Shiva13

Re: Champions Villains Volume Three: Solo Villains when will it be on the shelf? I bought both Champions Villains 1 and Champions Villains 2 in physical hardcover format. And it is still my intention to buy Champions Villains 3 in the same format. Whenever it is available. But I also have serious doubts about why they put out Star Hero before CV3. Champions is THE brand. The highest recognized brand Hero Games ever had. Even more so now that there is an MMO based on that property. Interest has never been higher. Pushing products in that brand aside for something of lesser recognition value doesn't have any logic in it to me. It does not make any sense. The products to support said brand should have been out and available as fast as possible to take advantage of the wider exposure that Champions has as a whole. But that is not what we as consumers have gotten. We have gotten lots of rules and compilations of pre-made powers. But very little in the way of pre-made characters and organizations out there and accessible for the Champions brand in 6th edition for players to use. Champions Villains 1 and 2 were just the bare beginning to support the brand. That said, I still plan to buy a lot of Hero Games products. But I am pretty disenchanted right now.

3rd/4th edition settings This part of the process is going to be laborious. But I believe I have found a way to sort the early edition material into its own set of settings. I'll give a few examples here. A full list will come later. Main original Champions character properties: Champions 1st/2nd/3rd editions, Enemies, Enemies II. Early issues of Adventurer's Club and Space Gamer. These books provide the foundation of a basic guide for re-creating the setting of the original superhero team, the Guardians. A setting that by its very nature is very Silver Age in its presentation. With a major dose of tongue in cheek humor. The Mallonee-verse: Enemies III, Primus & Demon, The Great Supervillain Contest, The Coriolis Effect, Challenges For Champions. League Of Champions comic books. Developed by and large by the Cal Tech game group. This combined setting features a more "adult oriented" style and flavor.It definitely has a style all of its own.

Re: Idea: The Champions Multiverse Project.

Re: Idea: The Champions Multiverse Project. Definitely a good one for inclusion. Omlevex Earth (Omlevex) Omlevex is an interesting piece of work. It is designed in its basic form as a period piece. Specifically set in the Silver Age of superhero comics, it touches upon most of the tropes of that age. There are two options for its use. Keeping it firmly in the Silver Age, or using the notes it presents for use in modern age campaigns. But I believe its distinct flavor for this project would be best served by keeping its Silver Age presentation.

Re: Idea: The Champions Multiverse Project.

Re: Why no 1st/2nd/3rd/4th Edition Champions Earths?

Re: Idea: The Champions Multiverse Project. Because they are Cryptic's properties, it is really up to them and Hero Games to flesh them out. Which they eventually will.

Re: Idea: The Champions Multiverse Project. Yes, I did. And it was not intentional. Gestalt Earth (Gestalt: The Hero Within) An absolutely distinct setting, with emphasis on sub-dimensions. Unquestionably worthy of inclusion. Empire Earth (Silver Age Sentinels) Noteful because of the Reality Storm company crossover adventure. The setting was quite good. And even though the company that produced that world is gone, their main heroes are still available in the Reality Storm adventure still sold by Hero Games.

Re: Idea: The Champions Multiverse Project. That's why this is a fan project, and not an official Hero Games project.

Re: Why no 1st/2nd/3rd/4th Edition Champions Earths? It was not until the 4th edition era that an attempt was made to unify all of the previous published material in the game line, into one universe. It ended up with one severely overpopulated world, when it came to organizations, supervillains, and heroes. The attempt didn't work. It was just too overloaded. However, after much thought and consideration. And comparing the material that was left on the cutting room floor after the creation of the 5th/6th edition Champions Universe, I realized that there simply was a vast amount of material left one could salvage and use for their own ends. To use as the foundation for other earths. Can a world be made that incorporates the 4th Edition Champions superteam? Absolutely! Mention is made in the MMO that the Champions containing Solitaire, Quantum and Obsidian actually appears in comic books. To me? That means alternate Earth. But one that will take considerable effort to rebuild and refine. Something that will eventually happen as part of this project.

