Dr.Device

Re: Cost END only to Activate

Re: Character out of balance I agree with the consensus on the character, except that I might allow OIF on the tattoos. If the tattoos are obviously the source of the powers and simply visibly altering the tattoos will stop them from working, then OIF is a perfectly reasonable. I'd have no problem with the bad guys whipping out a sharpie after rendering the character unconscious, and proceeding to put mustaches on all the face tattoos, add extraneous letters or glyphs, and so on. The character could eventually get the powers back by getting rid of the ink, but it might take a while.

Re: How to block the "unblockable" punch? I've used variations on the following for a "Block Anything" power. You Call That Unblockable?: Force Wall (12 PD/12 ED), Hardened (+1/4) (75 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Instant (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2) If you want it versus PD attacks only, you can go with: You Call That Unblockable?: Force Wall (17 PD), Hardened (+1/4), Transparent to ED Attacks (+1/2) (74 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Instant (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2)

Re: Ultimate Speedster: Other stuff WHy is that any more unfair than the current system? INT & PRE skills are already based off 1 point attributes. Yes, that's intended. I set it up so as not to be a mini-max target. Purchasing two of the figureds (one of which will almost always be speed) should basically break even with buying regular DEX. The only reason to buy up agility or accuracy is because it fits the character concept. Looking at it again, I do see a potential for abuse that might keep me from implementing it, though. An invisible blaster or other sniper variant could get away with murder by buying up accuracy, if a GM weren't vigilant. That's probably enough to scuttle it unless I find a fix. I'd still favor this system over the one it The Ultimate Speedster, though.

Re: Ultimate Speedster: Other stuff I'm not entirely sure about splitting DEX up, but if I were to do it, I would want it to look more like this (heavily influenced by several posts in this thread). Dexterity is a primary characteristic. It costs 3 points per level. Accuracy is a figured characteristic which represents Hand-Eye Coordination. Base Accuracy is equal to Dex. Each level of Accuracy costs 1 point. Agility is a figured characteristic which represents full-body coordination. Base Agility is equal to Dex. Each level of Agility costs 1 point. Speed remains as is. The current aspects of DEX are divided up as follows (The split of skills is just my first pass): Dex - OCV in Hand-to-Hand combat (HTHOCV), Initiative, Climbing, Combat Driving, Combat Piloting, Fast Draw, Stealth Accuracy - OCV in Ranged combat (ROCV), Lockpicking, Sleight of Hand, Teamwork Agility - DCV, Acrobatics, Breakfall, Contortionist, Riding Having several of the function of DEX stay with DEX, while the other two are figured characteristics should reduce the risk of severe mini-maxing.

Re: No damage from falling You're probably right. I was just considering cases like falling into a darkness field or similar.

Re: No damage from falling Stop! Teleportation 1", No Relative Velocity, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates; (When about to hit the ground at greater than 1" velocity); +1) (30 Active Points) and if you want to be absolutely sure you know it's coming: There it Is Detect The Ground 13- (Unusual Group), Range, Sense (10 Active Points); Only for Trigger (-1)

Re: Proposed Advantage: Transformative I'd rather have a simple power or advantage that achieves a reasonably straightforward effect than twist existing advantages in ways that require special exceptions. That's why I use 4th edition Regeneration instead of 5th in my games. I appreciate the comments, though, and will keep them in mind when deciding whether to implement the advantage in my games.

Re: Proposed Advantage: Transformative Well, a couple of points: 1. Persistent with Costs End Only To Activate is against the rules as written, so requires an exception anyway. 2. Using power defense to mimic the described effect is going to be very iffy as far as making sure you've take enough, and is going to require overly detailed limitations to make it behave in the fashion described. Given those, I'd just as soon have an advantage that does the full package rather than kludging it. One could look at this as exactly that, just with the reduced endurance and persistent already rolled in. Part of my reasoning for proposing this was aesthetic. It bugs me to have a power with the Reduced Endurance (Zero Endurance) advantage, which, in fact, does cost endurance.

