Alcibiades

Alright, I have an idea for a character who is loosely inspired by the various Spder-Man symbiotes (only the symbiote is a shoggoth), Here's my issue. What I am doing is buying the symbiote as a Follower, which has numerous "usable by other" powers that only apply to whoever the symbiote has engulfed. That's not difficult. What I am having a problem with is the engulfing part. Desolidification and Clinging, all with Concentration (0 DCV), I guess. But, when the character is hit by an attack, the follower is also hit, since he's literally wearing the follower. How do I do this? So that some of the damage goes to the STUN and BODY of the follower, and some to the person that is wearing said follower? (Also, do people think that this is abusive, since the character is effectively getting his powers at a big discount, as they're actually the follower's powers that he is using? Does the fact that the follower can itself be knocked out or killed or mind controlled counterbalance this?) Thanks. I appreciate feedback.

Variable Power Pool, only for Multiform, only swarms of available insects

I am baffled. Here's a question for the hive mind (ha!). How would you do this? I have a character who was killed by bees. His ghost manifests by possessing large groups of nearby insects (preferably but not necessarily bees). Now, there are rules for an insect swarm in the Bestiary. BUT, it's not good enough. Because it does not account for the ability of a swarm to change size and shape. Do I need Shape Change to change the contours of the swarm (say, into a humanoid form)? Or will Stretching alone do this, since the swarm is still obviously a swarm no matter its general contours? If the swarm wants to extend anywhere that is not on a surface, at least part of it will have to fly. So, is this Shape Shift or Stretching, linked to Flight, at some kind of reduced version of Linked because he can do it across a surface without using flight? There are numerous such questions, but that's the main one. Then, say that he wants to leave his bees behind and possess a bunch of ants instead. I guess that there are two ways to do this -- Possession (insect swarms only) and some sort of Multiform (OIF: Large Numbers of Bugs of Opportunity). BUT the former depends on the presence of actual swarms and not just a bunch of insects who aren't connected in a swarm stat block.

drain speed

Sometimes it benefits him, sometimes it doesn't, depending on circumstances. In combat, it benefits him when it activates. I think I like Massey's approach.

This power is making my brain hurt. I have a character who exists in higher dimensions of space-time. From the point of view of someone who exists only in our mundane three dimensions, he appears to be moving in and out of existence as he changes in position relative to you. So far I have Invisibility to Sight Group , Persistent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates, Character does not control activation of personal Trigger; when someone moves relative to him; +3/4) (50 Active Points); Requires A Roll (11- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1) But the problem is that this will activate the power for everyone, not just a particular observer. I want it to affect different observers variably. Do you get what I'm saying? Two people perceive him; he might be invisible to one, but not the other.

Aha! "If a character has a Trigger for a personal power for which he cannot control the activation, he may, at the GM’s option, reduce the value of Trigger by ¼. An example would be an Aid STR, Triggered when the character becomes Enraged (or Berserk). Since the character cannot become Enraged at will, he gets less use out of his Triggered power, so the GM might reduce the Advantage’s value. (The GM may also allow the power to take the No Conscious Control Limitation, if appropriate.)" Got it

Well, there's another issue here that I didn't mention. The idea is that the character fears these powers (they come with a nasty personality change Side Effect), but if he uses his other powers in an uncontrolled fashion the powers might trigger. So this Unstabje Power, Variable Limitations (requires -3 of Increased END Cost, Concentration, Requires a Roll, Extra Time) The result is that if the character wants to use the power without Increased END Cost, Concentration, and so on, there's a chance he'll lose control (set his VL to Requires a Roll) and activate the scary power instead. (I realize that the simplest way to do this is possibly Multiform really, but again this costs points for what is a limitation)

I act Huh. that's an interesting idea. And put No Conscious Control on these powers, so that I can't deliberately activate it. So put the Limitations on the Multipower, and not the powers inside it? I'm foggy on how this would work, mechanically.

Hello HERO peeps. I am stymied and perplexed! What I want to build is something like Unstable power (what kind doesn't matter), Requires a Roll List of other powers (what kind doesn't matter) that activate only if Requires a Roll on the unstable power fails The gist is that the secondary powers only activate if the unstable power fails. The intuitively obvious options are Accidental Change (but it isn't really that), or to put Trigger on the list of other powers (the trigger being failing the roll), or to have the other powers as a gigantic Side Effect on the unstable power. But, Trigger costs points, and this is actually a limitation on the powers, since I can't activate them whenever I want. Side Effect doesn't seem right, since these powers have a major good side. Any ideas? Am I missing something obvious?

