Christopher R Taylor

Spell rebuilding is ongoing, almost done with the magical spells. I've further tweaked Object Creation to better represent use and function in the game. Here's my house rule for the power: OBJECT CREATION Duration: Instant Costs END Range: none Not Targeted Standard Power Object Creation is for making mundane items, any power that creates an effect (summoning, duplication, transformation, etc) should be used instead. However, any common, mundane item used in the campaign setting can be created, such as a sword or a suit of armor, even though you can simulate creating these items with other effects. This creates one specific item or type of item: crayon, bread loaf, dog collar, etc Base cost is 5 points to create an item with 1 body, 1PD, and 1 ED. Starts at below .5 cubic meter in size +3 points for +2 defense +1 point per +1 Body +10 for complex item (folds, turns, lifts, etc like pliers or a hand mixer) +20 (or +10 additional over complex) for very complex item (has multiple internal parts like a watch or a cell phone) +5 points for a base 1 full cubic meter in size +3 points for +x2 in size beyond that +5 points for double number of items* *Can make bundles of identical small items (pencils, arrows, etc) no larger than .5m area You can expand the types of items created with this power in the same manner as Transformation: +1/4 for small group of similar items +1/2 for broad group of similar items +1 for any item -1/2 to make exact copy of item only The configurable advantage is not considered part of the rules set now as it has been replaced with the Variable Effect advantage. What this does is give almost exactly the same price for the base Object Creation as it now exists: 20 points to make a 1 cubic meter object. However, it assumes and builds in the limitation "only one type of object" which brings the cost down to 10 points per 1 cubic meter. I stepped down the base cost because making a non-complex, very small item is just not worth very many points. In the APVII, the base power for Object Creation can make anything, and I felt that restricting it to one object fits the general Hero System Rules better, and makes the lower cost more reasonable.

I think the 80s were the last great spy era. There's more spying going on now that never, domestically and internationally, but its mostly people sitting in cubicles gathering data and computers scanning social media these days. Its not a great way to gather data (the operative on the ground in the area is always better than raw data gathering and analysis, as useful as that is), but that's the bulk of action today as I understand it. The 80s was the era of actually being in the field, with little spy cameras, etc.

I mean.... I guess there are only so many times its worth trying. I guess I'm done here

But how is that different than constant? I use an instant power (e.g. Blast) with setup/limitations that do not apply every time the ability is used. You get it for free every phase as long as you continue spending END, right? What's the difference here, except being able to change targets or refrain from attacking? Help me understand here. I am not trying to find a cheat code or way to bypass limitations. I am trying to simulate any one of the various examples I gave above, trying to use the rules to simulate a concept. Please stop assuming I am trying to be sneaky or break the rules.

I don't understand. How is that less true about a Constant power? Is that an attempt to avoid the setup/activation abilities?

But that's true about Constant as well. I don't get the resistance and confusion here. Constant works in a similar way; you can just ignore it and it keeps doing its thing. You use all your limitations to start it, then walk away, and it keeps taking effect, right? Does that negate all the limitations?? This is clearly not a limitation in any sense of the word, its advantageous. I don't know why people keep talking about it being a limitation. I gave several kinds of examples, let me try another one. I summon a magical floating sword that I can send out to attack a target, then change the target, or call it back. It takes me gestures and incantations and such to summon the sword, but once its there, it is ready to use RKA, Physical manifestation, right? Except... you can't take physical manifestation unless its a constant. You can't take uncontrolled unless its constant. And constant just keeps hitting the target over and over until you stop paying END. So what do you do to simulate this sword? Build a super complex summon that has desolidification and affects solid? Telekinesis holding a sword you created with Object Creation? Does this make more sense of what I'm trying to cover here? Its a concept, with broad possibilities, that I cannot find a clean and obvious way to build with Hero. There's nothing about Time Limit that makes it do all this stuff. It really feels like a more limited version of constant - or maybe a variant of constant, since you can pull back the effect or move it to another target.

It doesn't feel anything at all like a limitation to me, it feels like a weaker version of Constant: same basic effect, but you have to deliberately target and attack (with an attack roll) each phase for it to take effect. That's why I suggested a +¼ advantage: a quarter less than constant, to get kind of the same concept, but not as good.

I guess I'm being obtuse because I don't see how it is. Just because it lasts longer doesn't mean it acts the way described. The "instant activation" means, what? That you can turn it on and it stays on? Or you can turn it on whenever you want to use and turn it "off" again until you want it again? What if you just want a power that stays available as long as you spend END, instead of a set time limit?

You're probably right, although a Naked Advantage doesn't give you the power, you have to actually buy the power, then you can use the advantage on it. So all you'd be getting a savings on is the trigger, rather than the power. Maybe +½ is a better price.

Makes it an advantage, yes, but that doesn't do what I am asking about though. It just makes the power stop working at a set time.

Yeah time limit just makes the constant end at a certain point, it doesn't change how it behaves.

