DasBroot

My CPU fan, which groans when it idles between 2200 and 2600. My CPU has to be throttled to 80% maximum in the windows power settings to keep from overheating and shutting the system down these days when playing an MMO. (I honestly don't get it. I've popped the case, cleaned the fan and sink, and reapplied paste. That's about all I'm willing to do for it at this stage in its lifecycle. Fortunately all the games I play still run just fine at 80% - It's an AMD FX-6300 six core running at 3.5 .)

Hard to argue with with the captain when he's actually right. (I've been reading Shlock daily for about 10 years now).

I like something unique to the character (whether its 'useless' or not) but overall I like to build *tough* - they can run solo, they're not going down easy. I don't like being invulnerable, however - I don't use Desolidify in combat, avoid invisibility, high defense barriers with transparent, etc, and make sure (if the GM doesn't by setting PD limits) that I'll take 3 to 6 stun per hit on average from a DC cap attack. I buy up recovery but not enough to counter any average damage against me in a round (so if I'm subject to on average six attacks, three hits, that inflict six stun each I might aim for a recovery of 10 to 12. If I'm expecting to be hit 6 times instead due to excessive OCV vs DCV ratios in the game for a total of 36 (ow?) I might aim for a 20 - 25. I'm going down, but I'm lasting long enough to take someone with me.

I discard at least half of all my character concepts due to excessive silliness or cheese. Penalty Box - a referee with Usable as an Attack on Desolidify. Press Gang - A character with a lot of mutiforms - each of which is a manifested powerset and personality of a super villain he has locked away by carrying them to a prison pocket dimension created with Extra-Dimensional movement after defeating them (which is a flat and featureless plane that provides full life support). Mime Maker - His main attack is Barrier (fixed shape, cube) and Darkness (Hearing, which covers speech). If you entertain him he'll dismiss the Barrier. Otherwise... you can mime dying of asphyxiation or dehydration. Corn Field - Simply a brutally effective Mental Illusionist with Cumulative on everything. Aims for that +30 and puts you in a corn maze in your own mind.

I've always downplayed the surface area issue of walking with density increase - basically if what you're walking on could hold an object of your weight (like a road can hold a 100 ton tank rolling along) it can hold you (despite the fact that a hundred tons of weight focused on a size 12 foot would probably punch you straight through the asphalt and waist deep into the ground below with every step). I have used 'density' as a special effect on hand killing attacks with penetrating before, though - all that mass and power focused into a finger? Right through the battleship hull.

Because the first guy really didn't KNOW the weapon wasn't loaded. The article says it was determined later. He *thought* he had the situation in hand but the suspect was still armed. That is the opposite of 'in hand'. Even if the suspect said flat out 'it's not loaded' you *can't trust that*. He could be lying. He raised his weapon towards the new arrivals. Just because he had decided to not shoot the first guy doesn't mean he wouldn't fire at the others now that he was outnumbered. A man with a gun pointed it at police. This is not the case of putting hands up and saying "I'm carrying a gun. I have a carry permit." and then getting shot anyways. This is a case of a man with a gun of undetermined capability pointing it at police. What I want are more body cams, better armor, and more accurate and effective non-lethal weaponry for our officers. I honestly don't believe that if given a Star Trek phaser with a stun setting and a kill setting our officers would chose kill every time. If we could make a taser that worked against a target of any size in any clothing hitting any extremity at pistol distance with pistol accuracy I think people would use it ... but we can't and until we can this is what we have to deal with. (Situations where someone points a weapon at an officer and gets shot. Not the mentioned bull**** with obese men running away in slow motion or freaking out the moment a pulled over guy says 'Just a heads up: I have a gun' which absolutely is a problem that needs to be addressed )

It's a matter of precedent. The officer in question, according to the article, had superior de-escalation training and a military background in such. He felt like he could size up the situation and defuse it. If he'd been wrong he'd be dead. If he'd succeeded and some rookie from the academy read his story and misread a situation with it in mind they'd be dead. I'm not saying there isn't a problem - there is and I am quite sick of unarmed non-dangerous offenders being shot in the back - but police (and military personnel such an infantry) are trained a certain way on purpose: Anything that slows their reactions to an armed opponent is a risk to their life and the public safety. Now should ALL police have that same level of training so they could be as confident in such a short time? That's a valid question. (I don't think he should have been fired for it, though)

I have so many questions and yet I find myself wanting an answer to absolutely none of them. What an odd emotion (that probably has a german word).