Good day Mr. Long! I have a question for you. I have the following two powers. 15 Barbed Scourge: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6, +2 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/2), Armor Piercing (x2; +1/2) (30 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-1/2), Reduced Penetration (-1/4), No Knockback (-1/4) and 16 The Lash of Conscience: (Total: 33 Active Cost, 16 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6, +2 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/2) (22 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-1/2), Reduced Penetration (-1/4), No Knockback (-1/4) (Real Cost: 11) <b>plus</b> Armor Piercing (x2; +1/2) for up to 22 Active Points of Barbed Scourge (11 Active Points); Linked (Barbed Scourge; -1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (only affects living things; -1/2) (Real Cost: 5) Due to the way Limitations and Advantages on the base power interact with Naked Advantages, the second version is more expensive than the first, despite being worse. Am I doing this wrong, or is there some alternate means for "a weapon that is armor-piercing against living things, but not inanimate ones?" Thank you!

Young People's Dystopian Fiction Hero. Hey! FFG lost the 40K license.

Oh great and incredibly prolific one, I invoke thee! I have a question. Is the following build possible, for a sword that can burst into flame for instance: Sword 1D6 HKA, OAF (-1) Sword on Fire! 1D6 RKA, Area Effect (1m Surface) (+1/4), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Constant (+1/2), No Range (-1/2), Can Only Be Applied to Sword (-1), OAF (-1) So that whenever the character hits with the sword, or whenever the sword is parried or otherwise touched, the RKA affects the touchee/toucher. The alternative would just be an RKA Linked with the HKA, but that wouldn't yield the result that things that touch the sword, as opposed to be hit by it, take damage as well. Thanks!

I... not at all. That never occured to me.

The reason (and this further complicates things) is that -- I guess I have to explain the character for this to make sense. The character is a classical Fury from Greek myth that has been changed into human form. One side effect of this is that, since classical Furies could not follow their victims into areas in which they had the protection of (other) gods, whenever the character enters such a place -- a church, temple, synagogue, what have you -- all her divine abilities shut down, as only the human part is allowed within. In this state, the whip is just a whip. You can take it away (it's an OAF). It can't light. However, outside of such an area, it is simply Restrainable, as the character can summon it. After pondering this, I thought -- could I just make the flame a damage shield _on the whip_? The Lash of Conscience, all slots Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of Limitations; OAF, Restrainable, Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I), and Conditional Power power does not woth in a Sanctuary; -1/2) 7 The Grip of Conscience: +10 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (15 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (only to Disarm and Grab with whip (no squeezing); -1/2), Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of Limitations; OAF, Restrainable, Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I), and Conditional Power; -1/2) 4 The Lash of Conscience I: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1/2d6 (10 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-1/2), Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of Limitations; OAF, Restrainable, Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I), and Conditional Power; -1/2), Reduced Penetration (-1/4) 7 The Lash of Conscience II: Variable Advantage (+1/2 Advantages; Limited Group of Advantages; +3/4) for up to 10 Active Points of HKA, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (10 Active Points); Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of Limitations; OAF, Restrainable, Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I), and Conditional Power; -1/2) 1 The Reach of Conscience: Stretching 3m, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (4 Active Points); Only To Cause Damage (-1/2), Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of Limitations; OAF, Restrainable, Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I), and Conditional Power; -1/2), Always Direct (-1/4), Limited Body Parts (whip; -1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4) then the flame. She has to ignite the torch with an act of will, i.e., turn on Images. The Flame of Chastisement, all slots Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 2 The Burning Reach of Conscience: Stretching + 5m, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (7 Active Points); Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -1/2), Only To Cause Damage (-1/2), Always Direct (-1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (whip; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 7 The Flame of Chastisement I: Sight Group Images, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Difficult To Dispel (x8 Active Points; +3/4) (20 Active Points); Only To Create Light (-1), No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 22 The Flame of Chastisement II: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6, Armor Piercing (+1/4), Area Of Effect (1m Surface; +1/4), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Constant (+1/2), +4 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1) (60 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -1/2), No Knockback (-1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 24 The Flame of Chastisement III: Drain DEX and END 2d6, Area Of Effect (1m Surface; +1/4), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Constant (+1/2), Expanded Effect (x2 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (65 Active Points); Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Flame of Chastisement II must do STUN; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 12 The Spiritual Grip of Conscience: Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2) for up to 40 Active Points of STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (Only Disarm and Grab with whip (no squeezing); -1/2), Linked (The Flame of Chastisement I; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) jeeze ... this is really expensive for what it does!

