eloch

Re: Dulce Base: The new Area 51? I've always wondered about the janitors who work at places like this or Area 51 or the Pentagon. They still need super top secret security clearance because they would work around sensitive material but they take out the trash and clean the toilets like regular old janitors. That might make a good PC or NPC, a member of the elite top secret Janitor Corps or maybe a pair of them stumble upon a piece of alien or experimental technology in the trash and plot hooks ensue...

Hey don't know if there has ever been a discussion of the ill fated Champions computer game but I ran acrosss this article and it's pretty interesting. http://www.gamespot.com/features/pcgraveyard_champions/index.html E

Re: Penalty of Death Hey all, Don't mean to be seen as picking on you but I have some questions about the gameworld you are designing. A) If you are putting people to death to harvest their organs and then putting their brains in robot bodies, why not just put sick peoples brain sin robot bodies? Then they aren't sick and the medical profession doesn't get involved in questionable ethical organ harvesting. Doctors take oaths kind of seriously. Plenty of people are willing to fight for their homeland. People needn't be desperate criminals with nothing to lose. In fact I would hazzard a guess that most citizens woudl be happy to help out in the fight against terrorists. C) Death penalty for tax evasion?? WTF?? It sounds like te government is the one that needs to be fought against. Unless that is your story, the characters eventually side with the terrorists, relizing they are freedom fighters and the government is a bunch of tyrants. I understand that any type of roleplaying involves a certain amount of suspensin of disbelief but you have to make a gameworld obey it's own internal logic. Unless I'm just not understanding you the premise seems needlessly complicated. Perhaps you overthought it? I don't want to pick apart your idea, and I don't want to be seen as attacking it. I hope my questions help you and help flesh out the campaign more and come up with even better ideas. E

Re: Penalty of Death Personally, as a player, I would not want to play this campaign. Let me see my character has the option of doing everything he is told or having his brains blown up? Hmm.... Let me think. Sorry but this just doesn't sound very fun to me. As a player and a GM I hate leading characters around by the nose. To me a lot of what is interestign about gaming is that you plan for options A,B, or C and your characters go ahead and make up their own option D. This scenario seems they can only do exactly as they are instructed, OR ELSE!! Not a lot of fun IMHO. If you are dead set on this type of a campaign I would suggest a Strikeforce Morituri approach where characters are given super powers, but a very short lifespan in exchange to help out their country. Sorry but I really can't wrap my brain around why you would use convicts to fight terrorism instead of S.E.A.L.S., unless it has somethign to do with the extended story arc of the narrative. E

Re: secretary to heroes What are Ginger's combat stats?? Or is Ginger an OAF??

Re: What Champions Books Would You Like Published in the Future? Do you mean the Equipment guide? I don't see a "Gadgets and Gear" book in the current rooster of guides and supplements. Just wondering. E

Re: So...About Seeker... Well regardless can someone please remove Seeker as one of the characters on the left hand side of the screen underneath the menu options, please. If you wait long enough, he'll pop up and six more weeks of winter! Another thing I hated (other than Seeker) was when old Champions artwork showed Defender blasting people with energy blasts when he didn't actually have any. I think he's doing it on the cover of The Zodiac Conspiracy. E

Re: Distinctive Special Effects This was the crux of th original question: I think we've gotten off track, not that the idea aren't worth exploring, with Superpowered CSIs. I think we got bogged down in bat-a-rangs. It would appear most people think the answer is, if you want to use it as a disadvantage, you should be prepared to have it used against you as a disadvantage, and have a very good argument for it to sell it to your GM. GMs have the final say in what goes in their campaign. E

Re: Running a riot? Hey all, Thanks for the input from everyone. I like some of the thoughts, especially on PRE since I hadn't really thought about that. I have to disagree with a couple of things. 1) I don't think the smallest riot can be 10 people. I think it should be much higher than that, 10 people rioting is a party that got out of hand and would quickly be suppressed by police. A riot would have to outnumber police officers or national guard by a great deal. 2) I personally not "just describe it." especially if the heroes are there and trying to stop it. No, I wouldn't rules lawyer it or count each hex carefully either. It would have to be kind of free form I'll admit. Having said that I was thinking the best way woudl be to play it loose and let PCs who have high PRE or mental powers that efffect large groups of people have the most succes at stopping it, and if anyone uses obvious displays of power (even if it's stun only) that would just make things worse. Story-wise the important things are what caused the riot and what happens afterwards. If cops are killed or if cops kill people that can lead to more rioting. I was thinking that important NPCs (politicians, DNPCs, public figures) would have to make some kind of survival roll to see how much (if any) injuries they sustained. And if you are wondering, no my campaign city isn't a nice place to live in. E

