Steve Long

Forgive me for not answering this latest question more quickly -- Hurricane Michael knocked out my power for the past 72 hours. On top of that, some wind god who's annoyed with me for some reason pushed a large tree over on my house, so I'm dealing with a lot right now. (If you want to see what that looks like, check my Facebook feed for a bunch of pictures. ) Fortunately, LL responded with all the right answers. I'm still working on Mythic Hero as much as possible, and hope to get back to it full-time later this month once a couple other obligations are off my desk and house repairs are underway. I am currently thick in the middle of researching Celtic Mythology, a subject so broad I've divided it into 3-4 chapters. I have a loooong way to go yet on the chapter, but it's taking shape. I'll keep y'all posted whenever I have something to announce, but in the meantime you are more than welcome to post questions here for me.

OK, I finally had time to get back to this. Sorry for the delay! 1. I’m not sure I understand this question. How would having an Uncontrolled CE power (that affects electronic devices) interact at all with a Multipower of magnetic blasts? Are you saying you think the CE should affect some (or all) of the magnetic blasts, thus reducing them in effectiveness? 2. Again, not entirely sure I understand what you want to know. CE is a Constant Power, so the CE part of the bubble remains in effect as long as Bipolar pays END to maintain it. If he doesn’t, it stops working. If (as I suspect) you want the CE to last as long as the Entangle, you definitely need Uncontrolled (or some other game element that synchs it up with the Entangle). 3. Assuming the GM allows Bipolar to have a 0 END Uncontrolled power, this form of the power is certainly likely to last longer, and without any need for Bipolar to focus on it. Otherwise, again I’m not entirely sure I understand what you’re asking — what do you think should happen? 4. A Damage Shield already has to be bought with Constant. If Bipolar makes it Uncontrolled, then Uncontrolled’s effects apply: the feeds the DS a set amount of END, and when that END runs out the DS stops working. 5. Well, again, I can’t say much other than: if Bipolar makes it Uncontrolled, then Uncontrolled’s effects apply: the feeds the Barrier (or Blast) a set amount of END, and when that END runs out the Barrier (and all associated effects) (or Blast) stops working. As an aside, I’m not sure Blast, Constant, AoE, Explosion is what you want. If you want anyone touching the Barrier to suffer the effects of the Blast, then buy it as a Damage Shield that covers the Barrier, or as an Area Of Effect (Line) that’s Linked to the Barrier. I hope those answers help! I’m guessing that I didn’t entirely follow your assumptions and what you were really asking, so one or more follow-up questions will probably be necessary. If you post them, it might help if you explain (1) what exactly you want the power to do, and (2) what you think will happen if you apply Uncontrolled (or whatever). Thanx!

The difficulty here arises from the fact that we need another tool in the toolbox -- Stops Teleport + Transdimensional isn't going to get you what you want. Instead, we need a new Advantage: Cannot Be Escaped With Extra-Dimensional Movement (+1/4). That solves the problem nicely. Alternately, the GM might allow a character to create an Anti-Dimensional Travel field using Change Environment. Establish a cost for that effect (let's say 20 points, just off the top of my head), apply Area Of Effect, and voila.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I don't know much about the exact effects of epilepsy, so before I could begin to comment I'd have to do some research. But I expect someone else here on the boards already has that info based on real-life experience, so I'll leave it to one of them to respond to your question.

I can’t find anything in my notes where I’ve discussed how the rule for defensive powers and abilities and the Takes No STUN Power interacts with Entangle, though it’s entirely possible I discussed the issue with Simon at some point on the phone or by e-mail. In 5th Edition and prior editions, where a character could use Entangle to create barriers (i.e., as a defensive ability, even if it wasn’t strictly a Defense Power), it would have been necessary to triple the cost of Entangle for characters with Takes No STUN (unless the GM ruled otherwise, of course). Perhaps Simon and I discussed the subject way back when, and that’s what gives rise to your question. But the 6E rules removed the “barrier” function of Entangle (since 6E has the Barrier Power, to which the tripling rule unquestionably applies). Therefore, the defensive aspects/functions of Entangle become so rare that the tripling rule for Takes No STUN should not apply to Entangle under the 6E rules. (Though as always, if I’ve previously ruled on this and forgotten about it, I’ll be glad to reconsider the issue when someone points that out to me. )

As a matter of fact, I finished the chapter on Incan and South American Mythologies earlier this year. So I gotcha covered.

