BasilDrag

Here or there? Yeah, but that hasn't been added to since the 11th. What do folks think: should we captioneers hack our way through the political bull effluvium to throw 2d6 Resurrection on that thread, or continue here with books other than TUV, or make new threads (one per other book)? -- The young know the rules, the old know the exceptions.

Re: How to create a "Stun Field" Having seen stun-guns in action (IRL, not on some faked up TV show), I can tell you they work by knocking the person out. Paralysis more of a "side-effect", leading up to unconsciousness. Make it EB, Stun Only to do it cheap. To do it more accurately, Stun Drain. Actually, the "paralysis" is more "lack of control over one's movements". That's best done as a DEX Drain---note FrED p.22, under "Negative Dexterity". -- Happiness can't buy you money.

Re: Powers Question FrED, p.210, sidebar, last example. You can use as is, or change to your liking. -- PLEBISCITE, n. A popular vote to ascertain the will of the sovereign. -- Ambrose Bierce

FIrst, (as has been pointed out), for most comic-book and other high-powered characters, "Invulnerable" has repeatedly turned out to mean "Ain't been hit YET." Second, from a game balance perspective, it's a poor idea. Viz. D&D's MagicMissile/ShieldSpell/Wossname/BlahBlah/YaddaYadda escalation. A true invulnerability, no matter to how limited a SFX, invites an invulnerability-buster, then a trump to it, and so on and so forth. I think it wisest to control the problem by not starting down that road in the first place. -- "College isn't the place to go for ideas." -- Helen Keller

Cubicle Hero: deal with sadistic bosses, idiot cow-orkers, and horrible traffic, in an environment where the greatest rebellion you can get away with is tacking "Dilbert" cartoons to your cubicle's walls. And remember, if your character gets fired, you're out of the game! -- "Innovation is hard to schedule." -- Dan Fylstra

Look at the plane! For those of you interested in planes of the past, check out http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/124945 The photo referred to in the last paragraph is: http://img.horvitznewspapers.net/pict/kcj/main_pict/19nstratoliner1.jpg -- Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.

Country Size IMO, it's best done as if a Base. E.g., use MegaScale on the Size stat. I'd recommend at the 1 hexarea = 1 sq km level, though the next level up might be possible. I'd say you're buying the whole country, so the "+1 point to double the 'grounds'." rule would not be appropriate, IMO. Then, have the country/Base buy Followers, to represent the populace. With the "+5 to double" rule, you can fill up the country pretty easily. -- Help! I'd dial 911 but can't find the eleven on the dial.

Hmmm.... Hadn't thought about that; perhaps one should go by max, rather than nearest. Still, I can't find anything that says, one way or the other. That's much more than strong enough; two 15 STR guys could lift 400kg; heck, two 13 STR guys could lift 300kg, and the craft masses only 336kg. Two 10 STR guys should suffice. I'd just call it 3"-4" of Running; simpler. -- "Foresight is very wise, but foresorrow is very foolish; and castles are, at any rate, better than dungeons in the air." -- Sir John Lubbock, First Baron Avebury (1834-1913)

You have a point, and can do things that way if you want. However, in TUV p74-83, out of 12 examples, only the 3 I mentioned have sold back their Running. And 7 of the 9 that didn't are Real Worldâ„¢ airplanes. So, I don't think you're supposed to taxi with Flight. -- If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?

I hope I don't come across as offensive, but---- This is a problem, how? IMO, this search for the holy grail of invulnerability is against the "feel" of the Hero System. It "feels" like D&D, with its Magic Missile that always hits, and its Shield that always blocks, and the ThisSpell that always xyz and the ThatSpell that always ____ and so on ad nauseum. Hero System, OTOH, is a coherent SYSTEM, with balance built in. Which means that, while there's no limit (other than AP caps and other GM decisions) to how powerful any Defensive Power can be, you have to pay for each increment. Frankly, I consider attempts to violate that "feel", by looking for any "always works" power, to be an attempt to break the System. But, that's just my opinion. I couldn't stand around and not speak up in defense of my favorite gaming System any longer. -- A user will find any interface design intuitive...with enough practice.

