actingkeith

Re: How to do: Twins

...identical twins' date=' How would you do this?[/quote']Ok, here's where I say it again... With Hero System rules, you need to think backwards.

 

Don't, don't, DON'T start with Identical Twins and ask "How?"

 

Start with the Game Mechanical Effects you want in your game, and call it Identical Twins.

 

All of the advice you've been given thusfar is pretty good, but the truth is that you, as GM, need to figure out what Limits and Advantages will apply in-game. Remember that DF is a Disadvantage. Social Limitations are Disads too... Ask yourself "How disadvantageous is it in my world for these guys?" and "What plot hooks does this condition give me?"

 

Also, these guys might be Psychically Bonded twins... whatever.

 

But it all always comes back to the basic Hero premise... build it backwards... start with the game mechanics and call it what the f*** you want.

 

Peace,

 

Keith

Re: WWYCD 101:A question of faith

...the assertion I make is that the person sacrificing themself is Good' date=' the Deity requiring the sacrifice is Evil. [/quote']Wow... I can think, right off the top of my head, of about a dozen scenarios in which that's an erroneous statement, but they all center around the idea that since the living can't know what it's like to 'cross over' (or whatever you want to call) you (the living, non-deity) have no standing to judge the goodness or evility of having someone die on command.

 

Here's the deal, there are no moral absolutes... Moral Absolutists have been insisting that there are for centuries... Moral Relativists have been asking for just one, single, solitary example of a moral absolute for exactly the same number of centuries... in that time, the Absolutists have been able to come up with not a one...

 

Morality is relative, just like the rest of the universe... your frame of reference determine how you see things.

 

Cheers,

 

-k

I'm now looking at an Area of Effect that hits a big Vehicle or the walls/floors/ceilings/tables/chairs of a building...

I know that every critter and object in AE gets hit, but what happens to the things that fill more than one hex?

And specifically, if you hit the hull of a starship with an AE, and the area you hit has three airlock hatches and 4 viewing ports (all of which have lower DEF than the ship's armored hull), do the hatches and windows get hit?

And if they don't, why would anyone put AE on a Space Weapon?

Thanks Steve,

-keith

I'm curious about the application of a power that is MegaRanged, bought with AE Radius...

Since the closest one can use the MegaRange is 1km, I'm making the assumption that one cannot dump the AE Power right on top of the attacker... It must attack an adjacent hex, right? and that hex is 1km away, right?

Thanks,

Keith

Re: Ruling on this situation...

Huh' date=' I guess I'd never even noticed that change. It doesn't make much sense to me; anyone have an idea [u']why[/u] it was changed?

Let me user Defender as an example...

How that Flight works with your character (or in your game world) is completely up to you (and/or your GM). Maybe Defender's Boot Jets have a Force Governor on them that keeps velocity to an arbitrarily safe speed, so that they put out more force when the mass they need to lift is greater...

The SFX and the Mechanics are completely separate.

Peace,

-k

Re: Ruling on this situation...

Now' date=' a grabber with Clinging could be a different story...[/quote']It's a completely different story under the rules... so why try to inject it into the discussion??

 

The guy is trying to come to grips with a single, narrow bit of rules interpretation. Let him get it, practice it, and become comfortable with it before you go throwing exceptions at him...

 

-k

Re: Ruling on this situation...

I found it a bit...silly...that Flight basically was used as a "immune to Grab" power

And I think that this is the root of your 'problem'

The player was not using Flight as an 'immune to Grab' power... rather he was using the non-limited power of Flight fully within the scope of the rules.

You as the GM made the error of reading into the rules of Grab that somehow Grabbed characters were held down...

...completely untrue. What they are is held. And that's all they are... the Grabber can do damage every phase, and restrains limbs. That's all.

HERO System rules are very well written, literarily speaking. They've evolved and been critically considered over the course of 25 years. The words tend to mean exactly what they say, nothing more, nothing less, and all the logical consequences that follow from their meaning tend to be reasonably intended.

Peace,

-keith

Re: How would you have handled this (GMs)?

Here's the thing you said that stuck with me in your last series of comments... that the player plays (and plays violently) for 'catharsis'

That's a bad sign.

I think that what you've done in-character is probably the most appropriate response. The more that you can make your game world repsond like the real world would - given the weird circumstances of the super world - the more the players will be able to relate.

It is especially appropriate since the character has black-outs. Such a character is not the sort of liability that a governmental organization can afford unless there's a HUGE benefit that can be demonstrated to the voters.

