Crusher Bob
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Posts posted by Crusher Bob
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Um, most people rich enough to be PCs should be able to pretty much go armed to most places. Most laws that prevented the PCs from walking around armed would also prevent the locals from walking around armed. And the locals want to be able to walk around armed, since there probably aren't any actual police.
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Last character of the Inhumans
Design Highlights
Action heroes who wear power armor
If you buy abilities with the focus limitation, remember that you'll sometimes appear on the battlefield without them. So if your game is a DC 10 average game, your hero should be able to not be pasted by a DC10 attack. Remember that even normal attack can do BODY if your DEF is too low. If your hero only has 5 DEF outside of his power armor, an 'average' DC10 attack is going to do around 5 BODY.
It's better to make your power armor character 'an action hero who happens to wear power armor' rather than 'a normal guy who wears power armor', because 'a normal guy' has no place on the super powered battlefield. If you want to be a normal guy who wears power armor, use the 'only in alternate ID' limitation instead, so you have much less chance of being in a fight without access to your powers.
[Focal]
Balance Notes
DC: High (12) (OCV vs DCV, targets ED, NND (ED Resistant Protection that Costs Endurance), drain STR)
CV: Medium (7)
DEF: High (30/16 with unusual targeting sense)
SPD: Low (4)
[Focal] is a United Nations Spaceguard (like the US Coast Guard, but for Earth and Lunar orbit) officer. Well, a very junior officer. But right now, he seems to be the highest ranking Spaceguard officer around. Earth was being invaded and the Spaceguard was tasked with doing SAR for regular navy ships. The Valiant took a hit to it's wormhole drive and somehow ended up in orbit of a different Earth. It's still Earth, but it's missing almost all of the technical advances that made allowed interstellar colonization possible. Plus all sorts of little things are slightly different. For example, every here drinks fizzy 'cola' instead of fizzy coffee.
Different Anatomy
[Focal] has undergone considerable genetic modification. For example, his skin isn't coffee colored because of melanin, it's coffee colored because it has rhodoplasts (red chloroplasts) in it. His eyes are slightly bigger than normal, and his retina are put together backwards. His muscles are more like a gorilla's than a normal humans. Any sort of medical procedure is going to present all sorts of difficulties. A good dose Herbicides will tend to make him very sick. He also likes to sleep under a grow lamp, or just out in the sunshine.
Spacer habits
Having extensively trained for operations in space, [Focal] exhibits what might be classified as a form of OCD in normal people. He'll almost always hold on to the scenery with one hand, unless armored, or other wise anchored to something. He won't put things down, where they could float away and damage something if the artificial gravity failed. He'll compulsively tidy up anything he sees lying around. Where others will make gestures with their whole arms, his will be made with just his hands or fingers.
Resident Alien
As someone with no identity on this Earth, the right thing to do was contact an immigration lawyer and see about becoming a legal immigrant. This was of interest to both NASA and the FBI, who both wanted you to undergo extensive debriefings. But your citizenship application got fast-tracked, so it wasn't all bad.
How do you find out about crime to stop?
Criminology. Contacts.
How to you get to where the crime is?
Able to fly around 45 mph. Access to megascale teleportation via team base.
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Attend open mike night, recite poetry. Play games involving little models of fighting sailing ships. Argue about the real significance of the battle of Cannae. Go out socializing with [Galatea], because she can quickly distract anyone from any little knowledge gaps you display. Debate about your poetry with [Pooka]. Occasionally get dragged into tech head talks with [Hadaly]. Try not to look at the things that [bitrot] finds to look at on the Internet. Get called in to give yet another presentation on spacecraft design.
Built in weakness(es)
Lots of power tied up in foci.
Character Design
400 value active cost STR 30(40 w/ Biosuit) 20 DEX 18(23 lightning reflexes w/ biosuit) 16 CON 23 13 INT 18 8 EGO 18 8 PRE 20 10 OCV 7 20 DCV 7 20 OMCV 3 0 DMCV 7 12 SPD 4 20 PD 10(22/8 w/ Biosuit up to 30/16 w/ Gravity Shield) 8 ED 10(22/8 w/ Biosuit up to 30/16 w/ Gravity Shield) 8 REC 10(15 w/ Biosuit) 6 END 40 4 BODY 12 2 STUN 40(50 w/ Biosuit) 10 Skills Criminology INT(13-) 3 3 Electronics INT(13-) 3 3 Mechanics INT(13-) 3 3 Oratory PRE(13-) 3 3 Paramedics INT(13-) 3 3 Stealth DEX(13-) 3 3 Scholar 3 3 KS: Sailing ships (11-) 1 1 KS: Poetry (11-) 1 1 KS: Ancient Military History (11-) 1 1 KS: Law (11-) 1 1 Scientist 3 3 SS: Astronomy (11-) 1 1 SS: Orbital Math (11-) 1 1 SS: Gravitic Technology (11-) 1 1 SS: Biotech (11-) 1 1 SS: Spacecraft design (11-) 1 1 PS: Spaceguard Officer (11-) (everyman) Fast Strike +2 OCV, +2d6 Strike 4 4 Disarming Throw +0 OCV, +0 DCV, Take Weapon (STR +5), Target Falls 5 5 Flying Dodge +4 DCV Dodge/Abort/FMove 5 5 Perks The Valiant 11 pts to base 11 11 Contact: FBI Officer 11-, useful skills, institutions 4 4 Contact: Immigration Lawyer 11- 2 2 Contact: NASA Scientist 11-, useful skills, institutions 4 4 Powers description active cost Spaceguard Biosuit All OIF (-1/2) Bio-energy augmentation Part I +5 REC 5 3 Part II +10 STUN 5 3 Part III +10 Strength 10 7 Part IV +5 Lightning Reflexes 5 3 Armor Part I 8 rPD / 8rED 24 16 Part II 4 PD / 4 ED 8 5 Gravity Anchors 12m knockback resistance (costs END (-1/2)) 12 6 Spaceworthy Life Support: no breathing, safe in vacuum, 14 9 high radiation Rescue Field Usable by up to 3 Others, 3 2 recipients must remain close to grantor (+1/4) Communications HRRP 12 8 Radar Radar, Targeting, 360 degree perception, (costs END (- 20 10 Gravity Manipulation 30 point multipower 30 20 Gravitic Shield up to + 8 rPD / 8 rED (costs END (-1/2)) 24 2v Gravitic Flight up to 30m flight (up to 72 km/h) 30 4v Gravitic Telekinesis up to STR 20 telekinesis 30 4v Spaceguard Service Rifle All OAF (-1) Telescopic Sight 4 range penalty skill levels w/ service rifle 8 4 Variable Settings 60 pts Multipower (2 clips of 12 charges (+0)) 60 30 Stun Setting 6d6 Blast 60 3f (NND: ED Resistant Protection that Costs Endurance (+1)) Normal Setting 12d6 Blast vs ED 60 3f Gravity Web 6d6 Drain Strength 60 3f Gravity Wave 6d6 Blast vs PD (AOE:16m Cone (+1/2), 60 2f Double Knockback (+1/2), no range (-1/2)) Complications 75 Everything is just Social Complication frequently, Minor 10 slightly different Watched by the FBI Hunted (Infrequently, Mo Pow, NCI, Watching) 10 Spacer Habits Distinctive Feature Concealable, Not always noteworthy 5 Different Anatomy I Physical Complication, infrequently, Slightly 5 (requires special medical care) Different Anatomy II Distinctive Feature requires medical / 0 special senses to find Made sick by herbicides Physical Complication, infrequently, Slightly 5 Code Against Killing Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Follows 'proper procedure' Psychological Complication Common, Moderate 10 And Justice for All Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 -
Design Highlights:
The Small Utility VPP
Yet another implementation of the VPP, this is usually a 'small' VPP that provides a similar selection of powers to the 'small multipower'. It's especially useful when the abilities you plan to have are things like change environment and transforms, since the more general forms of these require expensive 'variable efffect' advantages. Remember that the same rules of what kind of thing you can put into your infinite slot multipower VPP also apply to your small VPP.
Transformations
Transformations aren't just for turning your enemies into newts. They are also able to do all sorts of things to the environment. If you can't figure out how to get a particular effect, there's a pretty good chance you can do it with a transform.
[Pooka]
Balance Notes:
DC: Medium (10) (OMCV vs DCV, targets power defense, PD)
CV: High (9)
DEF: Medium (25/12 with unusual targeting sense)
SPD: Medium (5)
Pooka looks like a dog (a golden retriever) all the time. But, due to the powerful glamours he's surrounded by, most people find this unremarkable. They instead tend to slot him into 'ethnic minority'. So, for example, he'll be arrested for 'driving while dog'. And when he goes into a restaurant, he's refused service because he's not wearing shoes or a shirt, not because he's a dog. If the GM thinks it will be funnier, characters with high EGO, high mental defenses, or high 'magic resistance' may be less affected.
Pockets
Pooka has pockets, even though he is a dog. Other people find it almost impossible to notice that he has pockets, or that he has anything in them. So he never has to take the change out of his 'pockets' when going through the metal detector. The security might hassle him anyway. He was walking while dog.
The glamours that confuse his identity don't work as well on recorded media. So people listening to recordings of his barking find him impossible to understand (unless they understand dog barking, I guess). So any communication he does over the phone has to be done using a voice synthesizer.
When he goes to his job at the newspaper, he wears half moon glasses. Mostly because he likes to look at people over them with his soulful doggy eyes. When he wants to be a hero, he takes off his glasses. He looks totally different, really; we swear.
Those who still leave saucers of cream out for the pooka (or maybe just the cats) or do various other things 'to be kind to the good folk' will generally receive his assistance. Though he can't do things like mill their grain, spin their thread, card their wool, or bless their fields anymore just means he has to be more creative. A few families have avoided accidents because their car has been uncommonly lucky.
How do you find out about crime to stop?
Tracking scent. Organizational contacts with both reporters and homeless people. some social skills.
How to you get to where the crime is?
Able to run around 90 mph, or fly at around 34 mph. Access to megascale teleportation via team base.
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Brighten the lives of people who still keep to the old ways. Pull pranks on those who don't. Help those who no one else will look after. Bar crawl. Do some actual reporting or editing work. Make cognizant criticisms of [Focal]'s attempts at poetry. Avoid reporting on whatever [Hadaly] is getting up to, she probably wouldn't appreciate it. Never urinate on a statue ever again. Drive around in your car with the top down, letting your hair blow in the wind. Be oppressed by the man. Find new things to read.
Built in weakness(es)
Iron weapons, both as a DEF reducer and mild kryptonite. Entangles that can't be escaped with teleportation.
