Thia Halmades

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? A Plane Scraped its Belly on a Sooty Yellow Moon, Soul Coughing, Rarities

Re: How complete is Sidekick? My understanding of sidekick is that it's an intro to the system - the game itself, with all powers, disads, combat, NPAs, etc. - is contained in 5th Rev. I agree with the Water's fan - it's worth the price of admission.

Re: Why the "Big Release" Polls Are Flawed I'm not a genre setting guy, I'm more of an ultimate guy, but given that, I'd still purchase Victorian HERO and Cyber HERO if it gave me the rules I needed (or at least helpful suggestions) to do new and interesting things. However, I think Josh has a great point here, speaking purely from a psych standpoint. I often debate with the g/f between what she has asked me (the literal question, which of these books do you want?) and what she meant to ask me (of these books, which would you be most likely to buy?) I think the difference would be between an open (box) poll and a closed (circle) poll. If the poll were multiple choice we'd have a clearer idea of the reality of people's purchasing trends.

Re: Defining Magic Actually, Curufea, magic in my campaign is science. Priests are the only ones using "magic," since there's no earthly explanation for what they do. So this makes perfect sense to me without a moment's hesitation. All in all it looks decent, Mayapuppies.

Good (time you read this) Steve! So we're building packages (finally). And the PC playing the ubiquitous Aelfin Archer looked at the mechanics for Rapid Shot, and noted that it puts him at 1/2 DCV to use it. Which makes sense. His quesiton was; is there any way to buy it down? Can he purchase penalty skill levels to improve his DCV? Please direct me to the appropriate page, or if possible, post the mechanic (or the rule, if it happens to be "no.") Thanks! ~DEM/LCpt. Thia Halmades

Re: Inspiration for "The Answer" in DC:tAS? Being an avid reader of Unca CeCe's myself, I actually find the premise brilliant, its just that much funnier if reference to the SDSAB was accidental. Are aphids born pregnant? I've won multiple bets because of my old Uncle CeCe.

Re: A *very* different magic system Actually, I would likely (if I were to do it) make the spell-as-materia equippable and usable so long as it was equipped. I would also consider allowing PCs to burn CP to 'learn' the spell permanetly, as a skill, and thus being able to give up the materia to someone else once they'd learned to use it. I'd have to build a mechanic for that, though. And normally, I'd agree with you - these things are much easier in a CRPG/VRPG than they are to model in a straight tabletop game, but HERO doesn't really care the way d20 does. This would take weeks to figure out, break and unbreak in d20. It'll take a couple of hours to get a decent HERO model for it.

Re: CHILL - Sense the Unknown (how to in HERO) This is a big broad range, and it's why I like the idea of Danger Sense with the NCN disad on it. It should be wholly in the DMs hands, unless the PC is playing a seer or clairvoyant.

Re: The Ultimate Disadvantage, talk about it here So far what I've seen leads me to the following basic ideas, which I think combined could make a great book: - How to build better characters. An in depth look at how writers create characters, from Frodo, to Superman, on through mythological figures and what they represent. A brief gloss of Jung and Campbell as how these things tie into myth itself, and how understanding myth can make a better story. This should cover everything from character psychology to how to break out of ruts. - In the vein of building better characters, using disads appropriately to reflect who the character is, rather than just using them as a point sink to make the character more powerful. This section should be fairly extensive. It should also cover disads as being advantageous in some circumstances - an alcoholic is going to have an easier time mixing in with people at a bar because it's a rather familiar environment for him, the challenge is staying on task. - Note to part 2: Using Disads to tell your character's story better via the GM, without breaking the game, or going outside of what the game is built to do. Using them as cooperative, instead of intrusive story telling. - How to build Underdog/Uncommon characters, who have specific traits or talents that set them apart. Jean Valjean (thanks again, Bob!) has Super Strength. Frodo has a nearly indestructible will. Batman was a great investigator who happened to have trained his body into a weapon. All of these characters are known for these things, but are further defined by what they accomplished despite their shortcomings. Frodo was meek; Bruce Wayne lived two lives and is mentally unstable at times; Jean Valjean was a wanted criminal. I want a book that elevates characters beyond inspiration and helps players but together people and tell the stories of those people in the circumstances and environments provided by the story/GM. Then, a final section for GMs - here's how to work in disparate characters into one story while giving PCs more freedom. Here are genre specific examples of how to challenge characters into using their abilities in creative ways without "shutting them off." So yeah. That.

