phoenix240

Re: Flash Mob

Re: Hmmm. More on Special Effects Interesting discussion. I've wondered how much of disadvantage CaK is a traditional, "balanced" Champions game from time to time. Its very difficult to "accidentally" kill anyone in Hero System even when slinging pretty sizable attacks and most opponents are "balanced" enough to take at least one major hit, some times several even ostensible "low Defense" characters. They'll usually be knocked out and injured but not killed and some GMs (and many players) take CaK in the Terminator 2 "He'll live." fashion.

Re: Red Dragon, the martial artist who wasn't. 6E Red Dragon might still have a form of Style Disdavantage if the imitiation "Martial arts" moves and strategies he's stolen from MA movies make him exceptionally easy for the skills to read ("Oh yeah, The Last Dragon Scene 2. He'll probably block and try to sweep....Finally KS: Kung Fu movies pays off!"). He might also suffer penalties to Pre Attacks and similar issues when people can tell he's knows nothing about what's supposedly doing. Perhaps the Disad could be reworded instead of eliminated?

Re: Flash Mob Or just Stretching with no Limitation (or a slightly different one). She can do more with her duplicates than hit people at range and there are some things she can't do with them that Blast would mechanically let her do.

Re: Despero (5e, 1700 pts, no pants) Enforcer84, are these write ups for fun or do you use them in play?

Re: Vandaleur Twins

Re: Vandaleur Twins Comics are such a wide open genre that there are almost endless possibiliities when it comes to relationships, sex and sexuality. It';s an incredibly difficult and touchy subject for most people though with a huge range of opinion on what's appropriate or not. The writers are probably doing the right thing by keeping it understated and leaving allot of that context up to individual GMs and groups. That said though, I don't thnk some openly homosexual or bisexual characters would really by that contraversial in this day and age. It would also be a nod towards diversity and inclusion. As long as their creators remeber to make them interesting charcters with more to them besides their orientation.

Re: Stereotypes about the Superhero genre I have to admit so called "Modern" age games are an easier sell unless the group is composed of real genre fiends.

Re: Stereotypes about the Superhero genre To be fair though, many genres have a huge history of silly behind them. Fantasy has decades of drek. Martials Arts films are considered almost by definition among some, etc. Then there's those "hard science Transhuman Sci fi" games where Nanotech= magic and if you build a computer with a processor thats big enough and fast enough it will spontaneously turn into a god. Sucks that comics get grilled by gamers when so much else gets a pass. People can't buy into superheroes (and look down on those who do) because they're too "unrealistic" but I'm supposed to accept that a dude in metal suit with sharp stick can kill a flying a T-rex with a built in flame thrower and magical power in personal combat?

Re: Stereotypes about the Superhero genre I wouldn't say that, not at first anyway. The Authority was originally an attempt to see what would happen if extremely powerful superhumans became more provactive and aggressive in righting the wrongs of world as they saw them. Not just supervillains more "real" problems. I don't agree with the way much of it was presented but the group did have something of a moral core in the first few issues (with Eillis as writer) and the stories were interesting in many ways if grim. Then Millar took over and they became thugs cracking joke about punching people in the brain and fighting opponents that were apparently made of tin foil and spun sugar. The man is a shock jock that finds a way to wreck any project he gets his hands on with his juvenile LCD crap. IMO, anyway. The only good thing he's done has been The Ultimates and even that went downhill rapidly. Again, just my opinion.

Re: Vandaleur Twins His most recent illustration seems to back that up.

Re: Help Purchasing those Characteristics with the Lmitation: Not during the Day (probably a -1) would likely do the trick. Only in Alternate ID would suffice. It depends but I'd say Sight and Touch at least. Consult the Strength table in the core book. Hero System doesn't vary the Strength score required to lift something based on the character's origin. You can build a weapon that does more damage to supernatural creatures if you wish. Champions/Hero System is an effects based system. The player decides what they want and uses the rules to design the ability and get a cost for it in character points. Your questions is one about a setting more than the rules themselves. Again, it depends on the effect you want. Makeover seems a little pointless if he just has the one form, IMO.

Re: Help You could use either Shape Change or Multiform. Multiform is pretty complicated if you're new to Hero System. The character's ability to change could also be a Special Effect and no cost anything if it doesn't really benefit him (like hiding his identity). The weakness during the day could be a Physical Disadvantage.

Re: Character with one side of his body being human and the othe side being mutant The character might have: Extra Strength with the Limitation: One Arm There is no way I can think of off the top of my head to make him automatically stun anyone he hits but you could get an attack with No Normal Defence or Attack versus Limited Defense up to the campaign limits (Talk to your GM) which would be likely to stun. It sounds like it would be No range. For other powers based on Duplication you may want to check out the "Flash Mob" thread on this forum. These are pretty basic suggestions. I'm sure some others will have more diverse suggestions for you. It sounds like he would have a Psychological Disadvantage (Complication in 6th Edition): Loves being a Crminal Master Mind and at least one Berserk/Enraged.

