Amorkca

Wolfgang's, where the food is excellent, the spirits are great, and the service is superb. At least according to many of the food reviews the restaurant has received. The restaurant covers two floors. The lower floor is where most guests are seated. The upper floor is generally reserved for private gatherings. Such as the one Dr. Kristina Tyler arranged.
 
“Oh, I am so not looking forward to later,” Trese lamented.
 
Dani reached over and gave Trese's hand a quick squeeze. “It'll be okay, Trese. Just tell them that you're taking over and there'll be a new way of doing things from here on out.”
 
Trese smiled. “Yeah, somehow I don't quite see that going over too well.”
 
“Is there something wrong?” Kris asked.
 
“Jason. He raked one of the department heads over the coals. It was brutal.” After a moment, Trese added, “And I don't think it was entirely justified. I think it has more to do with Jason not sleeping properly than anything that was actually wrong.”
 
Kris frowned. “I plan on checking on him before you guys leave. One more thing to ask him about.”
 
“You all packed and ready to go?” Ash asked.
 
“Yeah,” Trese answered. “Not a lot that I absolutely have to take. Mostly things to do for the ten-odd hours I'll be a prisoner in the jet. Mr. Fluffy is laying on my bag ready to go.”
 
“Hey!” Dani objected. “I told you before, Mr. Fluffy is mine!”
 
Trese smiled and looked at Dani. “Yes, but he's my security blanket when you can't be.”
 
“Who the hell is Mr. Fluffy?” Brad asked while indicating his glass to the server.
 
“Well, I guess that's okay then,” Dani said with a smile. “He's my cat,” she said to Brad.
 
“I didn't know you had one,” he said while the server poured.
 
Slicing off a bit of her steak, Dani said, “There's lots about me you don't know.”
 
“So, what's everyone's plans for Christmas?” Ash asked. “I know some of us are supposed to be at Warren's.”
 
“Being a good little corporate master,” Trese said. “If everything goes well and I can sneak off, I'll be there.”
 
“You'd better be,” Dani said. “That room gets cold with only one person in it.”
 
Most laughed. “I don't think that'll be an issue,” Ash said.
 
“I've got two shows over the weekend. We're giving a special matinee for some school kids on Friday.”
 
“Sorry I'm going to miss them,” Trese said.
 
“What about you, Kris?”
 
“Me? Hospital. Single, uninvolved me will be working twelve to sixteen hours covering for the family oriented.”
 
“Leaving me alone for the holidays,” Kari lamented. “I picked up some volunteer work. Going to help Santa hand out presents to the underprivileged.” Kris smiled at her twin.
 
“Brad?”
 
Brad looked at his plate. “Debating between going to my parents' or locking myself in my room until after Christmas.”
 
Jenny gave him an annoyed look. “It won't be that bad.”
 
“Not for you and Stef. It never is. Or for Will, for that matter.”
 
Lisa Sheffield looked at Brad and frowned. For a moment her mask slipped and she showed concern for him. She was still angry with him. She turned her attention to Leah when she spoke.
 
“So, where is Jason this evening?” Leah smiled at the server when her glass was refilled. “I figured he'd be here.”
 
“Jason let me organize dinner,” Kris said. “That is the extent of his involvement in the holidays so far. As to where he is, he has a date tonight.”
 
“Oh,” Leah said quietly, looking at her wine glass.
 
“With anyone interesting?” Ash asked.
 
“Yes.”
 
“Who?”
 
“I can't say,” Kris said.
 
“Is it Charley? Is that why she isn't here?” asked Dani.
 
“Charley is...at something of a loss with the Witch being gone,” Ash said.
 
“It can't be that interesting,” Kari said. “It isn't with me.”
 
Kris gave Kari an annoyed look. “Remind me again who at this table has an issue with Jason? Besides Brad, I mean.”
 
Brad snorted.
 
“I can't help it,” Kari said. “That hurt.”
 
