Dr.Device

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Wait, so you're saying that you've inserted some subtle clue about how they might find Witchcraft's location? I'll have to reread your quotes and see if I can figure it out. If only they had captured some agents or something . . .

Re: PRE Drains per 5er p 151: There’s no limit to the amount of Character Points a character can Drain from his victim.

Re: Is this a foci I'd model the base effect as Only In heroic Identity. If you want to play out the bit where it gets taken away at some point, take a physical limitation (Powers can be removed completely for 2 weeks by cutting away the symbiote Infrequent, Greatly Impairing: 10 points). If you don't want it to ever be taken away, don't take the physical limitation.

Re: Question about Nonpersistent Keep in mind you have to drop the nonpersistent power to take a recovery (other than post-segment 12 recoveries), too.

Re: Help with a name Skyjack Fly Jack Sam Hain

Re: Urban Fantasy Recommendations Poul Anderson - Operation Chaos, Operation Luna Robert Heinlein - Magic Inc. (Published as a Double with Waldo Robin McKinley - Sunshine Charlie Stross - The Jennifer Morgue, The Atrocity Archives Aaron Allston - Galatea in 2D Scott Westerfeld - The Midnighters Trilogy Christopher Moore - Coyote Blue, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Practical Demon Keeping, and others

Re: The Ultimate Summoner This is very much a GM call, I would say. Personally, I would allow +1/4 to do the job if you don't include super-powers (or on include one set of super-powers), but would require +1/2 if he can make them appear with any super-power he wants. I think expanded class would cover this. The +1/4 would take care of mundane clothing and equipment. If they can show up with varying super-level equipment, I would probably require +1/2. Naked Advantage[1] is the way to go here. That way he can resummon a specific being, but doesn't have to. I think you've got the effect level right. I might require an EGO roll (as with a non-slavishly loyal summon) to banish. Definitely worth a limitation. I'd call it -1/4 if they go away if he's unconscious, and -1/2 if the go away if he's only stunned. I hope some of that was useful to you. [1] Hmm, this brings to mind a certain recent thread.

Re: (not so) New Advantage: Not an Attack Action That would be a reasonable rule, but it is explicitly contradicted by the example in 5ER. The example counterstrike mentions it could go off everytime the character blocks a blow, even if he blocks ten blows in a single segment.

Re: (not so) New Advantage: Not an Attack Action

Re: (not so) New Advantage: Not an Attack Action I just used the spoiler so people would think about it as a stand alone action first, rather than just assuming it was okay because it used an existing advantage. The base (+¼) level version is based on a set trigger with a half-phase reset and a zero-phase to activate, which comes to +¼. So you use a half phase to reset, then fire the power as a zero-phase action. Combined, that's just a half-phase action. The mid (+½) is based on a set trigger with a zero-phase action to set and a zero-phase action to activate, for a total of a zero-phase action, adding up to +½. The top (+¾) is based on a set trigger with a zero-phase action to set (which is assumed to be one of your unlimited free zero-phase actions at the beginning of your phase) and an action that takes no time to activate. If you used the auto-reset, instead of the zero or half phase reset, it would eliminate the abort restriction. Arguably, it would also eliminate the once per phase restriction (see the strike back example in 5ER under trigger). And yes, any version of this should have a big stop sign next to it.

Not an Attack Action Value: (+¼, +½, or +¾) An attack power with this advantage can be used without using up an attack action. At the +¼ level, using the power still takes a half-phase action, but can be followed by a move, another attack, or any other zero or half-phase action. At the +½ level, using the affected power is a zero-phase action, and can be used any time a zero-phase action can be taken. At the +¾ level, using the advantaged power is an action which takes no time, and can be used at any point, even after another attack. If the character aborts his phase, and had not used the advantaged power in his previous phase, he can still fire it, even though he can take no other actions. At any level, the power may only be used once per phase. Opinions?

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace Rules to Ignore: As in the thread starter the visibility rules for Invisibility and Shape shift. As a matter of fact, I'm considering redoing the visibility rules overall. Adjustment powers fade five points per application per time period. NIMG. In my game, they fade at five points per adjustment power per time period, like they always did before. Affects Desolid. In my games, if you want something to affect desolidified characters, you buy it with the appropriate special effect. Change Environemnt can't provide bonuses. Yes it can, with GM's (i.e., my) approval. EGO Entangles must take "Can Not Form barriers." Nope. What's wrong with the idea of a barrier that takes willpower rather than brute strength to bypass?

