pbemguy

In the 5e rules (p. 448) I found that a hex of stone is 19 Body, and a hex of dirt is 10. I went to 15, also considering that the core is pretty dense.

The volume of the Earth is 1,097,509,500,000,000,000,000 cubic meters

A hex of dirt is 2mX2mX2m so 8 cubic meters.

When I divide 1,097,509,500,000,000,000,000 cubic meters by 8, I get 

137188687500000000000

(I divided the volume in meters cubed by 8 meters cubed to figure out how many square hexes are in the Earth.)

137188687500000000000  X  15 = 2,057,830,312,500,000,000,000 Body

(Solo was right!)

But don't forget you'll have to subtract the Def first (4 or 5?). 😝

PS: But when you think of it, how much Body do the humans alone have when you add it up? When you think of that...

17 minutes ago, Mark Rand said:

I voted historic because of The Pulps.  The first superheroes were the mystery men and women.

I usually make it so superpowers are a new thing, manifesting as the campaign started or only a few years old phenomenon.

But I often have pulp superheroes as part of the world's history, but without superpowers. Fedora-wearin', mask-sportin', gun-totin' superheroes.

Whoops. I voted 'Modern' but I meant to vote 'Recent.' I usually set my campaigns where superpowers are new developments.

1 hour ago, Sketchpad said:

 

From my understanding, the comic license no longer exists. Heroic Publishing had to change the "Marksman" character to "Huntsman" due to this if I heard correctly. 

Exactly....if there was no issue, then Marksman could be used. Which I think means Harlick or whoever said no, so they had to change the name. So a few of us are looking into that.

We're figuring out what kind of license can allow for contributors to the wiki so they can still keep their characters etc.

1 hour ago, Sketchpad said:

 

Keep in mind, before developing any license, you should make sure that Hero is okay with this. Whether it's free or not, I would loop Jason Walters in and make sure that Hero doesn't have any issues with you using the system for said project. If you're planning on using the Community Content license, look very carefully at it. While I'm not a lawyer, I did find some things that made me hesitate. 

I will definitely bring Jason in. I'll message him now.

1 hour ago, Sketchpad said:

 

Which arrangements were those? I think some of any kind of arrangement has changed quite a bit over the years considering some changes that were made. 

I just mean that Foxbat seems to be a special case--and we're looking into that--and many of the Guardians seem to be at least partially owned by their creators. 

So when you said "[w]hich arrangements were those?"....exactly. Exactly what we're trying to ascertain.

2 hours ago, IndianaJoe3 said:

Setting the IP issues aside for the moment...

 

In this setting, have superpowers always existed (at least, since the 1930s), or did they develop more recently?

Indiana, can you set up a poll for that? I usually play campaigns where superpowers are a new development (last few years). But I also like the idea of several generations of heroes.

I'm not being lazy. (I mean I'm not just being lazy.) I just think that it truly is everybody's campaign world. So if someone gets to a juncture like this, I think poll is the way to go. Then we also have a "paper trail" showing that we did it democratically.

On 7/10/2020 at 9:34 AM, death tribble said:

 

 

Nate and Hayes Tommy Lee Jones stars in a swashbuckler set in the Pacific. Jenny Seagrove is the woman involved. The Germans want to set up an anchorage in the South Pacific and try to use Ponape which means they need to offer a sacrifice i.e. Jenny. Tommy and Jenny's husband to the rescue. It was fun.

 

Hanger 18. After a shuttle has an encounter with a UFO, the returning astronauts are grounded while scientists try to work on the downed UFO. And certain government people try to keep the things quiet. May have inspired Chris Carter for the X-Files.

 

 

I'll probably watch Hangar 18 now. I remember the tv ads from the (early!) Eighties and I was always meaning to watch it.

Nate and Hayes also sounds good. I appreciate your recommendations, DT.

2 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

Got it. Champions III, p. 6. One of the book's contributing authors used this and a few other in-game incidents involving his PC, Revenant, to illustrate character growth over a campaign. (The stories span a couple of pages in the book.)

I remembered the story but couldn't place it. I have that book!

Found a contact email for the dude. Yay!