Thanks for the info. I'm using the big 6e books, not Champions Complete. This is the first time I've ever seen a distinction between Universal and Personal Foci. What is that? In fact, the reason I didn't do what you suggest is that I couldn't see a way to do this: Multipower, OAF or Linked, Conditional Power, and Restrainable 1: slot 1: OAF 2: slot 2: the same as slot 1, but slightly better, and Linked, Conditional Power, and Restrainable instead of OAF. My big core problem is actually as follows. It seems like it should be simple, but I'm having problems wrapping my noggin around it. What this is is a whip, which I can cause to burst into flame. In addition, when on fire it causes great pain (represented as Increased STUN Multiplier). The flame can be dispelled, causing the flame to lose its dread burniness, and requires that the character concentrate to activate it, and costs END to maintain. Hence I want it to have different statlines for whip and burny-burny whip. In addition, I want the character to be able to use "whip tricks" in both forms. I've been trying to do this in various ways, without success. Now the most obvious way I tried to do this was: Whip: 1/2 D6 HKA Whip Tricks: Naked Advantage: +1/2 Variable Advantages on 1/2 D6 HKA Cause Whip to Burst into Flame: Images, Only to Create Light, No Range plus Naked Advantage: Variable Special Effects (physical or flame) for HKA (required, I think, to change the special effect from physical whip to fire whip) Burny Whip I: +1 pip HKA, +2 STUN Multiplier, Linked to Images Burny Whip II: Naked Advantage: +2 STUN Multiplier for 1/2 D6 HKA (required to get the whole 1D6 HKA with + STUN Mult), Linked to Images Burny Whip Tricks: Naked Advantage: +1/2 Variable Advantages on +1 pip D6 HKA, Linked to Images The Variable Advantages here are Naked Advantages so that I have the option to not use them and in this case not have to reduce the total damage of the attack when combined with Martial Arts. This seems like it would work, but it's loaded with Naked Advantages and seems too complicated. In addition, I wanted to have these in small Multipowers, with the other slot being + Strength only to grab with whip. But you can't put Naked Advantages in Frameworks... or add slots in different multipowers together. So I cannot do this: Whip, Multipower 1. Whip Strike: 1/2 D6 HKA plus Naked Advantage: +1/2 Variable Advantages on 1/2 D6 HKA 2. Whip Grab: +15 STR only to strike or grab with whip Cause Whip to Burst into Flame: Images, Only to Create Light, No Range plus Naked Advantage: Variable Special Effects (physical or flame) for HKA Burny Whip: Multipower, all Slots Linked to Images 1. Burny Whip Strike: +1 pip HKA, +2 STUN Multiplier plus Naked Advantage: +2 STUN Multiplier for 1/2 D6 HKA (required to get the whole 1D6 HKA with + STUN Mult) plus Naked Advantage: +1/2 Variable Advantages on +1 pip D6 HKA plus Naked Advantage: +1/2 Variable Advantages on +1 pip D6 HKA 2. Burny Whip Grab: +15 STR only to strike or grab with whip (adds to Whip Grab slot) This is not legal, because 1) Naked Advantages in Frameworks and 2) slots in different Frameworks adding to each other. So I've been trying getting rid of the Naked Advantages and consolidating this into a single Multipower somehow. Also, Bigdamnhero asked: "(Am I correct in assuming that the two Conditions are mutually-exclusive, so it's going to be either Indirect or +1 STUN but not both?)" Yes, in the case in the original post.