Transformative (+1): This advantage is available for the powers Density Increase, Growth, Shape Shift, Shrinking, and Stretching. Applying Transformative to a power is similar to applying Reduced Endurance (Zero Endurance), Persistent and Inherent. However, the possessor of the power must pay endurance (calculated from the powers active cost, as usual) to change the power's state. Unlike a an Inherent power, a Transformative power can be affected by some adjustment powers. For the purposes of adjustment powers, a Transformative power is treated as if it were an instant power, much like Transform. Thus, while using a Dispel Growth on a character with Transformative Growth who was currently eighteen feet tall would not cause her to revert to normal size, a sufficiently powerful Suppress Growth could keep her from getting any larger. Similarly, a Suppress or Drain Shape Shift, could, if it suppressed or drained sufficient points, keep a character with Transformative Shape Shift locked in his current shape until its effects ended. The endurance cost of Growth, Shrinking, Stretching and Density Increase is calculated proportionally from the amount of the power turned on or off. To change shapes with Transformative Shape Shift, the character must pay the full endurance cost of the Shape Shift power. Reduced Endurance can be taken on the power to reduce or eliminate the endurance cost of changing states. Example: Spriggan can be any size between nine inches and twelve feet tall. No size in that range is more or less natural for him than any other size. This is purchased as Smallness: Shrinking (0.25 m tall, 0.1953 kg mass, -6 PER Rolls to perceive character, +6 DCV, takes +9" KB), Transformative (+1) (60 Active Points) (Real Cost: 60) Bigness: Growth (+15 STR, +3 BODY, +3 STUN, -3" KB, 800 kg, -2 DCV, +2 PER Rolls to perceive character, 4 m tall, 2 m wide), Transformative (+1) (30 Active Points) (Real Cost: 30) Suppose Spriggan is currently 18 inches tall, and wants to be ten feet tall. He pays the endurance to 'turn off' two levels of shrinking (4) and turn on two levels of growth (2), for 6 endurance. Shrinking back to size feet tall would just cost 2 endurance (the endurance cost of two levels of growth). At the GM's option, a character could be allowed to apply Transformative to the power Desolidification. It is recommended that this be allowed only if desolidification is taken with either or both of the limitations Does Not Protect Against Damage and/or Cannot Pass Through Solid Objects. Questions? Comments?

Re: What power would you buy (with a twist) Side Step Extra-Dimensional Movement (Related Group of Dimensions (Parallel Earths), Any Location corresponding to current physical location), x4 Increased Weight (42 Active Points); Extra Time (Extra Phase, Delayed Phase, -1), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) Magic Fingers Telekinesis (2 STR), Fine Manipulation, Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1) (26 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4)

Re: What bizarre rules issues have you encountered?

Re: Regrowing limbs I'd go with: 6 Salamanderism: Healing 1 BODY, Can Heal Limbs, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (30 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Day (-2 3/4), Only to regrow body parts (-1), Self Only (-1/2)

Re: Self Defeating Powers Well, GMs do wacky things some times. If a GM wants to use that a a house rule, that's his prerogative.

Re: Self Defeating Powers

Re: Self Defeating Powers 10 Energy Sponge: 2d6 Absorption (ED, points go to Energy Sponge) (10 Active Points) 30 Invisible Illusion: Sight Group Images 1" radius, Invisible Power Effects, Hide effects of Power (Fully Invisible; +2) (30 Active Points) 58 Useless Shapeshift: Shape Shift (Sight, Hearing, Smell/Taste and Touch Groups), Cellular, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (58 Active Points) 5 Wasted Effort: Aid END 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (20 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x6 END; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2) 10 Hear That?: Clairsentience (Hearing Group) (20 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Blackout (-1/2)

Re: Costs END Only to Activate Another factor to consider: You can't take recoveries (other than post segment 12) while maintaining a non-persistent power. For a 0 END power, you drop the power, take a recovery, put the power back up at no cost. For a CEOTA power, you drop the power, take a recovery, pay the endurance cost again to put it back up. Also, to expand on Hugh's comment above, consider the character recovering from unconsciousness. She's going to have END equal only to her recovery. Is it going to be practical (or even possible, without risking knocking herself out) for her to activate her COETA power? If there's more than one, almost certainly not. In that situation, 0 END is enormously more advantageous. Not convinced? You might consider a variant: CEOTA base is a +1/2 advantage, but can be reduce to a +1/4 advantage by making the endurance cost of a CEOTA power the cost of maintaining the power for a turn.