Why no 5th Edition Champions Earth? The answer to that question is quite simple. Champions Universe 5th edition had very few differences in it crossing over to the 6th edition. 6th Edition is simply further development and advancing the timeline of 5th. It is the same setting. Hence why I didn't separate 5th edition off as its own Earth.

The multiverse concept has been a staple of the big two comic companies for decades. What I am getting at here is the idea of a fan project cataloging and further defining the differeht worlds that have appeared and associated with Champions since the very beginning. So that said worlds can be used for those famous multiversal crossover adventures that still remain so popular. So let's go down the list of five Earths I have managed to compile so far. This is just the beginning. Champions Earth: (Champions Universe, 6th edition) This is it. The central game world that the game line revolves around. And which is spotlighted in the MMO. This is the main world, the core setting. A nice big full color hardback details all you need to know about it. It's good stuff. And I have no intention of criticizing it. It is the first Earth on our list. New Millenium Earth (Champions: New Millenium) Only three books were created for this setting. Champions: New Millenium, Alliances, and Bay City. Which gives at least a beginning of knowing how this setting ticks. My suggestion and intent would be to take this setting and develop it further in the style presented. Good things could come of it. But it definitely is its own Earth. Strike Force Earth (Aaron Allston's Strike Force) This classic supplement provides the framework for really a world that stands on its own. It uses classic Champions characters and organizations. But did it in a distinct enough way, in my mind, to justify it being its own Earth. Algernon Earth (Blackwyrm Games, The Algernon Files and Fires Of War) Blackwyrm's two Algernon Files books presents a full setting in two different distinct time periods. It truly is a work unto itself, deserving recognition in this project as its own Earth. San Angelo Earth (San Angelo: City Of Heroes, and assorted companion supplements) San Angelo is a hallmark setting in the history of Champions. The book does not just provide a city, but details on the very world and universe that spawned it. And it was very close to becoming the official Champions setting at one point in time. Definitely worth a spot as its own Earth.

Re: Multipower imbalance My original point in posting this thread was as a direct question to Steve Long. To address what I believe is a very basic mathematical imbalance inherent to the structure of a Multipower. But after reading some of the responses here, I'm beginning to think that the whole justifacation for the Multipower existing at all is flawed. Regardless of how Adjustment powers effect Power Frameworks, a Multipower does not provide significant enough actual limits on actual use of the powers to justify it's cost. And many of the posters in this thread have stated that a Multipower really isn't a limitation at all. So that makes the entire existance of the Multipower itself contrary to the basic design of the Hero System. To gain a cooresponding cost break, a power must be adiquately limited. If the power is not significantly limited in its actual function, said power gains no cost break. So I'm stating flat out that: The Multipower should not exist because it does not limit significantly enough to justify the benefits it grants. Now the Variable Power Pool. Basically the VPP is a pool of points with a +1/2 Power Advantage on it to grant the pool its variable nature. That extra Control Cost can be adjusted with further Advantages or Limitations to broaden or further restrict how that Pool can be used. Simple and straightforward. The math on it is sound. It's fair and balanced. So its my opinion that the Variable Power Pool should be the only Power Framework to exist.

I'm coming from a 5th Edition Revised direction in posting this. So bear with me. The Multipower itself I believe has been broken since its basic conception long ago in the 1st edition of the game. let me break it down for you. The Multipower has a pool of points that determines the active points any considered inside of the Multipower can be based upon. This locks in a set of groundrules that the slots of the Multipower has to follow. This we know. But the slots themselves provide an outrageous benefit for the small inconvenience of not being able to use all of the powers in the Multipower at full power all at once. A variable slot is the equivilent to a -4 limitation applied to the slot. A fixed slot is equivilent to a -9 limitation applied to the slot. Outrageous, to my mind, to say the least. Now let's look at the Multipower's bigger brother for a second. The Variable Power Pool. The VPP requires not only buying the pool of points, but a control cost equal to half that pool. Basically a manditory +1/2 Advantage. Which isn't really unreasonable at all. It's the price for the versitility granted. But it also gives us a number we could use as a comparison for adjusting the costs of the Multipower slots. I propose that if one changed a variable slot of a Mulipower to a -1/2 Limitation, and a fixed slot to a -1 limitation applied to each slot of the Multipower, you end up with a far more fair costing for the benefits that being a slot in a Multipower grants. So Steve, what do you think? An I off-base?

