Thia Halmades

Re: Keeping it Real Ack... this is too "real" for me. In terms of the argument, my issue would be that I'm already "real" enough. That isn't why I game. So you're asking for a hefty amount of player buy-in for this case, and I don't know that I'd enjoy it. Because of that, my advice is pretty meaningless. However. The reason I posted it is because you may have problems getting people involved.

Re: Would you allow this Well, enough Charges are an advantage, and it is a House Rule, so the answer is "No, I wouldn't allow it, because I would place the Charges on the MP," and "No, I don't think that it warrants an additional limitation, it's a special effect and should net a -0."

Re: Howdy I know nothing about Hero System and was wondering something I didn't want to say it first, but yeah -- get HDv3, it really does make everything far, far simpler. Adjunctively, you don't actually need Sidekick but your players will be eternally grateful for it.

Re: Name Something You'd Allow That The GM At The Convention Didn't Well, there was the time that we encountered a series of trapped pillars, and I got the bright idea to tie a rope around the waist of the PC who was doing the trap-testing and then yank him out of the way if I saw something bad about to happen to him. Problem was the GM decided that he shouldn't allow it. Not with a DEX check, not with a Reflex save... nothing. I was very, very embittered at that game.

Re: Aid Limit? He's exactly right; you max out your Aid at the point on the die totals (or 6 points per die). Not so much a "me too" post as a validation and agreement. I would also add that anything that boosts caps, while anything that debilitates has no limit. You can drain someone to negative a gabillion STR if you've got the END and the dice to do it.

Re: Howdy I know nothing about Hero System and was wondering something I never understood the cost-fear math. Fitty bucks and you have ALL the rules for the core text. As far as a "light fighter," we don't use classes, just points. So you build to YOUR vision of a light fighter, no one elses.

Re: 250 character points vs 350 character points Wow. No, it doesn't. I've had PCs built on 100, 200, 250. And IMO you get much more better defined characters in higher point ranges. But you know. YMMV.

Re: Streetfighter Character Thread However, I can likely tell you once you've posted them if I recognize them from other incarnations of other games. So if I can lend a hand that way, I'd be happy too. And besides, you can't get sued unless you're making money, or you somehow actively damage the IP or some-such, and the really anal lawyers will just ask you take it down.

Re: Streetfighter Character Thread You're misreading me again. And as to the NPCs of White-Wolf's Street Fighter, I would assume that White Wolf owns them still, but much to my dismay, I've never owned a copy of it.

Re: Streetfighter Character Thread Capcom owns the rights to all of these characters -- it is a wholly owned IP that is rarely farmed out. Susano has already done conversion of the White-Wolf material and I've already lambasted him for it. They are currently developing SF IV as we speak, in fact. I'm a purist, and I won't be satisfied until I do my own builds based on the video-game incarnations. *shrug*

Re: 250 character points vs 350 character points Um... well, I used to agree with this. I don't now. i submit that 250 point characters are POTENT, yes, but they're supposed to be by that point. However, the potency comes from tightness of concept. FREX, of my PCs at 250: The Druid is most assuredly a Druid. Almost ALL of his points are in either his VPP, the skills to control said VPP, racial abilities or his nature-based skills, including tracking, herbalism, etc. The Ninja is most definitely a ninja. One of the strongest ninja concepts I've ever seen. 250 points. Tighter than a damn drum. For leadership, they turn to their trusty Paladin who at 250 has his core powers, his mount (Follower), and a smattering of very solid, very cool Paladin Powers, but he is by no means "over the top" in terms of power level or anywhere near out of control. With very little design effort I can crush the entire party (and almost did, were it not for the Overconfidence Flaw in the last Demon they fought). That leaves us with the Rogue, Zeb, whose entire focus is split into two halves, but the player behind him epitomizes 'crafty' so while he isn't combat effective, he's still "darn efficient." Basically he has an NCC VPP with the SFX "Follower," -- at least that's how it's worked out, since he's paid for the Follower as an AI, and the Follower gets turns like anyone else. But at least once per combat he heaves some massive Evocation that gets Zeb's fat out of the fire. Wile_E01 plays the Ranger/Cleric split class, which means in HERO you pay a bit more points-wise, but you have a much broader array of spells you can cast per day because of the total amount of freedom afforded you in the design. I think he casts... what, 10 1st Level Spells per day right now? So he's far from the unfortunate one, but they're only 1st Lev., so he isn't anywhere near game breaking. Ultimately, the point is that these characters are all well rounded, balanced, have good disads, and everyone loves the game. Loves it. But don't go hanging your hat on point cost claiming that 250 = Super Heroic. They are FAR from Super Heroic. They're terrified of anything Huge or larger.

Re: A Body of Diamond Damage Reduction, Missile Reflection/Deflection (lasers and other light-based refractable weapons), obviously lots of DEF, but also you should remember that you're highly vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons. Diamonds = shatter.

Re: Feather me yon oaf Oh. There are a few ways to do it: 1) It's a PRE attack used to inspire everyone to attack a single target; that's the easiest way to do it. The Warlord gets +Stupid PRE, makes a PRE attack to anyone in ear shot, and they all (as they find his suggestion compelling) expend their action firing at the aforementioned target. That's the proper, dirt easy way to do it. Everything else is a PIA, and includes things like RKA + AutoFire 20 (or up to the number of units available to make an attack) with a massive to-hit bonus (+OCV) but that's not really 'what's happening.' So I'm going to say giant PRE attack, vs. allies, to inspire a single, coordinated attack.

