Ockham's Spoon

Re: KAs vs CvK That is going to make guns really deadly, but then again, most guns in the Hero system have cinematically low damage compared to their real-world counterparts, so if you like the gritty feel that works well. It also makes KA a really cheap way to kill, so if you have a Wolverine sort who doesn't have the CvK, he is going to be inordinately effective at taking enemies out for the price he paid for his claws.

Re: KAs vs CvK I agree with you theoretically, and if you have a gun you will probably buy a KA to represent it. But when the Phantom doesn't kill with the gun, he is doing stuff like disarming people with an amazingly well-aimed shot. But in game mechanics, that isn't a KA, that is more like a TK only useable for disarming or knocking things over. So when you build a gun-bunny with a CvK, you have to buy some multipower slots or something that aren't KAs because otherwise the only thing the character can do, from mechanical standpoint, is kill (or maim maybe).

Re: KAs vs CvK If they have a CvK and a KA is one of their attack powers, that's fine, as discussed above (and maybe even preferable as BNakagawa notes). If they have a CvK and a KA is their only attack, you have a problem (yes, I have seen players do this - usually they will correct this problem when it is pointed out to them). The bottom line is to talk to the player and make sure that everyone is on the same page as to how the KA will be handled in context with the CvK so there aren't any unpleasant surprises once the game is going.

Re: Radiation Shielding Radiation is a really vague term because there are so many types. For some types of radiation a little bit of atmosphere (or planet) means nothing, for others it is effectively a brick wall. It may also depend on the composition of the atmosphere (e.g. is there an ozone layer or not?). From a gaming standpoint, if you want to make radiation an environmental hazard, just say that the radiation in the area isn't affected by the atmosphere. If you don't want to mess with that extra compliation in a particular scenario, just assume that the atmosphere makes a pretty good shield.

Re: A Linked Attack that only cost END when NOT used with the linked Entangle. Do it like this: 12d6 Blast, 0 END, 0 END Linked to Entangle. Active Points 60 (for Blast) + 30 (for 0 END) = 90 pts. Real Cost: 60 (for Blast) + 30/1.5 (for 0 END with Linked) = 80pts.

Re: Mortal Wounds Personally I would treat a mortal wound as a plot point, but I can see there might be some appeal for having a mechanic for it. I would suggest giving all combatants 1d6 Luck and 1d6 Unluck as an Everyman "Skill" that pertains only to combat. If they receive an impairing wound, roll for both Luck and Unluck. A successful Luck roll makes the impairing wound only a disabling one. A "successful" Unluck roll means a mortal wound - the character will die without extraordinary intervention in some time period defined by the GM. If both rolls are successful they cancel each other out. This gives you a mechanic for mortal wounds, although they aren't going to happen very often (and they shouldn't given how likely they would realistically be).

Re: Adjustment powers and 6th ed I think it depends on what you're converting from 5e to 6e. If it is an NPC that you just want to use the write-up, then the points don't really matter and you can play the NPC exactly as you would have in 5e and grandfather in the point maximum. If this is for a PC however, you need to take a step back and consider. There is a good reason that you can't increase the maximum without buying extra dice, namely because it was too easy to abuse (personally I never allowed maximums to be bought up in 5e and was glad it was changed in 6e). You may want to rule that the PC just has to buy the extra dice if they want the higher maximum; yes it is more expensive but it should be. Mr. Goodwin's suggestion is also valid, although I would put the limitation at -1/2 to keep it from falling into the munchkin zone the way it was in 5e.

Re: Thoughts on alternate killing attack mechanic inspired by APG Okay, thank you for that clarification. Obviously I shouldn't be reading rulebooks so late at night. So first rule to note: Damage Class is a function of Active points. Second rule to note: drink more coffee.

Re: House Rule Limitation: Latent -- Advice? I have to agrees with Prestidigitator and Hugh; this is a plot device rather than a limitation in the usual sense. As long as the character has some unspent XP (or even base character points) to spend mid-game with the GM's permission I don't see a problem. In fact it could be a pretty dramatic scene when the character's true power is awakened. I have played games where only certain people were mentalists or mages or whatever, so if you didn't start out with those powers you could never buy them. For players without those powers who wanted to keep that option open, I let them buy a 3pt perk "Latent Mentalist" or "Latent Wizard" to represent the fact they they could buy those powers when they had the XP for it. They could then put the 3pts from the perk toward whatever they were buying.