I was thinking a simpler solution would be a lesser version of Constant: Continuous (+¼), acts like constant, except instead of making the power act every phase, it makes the power available to act on every phase, but must be used. So instead of "makes target burn automatically each phase" it now is "is able to make target of choice burn each phase but requires a new attack roll, and is optional use"

I'm not exactly sure about this one but it seems like a gap in the rules at present: Multiple Trigger: For a +¼ advantage on a Trigger, it will act to start up an additional ability of the same active cost and parameters. This is used for naked advantages, adding a trigger onto other powers that don't already have the advantage. For example: you can buy Naked Advantage Trigger on force field and extra DCV whenever attacked. All the same parameters apply: it can only be triggered by events normal senses could have perceived, and all of the features of the trigger apply to each triggered ability. This allows a character to trigger several abilities at once if the parameters are met.

I really like that as a VIPER design, with a little tweaking in colors. Where's it from? Update: 6th edition champions universe. Needs a bit more armor look, and the yellow is too subdued and minor, but its a good template.

So, if I buy an attack power with Constant, it behaves differently than non-attack powers; it stays on the target and keeps taking effect each phase without needing a roll. But what if I want to buy an attack power that's lingering and ready to use, instead of instant, but I have to make an attack roll each phase to use? Like a knife? Just making it a Focus doesn't change how Constant or Instant works. As I understand it, making Blast into a Focus means I need the focus to use the blast each time, but I have to use whatever preparatory things to get it to work each time, like Incantations or a skill roll. I want to use the incantatations, skill rolls, etc once, and have the attack available to use each phase, but not take effect automatically each phase. Like, say, a fist that I power up with cosmic energy and can punch harder with, but takes a phase to get ready, requires concentration and muttering a prayer to the cosmic god Quatloo. Only in alternate form seems to kind of cover this, but its a limitation and is meant for "I change into Quasar" kind of concepts, not prepare and go. Differing modifiers might work I suppose but dang that's pointlessly complicated just for a simple idea

Variety Magazine posted its first week's earnings, and they were a quarter what Mulan made in that time. And no, that wasn't Chinese money. Mulan didn't do very well in China and as I've noted, China isn't as big a market as people keep thinking it is. Disney has had a really tight hand trying to keep the streaming numbers from being known, but they're glad to release them when a product does really well. You know how we know this did badly? Disney and Marvel Comics movie guys both are both making public and background statements that it did badly. They're changing what they have planned and working on how to do better next time. You know who doesn't do that? Companies that are pleased with how their film did. You didn't want it to do well and be a big movie? I did.

Ah I see, so instead of displaying the actual cost, its displaying the difference in cost. Its a bit confusing because the documentation doesn't really explain any of this, at least that I could find. And it displays as the cost "-6" which looks really odd in the builds.

Honestly agree or disagree with it, its bad how its playing out. No matter what your worldview is, stomping on people and destroying them for having different opinions from you on something is ghastly and horrific in its import. Banks refusing to do business with someone, sites banning people over it, websites refusing business with someone because they had a differing idea on some subject is the way Bad Guys act. And if every business gets together agreeing with this ideology and approach, its not just tyranny, but the death of creativity, freedom, and independence. There used to be a tacit understanding that what people thought and believed was none of anyone else's business and businesses were only interested in legality and the bottom line. This overt, calculated, and coordinate religious extremism to destroy anyone and anything that varies from the (ever changing, arbitrary) dogma of the current ideology is hideous and wrong. There is no moral or just way to defend, support, or cheer on this kind of thing, let alone take part in it. And that's a real problem I see building and building in our current culture. The MAN is leaning on everyone who dares question the religious dogma of the establishment and working together behind the scenes to make that happen. Nobody, anywhere, should like this or support it. The proper, reasoned, and just response should be horror and opposition.

No, its not, but it is up there. It doesn't matter. The took a bath on this thing, no matter how you try to spin it. It earned tens of millions instead of a billion or more, which is their standard. It doesn't matter how well other movies were doing this year, it matters how well they expected, planned, and needed this movie to do. Its the first marvel superhero film in this era to crater like this, and blaming Covid doesn't somehow make that go away. Covid didn't make their streaming numbers so bad. I know you really want this to be a big movie and do well but it simply was not, and did not.

Here's what I mean by wonky math; a 9 point power with 2¼ limitations on it is 2.79 or 3 points, not -6. I can't even guess what math its using to get that result. I've seen it happen quite a bit usually with naked modifiers and this kind of thing.

The Chinese Market is hugely overstated, it is smaller than domestic. Time will tell if Marvel's fortunes or vision for films is on the decline or not, but this is not a good sign. The streaming numbers were a disaster and the box office was very poor for Black Widow. If that's their vision for the future, its not promising.

There's another option: Marvel gobbles up Time/Warner entirely and takes over DC movies.

Please do! The more content for Hero there is, the better for the hobby, for Hero Games, and for us as fans. The more stuff that game shops etc see from Hero, the more likely they are to order, stock, and promote.

Yeah, part of the problem is that a single monolithic, zealous worldview and political mindset is also taking over, and one that is not just agreed upon, but being strongly enforced. Its one thing to have a few companies running everything. Its another to have that, and those companies are willing to use that leverage and position to punish and block people they disagree with politically (and religiously).