unclevlad

Lucius: the "doesn't work against rare damage" limitation is not one I'm counting here, as it's going to be present in any approach you use. So, no, your build's along the lines of what I was considering...but I'd actually NOT included Decreased Re-Use, I'd bought more Healing. But the Decreased Re-Use is in response to an awkward rule...you can only apply Healing once a day? Ugh. Why not stay with maximum effect rules along the lines of the other adjustment powers? If I've got a 4d6 Healing power, then who cares if I Heal 4 BODY in the morning, then 8 more in the evening? Why is this out of line? But it is the RAW. You're applying Decreased Re-Use, I suspect, because RAW is poor. I'll also note: the insane COST of Decreased Re-Use shows that the cost basis for Regen frequency is just WRONG.

Duke: I hear where you're coming from. If you ditch the capped aspect, but then force it to be Self or Other...that feels right for 10 points per die, or at least close. I may do something like this...a little different, likely, as forcing someone to buy both separately is begging for a multipower so you're just covering slot costs. (Heck, Healing generally *often* fits into a multipower, so as a practical matter the Self Only or Other Only isn't that significant.) I'll think about this...

Every attempt at defining it with Regen becomes a cheesy mess of limitations that are artificial, IMO, and distortive. I hate starting from a very ill-fitting baseline and trying to twist it out of all recognition into something else. Your only argument for making it Regen seems to be that "self only Healing is Regen." WHY? Regen is one route for it...but it's not the only route. Yes, it's got some massive advantages, especially if you allow the totally broken costing for per-phase or per-segment Regen. In many cases, it's the best route, sure. I don't care. I want the effects related to Healing. it's the concept in my head for how this power works. Can anyone explain to me why Healing can't be used? DON'T try to sell me that the Regen angle is better, just that the self-only healing breaks the rules, or even contorts the rules to a greater degree than trying to have Regen act like Healing does? Lucius: skipping the Wounds Only part...everyone's pretty much comfortable with the -1/4...the differences are major. These characteristics about powers are different: Healing: is a terminating, attack action; costs END; is Instant; generally does quite a bit at once; and it's also capped. Self or other. Regen: not an action; no END; is persistent; generally does a little at a time; it's not capped. Self only. So you are literally forcing a complete redefinition of everything to convert the one into the other. I'm ONLY changing "self or other" into self only. Hugh: come on. Hell no, I'm not asking for 20 BOD per. It's written right now as 4d6, so 12 total. Yeah...that's all he can heal. But, he can do that in 2 phases, using the Full Effect rule in APG. Call it a limit on how much he can patch in a short time. Figure this is like he's taking a Recovery...for BODY. It's limited...that's fine. That's the intent.

I KNOW the differences between doing it with Healing and doing it with Regen. Yes, Healing has a cap. That's fine. He has a particular type of control...he can reconnect everything. That doesn't imply it's autonomous, and for this character, it's not intended to be. Is there some philosophical argument that says, if you want self-heal only, you MUST use Regen? I do not want it to have Regen's properties. I do want it to be as if someone else Healed him...just that he's doing it to himself. And he can't do it to anyone else.

Something he has to focus on, means it takes 1 or more actions. It is NOT a Constant power at all, and I don't want it to be. Also, these simply don't mimic Healing. He can *quickly* fix 10 BODY...couple phases, using the full effect suggestion in APG. Not 3+ turns.

No, I don't want Regen. This is something he has to actively focus on doing, it doesn't happen automatically.

The power set I'm building...the character can convert his body into fibers...including Kevlar and carbon fiber, and even stuff like carbon nanotubes. Nothing metallic but that still leaves a WHOLE lot to play with. So I'm tossing in stuff like stretching, armor, and extra limbs with no fine manipulation. He's also got a major Transform to create stuff. So...an implication of this is he can heal himself. BODY only, clearly. But there's 2 limitations: 1. Self only. 2. Only wounds, or the byproducts thereof (like bleeding if used). Doesn't apply to drains, damage from toxins, and the like. Basically, it's re-knitting ripped tissues, blood vessels, etc. There's a Self Only for Aid...but not on Healing, surprisingly. I'm figuring -1 for that. For the wounds only...I'm thinking -1/2 at most, and even only -1/4 might make sense. It's not that likely to make a big difference; a -1.25 total limit means the' power costs 44% of active, whereas a -1.5 drops it down to 40%. So likely only a couple points at most.

