Christopher R Taylor

Stuff like that is really useful for Fantasy Hero treasures. A sword that ignores 1-2 points of armor is magical and has power, but isn't game-breaking. Its going to make a difference in combat, but not ignore armor.

Reminds me of the old "Piercing" Power in Champions 3, did basically the same thing. I can't remember the cost but I think it was like 1 point per normal and 3 per resistant defense you ignored. I really liked the mechanic.

My biggest problem with using hero points is that... I forget to give them out. After the session is over I go "man, I should have..." Its like I need a checklist in front of me or something. The whole point of them is to encourage role playing and genre-consistent behavior, and if I don't do that what's the point?

Deathstroke has the power of cool, as in "he wins because we like this character" so he gets whatever powers he needs, no matter the situation or how rational it is, for him to be able to win. He went from a guy with super reflexes to being nearly the Flash with regeneration and all this other crap.

Saberhagen's "Book of Swords" series is a great fantasy, sort of an alternate Roman Mythos setting where Vulcan creates 12 swords of immense power so that they can be unleashed on mankind as amusement for the gods. Almost all of the swords have horrendous drawbacks but are so useful and powerful they still are craved by humanity. I'll do them interspersed with other blades as there are so many, but they really are the ultimate collection of swords which I modified and adapted for my fantasy campaign. All of the Swords are the same: a simple double-edged blade of a meter in length with a simple crossbar guard and black hilt. Almost all of them have a symbol on the hilt indicating their type, and all are of exceptionally fine work and quality. The material started as meteoric iron, but Vulcan almost certainly created some kind of magical alloy that is not of this earth and because of the patterns in the metal, probably folded many, many times in layers. They never rust, dull, tarnish, or soil. All of the blades are very sharp and nearly indestructible, with only two of the other Swords able to actually destroy them (Shieldbreaker and Woundhealer). They are of such fine quality that even without their magical power, they are exceptionally fine weapons Sword base: +1 OCV; 1½d6 HKA; Strength Minimum: 12; Body --; PD: --; ED --; Weight 1.25kg; Size: Medium; Concealment Mod: -3 Coinspinner Who holds Coinspinner knows good odds Whichever move he make. But the Sword of Chance, to please the gods Slips from him like a snake. Also known as the Sword of Luck and the Sword of Chance, this blade has a pair of dice as its symbol. It brings the wielder incredibly good luck, and causes incredible misfortune to any who attack them. However, it is also capricious, and will leave its wielder to go to another without warning, usually at the worst possible moment: luck has two sides. Even when sheathed, the sword gives inconceivably fine luck. They win every game of chance, every situation goes best for them, even if something catastrophic happens, they survive with minimal injury by some impossible stroke of fortune. Powers 34 pts "Fortune" Luck 12d6; (60 Active Points); OAF Sword (Unbreakable) (-¾) 15 pts "Impossible to Hit" Resistant Protection 10 PD, 10 ED (30 Active Points); Only while drawn (-¼), OAF Sword (Unbreakable) (-¾) 23 pts "Lucky Break" Detect destination or object, very large class, ranged, 360º, +10 range modifier; (40 Active Points), OAF Sword (Unbreakable) (-¾) 35 pts "Fortunate" Overall Levels +8; (96 Active Points), Limited Conscious Control (-1), OAF Sword (Unbreakable) (-¾) 7 pts "Abandon" Teleportation 10m; Megascale Range x4 (+2) (40 Active Points), No Conscious Control (-2), Only for Sword (-1), Only if Wielder's eyes not on the sword (-1), OAF Sword (Unbreakable) (-¾) 4 pts "Distraction" Mind Control 5d6 (distractions); (25 Active Points), No Conscious Control (-2), Only against wielder (-2), Only to caused distractions (-½), No Range (-½), OAF Sword (Unbreakable) (-¾) 48 pts "Misfortune" Major Transformation 9d6 (grants target 4d6 unluck); Improved Results Group (same target but adds unluck) (+½), Area Effect radius 4m (+¼) (157 Active Points); Limited Target (only people directly attempting to cause wielder harm) (-½), No Range (½), Fades when no longer attacking bearer of Coinspinner (-½), OAF Sword (Unbreakable) (-¾) Total Cost: 180 (including base longsword); Active Cost total 479 COMPLICATIONS 15 pts Distinctive Looks (Sword of Power); Concealable, Reaction 15 pts Hunted by other Sword Wielders; minor, non combat influence, frequently, as powerful) 15 pts Sword is capricious and likes to leave owner in the lurch 15 pts Physical Complication: Can be destroyed by Woundhealer and Shieldbreaker (Infrequently, Major) Yes, that's an awful lot of luck, but that's the sword's main power. Someone holding this thing just cannot ever have anything go wrong. This level of luck will mean that spells that turn the wielder into a newt instead manage to hit a fly that buzzes by instead, a fall off a cliff manages to land on a pile of wool below, etc. Literally no chance or ridiculous turn of fortune is too outrageous for Coinspinner to manage. As the complications note, the sword seems to want to abandon people, particularly at the worst time, and will teleport its self often to the hands of the very worst person its former wielder could face. Note that the sword is intelligent and will use its power to distract the wielder when it wishes to leave, trying to get the player to look away. It can only teleport away if not directly viewed by the wielder. People who want to control all of the blades want this one destroyed because it is uncontrollable and unpredictable. At any time it is liable to bamf off and end up in an enemy's hands, ruining everything you are trying to do. As you can see, the sword is able to find a location or object (the wielder is just so lucky they stumble upon whatever they seek) similar to the Wayfinder Sword. Wayfinder is significantly more powerful in this aspect, however. Almost all of the sword's powers are covered by the vast luck roll, but it has some side effects that I wanted to detail more significantly. For example, the overall levels apply to any task undertaken, but the PC does not get to choose which, the sword does. So if someone is trying to dodge a rolling boulder, while picking up a gold coin, as they are running on a rope, the Sword (GM) picks where those levels are broken down. Between levels and luck, a character holding this blade will find life just always goes their way. *Note: added Resistant Protection based on a suggestion by Massey