Re: Thoughts on alternate killing attack mechanic inspired by APG Wait, isn't DC done by dice and not active points? Damage Negation stops DC regardless of any advantages on that DC (AP or AoE or whatever), so wouldn't that apply here to? So your 9.5d6 AP attack would only drop defense by 9 (rounding for the defender), not by 12. Or did I misread something? The AP attack would still be the go-to power against Entangles and such, but it is a little more reasonable. As much as I dislike the Killing Attack structure, I don't think I would use this AP option as a replacement, precisely for the reasons Hugh mentions - they become inordinately effective at destroying stuff.

Re: What powers for "denial" specialist? Who said you can't take anybody out with "denial" powers? You might not be set to easily knock them unconscious, but if they are in an Entangle they can't break out of or their END has been drained to the point they can't do anything without taking STN, then they are effectively out of commission. We had a mentalist who had a "Mental Derail" power built as an Entangle BOECV and he routinely incapacitated opponents without doing a single STN pip. IME, the advantage to a denial specialist is that they can often deal with threats that can't easily be stopped with normal application of force, but the downside is that when their powers don't work (e.g. mentalists vs. robots) they are really screwed. I find they often make good characters for the GM to run because they don't often steal the spotlight by taking the main villain out, but they can definitely make it easier for the other heroes to do so.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Okay these quotes beg the question, just how is "Fuqcarn" pronounced?

Re: GMs: for your Public Identity heroes This is a neat idea, but unless the villains are just going for a rep smear, I think the hero has to have a genuine interest in running for office (or be mind-controlled). The villains might subtly suggest that the hero to consider it and then build grass-roots support to convince the hero he has a chance to seal the deal, but unless the hero wants to be elected he won't make it onto the ballot. (okay, I guess an imposter could set him up and he could be put on as an independent candidate and then major misfortune could befall his opponents and no one believes his repeated declarations he isn't running... this becomes increasingly complicated but still possible...) Another way to get the hero into office would be some kind of constitutional crisis wherein he is essentially appointed the post (is that really possible? Read "Shelley's Heart" by Charles McCarry - it is excellent), but that would require a lot of subterfuge as well and misses the potential fun of an election campaign.

Re: Transmit Smell

Re: 6E What happened to HKA? There is a difference between transforming your STR into a KA by throwing a small object at supersonic velocity and using a high STR with spiky brass knuckles; namely the degree of penetration. As you point out the GM has to keep an eye on it. Besides, there is a published version of spiky brass knuckles (well, for spiked gloves anyway) in one of the Hero weapon lists which describes it as doing 1pip KA in addition to normal punch damage. Great for making an opponent bleed (assuming no rPD), but not really useful for punching through tanks. This seems to me to be a good approach for bricks using little KA like paring knives or thumbtacks where massive Killing damage isn't justified.

Re: Weapon that does knockback with no damage? Okay, I will toot your horn for you*- this is a good build and easy to use as you note. I still like the TK version, because it has better feel to me, and it more obviously deals with issues like how the kinetic wave will interact with the aforementioned window. Still, Blast only for KB has its merits and I would certainly allow it if someone wanted to build it that way. * (but not in any inappropriate way)

Re: 6E What happened to HKA? The whole problem is one of how well you can model the real world and maintain game balance. If I have a 1 pip KA dart, I can't reasonably add any amount of strength to it to make it a lethal attack, the darn thing is just too small. Oh, unless I fire it from a gun at supersonic velocity, in which case it becomes a large caliber bullet. Could a high strength comic book character throw a dart that hard? Probably. Could a fantasy wizard with a strength spell do that? Probably not. Should I let the comic book character do that? Maybe a few times with a Power Skill roll, but not in general unless he buys a KA as part of his suite of abilities. The case for a HA is equally unclear. If I have a 1d6 HA built as a stick, no amount of STR will more than double it because it will break. But if that 1d6 HA is bought as brass knuckles, it would reasonably make anyone's punch hurt more, no matter how strong. In the end it is up to the GM to decide what is reasonable and what isn't. The doubling rule is nice because it is simple, it makes sense for most cases, and it helps maintain balance. It comes down to playability or realism as to which way you want to go.

Re: Transmit Smell I think how you build it comes down to utility. You shouldn't buy a Follower with Transmit Sight to use as an inexpensive form of Clairsentience. But if you just want to communicate information via scent I think Transmit would be fine; ants do that all the time. Now if you wanted to be able to lay down an informative scent trail, like leaving leaving sticky notes for the nose, you might want a bit more than just Transmit. How much info could actually be transmitted would depend on the complexity of the olfactory language (if any) and who knew it, but basic smells would be pretty straight-forward.