Character Build
400 value active cost STR 10 0 DEX 13(18 w/ Lightning Reflexes) 6 CON 18(23 stun resistance) 8 INT 18 8 EGO 18 8 PRE 20 10 OCV 3 0 DCV 7(9 w/ shrinking) 20 OMCV 9 18 DMCV 9 18 SPD 5 30 PD 14(14/6, 20/12 w/ combat luck, 25/12 vs non-iron) 12 ED 14(14/6, 20/12 w/ combat luck, 25/12 vs non-iron) 12 REC 15 11 END 40 4 BODY 13 3 STUN 40 10 Skills Concealment INT(13-) 3 3 Conversation PRE(13-) 3 3 Scholar 3 3 KS: Fairy Tales INT(14-) 3 3 KS: Contract Law (11-) 1 1 KS: Classic literature (11-) 1 1 KS: Popular Literature (11-) 1 1 KS: Weasel Words INT(15-) 4 4 Presuasion PRE(13-) 3 3 Shadowing INT(13-) 3 3 Stealth DEX(12-) 3 3 Tracking INT(13-) 3 3 PS: Editor (11-) (everyman) Perks Contacts with various newsies 11-, own contacts, organization 9 9 Contacts with various homeless p11-, organization 6 6 The Valiant 10 pts to base 10 10 Press Pass 1 Point Fringe Benefit 1 1 Talents Combat Luck II 12 12 Lightning Reflexes 5 5 Speed Reading 4 4 Powers description active cost The Nose Knows I Add Tracking, Targeting to Sense of Smell 15 15 The Nose Knows II +2 Telescopic Smell 1 1 Dog Sized 1 level of shrinking (0 END (+1/2), persistent (+1/4), 15 10 inherent (+1/4), normal mass (+1/2), Always on (-1/2)) Tough Hide 6 PD / 6 ED Made resistant 6 6 Stun Resistance +5 CON (only to resist stunning (-1/4)) 5 4 Glamourous Protection 5 PD / 5 ED (Does not protect against iron (-1/4)) 10 8 Faerie Glamours Variable Power Pool Reserve Pool 20 point pool 20 20 Control Pool 30 point Control (Limited Powers (-1/4)) 15 12 Blessing of the Traveler 18 point Multipower 18 18 Running on Air 18m flight 18 2f Cheshire Dog Displacement 12m Teleportation, Position Shift (no NCM -1/4)) 17 1f Four Speedy Feet +12m running x4 NCM 17 2f Magical Teeth 50 point Multipower (ACV: OMCV vc DCV (+0), 50 33 No Range (-1/2)) Bite of the Ground lover 5d6 Drain Flight 50 3f Tiredness Inflicting Bite 5d6 Drain END 50 3f Weakness Inflicting Bite 5d6 Drain STR 50 3f Just the Bite 10d6 Blast vs PD 50 3f Complications 75 Look, a 'dog' Distinctive Feature Concealable, Not always noteworthy 5 A 'Dog' Social Complication infrequently, Minor 5 Unable to actually lie Psychological Complication Uncommon, Total 15 Helpful to those who Psychological Complication Uncommon, Strong 10 follow the old ways Code Against Killing Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Can't Enter place of worship Physical Limitation infrequently, Greatly 15 without appropriate invitation Recordings of voice Physical Limitation infrequently, barely 5 are just barks Made uncomfortable by Iron Physical Limitation infrequently, barely 5Sample VPP Powers
Sample VPP Abilities active cost What's in my pockets? +15 to concealment rolls 30 15 I have pockets!? (only to hide small objects on self (-1)) Bless this booze 2d6 Minor transform: ) 22 15 improve quality of alcoholic beverages (AOE: 16m radius (+3/4), Penetrating (can affect most sealed bottles, cans, etc (+1/2), No Range (-1/2) Bless these fields 2d6 Minor transform: 27 18 improve crop yields of land (AOE: 256m radius (+1.5) (around 20 hectares, small family farm sized), no Range (-1/2)) Pooka craftsdogship various 3d6 Minor transforms: 26 17 complete 'crafting' tasks from given raw materials (AOE: 16m radius (+3/4), no Range (-1/2)) Good Luck Blessing 6d6 minor transform: add 2d6 luck, 30 20 heals normally (no Range (-1/2) Bad luck Curse 6d6 minor transform: inflict 2d6 unluck, 30 20 heals normally (no Range (-1/2) Always has a bit various 2d6 Major transforms: 30 20 of help in the pockets nothing to small amounts of food or money (Invisible Power effects (+1/2), no range (-1/2)) Hair of the Dog various 2d6 healings: 20 20 to recover from poisons, transforms, etc Sigh, yes you can compound slot ride the doggy Yes, you are small enough Shrinking I (UBO, recipient must remain close (+1/4)) 7 7 No, you won't fall Clinging (Only to hold on to rider (-1)) 10 5 Yes, I can carry you +8 STR, only for lifting (-1) 8 4 You'll Even Know what Riding (UBO, recipient must remain close (+1/4) 4 4 you are doing But my dignity will Priceless! never recover -
2nd character of the Inhumans
Design Highlights:
The Lego Brick multipower
This is yet another implementation of the multipower. You combine fixed and variable slots so your character abilities can change from moment to moment.
Example characters of this type: shapechangers who cycle between different 'combat' forms, robots who 'allocate power' to different systems, characters that inject themselves with different combinations of drugs, etc.
The danger of Unified power
The 'unified power' should not be a source of free points. The GM should be hitting you with drains that effect your unified powers at least occasionally. I'd recommend not placing your DEF into your unified power structure.
GM note: when a player presents you with character who makes extensive use of unified power and combines that with relatively large amounts of power defense, you should probably hit them with a halibut and tell them, 'No!' in a stern voice.
Why Hand-to-Hand Attack is a terrible power
5 points of STR and 5 (-1/4) points of HtHA both let you do 1d6 more damage. But 5 points of STR also gives you bonuses to lifting, shoving, disarming, and escaping grabs and entangles. Martial Arts Damage Classes also end up costing 4 points per level (like HtHA), but they at least add to STR for martial maneuvers (grab, escape, disarm, shove, etc). In addition, MA DC don't cost any end to use.
SO, because I wanted Hadaly to have STR 40 for escaping from entangles, but only be able to life 800 kg (and not the 6,400 kg 40 STR would allow her to lift), I've used the slightly cheesy construct of STR (not for lifting (-1/4)). With the way she is built, just getting straight 40 STR would cost 1 more point. So in this case, I feel more than justified in using this rules construct.
[Hadaly]
Balance Notes:
DC: Medium (10) (OCV vs DCV, attacks ED, flash defense)
CV: Medium (7)
DEF: Medium (23/15 + 10 mental defense & unusual targeting sense)
SPD: High (6)
Involved in a terrible accident, 'Hadaly' was given a variety of experimental cybernetic augmentations. Since the people were developing the cybernetics for military purposes, 'Hadaly's' 'ware is a bit more high performance than you would expect. She is somewhat famous for being one of the first people to publicly receive extensive cybernetic augmentations. She now uses her money, fame, and contacts to agitate for the rights of AI and heavily cybered individuals. Her cyberware is soft and flesh colored, but easily identifiable by visible seams, etc. They are about as easy to conceal as extensive tattoos.
Hardsuit
The 'hardsuit' is not so much armor in the conventional sense but is instead more body expansions and attachments. It's not really usable by anyone else without them also having the same class of cybernetic mods and being about the same size. Note that the hardsuit is (Only in Alternate ID) instead of a focus, so it can't really be taken away once put on.
How do you find out about crime to stop?
Organizational contacts in the part of high society were politics meets money. Good computer hacking skills. Ability to follow many conversations at once from far away. Ability to alter phone conversations in real time (radio group images) to encourage two conspirators to talk about more than they otherwise would. Ability to be invisible.
How to you get to where the crime is?
Flight up to roughly 716 mph.
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Goto parties thrown by Bruce Wayne. Listen to many conversations, looking for dirt or interesting tidbits. Schmooze important people so they'll think the right way about important things. Occasionally take [Galatea] to parties, when you need help with the schmoozing. Make sure she understands that 'charm the pants off of them' is not a literal suggestion. Get the doctors to look at your little eye, which has developed a twitch. Spend tech head time with [Focal] or [bitrot].
Built in weakness(es)
Many stats in a unified power framework, and no power defense. Low MDCV (3); even with 10 mental defense, very easy to hit.