Re: Limitation on Overall Skill Levels Actually, it would be 10 points down to 7 points (rounded to the character's favor) which to me is ... broken. Personally, I'd make it a 10 point skill level, 0 point limitation: When Perfect Recall applies. There's far too many times when it will apply versus when it won't. Overall levels are things I wouldn't really assign limitations too. An 8 point combat level, Only for Opponents You've Seen? That makes total sense! But disarm one bomb and you've disarmed a hundred? Bleh.

Re: Using N-ray vision to read a book on a shelf Well, again, let's keep the entire character in mind. First, he has Clairvoyance; "mobile eye sight," which is in and of itself, NOT N-Ray vision (although you could certainly build them as a compound power if you were so inclined, giving you game-breaky mobile N-Ray vision... ew). Additionally, he'll still want a separate power to speed-read books. Me? I'd chuck the lot and give him Danger Sense and Detect Auras. But that's me.

Re: Using N-ray vision to read a book on a shelf What am I up too indeed?

Re: Using N-ray vision to read a book on a shelf Absolutely, but don't let him take an END Battery.

Re: Some Build Help, Please. Oh yeah. You do NOT want a Skill VPP. It'll get abused so fast it'll make your head spin, and I do strive to make sure I don't build a power on an NPC that I would never POSSIBLY allow for a PC, and a Skill VPP is right out. I agree that he should pay for the full boat system laid out in Ult. Skill.

Re: Using N-ray vision to read a book on a shelf Now you're back to typical N-Ray vision, i.e., he can see into things that you normally couldn't see into; he doesn't need Stretching for that, it just has to be perceivable (and you can use the Range Modifiers as PER modifiers if he's trying to discern something further away with accuracy; you can also add in size modifiers and "real life" or "dramatic life" examples (i.e., tell me when you can no longer discern this is a bag of flower)). Most people would rule (myself included) that if he's right up on a drawer, whatever, he can perceive into it. Things to bear in mind: Know what stops him from seeing things. if he takes reputation, OTHER people have a chance of knowing it. That's the way it goes. If he doesn't, then use your common sense. Most drawers aren't lead lined. Some paint, however, is, especially in older areas, tenements and the like. So if the element is 'lead' or a similar heavy metal, go nuts. Also, don't be too lenient; "gold" is far too uncommon, as is silver. The book gives good examples as well, but that's a critical piece. But he should be able to 'perceive normally' through most objects and see what's inside. That's what he paid points for. Oh, yeah, big deal in HERO: When the PC pays points for something, don't nerf it on the back side. Let the thing he paid points for work. If it gets out of hand, talk to the player! PLEASE! Don't just start having "lead show up everywhere" or something else absurd. Common & dramatic sense, as we say. If you would like some additional advice, I'd make sure that his N-Ray vision costs END to use, preferably a LOT of END so he has to be judicious with it. You might even throw in a side effect, "Cannot use power for at least X time," and then once you're comfortable with him getting clever with it, you may pull up off the limitations a bit, but remember: It's infinitely simpler to REMOVE limitations and give people more wiggle room than it is to ADD limitations because something isn't working.

Re: Using N-ray vision to read a book on a shelf First, and foremost: WELCOME TO HERO!! Now that the formalities are out of the way, I am the Lord Captain Thia Halmades. I claim no authority here whatsoever, but I've done "some work," as I'm fond of saying. In regards to your query: First and foremost, well done. You've already realized that he is in fact not blind at all, but sees infinitely better than anyone around him and seemingly without any penalty. You CAN come up with nifty disads for how his 'sight' is disrupted, but yeah. If brother can read a book, brother can see just fine. The book thing is not, and should not be, covered by this power. He has N-Ray vision, all well and good. That's fine. But that doesn't mean he can read text sideways, that just doesn't make sense. I would use the talent, "Speed Reading," (on p.92 of 5th Revised) and then add an advantage, "Reading via Osmosis," at +1 or so (doubling the cost). Thus he can speed read by seeing 'into' the text. The best way, IMO, is to make this two separate powers. Be advised that things like 360o vision have possible game-breaky consequences. That power isn't nearly as easy to handle as you may think it is. Just remember that if you want any element of surprise, you'll have to make some of that character's PER rolls on your own, otherwise you wind up with the meta-game element "I'm on my guard!" Although you could very well trust your PCs to not be punks like that. Up to you.

Re: Do you have any "deal brekers" when it comes 6th edition? There are a few things. If the game becomes more mechanical and less fun, that'll kill it for me. If it's clear in the final version Steve didn't actually listen to anyone, that'll nuke it from orbit. There are plenty of things I disagree with. For one, DEX is 3/1 because it confers a stupid number of benefits. If it STOPS doing that, then it stops being as useful, and should thusly be cheaper. INT should go up in cost, since it's one of the three "skill stats." I can go on like this for quite some time. But at the end of the day. If I have to change my sig, I will not buy 6th. No, I'm serious. If the rules changes are so severe that a simple construction like my HICCoS will need rewritten, I'll stick to 5ER.

Re: A 1-3 shot Genius. I will adopt it.

Re: HERO: Combat Evolved [Equipment Posts & Comments] Any progress yet?

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you. Build it normally, actually. Your HKA is still an HKA, etc. etc. Any skills you have become 'complimentary' to the user, much like a horse's riding skill. It's really no more complex than any other character, just with some physical limitations (like, "Body is a Sword.")

Re: Martial Arts In A Focus ? Well, yes it is. If you look in the Bestiary for precedent, a Horse can make a roll "on behalf" of its rider (double check the exact mechanic, I'm too lazy). And certainly the AI can make the roll then confer the information to the user.