charge lasting 1 Week (stops functioning if target washes himself and his clothes thoroughly; +½) (60 Active Points); OAF Or Wireless Bug (undercover cop option): OAF (-1), No Range (character must place bug at perception point before he can use the power; -½) with "it transmits voices and noises in the wearer’s vicinity to a nearby receiver. To the Standard Audio Bug, add Mobile Perception Point." Which shows that even if you place or give the foci to anyone else, you need to add the Mobile Perception point to the focus to have it keep working. And to get back to more on topic, here is the Create Light (and give to someone else) spell in the 6th Edition spell book: Sight Group Images, +2 to PER Rolls, Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +¼), Usable As Attack (to “stick” light to defined object; +1¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), Persistent (+¼) (52 Active Points); OAF (a wand of ivory; -1), Concentration (½ DCV throughout casting; -½), Extra Time (5 Minutes to cast; -1), Gestures (throughout casting; -½), Incantations (throughout casting; -½), Only To Attach Light To A Specified Nonliving Object (see text; -½), Only To Create Light (-1), Requires A Magic Roll (-½), Time Limit (duration of 1 Month; -¼). Total cost: 8 points. In this instance the "Specified non-living object" is not a foci for some reason, but it also doesn't need Mobile or any other similar limitation. Once it is UAA it is considered to be mobile for "free" going where the non-living object it is attached to goes, no matter who is using it.

An Almost Live reference?! Damn, l loved that show. I've never heard anyone mention it before anywhere. Billy Kawn, The High-Fiving White Guys, Speedwalker that show was great. I'm glad Bill Nye (and Joel McHale) went on to bigger things, but lots of actors in the show deserved to have better careers.

I hate players like this. Just tell him he can put as many points as he wants in the power, make his builds as complex as he likes, but in the end he will only ever do/roll one attack that does 8 DC. Even if the build comes out at 10 DC or 20 DC, you don't care. He will only do 8 DC. It is your game. He either goes by the cap or he doesn't play or he is just wasting points.

I could see the bullets being "smart" so that they can do either STUN or KILLING Damage when they hit a target, but not sure about the guns firing them being "smart", as people and Hosts shooting could miss a target and the bullet hits a different Guest/Host standing behind them and the bullet would still react doing the correct type of damage. Good point about the Man in Black being shot at the end, I assumed the renegade Hosts were using Park Security guns which can hurt/kill both Guests and Hosts, but maybe it is a programming change that Ford implemented when he started the new story. This does make sense since Dorlores was able to kill him with her normal in-park gun.