It was literally the main power of the first character I ever made back in the late 80s: He was a living black hole. I've had players use it every game since through several gaming groups in entirely different countries. Last game someone tried (cleverly) to use a 'structural integrity field' (an Aid to a floor's PD) to stomp around inside without falling into basements all the time. Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal so I should have said 'in my experience'.... but I'm as surprised to see that you haven't encountered it frequently as you may be to see that I have. Don't get me wrong... I like the build and I like the power (itself): The Vision is one of my favorite heroes, power wise. I just find it a little stacked when its main drawback (which is always been a RP thing - I've had players not take it because they didn't WANT to weigh a hundred tons) is so easily overcome. At the same time I acknowledge that Limitations are supposed to be *applied* to powers, not come with them. It's just a personal thing. Except for the moment he touches down and becomes a 225 pound man he loses dozens of strength points if he doesn't want to fall into the sewers. Still, I like that reasoning.

I lean towards giving alterable point of origin on strength dice alone attacks (naked adder?) as GM because even normal people are hardly out of the fight because you grab two limbs (their arms) - they'll kick, step, smash you into a wall, headbutt, knee, elbow, or even bite ... all of which are capable of exerting a great deal of 'strength'. This means in my game if you want to take someone out of the fight entirely you're going to have to take the penalty to grab four limbs instead (or more if they have extra limbs - to tie this tangent back to the topic) It's mechanically close to using multiple officers subdue a suspect this way - they use Teamwork for the OCV bonus to get the more difficult grab off. Hand attacks of all flavors and martial arts are where origin points come in for melee - if you want to flame up your knee instead of a fist when grabbed you'll have to pay a small cost. And honestly that's mostly to throw ranged a bone (themetically, there should be a small cost involved in changing your fist based fire blast to a dragon's breath weapon because your arms got grabbed).

Batman has one of the coolest and most useful capes in history. And it even looks stylish. Sorry, Edna ... but "Yes capes!" Worf and Teal'c are now tied at 1/1. No ties allowed! Let's tilt the scales a little... Worf (DS9) vs Teal'c

I haven't read a lot about Inhumans (the show). I'm on the fence about it - if they try and make it a PG Game of Thrones But With Super Powers it will take a lot of keep me interested.

I liked everything about this episode until the diner. I did a book report on Heart of Darkness and The Hollow Men by TS Elliot was supplemental reading the teacher assigned to the project so I really liked the scene on the beach. Very fitting. Well done. Also I think I could watch a looping gif of for a few minutes. And GR deserves his own spin off, dammit.

Since I've never particularly enjoyed the way the Barry/Iris romance has developed I wouldn't mind if she stayed dead. It would be a gutsy move ... and the heroes then defeat Savitar by honoring her wishes and doing what she said: be there for each other and keep fighting the good fight in her name (thus eradicating Savitar being created and closing the loop, like Thawne - Savitar realises that the time of his birth is also the time of his death and time catches up to him. He disappears with a roar of defiance.) But... I'm expecting "LOGGED!" (In the Naruto anime people are often shown killed or captured - but there's a puff of smoke and it's revealed it was an object (a decoy illusion or actual physical replacement - I've never seen it made clear but I only watched the first season back in the day) - usually a log

*Everyone* is, one on one. Even Superman (especially Superman, in a way). I was hoping he wouldn't make it (and only voted for Manhattan when it looked like he would).