Re: Foxbat vs. Witchcraft! As Promised! If Foxbat For President is even half this funny, I'll be one happy customer!

Re: Meet The Alternates One of the basic things in design we paid careful attention to with this team, was in balancing the roles that each member played. While allowing some overlap in those roles between team members. Balancing the roles of the team we felt made the team stronger as a unit, and made so the team wouldn't be totally out of luck in any regard should any of the members should be taken out of action. Also, another problem recognized early in the design, was the hazard of any of the characters playing too many roles on the team. As well as the hazard of characters who played too few. Having an imbalance in either direction would cause a serious flaw in their overall performance as a team. Especially if a member who played too many roles on the team were taken out of action. Losing a team member is always a negative. But by having roles balanced equally among members of that team, the impact of such a loss can at least be coped with.

Re: Meet The Alternates After some discussion with HawksmoorSD last night, we both came to a consensus on the continuation of this project. And that was, that opening up the project to community contributions would be the best way to approach it from now on. So below are the guidelines for submission. Offensive powers should be a maximum of 60 active points. SPD levels should be from 4 to 6. Characters contributed should be 350 points. The goal is to make the villains for this team to confront also to be playable alternately as PCs.

Re: And the old shall swallow the new... Atari bought Cryptic out. Completely. All properties belonging to Cryptic now belong to Atari. The contract was between DOJ and Cryptic. Not Atari and DOJ. I believe there is a severe questionable area regarding what Atari can do with what is now its exclusive property. Or even if they have to pay even a slight bit of heed to DOJ at all. Yes, DOJ could create a new Supers IP. But that IP will not have the same weight that the Champions IP did. DOJ would be starting completely over. Name recognition counts for a lot. The new Supers IP would need time to be established. And there is no guarantee it would actually succeed.

Re: And the old shall swallow the new... The problem that comes up with the aquisition of Cryptic by Atari is that the license that Hero Games has with Cryptic may not apply anymore.

Re: Paris Hilton as a super villain Those dogs have to be examples of some kind of twisted genetic plot.

Re: Paris Hilton as a super villain She doesn't need powers. She already possesses the wealth to pull off major supervillainy on her own. A spoiled brat, attention whore, with the wealth to do anything she wants, and no scruples. Start from there.