Character build
400 value active cost STR 10(up to 25 w/ cyberware, addl +15 available 'not for lifting') 0 DEX 13(up to 18 w/ cyberware, up to 28 w/ lightning reflexes) 6 CON 13(up to 23 w/ cyberware) 3 INT 18(up to 28 w/ cyberware) 8 EGO 18 8 PRE 20 10 OCV 5(up to 7 w/ cyberware) 10 DCV 5(up to 7 w/ cyberware) 10 OMCV 3 0 DMCV 3 0 SPD 4(6 w/ hardsuit) 20 PD 3(6/3; 12/9 w/ Combat Luck, 23/15 w/ Luck & Hardsuit) 1 ED 3(6/3; 12/9 w/ Combat Luck, 23/15 w/ Luck & Hardsuit) 1 REC 10(15 w/ hardsuit) 6 END 40(55 w/ hardsuit) 4 BODY 11 1 STUN 40 10 Skills Bureaucratics PRE(13-) 3 3 Computer Programming INT(13-) 3 3 Cryptography INT(13-) 3 3 Electronics INT(13-) 3 3 High Society PRE(13-) 3 3 Mechanics INT(13-) 3 3 Persuasion PRE(13-) 3 3 Security Systems INT(13-) 3 3 Stealth DEX(12-) 3 3 Systems Operation INT(13-) 3 3 KS: Cybernetics INT(13-) 3 3 KS: Political Figures INT(13-) 3 3 PS: Political Activist (11-) (everyman) Perks High Society Contacts 11-, useful skills, institutions, organization 12 12 The Valiant 10 pts to base 10 10 Electronic Memory Eidetic Memory 5 5 Money 8 pts Money 8 8 AI Rights Activist Positive reputation (14-, small group) 1 1 Talents Combat Luck II 12 12 Powers description active cost Superior skill with makeup +1d6 striking appearance, focus of the moment (-1/4), 3 1 extra time (5 minutes) only to start (-1), Only in normal ID (-1/4) Unpowered Cyberware Skinweave 3 rPD / 3 rED 9 9 Reduced Need for sleep Life Support: Only Sleep 8hr a week 1 1 Powered Cyberware All: Unified powers (-1/4) Neurological error checking 10 pts Mental Defense 10 8 Cyberears Hearing Amplification +6 Telescopic Hearing (64 meters) 3 2 Attention Coprocessor Rapid x10 (Able to follow up to 10 conversations at once) 3 2 Communication implant HRRP 12 10 Radar Detect: Radar (5), Targeting (10) 15 12 Configurable Systems 50 point reserve multipower 50 40 Strength up to +15 STR 15 2v Grace +5 DEX 10 1f Reaction Time +10 lightning Reflexes 10 1f Endurance +10 CON 10 1f Enhanced Cognition +10 INT 10 1f Stealth System Invisibility to Sight and Radio groups (no attacks (-1/2)) 25 1f Movement Subsystem Running up to +20m running (32m) 20 3v Leaping up to +20m leaping (24m) (no NCM (-1/4)) 10 1v Combat Subsystem Offense up to +2 OCV 10 2v Defense up to +2 DCV 10 2v Striking power up to +15 STR (not for lifting (-1/4)) 15 2v Hardsuit All: Only in Alternate ID (-1/4) Additional Energy Systems Charge Capacity +15 END (Total END: 55) 3 2 Recharge Boost +5 REC (Total REC: 15) 5 4 Additional Processing Power +2 SPD 20 16 Armor Hard Armor 6 rPD / 6 rED 18 14 Soft Armor 5 PD / 5 ED 10 8 Oxygen Supply Life Support: no breathing 10 8 Combat Prediction Software 2 Range skill levels w/ Hardsuit Powered Systems 4 3 Powered Systems Multipower 50 point reserve 50 40 Piercing Laser 8d6 Blast vs ED (Armor piercing (+1/4), Beam (-1/4), 50 2f no knockback (-1/4), can't be bounced (-1/4)) Electrolaser 10d6 Blast vs ED, Stun only (-0) 50 4f Blinding Laser 10d6 Sight Group Flash (3 Recoverable charges (-3/4))) 50 2f Electrical Arc 2d6 Entangle (AOE: 16m cone (+1/2), Entangle takes no damage: 50 2f only STR to escape (+1) (escape condition: entangle only persists for 1 minute), no range (-1/2), 3 Recoverable charges (-3/4)) Cutting Charges 3m Tunneling through up to 16 PD Material (3 charges (-5/4)) 35 1f Smoke Dispenser Darkness vs Sight Group 6m Radius 30 1f (3 continuing Charges, 1 minute (-1/2), no range (-1/2)) Radio/Phone Spoofing Radio Group Images -12 PER 41 3f Radio/Phone Jammer Darkness vs Radio Group 16m Radius 48 2f (1 Continual Recoverable Charge (5 Minutes) (-1/4), No Range (-1/2)) Flight System 20m Flight x32 NCM (1/2 END (+1/4)) 50 4f Complications 75 Cyberware needs maintenance Physical Complication, infrequently, barely 5 Extensive Cybernetics Distinctive Feature, easily concealed 5 Known to have cybernetics Social Complication infrequent, minor 5 AI Rights Activist Negative Reputation: infrequent 5 Secret ID 15 Celebrity Social Complication frequent, minor 10 Code Against Killing Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Noblesse Oblige Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 -
You could wear a bambeson, of buff coat, or something. And carry some sort of sidesword and maybe a buckler.
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The problem with that, of course, is now 'everyone' needs acrobatics. Alas, there are too many ways potentially available to make focus firing someone very attractive: flash, legsweep, an entangle that takes no damage, large PRE attacks, etc Once you get someone to 1/2 or even 0 DCV, the incentive is very strong to have everyone pile in and finish that person. Attacks against them will be close to twice as effective (assuming you hit a normal DCV target around 1/2 the time).
For example, if you want your mooks to win things for the bad guy, give them (2d6 entangle (one body (-1/2), 0 DEF (-3/2), AOE: 4m radius, accurate (+1/2)) (30 active, 10 real points)). The mook holds fire until just before the boss goes, reduces a hero to 0 DCV, and the boss hits the hero for (big damage) -1.
[edit]
A 1d6 entangle is even cheaper, but has 1/6 change of producing no body on the roll result, 2d6 is safer, failing only on 1/36.
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And here's the next team, with more design highlights
Team: The Inhumans
Averages
DC 10
CV 7
DEF 25
SPD 5
Range
REC 12-18
STUN 30-50
Resistant DEF 10+
Team Scope: Very Large City (New York analogue), some national level, minor international
1st Character: [Galatea]
Design highlights
VPP as infinite slot multipower
Another implementation of the VPP is as a multipower with infinite slots. You'll usually want to take at least 'can change slots as a 1/2 phase action' advantage so you can change the slots in the VPP and still attack with it on the same turn. Also pay attention to how many active points you plan to be switching out at once, as you won't be able to get what you want out of your VPP if you can't make the skill roll.
As this sort of VPP can theoretically pull out any 'large' power, you need to pay careful attention to what the VPP can't do. Otherwise you can instantly produce any needed non-combat power and make the other characters mostly irrelevant when not in combat. Nobody wants that, so make sure your infinite slot VPP has plenty of conceptual limitations on what powers you can have. If you've done your job right, these limitations are also worth points, so your VPP is cheaper. But the more important part is not taking the spotlight away from the other players whenever your VPP could apply.
Unusual Senses
An additional targeting sense can sometimes be thought of as infinite flash defense, as most combat flashes will target sight, since that's the only targeting sense most characters have. So a character with an unusual targeting sense should generally be considered to have flash defense for campaign balance purposes (e.g. if characters are only allowed to have 2 out of (mental defense, power defense, flash defense).
Escaping entangles with teleportation
GM Note: you can escape most entangles simply by teleporting. So watch out for any characters that seem to have low distance teleportation specifically to get out of entangles, especially if the teleportation is armor piercing.
On the other hand, teleportation may be how certain 'weak' characters plan to get out of entangles, for example, a mentalist might not have much STR and have only mental attack powers, so teleportation might be one of the few avenues available to them.
Position Shift
For characters that don't have the DEX for a good breakfall roll, position shift is a way to avoid having to spend a 1/2 phase action to get back up after being knocked down. For characters who mostly do melee combat, the ability to get back up without spending an action can be very important, as you might have to move up to someone before you can punch them in the face. If they keep knocking you down while they aren't right next to you, you'll never be able to punch them.
[Galatea]
Balance Notes
DC: High (12)
CV: Medium (7)
DEF: Medium (23/12 + 10 mental defense and unusual targeting sense)
SPD: Medium (5)
Found by [Memory Keeper] during an archaeological dig several, where she appeared to be a statue of the Goddess Nike. He became aware of her nature when she began to make comments on a screening of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
An ensouled statue
[Galatea] is actually an animated statue, though her near perfect shape shifting can make this very difficult to notice. When sleeping, she takes on a little of her inanimate nature and can be very hard to wake up. When she doesn't have any reason to sleep in a human form, she will often drift into a statue as she goes to sleep, the form of the statue having some relation on what dreams she will have. As she never had a human identity, she has no paperwork, no birth certificate, no drivers license, etc.
Memory Problems
[Galatea] is immortal, but she loses her memories of the past. She can clearly remember things that happened until around 10 years ago, and begins losing memories older than that. Anything more than 20 years old will have certainly be forgotten. Events in the past that left a major emotional impression will often come back as 'nightmares' when she sleeps. But because she is only able to dream of the actual event and the extreme emotion, without any other context, these dreams are usually very disturbing. She is now aware of her loss of memory, and fears losing her current identity. She is trying to stave this off by 'storing' her memories in [Memory keeper] and periodically reliving them.
Songs of the Soul
The animating spirit is so strong that it is able to effect severe changes in the world within 16 meters of 'Galatea'. Because some of her 'first' memories involve early Disney movies, her current way of effecting these changes is through singing. 'Past lives' had different additional VPP limitations, but the 16 meter range doesn't change.
A monster from the past
[Galatea] had several other identities in the past. Some of them had reputations so terrible that anyone discovering an animate statue that can effect things within a 16 m radius can set of both extreme paranoia and/or bloody revenge. After all, the statue is a consummate actor, so anything it says not remembering is not believable.
Sample terrible pasts:
The original terracota warrior, [Death within ten paces]
As Qin Shi Huang's chief assassin, [Death within ten paces] killed a lot of people, and their extended families, and the villages they grew up in, and their little dogs too. (VPP limitation: focus of the moment: an edged weapon)
[The Weeping Angel]
Really, the less said about [The Weeping Angel], the better. It might hear you. (VPP limitation: when not being observed, yes blinking counts)
How do you find out about crime to stop?
With imitation shapeshifting, very good social skills, and access to (limited) 12d6 telepathy, [Galatea] is a very good social infiltrator.
How to you get to where the crime is?
Megascale flight.
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Look after [Memory Keeper], he's squishy! Try on some random new identity and see what life is like. Study history. Try to prefect the memory storage process, hopefully eventually using something other than [Memory Keeper]'s brain! Go to the park, sing the squirrels down out of the trees and make them dance for you. Feed them. Go clubbing, since the people down on to the dance floor and make them dance for you. Realize the squirrels were much less gropey. Go to social events with [Hadaly], wind her up by pretending you thought her comment about charming the pants off people was to be taken literally.
Built in weakness(es)
Entangles that can't be escaped with teleportation. Darkness vs sound. Longer ranged or medium range medium mobility combatants. Asking what might be her infiltrating your group how something tastes.