That's true - though I can't recall the last time any of my players took a constant power meant for continuous combat phase usage without taking the 'end only to activate' advantage or continuing charges: it's why I hadn't even really considered the end cost when I posted (but games aren't balanced around anecdotes or group building quirks). Even factoring in the cost of that advantage you still come out way ahead of someone who tried to buy each component separately (let's use 70 AP): Density Increase (102,400 kg mass, +50 STR, +10 PD/ED, -20m KB), Persistent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (70 Active Points) or to save a few quite a few points (at the risk of losing the bonuses by being Stunned): Density Increase (102,400 kg mass, +50 STR, +10 PD/ED, -20m KB), Costs Endurance Only To Activate (+1/4) (50 Active Points) vs Floor Friendly Density Increase (Total: 90 Active Cost, 90 Real Cost) +50 STR (Real Cost: 50) <b>plus</b> +10 ED (Real Cost: 10) <b>plus</b> +10 PD (Real Cost: 10) <b>plus</b> Knockback Resistance -20m (Real Cost: 20) . (You wouldn't build this power and go over the 70 cap. You'd buy the components individually or at least push the KB resistance out of the compound power to keep to cap. It's just for math purposes.). Either of the 'Densities' could throw in 12 m of flight and come out ahead without threatening the landscape. That's why I consider it a 'no brainer'.

Gump. At least he has an excuse. A blast from the past! Ninja vs Pirates

See? Told you he'd make people forget about the Lester Holt and Comey thing.

That's ok. He probably would have missed appearing for his fight because of a sale at the supermarket anyways.

Well done on adding a twist to the sudden yet inevitable betrayal. We'd all guessed partial and looking to get his hands on the forbidden tech - but I, for one, thought it was only for himself. I didn't even consider any greater power behind his actions.

Hyper-Man's rookie version is nice (though I dislike density increase as it's often used, including in that build. It's a personal thing - weighing a bajillion tons doesn't inconvenience you if you can fly, and that makes DI a no brainer for 'flying super bricks' (and always has). I kind of wish strength itself had a knockback resistance built into it (without using the brace action) to make DI at least slightly less appealing. Of all those feats, though, the 'faster than a speeding bullet' one is the most difficult. Out of combat it's super-easy (heh), sure, but in combat you're looking at a running of something ridiculous to truly be faster than a bullet. Which is why you can step back and look at what he's actually doing with it. I've mentioned before that hitting everyone in the room super fast is just an AoE on Hand Attack - you clocked everyone in a dozen meters one by one in one segment because you're just that fast. While there are rules for leaping in the way of bullets to shield a friend you could also use Deflection ... but it's pretty limited. To shield everyone nearby you can also simulate it by taking Usable By Others (10 meter radius) on Resistant protection - the targets aren't bullet or bomb proof but fortunately Superman is nearby and he used his super speed off action to catch all the bullets shot at the targets or get in the way of that incoming missile. He's just that fast. And as for moving around the battlefield faster than the eye can see? That's teleport. I take it on my speedsters to double dip: it covers both being faster than the eye can follow AND vibrating through anything they can see through (most fences, windowed doors, jail cell doors, out of Mr Strongsmash's bear hug, etc).

You surround yourself with a barrier. It is breached. Do you want to take knockback damage for slamming into another wall of your barrier? As mentioned the body of objects is an odd thing in the rules anyways. Especially when compared to the body of a non-object (character, automaton, etc). A normal hero who spends nothing on body (Body 10) can take 19 Body without dying. Which is more damage than a car can take without being destroyed. It also allows them to survive having the Statue of Liberty dropped on them (400 tons = 14d6. You're good! ... until the next phase (squish)). Or have a (small) chance of surviving being hit by a ground to air missile (6d6 AP killing attack). It's just an idiosyncrasy of the system.

People will still claim the landings are fake. I hope they keep a respectful distance... whatever is left after this time deserves to be left intact as a heritage site, in my opinion. Someday in the distant future it may be as significant to anthropologists as any cave painting.

Like many people he's thinking that freedom of speech gives him the right to *talk* about whatever he likes a long as he doesn't act on it. Like many people he's mistaken.

Swampy and Rachel have pulled ahead of the 5 vote pack deadlock ... but were the votes cast in time? *cue dramatic music* Da daa da-na-na-naaaaaaa *triple drum hit* bum-BUM-bum