Nucleon

Re: Name for French Brick Triomphe it is, mortals.

Re: Champions Characters DEX Inflation Why? Nucleon would express His desire to look more closely at the Paul Anderson exemple. According to your exemple, he could lift 2850 kg. That's STR 32-33. However, we can safely assume that Anderson exerted himself a lot during this record, or, in HERO terms, he pushed. Let us stay conservative and take the heroic rules for a push; It is 5 characters points more, assuming minimal success on the EGO roll (to let his starting STR be more important. That leaves Paul Anderson with a 27-28 STR, consequant with the HERO terms of 30 being "the absolute peak" for non-augmented human. If Nucleon had to "build" PA in Characters terms, He would give him exactly that, a 27-28 STR, with the 7-8 pts overhead bought at double cost.

Re: Name for French Brick

Re: Liefeld's Titans Brrhhmm. That's what Nucleon was writing about. Well, Still trying to do the Devil's advocate, maybe "cap" was, at the time, stuck in the sixth dimension (which Nucleon occasionnaly visits), where people appeared both sideways and front-facing... anyone? (Ho well... Why does Nucleon even tries anyway...)

Re: Liefeld's Titans Booooaaaaaaoooooofff, that's not so baaaadd. Nucleon remembers much more horific stuff, especially in the "Heroes Reborn" debacle. He would even venture that Liefield has somehow learned to draw since then. This guy is almost single-handedly responsible for the Iron Age, for the Immortals' sake! Give him a chance... and a crappy comic to draw. Why not "New Avengers" for that matter? He would be complementary with Bendis "nothing is ever happening" style, for what Nucleon thinks. He guess one god's meat is another one's poison...

Re: Highest level Champions game you could play?

Re: Presence in your campaign The mighty Thane and the Shadowmancer were in a situation loathed by most heroes; A hostage crisis. As soon as they move a finger towards Razorwind, he would slice his hapless then fight to the death. They needed a diversion. Thane the mighty seized the situation; A nearby cop shouted orders around; Thane did quite a display of power at that moment, stealing thunder from the skies as the poor cop learned how much Hyperborean immortals like to be bossed around. Even Razorwind laughed... ... until he was stopped by the Shadowmancer, that is. The lady feinted from stress; the poor cop had a week's vacation.

Re: Shazam! Granted, that's also a great idea (and reasoning). There is also the limitation "No Conscious Control" that can be used in a more abstract way. So much valid ways, Nucleon ponders...

Re: Shazam!

Re: your campaigns "Superman". Nucleon defines a "Superman" as someone having superstrenght, invulnerability, flight and, optionnaly, "Heat Vision". (Yep. Half of DC's supers are "supermen".) Oh. And it's also about the ideals. But we can do without the corny power justification, IHO. So yes, He has a couple in His universe. There is Vanguard, "Possessor of True American Radiance", a mix of Supes and Cap, America's first Super, having becoming public in 1775. He dons a flagsuit, of course. More an E-Proj than a brick, althought he has enough STR, DEF and skills to be considered one. Vanguard is around 1000 pts. There is also Captain Justice (the third of the name), a flying (or more precisely diving) brick with no projection power, and a typical arrogant attitude. People in Nucleon's campaigns have learned to loathe him. He is a cheap, but efficient "superman" at 500 pts. Finally, there is Red Dawn, the atomic Russian project. His story is a bit like Hyperion in the "Supreme Power" serie, althought he is an altered being instead of an alien. A midrange "superman", Red Dawn sits at 750 pts, having an efficient "Atomic Multipower" as his projecting powers.

Re: Shazam! If Nucleon had to "do" the World's Mightiest Mortal (indeed), He would first build a credible Billy at 50 pts max, then buy all add-ons OIHID, including some skills (Deduction comes to mind), reflecting the fabled Wisdom of Solomon. Nucleon would also build some of the Big Red Cheese's power overheads with, as limitations; Only if sole possessor of the Wizard's Power At The Time (-½, if there are 2 other potential "Marvels" in action. Kind of cuts into super-slacking time, thought). Then, Nucleon would built his fabled "Shazam Grab-bolt" as such, a no-ranged E-blast, maybe with an activation or skill roll. Verily, Nucleon is rather fond of this character.

Re: Goth Henchmen? You campaign looks like great fun indeed, Mortal. Goths? Not the ones conquered Rome huh? Nucleon would grant them Darkness, of course, as well as big PRE and tiny scalpels, the kind that really hurts and makes you bleed, but cannot kill you outright (a feeble HKA, reduced penetration linked to a Drain of some sort). Ultraviolet vision also comes to mind... and why not the hability to Tunnel? Aslo, give them claisentience via "gothic" animals, such as crows and rats. How about a screech area attack?

