procyon

Those aren't the main types of life. But everyone only counts animal life, and pretty much ignores any other type of eukaryote type of life. And the other eukaryotes (fungi, plants) are even closer to us than the archaea and bacteria (based on genetics). And plants / fungi have no bilateral symmetry, etc.... So life based on even our closest eukaryotes - doesn't fulfill your ideas of what 'life' is supposed to look like. So anything that evolved from archaea would likely resemble a person even less than a tree does. And that is assuming that this life is going to have any type of resemblance to DNA based life.

Arthropleura was about 8 feet long. Many insects/arthropods in the historical record were 2+ feet in length. So there were multifaceted eyes on creatures larger than many current terrestrial animals. And those huge 2' long dragonflies didn't even have bones. They had an exoskeleton. And you are just looking at this planet. Which is very inappropriate. On the moon Titan, you will find an atmosphere 1.4 times Earth density with a gravity closer to that of Luna. There, a human being could strap on plywood wings and fly under muscle power. No hollow bones required. In a world with incredibly low light levels, 'sight' may be based off of sound or even a magnetic sense. Life can take a nearly limitless number of forms on our planet. When it evolves someplace else, it is not going to be limited by our environment - but by its own. So if life was to appear on a gas giant deep within the atmosphere, we may find something with tentacle like arrangements to deal with the fluid like dynamics of an atmosphere under intense pressures where 'swimming' to maintain your altitude may be more important than 4 limbs with manipulative digits. And it may see and communicate using electrical charges to capitalize on the properties of the 'metallic hydrogen' it lives in. And until we have some way to peer into the depths of a gas giants atmosphere, or that life discerns a way out of it - we would never even realize it existed. Heck, we don't know very much about what lives on our own planet's oceans more than a few hundred feet down. We have better maps and images of Mars surface than we do of our ocean floor.

I've never used the rules for resource points/pools, but I suppose if you could justify adding the weapon to that sort of framework - it could be acceptable. Then if a character choose to carry it, they would be giving up a lot of versatility they could otherwise have by devoting their points to that item. But in our current game, even if I tagged the gun with Independent to lower the point total and attached several disadvantages to it...I would still be wary of allowing the players to keep. A weapon with that many points associated may let some member of the group overshadow the rest - which is generally (for my group) bad for play. But if everyone has resource pools and everyone else is packing around assault rifles/body armor/night vision goggles/lock picks/etc while one character packs around SC gun...that could work ok.

It really isn't much different in how you deal with the patients you can't help. At that point it is almost always about helping the family, while you do what you can for the patient. Doesn't matter whether it's grandma that's dying or their newborn. We've got a saying about it here. Goes like You do the most that you can, the best that you can, for as long as you can. And understand that in the end, it may not make any difference.

Wow. If it is 88 points worth of useful - it isn't going to be around very long unless someone had the points to buy it. And none of my players have ever had that many points saved up. So it is going to be history. The record so far for my group has been saving 22 points...

Four limbs isn't all that common on this planet. We just think it is. Most have 6 or 8. And have been around far, far, far longer than the 4 limbed varieties. Edit Ok, by numbers the most common don't actually have 'limbs' at all. And in my opinion, should we ever find life anywhere but on this planet - we may have a hard time initially recognizing it as life. And it will probably force us to redefine just what 'life' is.

That is why I put 'Lousy Rifle' inside a set of '...' It was what the post I was replying to used to describe it. The rifles themselves weren't horrible. Now, the stories of inconsistent ammunition manufacture (from users in several different countries) could have made it a rather 'unloved' weapon. The round (statistically) isn't much different from 6.5x55mm Swedish, which has a very good reputation. But if powder types and charge weights were not consistently maintained - it would play havoc with hitting a target at anything but point blank ranges.

I have no idea who Steel Commando is, or what his equipment does. But I am pretty sure I would have ruled that it was designed with a 'dead man' type destruct mechanism that SC would have placed to make sure that it couldn't be stolen and used against him, fall into the wrong hands if he was captured/died, or was available for evidence if he was forced to leave it behind. So the players would likely have had less than a day to mess with it, before it went away. But that is just me.

Just plain bad. Watching babes go through withdrawl is no fun.

Well, got pulled over to the Labor & Delivery area to help start an IV. So there I am cleaning a site with a promising looking vein. And the young mom to be is watching me. And says, "Yeah, that one always looks good. But I can never hit it." .......

Yep. Until my wife decides to spend it all for me...

Or, in my case, pad a wallet...