Re: 6th Edition Hero System It's not true that nothing changed. I know of four changes off the top of my head. Variable limitation changed in a way that directly contradicts the 5E FAQ in one way (how Foci are treated) and does not completely match the FAQ overall. Trigger was significantly expanded (taken from Digital Hero, I believe). Extradimensional Movement was given more detailed options. Physical Manifestation was added (first appeared in Fantasy Hero, I believe).

Re: Staring into the sun Here's another way to do it: Bright as the Sun: Invisibility to Sight Group , No Fringe (30 Active Points); Not vs. Those with 5pts Sight Group Flash defense (-1/2), Visible (-1/4) The visible limitation is because everyone can tell there's someone there (for vague values of there).

Re: Help!!! Gate creation question. You should be able to accomplish what you want by just adding uncontrolled and either 0 END or Costs END only to activate to a standard gate construct. Here's how I would do it: 12 Create Minimal Gate: Teleportation 5",Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Usable By Other (+1/4), Uncontrolled (+1/2), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), Continuous (+1), MegaScale (1" = 10,000 km; +1 1/4), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (50 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Day, Only to Activate, -2), Gate (-1/2), Physical Manifestation (-0), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) Physcial Manifestation is normally -1/4, but since uncontrolled requires there be an obvious way to shut off the power, the physical manifestation is just there as a hook for that. Break the gate and it stops working.

Can a character who has a power with Charges-Clips-Increased Reloading Time take other actions while reloading, or must they take no other actions until done reloading? Does it matter if the power is an attack power or not (as with Extra Time)?

If a character has the power Shape Shift purchased with Continuing Charges (1 hour, for example), can he change shape at will (barring other limitations) throughout that duration, or only once, at the beginning? If it's throughout, can a character with Growth or Shrinking and continuing charges change size at will (as long as he doesn't return to normal size), or only when activating the charge?

I just want to verify the calculation of the value of the Charges limitation when purchased as clips of 1 charge combined with continuing or recoverable. My reading of the rules is as follows: Applying continuing (extra segment) to the limitation 1 Charge lowers the value one level on the value chart. Then, applying clips (2 clips of 1 charge) lowers it another, for a total of 2 levels, or a value of -1 1/4. Applying recoverable to the limitation 1 charge lowers the value two places on the value chart. Then, applying clips (2 clips of 1 charge) lowers it one more position on the chart, for a total of three levels lower on the chart, or -1. Are these calculations correct, or am I misreading the Charges description?

Re: I Need A Gadget How about a pair of boots that build up a charge of energy that can be released as Kinetic Energy from the soles. In addition to allowing a nice big leap, they give him a powerful kick, which he has learned to use to kick objects at distant opponents. They can use the same energy to latch themselves firmly to whatever he is standing on. They could look something like this: 15 Kinetic Reserve Endurance Reserve (80 END, 10 REC) Reserve: (18 Active Points); REC: (10 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2) 33 K Boots Multipower, 50-point reserve, (50 Active Points); all slots OIF (-1/2) 2u Jump Leaping +20" (22" forward, 11" upward) (Accurate) (25 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 1u Stick Clinging (normal STR) (10 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 1u Boot to The Head: Hand-To-Hand Attack +2d6 (10 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) 3u Kick Energy Blast 10d6 (50 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Needs Something to Kick (-1/4) 2u Power Kick Hand-To-Hand Attack +5d6, Double Knockback (+3/4) (44 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (-1/2)