Re: Stereotypes about the Superhero genre You can always go for the middle ground. Just because you can brutalize someone doesn't mean you will or have too. The physical confrontation can be handled "realistically" without it ending in gore and death. I'm not familiar with the Ultra Humanite but I assume from the example that he really doesn't pose much of a direct threat to the likes of Power Girl. She could subdue him without killing him most likely unless she chose not to. And that would make her a murderer not a hero, IMO. That's another problem I have with much of the so called "modern" material. Not the violence or death. Fights are dangerous and many superhumans are tossing around very lethal abilities. But its often treated as if that is the only possible outcome and the ostensible heroes never seek an alternative or hold back in the slightest. Millar's "Authority" didn't even pay lip service to the idea of restraint or measured response. It would be similiar to a police officer that always went for their firearm in every situation.

Re: Flash Mob Human Pyramid: Leaping Dogpile!: +X Strength for Grabs. SFX: Burying the target under a pile of Duplicates. Close Quarters: DCV levels or a Change Enviornment to represent how difficult it is to fight in a crowded area packed with opponents.

Re: Stereotypes about the Superhero genre I really shouldn't be so surprised to see the supers genre taking it on the chin on Rpg.net. And I'm not reallyl its just annoyed to see something I find worthwhile dragged through the dirt by people that seemed to have ignored the majority of its content. It's like (to me) dismissing all horror because you don't like Scooby Doo.

Re: Stereotypes about the Superhero genre That's what bugs me. You can have heroes, stories of right and wrong with child like morality and total black and white morality. IMO, Good comics pull this off very well. The broad stroke dismissal of supers are "cartoonish" is annoying to no end. And they're "silly"? Unlike the hardcore realism of Vampires Posers, Cybernetic Sociopaths, etc. Role playing games are universally silly. That's what makes them fun. I apologize for the ticked tone. Its mainly venting.

Doesn't it seem like almost everyone that dislikes the supers/comics as a genre hasn't heard or or read anything outside of the Superfriends? Most of the complaints seem based on shows writen for children when there are much more developed and mature stories in the genre. There has been for quite awhile yet most of the complaints seem to be based on stereotypes that calcifed 30 or more years ago and/or parodies of the superhero genre. That's not to say no one has any legitimate reasons for their dislike, that everyone has to like comics/superhero rpgs or anything of the sort. You don't have to have a reason to not like a form of entertainment. But many of the more vocal complaints seem based on dated impressions, misinformation or, I hope I don't tick anyone off, a certain degree of willful ignorance.

Re: Hmmm. More on Special Effects I know what you mean. The biggest benefit and problem with Hero System is that there is an almost unlimited way to do anything. Its practically impossible to cover the basis. And this can make some things too expensive for their relative utility or leave the character with odd gaps in their concept and abilities. A universal "SFX" defense Power/Modifier might work but I don't have any immediate idea how it would work. IMO, this really becomes an issue with "Outside the box" type build that use a Power non intuitively. For example Teleport UAA with SFX of "Mind Control:Go over there."). It would completely sidestep most character's defense against mental powers unless built "correctly". IIRC, the example build didn't have anything that took normal mental combat factors (ECV, Ego, Mental Defense) into account. Generally, I try to take SFX and concept into account when I GM, perhaps more than I should as I give advantages and disadvantages pretty regularly based on how the SFX interact. But other GMs might be more literal minded.

Re: Flash Mob Love the Enhanced sense. I woudn't have thought of that! The skill levels are great too

Flash Mob, as the name might suggest, has the power to create dozens, perhaps even hundreds of duplicates of herself instantly (and banish them just as quickly). These duplicates are real for all intents and purposes while they exist and are capable of independent action but act with a good deal of groupthink and tend to focus on the same goal so they're great at coordination but no good when it comes to performing complicated multiple actions at once. Overall, her powerset would be similar to the anime character Naruto or Billy Numerous from the Teen Titahs Go! cartoon. Clearly, she'd have some level of Duplication. But running dozens of Duplicates would be a massive chore and slow the game to a crawl every time she acted. So what would be some good Powers to represent creative use of a swarm of duplicates? Area of Effect, Autofire or CSLs to represent "swarming"? A form of Teleportation where she creates a string of duplicates from point A to point B and "collapses" them in reverse order? A Forcewall/Barrier with Feedback?

Re: Cyberkinetic Remote Control I just use the Int of whoever built it or assumed a 8 (for common tech), a 10 for advanced tech and higher for more cutting edge stuff if I don't know or don't particularly care. I base it on SFX. Generally the Only in Hero ID stuff would get some sort of bonus. Personal Foci may or might not. It depends on how they are defined. A fingerprint ID lock might be by passable, a techno magical soul bond not so much.

Re: What power ideas/concepts do you get from these code names? Some really good ideas so far. I think I might have to split the characters between two groups though. There are two different themes that don't mesh very well. And I think Code Red might make a good vigilante/Anti Hero.

Re: Cyberkinetic Remote Control Cyberkinsis the Hero System Power but not cyberkinsis as in this character's ability and sfx, just to be clear. That's pretty much what I thought. Unfortunately this requires a really complicated build for a fairly straight forward effect. And it would still have fringe cases like non manual "trigger". So I guess I'll just stick with what I have and handwave the edge cases. It works 9 out 10 times.