Tedology

New GM question alert.  

Some background of the campaign I'll be starting this weekend:

Four (4) players

Character maximums:

• Offensive powers: 75 AP
• Defensive powers: haven't given this much thought, though most are 25 rPD/25 rED, 1/2 damage reduction (is the toughest guy); others have Desolid or other ways to protect themselves
• Built on 325 base CP + 75 Complications

Not sure what guidelines I should use to create my supervillains and/or agents, etc?

Right now I have:

• Offensive powers: 90 AP max
• Defensive powers: 30-35rPD/rED, and possibly damage reduction (depending on the concept)
• Built on: (it varies)

How do you GMs create villains that you know won't trounce all over your heroes, but also won't be wet tissue paper within the first turn or so?

(I apologize if this comes across as a dumb question)

Can you tell I'm nervous about running my first Champions game in many years?!  

Well, on that level, unless it's assigned to a Sense Group, it's a matter of "There's a mind right next to me" or not. No details (that's Discriminatory), no Range ... Doe the character have Mind Scan?

No, he doesn't have Mind Scan.

I'll let him know about this... he might have to purchase At Range, or, as you suggest...assign it to a Sense Group (like Sight, etc.)

Thanks, L. Marcus and Hawk God!

No he meant the actual power construction, like this

 

Sapient Sense - Detect A Large Class Of Things 14- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Increased Arc Of Perception (240 Degrees), Range, Tracking  32AP

Ah yes... I should have guessed that.

From memory (it's from the Champions Powers book/resource), I believe it's just a basic Detect. Not discriminatory, not analyze, not targeting.

I think I may have just answered my question. He will be able to walk in a room and detect minds present...but not through a wall, etc.

What does the build look like, specifically?

Thanks for responding, L. Marcus.

Well, he's primarily a mentalist, with a MP of telepathy, mental entangle, mind transformation (erase memories, etc.), telekinetic barrier.

(Is that what you meant by "build"?)

Hello all,

I'll FINALLY be starting my campaign on Sunday and I'm a bit nervous, as it's been many years since I've run Champions.

One of my players has "Detect minds" as an Enhanced Sense.

I'm trying to understand how I should keep that in check as a GM:

1. If he enters a dark room, would he make a PER roll and determine:

• how many minds are there?
• where the minds are?
• the locations of the minds?

 2. Or would he simply determine that somewhere in the room there is the presence of one or more minds?

I'm guessing since it's not a Targeting Sense, he would not figure the location(s), number, etc... but I just wanted to double-check.

I like the flavor this has for his character, I just don't want to have my shapeshifter (who might decide to disguise himself like a desk) be spotted by my PC!

Thanks!

Ted

Ever since I discovered the Champions Online costume creator I restarted my Champions pen and paper game and started making costumes like crazy. I've become somewhat of an expert so here are some of the results:

 

My most popular costume ever: "Iron Chef"

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/IronChef_zps6f218a54.jpg~original

 

My friends say this is one of my best: "Komodo"

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/Komodo2_zps14019293.jpg~original

 

Orignally she was orange and black as the name implies but this costume is prettier.. maybe I'll go back and change colors:

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/Monarch_zpsa4941e4c.jpg~original

 

Nothing like good puns for names:

"Concrete Cowboy"

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/ConcreteCowboy_zpse4315704.jpg~original

 

and "Joan of Arcs"

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/JoanOfArcs_zps5468dce6.jpg~original

 

Most costumes I create never make it to my paper and pencil game.. but this I did for a recent encounter with a Russian National Team..

"Moscow Missle"

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/MoscowMissle_zps51de1b81.jpg~original

 

Your basic armored suit guy:

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/Sovereign_zps8f75a7ec.jpg~original

 

And sometimes you just need something on the dark side:

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx77/larsb888/Fallen_zpsd632bc1a.jpg~original

 

Hope you like them!

I've never thought of this...is Champions Online free? I could create an account and then let my players play with the costume creator...

Then somehow save it as a JPG...I wonder how well they print out (I would imagine not so great).

For PCs I'd definitely go with Suppress over Drain, primarily for cost reasons.  (You can do all kinds of sick things with Suppress.    )  But for NPCs, if it takes time for the effect to wear off once the victim leaves the AOE, then it's definitely a Drain.

Great...thanks for your help, Old Man!

Drain is probably the easier approach.