Kris gave a pointed look. “It wasn't you he did it to.”
 
Kari looked at her plate, picking at the remnants of her dinner. “It still hurt.”
 
“And he's apologized. Numerous times.”
 
“Lisa? What plans do you have?” Ash asked.
 
“Heading home after finals. Then back in January when classes start up again.” She smiled at Ash. “Finals will be a breeze.”
 
“Powers?”
 
Lisa shrugged. “I can't help it. It isn't like they come with an off switch.”
 
Adalene Masters wiped her mouth with a napkin, smiled at Lisa, and said, “That control will come in time.”
 
“Dr. Tyler?” the hostess approached.
 
“Yes?”
 
“Knowing your penchant for chocolate, the dessert chef has made French silk pie. Would you perhaps like a slice?”
 
Ash saw Kris' eyes sparkle. “Here we go.”
 
“Please,” Kris said, nodding. The hostess moved off.
 
“I would like to thank you for the invitation, Doctor,” Adalene said.
 
“You're one of us. You know that.” Adalene nodded her head while turning her wine glass.
 
“So, Addie, what are your plans?” Ash asked.
 
Adalene smiled. “Same thing every year. Keep the world free of ghosts and goblins so Santa can do his thing.”
 
The busboy came by and removed plates, followed by the server setting out dessert plates with slices of the pie. “Oh, that does look good,” Dani said. The server placed the last plate and moved their cart away.
 
“Oh, it is good,” Kris said, smiling around a bite of the pie. Dani took a bite off her slice with her fork. Her phone started an incessant beeping.
 
“Why is it always when I'm eating?” she lamented.
 
“Maybe because you're always eating?” Brad said, glancing at his watch.
 
“Bite me, Michaels.” Dani looked up. Everyone was checking their phones except Kris, who was busy with her pie. “Why is mine the only one going off?”
 
Ash shrugged. “Where's the fire?”
 
“The Tower.” Dani stood up and looked at her uneaten dessert. “Damn it.” She looked around, noting that none of the staff were visible and headed for the balcony. She looked at her long red dress and matching shoes. “Oh, double damn it.” She kicked off her shoes.
 
“I'll get them,” Trese said.
 
Dani slipped out onto the balcony and threw herself into the air. Her evening dress ignited and fell away.
 
“New dress for Dani this year,” Brad joked.
 
Kris' phone beeped once. She lifted it up, looked at the screen, and touched it before setting it back down. “Okay, so what's going on?” Ash asked.
 
“Wait and see,” Kris said smiling as she took another bite.

A thought on vampires:
 
Vampires have been around for millennia in the CU, but most of the time they weren't very powerful -- at least not by superbeing standards -- and they had such severe Disadvantages that a competent mortal who knew what he was doing didn't really find them hard to destroy. Sure, they had "uncanny strength!" To ordinary people, a slip of a girl with 18 STR is uncanny. Mind Control? 6d6 is pretty scary if its used cleverly, in a world where mental powers mostly don't exist at all. But no, even in remote Eastern Europe you didn't have vampires ruling villages as dark blood-lords of the night.
 
Then the mana surged, and a few vampires found their powers greatly increasing until they ccould brawl with superbeings on the same level. Some might have made credible attempts to subvert and rule entire countries.
 
And then the mana fades and they find their powers fading back to the old level... unless they feed on living superbeings. Then they can slow the decline or even boost their powers back to the prevailing level. For a while. Maybe a year or two. Then they feel their powers start to fade again and must hunt for a new super-powered victim.
 
In some ways, therefore, vampires become *more* dangerous in this period. They don't understand about ambient mana, but some of them figure out that super-powered blood enhances their own power. And they are desperate not to fade again.
 
Dean Shomshak

Mum had a trip out shopping and experienced using the disabled trolley in two shops. This clipped nicely onto the wheelchair which Mum needs for prolonged periods if outdoors. Managed to get the Christmas goose and a number of other minor items. Also got sherry and spirits needed for Christmas

I made more of my own content back in the day when I didn't have to juggle game time in between family and a demanding job.
 
