The Main Man

Re: Multiform for Alternate Martial Arts Stances/Forms/Styles Okay, here's a sample character I call "Li Liu." Those Champions 6e templates really came in handy - making this character made me love them. Li Liu has three separate Kung Fu styles - Shaolin Tiger, Bear, and Monkey - each a Low-Powered Superheroic (300 Base/ 60 Matching Complications) character unto themself. His base "form," Shaolin Tiger, has extra points to account for the Multiform - in a full campaign, every character would be built like this. I attached the raw Hero Designer v3 files and in a moment I'll make a second post with raw text exports.

Re: Multiform for Alternate Martial Arts Stances/Forms/Styles That's cool to know. As for some demonstrative characters, give me some time and I hope to have a character made with, let's say, three forms? Hopefully I can post within next week. Also, I just remembered another inspiration: the 3D Mortal Kombat games (Deadly Alliance, Deception, Armageddon) all involved changing stances for different dial-a-combos.

Re: Multiform for Alternate Martial Arts Stances/Forms/Styles

Re: Using INT in Combat 1. Interesting. I've never played SW D6, but luckily I have a friend who can hook me up, because now I want to read more about that. 2. True, Haymakers could be a little trickier. I think that it may come down to whether one has both a higher DEX and a higher INT than the one using the Haymaker, where it would be easiest to avoid the attack in the first place, because a lower INT would mean avoiding the Haymaker requires a DEX/INT/PER roll to change action, while a lower DEX would require an Aborted action to avoid it. And of course, Haymakers last for that extra segment in order for targets to have a chance to abort their action to defend.

Re: Multiform for Alternate Martial Arts Stances/Forms/Styles If shoehorned into a preexisting campaign, perhaps. If used as a campaign ground rule, I think the cost would be irrelevent as a character can be given enough points to account for it.

Re: Tying Heroic Action Points to Complications

Re: Tying Heroic Action Points to Complications Basically, with a direct incentive in play (HAPs), some players may try to squeeze every HAP out of the GM that they can get, but all the while they break the spirit of Complications by their persistent insistence on their presence in the game. "What do you mean I don't get HAPs for not killing that purse-snatching hood? I have Code Versus Killing, you know." "But I can't use the stairs - I'm in a wheelchair. I don't want to use the elevator." "Does he see that I use Shaolin Kung Fu as my martial arts style? Surely the waiter is interested in my Distinctive Features: Style."

This was an idea I had last week and I figured that I'd share it with the HERO forums. While having redundant Martial Maneuvers within individual Martial Arts Packages works fine as it is, and buying situational CSLs and the like is too, I though of something that may be more flavorful for a good ole "My Kung Fu is Stronger Than Yours!" Kind of campaign. Essentially, every Martial Arts style that a character has is a Multiform with tweaked Characteristics, Skills (mostly CSLs, Combat Skills, and Martial Maneuvers), Talents, Powers, and maybe even Complications (new Physical Complications, Distinctive Features, Susceptibilities, all based on the stance, etc) though the Perks probably stay the same. For example, my base form might use Crane Kung Fu, but when I switch to my Drunken Monkey style, I switch to a new sheet that may have different STR, DEX, OCV, DCV, SPD, etc values, as well as different CSLs, and certainly different Martial Maneuvers. It might have Environmental Movement versus being Drunk in this form, while it might lack it in the Crane sheet. The possibilities are probably endless, but what does anyone think of the idea? I personally wish I had a campaign to use it in.

Background: I play in a group of eight-eleven people, so sometimes combat gets bogged down for various reasons, one of which can be disorganization as each player tries to figure out what they want to do. I concocted the following idea as a way to possibly fix at least that, while also making INT count point per point as it would happen. The Theory: Every combat segment is the same second of time for everyone, but some can process more information in that second than others (i.e. higher INT) and thusly respond accordingly to the action. The Rule: Characters announce their actions in ascending order of INT and then, like normal, execute their actions in descending of order of DEX. Players may not changed announced actions unless they make an appropriate roll of the GM's choice - usually a DEX, INT, or PER roll should do, maybe whichever CHAR is highest. Note: I do have the idea that a player may cancel their action or choose to hold instead at no penalty. Example: Three men are in a brawl: Fast-Stupid Man (DEX 30, INT 5), Clumsy-Smart Man (DEX 5, INT 30), and Average-Average Man (DEX 10, DEX 10). It is Segment 12. Fast-Stupid Man decides his action first because he has the lowest INT. He wants to punch Clumsy-Smart Man right in the face and break his glasses. Average-Average Man decides his action next. He wants to Trip both Fast-Stupid Man and Clumsy-Smart Man in a Multiple Attack. Clumsy-Smart Man, having the highest INT, gets to decide his action last. He will decide to Block both of his opponents' attacks. Fast-Stupid Man, having the highest DEX, gets to go first. He rolls to attack Clumsy-Smart Man, who, having Aborted to Block, rolls to Block Fast-Stupid Man's punch. He fails, and Fast-Stupid Man knocks him back a few meters. Average-Average Man goes next, but his player wants to change his action to a single Trip against Fast-Stupid Man, so the GM tells him to make a DEX roll to change his action. Average-Average Man succeeds, and then makes his attack roll to Trip Fast-Stupid Man, and succeeds, knocking him to the ground. That's the idea, so what are people's thoughts?