I think you're handling what's going on quite well. Try to stay realistic with your (and everyone else's) expectations, and you'll be fine.

Peace,

-keith

Re: How would you have handled this (GMs)?

Nothing in Psych Lims per se. The character was possessed by the God of War and Lightning when fights started (or during other stressors)' date=' and tended to go into 'must crush enemies' mode. During a training session, the god assumed that 'if they're your allies, they can take it' and Avatar stopped using the 'safety field' and was striking for real damage on teammates in a training exercise.[/quote']What were the other PCs responses to being attacked in a training scenario?

 

What was the character's response to what she'd done after the 'possession' wore off?

 

More importantly, what do the other players and the particular player feel about the in-character action? The reason that that's important is that if the OOC folks are ok with whatever's happening in-game, then don't change.

 

It's the GM's job to define the mores and acceptible behavior within the game... it's the players' job to make sure that their characters either abide by the GM's guidelines or that they suffer the consequences for failing to do so.

 

Here's what I'd do... I'd ask the player if he/she realizes that the character is behaving in a wrong/bad/crappy/evil way. If the player says that they know, and that it's part of the crap that the character needs to work through... then that's a good thing, and the character should suffer for their mistakes and be allowed to grow.

 

There are a million examples, but it comes down to the question of whether it's an IC or an OOC 'problem.'

 

If it's an IC problem... then it's not really a problem... it's an opportunity to role play, and should be exploited to the fullest.

 

If it's an OOC problem, then it's a real problem.

 

Peace,

 

-keith

Re: Tattered Plot Threads

It eliminates the "rude shock" aspect' date=' which would be the thing that would annoy me.[/quote']

It certainly eliminates the rude shock from the players' lives, but...

 

...players can be ten times more horrific to their characters than they'd let the GM get away with. I'm sure (and one of the reasons I made the suggestion in the first place) that we're all aware of how tortured a lot of our heroic characters' lives were in their histories/backgrounds. Well, the previous campaigns and the transitions to the new one are what will make up the characters' new backgrounds. Why wouldn't you expect that to be similar?

 

I think you'll find a lot of players visciously cutting their ties to their old lives, killing DNPCs (or worse), having them lose out to their nemeses and put into 'Death Traps' which transports them to what they've been told is Hell or the Afterlife, but is in reality the new campaign world...

 

So many evil things to do to one's own character, so little time to get it right!

 

Thanks for listening,

 

-keith

Re: Tattered Plot Threads

Quite frankly' date=' you won't be able to satisfy them all. If each person wants to only play their PC from another campaign and wants no changes to them and you want a new campaign, there's too many things that someone's going to gripe about.[/quote']

 

Which is why I'd suggest bringing the players into the creation process of the new campaign.

 

What I mean by that is that you should lay out the basics of the new campaign world to the players, let them know the rules (eg your characters are going to be leaving their respective worlds, they're going to a different world that has nothing in common with the one they left in terms of history (or maybe it's really similar... whatever), and you're going to be lumped together by XYZ to help with a specific problem... after that, you're going to find that you won't be able to get home...), then you turn them loose to figure out how their characters come to the new campaign world...

 

Using your players' creativity will likely lead you to some amazing results that everyone will be reasonably happy with. Remember that they know their characters much more intimately than you ever will, and if they really want their characters to play in your new campaign, they'll make things work.

 

I believe that you'll find that editing their concepts will be much easier and more rewarding than trying to create everything on your own.

 

...but then again, I'm one of those guys who has been blessed to play with creative, positive, enthusiasts. Your mileage may vary.

 

Peace,

 

-keith

Re: Radio Direction Finder... sort of

Thanks for all the thoughts, guys. It helped me greatly.

Fortunately, I'm not interested in triangulation... just direction, signal strength, and maybe some information about the transmitting device.

I think I'm going with HRRP, Tracking, and Discrim which covers all that stuff.

Thanks again,

-keith

Re: Radio Direction Finder... sort of

The Tracking Adder is what I use. The way I figure it' date=' if the HRRP can already perceive the signal, all it needs is something to identify what direction it's coming from.[/quote'] That's what I'm looking for, and that's what I was planning on doing.

 

I'd like to know what, if anything would Discrim and Analyze add to the Tracking aspect of my little RDF.

 

Keep in mind that it's not physically possible to deterimine the origin of a radio signal from a single point of reference--all you can tell is how strong it is and what direction it came from.

Yep.

 

The concept goes like this...