What I especially like to do now is take professionally created content and then modify it to suit my players.  This is far less time consuming and comes with professionally drawn maps, handouts, fleshed out and familiar worlds with their own history, etc.
 
I suspect a large chunk of the population that played Champions, Danger International, Fantasy HERO and so on have grown up and had families and don't have the same kind of free time they did back in the 80s/90s.
 
I think a stack of high quality adventures for Champions and Fantasy HERO would have sold quite well when the player base was larger.  That's a complete guess on my part of course, but I would throw money at my screen to get adventures.  Evermist, for example, is not on the same production quality level, but I bought it immediately and it was quite good.

Just a quick update: I am receiving positive feedback from  the players so far. They say they are enjoying the game and want to continue. I am having a blast. It had been a long time since I have been excited about the hobby. Hero system rocks!
 

"Right. Who wants to go via air Lady Heart first?" She inspects the group she is assigned to fly out of. "I can probably do two or three at once, as long as nobody is shooting lasers and stuff at me and I don't have to get people down fast. My, I guess this is the first time most of you seen a for real anime style magical girl before. Don't worry, I didn't make a contract with a demon cat."

I have had a lot of trouble building Spider-Man, especially without using any Focus. 
 
His Bugging is the Spider Trackers.
 
His Eidetic Memory is his Camera.
 
His Stretching is Spider-Man using his web slingers to grab and object.

Well how far west?  WE talking Texas?  Nevada?  This will give an idea of terrain outside the city.  
 
As far as concepts, take an idea I saw in a villain supplement.  Up till now the city has had some Super's, but not a lot.  Now some enterprising villains have decided to re-locate.  Thus the need for some stalwart heroes.  
 
Also maybe a high tech firm (Star Labs) has decided to open a branch here as it is supposed to be a quiet area for research and development: Cue more bad guys coming in to rob a place that seems to be a push over.
 
Gurps had a villain supplement with an organisation called Technological Research And Development Enterprises (TRADE).  They steal high tech gear to look at and make cheap knockoffs.  Because it is so quiet, they have a major research area in the city.  Just waiting for heroes to run into it.  
 
Maybe a giant Dream Catcher outside of town with a mystic guardian that is getting old and things are .... getting loose!

Well I had to invest in a Questionite coffee table after my No Conscious Control +30 Str buy with XP and unfortunately somebody built it as a Penetrating Damage Shield so....

So, being that I speak Adobe and being that I have some skillz (lulz), I would like to make an offer to ALL Hall of Champions participants. I am happy to help create high quality covers, previews and final products for upload.
 
For free.
 
I've seen a ton of shout outs on Facebook and the covers are blurry and terrible (I mean no offense...). I would like to level-up our social media presence and this will go a long way towards making it all look "more shiny".
 
I can also create FB sized previews that fit better (also Instagram and Twitter), so you can ensure your product puts its best foot forward (we can forward these to Jason if he's cool with that...).
 
Hit me via DM or email me directly at trechriron (with at) gmail (dot commage)
 
(My final goal would be to create some templates and scripts to help auto generate this in the future.)

I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who said, "Please accept my apologies for writing such a long letter; I did not have time to write a short one."

No; sorry.  I wasn't still typing.  I was reading, then I had to get up and take my daughter to the municipal park-- she's in the chorus and was part of the tree-lighting celebration.  I had left the window up all that time.  Just as I was walking in the door, my wife (night nurse) called me saying that she had left her lunch in the fridge.  After examining it, I decided that this was unsuitable fare for the weather tonight, heated up some of the sausage and veggie soup I froze over the weekend, and carried here that.  Most of what looked like "typing time" was actually just an open keyboard.
 
Turns out I had time for  a wall of text, though!  
 