My guess is after stinking up the place with 3 Spider-Man films in a row, they're trying to attract viewers back with slipping some Tony in there. My guess is he's a very minor presence.

Vewwy Vewwy cawfuwwy

OK first off you can use flash for all these, depending on how long term and significant you want them to be. However, here are the fancy builds: A: Entangle, blocks sight B: Mind Control C: Transformation attack (major, I'd say).

There are, actually, its just optional. However, pushed attacks, better die rolls, presence attacks, etc can all go a long ways to simulate this kind of thing.

Yeah I wouldn't allow the "detail" thing to replace skills but, maybe you find the book you needed to research that information or the kind of car that has sat nav in it, something like that. Sort of luck on demand rather than super detective powers.

The biggest problem with changing speeds is the GM, who has to keep track of it all. Its one of the powers that our groups always just had an unwritten rule about: we don't do that.

I might do some of the fights from Kung Fu Hustle but they are so wild I don't know.

Incidentally, this fight shows how to use block and held phases tactically against a faster opponent. Good fighters aren't all offense, all the time like a lunatic waving fists about.

One of my favorite fight scenes is Indiana Jones vs the hulking German Sergeant in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Never mind that the flying wing couldn't carry any cargo, never mind that it has trucks the size of a volkswagon that clearly cannot retract anywhere, the faux Li P.04-107 looked great and added a nice pulp feel to the film. After a short fight where Indy shows off his superior skills, speed, and endurance against a couple of mooks, a huge shirtless german mechanic strides up and challenges the "junge" (young man) to a fist fight. Indiana Jones is an athletic guy with some combat training plus he's the main character, so I give him speed 4 and a decent OCV and DCV, 5 each. He has a few levels in hand to hand combat. INdy is heroic so his CON, END, and STN are pretty good but not superhuman -- his recovery and endurance are nearly so, though. The Mechanic is huge, but not very fast, so I give him speed 3 and OCV of 5 and DCV of 3, but a few hand to hand levels to demonstrate his boxing skill. He has enormous stun, endurance, and constitution, plus high strength. Phase 12; Indy and the Mechanic square off. Indiana Jones tries a persuasion roll to fool the Mechanic that something interesting is on the ground (a snake?). The roll succeeds, and the Mechanic fails his INT roll so he looks. Indiana takes advantage of this to kick the Mechanic in the furry mangerines. Its a tough roll, but the guy is surprised, so he's at half DCV (which is not very high to begin with) and the hit location penalty of -8 is also halved, so Indy has a pretty good chance using his 2 levels in OCV (7 total) vs 2+5 for 7. Indy rolls high enough and hits, doing his kick damage of 4d6 for an average of 14 stun and 4 body to the Mechanic, who has 8 PD so he ignores all of the body and all but 6 of the stun, which is x1½ for the location (9 total). The German reacts but is not significantly harmed due to his 35 stun, and as he has 20 CON he is not and will not be stunned by Indiana Jones this fight. The German holds, waiting to see what this young fellow has to offer, putting his levels into DCV. Post-12, both recover (indiana Jones his 1 END and the German 8 of his 9 lost Stun. This will be a tough fight. Phase 3, Indiana Jones tries a haymaker, swinging wildly. The mechanic holds to be ready to dodge or block, as he's a boxer and its about reacting to openings. Phase 4, the haymaker goes off and misses completely due to the DCV levels the Mechanic used. Phase 5, the mechanic does a Jab maneuver, for 6d6. He hits Indiana Jones straight and true, and deals 25 