The length of 28' 11" is closer to size 6. Its mass is 336kg. Using FrED p304, a Vehicle of that mass should have a BODY of 11 or 12; I would lower it even more than that, considering its fragility. It should not have all its Running removed, as it needs it for takeoff. Compare to TUV p74-83, where only the Flying Carpet, Airship (Zeppelin), and AH-64 Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter have had their Running sold back. (BTW, I think it's an error to have sold back all the helicopter's Running) No need. Just remove the HTML tags; better yet, don't import them from whatever program you're using. -- Excellence means when a man or woman asks of himself more than others do. -- Gasset, Jose Ortega Y

Correct. TUV p10, lower left: "STRENGTH _______________ This represents the lifting STR of the vehicle; it indicates how much the vehicle can carry (in addition to its own mass)" (Emphasis added) Further, the mass of a vehicle may be altered, if all stat/game related numbers are left untouched. Personally, I'd definately sell back more BODY than you did. -- There are ways which lead to everything, and if we have sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. -- La Rochefoucauld, Francois De

Re: Re: Re: Near Star List Um, what's XML?It looks interesting on my browser, but how do I tinker with it? --- add notes, add my own planets, stuff like that.

down with Profantasy! Not everyone has CC2, ya know. And after fighting with the Fractal Terrains demo (retch, gag), I can guarantee you I'll NEVER have another Profantasy product on my computer. Utter bloatware. -- Smile, it's the second best thing you can do with your lips.

Re: Re: TUV Anchors Sorry to hear that. Try http://www.warehouse23.com or http://www.frpgames.com Sounds like part and parcel of the Focus Limitation to me. IMO, it's ludicrously high. -- All great discoveries are made by mistake.

Nah, that's IPE; Invisible Power Effects. IPA is India Pale Ale. It's a style of beer; Bridgeport Brewing and Elysian Brewing make IPAs, and I think Grant's does too. Redhook makes an IPA, but confusingly sells it under their Ballard Bitter sub-label. It's a nice highly hopped style, but I prefer porter or stout. -- Hit any user to continue.

Re: Smoke effects FrED p.91: Change Env. has its own "Explosion" Limitation. Exactly what you're looking for. -- Chance makes our parents, but choice makes our friends.

Re: Re: TUV Captions Damn, one went missing: p166: "Hey, I think they stole this thing from downtown Seattle!" (If you don't know, don't worry. ) BTW, did anyone else expect "Chapter Nine: Vehicle Characters" (as it says in the TOC) to be about Vehicles *as* Characters? -- Errors show up in the duplicate while the Boss reads it.

Change Environment: "Feel character's emotions" Varying Effects (Very Limited Group), 0 END, Persistent, Always On, Inherent. Detect: Character's Emotions, Sense, Usable As Attack, Area of Effect, 0 END, Persistent, Always On, Inherent. The size of the area effected can be changed as you like. -- RESIGN, v.t. To renounce an honor for an advantage. To renounce an advantage for a greater advantage. -- Ambrose Bierce

Re: Thoughts and questions for autofire Thing about Gatlings is, below a certain rotational velocity they don't fire because they need a certain amount of, for lack of a better term, "energy" in the rotation to get all the bits working, and working in sync---the extractor, the loading mechanisms, etc. However, above the certain rotational velocity they jam because part X can't keep up with parts Y, Z, etc. Basically, there's a very narrow range of rotational velocities that a Gatling will work with. -- "From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step." -- Denis Diderot

Re: Near Star List Thank you very, very much for this! However, to follow Aroooo's idea, could you do this as something people could download? Bugger .pdf, well-arranged .txt would be more useful (particularly for those who want to tinker with it. ) -- A University without students is like an ointment without a fly.

