Thia Halmades

Re: Martial Arts In A Focus ? OIHID -- this is pretty much what that limitation is for. If someone takes his toy away (bringing him 'Out' of Heroic ID) then he looses his powers. That's the standard, by-the-book version, IIRC.

Re: HCPD - The 13th District (Campaign Idea) And Aroooo just re-linked me to this thread as well -- amazing to see my old work, and it's still funny. Always gratifying. I wonder what this would look like in 2572... after the HALO wars and mankind is piecing itself back together... and THEN this crap shows up.

Re: Is 5er Still On Its First Printing? sniffs his 5er

Re: Western Hero I know Steve wants to do it. The SME for this is teh_bunneh. You'll want to talk to him for additional input beyond "will it be done?" You can also pop into the chat next week.

Re: A 1-3 shot Reference bump (and so more people read it and provide feedback; if I run HERO Con, this will be the scenario).

Re: Stacking resistant PD/ED There are no Stacking Rules per se in HERO. I looked for them as well, and for the same reason; depending on your threat level, a little stacking goes a LONG way. My solution is actually very close to the d20 canon. Long story short: I played d20 since launch, came to HERO 2.5 years ago, never looked back. I always insist I run the game RAW (Rules As Written). I apologize; I have TWO house rules, and both apply to armor/defenses. They are, simply: 1) Combat Luck (written as 3rPD/3rED normally) I have changed too "must be aware of attack, -1/2" and "does not stack, -1/2." Because Combat Luck, to me, assumes that you're out of armor or otherwise defenseless. It's a Hero's last resort (for my settings, this works well; other people liked it, some shrugged). 2) Different TYPES of Defenses stack; one Magic Item, one Spell (such as Force Field), one Armor, and so on. This keeps people from getting 3 different Force Field Power based spells that may all have different SFX. If you were in my game, and had a +4 rPD necklace, and a +2 rPD Ring, only the necklace would apply. Otherwise I'd have people with 20 rPD two spells later. Because I have mid-fantasy, and not "monster of the week," this works really well. For a loot wagon campaign, there are lots of other attacks that side-step rPD. Hence, and because HERO is a toolkit system, no stacking rules are in place. But by all means, create your own.

Greetings, oh mighty bespectacled one! [insert standard obsequious gestures and what here] So we were doing the whole Fantasy HERO thing, and one of the common spell types are Aids (Aid STR, Aid DEX, Aid Flavor to Ice Cream Cone, etc). The party Druid has 5 magic CSLs. He wanted to devote CSLs to raise his available Aid dice. Is that: a) legal, if a = yes, what are the ratios? 1 CSL = 1 Die? 2 CSL = 1 Die? Second query. I know I'll remember this at two in the morning, but it isn't coming to me now. I should write things down more often. in lieu of my original second question: Do you like pie? We talk about pie a lot on these boards, and I'd like your opinion.

Re: Is Flight Slow? When in doubt, bump up the NCM if you want closer Real World Speeds. I have an Excel chart that I use to handle all of my calculations so my vehicles move correctly; a UNSC Pelican has a combat move of 20 (about right for hex map purposes) and an NCM of 8 and a SPD 4, giving it 230mph or so at 'full throttle,' again, about right. So you can fiddle with it. Don't go lock-step with the system if you don't like it. Heaven knows I don't.

Re: HERO: Combat Evolved [Equipment Posts & Comments] Nah... dammit. What was it? Someone posted a "write a con game" type of thread and that's when it came up. So I wrote a good 10 - 15 entries on a full con plot, in distinct sections. It was certainly HALO based, I know that much.

Re: Doctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver You can also limit the SFX vis-a-vis either the IVPP that I mentioned, or a custom lim; only to use the following powers: Transform, Detect, etc. etc. Sonic Screwdriver cannot ever execute an attack power (-0). And so on.

Re: HERO: Combat Evolved [Equipment Posts & Comments] Somewhere... you'll have to dig it up or have QM dig it up (or Lord Liaden; either of them are super-wizards with finding old material on the boards) I wrote an entire compressed story arc that sets up "my vision" of V+20yrs; V for Victory, that is. In other words, I don't generally recommend running "in the same time" as the HALO saga itself. It's a closed ended arc; but seeing what happens "after" is pretty much why I wrote this. Anyway, there's a whole pre-written adventure (by yours truly) that is on these very boards. I thread-killed with the completeness of it.

Re: HERO: Combat Evolved [Equipment Posts & Comments] Okay. So I've devoted ALL of my time and resources to my current campaign (to all my players: You're welcome) and let this project sit idle for a bit, which means that I'm ready to go back to it. A lot of the stuff I need to do "next" is already DONE, somewhere. I'm going to get with Aroooo to put it all together on StarHeroFanDom. I'm down to mostly "busy work" and doing my "cut & paste" enemy construction, which is something I've been dreaming about for a while now. Once that's done, it'll be ready for Beta. Sorry this has taken so long, but being me, I take on too many projects at once and then let them sit for extended periods of time. I'm not promising anything, but you should see new material inside of two weeks.

Re: Doctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver Well, Oddhat really has the gist of it, IMO. I avoid 'me too' posting as much as possible, but it's a VPP. You could, if you wanted, make it an "IVPP" (InVariable Power Pool), give it the correct number of points to carry the powers you want, and then as plot directs, "Power Stunt" to do something that isn't accounted for. Said another way: Put it together as ... I dunno. 100 points plus 50 Control. Limit the control with OAF (-1 1/2, Focus is difficult to replace), Requires a Skill Roll (-1/2) and Fuel Cell (Six Hours of straight usage, which means he can use it nearly infinitely so long as he remembers to plug it in at night, but if he 'forgets' to it can dramatically run out of power). Then build the powers: Transform: Locked to Unlocked Transform: Unlocked to Locked RKA, No Range, 1 pip, to cut things open and the like PLUS +3 w/appropriate skill rules (a Sonic Screwdriver is ALWAYS the correct tool) And if the player wants to do something 'out of the norm,' they make a Power Skill Roll at the appropriate 1/10 check to do something crazy but within the SFX. And voila.