 

I'm flying happily along in the middle of space, minding my own business, not bugging anybody, when all of a sudden I come across a distress beacon from an stranded freighter (...or maybe it's a trap, planned by nefarious space pirates)... either utter jeopardy for innocents or certain death at the hands pure evil...

 

The question is, how do I build my HRRP so that I can follow the distress call back to its source so that mischief can ensue?

 

If it's really line of sight' date=' wouldn't the character just be able to look "over there" and assume it's the guy holding the radio?[/quote']BVR my friend... beyond visual range. Deep space is dark and cold...

 

Thanks for more,

 

-keith

Hey all,

I'm trying to understand a 'proper' build for an HRRP that has the ability find the physical location of a specific radio signal...

Targeting would definitely get me what I want, but the character with this RDF power doesn't have any attack powers at all.

Tracking looks like it would be adequate.

...and what do Discrim and Analyze do with HRRP, seeing as all it takes is an INT roll to identify a given frequency.

Thanks in advance,

-keith

Re: If YOU have been playing Hero since the 80's why do you still keep coming back?

I started with Champions back in 1981. I still have my 1st printing, black-and-white book up in my closet somewhere.

The thing that I really like, that I haven't seen mentioned specifically in this thread (and apologies if it was, and I missed it) is that not only can you play in any genre you want... but, because HERO uses a mathematically balanced creation system, you can also seemless play any sort of mix/cross/uber genre you can think of.

Mages and Demons and Bears, oh my! can play in a high-tech/space world.

Mutants and Pirates and Bears, Oh My! can play together in a Time Travel campaign.

Manga and Politicos and Bears, OH MY! can play together in sureal, art-deco world.

Any kind of character idea and be reasonably played in any kind of setting with any other kind of character ideas.

All you have to do is compare character point totals to know if you're realtively evenly matched.

Awesome.

And I'd like to take exception to the title of this thread... what do you mean 'what brings you back'

Who left?

I didn't.

-k

Re: VPP with XTime

I'd say a -0.

I'd agree. As I recall, 5E says that at its base a VPP must be changed out of combat, taking between a turn and a minute...

For me, the key phrase is 'out of combat' and not anything having to do with timing.

Remember that a limitation must be limiting to provide its bonus. If the GM is planning on making an issue of the jump from 1 to 5 minutes, then maybe it might be worth something.

Now, if the character has to concentrate for the whole time she's shifting her pool... use concentration... but I'm rambling on after already having made the point I wanted to make after starting my post, so I should consider ending my diatribe before people start to notice and as a result of the useless meandering, stop paying attention to the real and profound point that I originally made before I started on this senseless...

Cheers,

-k

Re: Having a painful movement

I think I fall into the camp of buying TPort with room for two, linked somehow with the NND EB (both with similar Act Pts). The Grab would just be a Special Effect of the TPort. After BAMPHing, the target would be released (ie not affected by the 'Grab'), Which could get hostile if you teleported straight up, stunned the guy, and let him go...

Follow the rules for teleporting an unwilling victim (require a single attack roll for the No Rnage NND and the teleport) and I'd call that pretty fair.

It's probably not the most comprehensive solution, but it's simple and it follows the spirit of what you're trying to accomplish.

Peace,

-k

Re: Regeneration: And Other Examples Power That Violate The Rules

I think this is the clearest example of exactly why we shouldn't keep the trend of abstracting powers until they are all the same power.

Well said!

I couldn't agree more. Rep to TB.

-k

Re: Regeneration: And Other Examples Power That Violate The Rules

It was better when it was its own Power.

I agree. While I see the similarities between Healing and Regen are their, I like the original mechanics of Regen which, I feel, don't at all fit within Healing.

...and my ardent apologies for my errors in fact in my previous posts. My mouth (my typing) got a bit ahead of me.

Peace,

-k

Re: Regeneration: And Other Examples Power That Violate The Rules

I got an idea of how to blend it in seemlessly.

Here's the seem:

It has no maximum value and it's effects are cumulative

And in that seem two things happen:

1. The folks who don't like Regen drive a truck-full of objections through

2. It works and costs exactly the same and the way it did in 1981

My observation/point is that Regeneration hasn't changed in form or function since it was first invented with the original rules. And since it works, and it's reasonably balanced, why try to contrive something...

If you want to 'take Regen out of the Healing Power'... so?

If you want to use Regen like it was in 4E or 3 or 2 or 1stE... so?