Good question. I can see some great drama in this situation — can Our Hero get the victims to the hospital before he collapses himself?!?? Tune in next week! In this situation, the character is affected by the Sticky attack one time for each affected victim he comes into contact with. But as always, the GM can adjust this based on common sense, dramatic sense, and special effects if he sees fit. For example, maybe instead of four individual attacks the character takes the base attack, then adds +1 DC for each affected victim that he touches. GMs are smart, they can figure out all kinds of fun possibilities.

Long-time Hero fans no doubt remember Doug Garrett, who wrote ESPIONAGE, DANGER INTERNATIONAL, and a whole bunch of other stuff for Hero Games back in the Eighties and Nineties. Doug's just published his first novel, an espionage thriller called REMEMBER WHEN, and I suggest you give it a look! Remember When on Amazon

The rule stated at the bottom left of 6E2 54 also applies to DCV bonuses from Martial Maneuvers: unless the GM rules otherwise, DCV from Maneuvers based on the Dodge Element apply to both HTH and Ranged Combat; DCV from HTH Martial Maneuvers applies only against HTH attacks; and DCV from Ranged Martial Arts Maneuvers applies only against Ranged attacks.

Per 6E2 102, when a character uses an HA with Advantages that directly affect the damage he does, you use the HA as the base attack and have STR add damage according to the rules on 6E2 96-102. Thus, the STR added is adjusted to take into account the Advantages on the HA. So your example — 20 STR applied to HA +4d6 with +1 worth of Advantages — is correct: the character described does 6d6 Normal Damage with Penetrating (x2). The issue becomes a little trickier when a character has one or more additional forms of HA that could add into the attack, and which either don’t have the Advantage(s) on the first HA, or have different Advantages. (Note: I keep thinking that I’ve written about this before, but if so I can’t find it. I reserve my right to change my answer if necessary. ) First, of course, the GM has to determine whether the two HAs can both work together. The default answer is that two different HAs can work together (but the character only adds his STR once to the overall damage, not to each HA individually). However, the GM is well within his rights to rule otherwise if the two HAs don’t seem “compatible” based on common sense, dramatic sense, special effects, and other considerations. Taking your example above (a “Speed-Punch” and a Club), some GMs might rule that they’re compatible, while other GMs might not — I can see arguments both ways. If the two HAs are compatible, this raises the (potentially extremely complicated) issue of which Advantages apply and how you calculate the overall damage. I could easily spend the rest of the afternoon writing about all the possible combinations and now things play out, and frankly, even as much as I love the HERO System I have better ways to spend my Labor Day afternoon. I will consider this issue further and write about it in APG3, but in the meantime the best advice I can provide is for the GM to use his best judgment to make PCs fun to play without unbalancing the campaign.

So, it appears to me that you're trying to re-create (more or less) the old Transfer Power with the 6E rules. There's an example power that shows the recommended way to do that in the sidebar on 6E1 197. You may have to include additional Power Modifiers (like No Range) to build the power you want, but that example shows the basic way to create a 6E "Transfer" power. Comment: You don't need Area Of Effect for the Drain part of this build, at least not if I understand what you're trying to do. If you want to make the power affect anyone who comes into contact with you, then you would use Area Of Effect, but it should be the "Damage Shield" form of AoE (see 6E1 321). There's no need to buy Personal Immunity for the Drain, unless you just want to prevent enemies from Reflecting it back at you. Again assuming you would use Damage Shield here, a DS doesn't require Personal Immunity to not affect the character using it. If you want all the parts of the power to be completely Invisible, then yes, you have to buy the Invisible Power Effects Advantage at a high value (probably +1; see 6E1 338-39). If you want the target to not realize that he's being affected -- for example, to not feel pain -- then you need another +1 worth of Invisible Power Effects to conceal the effects of the power (as discussed on 6E1 339). I think that covers all of your questions. But if I missed something, or I misunderstood the nature of the power you want to build, please post a follow-up or send me a PM. Good luck with your game!

Neither Time Limit nor Fuel Charges are inherently illegal Power Modifiers for a VPP. Based on your examples, I'd say that since most of the Powers you think you'll use for slots in the VPP will be Constant Powers, use that category to determine the value of Time Limit (i.e., make it a +3/4 Advantage. Since that may not always be the case, perhaps you can talk the GM into a small reduction to, say, +1/2.