Re: new spin on Justice League Nucleon thinks that the Martian Manhunter' revised origin -and appearance- is a lot better than the original. What a confused character, that MH. On the other hand, He thinks the new Superman has a little bit of déja-vu. This looks like a great campaign.

Re: WWCYD: One for Many? Most impressive...

Re: WWCYD: One for Many? Well, Nucleon himself is nigh omnipotent and basically, a GM. But in this epic, anniversary issue, let's see what would dashing, impulsive Bravewind would do; His group has decided that the lives of many must be preserved over the lives of a few, and knowing the hostage for what she is (a self-sacrificing hero), they gloomily prepare to the loss. But Bravewind, more warrior than hero, ever refuses to bow down and thus losing a valuable comrade; Such is Bravewind's Honor. He steals the Key from the group and disappearing, arrange for a meeting with the Necromancer and (long story short) ends up fighting him in a uphill battle with the help of Hostage, as the rest of the group burst through the wall shouting the appropriate rallying warcry; Many shine, but still it is not sufficient to defeat the Necromancer until ... Hostage sacrifice herself, willingly, to vanquish the Necromancer. They have won the day... But at what cost?...

Re: Clean Slate or What Would Your Villain Do? First, let it be know that Nucleon is impressed by the idea. In Nucleon's universe, those vilains who are themselves heads of states would surely rise to the call, albeit in an interested, un-trusting way; Not that there are so many, thought. Those "vilains" who are somewhat happy with how the systems "works" are able to be employed, if that requires a mercenary fee in many cases. Also, all these vilains who are themselves idealists, if crazy ones. Those who would be a danger would be the revolted, fatalistic ones; they might end up selling the World!

Re: Your character's theme song would be? Nucleon:"One Of These Days" on Pink Floyd's "Meddle" album. The song actually is at the base of this cosmically powerful entity. Dominator: A huge absorbing brick with a SM twist; Black Sabbath's "Zero the Hero", including the little intro before, on the infamous "Born Again" album. Bravewind, Native martial artist with a mystical boost, and a dashing vanguard fighter; The theme from the videogame "Turok 2", second level song; great music high-adventuring music, Nucleon says. Generally speaking, surf rock makes an excellent super-heroic background, but maybe that's because we're so much silver-bronze age. Many of Nucleon's players "adopted" a surf song like "cheyenne" or "surf Rider".

Re: Your Character's Room at the Base Aha, yes, the privates appartements... Marble Man; As a Kardhar prince, this subterannean lives in sturdy quarters, to accomodate his high density; Holos of deserts are projected on the wall. Marble columns surrounds a little garden of upright, cristal-looking stones. Low, stumpy black obsidian chairs surround an elevated slab of limestone serving as a table. In one corner, a low deck is filled with the finest sand to serve as the Prince' bed. A computer holoscreen is the only concession to the upside world, Marble man using it to play his favorite music; Australian dingeridoo (sp?). Myst's room is not only melancolic; it is sinister. A huge column bed stands alone in the center of the room, wrapped by flapping veils of diaphane fabric. Every piece of old-style furniture is under a diaphane wrap also, and cobwebs tends to invade the corners. Old dusty dolls are lined on the bed, waiting. Both sounds of distant laughter and crying can sometimes be heard. Myst is a ghost for 40 years now...

Re: Marvel Second Stringers. Help me out. Well, I like the Russian heroes; Vanguard, Red Dynamo, Mj Ursus, the Titanium Man... not all the bunch of them, mind you... ...Hercules... Does anybody remember Atomia? She was in Namor's entourage during the events of Super Vilain Team-Up, Hydrobase and stuff... The Heroes Reborn debacle left us at least one good character we saw a bit in older Thunderbolts; Rikki Barnes, the Franklinworld's Bucky. Gorgon, Medusa, Black Bolt, Jawlock. That was sooo Kirby. Nova. It would be good to see Nova back somewhere. And there is more...

