ideasmith
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Posts posted by ideasmith
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Re: Normal Human
In a supers campaign, NCM =is= a Disadvantage.NCM is why humans, no matter how skilled or well trained, are no match for even non EP or other "more mundane" supers at some point.
A player who wishes to play a genetically normal human in such a setting where they will be regularly going up against supers is at a disadvantage.
Therefore NCM is and should be a Disadvantage.
I honor it. And I enforce it.
When a genetically normal superhero is written up in Hero System, the character would lose more points than it would gain from taking NCM.
Therefore, unless you want to discourage Batman/Hawkeye types, such characters should not have NCM.
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Re: Damage Shield in 6E?
HKA is automatically No Range yes. In that case you use STR Does Not Add.Unless you want the STR to Add.
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Re: Senses as Superluminal Speeds
I would be running superhero genre. Such characters as the Flash and Silver Surfer see fine at FTL speeds. I would rule that you see fine at FTL unless a Limitation or Disad says otherwise.
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Re: Post "gotchas" here
"If the character’s been Knocked Out further(below -10 STUN), he’s completely unconscious
and has lost contact with the world around him —
he’s out cold. He falls down, unable to keep his feet
at all. A character in this state of unconsciousness
can be killed automatically as a Full Phase Action
by any character with the means to do so (a Killing
Attack or other powerful attack) who makes a
successful Attack Roll against the unconscious
character."
6E2, p. 106
"If the character’s been Knocked Out further
(below -10 STUN), he’s completely unconscious
and has lost contact with the world around him —
he’s out cold. He falls down, unable to keep his feet
at all. A character in this state of unconsciousness
can be killed automatically as a Full Phase Action
by any character with the means to do so (a Killing
Attack or other powerful attack) who makes a
successful Attack Roll against the unconscious
character."
5ER, p. 411
How does this count as a gotcha?
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Re: Gradual Effect limitation: how do I convert it to 6th ed?
Another option is Side Effect: EDM: Time Travel (futurewards only). If the delay is always/almost always disadvantageous, which is questionable.
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Re: Gradual Effect limitation: how do I convert it to 6th ed?
Is there any similar modifier for non-damaging powers? How would I write up a teleport power with a delay between the time the character disappears from his point of origin and reappears at his destination? I used to do this with gradual effect (extra time doesn't seem quite right) but now I don't know.Link the Teleport to EDM: Time Travel, Futurewards Only.
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Re: Striking Voices
Per 5ER page 297, Incantations normal speech cannot be an Incantation. This may or may not be the case if 6E.
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Re: Multiform for Free? Frustrated....
How "obvious" is it from source material? Characters like Captain Marvel and the Hulk spend very little combat time in their weakest form. Should such characters not be allowed in the game, or should the game seek a reasonable accommodation where such characters are allowed to exist on a basis competitive with - neither overpowering nor being overpowered by - characters having only one form?
Not obvious enough, but both Billy Batson and Bruce Banner got attacked often enough.
Billy Batson got 'captured in the surprise phase' quite frequently.
Bruce Banner avoided turning into the Hulk, and preferred trying to run from combat. The Hulk's enemies tended to either be faster than Bruce Banner or have ranged attacks.
I think the solution here is to have Billy Batson/Bruce Banner emulators spend combat time the same way the characters they emulate do, if perhaps more often.
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Re: Multiform for Free? Frustrated....
I would make sure that the character will spend significant time in his/her/its weakest form. Steve Long may have thought this too obvious to mention.
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Re: 6E: Weaponmaster, Deadly Blow, and Killing dice
I'm running a Heroic level game, and a few of my players had purchased Deadly Blow under the 5E Hero rules. We want to go to 6E, but the cost difference between the 5E and 6E ways of handling the newly-renamed Weaponmaster talent have raised more than a few eyebrows. As Steve has declined to answer any design philosophy questions, I thought I'd pose this to Herodom at large.Since the cost for a die of killing damage hasn't changed, why is there such a huge cost disparity between the 5E version of Deadly Blow and the 6E Deadly Blow & Weaponmaster talents? Is there some additional capability in the new version? Have the damage rules changed in a way that makes Deadly Blow/Weaponmaster worth the additional points expenditure over the old way of buying limited damage dice? I know this is Hero, and we can buy things the way we want, and I know that I could institute a house rule that just says "buy it the old way", but before I do that, I'd like to know whether there's something I'm missing that justifies the cost difference.