stun and 6 body. Indiana is tough, he has 6 PD so the body bounces, but he suffers 19 stun, which is 1 more than his 1 Constitution, and is stunned. Down goes Frazier. Phase 6, the pilot pulls out a pistol and tries to get a shot at Indiana Jones, but the plane body and the Mechanic are in the way. (I'll omit the rest of this sub fight, since its just Marion getting inexplicably stuck in the cockpit and so on). Indiana Jones recovers from being stunned. Phase 8, the Mechanic Grabs (to hit roll vs ½ DCV) and yanks (redirect) Indiana Jones to his feet, being an honorable man and boxer, because he wants Indiana on his feet. For him this isn't about the Nazis or treasure or security, its about a chance for a great fight, and he's bored. Phase 9, Indy bites the Mechanic on the forearm, as he's not strong enough to escape that mighty grasp. The GM rules this is a killing strike of ½d6 against the Mechanic's half DCV and lack of rPD. Indy rolls really well, dealing 3 body, and 2 stun. With 8 PD, the Mechanic takes 3 body, and because of that 3 stun. We miss a bit of combat here as Marion shoots up the place, but presumably Indiana Jones tries to break free, aided by the surprise of the bite, and gets free, rolling away from the Mechanic. Post 12 recoveries; Mechanic gets all of his lost STN and END back, Indy gets back 6 of his lost 19 and all of his used END. Turn 2 starts Phase 3 Indy makes his perception roll to spot airplane fuel pouring toward them and nearby fires, so he goes to rescue Marion by climbing onto the plane, struggling with the jammed cockpit. Phase 4, the Mechanic climbs onto the plane as well and holds as they square off. The plan is uneven and moving, turning in place, so the GM rules each character must make a DEX roll to stay standing during combat if struck. Phase 6, Indiana Jones tries to punch the Mechanic, but the Mechanic uses his held phase to block (grabbing Indy's hand). Phase 8, the Mechanic punches Indy, stunning him again. The GM rules that Indy falls over, rolling completely off of the plane. Phase 9, Indiana Jones recovers from being stunned (again) Phase 12, Jones tries to recover since he's pretty low on Stun, but the Mechanic picks him up and punches (grab and exert). This time it doesn't stun Indy but he's cut and bleeding (took body damage) Post 12 recovery. Indy gets some Stun back, both are bleeding from body damage but have full END. Phase 3, Indiana Jones swings and misses Phase 4, Mechanic deals a multiple power attack, punching Indy with both hands in a nasty combo, but dealing less damage than a martial arts (boxing) maneuver. Indy is very low on stun. Phase 6, Indiana Jones does his own combo, pushing his attacks. he's in bad shape and desperate and gets in some good hits on the Mechanic, dealing stun damage. Phase 8, Mechanic grabs Jones and deals a crushing cross punch against him, knocking Jones down and stunning him again. Phase 9, Jones has maybe 1-2 stun left and recovers from being stunned Phase 12, The Mechanic demands Indy get back up, because he wants to finish the fight. Indy starts to stand then spots the propeller approaching as the plane turns. Indy ducks and covers. The Mechanic makes his perception roll just in time to see the prop. It hits him dealing 4d6 killing to the head, mincing the poor guy and killing him on the spot. Notes: this was a very difficult fight to Hero out, because it was extra cinematic: lots of other stuff going on, gaps in the battle as we see Marion acting, uncertain time periods, etc. Plus, there are tons of head shots, but its obvious not every punch is actually a head shot, its just how you do movie battles, so only the really significant hit locations on the really significant hits. Technically Indy should have been out cold earlier because he kept being stunned over and over, or at least knocked down, which isn't a mechanic really in Hero for ordinary fights.