There are historical examples of 'turn over' in some polytheistic religions (death of Osiris by Set, birth/assumption by Horus is one that is fairly well known). And a lot of deities that had multiple areas of 'dominion'. So a good of war and life - maybe not. But one of both life/birth and death - that one is fairly common. And one that covers the sun, moon, and sky (like Horus) would be possible, although perhaps not all the aspects of them - or sharing them with other deities. Horus also was associated with war, protection, and the underworld (supplanting Anubis in that area...). So the 'gods' can be a dynamic thing, changing as times change in a game (or life).

I would tend to agree that 8-9 players is a lot to keep engaged for an extended period. You might do it for a single, high stakes, combat or such. But not long term. You simply can't get enough 'individual attention' to each player to keep them from getting side tracked with the other players in 'downtime'. For me, I won't try to run over 5 at a time. More than that and problems creep in. So the suggestion to find a second GM and split the group, would be my choice. Either that or run two groups on separate nights. But if they are all wanting to get together, that really won't be an option.

We all live for the happy endings. I'm glad you got one. I'm glad someone can do that work. I can't. I may have more than enough nights where I and a mom / dad sit with a box of Kleenex. But I get to enjoy the happy endings to. At that end of the care spectrum, there generally aren't any happy endings. You have my respect. As I have said, I can't work that area. And yes, they talked me into coming in early. Amazing how there are a bunch of call offs on a holiday weekend...

It pays. Pretty well for this check. The holiday will be 12 hours of 2 1/2x pay for me. The fact that my average pay period (2 weeks) usually goes a bit over 110 hours is a bit disheartening though. That, and the sad stories in the NICU can be pretty heart breaking.

I know where I am going. Home. My shift is almost over here at the hospital. Time for me to disappear for a few hours.

I suppose that makes me a willing servant of satan, as I never even watched the show. The fact that we only get 5 channels (on a good day) where I live may be part of that.

Or a Wookala.