Re: Weapon that does knockback with no damage? As clever as the Flash Does Knockback powers are, they just rub me the wrong way; if I get hit hard enough by a sonic boom to be thrown even a few meters backward, the concussion wave that did that should feel like getting hit by a brick wall and that is going to hurt. To me that is a sonic Flash linked to a Blast doing Double Knockback, but one can only apply so much reality to a fantasy game, so if it works for you go with it. I would favor the TK with AoE approach myself, esp. since the description sounds like the wave picks you up and throws you rather than smacking you hard enough to send you flying. If it hits something like a window along the way, just apply the STR of the TK to the window like an attack to see if it breaks or not. The Flash Does KB power won't affect the window at all since it has no senses to be Flashed.

Re: Transmit Smell

Re: What Do I Throw At Them? I did this for one such set of heroes. They were trying to solve a series of Jack-the-Ripper type murders, but it turns out Jack is a dreamshade who has found a way into this world through the dreams of a young mutant. The heroes can't kill Jack in this world (he just reforms in the dreamworld), and they can't kill his gateway (at least one would hope that heroes wouldn't kill a little girl just for convenience), so they have to face Jack in the dreamworld. In the realm of dreams, Jack uses the heroes fears against them - the heroes literally create their own nightmares which are ususally monsters specifically designed to defeat the heroes; Jack feeds on the fears of others. The heroes learn (or are told by a friendly pyschic wandering the dreamworld) that the dreamworld is a realm of action and reaction. The more force the heroes use, they stronger and tougher the threats they will face. Ultimately they have to get to Jack through a maze of traps and nightmares without fighting anything - every PHA they don't attack drops the power level of their opposition until it dissolves away. This doesn't mean they can't use their powers, just not in an aggressive fashion. Jack himself is defeated in his inner sanctum by being ignored despite his attacks while the PC's sing campfire songs or recite poetry or reinact Monty Python skits or whatever - players should have fun with this (it will require EGO rolls thoguh, and Mental Defense helps).

Re: Photographic Reflexes I have built this power before with Cramming, but using some house rules. Still, I will throw it out in case it helps. The problem with using Cramming normally for this kind of thing is that Cramming will only give you an 8- roll and you can't apply levels. Our house rule is that if you have Cramming x2 and put both Cramming slots toward a single skill, you can have the learned skill on 9+(CHA/5)-. Depending on how fast you want the muscle memory to develop, you might also apply Rapid borrowed from the Enhanced Senses (3pts for x10 learning speed). So the power looks like this: Muscle Memory Skill: Cramming x2, with Rapid (x10), only after witnessing skill performed (-½), both Cramming skills must be used together (-¼), Active cost: 16, Real cost 9 You could replace the "Cramming must be used together" limitation with Linked on one of the Crammings, but the cost is the same. I had a telepath with a very similar ability who could duplicate any INT-based skill by reading the mind of someone who already had it, and I have to say it came in pretty handy at times.

Re: FRED Question I agree with the consensus that the SFX should determine whether the Flash works or not. But if you want a rule of thumb for two powers with the similar SFX (e.g. impenetrable fog vs. blinding fireworks) you might subract the active points of one from the other, and whatever you have left over is the effect. So if you have a Darkness field built with 30 active points, and a Flash with 40 active points, then the net result is the target is hit with 10 active points of Flash. For more accuracy (but more math) you might want to figure the active points before any AoE modifiers are added.

Re: The Sun Rises It depends on the exact effect you want. If you want morning to come sooner, then EDM through time is the ticket. If you just want a "sunlight to destroy vampires" power that ends when you stop paying END, then Change Environment is probably the easiest way to go. If you want the House of the Rising Sun, then look up The Animals on itunes.

Re: Psistrike's Characters and Creations Very impressive. I like the normal level Characteristic scores except where appropriate because it keeps the focus on their powers which is their main shtick. Tanya Williams strikes me as a good GM plot device, but a difficult character to handle if run by a PC despite her nominally weak defenses. Is she an NPC or player character? Also, I had a question about Burnfist. He has a Throwing Disc for 1d6 normal damage. Even a regular joe could shrug that off. Is the damage supposed to be that low or am I missing something?