In TUV, p63-67, ther are four examples of anchors. All of them are built as STR, 0 END (+1/2), OIF Bulky (-1), Partial Coverage (-2). Um, Partial Coverage on STR?? FrED p.316 says Partial Limitation is for DEF and Body. TUV p.31 mentions "Only Within Affected Area", but that's not what an anchor does. An anchor has "strength" to hold the ship in place. Should those example ships have "Only To Limit Ship's Movement" instead of "Partial Coverage" on their anchors' STR? And is that really worth -2?? -- The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. -- Thackeray, William M.

Re: TUV Captions OK, you've opened up a can of worms. Cover: "I'm tellin' ya, Clancy, dat ain't no garbage truck!" p5: "Why go just forward and backward, when you can go SIDEWAYS!" p11: Ballet, cyberpunk style. p13: "No, I don't know why the car has one tooth." p16: "Sarge, why are we firing pistols at the vehicle's armor, when that idiot is sticking up out of it?" p23: "Wow, look at the lights!" p34: "How did this get inside my closet??" (Or, "Why are my clothes hung up inside my garage?") p40: "Mr. Coyote, that roadrunner is as good as dead." p46: "Woah! When did this thing gain Flight?" p54: "What do you mean, we're about to run aground on paper?!??" p60: So far, no-one has noticed the giant Q-tip. p69: "I'll be glad to show it to you up close, sir. Just step this way, right off this unrailed platform..." p70: "Yeah, but if this baby's rotors ever get out of sync..." p83: "For some reason, my feet seem to be getting warm." p85: "I am unique, just like everybody else." p94: "Iron your clothes for you?" p98: "OK, explain just one thing to me----why are we flying a flag in outer space?" p117: How NOT to hitchhike p121: "Sheesh, just mention the d20 system to some people, and see what happens!" p124: "Hey, where'd Slim Pickens go?" p134: "No, I don't know how they're running five feet above ground level! Maybe the guy on p.46 knows!" p144: The captain, always concerned to give a neat & military appearance, prepares to shave. p.149: Neither criminal has noticed the huge turd about to fall on the back of the car. p.151: thought balloon from guy. "Why are all the women aside from the stewardess wearing such dorky glasses?" p160: thought balloon "Or was that--it's OK to let the knife get wet, but keep the gun dry?" p165: "I don't want to even think about what he's got in that lunch box." p180: "Hey, how come he gets the full grey-scale treatment, and we're stuck in black & white?" p221: "One more 'Tighten my nuts' joke out of you, and I'll shove this wrench down your throat." p222: "I'll just microwave this dinner, and be right with you."

Re: Cybernetic as limitation Then you're mis-remembering. There was no Limitation called "Cybernetic". All cybernetic systems had common Lims, including "Side Effects" at the -1/2 level,(1) and something called "Accumulative Side Effects" which was never explained. The Side Effects was a Mind Control (6d6 or 1d6/10 Active Points, whichever was greater) to make the character go all twitchy about having machine pieces in his/her body. "Does Not Work In Magnetic Fields" was a separate -1/2 Lim. The rest of the problems you mention were not addressed by any Lims in Cyber Hero. Yes, it's ill-written and confusing and damn-near silly. But, Cyber Hero stunk on ice, so what can you expect? :p :p (1) NeoCybernetics had this at -1/4 --- Mind Control 3d6 or 1d6/20 Active Points, whichever was more. -- I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated. -- Poul Anderson

Silly gun Half the speed of light?!?? Come on, be serious! At that velocity, you need to use the reletivistic formula for kinetic energy: KE=mc^2(1-sqrt(1-v^2/c^2)) Still, at .5c that gives a figure only about 7.2% higher than the Newtonian formula. In Earth's atmosphere at circa sealevel, anything solid will melt at about 4500 m/s. That's about .000015c. Even in outer space, .5c will cause friction; "space" is not a perfect vacuum. However, in ship-to-ship battles, it wouldn't be a problem (I don't think). Needles (properly flechettes) would make better sense than flat discs as projectiles, -- If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. -- Unknown