Sure, the END pool is used up, the point is, after violating the rules, he's still got however much END was in the pool. So he can continue to act, potentially continually in violation, until he uses it all. And if everything has to cost END, that forces a massive END Bat...cuz that includes all defenses. You're also probably saying powers can't generally buy reduced END...which also means the END Bat has to be very large. It's a big PITA for this kind of broad-based power concept. Hmm. Another approach...if this is a VPP, and if a skill roll is required to change powers, then a) all powers in the pool are reset b) the skill roll to change the powers suddenly gets a big honkin' penalty, like -5 to -10.

Leaves too much power. END Bat has how many turns' worth of power in it? Several, generally. Not to mention, this'd allow anything inherently costing no END.

Psych Lim and Watched for the Complications to start with. On the powers...by and large, they probably shouldn't start with any Limitations. I like the old D&D notion that low-level clerical spells are largely automatic; it's when you get to the higher level ones that a problem kicks in. One way...spells of significant effect could have Side Effect (Watched goes from, say, More Powerful (15), Infrequent (5), Watch Only (-10), up to More Powerful, Easy to Find, Yes, Being Watched, and up to MAY Harshly Punish (call it -5)). That's taking a 10 point Complication to a 35 point Complication. OR, take Side Effects depending on what you're doing. It's not simply that you're drawing more power, it's what you're trying to do. The obvious, extreme example is usually Resurrect-level Healing, but in fantasy that's pretty much the ultimate expression of divine power. That might not be the case in a world with superpowers. So you could just say that Side Effect kicks in, with the 1/4 less limitation "only when violating ethos" as the baseline. Base it on active points, something like: 0-30 active: minor side effect (-1/4), only when violating ethos AND only if a Watched roll fails (+1/4)...so 0 net limitation 31-60: major side effect (-1/2), only when violating ethos (+1/4)...net -1/4 limitation 61-80: major side effect (-1/2), triggers Watched (meaning, the Power reviews recent actions), only when violating ethos...net -1/2 limitation 81+: extreme side effect (-1), same conditions. Side effect: if this is being done as a VPP, as I suspect...that many points lost from the pool size until atonement is made.

I've always preferred death gods to be very service-oriented. Their concern is that the soul reach where it's supposed to go...not in harvesting them. Everyone dies; there's no need to rush. That said, these guys are dedicated to eradicating those who violate this process...vampires, liches (which is a voluntary process), necromancers dealing in creating higher-level undead, magic that traps souls, that sort of thing. A pretty rich take on this...Drew Hayes' Forging Hephaestus. The Heroes have become addicted to their own fame, and corrupted by the money being Heroes produces. The villains are actually better organized, and have the stronger code of ethics. It's a villain's code, but it is a code.

Sorry, when I think of *GM* validation, it's approval, and/or discussion/adjustment. Just because the rules might say it's technically allowed, doesn't mean the GM has to. The rules are not, and must not be considered, perfect or without holes/flaws.

It's...interesting. Story is here: http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24703207/buffalo-bills-cb-vontae-davis-abruptly-retires-football-half-vs-los-angeles-chargers I grant that doing it at halftime is bizarre, but by the same token, if his body is saying "I can't do this"....how could he play the second half? 10 years in the league is 10 years of serious wear and tear. The part that's weak is apparently just walking away without saying anything. The OT rules are actually only *slightly* different from the past. The only time the not-quite-sudden-death comes in, for a tied final result, is if the team receiving the kickoff makes the FG, THEN the other team goes down to kick the FG. Not common. And note that both ties were because fairly short FGs were missed as time expired.

A bog standard pistol is an RKA with OAF and Beam...bullets can't spread, and can't be bounced. I get the idea you're after but this isn't the approach. I'd argue for much stricter GM validation should Limitation Abuse be suspected. ESPECIALLY in frameworks where the limitation may mean almost nothing.