While we're on the subject of house rules, if there isn't a good reason why Weaponmaster is so much more costlyover Deadly Blow, should there be? Are you planning on giving PC's who purchase Weaponmaster any cool perks for having bought it that way?
A lot of folks in the now locked 6E discussion forums felt that +1d6 HKA that added to any HKA was more useful -- and therefore should be more expensive -- than +1d6 to a single HKA. I assume that Steve Long increased the cost accordingly.
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Re: Sixth Edition Characters
I am generally against any kind of mathematical conversion. Different rule sets handle things differently. To ignore that is the path to insanity.While using a mathematical conversion is usually a bad idea, creating (or to a lesser degree, reading) a mathematical conversion is a useful learning exercise.
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Re: 6E Rules changes confirmed so far
4th editon did the following:- .....
- Removed Healing, Mental Paralysis, Piercing, Power Destruction, Presence Defense, and Reflection as Powers
- .....
I would distinguish between removing a Power Basis and merging it with another Power Basis, since I am opposed to the former and in favor of the latter (if done well). Healing, Power Destruction, Presence Defense and Reflection were merged with Aid, Drain, Characteristics, and Missile Deflection respectively.
- .....
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Re: Shape Shift into Water: Clever or Cheesy?
If you shape shift into water and hide in a lake, do you have to have Life Support?Doc
That depends:
Do you mind drowning?
Do you plan to stay in the water long enough for drowning to become an issue?
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Re: MegaScale Missle Deflection
erm... you can't deflect Area Of Effect Attacks normally' date=' [/quote']Indeed you can't (5ER page 210). I can see why you thought I might be referring to such.
and you can't apply Area Of Effect to Missile Deflect.I just searched 5ER, the FAQ (http://www.herogames.com/rulesFAQ.htm0 ), and HERO System 5th Edition Rules Questions (http://www.herogames.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3). I didn't find any such prohibition. As far as I can determine, the following build is within the rules. (Whether it's within campaign parameters is a different question.):
Steal Blessings:
Missile Deflection and Reflection, all missiles, Reflects Attacks At Any Target: (50 points).
Usable As Attack (+1), Range (+1/2), Area Of Effect (Radius) doubled four times (+2): (Active Cost 225)
Only Deflects/Reflects supernatural powers intended to benefit target (-1/2): (Real Cost 150)
Please clarify your statement..... or if you plan on Missile Deflection covering Megascale level Areas.
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Re: How to use always on and how to shut the powers off in interesting ways.
I would first buy the power with 'Always On'. Then I would buy 'Bought Off Limitation' (base cost = difference between cost of power and what power would cost without limitation) with a Focus.
Since 'Bought Off Limitation' is a house rule, check with your GM before using.
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Re: MegaScale Missle Deflection
.... or if you plan on Missile Deflecting Megascale level Area s.You only need to Megascale Missile Deflection if you plan on Missile Deflecting at Megascale level Ranges. -
Re: 6E Rules changes confirmed so far
A little story of Ye Olden Days to illustrate a question I have about Perception.Once upon a time onthe old GEnie computer network, before everything was done on the Internet, I asked about someone writing up characters based on many of the Warner Brothers cartoon characters as huiman supers. The odd thing in the writeups I get back (which I sadly no longer have) was that The Coyote, self-described "Suuuper-Genius!", had an INT of 3! When I asked the guy about tit, he explained that his INT was so low for one purpose: so that he could fail Perception rolls. In the mechanic of that day (early in the day of 4th Edition) it was the only way to do that effect.