2 hours ago, Badger said:

Oh and the Garth episode always left me conflicted:

 

Green scantily clad Yvonne Craig=hot

 

Green scantily clad Yvonne Craig with a knife=I am a little scared

 

Note: And come on you blow up the only woman on the planet.

OMG that was Batgirl? Why didn't I know that!?!

10 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

I can always ask Bruce, if you want. I am currently working on a small side art project for him, and it involves Foxbat.  

Please ask Bruce! That's so cool that you're doing that. I'm super-jealous!

I feel like this answer will go a long way to solving the IP controversy we're talking about on the campaign world wiki thread. I was trying to brainstorm what people are worried about, and I was like, "Oh yeah, Foxbat in Champions Online must be the reason everyone is concerned, because there was money in that."

 It's like magic that you and I have a similar perspective on the IP angle for the project and you have connections to Bruce Harlick.

*alarm clock goes off*  Aw, hell...

15 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

AFAIK Foxbat isn't currently a character licensed by Bruce Harlick. I was under the distinct impression DOJ Inc. owned the character outright, and when they sold the Champions IP to Cryptic Studios Foxbat went with it, with Cryptic licensing the use of the IP to Hero Games in perpetuity. Bruce's past licensing of Champions characters like Marksman and Flare to Eclipse Comics, and now Dennis Mallonee's Heroic Publishing, don't apply to Champions Online.

 

If you have current information to the contrary, please share it.

Thank you! Would you say/guess that any independent creators made money licensing characters to Champions Online?

My favorite is A Private Little War. I watched it again recently because it's one of the episodes that seems like Kirk had to really think about a decision involving the Prime Directive etc. And the solution isn't perfect, but he refused to wash his hands of it. It kind of parallels a lot of real-world situations.

It is the episode that I most think of as tackling a tough no-win situation, like the Kobayashi Maru.

I love ❤️Bruce Harlick❤️, and in my opinion he's one of the funniest and most creative rpg writers in existence.

Over on another thread, we're discussing the trickiness of building a project with multiple creators, and the pitfalls of intellectual property licenses.

Does anyone know how much money he got when he licensed Foxbat for Champions Online? I feel a ballpark idea or as much info as we have might make our decisions easier on that other thread. I feel like this might be the very valid reason we're approaching a stalemate on the IP license issue.

(My preliminary research indicates that perhaps Bruce Harlick was part of the City of Heroes/Champions Online design team? Any Hero historians out there? Help!)

Anyone got any ideas on how to contact the creator of the software to get permission to use the images?

I tried the software online but I didn't see any copyright info. Then again, there was a lot of Portuguese...

I'll probably go back and quote people specifically, but generally, I love where this is going.

When I post my comments, I am totally not married to any of my ideas. What I mean is, I want to shape this idea into a workable project. My only agenda is to get the wiki finished and to make it good. 

My sense from the recent posts:

1) That we should focus on making a campaign resource that fits with a real city or cities. In truth, my campaigns never ever use fake cities and I prefer the Marvel approach. I use Google maps, at least once a week in Champions, in precisely the way Scott Ruggels describes:

2 hours ago, Scott Ruggels said:

Hyperbrick smacked Arachnid Boy at the corner of Fairfax & Pico, would the knockback carry him all the way to Sepulveda Blvd.

2) Although there is support for the "kiss your IP rights goodbye" approach (which I personally prefer), I am also familiar with the arrangements that were made for Foxbat and Gargoyle and Marksman and Flare etc.

9 minutes ago, Tjack said:

    Actually, the term “mercy bullet” came from Doc Savage using them in his pulp novels in the 1930’s.

I found it in a 1927 newspaper quote:

But yeah, the Doc was probably the first superhero to use it.

Source:

https://books.google.ca/books?id=XXQqCAWcZ8cC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=1927+daily+express+mercy+bullet&source=bl&ots=kOq1euOj58&sig=ACfU3U3rOZ0LA--riRDJWWIedOAS62djZA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwipy9HNvcTqAhUbCc0KHURQDUsQ6AEwCnoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=1927 daily express mercy bullet&f=false

On 7/9/2020 at 2:17 PM, Lord Liaden said:

Well, the 5E Gadgets And Gear book has tons of varied stuff, and in PDF isn't too expensive: https://www.herogames.com/store/product/252-gadgets-and-gear-pdf/

 

However, if you're more interested in cool concepts than game stats, I recommend the Gadgets! module for 3E Champions. Every item is given a background history and distinctively-described SFX, which IMHO give them more color and style than later Hero gadget publications. https://www.herogames.com/store/product/835-gadgets-3rd-edition-pdf/

 

I forgot I actually have this book! In softcover. I'll have to dig it out!