 

See these examples of how I used it for Wonder Woman's Golden Lasso of Truth:

5e - http://killershrike.com/MiscCharacters/Contributions/Hyper-Man/Supers/JLA/The%20Amazon.html

6e - http://www.herocentral.net/get/files/premium/Princess+Diana+of+Themyscira+6e+400.HTML

Thanks, Hyper-Man. I like how you made the drain penetrating... meaning that even with Power Defense, there will be an effect.

Once outside her Influence (Radius) How long does the SFX last?

Good question, QM.

I figured there would be a residue, but not sure how long would be realistic...perhaps a minute or so.

Hello all,

As part of my zodiac campaign, I'm going to have the villainess Virgo have mental powers (e.g. mind control, telepathy, etc.) that only affect men. She'll be a siren of sorts.

I thought I'd like to have an AOE around her that weakens her male foes' ego as they approach her...thereby making her powers more effective.

Would this be a damage shield? Or just a continuous AOE radius? Also, would it be better as a drain, or would it be better as a suppress?

If you'd like to share any more ideas that I could incorporate, I'd gladly welcome these as well.  

Thanks so much!

Ted

Thanks for the help, Aylwin and WCW!

BTW if you already own Champions Complete, Champions is still a good thing to own. There's a very complete treatment of the genre in there and very useful things like Archetype Templates which make great starting points for characters.

Thanks, Tasha. I always appreciate your advice/insight!

From what I recall, Storn is about the best price-wise.

Thanks! Is Storn a member on here?

You looking to commission or looking for freebies?

 

If you're looking to commission, there's Storn, troll deviantArt for artists, etc...

I'd be up for commissioning, depending on the quality and price, of course. I realize artists have to make a living.

I'll check out deviantart...thank you!

(ouch!) 

 

Well, I could take a shot, see if you like it. Want to send me a description?

Yikes! No, I meant no offense by my comment, Rebar. I like the artwork. I guess I wasn't sure where to look on the site.

Please accept my apologies. 

I guess, yeah.

Hello all,

The thread "Superhero Images" got me thinking:

Where might I find artists who would commission to draw images of my players' characters?

I thought I would offer my players bonuses, such as: "Once you've earned x amount of XP, I'll gift you an artwork of your superhero.", or such.

Thanks for any references and/or ideas!

Ted

I used that build for Guardian's glitterbombs. Naked Advantage: Personal Immunity, Usable by Others, Focus.

Hmm...never knew about Naked Advantages. Thanks, Indiana!

If it is for minions/teammates, build them a piece of equipment that neutralizes the character's power effect on them. Dark-O makes darkness. Equip the rest with goggles that only pierces Dark-o's darkness.

That's a really good idea, Greywind! If the Change Environment reduces perception, I could have the villain's teammates/whoever have +PER, etc.

I guess I was just hoping there was a way to have it so that it could be selected each time it's used (even if the person/people don't have a Focus).

But I hadn't thought of this...so it may just work!

Thank you for the idea.

I wonder if this is the right mechanic.

 

I'd like to hear more about the SFX to understand how it maneuvers around good guys but hits bad guys. It is avoiding them by some inherent effect of the power, or is it more about how fine-tuned the character can control the power?

 

Consider looking at Area of Effect Line. I may be mistaken, but I think you can alter how the line is laid down , like with bends and things, to pick the hexes it hits. If this were a "tornado tendril" sort of thing, that the character weaves in and out among combatants, maybe this would make more sense.

Rebar, it would be the latter: the bad guy would have that fine of control over the weather.

By official rules as written, you'd need Selective to control who it targets, but that still leaves the possibility of it missing the intended target.  Some GMs will allow or house rule Personal Immunity Usable by Others at Range as a compound power.

 

Chris.

Well, I'm the GM and I guess I could allow it, seeing as it's an NPC/Villain....but I want to be able to justify it.

How would I pay for the Personal Immunity, Usable by Others, at Range. Would that all be a combined modifier?

Hello all,

I'm wondering how I'd go about having a character's allies/team immune to the effects in something like Darkness, or Change Environment.

Would I use the Selective Target modifier?

For example, if I wanted a storm-controlling villain to have his/her weather effects to happen to everybody BUT his/her fellow villains/agents, etc...

Thanks much!

Ted

Thanks, Steve.

Yes...I purchased those as well.

Now just trying to figure out how to get them to be on my iPad so I can bring my iPad to my games and access them (even if I don't have WiFI available)  

Thanks for answering, Indiana Joe...and thanks for the reference. I'll go check it out!

Hello all,

Just wondering what is the difference between both the titles in the subject of this thread?

Thanks!

Ted