So imagine I want a character like that in the 6ed rules: a guy with a boatload of INT-based skills at decent-=to-high levels but with incredibly poor Perception. How will I be able to do that?
Buy Intelligence with the Limitation: Doesn't affect Perception Rolls.
Edit: Wile E. Coyote failed a lot of Intellect Skill Rolls, IIRC.
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Re: 6E Rules changes confirmed so far
Just think...
Steve Long has only confirmed a fraction of the changes he has made.
So far, that is.
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Re: 6E Rules changes confirmed so far
The quality of a rule is not judged only by the good it does to the groups it works for, but also by the harm it does the groups it does not work for.
To give an extreme example, some groups doubtless made good use of the fortunately-defunct alignment languages rule from early versions of D&D.
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Re: 6E Rules changes confirmed so far
During Steve Long's chat of Wednesday, June 3, Steve revealed several details of HERO System elements which will definitely change, or not change, for the upcoming Sixth Edition. People who were at the chat have responded to individual questions regarding those changes here on the forums, so the information has been filtering out piecemeal to the general community; but I thought it would be helpful to post all of it in one place for people who can't wait until Sixth Edition is published.None of what follows is speculation. It's all been confirmed by Steve Long as definitely happening, although in some cases Steve didn't elaborate on specifics. As new information comes to light I'll add to or clarify this list. I welcome anyone else who wishes to add data that they're aware of to this thread, but only if it's been confirmed by Steve or another DoJ staff member.
Thank you.
And so, on to 6E:----------------------
The basic 3d6-roll-for-success mechanic remains' date=' and it will continue to be "roll-low."[/quote']Sounds good.
No changes to the Speed Chart.Sounds good.
Movement will continue to be measured per Phase.Sounds good.
All measurements will be given in meters. There will be no use of "hexes" or any other mapping arrangement in 6E.Sounds good.
Comeliness will no longer be one of the Characteristics. It's being replaced with a Talent' date=' Striking Appearance, which a given group can choose to use in their game if they want a character's appearance to have a mechanical effect.[/quote']Sounds good.
All the other Characteristics will remain' date=' but none of them will be "Figured," i.e. derived from other Characteristics. They'll all start with a base value that must be bought up separately. The costs of some of them have been "tweaked" -- no further details yet.[/quote']As long a the costs of CON and BODY are reduced accordingly.
OCV' date=' DCV, OECV, and DECV will become separate Characteristics, not derived from DEX and EGO. They'll start with a base value of 3 and will be bought up separately.[/quote']As long as the costs of DEX and EGO are reduced accordingly. And especially if this results in all remaining Primary Characteristics having the same cost.
Suggested starting point totals will be raised to compensate for the change to Characteristics -- no specifics yet.Sounds good.
Perception will still be based on INT.Sounds good.
Leaping will no longer be derived from Strength -- it will start at a base amount for all characters' date=' as with Running and Swimming.[/quote']Sounds good.
Skills will still be calculated from CHAR/5' date=' but there will be an optional "Toolkitting" note about changing that if desired.[/quote']Sounds good.
Other Toolkitting notes will appear throughout the rules -- no further details on those.Sounds Grrreat.
Seduction Skill will be renamed Charm.Sounds good.
No new Skills will be added' date=' although a couple have been "tweaked" (no more details yet).[/quote']Sound good.
Package Deal will be renamed TemplateSounds good.
Some new Powers have been added' date=' and others have been removed. The only one mentioned is Find Weakness, which is being removed. There will be no official way to reduce Defenses below 1/2 as with Armor Piercing.[/quote']I won't miss Find Weakness. The rest depends on the details. Is Lack of Weakness staying in?
Adjustment Powers have been significantly reworked -- no further details yet.There is plenty of room for improvement here. Whether the changes are actually an improvement remains to be seen.
Energy Blast and Killing Attack will still be separate forms of Damage' date=' as they are in 5E.[/quote']Sounds good.