Media reports say Gordon reported somewhat late Saturday and claimed an injured hamstring...after being fine all week in practice. Also that Browns are therefore concerned that he's relapsing. With his horrible track record? Yeah, see ya. Even if it hurts in the short term I think it's the right move long-term. Have to check which games are showing here. Hope I actually get Bucs-Eagles...who knows. There is, of course, every real chance that Fitzpatrick will revert to the mean....so the Eagles pick him 4 times and win by 40. But we can hope. Sunday night is likely to be glorious on paper and a total barker on the screen. Boys vs. Giants. When are we going to stop deifying everyone in the NFL East?

I think that's putting the cart before the horse. It was a plot device used so often that it became a trope. Basically it's the difference between literature and gaming. Comics don't care about points, don't care about defining anything. What's Flash's OCV for that multiple move-by/disarm at ridiculous speed? Heck, how much COMBAT move does Flash have? The writers don't care, they're doing largely whatever they like to fit the needs of the story. A problem in this specific case is that, on the surface, it's reasonably simple, and there's even a very minor spell we all know from D&D that does this. That makes it *feel* like it should be quite plausible. Kind of like a bag of holding, tho, it's MUCH more difficult when you start having to specify the details. And because underlying assumptions change. D&D doesn't care about foci; in Hero, it's a much bigger deal. D&D also says, sure, if you want to smuggle, smuggle. It's fine in context. In Hero, it's negating part of the value of the limitation. I'll also concede that it shows issues with Champions, where you're going ewwwwwwwww....that has to cost HOW much???? Like the reduced END on the Autofire here.

And that would have to be a standalone power. NO WAY it'll fit into any sane VPP or Multi because of the active cost. BUT...one thing this suggests is that trying to target all an enemy's foci at once is seriously problematic.

Some combinations simply blend well together, so the combined limitation is really no more severe than either one separately. To wit, quite often...Extra Time and Concentration (to activate, not throughout). Both are "I really want a moment alone, or engage this outside combat altogether." As long as the power has major out-of-combat utility, the limitations don't mean enough. And the more limitations are out there, the more such combinations exist. Also, a laundry list of limitations fundamentally drives many people to thinking in the point-shave mode, IMO, to focus on the mechanics and how to get the mostest for the leastest. And that's not trivial, IMO.

Wishbone's not as bad on the QB; there's quite a bit of either handing off to the up back, or faking that and quickly pitching, using counter or trap action. But the pitch puts all 3 backs getting slammed...the up back is going into the line, the off back is lead blocking, and of course the pitch back has the ball. Classic comment was you needed 6 tailbacks for the wishbone. OK, fine, back in the day of 120 scholarships, and where the Oklahomas and Nebraskas and Ohio States *dominated* top-level recruiting AND could afford to develop them...it really was no joke to say that Oklahoma's second string would still be top 20. But fewer scholarships, somewhat faster player turnover, and the overall growth of the youth development programs means that, sure Alabama still gets the best of the best, but the talent pool's much more spread out than it was in the 70s. (And of course the money side. MUCH more TV money. MUCH more bowl money.) But yeah, the wishbone QB is mostly run-centric. And bloody few of em ever made it in the pros that I can recall, as QBs. Then again, can't ignore selective memory...because DAMN few QBs ever make it. Or maybe we should say, are ever seen again. Lots manage to hang on a few years as 2nd or 3rd stringers, then fade away.

Could be. Lots of things like this look really idiotic on first glance, tho, and generate kneejerk responses like that which may just be showing the writer's ignorance and malice. NOT saying that's the case here, just something we do see regularly...even without reading the tweets of a certain elected official. (I really should avoid CNN like the plague. It does my blood pressure no good, and makes sure my humor radar is maximally obscured.) Or even have just a regular ol' cell phone. Even with NO sim card. I upgraded my phone last year...kept the old phone cuz it wasn't worth trading in. I use it as an ancillary Hue controller, the clock app, maybe weather...it just sits there. No SIM card of course...but...it CAN make emergency calls. And you can kinda think the guy panicked to a degree as well. Mind, I'm not criticizing...been there too many times when anger, irritation, fear, what have you shuts down the thinking part of your brain for MUCH too long. So there's LOTS of ways this could've played out much less dramatically, to be sure.