Hi all, as you can see if gotten back into Hero again and hence I'm pestering you with rules questions. I hope you don't mind! My question is if the following is legal. This is a whip that is normally just a whip but in certain circumstances gains magical abilities 12 Whip: HKA 1/2d6, Armor-Piercing (+1/4) Whip Tricks: Multipower, all slots Linked (Whip), Conditional Power (it's not important what this is) 1) +1 pip HKA, Armor-Piercing (+1/4), +1 STUN Multiplier, Linked (Whip), Conditional Power, plus +1 STUN Multiplier (+1/4) for 12 points of HKA, Linked (Whip), Conditional Power 2) +1 pip HKA, Armor-Piercing (+1/4), Indirect (+1/4), Linked (Whip), Conditional Power, plus Indirect (+1/4) for 12 points HKA, Linked (Whip), Conditional Powe, etc. The idea here is that normally it's simply a whip with armor-piercing, but when the certain circumstances are met, it can be used with the various multipower slots, each of which contains a 1 pip HKA (making a total 1D6 HKA) with an advantage PLUS a Naked Advantage applied to the first HKA. So that a 1/2 D6 AP HKA becomes a 1D6 AP HKA +1 STUN Multiplier. Is this legal? Especially the linking the whole MP to a single power? Since only one slot can be used at a time.

Yeah, this is a drawback of Hero that I have encountered many times. It can be incredibly difficult to do something simple. EDIT: there is a Shove maneuver. Maybe just +X STR, Only to Shove, Only as Part of a Multiple Power Attack with Claws ? Or just make up your own martial art. Here's one. 3 Bite +1 OCV +2 DC 3 Claw +2 OCV -1 DCV +1 DC Target Falls 3 Bite and Hold -1 DCV Grab One Limb +10 STR to Grab The Bite is defined as a bite, so uses the bite. Claw with claws. Simple and rules-legal.

The maneuver I am referring to is not one that I made up by renaming "legsweep." It's a published maneuver in the Bestiary, which has identical rules to Legsweep. Technically, linking Not-Legsweep to Claws would cost 2 points, which is a saving of 1 point on the maneuver's standard cost of 3 points.

The maneuver in question is not actually Legsweep, though it has identical modifiers. It's the Knockdown maneuver (I don't remember the exact name) in the Red in Tooth and Claw martial art, which is not defined as a sweep with a leg (naturally, since animals don't normally do that ). It's not actually defined what it is at all. For that matter, the RiT&C Martial Strike is "Bash/Claw/Chomp", which is clearly not defined as a move with a particular body part. The Martial Arts rules in general are extremely inconsistent. You've got maneuvers strictly defined as an attack with x body part, and then you've got other maneuvers that are defined as an attack with x, y, z body part but are otherwise identical to the first maneuver. Anyway, to the OP, my recommendation is just Linking the knockdown maneuver to the Claws. It's only 1 point, RAW be damned..

You can Link one power to another without it necessarily going off. What this would do mechanically (and I know this isn't legal RAW, but the GM is Will Incarnate) is force the Legsweep modifiers -- +2 OCV, -1 DCV, +1 DC, target falls -- to be used only with the Claw attack. Actually, not the Legsweep modifiers, but the Knockdown modifiers from the Red in Tooth and Claw martial art, which are identical to the Legsweep modifiers (it's a renamed Legsweep) but can be used with any of the critter's attacks. If you want to make it totally RAW, just buy the Red in Tooth and Claw martial art (it's only a few maneuvers and you only need three of them) and slap "only with claws" (or better yet, "not with bite") as a Limitation on Knockdown.

The Red in Tooth and Claw martial art actually includes Legsweep (renamed something else, but it's identical ruleswise).

This isn't really that hard. The Bear Necessities -- OF EXTREME BRUTALITY!!!!!! 15 Strength 25 for the Bear 20 Bite: HKA 1d6+1 (3d6 w/STR) 20 Claws: HKA 1 1/2d6 (3d6+1 w/STR), Reduced Penetration (-1/4) 2 Legsweep, Linked (-1/4) to Claws Total: 47 I'm not sure if Linked is fully legal on a martial maneuver, but otherwise just define it as a claw swipe.

While you're on the subject, maybe I can ask a question? Change Environment is described as imposing penalties to characteristic roles, but in one of the sidebar examples in 6E vol. 1 (Dr. Terror, I think it is) has it imposes a penalty on Presence for purposes of defending from Presence Attacks. This doesn't actually seem possible RAW. Am I missing something? Thanks!

Fear has all kinds of effects beyond just "run!" -- paralysis, aggression actually. What I do for fear (well more insanity really, but the effects are similar) is Drain EGO, INT, and PRE, Three Characteristics Simultaneously, AVAD (Mental Defense [and/or possibly Presence Defense]) This turns characters into gibbering wrecks very quickly.