Character Build
400 value active cost STR 10 0 DEX 10 0 CON 13(21 stun resistance) 3 INT 13 3 EGO 18 8 PRE 30 20 OCV 3 0 DCV 7 20 OMCV 7 12 DMCV 7 12 SPD 5 30 PD 11(17/6, 23/12 w/ Combat Luck) 9 ED 11(17/6, 23/12 w/ Combat Luck) 9 REC 15 11 END 50 6 BODY 11 1 STUN 40 10 Skills Acting PRE(15-) 3 3 Charm PRE(15-) 3 3 Conversation PRE(15-) 3 3 High Society PRE(15-) 3 3 Persuasion PRE(15-) 3 3 Stealth DEX(11-) 3 3 Streetwise PRE(15-) 3 3 Power skill: Singing PRE(20-) 13 13 PS: Dancing PRE(15-) 3 3 KS: Music (11-) 2 2 PS: Historian (11-) (everyman) Perks No records Anonymity 3 3 The Valiant 10 pts to base 10 10 Talents Combat Luck II 12 12 Powers description active cost An Ensouled statue Statue 'biology' Life Support: No breathing, No eating, 28 28 immunity to diseases and poisons, unaging Hard to Stagger +8 CON (only to resist stunning (-1/4)) 8 6 Stone, not flesh 6rPD/6rED 18 18 No sense of taste -5 -5 More than mere (wo)man 10 pts Mental Defense 10 10 The Ideal Companion Shape Shifting: Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell/Taste 70 35 groups, imitation, humanoid shapes, external cellular (0 END (+1/2), Persistent (+1/4), Extra Time: 5 minutes, only to start (-1)) A Non-localized Phenomenon 16m Teleportation, position shift (no NCM (-1/4)) 21 17 AT Field Distortions Unusual Sense Group: Detect: Souls (5), Targeting (10), 22 13 360 Degrees (5), Sense (2) (Limited Range: 16m (-1/4), Costs END (-1/2)) The Songs of the Soul Variable Power Pool Reserve Pool 34 point reserve 34 34 Control Pool 60 point control: uses singing skill 45 26 Change as a 1/2 phase action (+1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Limited powers (-1/4), must change whole pool at once (-1/4) Complications 75 Code Against Killing Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Fears loss of Psychological Complication Uncommon, Strong 10 continuity of memory Nightmares of the Past Psychological Complication Uncommon, Strong 10 Lost Memories Psychological Complication Uncommon, Moderate 5 Heavy Sleeper Physical Complication Uncommon, Barely 5 A monster from the past Neg. Reputation: Infrequently, Extreme Neg. Reputation, 5 Very small group Hunted: Past Sins Floating Hunted (usually as infrequent, as powerful, 10 harshly punish) DNPC: Memory Keeper DNPC: Normal, Infrequent 10 Really a statue Distinctive Feature Special Senses / 0 Major medical to notice No paperwork Social Complication infrequent, minor 5Sample VPP powers
Sample Powers active cost Anthems: AOE: 16m radius (+3/4), No Range (-1/2), Incantation (-1/4), (selective target (+1/4) or (personal immunity (+1/4)) Where DCV would be targeted: ACV: OMCV vs DCV (+0) of Paralysis 2d6 entangle (vs EGO (+1/4), 60 34 Takes No Damage From Physical Attacks (see 6E1 217) (+3/4)) of Apathy 3d6 Drain EGO (AVAD (Mental Defense +0)) 60 34 of Rest 4d6 Blast (AVAD Mental Defense (+1)) 60 34 of the Kaleidoscope 6d6 Flash vs. Sight Group (AVAD Mental Defense (+1)) 60 34 of the Fairy Godmother Combined Slot 2d6 Cosmetic Transform -> Stylish Clothing 12 7 8d6 Cosmetic Transform -> A makeover 48 27 of the Disney Princess Change Environment: Cleaning and Tidying (6 STR Telekinesis) 60 34 Arias: Limited Range: 16m (-1/4), Incantation (-1/4), Extra time: delayed phase (-1/4)) Where DCV would be targeted: ACV: OMCV vs DCV (+0) of Shattered Compulsions 20d6 Dispel Mind Control 60 34 of Shattered Minds 6d6 Mental Blast 60 34 of Shattered Glass 12d6 Blast vs ED 60 34 of Naked Force 30 STR Telekinesis (vs EGO (+1/4)) 56 32 for Two 12d6 Telepathy 60 34 of the Forgotten Lullaby Major Transform 4d6 (see 6E1 p298) 60 27 erase, change, add to, or otherwise affect a person's mental "objects", heals back normally) (vs EGO (+1/4), ACV: uses OMCV against DMCV (+1/4), AVAD: Mental Defense (+0), Limited Target: mental "objects" in the minds of sentient beings (-1/2)) Songs (unique limitations) of Home Repair 2d6 healing, can heal limbs 44 29 (AOE: 16m Radius (+3/4), only vs non-animate objects (machines, buildings, etc) (-0), Incantation (-1/4), Extra time: delayed phase (-1/4)) of Sound and Fury Images, Sight and Hearing Group, -6 PER Rolls 58 29 (AOE 16m Radius (+3/4), no range (-1/2), constant incantation (-1/2)) of the Dreaming Combined Slot (constant incantation (-1/2)) Desolidification (Affected by: Magic & pushed abilities) 40 20 (Can't pass through physical objects (-1/2)) Flight 10m, (Megascale 1m = 1km (+1)) 20 13 -
Another use of trigger is to reduce the action cost of 'drinking the potion' (or whatever), if you set the trigger activation to 'zero phase action' or 'action takes no time' then you can set effects off without having to take one of your actions.
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So Bob... what happens when someone rolls doubles, triples or more? Lose their phases? Not criticising - if that's an effect you intend, this works okay. But with more than a couple of dice the chances of rolling doubles are quite high.
Well, you can:
Left them get multiple actions in the same phase
make them reroll any duplicates
or use the computer to select (speed) items from the numbers 1-12
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Since getting the formatting just so is a bit of work, does anyone have any comments on the format?
Have at least another 4 characters to post, with more design highlights.
IS sblocking everything a good way to keep the apparent post length manageable?
Did you see anything in the characters you feel should be called out as a good example or design highlight?
Anything that you feel is a bad example of character design?
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Last member of the 'A'-Team
Design Highlights:
The variable slot multipower
As opposed to the fixed slot multipower, this allows you to change your DC balance and similar tricks. As a hint to saving points, anything you would generally always have allocated in the MP (like a minimum amount of defense) should probably be bought outside the multipower, as it's cheaper that way
Only in alternate ID
If you don't want your characters power armor to be taken away, or your hero transforms into a different 'powered' form, OIAID is for you. Remember that, to qualify for the disadvantage, you can't be able to instantly change into your powered form.
It's also possible to get a discount on abilities that only apply to your non-powered form with OIAID applying to your 'normal' form, rather than your powered form.
Safe Landing
Remember that being stunned or knocked out also turns off your non-persistent powers. Like flight. This means you immediately start falling out of the sky. As you are already low on STUN, this can take you out of the fight all-together, if it doesn't kill you outright.
If you don't want to pay for persistence on all of your flying ability, 1m of persistent, inherent, 0 END gliding is only one point.
Selling back normal movement
Every character gets 12 points of running, 2 points of leaping, and 2 points of swimming for free. It's possible to sell back some or all of this movement. For example, your small character may not be able to run as fast. Your character may be a paraplegic. Your character may be a floating ball that can really only move by flying around.
GM note: look carefully at characters who sell back their base movement, as there are several near exploits available. For example, selling all your base movement and using those points to buy a movement multipower instead.
Aphelion
Balance Notes
Varies with allocation of variable multipower slots
DC: Varies (low - high) (OMCV vs DCV, targets PD, has telekinesis)
DC: Varies (mid - high) (20/15 to 30/15, has unusual targeting sense)
DC: Varies (low - high) (8 - 12)
DC: Varies (low - high) (4 - 6)
A physicist, working at Campaign city's particle collider. He was studying the [Arachne] incident and trying to recreate the events that led to it. Hopefully this time, with less screaming. The Eschaton and immensely powerful thingy (alien, god, future entity, etc) became worried about clever monkeys poking the Devourer of Worlds with sticks, and visited [Aphelion] to give him a stern talking to. The Escaton charged him with preventing other clever monkeys from poking the Devourer of Worlds. It imbued him with telekinetic liquid metal, which is some for of sufficiently advanced technology, to help him keep an eye on said clever monkeys.
[Aphelion]'s first actions as a super powered being were to call up a psychologist and say, "I've just had one hell of a hallucination." However, sufficient testing, and some worrying results at the particle collider finally convinced him to cause a convenient fire at the lab, destroying the records of the [Arachne] incident, along with his research notes. He's abandoned his job as a high level research physicist to take a job as a high school physics teacher. He's not very good at it, but none of the kids were there to learn physics anyway, so it evens out.
The weapons manufacturer, Technodyne Defense Systems is very interested in why exactly a suspicious fire would break out at Campaign City's particle collider and a prominent physicist would quit at almost the same time.
[Arachne] has the 0 point complication: Watched by Aphelion, since she is associated with the Devourer of Worlds.
Appearance:
While not quite a spherical physicist, he certainly qualifies for 'pear shaped'. When transformed into Aphelion, he looks like smooth metal ball roughly 60 cm in diameter.
How do you find out about crime to stop?
HRRP to hear police radio, etc. With criminology, forensic medicine, and deduction is able to find out lots from crime scenes. Can be quite sneaky due to small size in sphere form.
How to you get to where the crime is?
Megascale flight.
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Make sure [Arachne] doesn't do anything to damage the fabric of reality. Deal with other idiots messing with 'Scary Physics'. Try to research something that leaves most people chanting 'ia ia Cthulhu fhtagn!' without making a mess. Deal with idiot high schoolers, many of whom were exposed to the same dimensional breach as [Arachne], it's possible some of them will sprout tentacles and decide to be humanitarians. Get more of [Aspirant]'s cookies, they are yummy.
Built in weakness(es)
In sphere form, [Aphelion] does not have access to non-flying forms of movement. This means that unless he's resting on the (undoubtedly filthy!) ground, he'll take increased knockback. Also, as his DEX is only 8, he'll go after most everyone else.