Part 2 on the Italian WWII Weapons Italian Military Machine Guns ⦁ Steyr-Schwarlose Mitragliatrice Modello 07/12 (1912) This was a water cooled MMG resemling the Maxim and Vickers, but with different internal arrangement. It was aquired by Italy either through capture or war reparations from Austria during WWI. It was used by the Italians in limited numbers in Africa, ofter as an anti-aircraft weapon. Steyr-Schwarlose Mitragliatrice Mod 07/12, 8x50mm Mannlicher +1 OCV, +1 RMod, 2d6K, +1 StunX, AF 9, Str Min -, Shots 250, Wt 41.4 with tripod ⦁ Hotchkiss Mitragliatrice Modello 14 (1914) This was a French air cooled MMG, but was often issued and used by Blackshirt units. It was a tripod mounted weapon that fired from 24 round strips that were fed into the receiver from one side and fell out the other. It was generally employed by a 3 man crew. Hotchkiss Mod 14 MMG, 8x50mmR Lebel +1 OCV, +1 RMod, 2d6K, +1 StunX, AF 8, Str Min -, Shots 24 (250), Wt 53 with tripod ⦁ FIAT-Revelli Mitragliatrice Modello 14 This was the standard Italian MMG during WWI, but was still used in considerable numbers during WWII. It was a water cooled and tripod mounted weapon that utilized a hopper feed. It was not particularly popular with Italian troops. FIAT-Revelli Mitragliatrice Mod 14, 6.5x52mm Carcano +1 OCV, +1 RMod, 2d6-1K, +1StunX, AF 8, Str Min -, Shots 50, Wt 41.4 with tripod ⦁ FIAT-Revelli Mitragliatrice Modello 14/35 This was the Mod 14 update to an air cooled weapon using the 8mm Breda cartridge FIAT-Revelli Mitragliatrice Mod 14/35, 8x59mm Breda +1 OCV, +2 RMod, 2d6K, +1StunX, AF 9, Str Min -, Shots 300, Wt 45 with tripod ⦁ Breda Fucile Mitragliatore Modello 30 This was the Italian LMG in WWII. It was one of the first air cooled weapons with a quick change mount for the barrel, but firing from a closed bolt reduced the effectiveness of this arrangement. It was hampered by an integral 20 round magazine that was reloaded with 20 rd stripper clips, leading to slow reloading and poor reliability. It also had weak extraction of the fired cases and required an oiler that lubricated cartridges before they were chambered. In dust and sand, this tended to result in frequent jams. In normal service, it would not be inappropriate to give the weapon an Act 14-, reducing this to 12- or even 10- in desert conditions. In a pinch, it could be reloaded with 6 rd rifle stripper clips. Breda Fucile Mitragliatore Mod 30, 6.5x52mm Carcano +1 OCV, +1 RMod, 2d6-1K, +1StunX, AF 8, Str Min 12 bipod/17, Shots 20, Wt 11.1 ⦁ Breda Mitragliatrice Modello 31 This was the Italian HMG in WWII. It was air cooled and generally used on a vehicle mount. It could also be mounted on a tripod for anti-aircraft use. It was fed from a 20 round box magazine. Breda Mitragliatrice Modello 31, 13.2x99mm Hotchkiss +1 OCV, +3 RMod, 3d6K, +1StunX, AF 8, Str Min -, Shots 20, Wt 47.5 ⦁ Breda Mitragliatrice Modello 37 This was the standard Italian air cooled and tripod mounted MMG in WWII. It also required the cartridges to be oiled before the weapon chambered them but was considered to be relialble, mostly due to the attention paid to maintaining the weapon by the troops assigned to it. It still suffered from malfunctions when used in the desert or extremely cold conditions. It was fed from 20 round strips that fed into the weapon, and it neatly replaced the empties into the feed tray. Breda Mitragliatrice Mod 37, 8x59mm Breda +1 OCV, +2 RMod, 2d6K, +1StunX, AF 8, Str Min -, Shots 20, Wt 38.6 with tripod Italian Military Hand Grenades Note. Most Italian hand grenades were of the 'offensive' type with an effective injury radius smaller than the distance they could be thrown as it was considered that the soldiers would be charging in immediately behind them. The Italians used a bewildering variety of grenades, of often dubious reliability and effectiveness. Most were reasonably close in stats to the following weapon. ⦁ Bomba a Mano Modello 35 A common Italian hand grenade, it was supplied with an impact fuse that was not entirely reliable and seldom activated if landing on softer materials (like fresh snow, leafy underbrush, etc - reduce to Act 8-). This, along with it's bright red paint, combined to get it the nickname 'Diavoli Rossi' (Red Devil). Late in the war it could be fitted with a fragmentation sleeve changing damage to 1d6+1K. +0 OCV, +0 RMod, 4d6N, Exp, Range by Str, Shots 1, Wt 0.3, Act 13- ⦁ Bomba Controcarro 'Passaglia' This example of desparate ingenuity is credited to an Italian combat engineer Capt Passaglia. It is simple a 2 kg soup can filled with explosives, and fitted with a handle and impact fuse. It was used with some success against tanks by troops who would creep close to the target and hurl this 'grenade' into the tracks. It nearly always caught the soldier employing it in the blast radius. +0 OCV, +0 RMod, 14d6N Exp, Range by Str, Shots 1, Wt 2.2 Italian Mortars ⦁ OTO-Brixia Modello 35, 45mm Mortar This unusual and complicated weapon was the main battalion level support weapon. It featured a light weight, was breech loading, capable of direct fire and could manage a high rate of fire (15 to 18 rounds a minute. Treat as half action to load and half action to fire. Weapon must be braced and set before use on its mount.). But the puny range and tiny HE warhead (with very unreliable fragmentation) meant this all made little real difference in combat. In many respect it has more in common with modern grenade launchers than most mortars of WWII. +1 OCV, +0 RMod, 8d6N Exp, Shots 1, Indirect with linked -1 OCV/-2RMod, Wt 15.5 mortar, 0.4 shell (Actually, the shell's damage should be treated as 2 1/2d6K Exp with Act 9-. If the killing charge fails, it results in 8d6N damage. I have no idea how to write this under the current rules.) Italian Infantry Organization As a gross simplification, here is an example of Italian infantry unit organization up to the company level at the outset of WWII. The base infantry unit was a section consisting of 18 men in two elements, a fire squad and a manuever squad. It was either an even or 8-10 split. The fire group consisted of two 2-3 man MG teams with the rest of the squad armed with rifles and carrying extra ammunition or securing the flanks. The second group was armed with rifles and grenades and pressed home the attack with the fire squad provided suppressing fire. Green NCO's often let the sections bunch up with disasterous results. Platoons were made up of two sections commanded by an officer (armed with a pistol) and his aide. Early in the war only NCO's in the paratroops (or some other elite units) were issued SMG's, but by 1941 each platoon was issued an SMG. Companies generally consisted of a small HQ group and three infantry platoons. Italian Infantry companies had no integral support weapons, these all being battalion assets. It was not unusual for the battalion to 'farm out' its 8 MMG's and nine (occasionally more) 45mm mortars.