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All You know me Nolgroth; why crib someone else's hard work when I can just rewrite the whole thing from scratch my way?

Re: First Adventure Questions I would note that if your Wall of Earth is built as an Entangle, then while it has a duration of "instant" (Entangle goes off, but effect remains) then it lasts only until someone tears it down. Of course the world isn't covered in stone walls; they keep getting freaking blasted. So you can use EEs version (Force Wall) or you can build an Entangle version. Remember that your mooks can resist being disarmed. They can also (and some may) be equipped with Chain Gauntlets or similar that make their weapons "disarmable" but only for a half phase as they reach down, reclaim the weapon, and then make with the stabbing. Also, as Maya mentioned, Hammers do killing -- the Monk is dealing Normal damage, in almost all cases; especially if they're going barehanded. That means that both the armor of the target, and their inherent PD/ED apply vs. the BODY damage and the STUN damage done. Lastly, if the Martial Maneuvers are making Mr. Monk ridiculous, encourage your Fighter to purchase them for his Hammer. Weapons are perfectly legit, and there are "medieval fighting arts" in that text. What's good for the goose, etc. & so forth. I dis/agree with Empress, I think it's setting & GM specific. Yes, there are some things that ought to be bought as powers straight up. However, when the Fighter gets him "some maneuvers" and they are different and just as effective in combat, that should fix the problem. But there are multiple ways to tackle it.

Re: The Amazing Darkon You say "Darkon" and I'm looking for a write-up of Azalin Rex. Curses.

Re: Silence is Golden Oh, bugger, my bad. I meant that at -1/2, based on the idea that a Standard Slot is 1/5, and an Ultra slot is 1/10; using that as my guideline, I went "Eh, -1/2" but clearly, utterly missed. You can still argue for the -1/4, but I was incorrect in my original post.

Re: Holy Water AH, see, NOW you're talking!

Re: Holy Water Then we buy Holy Water as an IVPP, with each effect not exceeding so many points.

Re: Holy Water I agree with you, again, however, the specific example said to me "turn some undead." And FREX is short hand for "FoR EXample."

Re: Holy Water There's also the matter of a Cross in the room; "Cannot Pass the Shadow of the Cross" is a physical limitation; not to be confused with something that deals damage directly, or that has a predefined specific effect.

Re: Holy Water I would also add that this lets the writer build in things like "+X PRE, Only to Resist PRE Attacks," so even if it comes from a Holy Source, he may still have a solid resistance to Turn Undead style strikes, even if he'll take full damage (or more) from an Enchanted Blade.

Re: Holy Water Of course. Accept for the moment that I agree with you one hundred percent. As in, I think you're absolutely right. However, and here's the focus of my argument (and you'll find this is consistent in all of my designs). 1) The agent should, as you say, always be statted out. You're right; an Energy Blast blasts things! Needs to be paid for and statted out. 2) A Gravity Well gravititizes things! It should be paid for and statted out; a Gravity Well in space has a measurable effect; so long as we know that the effect must take hold, then in turn, we'll know how Susceptibilities and Vulnerabilities are affected by it. Which brings me to: 3) 99% of the time, and I mean that as extremely as it was written, the agent -- the [noun] [verbing] -- must be statted out. In this case, Holy Water that Turns Undead (and this is a for instance). I'm submitting that I have more depth, and more variety, by statting it proper. You say, FREX, a Vampire is Vulnerable to Holy effects. Now I know the water is Holy, and I know it has a base +30 PRE Attack, meaning Slappy the Kindred is going to take 60 PRE from it. The Holy Water should have come with the limitation, "Only to Make PRE Attacks vs. Undead, blah blah, -1/2." But that glitch in the specification of the build aside, that leaves us still having a known element (damage done) and a known element (damage that will be taken). Making it a special effect is fine in most games, but in my experience, you need to know, in advance, what's going to happen when you throw Holy Water at a Vampire. To support the example: If you were to throw a vial of acid, you'd know what it does. If you were to throw a water balloon -- well, the water balloon has no combat value! You get wet. In your example, we've thrown a Water Balloon full of Vampire Gasoline. We don't stat Gasoline. It's a fuel and it has the SFX, "freaking flammable." We don't stat out much damage per phase is going to be taken by someone being drenched in gasoline (although, this being HERO, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that's written up somewhere, so we know who gets burned, who lives, who dies, and so on). But in this case, the agent should be (and in my example, is) the Holy Water. Exposing [specified creature] to Holy Water should and does have a set measurable effect. That's all I'm saying. Is there a part of that you disagree and/or find fault with?

Re: Silence is Golden I'm with Braincraft on this. He has a Physical Limitation (Mute, Unless) and a Power that he can't qualify (Always At Maximum Power, -1). You can make an argument for Always On (as some variants of Cyclops show) and No Conscious Control (-1) since he can be "forced to speak," thus unleashing the power itself.

Re: Holy Water Agreed, if it's Kryptonite, sure. That makes sense. However, in most fantasy settings, the Holy Water has a set, measurable effect, i.e., "Turn Undead." Or whatever else. If your Holy Water creates a "force wall" of some kind, then that should be paid for. However, that becomes a circular argument. Ultimately it's up to the GM. Certainly, I can build a Vampire who has Susceptibility, "Faith." However, that's either modeled as Turn Undead, or, someone purchasing Faith (the ability to Turn Undead). I'm not asying you're wrong, but for my purposes, it should be built. YMMV.