Character design
400 value active cost STR 10 0 DEX 8 -4 CON 15(23 stun resistance) 5 INT 23 13 EGO 23 13 PRE 20(30 PRE resistance in sphere form) 10 OCV 3 0 DCV 3(7 in sphere form, due to shrinking II) 0 OMCV 7 12 DMCV 7 12 SPD 4(up to 6 w/ Speed of thought) 20 PD 7(10/3 Combat Luck, 20/15 sphere form, up to 30/15 TK shield) 5 ED 7(10/3 Combat Luck, 20/15 sphere form, up to 30/15 TK shield) 5 REC 10(18 in Sphere Form) 6 END 20(60 in Sphere Form) 0 BODY 13 3 STUN 40 10 Skills Bureaucratics PRE(13-) 3 3 Criminology INT(14-) 3 3 Deduction INT(14-) 3 3 Forensic Medicine INT(14-) 3 3 KS: Notable Scientists (11-) 2 2 Oratory PRE(13-) 3 3 Paramedics INT(14-) 3 3 Scientist 3 3 SS: Anatomy (11-) 1 1 SS: High Energy Physics INT(14-) 2 2 SS: Scary physics INT(14-) 2 2 SS: Mathematics INT(14-) 2 2 SS: Medicine (11-) 1 1 SS: Nuclear Physics INT(14-) 2 2 Stealth DEX(11-) 3 3 Range skill levels 2 range skill levels with TK fist, telekinesis 4 4 PS: Teacher (11-) Perks Notable Physicist Positive reputation (14-, medium group) 2 2 Teaching License 1 pt Fringe Benefit 2 2 Talents Combat Luck I 6 6 Powers description active cost A Sharp dressed man +1d6 striking appearance 3 1 (focus of the moment (-1/4), extra time (5 minutes) only to start (-1), OINID (-1/4)) Fast Healing Regeneration: 1 body per 6 hours (OINID (-1/4)) 6 5 Stun Resistance +8 CON (only to resist stunning (-1/4)) 8 6 EM Senses HRRP 12 12 Safe landing 1m flight (gliding (-1), 0 end (+1/2), persistent (+1/4 2 1 inherent (+1/4)) A floating beachball Shrinking II (same mass (+1/2), 0 END (+1/2), 30 17 persistent (+1/4), inherent(+1/4), extra time 1 turn only to start (-3/4)) 'Normal' Movement All: Only in normal ID (-1/4) Running 12m running 12 10 Swimming 4m leaping 2 2 Leaping 4m swimming 2 2 Sphere form All: Only in hero ID (-1/4) (i.e. shrunk) No normal movement No Running -12m Running -12 -12 No Leaping -4m Leaping -2 -2 No Swimming -4m Swimming -2 -2 No visible limbs NPA: imperceptible: sight (+1/2) on 'extra limbs' 2 2 (i.e. regular limbs are now invisible, and holding things in 'hands' now looks like telekinesis) Armor I +10 PD / +10 ED 20 16 Armor II 12 PD & 12 ED made resistant 12 10 Basic Flight 12m flight + position shift (useable as swimming (+1/4 25 20 Radar Detect: Radar (5) + targeting (10) 15 12 Long Ranged Radar +10 telescopic w/ Radar 5 4 A feeling of security +10 PRE only to resist presence attacks (-1) 10 4 Life support no breathing, safe in all environments 19 15 Energy Reactions I +8 REC 8 6 Energy Reactions I +40 END 8 6 Telekinetic Sphere 80 point multipower 80 64 Speed of thought up to +2 SPD 20 3v Telekinetic fist up to 12d6 blast vs PD, 60 10v ACV (uses OMCV against DCV; +0) Telekinetic shield up to +10 PD +10 ED 20 3v Telekinetic flight up to +40m flight 40 6v Escape Velocity 26m Flight (megascale 1m=1Km (+1), 1/2 END (+1/4)) 58 5f Gross Telekinesis up to 40 str telekenesis 60 10v (ACV: uses OMCV against DCV (+0)) Fine Telekinesis 30 STR telekinesis with fine manipulation 55 4f (ACV: uses OMCV against DCV (+0)) Complications 75 Watched by Technodyne Defense SyInfrequent, More Powerful, non-combat influence 10 Watched by the Eschaton Infrequent, More Powerful 5 Obese (or a flying beachball) Distinctive Feature Concealable, Recognizable 10 Humble/Self-Effacing Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Fastidious Psychological Complication Common, Moderate 10 Skeptic Psychological Complication Common, Moderate 10 Secret ID 15 -
Design Highlights:
The Movement multipower
A fixed slot multipower to contain various movement powers can be a great addition to your hero. It also allows you to easily model heroes who do different things with their movement abilites.
The Brick tricks multipower
Being strong is one of the worst super powers in 6E Champions. Many of the abilities you'd get in other systems 'for free' for being strong, you don't really get in Champions.
One of the ways to make your strong hero more interesting is to put their strength into a multipower, so other 'tricks' that they can do 'by geing strong' are already there on the character sheet.
Speedsters should consider a similar 'speedster tricks' multipower, which might also contain the majority of their movement abilities.
Don't neglect DMCV
Mentalists and characters who attack DMCV should be reasonably common. Your character shouldn't be able to call in sick when the evil Dr. Mental comes to town; and that's what you would be doing by leaving your MDCV at 3 and your EGO at 10. In a 10DC average game, 10DC mind control is a average power, which means you are looking at an EGO +20 result even on a bad roll.
The other power that attack special defenses (drains, flashes, etc) still have to defeat your DCV, so even if you don't have power defense or flash defense, you have at least some ability to avoid them already build into your character.
[Aspirant]
Balance Notes:
DC (high) 12 (OCV vs DCV, attacks PD, NND: hearing flash defense)
CV (high) 9
DEF (low) (20/13)
SPD (medium) 5
[Aspirant] came into her powers very early, so she has been dealing with the women of steel, men of tissue problem for some time. The mental control she has to use to keep from destroying things with her super strength is considerable. On the other hand, this same discipline gives her a lot of experience with other uses of super strength.
How much of her 'milk and cookies' persona is her true self and how much of it is just another facet of the tight control she keeps herself under is left to the player. But it certainly produces some odd results when it combines with her cynicism.
How do you find out about crime to stop?
Good social skills. Can also pick pockets. Life support sleep 1/week plus high streetwise let's her Batman around some. HRRP to hear police radio, etc.
How to you get to where the crime is?
Able to run at around 112 mph on the ground, around 75 mph along the sides of buildings, plus able to accurately jump 40 meters. So can move on the order of half again to twice as fast as a car and ignore traffic.
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Bake cookies, before you have to strangle someone. Deal with idiot school children, idiot inlaws, and idiot school boards. Go jogging before you have to
strangle someonechoke a bitch. Rub husband's feet; he works hard at his job. Drink more coffee, that homework isn't going to grade itself. No, mom, I'm not pregnant yet. Help [Arachne] manage to have a whole date without being seen by anyone other than the poor fool. This warms the blackened cockles of your heart.Built in weakness(es)
No special defenses or unsual targeting senses. Vulnerability to STR drain, as other attack options would also be drained (unified power).
Character Design:
400 value active cost STR 10 0 DEX 23 26 CON 20 (28 Stun resistance) 10 INT 13 3 EGO 20 10 PRE 20 10 OCV 9 30 DCV 9 30 OMCV 3 0 DMCV 9 18 SPD 5 30 PD 20 (20/13) 18 ED 20 (20/13) 18 REC 15 11 END 50 6 BODY 13 3 STUN 50 15 Skills Acrobatics DEX(14-) 3 3 Breakfall DEX(14-) 3 3 Bribery PRE(13-) 3 3 Conversation PRE(13-) 3 3 Interrogation PRE(13-) 3 3 Scholar 3 3 KS: Education system (11-) 1 1 KS: History (11-) 1 1 KS: Literature (11-) 1 1 KS: Superhumans (11-) 1 1 KS: Local Criminals (11-) 1 1 Sleight of Hand DEX(14-) 3 3 Stealth DEX(14-) 3 3 Streetwise PRE(13-) 3 3 Teamwork DEX(14-) 3 3 PS: Teacher (11-) everyman Socially Adept +1 to all Interaction Skills 4 4 Perks Teaching License 1 pt Fringe Benefit 1 1 Powers description active cost Just tough 13 PD & 13 ED made resistant 13 13 Stun Resistance +8 CON (only to resist stunning (-1/4)) 8 6 All the coffee Life Support: Sleep 1/week 1 1 Super Parkour 23 Point Multipower 23 23 Running up to +18m running x4 NCM (30m total) 23 5v Jumping up to +36m Jumping, Accurate (40m total) (no NCM (-1/4 23 4v Wall Running Clinging 10 1f Are you even pretending to up to 23m stretching 23 4v interact with physics? (no NCM (-1/4)) Now you are Just 12m teleport, No relative Velocity 22 1f showing off (must pass through intervening space (-1/4), restrainable:as legs (-1/2)) Running Helmet All OIF (-1/2) Communications HRRP 12 6 (effected as sight and hearing groups as well (-1/2)) Night Vision 5 3 Super Strength Tricks 50 point multipower (All: Unified Powers) 50 40 Just being strong +50 Strength 50 4f Ear clap 6d6 blast (NND hearing flash defense (+1/2), 45 3f no range (-1/2)) Throwing things 10d6 blast vs PD (focus of the moment (-1/4)) 50 3f Field expedient binding Entangle: 5 rPD/5 rED 5d6 Body 50 2f (focus of the moment (-1/4), no range (-1/2)) Smash through 6m tunneling through 16 PD material 38 3f Complications 75 Cynical, Psychological Complication Common, moderate 10 especially about 'the system' Code Against Killing Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Code of the Hero Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Married Social Complication Frequent, Major 15 Secret ID Social Complication infrequent, Major 10 Hunted by the witches circle infrequent, as powerful, capture/kill 10 -
Design Highlights:
The small multipower
You can put a lot of minor and/or character building stuff into a small multipower; but make sure to pay attention to the powers that generally can't be put into power frameworks.
The fixed slot multipower
This is one of the main building blocks of many characters. It usually hold several different types of attacks, what the character can select from as the situation is appropriate.
Note to GM: you generally shouldn't allow a fixed slot multipower to attack more than one sort of special defense (flash defense, power defense, mental defense). Otherwise it becomes too easy for the character to attack whatever defense(s) the target doesn't have.
Your multipower isn't just limited to attacks, it’s also possible to put non-combat powers into it as well (examples: large scale movement, out of combat transforms, etc).
Mental Speed
Mental powers (and those bought with (ACV: OMCV vs DMCV) use EGO instead of DEX to determine how fast you act. Note that any physical actions you take still rely on your DEX, though. So, for example, if you want to walk around the corner and mind control someone, you'd have to wait until your DEX came around so you could walk around the corner, before you could attempt to mind control them.
CV changes of Shrinking and Growth
Remember that every level of shrinking provides +2 DCV and every level of growth is -2 DCV. Characters that fight at different sizes should pay attention to their CV for balance purposes.
Shrinking not intended for use in combat should generally have a limitation that locks out combat powers, or a side effect that reduces DC.
Characters that intend to fight while grown should remember to buy up their DCV to account for the DCV loss. If you can also fight while not-grown, remember that your not-grown form will also need to comply with the campaign balance.
Large PRE attacks
Assuming your opponents are built 'properly' a large PRE attack shouldn't be game breaking. It allows you to easily reduce large groups of minions to 1/2 DCV to allow your team mates to quickly clear them out of the combat.
GM note: PRE attacks should probably be treated like attack powers for campaign balance. So if your average DC is 10, a 10d6 PRE attack should be a possible thing for a hero or villain to have in their bag of tricks.
[Arachne]
Balance Notes
DC: High (12DC OMCV vs DMCV targets PD, EGO/mental defense)
CV: Medium (7)
DEF: High (7/7 + 6DC damage negation (28 equiv) with 10 mental defense and unusual targeting sense)
SPD: Low (4)
[Arachne] was a normal high school student, who was on a field trip to Campaign City's particle collider to 'see some real science done'. Unfortunately, the scientists at the collider picked this time to accidentally punch a hole into the underverse, where the Devourer of Worlds lies dreaming. [Arachne] emulating the Dutch boy of legend, attempted to hold the hole in the universe closed with her hands. This lead to her being stuck in the hole, rather like a cork in a bottle. Being in the shadow cast be the sleeping Devourer of Worlds has radically changed her physiology and given her access to several different powers. While her changed physiology is permanent, any force which disrupts the hole into the underverse or partially pulls her out of it also disrupts several of her powers.