Well there are a few issues here and unfortunately the show doesn't really explain things too well. First there are two types of Hosts. The old ones that are robots with skin covering them (basically like Terminators) and the newer ones that are more like Replicants from Blade Runner, but to be honest both types seem to react the same to injury and damage from what we've seen so far. The bigger question (to me at least, and this may only apply if you are planning on running a game set in a Westworld setting) is how do the weapons work? My person feeling is that the Hosts actually don't "take damage" from being shot with a gun from inside the park, rather they are built to mimic what damage from being shot would be like, probably with tiny micro-charges under their skin that explode when they are shot. The reason I think this is that we've seen Humans shot by the same gun as a Host in the same fight, in fact one shot right after the other, yet to the Humans the effect is only like getting hit by a paintball but to the Host standing next to him/her shot by the same gun it causes "normal" gunshot damage. To me that means that the "bullets" in the gun are fake low-velocity slugs that turn to powder when they hit a target and it is the Hosts body that produces the damage to mimic a gunshot where the "bullet" hit them. I can't see any other logical reason why Humans shot by the same gun as a Host suffer no real damage. You might say that all the clothes the humans wear in the park are super bulletproof but that seems too risky for the park to allow, since a random bullet might miss a target and hit a human in the head, hand, etc... killing or injuring them. Plus we've seen Humans going around naked/topless so that would also mean it can't be the clothing that is bulletproof. So I think that the only logical explanation is that the guns in the park are all fake and that it is the Hosts that are built to "self-damage" when they are hit. If this is true, then it opens up a lot of possibilities that the damage we see the Hosts take is pretty much all cosmetic in most cases, made to look bloody and deadly, but easy to fix overnight in the repair shop. Its all "movie magic/special effects" in a sense. Obviously knife wounds and blunt force trauma (head crushed by rock) cause more significant (possibly permanent) damage, but if I remember right we only saw one Host that was so badly damaged (from blunt force trauma to the head) that it was irreparable. Even Hosts shot at point blank range to the head were repaired by the following day, and this is partly why I believe the damage they take is mostly fake and the injuries they sustain mainly for show and part of their programming. This obviously all applies only to the guns that are part of the game/park. It is shown that the security guards are using real guns with real bullets that can really damage/kill the Hosts and Humans. Now the real question raised by the show is how to explosives work in the park. We've seen them used a lot, but the only time a Human set one off we see that it had to be authorised by the park control centre (in real time) and they allowed/triggered the explosion themselves, ( I assume after making sure no Humans were close enough to be hurt in the blast or by shrapnel.) but still that is a massive amount to control the park has over every aspect to the game world and makes you wonder if a Host wanted to set off an explosive close to a human and no authorisation was given by the control centre then would the explosive not go off? Are all the explosives just as fake as the bullets? So the dynamite isn't really dynamite, just a fake substance made to look like it and lighting it with a match would do nothing unless the control centre triggers it to explode. The only other solution to these problems that I can think of is that everything we've seen so far on the show is in a "the matrix" like virtual world so it is all programmed so that bullets and explosions don't hurt the Players, but only the Hosts. But that would be such a horrible twist/copout that it is not worth even thinking about.

As a spin-off of STR Min for weapons, should some weapons have a DEX Min? Or maybe a DEX Min instead of a STR Min? For example, using a Rapier effectively isn't so much about STR, as it is to swiftly and accurately position it. Same with a Whip and various other light, "fast" weapons. In these cases maybe the weapon should have a DEX Min the user must meet or exceed to use effectively, rather then a STR Min. Taking it another step further, maybe extra damage with these weapons should be calculated by how much the users DEX exceeds the DEX Min, in the same way excess STR above the STR Min currently adds to damage. Maybe break your weapons up into two categories, STR based weapons and DEX based weapons. STR based weapons are done as normal. Dex based weapons to their extra damage based on how much the users DEX exceeds the DEX min of the weapon. Better yet, give all weapons a STR and DEX Min and the character can choose which one he is using for each attack. That way he/she could hack with a rapier (using STR) or go for finesse and use the DEX method for extra damage. In fact, just make the STR Min also the DEX Min to save time, so low STR Min weapons (a dagger) in the hands of someone with a high DEX can be just as deadly as in the hands of someone with a high STR, just in a different way. High STR Min weapons are obviously heavier, so require more DEX to accurately use so most time it is best to just use STR for attacking, but possibly a chracter with very high DEX could accurately use a two-handed sword for more then just hack and slash. That way both strong and dexterous characters have their own style/feel to them.

Maybe have the normal animal free (like horses, etc...) but any improvements paid for by the character as a special ability. For example: Animal Attack Command: +1 OCV (5 Active Points); Only with Animals character has spent time training (-1), Requires A Roll (Animal Handler Skill roll; -1/2), Usable On Other (-1/4), Grantor can only grant the power to others, Recipient must be within Limited Range of the Grantor for power to be granted, Recipient must remain within Line of Sight of Grantor, Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4) RC:1 This way any normal (non-follower) animal the character trains over the course of the campaign can be commanded to attack better then normal, but only when the character is giving the commands.

I know this thread (pardon the pun) has run its course, but I've still been thinking about other ways of making this ability. So here is another way that might work: Detection Webs: +6 PER with Normal Touch, 100m area (+1) (12 Active Points); Physical Manifestation (-1/4), Conditional Power Can be avoided by a successful Acrobatics or Contortionist roll (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) This is the most "realistic" version of the ability. The Character (Spider) has to make the webs first (thus the cost END to activate), then if something touches one of the webs it feels the touch and it gets +6 to its PER check to notice and locate the intruder.