The Power itself hasn't changed... 10 points for 1 BOD/Turn... It doesn't matter how you twist it. Regeneration isn't going away, and it'll always cost 10 per 1BOD/Turn.

-k

Re: Regeneration: And Other Examples Power That Violate The Rules

I guess I have something to say on this, but it's a kind of general thing.

Regeneration, like Killing Attacks and Energy Blasts, was part of HERO since its inception.

The mechanics of these three legacy powers have not changed since late 1980. It's the same with the way STR is/has been built and works.

Even though they moved Regen into the more general 'Healing' power in 5E, they didn't change the mechanics of the power; it still works exactly the way it did 25 years ago. So what they did was they said, "It's a kind of healing, so we'll group it like that, but it has its own rules so we'll just include that in Regen's particular description."

And here's the thing I wanted to say... It worked 25 years ago; it works today. It was reasonably balanced 25 years ago; it's still reasonably balanced today.

And that's all.

Regeneration works and is reasonably balanced.

For all the poeple who are trying to make Regeneration work within the Healing design (or worse, merely complaining that it doesn't), please remember that Healing is the new kid on the block... an evolved critter from three variations on an idea (Drain... it's reverse (Aid)... and Adjustment Powers in general). It was only after that that people (who were actively looking to make things more concise) started to see the similarities between Healing and Regen... and only after much debate did they decide to shoehorn Regen into the Healing power in 5E.

Knocking Regeneration is a lot like knocking the 8th Ammendment to the US Constitution... sure people do it, but no one is changing it. Regeneration isn't changing unless someone finds a miraculous way to blend it seemlessly into some as yet undiscovered Power structure.

Thanks for listening,

-k

Re: Regeneration: And Other Examples Power That Violate The Rules

Any thoughts?

It's called Legacy...

Regeneration has always been a power in Champions... always. So as people started trying to standardize and consolidate, Regeneration couldn't "go away" because it's a legacy.

Quit raking muck, you muck raker!

And you can't use Regeneration as a precedent for any perversions of the rules that suit your fancy. Your attempt to point out that Regeneration doesn't 'fit' is ridiculous because Regeneration is a power/rule unto itself.

Regeneration isn't broken. It doesn't violate any rules. It fits squarely within the rule for the power, Regeneration.

-k, feeling snippy

Re: It stays that way

...it buys a bunch-load of forms' date=' can switch to any, but can't be switched to its "nat'ral" form cause there ain't one.[/quote'] Ok, here's where I think you're going wonky. Here's why and how, just because you pay points for a 'first form' doesn't really mean it's the natural form... especially if you buy the Multiforms with Inherent.

 

My GM says Inherent on Multiform means once it changes' date=' it can't go to no other form (even tho' it wants to).[/quote'] Your GM might not want you to build this character and is probably throwing needless roadblocks in your way to frustrate you.

 

Remember that building a character for a campaign should be a collaborative process between player and GM. If the GM doesn't want the character, you shouldn't build it.

 

If the GM legitimately thinks that Inherent means that the character has no control over his forms, then I think your GM needs to take a look at it again. Inherent is taken to mean that other people cannot muck with the character's power, not the character himself.

 

 

 

Here's my advice on the build:

 

Build the 'main' character as if it were a Form. Buy the Multiform power with Inherent so that no one can muck with it. Call it a Special Effect that there is no 'base' Form. Since no one can Dispel/Drain/Absorb you character into any Form, it really doesn't matter what the 'base' Form is.

 

Done.

 

The character can go from Form to Form with no one being able to Dispel/Drain/Absorb him into any particular Form...

 

...watch out for Mind Control though...

 

I think you're working too hard on this. Relax, take a breath. This stuff is easy.

 

 

Peace,

 

-k

Re: Painful Entangle

Ok, after having said the above, I often simulate pain with a STUN only attack...

You might consider building the Entangle with Feedback and calling it pain. As I recall, that's what Feedback was designed for with regards to Entangles.

Peace,

-k

Re: Painful Entangle

...an Entangle that causes pain but not actual damage...

You're thinking about Special Effects and not Game Effects.

Since there is no Game Effect for pain, you can just define the power saying it causes pain, but no real damage and be done with it. That's how HERO System works.

Now, if on the other hand, you want the pain to actually do something to the entangled character... then I'd have to ask you what you'd like the pain to do to her?

Does she have to make an EGO Roll to try again?

You need to think about it backwards in this game... don't think about pain and ask how to build it... think about what game effect you want and then call it pain.

It'll save you a ton of headaches when you finally figure that out.

Peace,

-k