Floating teleport locations would normally be set to [Aspirant] and [Athenian]. This way, if the team needs to go somewhere fast, [Athenian] can use his megascale movement to get there, [Arachne] can teleport to wherever [Aspirant] is, and then gate them both to [Athenian] without any targeting problems. [Aphelion] also has megascale movement, but he normally doesn't let [Arachne] use him as a teleport destination, since that means she could, you know, show up one night and eat him, or something.
How do you find out about crime to stop?
[Arachne] is an excellent physical infiltrator, with access to invisibility, shrinking, and both lockpicking and the security systems skills. With access to tracking scent, she can follow people of interest, once they have been identified. In addition, she can do computer hacking, with computer programming + cryptography. HRRP to hear police radio, etc.
How to you get to where the crime is?
With megascale teleport, a megascale teleport gate, and the ability to mark team members (who may also have megascale movement) as fixed teleport destinations means that [Arachne] should have no problem getting places. When operating by herself, she could megascale teleport into a location she could either spot from the air, or spot in the air from the ground (and then fly down).
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Spend time on the Internet. Talk online about normal things like what's the best color to paint your nails. Feel bad when your nail polish chips because you had to claw your way through a steel wall. Complete her high school stuff, so she can hopefully get into a good college! If she can arrange one on one interaction with someone, play Nyaruko-tan with mental illusions. [Athenian] or [Aspirant] can sometimes be talked into helping 'chaperone' such things, to prevent any random passerby from seeing her accidentally (or on purpose). Maybe try riding around in [Aspirant]'s backpack when she goes running. Other joggers wouldn't notice a few eye stalks looking out, would they?
Built in weakness(es)
[Arachne] has a large vulnerability to certain drains, because her major defense (damage negation) is in a unified power framework. In addition, she can be contained by applications of the 'Scary Physics' skill. Lastly, with a PRE defense of only 10, she is vulnerable to PRE attacks.
Character Design:
400 value active cost STR 10 0 DEX 10(18 for running, flying, swimming) 0 CON 18 8 INT 13 3 EGO 23 13 PRE 10 0 OCV 3 0 DCV 7 20 OMCV 7 12 DMCV 7 12 SPD 4 20 PD 4(7/7 w/ combat luck) 2 ED 4(7/7 w/ combat luck) 2 REC 15 11 END 40 4 BODY 12 2 STUN 40 10 Skills Bugging INT(12-) 3 3 Computer programming INT(12-) 3 3 Concealment INT(12-) 3 3 Cryptography INT(12-) 3 3 Lock Picking DEX(11-) 3 3 Security Systems INT(12-) 3 3 Shadowing INT(12-) 3 3 Stealth DEX(11-) 3 3 Tracking INT(12-) 3 3 CuK: The Internet INT(12-) 3 3 KS: Horror Fiction INT(12-) 3 3 PS: Hacker (11-) everyman 1337 Skillz +1 with Intellect skills 4 4 Talents Combat Luck I 6 6 Lightning Movement Lightning Ref: +8 DEX for running, flying, swimming 2 2 Powers description active cost No longer of this earth Tough PD and ED made fully resistant 4 4 Inhuman physiology life support: No breathing, safe in all environments 19 19 Inhuman mind 10 pts mental defense 10 10 Whole Body Nose Add Tracking, Targeting to Sense of Smell 15 15 Glorious New Form 12 pt Multipower 12 12 Suckers clinging 10 1f Skittery limbs +12m running (24m total) 12 1f Noodly Tentacles 12m stretching 12 1f Lovably Squishable shrinking (2 levels) 12 1f (lockout: combat powers (-1/2)) Silent flappy Things 10m Flight (Imperceptible to sound (+1/4)) 12 1f Powerful flippers +20m swimming (24m total) 10 1f Rejuvinating Slime Heal 1d6 Body 10 1f Very Sharp Claws & Teeth 1 Pip HKA (Penetrating x2 (+1)) 10 1f Headset Computer All: OIF (-1/2) Communications HRRP (effected as sight and hearing as well (-1/2)) 12 6 Processing Lightning Calculator 3 2 Recording Eidetic Memory (Sight and Sound only (-1/2)) 5 2 Dimensional Weak Spot One Fixed Teleport Location 1 1 Mental Impressions Two Floating Fixed Teleport Location 10 10 Like a cork in a bottle All: Unified Powers (-1/4) Eldritch Abomination 8d6 striking appearance 24 19 Weak interactions with normal u Damage negation -6DC PD, -6DC ED 60 48 In the shadow of the Devourer o 60 point multipower 60 48 Psychic scream Mental blast 6d6 60 5f Dream Twisting 12d6 Mental Illusions 60 5f The voice 12d6 Mind control 60 5f Dimensional Rending 8d6 Blast vs PD (Armor Piercing (+1/4), 60 3f ACV: OMCV vs MDCV (+1/4), Beam (-1/4), no knockback (-1/4), can't be bounced (-1/4)) Unbinding 20d6 Dispel Entangle (no range (-1/2)) 60 3f Personal Wormhole teleportation 10m, no relative velocity 60 5f ((Megascale (1m=100km) (+3/2), safe blind (+1/4), armor piercing (+1/4))) Wormhole Gate teleportation 10m x2 mass 60 3f (Usable Simultaneously (creator and one) (+1/2), 2m Radius (+1/4), Constant (+1/2), Megascale (1m=100km) (+3/2), safe blind (+1/4), gate (-1/2)) I'm not here Invisibility to sight, hearing, 50 3f smell/taste, radio, mental groups, no fringe (no attacks (-1/2)) Complications 75 Eldritch Abomination I Distinctive Features, not concealable, extreme reaction 25 Eldritch Abomination II Social Complication, frequently, major 15 Blocked by 'physics wards' Physical Complication, infrequently, greatly 15 Significantly Different Anatomy Physical Complication, infrequently, Slightly 5 (requires special medical care) Hunted by the Scary Clown Posse Infrequently, As powerful, Mildly Punish 5 Wants a 'normal' life Psychological Complication, Common, Moderate 10 -
And here's the first four characters, with their design highlights:
Team outline: The 'A'-Team
Averages
DC 10
CV 7
DEF 25
SPD 5
Ranges
REC 12-18
STUN 30-50
Resistant DEF 10+
Team Scope: Large City (Chicago analogue), mostly local, minor dimension hopping
Special notes: A variant of high energy physics called 'Scary Physics' will be related to certain Lovecraftian elements (example story: From Beyond)
1st Character: [Athenian]
Design highlights:
Controlling Points Spent on Skills
If your conception of your character has a lot of skills, it can be very hard to keep from going overboard in how much you spend on them. One of the ways you can keep your skills under control is to coordinate with the other players. If they pick up a few of the skills your character 'would' have, you can same points by not taking those skills.
If you find yourself upping your stats to increase your skill rolls, or spending a lot of points on increasing skill rolls directly, consider taking some skill levels instead. For example, you can take 10 points 'all non-combat skill levels' to avoid needing to raise all your stats if you want higher skill rolls.
Stun Resistance
If you take damage greater than your CON, you are stunned, which, among other things, turns off any non-persistent powers (like combat luck, defenses you have to spend END on, etc) and reduces you to 1/2 DCV. Most opponents will want to pile in on the guy who is at 1/2 DCV, so your chances of staying in the fight just took a nose dive.
As DEF values are usually capped by campaign, you need to manage your CON total to avoid being stunned all the time. See the handy Stun Avoidance table to see what your CON + DEF totals should be.
As CON no longer provides figured characteristics, it's main ability is providing stun resistance. That's why I feel that (only for stun resistance) is only a (-1/4) disadvantage.
PRE Resistance
Presence attacks should be a pretty important part of a super hero game and having your hero need a new pair of pants when the scary clowns show up is not empowering. Even if you don't plan to make PRE attacks much, you should make sure you have 'enough' PRE resistance, unless being scared often is part of your character concept.
What you really want to avoid is the PRE +20 result on the table, which reduces you to 1/2 DCV. Assuming (Medium DC) (ex: 10d6) PRE attacks are the most you are going to meet, 20 PRE defense should be good enough.
Generally, PRE should be treated something like at attack power for campaign DC limits.
Teamwork skill
The teamwork skill is one way to really lay the smackdown on things. It works best when the characters who are cooperating have similar DEX and SPD totals, so they don’t have to deal with holding actions.
Slow to change VPP
One of the implementations for VPPs is the 'slow change' version. This can be used to represent characters who have an armory or collection of gadgets 'back at base' and have to go back there to change them, or a DnD type wizard who has to sleep to change his spell selection, or a character who undergoes evolutionary mutations.
You can also use this for the player who can't stop tinkering with their character. They can change their VPP out with some frequency and still have that fully supported by the rules.
In theory, the rules on what sort of powers shouldn't be allowed in a VPP should be 'most relaxed' about this sort of VPP, as the character can't quickly change out the power once it's utility is past.
No matter what kind of VPP you have, though, you should have several sample powers already statted out so you don't have to waste the other player's time coming up with something.
Triggered Movement
This power construct is a way to mimic certain speedster abilities.
If you find it too complicated, some of it's functionality can be gotten with the 'Flying Dodge' martial arts maneuver (improved 'dive for cover' and 'move away from melee attackers').
You can effectively replicate the ability to move away after attacking your target in melee by using stretching. Stretching also lets you punch people you might not be able to reach normally, like flyers.
Explanation of the power construct works:
Trigger condition is set when trigger is created (+1/2)
The character creates a 'trigger' that amounts to 'after I do whatever it is I was going to do'. Examples: after I attack that guy, after I move, 'now', after I pick this thing up.
Activating Trigger is non-action (+1/4)
The trigger can go off, even when the character normally can't act, such as when they end their turn by attacking.
Setting trigger is a 0 phase action (+1/4)
The character has to be able to act to create the trigger, but it doesn't take any time to set.
Trigger expires: trigger only lasts a single segment (-1/4)
The trigger only last for the segment that you are acting in. Without this disadvantage, you could set your movement to trigger 'when I am attacked'. With this disadvantage, the trigger will only work when you have an action.
What does this let you do?
On your turn, take a regular half move, set the movement trigger to (after I attack), attack (which would normally end your turn), then have the triggered movement go off and move.
Move further than normal by combining a regular full move plus a triggered movement.