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What worries me most is he's laughing and still typing!!! 🤣

Kira watched from a distance as Jason moved along stalls. He had a messenger bag slung over one shoulder. She had watched when someone had tried taking it from him. In a few seconds she realized what would happen if Jason felt he had reason to hurt someone. The only people that moved like that were the monitors. Doctor Tyler said he wasn't one, but Kira wasn't assured.
 
Jason stopped at one stall and pointed at something behind the seller. Kira saw him glance her way and she ducked behind a box. After a moment she peeked out. Jason was holding something up to the seller whose eyes went wide. The seller, Kira wasn't sure who it was, it might have been Gummer, held up a hand with the fingers spread. Jason shook his head and held up one finger. “You learned haggling pretty quick,” she whispered.
 
Gummer, and she saw it was Gummer, dropped his head. Then he looked back up at Jason and held up four fingers. Something else caught Jason's attention and he pointed to it. Gummer nodded. He put his hand back up with four fingers up. Jason shook his head and held up three fingers. Jason said something and Gummer smiled and laughed. He nodded his head and took the items Jason had pointed out and rolled them up together.
 
Jason handed over whatever it was he had offered and pulled two more out of his bag. Gummer handed the bundle over to Jason. Jason put the collection into his bag. Something bothered Kira about that, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

OCC: Grond is currently in Chicago, wrecking havoc with the lower floors of the Trump International Hotel and Tower.  Trump, who is not President of the United States, will not be amused when he finds out.

WARNING WARNING!!!
 
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Cart before the horse, but yes.  Multiple move-by, sweep, rapid fire, mecha gangfire, then 4th edition.  
 
Edit:  Dang it, I keep seeing this thread pop up and thinking it's for me.   

Tech-vs-magic is a recurrent theme in much of Norton's early fantasy work, most explicitly her two "Janus" novels.
 
I have to admit, I've long been intrigued by the idea of a campaign based around a war between a magic-based fantasy world, and a technology-wielding alien invader. I would like to use Hero's Atlantean Age setting, with the Atlantean global empire at its height, as the invaded world. With their magically-enhanced and -armed soldiers, war golems, sky-ships and sky-chariots, not to mention wizards with mighty elemental combat magicks, Atlantis would make a far more appropriate opponent for a tech-equipped army than most fantasy societies. On the other side of the coin, Champions Beyond briefly describes a malevolent alien race called the Ghok'pa, destroyed by the Star*Guard "tens of thousands of years ago" (about in the Atlantean ballpark) after they tried to enslave other worlds using "the dark mental powers of their priests." That sounds like a motif that wouldn't be a major tonal discord with a fantasy milieu.

Sorry for disappearing there for awhile. Just had a bunch of stuff going on that got in the way of other stuff. Hopefully it shan't happen again.

One of these days I should update her to 6E. She's always been one of my favorite characters.

I've often thought about this one from a character building perspective.  Before I get into that I would suggest if this is strictly a GM thing that you ignore building it at all and just tell players they're normal humans now (whatever that means).
 
From a character building perspective I often think that a mutant should be built like a human first.  Which means any stats in the superhuman range should be purchased as powers only.  So your mutant brick may have a 60 strength total but only 10-20 base.  The balance of the bricks strength would be purchased as a power.  All mutant powers (including characteristics purchased as powers) should have the Unified Power limitation.  This means that a Drain against one power affects all powers simultaneously which should mean building a mutant collar would be much more straightforward.
 
I've kinda wanted to run a mutant game using these build guidelines for awhile now.
 
Another option would be to have some sort of Physical Complication that all mutants must take. 
 
Personally, I like the Unified Power approach more as it adds flavor to the builds and it just seems more interesting to me.  After all, what does normal human mean?  Colossus is built when he's not armored up... does it make sense that if you slap a collar on him that he would have a 10 strength like Jubilee?  The Unified Power approach can actually address that issue quite simply, all it requires is a bit of ground rules to be laid.