Re: Summoning a creature with variable stats I see it slightly differently - my view of this (and it may be a handwave) is that, like a Wizard, the "setup" for the VPP occurs during the summon - in other words: "Stan Da Ork raises his battle axe over your head, spittle flying from his lips and blood leaking from a dozen wounds, as he prepares to strike!" (Haymaker, Segment 3) "I scream 'Help me! Somebody! Anybody! and summon my imaginary friend!" (Segment 4, 1/2 phase to summon, friend appears same phase). DMO says: He's about to get punked. This is clearly the defense form of Imaginary Friend. Very well! You bust out the Defense/Shield form of IF, and its VPP is already preset with powers; in a standard VPP, it's simply a pool that you can declare is adjustable at will, but takes preparation to assign. Because of the nature of the summon, the friend comes with his VPP assigned already, based on need, but the VPP cannot be changed once he's been summoned. Does that resolve it?

Re: Power Build Advice Needed I'm with Handwavium on the NPC side. What you're talking about on the PC side sounds like a very advanced (L7?) form of Obfuscate from V:tM. It's a very groovy power. Since obfuscate is literally to make unclear, you can do it as Ego damage to memory (there has to a memory loss power somewhere, and SS is right, it's easiest to do as a gradual effect). You could also build it as a Poison, SFX memory, resisted with EGO, once the target has taken total "Ego" damage from the effect (a cumulative, AE transform) he's transformed from himself, to a new version of himself that doesn't remember you. So my answer: Transform, Major, vs. EGO, only to confound memory, gradual effect. No END, Constant, AE, Trigger: Transform begins after user walks away. It can deal 1d6 points of Transform (AVLD or NND) until you forget about him completely. It'll be expensive, but no one will remember him. And, since you're only buying 1d6 of Major Transform (remembering you to not remembering you) it'll save some points, because of the nature of the effect.

Re: Whoot! Victorian Hero Loot! This is why I don't buy books - 'cause they'll never get read, although I'm a fiend when I have to actually know something. And it's a need, not a want. I don't "want" to know about ship design, the switch flips and I need to know it. Partially because of the campaign I'm running, partially because I love the wood splintering shock of cannon fire. Mmm... ship board battles. Okay, I retract my earlier statement. If Pirate HERO were to include expanded ship-to-ship rules and blackpowder, I would buy it. Regency HERO is also anticipated to have that, so I'll buy it, too. I could design the stuff myself, and to a large extent I will (TUV, where are you?) but I'd be curious to see what y'all do in genre.

Re: Complicate the Person Above L. Marcus: What's that smell? Is that... no. Couldn't be. Or is it?

Re: Complicate the Person Above L. Marcus recently dressed up as a pharmacist and monkeyed about with the boiling hot, asian pharmacist that E. is so enamored of. An interstellar war has broken out over this, news as we get it.

Re: Creating Fire Also a great example. Thanks again, Oddhat!

Re: Chronicles of Narnia I just got the beautiful black covered full version. S'very nice, quite choice, has a couple of extra essays in there as well. One of my PCs has the same copy and he dotes on it.

Re: Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved This is why I loved Steve's Grimoire II - it covers "battlefield magic" instead of simply "combat magic" which is what most people practice. I have to concede the point that a powerful enough caster should, in fact, be able to hose a small armed force with a couple of words. If we're talking about the genre of High Fantasy, then that's precisely what we should expect. My casters aren't quite that powerful, but I'd been looking for a ritual magic system for ages. HERO lets me build one with my eyes shut. Another point for HERO.

Re: Creating Fire Oh, actual item creation is going to be a bear, requiring all sorts of skill rolls, Prerequisites, items, etc. I haven't fully fleshed the system yet, but building anything will take time, money and the appropriate workshop (leather workers saddle, forge, various carving implements, etc.) I expect to levy similar penalties on magic spell design. CAN they design spells? YES. Do they have to research them first? Oh my, yes. In so far as magic items, I expect them to gain & lose all sorts of things. I want that option well open to me. I also don't want them burning tons of points on gear; it's a Heroic setting, not a high fantasy one. I'm particularly curious to see how the wizard stats out his Familiar, though.

Re: Creating Fire Thanks to all y'all for the further input. Notes made, thinking will ensue.