Hi all, Does anyone have any rules, advice, or experience in GMing a riot with Hero System rules? I'm talking about a real riot that overturns cars and loots stores and destroys city blocks. Something like the Rodney King or WTO riots. Anything you can add would help, thanks. E

Re: What Champions Books Would You Like Published in the Future? Hi all, I am not a big fan of the Ultimate: insert Archetype sort of books. To me it smacks of the D&D "Complete insert Archetype Guide" which if you think about it; having a cookie cutter title ultimately leads to cookie cutter characters. I think a book that outlines "The Ultimate" anything leads to less creativity and tends to make players think there is a "right" and a "wrong" way to make their character, and the point of having a flexible system like Hero Games is that there isn't. Also if a player is trying to make his character "The Ultimate" of an archetype he probably is focusing on things that are more related to the mechanics and system of the game rather than the narrative and story of the game; which to me is what is really interesting. Don't get me wrong I think Munchkinism and Power Gameing have their place but interesting characters and engaging narratives will always win out, as will a well thought background story. E

Re: Distinctive Special Effects As another note, super heros pick a particular theme (bats let's say) to make sure everyone knows who he is. It is in essence part of his PRE. Bruce Wayne isn't particularly imposing, but Batman is. Most bank robbers wouldn't fight a guy who shows up wearing tights and a cape with a big "S" oon his chest, they'd just surrender and get it over with. If they didn't know who he was (i.e. Distinctive Features) they wouldn't care. If you think about it it is a ridiculous thing to wear, unless of course you're Superman. Also Batman's "distinctive features" serve practical purposes; they chest symbol is a target that has extra armor (Dark Knight). Yes villians (or whoever) can impersonate them but they also carry the weight of their own reputation while they are carry those "distinctive features". As an aside a good plot hook to tie in with this theme would be having some poor schmuck impersonate the hero(es) and is so convincing a villian belives them. The hero then has to go save the poor guy and ultimatley his reputatoin as well. E

Re: Distinctive Special Effects Hi all, I think it doesn't have to be a disadvantage unless you want it to be. That is you can have Bat-a-rangs and your patented catch phrase and whatever but if you as a player choose to have a disadvantage based on it then I think a GM shoudl feel free to make it one, by having your arch enemy plant your Bat-a-rangs at the scene of a murder adn yell your catchphrase as he flees the scene dressed liek you making sure there are plenty of witnesses. If it is a Phsych limit and the character honestly can not just throw a knife at someone then if I was GMing I woudl also make them have charges or some limited number until he can get back to the bat cave a restock. Also you can put limitations on a power if the character really MUST say Shazam or whatever to activate it. Keep in mind according to the rules you actually can have a wife and kids and a secret identity but unless you choose them as disadvantages the GM really (in theory) shouldn't exploit them or have them get kidnapped or have you exposed. Basically if a player makes it a disadvantage the GM shoudl feel free to use it if not, don't sweat it. That's my two cents. E

Re: Who is the best Archaic/Anachronism/whatever in comics? Who was/is your favorite Cowboy in comics? Oops! Going to change my vote on this one to The Dead Ranger from Planetary.

Re: Who is the best Archaic/Anachronism/whatever in comics? Who was/is your favorite Cowboy in comics? Jonah Hex for me too Who was/is your favorite Ninja in comics? The Ninja's from the Tick with the mighty District Manager to lead them, gets a nod from me also Who was your favorite Archer/Robin Hood type? Green Arrow, especially in the Dark Knight where he fires his bow with his teeth. Got any other favorites? (Samuraii, Cavemen, etc) I think we are all missing one of the biggest Anachronism of all, the dreaded villian Turner D Century!! He was a crappy "villian" who wore a an olde timey straw had, had a handle bar mustache and rode one of this bikes with the huge front wheels. I think he had a life span of one issue. Lousy idea, I mean complete crap, what were they thinking. Also I guess Alley Oop would be my vote for Caveman even though he speaks perfect english and travels through time, he still uses a big club. E