The Stun Multiplier for Killing Attack will become a straight 1/2d6. It will still be possible to buy up the Stun Multiplier with Advantages.So killing attacks will finally live up to their name? About time.
You will be able to apply your Normal Defenses to the STUN damage of a Killing Attack whether you have any Resistant Defenses or not.Sounds good.
Nothing has changed about the way STR adds to Hand-To-Hand Killling Attack damage.I can live with that.
Increased reach for larger-than-normal beings and weapons will not necessarily require Stretching -- no further details yet.No opinion.
The method of Adding Damage is supposed to be simplified -- no further details yet.Sounds good.
The Multipower and VPP Frameworks will remain' date=' but Elemental Control is being replaced by a new Limitation, Unified Power (no value given). Aside from GM oversight there will be no restrictions on what Unified Power can be applied to.[/quote']Sounds good.
Damage Shield is going to be "different" -- no details yet.Depends on the details.
There will be another' date=' more granular way to make a Power ECV-targeted than using the BOECV Advantage. No specifics given, but it involves breaking the Advantage into its separate components (i.e. ECV Attack Roll, Line Of Sight, etc.) and "reassembling" them to make them more flexible.Sounds good.
Steve implied that he's used this approach for other elements of the system.Sounds good.
Disadvantages are being renamed Complications' date=' and Psychological Limitations will become Psychological Complications.[/quote']Sounds good.
There will be a single index' date=' printed in both 6E rulebooks, with a letter code before each number to indicate which book it refers to.[/quote']Sounds good.
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Re: Muse's Inspiration
Do you really need all three, Ranged, No Range Modifier, and Line of Sight? At the very least you should be able to drop No Range Modifier because Line of Sight powers are not affected by Range Modifiers.
Per 5ER page 266, Line of Sight does indeed drop the range modifier. That means I don't need No Range Modifier, dropping the cost to 15.
And the base cost for Ranged is only +1/4 not +1/2.Per 5ER page 273 (& 267) the base cost for Ranged is +1/2.
What’s the “Affects Real World” for and why is it +2?5ER page 148. I treat characters in different dimensions as inherently Desolid to one another. This is admittedly an arguable interpretation of the rules. Oops I misremembered the name: Its 'Affects Physical World'.
Oh' date=' and Transdimensional powers need to be Indirect, or does Line of Sight cover that? [/quote']No, I covered it using Indirect (5ER page 260).
Also I think you need a related power to perceive the target from the other dimension (I’m assuming you mean the Muse is in a different dimension affecting someone in ours).A character with Muse's Inspiration would certainly need such. I don't consider it part of the Muse's Inspiration per se.
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Re: Muse's Inspiration
Just one question: Why the No Normal Defense?To everyone else, great ideas, thanks!!
Any more good notions out there?
Lucius Alexander
Amusing a palindromedary
Because I was posting while tired. The NND should be dropped, dropping the cost to 16 points.
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Re: Muse's Inspiration
How would one build an "Inspiration" power for a muse or other character who has the ability to inspire creativity and accomplishment in someone?Some variations and considerations:
Muse can turn anybody into an artist, vs the power only works on someone who already has "the Gift."
I had some other ideas I wanted to toss out but....
Lucius Alexander
I think the palindromedary ate them.
PS: Creative Artist 11- (2 points) Usable As Attack (+1), Invisible Power Effects (+1), Affects Real World (+2), Indirect (+3/4), Ranged (+1/2), No Range Modifier (+1/2), Line of Sight Range (+1/2), Transdimensional (+1), NND (+1). Active Cost: 18 points.
Edit: Corrected cost.
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Re: Why the dislike for Find Weakness?
Then it wouldn't be Find Weakness, would it? It would just be Armor Piercing with an activation roll.It would actually be Armor Piercing with an Activation Roll and with a different counter (Lack of Weakness in place of Hardened).
fair cost for strength that isn't strong
in HERO System Discussion
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Re: fair cost for strength that isn't strong