Gain the 'time' for certain half-phase actions, like a perception roll, that the normal pace of half-move -> attack combat doesn't allow time for, by using a triggered move instead of a half move.
Abort to a defensive action like block or dodge, and move at the same time. This generally lets you automatically escape melee attacks (since you are now far away from your attacker) and get out of AOE effects (assuming you have enough triggered movement). You can also abort to block for other people, by aborting to block, using triggered movement to move next to them, and then blocking for them.
Things you can't do:
Take a recovery and use this version of triggered movement in the same action, as a recovery doesn't let you take the zero phase action you'd need to set the trigger.
Use non-combat movement on your triggered move.
[Athenian]
Balance Notes:
Highly varied, depending on VPP allocation (change takes hours)
DC Varies (mid - high) (10-12 DC)
CV Varies (mid - high) (7-9 CV)
DEF Varies (low - high) (18+/10+ with 10 mental & power defense)
SPD Varies (low - high) (4-6)
A member of Campaign city's local government and a superhero. In play, some combination of speedster, martial artist, and power armor character.
How do you find out about crime to stop?
[Athenian] has the local police as an organizational contact. So anything the police find interesting, he can probably hear about. Also has several social skills. HRRP to hear police radio, etc.
How to you get to where the crime is?
Megascale movement (flight only in contact with a surface)
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Talk to constituents and various important people around the city. Occasionally actually have to vote on something. Try to help [Arachne] have some sort of social life. Try not to get involved in scandals, which can be surprisingly difficult when you look this good. Try to keep anyone from finding out that a female high school aged eldritch abomination mostly lives in your basement.
Built in weakness(es)
No flash defense and no unusual targeting senses, so vulnerable to AOE flashes. Has foci, so vulnerable to grabs, disarms, and similar.
Character design:
400 value active cost STR 30 20 DEX 18 (23 pts w/ lightning reflexes) 16 CON 18 (26 stun resistance) 8 INT 13 3 EGO 18 8 PRE 25 (35 PRE resistance) 15 OCV 5 10 DCV 7 20 OMCV 3 0 DMCV 3 0 SPD 4 20 PD 12 (18/6 w/ combat luck) 10 ED 12 (18/6 w/ combat luck) 10 REC 12 8 END 40 4 BODY 13 3 STUN 40 10 Skills Breakfall DEX(13-) 3 3 Bureaucratics PRE(14-) 3 3 Charm PRE(14-) 3 3 Conversation PRE(14-) 3 3 High Society PRE(14-) 3 3 Oratory PRE(14-) 3 3 Persuasion PRE(14-) 3 3 Scholar 3 3 KS: Greek Mythology (11-) 1 1 KS: Law (11-) 1 1 KS: Campaign City Notables (11-) 1 1 KS: Campaign City Politics (11-) 1 1 KS: Religion (11-) 1 1 Stealth DEX(13-) 3 3 Teamwork DEX(13-) 3 3 PS: Politician 11- (everyman) Martial Arts Fast strike +2 OCV, +0 DCV, Strike (STR+2D6) 4 4 Legsweep +2 OCV, -1 DCV, Strike (STR+1D6), Target Falls 3 3 Sacrifice Disarm +2 OCV, -2 DCV, Disarm +10 STR 4 4 Martial Block +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block/Abort 4 4 Perks Contact: Local Police (11-, useful skills, institutions, organization) 12 12 Wealth 5 pts Money 5 5 City Councilman 1 pt Fringe Benefit 1 1 Passed the Bar exam 1 pt Fringe Benefit 1 1 Talents Combat Luck II 12 12 Lightning Reflexes 5 5 Powers description active cost Spark of Divinity: Night Vision 5 5 Divine Endurance I 10 pts Mental Defense 10 10 Divine Endurance II 10 pts Power Defense 10 10 Divine Endurance III Life Support: sleep 1/week 1 1 Divine Endurance IV +8 CON (only to resist stunning (-1/4)) 8 6 No Fear +10 PRE, only to resist PRE attacks (-1) 10 5 Of the blood of Hermes 21 point multipower 21 21 Mythic Speed 10m flight megascale (1m=1km) 20 1f Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4) restrainable: as legs (-1/2) Nothing but a blur 12m running (Trigger: 21 2f (Trigger condition is set when trigger is created (+1/2), Activating Trigger is non-action (+1/4), Setting trigger is a 0 phase action (+1/4) Trigger expires: only lasts a single segment (-1/4 less) total: (+3/4)) Just running fast +20m running (32m total) 20 2f High Speed Struggle +20 STR (only escape grabs and entangles (-1)) 20 1f Radio earbuds HRRP 12 7 (affected as sight and hearing group (-1/2), IIF (-1/4)) Mythological Armory Variable Power Pool Reserve Pool 65 point pool 65 65 Control Pool 60 point control, 30 13 only change in given circumstances (-1/2), change takes hours (-1/4), At least (-1/2) in Focus limitations Complications 75 Code Against Killing Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Civic Minded And Responsible Psychological Complication Common, Strong 15 Prefers Diplomacy to Force Psychological Complication Common, Moderate 10 Hunted Nessus Shirt Company Infrequent, as powerful, NCI, Harshly Punish 15 Body of a Greek God Distinctive Feature Concealable, Recognizable 10 Vulnerability to Poisons I 1 1/2 Stun (uncommon) 5 Vulnerability to Poisons II 1 1/2 Body (uncommon) 5Sample VPP point allocations
Active real Panoply of Hermes DC: Med (10) CV: High (9) 65 Def: Low (18/11 + 10 mental & power defense) SPD: High (6) Cape All: OIF (-1/2) 5 PD / 5 ED made resistant 5 3 +2 DCV 10 7 +2 SPD 20 13 +2 OCV 10 7 +12m running 12 8 +2 Damage Classes 8 5 +3 REC 3 2 +20 END 4 3 Nets All: OAF (-1) 8 rPD 5rED, 4d6 body entangle 50 15 (limited range (16m) (-1/4), 2 recoverable charges (-1)) +2 CSL with nets 4 2 Colossus of Rhodes DC: High (12) CV: Med (7) 65 Def: High (28/15 + 10 mental & power defense) SPD: Low (4) Giant Armor All: OIF (-1/2) growth I 0 end (1/2), persistent (1/4), 50 29 Inherent (+1/4), Armor is just that big (-1/4) density increase I 0 end (1/2), persistent (1/4), 8 5 Inherent (+1/4), Armor is just that heavy (-1/4) +2 DCV 10 7 +4 STUN 2 1 -4m Knockback Resistance 4 3 +6 PD / +6 ED 12 8 9 PD / 9 ED Made resistant 9 6 +6 REC 6 4 +3m reach 3 2 Totals: STR 50, CON 28, PRE 25, PD 28/15, ED 28/15, BODY 15, REC 18, STUN 50, -12m Knockback resistance, 24m running, 5m reach, 7 DCV Panoply of Apollo DC: Med (10) CV: High (9) 65 Def: Med (23/11 + 10 mental & power defense) SPD: Med (5) Bow of the Sun All: OAF (-1) 32m stretching 56 20 (Does not cross intervening space (+1/4), 0 END (+1/2), only to cause Damage (-1/2), no noncombat stretching (-1/4)) Corinthian Helm All: OIF (-1/2) +2 OCV (OCV 7) 10 7 +2 DCV (DCV 9) 10 7 Muscle Cuirass All: OIF (-1/2) +5 rPD 5 rED 15 10 +2 Damage Classes 8 5 +1 SPD (SPD 5) 10 7 +3 REC 3 2 Bowl of Hygieia All: OAF (-1) 2d6 heal BODY, x4 END (-1 1/2), 20 4 extra time: 1 turn (-1 1/4) Life support: immunity to disease 7 3 (UBO up to 3 others, granted 1 at the time (+1/2)) Panoply of Hades DC: High (12) CV: High (9) 65 Def: Low (18/11 + 10 mental & power defense) SPD: Med (5) Forked Staff All: OAF (-1) 6d6 drain EGO, no range (-1/2), 60 22 only vs human minds, no immortals, undead, robots, etc (-1/4) +5m reach (6m total) 5 2 +2 OCV with drain (OCV 9 with drain) 4 2 Robe of Shadow All: OIF (-1/2) 5 PD / 5 ED made resistant 5 3 +1 SPD 10 7 +4 Damage Classes 16 11 +2 OCV 10 7 +2 DCV 10 7 +10 END (END 50) 2 1 +2 to stealth rolls 4 3 -
Here's a more formal writeup of some of the previous character design stuff I've done, with more explicit layouts writeups of things like the campaign averages I was expecting, the stun avoidance table, and various other rules and example tidbits:
Design Callout: Forced tradeoffs, not campaign limits
It's normal for a champions campaign to set limits on things like the DC, CV, DEF, SPD, etc of the characters. I don't much like this way of doing things because it's almost always possible for the people who are good at character creation to be able to meet all of those limits at once, while the people who aren't good at character creation end up greatly overshadowed in play.
The way I prefer to do things is to give a list of 'averages' for the campaign for DC, CV, DEF, and SPD and then allow the hero a free 'advance' in one of those categories. They can then trade off subtracting from one category for a reduction in another. Category 'steps' are as follows: DC: 2 CV 2 covers both attack and defense (so if 7 is the campaign average CV, then an average of 9 would be 'high') DEF 10 points (or advancement of 5 in PD and 5 in ED SPD: 1
Example:
averages:
DC: 10
CV: 7
DEF: 25
SPD: 5
Then legal a character could be:
DC: 12 (high)
CV: 9 (high)
DEF: 20 (low)
SPD: 5 (medium)
DC: 8 (low)
CV: 9 (high)
DEF: 25 (medium)
SPD: 6 (high)
DC: 10 (medium)
CV: 9 (high)
DEF: 25 (medium)
SPD: 5 (medium)
A more in depth writeup of this sort of system, can be found here.
If also normally follow their suggestions such as highest special defense / 4 is added to your DEF total when computing your average DEF; you can only have 2 out of 3 of (Power Defense, Mental Defense, (Flash Defense and/or an unusual targeting sense).
The stun avoidance table:
Stun Avoid DC 0.25 0.5 0.75 0.9 8 25 28 31 34 9 28 31 35 38 10 31 35 39 42 11 35 38 42 46 12 38 42 46 50 13 41 45 50 53 14 45 49 53 57 15 48 52 57 61This table should show the DEF + CON totals you need to avoid being stunned as a % chance. For example, if you want to avoid being stunned by a 10 DC attack 90% of the time, you need a CON + DEF total of 42.