Interface: Tragedy breeds triumph. It was a catastrophie that seemed absolutely unthinkable. A group of young heroes formed in Portland, Oregon, intending to do good and work for the betterment of their community. A seeming shining light beaming down onto the city, with promise of great things. A town that never had heroes watched them finally arrived. The Pacific Titans were a bold new team, with a lot of hope and public support. More than anything, they represented hope for a community that sorely needed it. Then he appeared. A madman calling himself The Comedian. And he seemed capable of causing reality itself to turn against whoever he wanted. Police, but the Pacific Titans seemed his favorite target. His motivations were always shrouded in mystery. Until the day he killed all but three of that hero team. The Comedian was a gamesman. Enjoying humiliiating heroes and police at first. But finally showed his true colors. That of a serial killer. A predator who enjoyed playing with his prey. His greatest pleasure came from breaking the spirits of his prey before finally eliminating them. The true powers of The Comedian were mental. Illusionary powers capable of effecting people on a mass scale. Altering their perceptions with such ease that he could manipulate them into doing virtually anything. Trapping them in horrific nightmare scenarios at one moment, or subtle alterations of perception at another. Three of his prey managed to escape. The primal mentalist, Tiger, went on to other pursuits out of the area. The teleporting acrobat, Blink, only indulged in minor heroics and mostly focused on her modeling career. And the machine controlling Mechanic became a recluse, who eventually ended up servicing cars in the garage of the Portland Police Department. Having some of his prey elude him frustrated the Comedian to no end. And he went on a tear, trying to attract new heroes to kill. But faded out of sight when none came. The primal mentalist, Tiger, returned to Portland years later and recruited a group of rejects into a team. To try to rebuild some of the hope that the Pacific Titans had started out with. Tired of being a hero himself, Tiger acted as mentor for a few months. Until he found and persuaded The Mechanic to build a computer for the new team. The two, who were once best friends, had a bitter reunion. Which ended in harsh words from an embittered Mechanic. The new team didn't last. Internal tensions between members caused them to strain apart. But the final blow came from Tiger being brutally murdered in a fashion that could only have been The Comedian. Blink returned and confronted The Mechanic at Tiger's funeral. Harsh words were spoken. In the end Blink blamed The Mechanic for not being there for Tiger. For being too wrapped up in himself and "the bottle" to have actually done anything that could have prevented Tiger's death. The Mechanic decided to do something. Something drastic. And knowing The Comedian would do something showy and wreak a reign of terror in celebration of his victory, The Mechanic appeared and confronted The Comedian directly. Words of hate were spoke between the two, when a car seemed to jump the curb and roll right over The Mechanic. The Comedian busted out laughing, relishing the irony of the seeming demise of an old foe by a simple car accident. A machine voice came out of the shifting mass that was the car. One frothing with pure hate and a pair of bladed tires flying and quickly slicing The Comedian to shreds "I am machine! And you are a smear!" Re-energized, The Mechanic, now calling himself Interface, would create a superhero team whose actions would make history.

Re: Wildstorm Comics In the correct order: Wildstorm Armageddon Wildstorm Revelations Number Of The Beast Number Of The Beast details exactly the events that lead up to and cause the apocalyptic outcome for Wildstorm Earth. It's a tragedy any way you slice it. Wildcats is the next jumping on point. The first book in the new Worlds End setting. Gen13's entry into World's End is completely jarring. But if you like those characters, it is a nice place to go. I have no idea what is going on with Stormwatch or The Authority.

A statement on themes in all three books. When it comes right down to it, a hero becomes a hero becauise they want to make a difference in the world around them. They are champions of their chosen causes. It is the foremost desire to make a difference and make the world a better place. It's a basic defining element of why superheroes exist in the first place. One of the trends I have massively disagreed with in some modern comics is the fact that heroes in those books are just fighting to uphold the status quo of the existing system. That they have abandoned the basic idealism they started out with that made them become heroes in the first place. In these books I have written, many of the main the characters end up really making a difference in the world around them. It was an element I didn't want to take away from them. No matter how they changed or matured. They never sold out what made them put on the costume in the first place. They are not just people with powers. They are heroes.

More notes on The Silent Invasion. Almost every hospital has backup power systems in case of outages. They don't rely solely on the main power grid. Airplanes would have been completely uneffected because of safety protocols already in place. Plus most airports are not solely dependant on the main power grid. The overall power outage was not long enough in duration to have any measureable effect on anyone in cold climates. The pod growth, consumption of the power systems, and their replacement of those power systems were a very quick process. The strike was done with surgical precision. The production of power by the resulting hives is a very basic characteristic at all stages of development. In fact, a single hive produces far more power than it actually needs. Especially in the Earth environment. A hive at its basic level is a multi-spectrum radiovore. It feeds on any form of radiation it comes into contact with. Including ambient solar and cosmic. A hive can also feed on metallic and chemical substances too, if the need should arise. Which makes eliminating public hazards such as toxic waste child's play.