I always loved the layout of this cover. Is Daniel R. Horne still doing Hero art?

2 hours ago, archer said:

 

I'm not sure how that works (and don't have the patience to wade through potential legalese at the moment).  Nor do I know how group projects, in general, work when it comes to creator rights.

 

Me too. But I am good at legalese and I will make sure that it's in place.

Let me start by saying I am soooooooooooooooooooooooo happy you wrote your response. I felt like this thread was just going to die a lonely death. I'm happy you are considering the idea and that may mean others are too.

2 hours ago, archer said:

 

Let's say I contribute some really cool idea that I've been toying with for decades and it gets included in a small part of the book. I decide later that I can finally dedicate the time to flesh out that idea as it's own book.

 

1) The concept for this wiki book is that all the profits go to HERO. Would I still have ownership rights of my contribution and be able to write my own for-my-profit book using it? Could HERO tell me "no"? Could I take it and use it in another non-HERO universe or have I permanently ceded the idea to be part of the HERO universe (unless I file of the serial numbers and rename everything)? I don't have a particular problem with it staying in the HERO universe but if I think of an awesome short story to use it in the Wild Cards universe, it'd be nice to know whether it's worth my time plotting it out and pitching the idea before I spend my time obsessively thinking it through.

 

I see your point. I honestly feel that--and people are going to dislike my position on this--you should kiss any rights goodbye when you add to this project. Think of it like you were writing an episode of "Criminal Minds." You wouldn't expect to be able to use that idea again. But your name would be on it. I can develop the license so that our names remain attached to the parts we did. But I feel that should be that. You can choose to donate or not donate. You can choose to donate a character write-up or the history of the mayor's life or a backstory about how the local TV station is controlled by a criminal organization. Or you can add nothing. Honestly, it's these details that halt projects like this, and I totally get it. But could we start with the premise that it's actually goodbye to the intellectual property and we won't be disappointed...?

2 hours ago, archer said:

 

2) Would I have any control over how my contribution is used in the future in HERO products? Not that I expect that my contribution will turn out to be secretly willing pawns of Evil Space Nazis From Outer Space if some other author touches it but I expect that my contribution will turn out to be secretly willing pawns of Evil Space Nazis From Outer Space if someone else touches it.

 

I think, I honestly believe, that the nature of this project will mean that everyone is afraid to touch it with a 10-foot pole afterward, commercially speaking. Like, Hero will say, "Geez, do we really wanna mess with this weird license? What are the implications?" I think if my wildest dreams came true, this wiki would be completed, maybe 2000 people would access it, and Hero Games would become the nexus of this kind of player-generated content. We would be drawing in like-minded people and popularizing Hero.

2 hours ago, archer said:

3) What happens with those ideas that I throw out for the wiki which don't get chosen to be included? Does that material remain part of the group effort perhaps for inclusion their second or third campaign book (or to go dormant because those ideas belong to a mostly defunct group)? Do those ideas become open for use by the other contributors in their HERO projects because they were once part of the group? Or do all rights revert to me?

 

The ideas will be included automatically because of the wiki format. If I can get it set up, and I'm sure I can, then whatever you wrote would be canon. Period. There would be no vetting. Yes, that's disturbing, unprofessional, counter-intuitive etc., but it's the only way I think this project can work anyway. So if archer writes that the TV station owner is named Kevin Jameson, we may wince, and we may say, "Geez, that reminds me of J. Jonah..." but unless it's offensive or infringing on some existing intellectual property, we leave it.

If we're talking about printing a book and chopping down the sheer amount of text, then yes, information will be deleted, but will remain available in the full wiki.

2 hours ago, archer said:

 

Tossing off casual ideas off the top of my head or helping someone else fine tune their idea is one thing. I'll literally do that all day long for fun.