Re: Desolid/advantages on zero points For the desolidifier in my group, I just gave him 1" stretching, does not cross intervening space (+1/4). It's not exactly as you describe, since he can only use this trick while otherwise solid (ie, vulnerable to attacks), but he was satisfied with it. If he wanted to do the trick while desolid, I would probably want him to go the UBO route you described, as that is pretty darn powerful.

Re: If you could add one more... Characteristic: In some of my games I have added the characteristic EDGE. This acts sort of like Luck, in that you can burn it to get better results on rolls. Also, I have players make Edge Rolls (9 + EDGE/5) to determine things like whether or not there's a suitable car to steal, or whether the alley they turned into is a dead end. Skill: Research. Research is the skill of tracking down information (in books, on line, through appropriate contacts, etc.). I have recently added this to all my campaigns. Power: Regeneration. I still use the old regeneration in my games (with the limbs/resurrection adders). (I also use the old instachange, and a variation on the old shapeshift. Advantage: End cost based on Damage. I haven't worked out the details on this, but I think there should be a standard advantage for forcefields/force walls (or any other endurance costing defense power) that lets them cost zero endurance, except when actually stopping damage.

Re: Trolling for suggestions, 1982-style. Don't forget Mork!

Re: What's *your* superpower? Do perqs count? If so: Contact: Godess of the Parking Spaces 14- Otherwise, just: NightSight: +2 perception, only to counter darkness penalties. Immunity to mosquitos (This one I got when I was 17. I noticed that my little brother was immune to them and decided that it was unfair, so I decided to be immune, too.) Unearthly Calm: +10 presence, +5 ego, only when injured. When my hand went into the table-saw, I'm the one who kept everyone calm and got things coordinated to get me to the hospital.

Re: Do you use the official Champions Universe? 4. Strictly homegrown. I might occasionally pull the mechanics from a character I see elsewhere, but I just can't get into running someone else's setting. I tried one campaign set in a pre-existing fictional universe, but I and my players found it unsatisfying.

Re: Magic-Noir (Pulp?) Hero I like the sound of it. I'm a big fan of non-standard fantasy settings. I second the above recommendation for 'Cast a Deadly Spell.' You might also check out Harry Turtledove's 'The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump' for a lighter take, but with some possibly applicable ideas.

I read the FAQ and FREd to say that the +1 Usable As Attack version of Usable On Others needs an additional +1/4 (or more) Advantage to affect inanimate targets of more than human mass (+1/4 for each doubling). Is this correct, or am I misinterpreting things? Also, if the FAQ below applies to powers as well as skills (say, granting Power Defense to an object), it should probably be duplicated under the section for Usable On Others.

Micron carries a shrinking pill in a locket around his neck. When he takes the pill, he shrinks to miniscule size for exactly one hour, then reverts to his normal size. It does not allow him to change size during that hour (although the effect can be cancelled by dousing him with water). His player has bought this as Shrinking with 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 hour, for a -1/4 limitation. Minute Man has a magical amulet that , when rubbed, grants him the power to shrink to miniscule size for 1 hour. While it is active, he can freely change between being really small and normal size. After that hour it doesn't work again until the next day. His player has also bought this as Shrinking with 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 hour, for a -1/4 limitation. Which of these is the correct use of Continuing Charges? If it's Micron, could Minuteman achieve his effect by paying more for Charges? If Minuteman's power is the correct default behavior for continuing charges, does Micron get a greater limitation for charges?