I've got a few questions about stretching: What happens to a stretching character who is restrained in two or more places at opposite extents of his stretching when his stretching power turns off (voluntarily or otherwise). For example, Flexo is using his 6" of stretching to punch Thuggo, 6" away. Thuggo, however, has cleverly held an action and grabs Flexo's arm in his iron grip. At the same moment, Thuggo's partner sneaks up behind Flexo and puts him in a headlock. The combined stun renders Flexo unconscious (or just stunned). Since Stretching is not persistent, it turns off. What happens to Flexo? He automatically snaps free of one of the two bricks. He remains stretched, and must continue paying END, even once that starts doing stun. He remains stretched but doesn't have to pay END until and unless he recovers enough to act. Something else. [*]Does the same thing, or something different happen to FreeHand, whose stretching is bought with Does Not Cross Intervening Space in the same predicament? [*]What happens to a stretching character with Does Not Cross Intervening Space if the area their stretched part is in gets cut off? For example, Freehand (6" Stretching, Does Not Cross Intervening Space, no Noncombat Stretching) is reaching into the open vault to disable the security camera when Captain Justice slams the vault door closed, with Freehand's hand still inside. What happens to Freehand's hand? It's trapped inside the vault until he can get the door open. If this is the case: Can he continue to move his hand around in the vault, as long as it stays within 6"? What happens when he tries to get further than 6" from the vault? [*]He can just turn off his stretching and his hand reappears on his wrist. [*]His hand is severed. I hope he can regenerate limbs. [*]Something else. [*]How do senses interact with stretching? Can a character with Stretching with appropriate special effect stretch one eye around a corner to see what's going on? How about stretching two eyes around different corners (assuming enough stretching)? How about an ear to hear what's going on? He can't without pulling his hand off? He can, but his hand becomes useless until he comes back within 6".

Re: New Rule: New damage mechanic It converges on 3.111, but the average stun per DC depends on how many dice and whether you use 1/2d6 or d6-1 where the modulos of the number of DCs is 2. The average stun per DC works out as follows: DCs 1/2d6 d6-1 1 2.67 2 2.67 3.33 3 3.11 4 3.00 5 2.93 3.20 6 3.11 7 3.05 8 3.00 3.17 9 3.11 10 3.07 11 3.03 3.15 12 3.11 13 3.08 14 3.05 3.14 15 3.11 16 3.08 17 3.06 3.14 18 3.11 19 3.09 20 3.07 3.13 21 3.11 22 3.09 23 3.07 3.13 24 3.11 25 3.09 26 3.08 3.13 27 3.11 28 3.10 29 3.08 3.13 30 3.11

Re: If Hero was linear This illustrates one of the problems with trying to apply real world rules to a fantasy game system. Strength actually does not scale with the cube of height, but with the square, given creatures made of the same "stuff." This is because strength is determined by muscle cross-section, not volume, so it's based on area. (See square-cube law) So if we're saying that this storm giant is made of human-type stuff, and we're trying to be realistic, we'll find that he is only 16x as strong as a man, but still weighs 64x as much. He wouldn't be able to lift himself. This is why we don't have such creatures in the real world.

Re: The Babel Effect How about: 38 Babel: Change Environment 2" radius, -8 to INT Rolls for Languages If that doesn't work for you, you could go with 27 Babel: Darkness to Sight, Hearing, Touch, Radio and Mental Groups 2" radius (40 Active Points); Only to Prevent Language Based Communication (-1/2)

Re: The cost of Transformation Ah, but let's not forget that the effects of all killing attacks and BODY drains are cumulative with each other, whereas each transform is cumulative only with itself. Thus, if I reduce Captain Hero to 1 BODY with my Spell of the Leech™ (4d6 Body Drain, ranged), Amana, my comrade in villainy can help finish him off with his Microwave Gun of Quick Death™ (3d6 RKA). If instead I use my Vitrification wand (2d6 Transform), Amana and I won't finish him off any faster together than we would alone. This is especially important when you consider the effect this will have on my target's tactics. If I am trying to transform Captain Heroic, he knows that if he can stop me before that last BODY of transform gets through, he'll be safe. If I'm zapping him with BODY dealing lightning bolts, or Leeching away his BODY with drains, he may well be left near death, an easy target for anyone who can get a little bit of BODY through his defenses. As to the turning an enemy into an ally, that would be a mental transformation which requires BOECV (+1) and Works Against Ego, not Body (probably +1/4). So that aspect is noticeably more expensive than just removing them from the combat.

Re: The cost of Transformation You included the advantages, but not the limitations. Does no stun (-1/2 or -1?) Does no Knockback (-1/4) No effect until “dead.” (-1/4?) So maybe it's priced right after all. Or maybe not. For its current price, I would return it to the old non-cumulative default, if it were up to me. It could then just use the cumulative advantage.