Rules comments:
Weak entangles are too strong
No matter how weak an entangle is, the entangled character is immediately reduced to 0 DCV. Even if the entangle is one that you could break with your casual escape value (usually 1/2 STR), you don't get to restore your DCV until you have a phase to act. So you can reduce godzilla to 0 DCV by entangling him with a piece of string. Then one of your buddies can now hit DCV 0 godzilla, and the piece of string entangle is not going to significantly reduce the damage they are going to do.
Recommended house rule: any time a character is entangled, they can immediately roll their casual escape value. If they achieve a result that would break the entangle, the entangle immediately breaks and they are not reduced to 0 DCV. However, this immediate escape attempt should not do any actual damage to any entangle they don't manage to escape.
(some) stat Drains are too strong
GM note: you should probably apply a house rule to drains of stats, otherwise they tend to be too effective. Take a look at the results of being at 0 (starting 6E1 P42) of a stat to see what kind of effect even a small drain can have. A 5d6 drain on INT or EGO reduces most characters to around 1/3 effectivness, as they have to make a 9 or less roll (37.5%) to do anything. A 5d6 END drain drains around 40 END on average, and that means most charcters will immediately be running on STUN to power their abilties.
Recommended house rule: Drains affect ALL stats, not just defenses, except END at 1/2 rate. END is effected at 1/5, so every point rolled on the drain is worth one point of END.
Example: Pooka hits Brutha with a STR drain. Pooka rolls 5d6 and gets a result of 21. Brutha has 10 points of power defense, meaning 11 points of the drain get through. This means that Brutha is drained of 5 STR.
Things you should be able to answer about your character
How do you find out about crime to stop?
Really, a hero should have some ability to 'investigate' beyond just patrolling and hoping to run into something interesting. (Unless you make ridiculous luck while patrolling your investigative ability, I guess.)
How to you get to where the crime is?
Especially with how big American cities are, your hero needs to be able to get around pretty quickly. The original Pulsar (Champions 1 or 2?) who had to take a cab to rob the bank was a fun example of what not to do, but in a well rounded hero, not so much. If your hero has to get across town to suddenly respond to a crime, and that crime is, say 15 miles away, that's at least 15 minutes by car, and there is going to probably going to be traffic and explosions and stuff that make your response time even longer. So really, you are looking at something like 30 minutes to get there. Plus a few minutes to get yourself organized to go, and a few minutes to get organized once you get to the scene of the crime. And things are probably long over unless it's a hostage situation, or something; and we don't want to always have to deal with the bad guys holed up somewhere and holding hostages.
So, short version, your hero should be able to travel at least as fast as a car that ignores traffic.
Of course, if all your characters are built as a team, then you can pool together to make a teleporter back at your base or something that handles this type of mobility, but even then, you should not have to hail a cab if your teleporter is broken.
What sort of stuff do you do outside of costume?
Your superhero game should not just be investigative or tactical situations for costumed heroes. So your character should have some interesting stuff going in their secret ID, or some drama with their public ID, or whatever. In addition, they should have some skills other than being a ninja investigator and punching people in the face.
Built in weakness(es)
Your hero should probably have a built in weak area, beyond the balance rules like 'only 2/3 of (Power defense, flash defense, mental defense' found in the balance rules. Even if you don't have any other reason, this gives you a reason to team up with other people. Remember that you can add kryptionite style weaknesses via complications if you don't have anything else.
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Another way to do it is roll your speed in d12s. The numbers that show up are the phases you act it. Example: speed 5 guy rolls 5d12: (1, 4, 8, 10, 11) so those are the phases he acts on. This takes away the ability to know exactly when the other guy has phases coming up, and trying to exploit that. This rules may change the value of DEX/lightning reflexes, since it changes how likely you are to be acting in the same phase as different speed people, but not sure it's that big of a deal.
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It's also that detects are typically not useful 'all the time'. For example, the fact that you have an alternative targeting sense only matters when you can't see the target clearly. So the fact that you can power up your alternative targeting sense only when you need it is not really any less effective than having the sense all the time.
For pools that you can't switch quickly (e.g. only change in given circumstances, powers take hours to change, etc), this isn't much of an issue. But for high speed swapping VPPs and multipowers, it doesn't work out so well.
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Huh, I always thought that the 'rank' style fringe benefits only gave the explicit benefits of that rank, not the 'implicit' benefits. So the 'Head of state' fringe benefit is supposed to also be enough to let you generally boss that state around, as opposed to just making you impossible to arrest, baring war, and stuff like that?7
[edit]
And, I'd assume, that the 'ranks' would map roughly to he levels of wealth?
So
Rank 1-5 Local power
Rank 6-10 National Power
Rank 11-15 International Power
So Local Union Man might be rank 3 or something and National Union Man might be rank 6 or 7.
And a particularly effective US President would be rank 12 or 13, and a Bruce Wayne who decided to skip all this silly mask wearing stuff, he was going to cure malaria and end world hunger would end up rank 11 or 12? And, I dunno, Darkseid, would be rank 15?
[yet another edit]
And how would this interact with contacts. For example, if I have a contact with the local police:
(11-) 2 points
Useful skills 1 point
Contact has access to major institutions 1 point
x3 Organization Contact
That's 12 points spent on just being able to get the local cops to go the extra mile for you.
When you could pay, say 4 points for rank, and be a very important officer in the local cops, what does the 12 points for the contact get you?
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How do you represent a character's influence over a particular section of society?
For example, 'everyone' comes to Bruce Wayne's parties, and he could talk to them and they might consider his opinion on whatever he was talking about. In theory, that sort of thing is different from being wealthy. For example, we could imagine Union Man, whose secret ID is an important figure in a major union and wields considerable political influence even though he doesn't have a lot of money.
We don't really want to write:
contact: the mayor of campaign city
contact: various members of campaign city's legislature
contact: the governor of campaign state
contact: various members of campaign state's legislature
etc on Union Man's character sheet
In addition, Union Man would be able to exert some influence on the Mayor of Campaign city, no matter who they were. That is, even though Union may may have a personal relationship with the guy who happens to be Mayor, if some other guy got elected mayor, Union Man would most likely be in the (new) Mayor's office the next day, telling the (new) Mayor how things were going to be.
This seems to call for a perk similar to wealth, we'll call it 'influence' to show what sort of stuff you can accomplish.
The fringe benefits like 'member of the nobility' or 'head of state' don't seem to actually give any power. For example, if you are a member of the nobility, you might not have to pay certain taxes, different laws might apply to you, etc. But there seems to be no direct way to represent your ability to exert influence.
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One of the big things to get used to is that base stats no longer effect figured characteristics. So up to 5e, just adding STR, DEX, and CON was generally a good idea. In 6e, you don't really need to do that anymore.
Sonic forcefield. I'd think that lasers and generic energy blasts would be much more common in a superhero game. And you be pretty much pasted by any opponent that happened to have them.
Defenses look a little low, in the 'average' champions game, 12 DC attacks will be pretty common, you'd get pasted by 12DC energy blasts, since your force field generally wouldn't apply, and you'd be stunned around half the time by 12DC physical attacks.
In addition, changing your force field DEF to make is cost END also makes it non-persistent so it turns off when you get stunned.
Think the 'extra loud flight' should be modeled like this:
Side effects:
(-1/4) minor side effect (~15 points (example effects: flash vs. hearing, change environment, AOE blasts)
(x2) side effect always occurs
(1/4 less disadvantage) Side effect doesn't effect the character
For a total of (-1/4).
And note that the side effects will generally be bad for you, so you'll break windows and deafen little old ladies, not break Evil McEvils Glasses as you fly by.
On the plus side, you wouldn't have to pay points for the flash vs. hearing anymore, so you save 3 points there.
AVAD resistant flash defense so should be worth (+3/2) unless you mean for 'Sonic Ear Blast' to be a NND with the protection being 'resistant flash defense'. Though AVAD (just regular Flash defense) (+1) is probably reasonably good.
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The 'problem' with a lot of alternate World War 2s is that the authors to assume that the historical events of WW2 were the 'most probably'. That is, if we rewound time and let WW2 run a few more times, then the actual outcome of WW2 would usually look like the historical outcome. But I think that's pretty far from the truth.
As an example, I think the quick fall of France is probably an outlier, rather than an expected result.
The UK can't be invaded in 1940 or 1941 because Germany has neither the landing craft nor the ability to supply an invasion force. Even if Germany could have somehow landed
Winning WW2 is pretty much about boring things like how many ball bearings you could produce, and how much you can replaces horses with trucks so you can move more spam to the troops, not about how many Tiger tanks you could field, nor how quickly.
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Not This August (1955) by C.M. Kornbluth. [...\
Huh, sounds like Sixth Column without the satire. Probably the worse for the loss.
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It's possible to (greatly) reduce sonic boom noise with aerodynamics. A long (and specifically shaped) needle like nose, careful air intake design, and engine location all seem to matter. Of course, an aircraft designed for this sort of thing means all sorts of compromises in things like performance as a fighter aircraft. It would also interfere with the aerodynamic modifications you need for reduced radar cross section (i.e. 'stealth'). If you still need reduced RCS, there are (even more expensive and not well developed) ways to do that, such as plasma stealth. But even if you were Mr. Fantastic enough to design such an aircraft, I'm not sure if anyone would even be able to build it for you.
I guess if you have a completely shape changing aircraft, or do stuff like generate your aerodynamic shape with force fields, then it's much simpler.
Example:
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And since no one has thrown out a sample distopia beyond the standard 'Nazi World' here's one:
The Green Revolution was not Televised
Because of comic book physics, you can't develop fertilizer from petro-chemicals. So while crop production got a massive boost for both pesticides and farming mechanization, there weren't mass amounts of fertilizer available to renew the soil. This meant that great increases in farming technology were able to greatly boost the population, until the soil ran out. So any wars past around 1930 had food security as a major issue. For example, WW2 really was about Germany trying to seize Russian farmland, and exterminating all those useless mouths. Because no distopia is really so bad that Nazis couldn't make things worse.
And there are a lot of secondary effects.
Examples:
dust bowls and similar arising from over farming
Skirmishes and sometimes outright wars fought over fishing grounds, even though the oceans have been horribly overfished.
Other things to note:
things that might sound like a simple solution to this problem either only help a little bit, or just make things worse. At least, until the PCs come along.
In a normal world, the PCs might be willing to let the guy who is stealing bread to feed is family go, but when there really isn't enough bread to go around, whose faces are they going to punch in to fix things?
Paleolithic Hero?
in Other Genres
Posted
Hmm, you could try some adding some Ōkami, drive back the darkness with art. Search for new pigments and new animals to make brushes from. Domesticate the first dogs and gain power over the Sun. Defeat, cow, or befriend the spirits of the new lands.