Steve Long

Transform is certainly a valid way to build the sort of power you're after, and it gets around the Adjustment Power difficulty that the points will, sooner or later, return to the affected target. However, 3d6 isn't much effect, so I would suggest either adding more Charges (or converting this to a power that works on END) or adding more dice.

If a character buys a Movement Power -- let's say Running 20m -- that represents the maximum distance he can move (using Combat Movement) on each of his Phases. (Of course, using Noncombat Movement increases that amount.) Thus, the total amount he could move per Turn would equal that maximum times his SPD. If he has SPD 5, for example, he could move (5 x 20m = ) 100m per Turn if he did nothing else but run.

Does that clear things up? If not, please post a follow-up or PM me.

Yes, pretty much -- unless one or both of them have some way to extend their Reach, such as a long weapon or Stretching. If they're more than the defined distance for HTH Combat apart, they have to resort to using Ranged attacks or move closer to each other.

I don’t normally answer “how to” questions here, but I’ll take a quick stab at this one.

First, I’d use the Alterable Size Adder from 6E1 128. Depending on exactly how you want things to work out, you may need to buy it as a naked Adder. Then I would apply the Extra Time Limitation with an explanation about how it functions with the Alterable Size — you and the GM just need to work out an appropriate Limitation value, since this isn’t a form of Extra Time listed in the standard rules.

Does that help? If that doesn’t get at what you want, PM me and we’ll keep trying. If you haven’t already, you might consider posting about this in the Discussion forum —  everyone can respond there, instead of just me, and you’ll probably get a lot of great suggestions.

As noted on 6E1 183, when you apply Damage Negation to an attack with Advantages, you have to take those Advantages into account, using the rules on 6E2 97. Putting Advantages on an attack changes the effective cost of each Damage Class, but it doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of Damage Negation. Nor do you compare the Active Points in the two powers; that’s not how Damage Negation works. Even a small amount of Damage Negation still has a slight effect on a powerful power.

I hope that helps! If I didn't fully address your problem, feel free to post a follow-up question, or to send me a PM, and we'll get it figured out.

Since this is a general request for help and not a specific rules question, I've moved it to the Discussion board. That way anyone can reply (on the Questions board, only I can), and you'll get a lot of useful advice and perspectives from other gamers who've encountered the same problems you are.

 Oh -- and welcome to the HERO System! We hope you and your group have a great time gaming with it.

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

1. The Linked rules on 6E1 383-84 discuss the Linking of two or more powers to a single greater power.

2.  Sorry, but I don’t answer questions about previous editions of the rules here.

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

1. That’s an error on my part; AquaChimp has to have Variable Effect too, as discussed in the main text. I’ll note that in the errata. Thanx for the catch!

2.  This is a classic example of me being a damned idiot. I accidentally gave the new Advantage on APG 55 the same name as the Advantage on 6E1 362, thus confusing you. Change the name of the new Advantage on APG 55 to Varying Special Effects to avoid this. Another one for the errata page. ::sigh::

3. Sure — Varying Special Effects is an Advantage for Adjustment Powers, and Suppress is an Adjustment Power.

My apologies for taking so long to respond to questions — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.  I can't promise it won't happen again, but I'll try to Dive For Cover next time.

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

1. Yes. The AP doesn’t have any effect on the amount of BODY Absorbed, just the amount of defense provided.

2. The basic rules for how Area Of Effect works with Absorption are on 6E1 167. It simply allows the character to Absorb potentially from multiple sources, and that Absorption then protects him. It doesn’t protect other people or things within the Area; that would require some form of Usable By Others (and a masochistic or deeply disturbed GM ).

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

You make the EGO Roll for each Psychological Complication, as discussed in the rules for the Complication. Essentially it's an EGO Roll Versus EGO Roll Contest; the Complication that succeeds by the most wins. If they tie, keep rolling until one wins.

Alternately, forget about the dice and just let the player decide. That may lead to more fun in the campaign later, as he has to justify his decision both to himself and to his comrades.

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

The rules for cells, vaults, and the like are covered on 6E2 192, as part of the rules for designing Bases and Vehicles. The "Reinforced Cell" you posted above is a good basic example. I'm not sure how your math isn't adding up, so if you're still having trouble with building a cell after reading this, please PM me and we'll work it out.

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

Nope -- I've never read those books (I can't speak for Bob Greenwade, but I think I wrote up this weapon -- can't recall after so many years  ). It's just a classical sort of SF weapon. Now I have to check out those books, though.

