Checkmate

Re: A Modern League of Extroardinary Gentlemen

TV Series League

 

The Bionic Woman

Wonder Woman

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The Greatest America Heroine

Not man GentleMEN in that list is there?

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

I've been reading the Desden Files myself, I've just started Small Favors. I really enjoy the stories, but the writing is driving me nuts. I really hate when the author assumes that everyone reading his book has the IQ of a turnip. He'll explain the purpose of Harry's Blasting Rod, then no more than 3 paragraphs later, when Harry whips it out again, he explains the thing all over again. He does this every time Harry uses pretty much any magic, and when you consider Harry is a wizard, it's pretty often. I absolutely hate this. I probably would have stopped reading the story, but I've known since around book 2 that Murphy was going to be a Knight of the Cross (ever since the first time Harry saw her with his Wizard's sight and saw how "pure" she was) and now at book 10 I'm hoping she'll finally get it.

Re: Who is an Empyrean?

Michael Jordan, George Washington, Hitler, Tim Tebow (dude's a beast).

Re: Champions: Powers -- Great Book

Oh, and I recommend the book, surely an improvement on the USPDs.

What makes you say this? What's improved?

Re: Gargoyle

Bigbywolfe,

I do see your point about Superman vs Iron Man and granted in some circumstances Supes is better off, however, if we consider that both Supes and Iron Man have secret ID's, sometimes Iron Man is better off: Wow Clark that huge Daily Planet globe just fell on your head and you don't even have a bump... I consider those SFX bonus/lims. For example if someone leaves a trail of fire when they fly, I'll let it have minor effects like being able to spell something out in the sky, but it will also let the enemies know he's around. They're minor ads and disads that balance each other out.

I agree that any GM worth his salt can come up with situations that will hinder a OIHID character. If he does it an average of 1 time every 4 sessions, it probably won't even be TOO annoying to other players. The problem I have with it though, is that I feel the amount of points you save can't be justified without seriously annoying others with severely contrived stories.

Chimera 12,

While technically you are correct, so is someone who says that a fly's butt and the Grand Canyon are both holes.

Re: Gargoyle

It's not so much about "ambushing the players". If' date=' in your games, the players go out and interact in the regular world out of costume fairly regularly, it will come up. Iron guy doesn't have to be at the scene of the crime out of costume, but when Stars and Stripes Man signals him that something is going down and he has to spend 3 turns excusing himself from the fundraiser and finding a place to change without revealing his Secret ID (even if the change itself only takes one phase), then that is a Limitation. Now if all your PCs just hang out at their base all day, in costume, or roaming the city on "patrol" then maybe that Limitation just isn't right for [i']your[/i] campaign. Doesn't mean the Limitation doesn't have its place in the system or that it can't be used without being "munchkiny".

You're right that is a limitation, it's called Secret ID and is worth 15 points (in 5th ed. anyway). For 15 points I absolutely think it's worth the cost.

While I agree that a Limitation that isn't a Limitation in practice shouldn't be worth any cost breaks' date=' OIAID is one of those Limitations that rely on the GM to properly enforce them. In other words, if you take powers with it? That's a way of telling the GM "I [i']want[/i] this complication to come up; I want to be caught in the wrong ID often enough that not having my powers instantly available is actually a problem." (And it should be a problem distinct from just having to maintain a secret ID; you presumably already got the points for taking that Complication. No double dipping, please.)

Okay again, I know how the limitation works. The problem I have with it is in order for the GM to enforce that large of a point savings, you have to annoy everyone at the table.

For the poster child for this kind of Limitation, think Focus. If your character has an ostensibly Breakable OAF weapon, but it's always conveniently at hand whenever he needs it instead of lying forgotten at home from time to time and the GM never has anybody actually try to break it or take it away from your character...then what did you get the -1 Limitation for?

The Focus is absolutely worth the points. A simple disarm, and poof it just limited you. I don't have to contrive every story around your limitation. I mean think of your past games. How many times has it actually come up? How many times has a character needed to use their powers in civilian ID that the Secret ID disad wasn't more limiting that OIHID (which most people take both OIHID and Secret ID)?

On a 350 point character adding OIHID to everything basically gives you an extra 87 points to work with. You can put that limitation on EVERYTHING. Characteristics, Powers, Skills can all be justified with OIHID. With a OAF Focus you typically save what 40-ish points on a 60 point multipower, and as I've said, a simple disarm and you've just paid for those points.

Re: Gargoyle

Only In Alternate ID is a Limitation because you genuinely only have the powers taken with it while in said alternate ID. Powers without it stick around in any identity you might have -- you may not want to use them in an obvious way so as not to blow your cover' date=' but that doesn't change the fact that if you changed your mind you [i']could[/i] do so at any time.