Re: Tying Heroic Action Points to Complications The value could be tied into the Complication intensities. Example: Physical Complication Barely - +1 HAP Slightly - +2 HAPs Greatly - +3 HAPs Fully - +4 HAPs Frequency would be the controller of such. I'll have to look at the Complications list to come up with a more comprehensive extrapolation of this idea, but I think the basic idea is there. Furthermore, I do think that HAPs should be gained this way only after the character actually suffers for their Complication and not a moment sooner.

Re: Everyman Complications Wait, I can't have Dependence on Air? Damn, those were always the easiest 35 points. Seriously though, while there are many "Complications" that should go without saying, I have had a campaign or two in which the PCs had common Complications that pertained to a group template but did not account for Complication totals. I see nothing wrong with that kind of approach to "Everyman Complications."

Re: How have you used Time Limit? It's great for Multipowers and Variable Power Pools; activate your slot, and because of the Time Limit, it'll remain in effect even after you switch to another.

Re: Superhuman women less attractive in 6th Edition? No, he didn't. I simply remarked that Negative COM existed too, and 6e Grond's PRE may represent that in similar ways as Gravitar's PRE, as mentioned before, could represent, at least in part, her physical attractiveness. IOW, while Gravitar's PRE can be at least partially a product of her beauty, Grond's also can because of his ugliness. That said, I'm scooting out of this thread - I smell COM-Nazism.

Re: Superhuman women less attractive in 6th Edition? No, he's uglier, way uglier - Negative COM.

Re: ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II -- What Do *You* Want To See? Here's something I've considered suggesting for some time: what if Area of Effect could apply to Block or Reflection so that there is a counteractive defense to AoE attacks? This would simulate numerous things, from Wonder Woman blocking Giganta's fist to a Dragonball character deflecting a giant energy blast to two kaiju battling it out with AoE-sized fists. I figure that defensive area must equal or exceed the attack area. Maybe an OCV penalty could apply?

Re: ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II -- What Do *You* Want To See? When I got my grubby mitts on 6e (what a great night that was... ah...), I did wonder what happened to Aid's Maximum Effect adder - why was it removed, while Absorption's got better? What if that was reintroduced, or else explained how to do so (like limited Dice - what value to use?).

If I make a character with 20 ED and a power that gives it +10 ED, Resistant (+1/2), how is that adjusted? Are each of them treated seperately or together? If so, how does the Resistant Power Advantage affect the Adjustment cost, since only part of the power has it in the first place? Furthermore, if I give it Expanded Effect + Variable Effect (+4), and they both are affected by it, are they both Adjusted or are they treated as a whole Characteristic/Power?

Re: ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II -- What Do *You* Want To See? Agreed. And using Multiple Move Bys is just combining Multiple Attack with Move-By. Then there's barrelling through opponents - Move Through + Multiple Attack? I'd like to think so. Interesting suggestion if I say so myself. That would probe deeper behind the HERO curtain than ever before AFAIK, yet would I be wrong in concluding that that would be perfectly within the spirit of HERO? ========================================================================================== What if there was a big list of Conditional Power and Limited Power examples for each value? What if Conditional Power and Limited Power could be used as a catch-all Power "sub-Modifier" that lowers Advantage values but raises Limitation values (since the Limitation itself is Conditional/Limited - double negative)? ========================================================================================== Maybe some new Talents? How about updated writeups for Digital HERO's "A Fistful of Talents" and "A Few Talents More?"

Re: ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II -- What Do *You* Want To See? As for other thoughts, I second the notion to reprint the Mental Combat Maneuvers from TUM. If the SFX interaction rules are reprinted, maybe save some space by listing SFX that do not meaningfully interact instead of writing out every entry to pad the book. As Hugh Nielsen commented some time ago, maybe some expanded rules for combining Combat Maneuvers? I always thought that Move Through and Move By already naturally add to other Combat Maneuvers rather fluidly. For examle, Grab By is easily disassembled to its individual parts of Grab and Move-By. For Foci, maybe introduce BODY as a characteristic? Perhaps BODY is Active Points/20 for normal Foci, while Durable Foci have a BODY of Active Points/10? Or could there be ranges that can raise or lower the value?

Re: ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II -- What Do *You* Want To See?

Re: to hex or not to hex That's my view. I like that 6e has the positive externality of removing the necessity of hex maps so that players can decide what they prefer to use on their own and to what scale they prefer. That said, when I use a map, I do prefer hexes if only because it makes diagonal movement more fluid.

Re: How to create alien language? Yes, please.

Re: Alternative Uses for Heroic Action Points Well, if a PC has Susceptibility to Electricity, is it good roleplaying to stick their finger in electrical sockets or to pick unnecessary fights with Thunderbolt every chance they get? Are they not playing up their Complications? Hence the "watchful eye and good judgment" part. For another example, should a PC with Code Versus Killling get HAPs for beating up everything that moves to within an inch of their life, but never killing them? Watchful eye, good judgment. It comes down to if the Complications truly limit the character in a given situations. Sure, a PC can initiate that if it becomes so, IMO. As the rules point out, Complications are more a GM tool than a player tool. IOW, while a PC might be wheelchair-bound, I won't award HAPs until it hinders them in the course of the story. If they chase the bad guy who goes down the stairs, they get a HAP. If said PC tries to take the stairs over the elevator at every opportunity (i.e. unimportant to story/game) because "woe is them," then no HAPs for them. That's what I get at.

Re: Alternative Uses for Heroic Action Points Oh, I see what you mean now. Good point. On the one hand, said PC keeps getting knocked into Negative Body and keeps gaining HAP as a result. This could potentially be accomplished by a fantasy group with a healer too. Maybe that +10 HAP maximum ought to be a limit for that too.

Re: Alternative Uses for Heroic Action Points