Re: CHILL - Sense the Unknown (how to in HERO) Eosin: I see what you're saying here, actually - you have a point. I suppose I'm coming from a very "my way" attitude on this, and while Chill allowed for it, the numbers are very different in a HERO campaign. I would rather see it as a hidden GM roll that creates a sense of "creeping dread" or a "pricking of the hairs at the nape of your neck, the sensation of someone's breath ruffling your hair a split second before they strike" that sort of thing. Eh, you could still buy it as a modified Danger Sense (usable out of combat) (expressly to detect the presence of the supernatural) and then have all your bases covered in that regard. You could, inversely, but it as an Enhanced Sense. In part its a matter of how "in the dark" the PCs ought to be, which is in large part DMO.

Re: Creating Fire Ew. I don't think I like that answer. I see where it makes sense, oddly enough, but I still don't like it. So a party wizard can equip everyone in the group, and it costs him nothing, but the group pays full pop in CP for something crafted for them? Yeargh... Then, again, I'm running a heroic setting where cash replaces CP for most of these people; they aren't paying for their magic shields, or their enchanted blades (although they spend CP on the swords themselves to improve them, because that's the design of the swords). *gurgle*

Re: Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved Arcana Evolved is an expansion/revision of Arcana Unearthed, Monte Cook's home brewed campaign setting. Like most of his stuff, it would work better in a system with a defined framework, like HERO, than it ever does in d20 where I occassionally get the feeling he throws balance straight out the window. It has the usual race/class packages, but its magic system (largely runic) deviates heavily from the norms. He also has a Feat (HERO = Talent/Perquisite) system attached to his magic system. Simply: * Learning magic is easy; anyone can take the class and learn the "simple" spells from that class group. * You must take a Feat to learn the 'Complex' magics of a given level. A mage could learn 3rd level Complex magic - this confers no benefit whatsoever to any other level. * You must take a Feat to learn a single 'Exotic' spell - these have the most bang for the buck, generally speaking. The setting is ritual heavy, and he introduces some Monte-specific races, which are really only interesting in their definitions, mechanically I was never "wowed."

Re: A *very* different magic system Well, if the spells are built as followers than a thief could be a kidnapper. He could be personable, "Hey spell, how about a nice mana crystal? Tasty!" he could be a liberator "Spells should be free from our control!" or any other sort of thing. I considered building Final Fantasy VII magic materia using a limited Follower. For those who don't know: - Materia are stones that contain specific spells, that grow in power over time, and eventually multiply (a maxed out Materia gives birth to a 0 level materia of the same type). - Materia all have the limitation, "Only work if set into a weapon or armor." - All weapons & armors have these slots, but in different types and what have you. - Since materia are possessions, stealing them is a simple matter, as is buying & selling it. Each one is Independent, and each one requires mana (could be END, whichever) to use.

Re: Creating Fire Oddhat: The real question isn't statting out the spoon, as much as the question is how much CP does it cost you to create a spoon? You make a spoon. It's a Multipower (0 range TK, whatever). Let's say making a spoon costs you one CP. You make spoons for a living. What if you made guns for a living? Where does the CP come from? I ran into the same problem in d20; who (if anyone) spends the CP to create Flashbangs for the government? My world has and uses flashbangs on a regular basis; they're actually much easier to model in HERO than they were in d20 - 6d6 Flash Sight, 6d6 Flash Sound, OAF, Independent, 1 charge. I could also (if I felt like it) include a delayed effect/trigger on it, but I'm not so vested in the system yet that I can do all those things off the top of my head. You head down to the armory before going on your op. The usual weapons assortment is on the walls; Imperial Great Swords, Standard long blades, daggers, short bows, arrows, flash bangs, tangle foot bags, lanterns, oils, fireburst bombs, etc. Who burned all the CP to get these items in here?

Re: Summoning a creature with variable stats Or: Summon Imaginary Friend (N Points). Base Stats: (X Points) Skills: (Y Points) VPP - (Pool Required by Design). The VPP is what flows, you assign it the necessary limitations; "Can only manifest powers appropriate to situation" "Cannot be changed once summoned" "Powers only refresh once desummoned" and so on. This gives you a solid base on which to build him, and a totally reasonable excuse to assign powers as necessary. Would that be a more elegant solution? [Edit 01: This design is based on the assumption that you're creating the same base creature each time; if you want a 'Brick' than the VPP could include all the necessary +Stat, +Armor powers, each made constant/persistant so long as they all act within the confines of the VPP. But your description says, to me, that it's literally a variable power based on need, but restrictive enough to avoid it getting totally out of hand ~DEM]