 

So, our Gargoyle character here is limited because, anytime he's just being plain old Andy Rogers, he literally is just a normal person (though with unusually high SPD and a couple of extra senses). A couple of common muggers could be a genuine threat unless he risks his secret by 'monstering out'; that's not a problem that, say, Clark Kent has to worry about in quite the same way.

I understand the limitation, I just don't believe the limitations are worth the price savings. How many often will the character be ambushed? if it's all the time, cool may be worth the saving, although you're probably going to have some annoyed players. I'm with Escafarc, unless it can be easily stopped or is difficult to change, it's not really a OIHID.[/url]

Re: Gargoyle

The build looks fine but on a personal note it seems more and more people make all their characters OIHID. It feels like they come up with concepts that take advantage of that. I think this is a huge problem because the limitation rarely lives up to the point savings. I mean it's a -1/4 limitation so it should only come up 1 in 4 sessions... Unless you make every power and characteristic that takes the limitation come up 1 in 4 sessions. I dunno it just seems unfair to the few people that don't use it.

Re: Best ways to put together a Dark Champions team?

I also ONCE did the 'you wake up in a prison cell with no memory' thing. It didn't work so well. The characters were easily frustrated and some characters fell into a 'I'm in prison so I must have done something bad' date=' so I deserve to be here so I shall do my well-deserved time.'[/quote']

'Cause there would NEVER be crooked cops in a dark champions game...

Re: What do you really think of Champions Online?

-I can take any of my five different builds in CoX and pvp with high competence. Those are just my five toons, its not limited to those builds.

 

-GFX in the games I mentioned are superior based solely on pixels per screen + FPS. A game can be drop dead gorgeous - doesn't make a bit of difference if you're running it at 4 FPS.

 

-CoX has more build options in the character creator. Fire them both up, try and build your 'ideal' super and see which game can get it closer.

 

 

This isn't subjective and I am by no means a hater, but it is an inferior product. Sad but true.

Really? That's interesting. I'm not sure I believe you, so prove it to me. Write a program that will add pixels to my screen. Gee why are you sitting there stumped? Oh right, there isn't a program in the world that can actually enhance my physical monitor is there?

The quality of graphics has absolutely NOTHING to do with pixels or Frames Per Second (FPS) both of which are dependent on HARDWARE. The actual quality of graphics for SOFTWARE comes from polygon count, which in all of the games you mention are INFERIOR to CO (especially WoW). The more polygons you have the more life-like the graphics, the more strain it puts on hardware, and you'll typically get lower FPS because the HARDWARE can't keep up. So from a purely fact basis CO is graphically superior to CoX or WoW.

Now I don't really like the style of the graphics in CO, which is purely subjective. IMHO I think CoX looks more like comic book heroes than CO. CoX also has less stringent hardware requirements because if their technically inferior graphics meaning the average PC will get better FPS using CoX.

Re: CHAMPIONS VILLAINS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

This would probably be beyond the scope of what you'd be willing to take on, but I'd personally love to see very brief (literally no more than a sentence or two) spins on each character's background that could have resulted in the character becoming a Hero or an Anti-Hero/Sympathetic Villain instead (or a True Villain if the character is already an Anti-Hero/Sympathetic Villain). For example, Foxbat's writeup could have a line that says something like, "Hero Option: Freddy's obsession with comic books manifested with him imagining himself in the role of a good guy instead of a bad guy. True Villain Option: After losing his trust fund money and facing genuine hard times, Freddy's outlook grew a bit grimmer, and his crimes -- however wacky -- now all have the serious aim of boosting his wealth."

I loved this in 3rd ed!

I'll be a little sad to see the "How this villain would be a hunted" blurb go away, but the what people know would definitely cheer me up.

Re: A Modern League of Extroardinary Gentlemen

Buffy's too predicable. What about Willow, Angel or Riley? Or Xander?

 

No Jack Ryan?

No Spenser?

No Easy Rawlins?

No 80-year old Professor Henry Jones?

What about Lestat?

 

Pretty easy to stay in whatever genre you choose or cross it up something fierce. I liked RexMundi's novel idea and HooliganX's appointment TV team.

I wanted to stay away from Vampires since the original had one, and we don't need Willow when we have Harry Dresden. Xander or Riely would be irrelevant with Jason and Jack around... Although Riely would fit the role of Jack's student better than Jason would (who's a bad ass all on his own).

Re: CHAMPIONS VILLAINS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

The concept of the "Public Knowledge" boxes in the Algernon Files books, while not perfect, is useful for those occasions where PC knowledge on villains has to be decided upon quickly. Perhaps a useful fact or two could be assigned a skill modifier for use of KS: Superhuman World, KS: Supervillains, etc.?