On September 7-9 I'll be up in Alexandria, VA as a guest at MAGLabs, a convention taking place at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. I'll be holding my Worldbuilding Workshop (and a much shorter one on building monsters) and my How To Write Elvish workshop, plus interacting with gamers and fans and just generally having an awesome time. If you're in the area, please come out and say howdy! MAGLabs (Sept. 7-9, Alexandria, VA)

On September 7-9 I'll be up in Alexandria, VA as a guest at MAGLabs, a convention taking place at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. I'll be holding my Worldbuilding Workshop (and a much shorter one on building monsters) and my How To Write Elvish workshop, plus interacting with gamers and fans and just generally having an awesome time. If you're in the area, please come out and say howdy! MAGLabs (Sept. 7-9, Alexandria, VA)

I'm not familiar with the IPs you describe, so I'm not sure I can answer accurately, but it sounds to me like this isn't a Combat Maneuver, it's a special ability the character purchases with points. He buys a bunch of HA dice (to account for both the "strikes" themselves and the effect of "velocity"), special effect as described above. If you don't want him to end up in the same place where he started the attack, buy some Teleportation, Triggered by the end of the attack, to place the character where you think he made the "last" kick from.

That’s an issue addressed at several places in the rulebook. See 6E1 352 regarding Trigger; 6E1 370, 401 regarding Continuing Charges, and 6E1 400 regarding Constant Powers.

As noted on 6E1 179, “[a] character with Clairsentience can use one or more of his Senses... at Range[.]” If a character has purchased a Sense Modifier for the Sense(s) he buys Clairsentience for (typically the Sight Group), then that Sense Modifier would apply when he uses his Clairsentience. As further noted on 6E1 170, characters may buy “appropriate” Sense Modifiers for Clairsentience itself, rather than the underlying Sense (determining what’s “appropriate” is up to the GM, of course.) If a character buys the same Sense Modifier for both the base Sense and his Clairsentience, the two Sense Modifiers “stack” if possible and if the GM permits. So if a characters buys Telescopic (+4 versus Range Modifier for Normal Sight), and then buys Clairsentience (Sight Group), Telescopic (+6 versus Range Modifier for Sight Group), he would have Telescopic (+10) when using Normal Sight with his Clairsentience. Of course, this could get a little complicated or weird, so the GM may prefer for a character to buy all the Sense Modifier one way to avoid confusion.

From what you're telling me, I don't think this is an issue of a "naked Limitation" (which as far as I can recall offhand isn't a subject discussed in any of the rulebooks). Since the powers all draw from the same "pool" of Charges, you have a couple of options that occur to me: 1. Buy the abilities in a Power Framework that has 8 Charges on the reserve/pool. If Naked Advantages and Talents are involved, this will require the GM's permission, of course. OR 2. Use the optional rules for a "pool" of Charges that multiple powers/abilities draw from, which you can find on APG2 49. This sounds like what you're after, but it's less "traditional" than the Limited Multipower/VPP route. All that being said, someone else reading this may have an idea of his or her own. Anyone out there in Herodom Assembled have some other suggestions?

Since this isn't a rules question but more of a general guidance issue, I've moved it to the Discussion board where anyone can reply. (Only I can answer questions posted on this board.)

You're right, I confused the two -- my apologies, and thanx for catching it! Making a PER Roll to see a fringe, and using Nontargeting Senses to perceive an invisible foe in combat, are two different things. The rules on 6E2 18 state that making most PER Rolls requires a Half Phase Action -- but that clearly leaves a lot of wiggle room for the GM to change things if he wants to. So ultimately my error wasn't too much off.

1a. When a character has the opportunity to try to perceive an invisible character’s fringe is up to the GM. The rules on 6E1 240 specify that the character has to be within 2m of the invisible character to have a chance to perceive his fringe (or up to 16m for a bright fringe), and of course he has to have LOS to the invisible person. 1b. Using a Nontargeting Sense to make a PER Roll to perceive an enemy is a Half Phase Action (see 6E2 7, 23, 125). (And in answer to your specific question, no, a character cannot attempt to perceive an invisible character “between” his Half Move and his attack. There is no “between”; it’s all part of the invisible character’s single action. However, the GM might permit a character to Abort to making his PER Roll in time to remove or reduce the DCV penalty the character suffers because his opponent’s invisible.) 2. The rules on 6E2 7 and 126 state that the benefits of making a Nontargeting PER Roll to perceive an invisible character last until the beginning of the perceiving character’s next Phase. Of course, the GM is free to alter this based on the circumstances. For example, he might extend the time during which the Nontargeting PER Roll’s benefits apply, grant a bonus to the subsequent PER Rolls, or let the character make them as a Zero Phase Action, if that seems appropriate. 3. If a character succeeds with a PER Roll to perceive an invisible character’s visible attack, in that Segment (i.e., before the attack fades from view at the end of the Segment) he can attack the invisible character with only -1 OCV until the invisible character moves (6E2 126). The perceiving character still suffers the standard DCV modifier (based on whether he has or has not succeeded with a Nontargeting PER Roll to perceive the invisible character). Being able to perceive an invisible character’s visible attack does not alter the DCV modifiers for lack of perception in combat. 4. Per 6E1 240, punches and the like are covered by a character’s Invisibility. So the character being punched is at ½ DCV if he doesn’t succeed with a Nontargeting PER Roll to perceive his invisible foe, or -1 DCV if he succeeds (see 6E2 7). As always, the GM can adjust any of these rules to suit the situation if he sees fit. Sometimes he may want actions to take longer, or a character may be in a position that makes what he wants to do quicker and easier.