I never like giving people free hero points at the start, but I do like giving them away during the game for various things people do.

You gotta keep it easy. 3 speed with +3 only for combat means that cat is fast as lightning but doesn't run around or heal much more than an ordinary person. speed 4 +4 with guns makes you amazing like a speedster with those pistols, but just a regular guy otherwise. And keeping the phases broken down like that makes you able to see more clearly when you go and why. Avoid odd combinations like 5+3, I agree.

Whch makes her even more memorable and something people would be talking about. Even if its just a rumor, a legend. As in: not someone nobody has heard of or seen before until she shows up suddenly in Superman fights Batman For No Good Reason. But it happens all the time in comics, so not a big complaint. Just a pet peeve. Saw Suicide Squad. I enjoyed it for about half the movie; I guess right up until Deadshot picks up the 2" thick folder and reads it completely in the time it takes the others to walk 15 feet. It was at that point that the movie just started to suck. Almost like they had the first part written then went "this isn't long enough" so they just came up with more crap. I really didn't like the Enchantress as the bad guy. I get that she was powerful enough the others really wouldn't be needed, but that should have been a later film. They should have just done an Expendables-style fight against normal people or interesting bad guys rather than ... whatever that was. And the "guy who has no interesting powers you've never heard of who shows up suddenly at the last moment to obviously be the guy who blows up so they know the bombs are real" was just... really bad writing. And the helicopter crashes that harmed no one, etc. But it was working, up until that point.

Same here, OCV+11 minus your roll, that gives you what you hit. Players don't need to know DCV.

I agree about not changing speed. I'm okay with multiforms with different speed and with characters with additional speed for only some activities, but variations on speed mid-combat makes things a headache for the GM. Its like power pools, I don't like characters with power polls unless they bring a list of abilities with them to the table, so they aren't in combat building the perfect power constantly and making everything grind to a halt or ignoring what's going on while they furiously work with a calculator.

I've built several characters who have extra phases for combat only, so they recover and move slowly but fight very fast. Its a nice martial arts trick.

4th edition Dr Destroyer and 4th edition PCs, probably, but I'd consider giving them some useful stuff to boost them or give them an edge, such as some Primus agents, a one-shot device to stun him once, something they can use and discard, or even environmental things they can take advantage of like things to dump on top of him, an electrical transformer to toss him into, etc

At least for a heroic game like Fantasy I wouldn't worry too much about the cost of the basic equipment. A sword is just a sword, don't bother buying it with points. Its like a rock or a chair; it just is. You can add points to it with powers, but just let it be a device on its own. If someone wants to use a dispel or drain to destroy it, give it a point level you figure is good enough and wing it, or check the 6th edition equipment guide for what Steve ended up with.

The new expansion dropped for Star Wars MMOG, and they're doing a double xp event again. They shifted things around slightly in characters so you start with a specialization pretty early on rather than waiting until level 10. Not that it took long to get level 10 anyway.

I like the idea of an adder as well. It doesn't actually make the entangle better the more powerful the entangle is, it just makes the entangle behave in an additional manner, like blinding people.

Seems like a 1 hex AE does the same thing, and only costs +1/4