Re: Marvel's Exiles: Hyperion Challenge--build a team to beat him! Well first premise, Nucleon thinks that the Surfer, Thor, Warlock, and all of the Marvel Cosmic Patheon can take him by sheer versatility, each of them alone and on their own; Heroes à la Superman are very old-school in the way they're built, concentrating on sole physical superiority. If that argument is to be the one that defines it all, Hulk would be the most powerful being ever. If Nucleon assembles a team of 6, it will be quickly assembled one, offering the wider brush of versatibility possible. And they would be heroes. And they would not be full-timers in another contemporary, well-established group. Of course, none of them will include an individual who can stop Hyperion by himself. Let's take Green Lan... er, Quasar, for starters, as the team's assembling Early Warning element (great protective powers). He re-assembles the Vision (He can do the intangible trick, keeping him occupied). Or Wonder man. NOT both. The Thin Man, recently jobless since the New Invader's cancellation, could act as the team's brains (he is a reality-warping scientist). Why not Vanguard, you know, the Russian guy who could reflect power? Yes, him. For fun. Then, Mantis. Moondragon will then have the final shot on poor ol' Hypes. Ooops, Nucleon think we just overkilled the guy. After an epic limited serie of 4 issues, the makeshift group decides that the experience was, well, quite gruelling actually. They disband forever.

Re: Design a ME Team Aye, this is part of a certain Gold and Silver age heritage; the caricature of the ennemy (at first), then the caricature of the ally, about which the authors in these days knew little most often than not. The medium was not yet serious enough to make a in-depth study of the history, culture and ways on the archetype they were about to picture. From the Bronze age on, it is more and more common to see deeper concepts of foreign supers.. We may soon even accept a super-comic whose action is centered around another culture... and that is good. That being said, Nucleon can enjoy a bit of sillyness in the despiction of foreign individuals (it still got a certain naive charm), but He would not want to do it Himself, albeit He sure like a cultural or historic bent on a character's origin. Nucleon guess it is a question of dosage.

Re: Design a ME Team Now that was some brick. Did Rustam was a litteral contemporary of Gilgamesh, Hercules and Samson? Many cultures there seem to include an immensely strong man. Nucleon thanks you for this interesting lead. Oh yes, there really are indeed.

Re: Design a ME Team Huh-huh... Wasn't that some kinda saturday morning cartoon?

Re: Why Kill At All? I don't think he did; Here is a paste-and-copy from a post Nucleon committed deeper into this thread about the Incredibles: It is a very deadly movie. Nucleon witnessed at least 5 heroes deaths (Dynaguy, Thunderhead, Stratogale, Splashtom, Megaman) by "costume malfunction", very silly deaths IMO, plus Gazerbeam and a plethora of other heroes killed by Syndrome's "testings". Bob did not kill Syndrome; He threw a car at his plane, to prevent Syndrome's flight, not to kill him. Syndrome's death was due to another "suit malfunction". These kind of villain deaths we saw in this flick (death by their own designs/faults/evil ways) Nucleon can live with. It is a kind of Karmic Comic Justice that is a standard since the Platinum Age. If the Incredibles were random killers themselves (and they were not, if Nucleon judges by the scene where Bob grabs Mirage), Nucleon is sure they would have a lesser success, or interest for that matter. People need heroes, y'see. Not soldiers, not agents, not mercs, but heroes. Now, that being said, that should not prevent Bob to beat the snot out of Syndrome if he had survived the "suit malfunction". But it would be very un-heroic for Bob to, say, grab a rock and hit Synrome repeatedly to crack open his skull. Nucleon thinks a character's own life sacrifice is so much more powerful than the killing of the much-deserving villain, even if he is universally hated. Heroes that killed because of wrath or to protect a greater good can still be heroes INNSHO, but only after they sought some kind of redemption. Death does make for interesting stories if said death is not buck-cheap. Nucleon hopes He answered well. His original post was to point out that heroes who kill may not only lack in morale, but also (and foremost) in means to do otherwise -at least when viewed through the HERO system.

Re: Why Kill At All? First, it is a very deadly movie. Nucleon witnessed at least 5 heroes deaths (Dynaguy, Thunderhead, Stratogale, Splashtom, Megaman) by "costume malfunction", very silly deaths IMO, plus Gazerbeam and a plethora of other heroes killed by Syndrome's "testings". Bob did not kill Syndrome; He threw a car at his plane, to prevent Syndrome's flight, not to kill him. Syndrome's death was due to another "suit malfunction". These kind of villain deaths we saw in this flick (death by their own designs/faults/evil ways) Nucleon can live with. It is a kind of Karmic Comic Justice that is a standard since the Platinum Age. If the Incredibles were random killers themselves (and they were not, if Nucleon judges by the scene where Bob grabs Mirage), Nucleon is sure they would have a lesser success, or interest for that matter. People need heroes, y'see. Not soldiers, not agents, not mercs, but heroes