I second this idea. I absolutely loved this in the Algernon Files.

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

What I like most about the Harry Potter books is that they are encouraging millions to read books that are well written with a good use of language. They teach english!

 

Too many books seem to be by authors hoping for movie deals, so do too much circumvention of what makes a book, a book.

I agree. I do enjoy the Harry Potter movies too. After reading the books, I wish some things were different (the Weasley twins are awesome in the books, but get sidelined in the movies), but I still enjoy them.

Re: A Modern League of Extroardinary Gentlemen

Gotta have Jack Bauer from the TV show 24 to fill Allen Quartermain

Harry Dresdon from the books the Dresden Files to fill in the supernatural role

I could see Buffy the Vampire Slayer filling in for Dorian.

Dr. Who filling in for Nemo

The warewolf kid from the Twilight series of books for Jeckel/Hyde

Jason Bourne from the Bourne Identity books/movies filling the Tom Sawyer role.

The chick from the TV show Alias to fill in for the Invisible Man.

Not totally happy with the list, the werewolf guy could go but couldn't think of another brick type non-vampire, and there really should only be one female and I dig Buffy, but meh.

Re: Any voip/skype super games? at all?

I'm way too busy to actually play the game, but something I thought about awhile ago is sort of an original Teen Titans where the PC's would be the Sidekicks of powerful heroes that have teamed up. Imagine if the Hulk or Dr. Strange had a sidekick...? Just a thought.

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

Read The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson and the rest of the demigods battle Kronos across Manhattan only to learn who the real hero of the Prophecy is.

CES

Yeah just finished the last books too, honestly I'm glad it's over. The writing really isn't that good. I understand it's more of a young teen book, but still.

In contrast, I just finished the Harry Potter series too, and wow, that was fantastic. The last book was especially good. If you haven't read the series yet, I highly recommend it.

Re: Repricing CSLs

It was too high in 5e' date=' where +3 Dex (no figured CHA) for 6 points would give you +1 OCV, +1 DCV, +3 initiative, and maybe +1 to Dex rolls, but 6e is not 5e. However, 6e promptly increased the max cost CSL to 10.[/quote']

The problem with this though is that you can add +1 to your OECV or DECV with an 8pt CSL

Re: Newbie assistance

Something to be careful of though is that a lot of the sites are still 5th ed and haven't been converted over. Also, especially with Hyper-Man's 350 JLA the builds can be confusing to a newbie.

Here's what I suggest: Come up with a concept for a character and post it in this thread. Then we'll show you how we'd build that concept, and even tell you why we did what we did.

As far as the rules and where to post what, don't worry too much about getting in trouble, you're safe as long as you're not deliberately trying to be offensive. The Mods are great and will redirect your posts where they should go and let you know.

P.S.

Something I forgot to mention, one of the greatest teaching tools out there is a program called Hero Designer. It's the electronic Character Maker. It is absolutely fantastic and will teach you so much about the system. I would HIGHLY recommend making HD your next purchase as soon as possible

Re: The Batman Option

I'm not sure what HAP's are, but it has been my experience that no one wants to be the Zandar to another player's Buffy.

Re: looking for some opinions on Focus and Power Frameworks.

There are reasons the rules would say that, but even unified power doesn't solve your problem any more than an Element Control would. Unified Power = EC so if one works so would the other.

Re: Eldritch Wizardry VPP

Which is mechanically different from a mystical long-range communication power how?

 

 

 

Mystical powers of telekinesis to operate from afar; conjuring a mystic spirit to inhabit the device.

Re: Teen superhumans but no adult ones

Strikeforce Morituri most certainly did not suck, and it resembles number 2.

Re: looking for some opinions on Focus and Power Frameworks.

Character 3 is just poor design. There is no reason to build a character this way unless you just don't like having points to spend.

P.S.

The one advantage Character 3 has over character 1 is that character 3 can shoot both powers out of his focus at the same time (Multiple Power Attack or whatever it's called)

Re: Eldritch Wizardry VPP

What can technology do that magic can't? So long as that is restrictive enough to merit a -1/4 limitation' date=' then I would allow the limitation.[/quote']

Depends on the setting and the rules for magic. I would be inclined to say things are are based purely on technology. Talking on a walkie-talkie (or any radio-type device) controlling a car or a computer. I can think of tons of things like that.I've

 

P.S.

VPP's don't have to be limited to SFX. The way I've defined Dr. Doom's VPP there isn't an SFX that wouldn't fit. Only Magic, if nothing else, limits the SFX.