I agree. Just look at the builds for stuff like Motion Detector from the Skill Book. It is built as a Detect Moving Person or Object 15-, with a Change Environment -6 to Security System Checks. And the description includes: This clearly shows that Stealth can't be used to hide motion as with the better models even a Stealth check won't help prevent detection. Also, from the Eyebeam trap: This shows that Stealth definitely can't be used to avoid some senses (IR or UV Vision in this case). You can't just Stealth by something detecting with those senses, you need to physically avoid them (unless you have a power of ability that makes you invisible to those senses). This is just a couple of examples, but their are numerous other examples in the books of Detects that can't be avoided by Stealth checks, only by Security System rolls or Powers and Abilities. Another example is the Pressure Sensor in a floor. It detects weight/pressure (so movement for a physical character across it). Stealth can't avoid that, that is why their are talents like "Trackless Stride" that specifically allow you to avoid ground based pressure and motion traps and detection.

I personally wouldn't build it as a Sense. I think it sounds more like a Barrier (with 0 BODY, 1 PD, 1 ED, Vulnerability to Fire, Nonresistant Defences, and other Limitations including Conditional: Can be avoided by Stealth/Acrobatics roll ) covering a large area. And then a Linked - Detect: Damage to the Barrier. Or a Triggered Clairsentience with Physical Manifestation (and other advantages and Limitations) Also check out Pg. 289 of the Skill Book (well the whole security skill section of the book), specifically the Taut-Wire Switch which is very close to what you are trying to build.

Nice! I always loved Living Steel and all the Phoenix Command stuff. Glad to see it hasn't been completely forgotten.

My build was more going for a real weapon in a Fantasy setting, rather then the official "Super Hero gadget" build. I also think that the real weapon version could also be built to include the additional ability of choking the Target if the Attacker chooses to target the Target's head/neck with the bola, so if the bola wraps around the targets neck it could begin to strangle them and cut off their air supply until it is removed.

I might build it like this: Bola: (Total: 17 Active Cost, 4 Real Cost) Blast 1d6 (5 Active Points); 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Minimum 5 (-1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4) (Real Cost: 1) <b>plus</b> Entangle 1d6, 1 PD/1 ED, Entangle And Character Both Take Damage (+1/4) (12 Active Points); 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), Set Effect (Hands OR Feet Only) (-3/4), Can Be Deflected (-1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Minimum 5 (-1/4) (Real Cost: 3) -The Delayed Phase is because the attacker needs to spin it to get it up to speed to make it work effectively. -Set Effect (Hands OR Feet) is based off the normal Entangle modifier, but reduced in value because a bola could effect one or the other, With this build an Attacker could just simply throw the Bola to do damage, but if they target their Target's limbs (with the appropriate OCV modifiers so they hit the arms or legs) then they would do the damage, plus the Entangle would take effect.

Hi all, Just wondering about how you handle small characters in your campaigns and the bonuses they get. As per the rules, characters at 1/2 the normal size are harder to hit, so the attacker gets -2 OCV. But characters (Players or NPC's or Monsters) that are small buy their smaller size as a Complication and from what I can see this is usually a 5-10 pt. complication, so the free bonus of "giving" the -2 OCV to anyone attacking them is of at least equal (if not more) value then the Complication that provides it. Not much of a Complication (at least in combat) in that regard. Also, most builds for small characters (gnomes, halflings, etc...) that I see in the books also include a +2 DCV (that the character pays for) for a total "swing" of 4 CV (Character has +2 DCV and Attacker gets -2 OCV). This seems a bit excessive. What do you do in your games? Ignore the "-2 OCV for the attackers"? Not allow the "+2 DCV" purchase for the characters? Allow both but make the Complication worth 0 pts? Or just allow small characters to be rarely hit?