 

But offering ideas which I've put quite a bit of thought into over the course of years is quite a bit different, for me at least.

 

Very much looking forward to the project. Just trying to clarify to what extent I can feel comfortable contributing ideas in which I've become emotionally invested.

I think your first sentence in the quote is the key. Do not overthink it. This is a fun exercise. Keep the level of "casual ideas off the top of my head." Don't use the ones close to your heart. I feel that is the key. If you are thinking twice about including something, don't include it. 

I imagine the wiki is composed of some cool stuff, like the main hero team, how the mafia of the city (or cities) is constructed, etc. But also some lame but necessary details, such as the main industry of the city, street names, where he dog pound is located. So if you're reluctant to give away any cool stuff, chip away at the mundane instead while we all figure out where the project is going.

PS: I did not fully answer all of your questions, but my son wants me to watch a movie with him so I am cutting it here!

1 minute ago, archer said:

Transform is an interesting effect. Ultron once used an Encephalo-Beam weapon on the Avengers which was basically "Transform target person into a coma patient".

 

A less severe option might be "Transform target into someone who has to spend x2 END for any action". That sounds a little more like the power an evil GM would give to next week's villain but I could see a hero using it in an attempt to cripple a villain who is otherwise too tough to handle.

Yeah, I hadn't considered Transform or Drain!

This is really helping!!!

50 minutes ago, archer said:

Synapse-Sticks: escrima sticks that Drain INT. Most characters don't buy up INT so it doesn't take much to take them down to 0 INT or less. See your edition for the effects of 0 INT but I think the effect is generally that a person with 0 INT or less has to make an INT roll if they want to take a different action (if they blow the roll, they just continue doing what they were doing because they literally can't think of anything better to do).

 

Obviously more humorous if you catch them doing something inappropriate rather than punching you. For example, if they're getting up off the floor, they'd continue to try to get up off the floor whether or not they were already up.

This is inspiring me! I never thought of using Drain. I'm definitely going to incorporate this. Perhaps a blaster that does a regular EB plus an INT drain. Maybe an INT/DEX drain--a drug effect similar to the sleepy juice below

32 minutes ago, steriaca said:

What can be more "Punisher Light" then "mercy bullets", bullets with a wax tip filled with sleepy juice. They do body damage, but are not as lethal as full bullets.

 

Blame Marvel for that.

10 hours ago, dsatow said:

 

Holographic 3D emitters.  Make 6 of you with images sight and sound.

Stun Knux.  Basically Tasers built into brass knuckles.

 

These two above I love! This is exactly the kind of thing I'm trying to think of!

Examples: 

-That batarang from one of the Ninteties Batman movies where he could program certain targets

-A net Entangle gun that also does NND damage

-Leg-targeting bolos (AI and jet-assisted)

That's all I got. Like I said, I'm having trouble. Slightly futuristic but not silly, something that allows the athletic hero to deal with multiple opponents but without crossing the "Oh come on" threshold. 

I'm building a character for a superhero campaign. He's like the Punisher, but he's not as lethal. Like Punisher Lite.

I'm not looking for non-lethal weapons. Having played Champions a long time, I sometimes feel like I just want something cool and interesting to do rather than necessarily being super-effective. I guess what I mean is, I'm not trying to make a Combat Monster. I just want some cool gadgets that will change the narrative of the game. Ideally, some gadgets that might even change the course of the story. (Regular guns, grenades, tasers, those are run-of-the-mill.)

I can probably justify almost any gadget, since alien tech and magic items are in play in the campaign.

I guess what I'm asking is: What cool gadgets have you used that are fun to use in combat and do damage, but are not murderous? Not, like, a trident or something. Something unpredictable but opponents will be "Whoah, what the heck was that?" and not "That's just stupid."

PS: He's in between Batman and Punisher for lethality. He has no code against killing but doesn't like to kill. If he accidentally kills he's like, "Yeesh. Sorry about that."

Anyone know if the Hero-O-Matic images can be used in publications? (Copyright issues?)

Is there a blurb when you install it?

This link appears to be still valid:

https://voltron42.github.io/apps/hero-o-matic/