Quick side point about STR. If you want any kind of realism at all, STR can probably be stopped or slowed WAY before 50. That's 25 tons. Like the argument about modeling on Atom, Ant Man, and Giant Man, uber-STR is modeled on Superman lifting an entire (big) plane. Uhhh...problems. How much force are Superman's hands exerting on the metal skin? Or the "pick up and throw a building"...the building material at the point of contact will fail under the stress WAY before that. Not to mention maintaining grip. Even something like a car...grab it by the bumper, the bumper probably just rips off. Realistically the doubling every time is fairly ludicrous from the get-go. They just did it, IMO, because all the major models were the uber-cinematic mega-STR "freaks" like Hulk, Thing, and Superman. Trying to price this level at anything close to sane, would be hugely expensive, or create something too complex. GURPS has a lifting STR, that's basically proportional to STR ^2. (Basic Lift, the amount you can lift, in pounds, in 1 hand in 1 second...that is, a simple basic action...is STR^2 / 5. Max lift is both hands, and 4 seconds. It's 8x basic lift. These basically translate to a Haymaker.) I like that approach for street level stuff. STR 10 GURPS can struggle with 160 pounds, but it's taking all they've got. STR 20 can lift 640. World-class lifters can go higher but not that much, so the scale works fairly well so far. It breaks down if you want serious STR, because STR 40 is only 2500 pounds. That's not even "lift a small car" level. BUT, if you want to keep a more realistic game...I think it's worth considering. EDIT: that said, I do like abstracting lifting STR as a roll, just because trying to estimate weight, or force needed to accomplish something, is unreasonable for most GMs.

Read the article. Electronic door locks would not release if the engine wasn't started, presumably to energize the entire system. The car failed to start. Yes, there's a manual door release...but on the floor. Quite possibly not well marked, even potentially covered. And the owner's manual wasn't in the car...how many of us keep the owner's manual after 10 years? The driver has to share some of the burden here, but there's also notable design issues. The engine should not have to be started to manipulate the doors. On other notes...Australia is also considering a bill to require security backdoors into cell phones/apps, and force phone makers and service providers to help them decrypt on demand. Now, combine this with their Crime and Corruption Commission, which can summon you into a criminal hearing about which you cannot talk. YOU are gagged by the order itself. It's a star chamber of the first order. Combine that with excessive surveillance...and that's serious trouble. Last but not least...the female cop in Dallas who entered the wrong apartment has been charged with manslaughter.

Personally, I support this completely, so long as there's PLENTY of advanced discussion, as it appears there will be. Yeah, some kids will have problems but that in itself isn't sufficient reason to shut down the exercise. To me that's a head-in-the-sand argument.

The service academies aren't trying to build championship-caliber sports teams, or recruiting that kind of player. Their priorities are massively different...and I seriously doubt they shave academics. These are Officer Candidates, first and foremost. WRT Potato Chip...the fast-break offense does kill defenses. It's also singularly ill-equipped to hold a lead, so it needs to be overwhelmingly effective. The triple option is hard on backs; you need considerable depth there. And the ball-handling is somewhat more error-prone. It's hard to find a good option QB, IMO. QB wants to throw, not pitch. And it's got the flip-side problem: it's a poor offense if you need to score in a hurry. I agree that the service academies probably like it because it's also an offense that plays well with smart players and strong teamwork, rather than pure athleticism.

It might not be particularly hard to do. Hero System has a whole section for physical problems; they're called Complications. Deconstruct the "package powers" ...especially DI. If you want the characteristics, buy them. If you want the Complication, take it. Just don't mix them together. Growth suggests the notion of "complications as powers" and the DCV and perception penalties are simple physical complications. Pre-loading a limitation into the base cost of a power has very screwy effects. The obvious: it makes any further limitations more effective. +10 STR, costs END, concentration to activate...10 points with -3/4 knocks down to 6. +10 STR costing 7 because the costs END is already included, then with concentration to activate, knocks down to 5. It also plays havoc with active points, which is important in VPPs and multipowers. Heck, Growth has the size templates with specific powers, and with a physical complication. 6E1 443. Shrinking's on 444. Use things like the extra KB as part of the mechanical interpretation of the Phys Complication.