We used the Enc rules a lot for our one foray into Fantasy Hero. The 4e rules give the guy with a 10 Str a -5 Dex/DCV and cost +4 End a turn. Which will wear out the 10 Str/2 Spd/4 Rec 'average person'. And that was fine for that game. But making the person spend an extra 2 End pushing to move the same weight works out the same, and Is easier for me to worry about in a superhero type game. (It also makes it harder for the average folks to get out of Entangles, grabs, handcuffs, etc) And since we play a lower powered game (all but one PC has a Str of 15 or below), it has made a difference in what the 'normal folks' can do to move their Str down to 8. Not in every game, but often enough to make it worth worrying about for us. It probably also makes a difference that I occasionally run what we call 'one shots' where the players run 'normal folks' involved in a side portion of the story to give the plotline more 'feel' to the players. So if you are running the technician in the power plant with a Str 8 trying desperately to pull your coworker (who is carrying the cutting torch you need to escape before the place goes up in flames) up the elevator/work shaft before it is to late...while your other Str 8 coworker tries to fight the mind controlled and fit (Str 10) security guard... It makes a difference. It also makes a much more striking contrast to just what the player's normal characters can do and accomplish. But as we have said before, it is all in the game you want to play. And having 'average' be 8's makes the game work for us. But a DEF 30 tank wouldn't.

I would probably rule that the ship the brick is trying to stop is going to make an attack on each of it's phases (acting at it's max speed) doing that 5 body each time. Of course it is energy damage. I would also (probably) make it penetrating, as the heat is going to build up. I would also (probably) make it a bit more than 5 body in most cases. Just 5 body seems a bit light for me. I would also expect the super to take a Move Through attack by the space craft if he can't fly as fast as it moves (we are talking thousands of MPH...) so he could be in for a lot of damage (ship's strength plus the damage from a speed faster than any bullet...). And the impact damage might just shatter the ship as it takes its share of the damage... Not very cinematic. But what do you expect from someone who worked as a physicist.

Which actually happens a lot in my games (I will use LTE and Enc rules, particularly if someone who isn't a brick is trying to carry someone else out of a battle or danger. Although I allow recovery of LTE faster than in the RAW, but still not quickly enough to be regained during a fight - but we do use 4e so I don't know how the current rules read...). RAW say 'barely lift and stagger' - but have no mechanics to support that. As written, the max lift actually functions as 'what can be carried without excessive effort'. So that is how I approach it. So 'normals' get Str 8. A 10 Str is someone who is pretty well trained and with pretty good stamina under a load. Most folks can't pack around 100 kg for any significant amount of time, but the rules don't prevent it. Once again, this is just my interpretation to try and make 'normal folks' seem a bit less powerful, and make the PC's and agents stand out more.

Oops. Meant 200 lbs. But with RAW, a Str 10 of Speed 2 could pick up 200+ pounds (essentially a 45 lb Olympic style weight bar with 2 45 lb plates on each end), and carry it around for a turn (12 seconds) and only be out 2 (or 4 if you use 1 End per 5 Str) End. Either way, he will be able to carry around that bar with 4 plates indefinitely. So could the average person get that bar off the ground - probably. But if that means they are 'pushing' (because they are Str 8), at least they are going to start running out of End after a bit. It would still take longer than most folks will in real life, but at least they are going to get tired doing it. But this is pretty much my way of making 'normal folk' feel a bit more like RL to me, and it makes 'mooks' and nobodies far more fragile so that the actual 'notable agents' do seem to be pretty resilient compared to the folks around them. Without having to inflate the PC's so that they seem 'appropriately tough' Which I am afraid is why we have a tank that can survive being airdropped into combat without needing a parachute. Weapons got scaled up so that they 'felt tough enough' and then other things got drug along.

We play 4e, but I have no problem with a lot of the stat being 8's for average people. Most folks that aren't weight lifters aren't going to be able to pick up 200 kg, without engaging in what I would consider 'pushing'. Which fits just fine with an 8. And an 8 for Dex or Ego still has the same CV as a 10. Same characteristic roll also. But it makes 'nobodies' a lot more likely to drop and 'play nice' quickly when fists & cars start flying around. It also makes them a bit more fragile should a player get a bit 'carried away', or if someone pulls a gun. So I have no problem with an 8 as the average stat.