Dr.Device

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

Some days, you can't even throw a clue brick at your players, because they'll look at knockback instead.

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

• [Expanded class of beings – what exactly does this mean? I’ve bought it at the lowest advantage, as all the Exes will be from a small, predefined (but expandable) group. Even without this advantage you can put some variation in the summoned creatures, but just how much does it allow? Is different skill sets OK? What about powers and such? Should I have a higher level advantage or does this cover it?

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.

• Expanded class of beings 2 – what about clothing. I mean, sometimes he might want Louise to appear in something sleeeenky, sometimes it might be more use if she appeared in full VIPER uniform. Would expanded class cover clothing and equipment, or should they be built with some sort of power to change clothes and equipment – instant change and a VPP?

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.

• Specific being – given the explanation for how the power works, the ‘death’ of an Ex would mean that her memories were lost, but he could still produce another (albeit with no individual memories). Is this appropriate, or circumventing the intention of the advantage?

Naked Advantage[1] is the way to go here. That way he can resummon a specific being, but doesn't have to.

• Slavishly devoted summoned beings will do whatever their summoner says without question or complaint (actually several of the Exes will complain vociferously, and several more will question everything, but they will do as they are told). I was thinking:
  • What effect would this have on, for instance, a mind control, on the Ex, requiring her to attack her summoner – presumably it would require the highest level of effect (Ego+30) but would have no other particular effect, and
    
  • If an Ex should be mind controlled, can the summoner still ‘banish’ her at will?

I think you've got the effect level right. I might require an EGO roll (as with a non-slavishly loyal summon) to banish.

• [summoning is an instant power, but I want to make it sort of continuous – basically if he is unconscious, they all disappear as he is (albeit subconsciously) maintaining their existence. Worth a limitation? What value?

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

Personally I dont think the auto-reset trigger allows you to reset more then once per Phase, otherwise theres no restriction at all on how many times you can use a power in one Phase, which depending on how you defined your trigger could be a totally ludicrous number with no game balance at all. Id say that auto-reset still means 1 reset per phase but that it takes no time, thus it can happen not on your Phase or possibly while unconcious if the Power is Persistent.

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

But it wouldn't work that way in combat' date=' because those Half-Phases you'd be using to reset the Trigger would also be ending your Phases (because resetting the Trigger would, itself, be an Attack Action). In practice, using Trigger for this would mean Phase one, launch attack. Phase two, reset trigger (end of Phase). Phase three, launch attack. Etc.[/quote']

 

The rules don't say that setting (or resetting) a trigger is an attack action. The action listed on the chart (ignoring longer ones, not used above) is simply a half phase action, zero phase action, or no action at all, not an attack action.

 

By itself, you could argue that the half phase version would count as an attack action. There are no other zero-phase attack actions that I can think of though, and the auto-reset is explicitly not an attack action. Consistency would seem to indicate that none of them are.

 

 

If there were an official ruling that the half and zero-phase versions did count as attack actions, then it would raise the costs by 1/4, to buy the auto-reset version.

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

Not sure why the answer is a spoiler...

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.

Doing this as Trigger I would get somewhere around the following values:

 

+1/4 for 1 defined condition (making an attack gesture, whatever)

-1/4 for requiring a 1/2 Phase action (this is not in the rules but seems about right)

+1/2 for resetting immediately

 

(Alternately, you could say "takes a 1/2 Phase to reset" and apply a Limitation "must reset immediately" which would probably be a -1/4, but is more complicated.)

 

That's a +1/2 for a half-phase action, which turns into +3/4 for a 0 Phase and +1 for whenever you want...which seems maybe OK though (like many things) capable of being abused.

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

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

Just as a note on this, not only did nothing about N-Ray or Spatial Awareness change from 5E to 5ER, nothing else did either. 5ER is 5E with the rules FAQ of the time and errata integrated. As has been said many times by both Darren and Steve, if you have 5E and access to the FAQ and the errata, you have 5ER. 5ER is just a bit more convenient.

It's not true that nothing changed. I know of four changes off the top of my head.

1. 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.
   
2. Trigger was significantly expanded (taken from Digital Hero, I believe).
   
3. Extradimensional Movement was given more detailed options.
   
4. 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)

I've got a few questions about stretching:

1. 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?
    
   
   1. 
      
   2. He automatically snaps free of one of the two bricks.
      
   3. He remains stretched, and must continue paying END, even once that starts doing stun.
      
   4. He remains stretched but doesn't have to pay END until and unless he recovers enough to act.
      
   5. 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?

1. It's trapped inside the vault until he can get the door open.
   If this is the case:
   
   
2. Can he continue to move his hand around in the vault, as long as it stays within 6"?
   
3. 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?

   1. Can a character with Stretching with appropriate special effect stretch one eye around a corner to see what's going on?
      
   2. How about stretching two eyes around different corners (assuming enough stretching)?
      
   3. How about an ear to hear what's going on?
      

Re: New Rule: New damage mechanic

One other point: what is the average stun of 1DC killing? I've always thought of it as 2.667, but that's wrong, isn't it? That's the average multiplier. I just worked it out as 3.111. Am I right in that? if so the average is darned close to that of normal attacks...

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

For example, look at the case of an 8 meter tall storm giant. This giant is 4 X as tall as a normal man, and would weigh about 64 X as much as a normal man. Assuming that the giant's strength matched his height, he would be 64 X as strong as a normal man.

 

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:

If that doesn't work for you, you could go with

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.