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

To use a Martial Maneuver with a weapon, either the Martial Arts style has to be one that automatically uses weapons instead of the bare hands (e.g.,. Fencing), or you have to buy a Weapon Element for your Martial Art (see 6E2 92).

My apologies for taking so long to respond to your question — real life snuck up on me and got in a Surprise attacking, Knocking me Out for several Segments until I could recover.

Good question. I don’t think I’ve addressed this issue before, but if I have, someone who remembers it please PM me.

In the case of Move By/Through damage that the attacker takes for performing the Maneuver, it’s up to the GM to determine how Damage Negation applies. Ideally, the third/half damage will neatly break out into a specific number of dice, and the GM can then randomly remove however many are necessary to account for the Negation. If the situation is more complicated than that, I suggest that the GM add up the total amount of damage the character would take and then reduce it by 4 points for each level of Negation that applies.

Since this is a "How To" question, which I don't answer (at least not in this forum), I've moved it to the Discussion board, where anyone can offer a suggestion or idea.

I'd buy it as Healing with a whopping bunch of Limitations (Extra Time for sure, and a Limited Power that the subject being Healed can't move or act for the duration). Regeneration's also a possibility.

For purposes of this answer I am ignoring the specifics of the thread you linked to, and just answering the question as you put it here. I don't believe I've addressed this issue in detail before, but if I have I will come back and edit this answer as necessary once I find the first text.

For purposes of this discussion I will use as an example a spell:  RKA 4d6, Only Works Against Orcs. (I’ll call this Orc-Killer.)

The issue of what a Limitation (or other game element, or in some cases Adjustment Powers, see 6E1 135, 137-38) allows a character to “perceive” is one best left to common sense, in some cases dramatic sense, as well as the GM’s sense of game balance in his campaign. The issue with Orc-Killer is, what can a character determine before he uses it, and then when he uses it?

1. Of course, the power as written up provides no sensory capabilities whatsoever. It doesn’t include a Linked Sense Orcs ability, or Images (Focus glows only in the presence of Orcs), or any other thing of the sort. (A character could buy those, of course, but for this discussion let’s assume he doesn’t.) So if the question is, what does Orc-Killer let the character directly perceive, the answer is:  nothing at all.

2. But that’s not the end of the question. The Limitation on the spell makes it only work against Orcs, but it doesn’t say characters can only cast it on Orcs. So a character who suspects that there’s an orc present could cast the spell on him, and if he drops dead (or at least suffers agonizing pain), then by definition he’s an Orc. We can think of this as the spell have a sort of “indirect” perceptory effect.

To put it another way, having Orc-Killer doesn’t allow a character to detect who’s an Orc and who’s not just by looking at them. He has to use the power on a suspected Orc and determine from what happens whether the target’s an Orc or not.

I think that’s about as far as the game should go in analyzing this issue (though someone may come up with another question to prove me wrong ). Beyond this, the GM’s judgment will have to suffice.

What you're talking about is typically called something like "Untrained Skill Use." The HERO System has rules for this on pages 18-19 of The Ultimate Skill/HERO System Skills. So technically speaking, yes there is a way under the rules for your character to attempt something without having a Skill for it (though her odds are really low). But of course, your GM can decide he doesn't want to use those rules in his campaign.

By "cancels," I assume you mean, "Aborts" to perform a Flying Dodge. In that case, see HSMA 245 for the answer and further discussion of the issue.

If you meant something else by "cancels," please send me a PM or post a follow-up explaining what I'm missing, and I'll try again.  Thanks!

I'm sorry, but I don't answer this sort of "why would you" or character design philosophy questions. In any event, these really make better topics for discussion, so if you haven't already I'd suggest posting this on the Discussion board to see what Herodom as a whole has to say.

OK

See the "Adjustment Powers" section on 6E1 135-143. Typically points removed by a Drain (or added by an Aid) are regained  (or lost) at the rate of 5 Character Points per Turn, but there are Advantages and other factors that may affect this.

I can't comment on what the designations on a Hero Designer character sheet mean -- I don't use it, and don't have a sheet handy to reference. I'd suggest posting on the HD board, where someone who's familiar with the program can explain things to you far better than I can.

Good questions both!

Re: Recovering lost EGO, you have two options:  use REC just like you would with BODY (I don’t necessarily think this is ridiculous, but to each his own ); or create a new Characteristic, Mental Recovery (MREC). Characters start out with 4 MREC, and buying more costs 1 Character Point per point.

Being reduced to negative EGO doesn’t kill the character — it just leaves him with so little willpower that he has a hard time doing anything. Use the rules for 0 EGO on 6E1 44 to determine what happens.

Good luck with your campaign!