1. A character can’t declare that he’s taking a Recovery as his action until his DEX arrives in the initiative countdown. (As discussed in previous answers, he may have to tell the GM what he intends to do earlier, because he has to explain why he’s not using his Lightning Reflexes, but that’s not a formal declaration of his action under the rules.) Therefore, absent any other situational modifiers, he remains at full DCV until he declares his Recovery — at which point, his DCV is halved (see 6E2 37, 129). So, in this example, Lagman has DCV 7 until DEX 8 comes up in the countdown and he declares that he’s Recovering. 2a. Until a character declares that he’s taking a Recovery, he isn’t taking one yet. Therefore, the rules for taking a Recovery as an action (such as the Recovery being spoiled if the character takes damage) don’t yet apply. So, in this example, Lagman’s Recovery won’t be spoiled by taking damage prior to when he declares his Recovery on DEX 8. 2b. Generally speaking, unless a character’s conduct give his intended action away, another character has no way of discerning what action he intends to take. This applies to any action, whether it be taking a Recovery, turning left in a car chase, or deciding to attack Lazer this Phase instead of Mechassassin. But of course, this is a dynamic situation, so it may fall to the GM to rule on what another character can determine about a character’s intended actions. 3. Yes. Unless a more specific rule states otherwise (e.g., the rules on declaring a Dive For Cover on 6E2 85), a character who’s planning to declare a particular action on his DEX in the initiative countdown may change his mind and do something else when his chance to take an action arrives. One benefit to acting later in a Segment is that a character gets to see what’s happened so far in that Segment and react accordingly.

Well, (d) is a damn likely option in this case, I'd say, but let me try to provide an answer. I”m going to rephrase your final summation and use that to provide a general response. Q: If a character has Lightning Reflexes or any other ability that affects when he acts in a Segment when he has a Phase, when does he have to declare that he’s taking a Recovery? A: If the Lightning Reflexes (or other ability) are defined in such a way that they would apply to his declaration of a Recovery, he must declare that he’s taking a Recovery when his DEX+LR comes up in the initiative order. Obviously that’s almost never going to happen — since Recoveries always occur at the very end of a Segment (6E2 129), there’s no advantage to having to declare one earlier (and arguably it’s disadvantageous to do so). So assuming the Lightning Reflexes don’t apply, then the character would declare his Recovery action when his DEX occurs in the Segment. So in this specific case, BB has to declare that he’s taking a Recover when the GM reaches his DEX 15 in the initiative countdown. He’s already aware that he’s going to do that, so he’ll have to inform the GM of his intentions probably at DEX 30, but that’s just explaining the situation to the GM, not a declaration of his action. Hopefully this, and my previous answer to dsatow on a related point, clears things up. If not, feel free to post a follow-up or PM me.

In this situation, the character’s DEX is only 1 for purposes of taking Recoveries. (The validity of that Limitation, since a Recovery taken as an action always occurs at the very end of the Segment [6E2 129], is a question for another time.) So when DEX 20 comes up, the character’s player has to say, “I don’t get to act on DEX 20 this Phase as I usually do — I only have DEX 1 for purposes of my intended action, which is to take a Recovery.” He has to wait until DEX 1 and then declare his action — “I’m taking a Recovery.” So both because of his low DEX and the rule stating that Recoveries always come last, the character has to wait around through the entire Segment until he can Recover. If he’s attacked, the standard rules for taking a Recovery as an action (6E2 129-30) apply, possibly causing him to lose his Recovery. I note that there's another question on this issue that was posted soon after yours, so you may want to consult that one as well.

I am going to refrain from answering until I see what you're talking about. Once I get to watch Incredibles 2, I'll come back and post my answer. I suspect it will be something along the lines of "No, but here's an optional rule for Block that would cover the same thing" -- but you never know, which is why I wanna see the movie first.