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Arkham

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Posts posted by Arkham

  1. Re: Ratios of Superpower Archetypes

     

    I actively try to subvert the common stereotypes of archetypes by origin. The 'asian mystic', 'Japanese martial artist', or 'native shaman' are so very overdone I end up building counter to that type when making NPCs. When it comes to simply thinking of ratios, I just don't. Whether a character from a region exists doesn't matter until a name and/or character sheet for them is needed.

  2. Re: Everyman VPPs

     

    How does this apply to NPCs and Villains? Do they get access to the un-purchased power stunt that may foil the PCs? How do you handle the PC that complains' date=' "The GM is just pulling stuff out of the air because that characters never been able to do that before."?[/quote']

     

    Why would it apply to NPCs? If I find the villain lacking a slot in their multipower that it would make sense for them to have, even if it wasn't there already, I'll add it. Players get to practice their powers every session and figure out what they need. Villains only make a handful of appearances at the most, so you do what you have to in order to flesh them out.

  3. Re: What would you do if you were a mutant?

     

    It all depends on what mutant powers I got...

    Just a healing factor? Enjoy life and worry less about getting hurt.

    Wings? That'd be hard to hide and remain employed... Enjoy night-time flying and telecommute? Or do interviews for the Weekly World News.

    Weather control? Help in drought-stricken areas, and damage-control against hurricans and tornados.

    Uncontrollable eye-blasts? Get some rose-tinted glasses and hope everyone leaves me the hell alone...

  4. Re: Plague Doctor

     

    Ok, so with independent off the table, how do i model that each individual charge is a perfectly ordinary syringe? If i drop one, anyone can pick it up and use that one charge for its intended effect. I'm sorry if i'm being difficult; I just don't have the system mastery to know how to make things work in game the way they do in my head.

     

     

    All focuses are either Personal, or Universal. Neither version costs anything, and both versions have their benefits and drawbacks. You simply state that they are a Universal focus.

     

    The benefits to each, a Personal Focus, if someone takes it from you, they cannot use it on you. But for a Universal focus, you can give it to an ally and have _them_ use it. It is essentially Usable By Others.

  5. Re: Question: Multipower with Dissimilar Foci

     

    The key point here is that the helmet and gun should not be in the same multipower. The character isn't going to take off their helmet to shoot. Make them seperate focuses ( focii? ). And if the gun can be used in different modes, then that can be a focused multipower. But they should not be together.

     

    If, instead, you had an "Arsenal" multipower with several guns, knives, swords and batons, then that multipower would be OIF, and each individual slot could have OAF applied.

  6. Re: Plague Doctor

     

    A few things of note:

    You cannot take an advantage on a VPP and have it apply to the powers inside of it. You need to apply it to each slot in the pool.

    If you take Independant, then by the rules, if it gets taken away from you or broken, then it is gone forever and you cannot get the points back. It is a disadvantage primarily geared towards Heroic rather than Superheroic games.

    If you take 1 Charge on the VPP, then you cannot Autofire anyway, since you only have 1 Charge!

    Gradual Effect: 20 Minutes means that if you are out of uniform and a combat starts, even if you get your gear on, you will still be without your enhanced stats for, in all likelyhood, the duration of the encounter.

     

    The mask: You have Only in Heroic ID, but you also took OIF on one of the slots. It would be more logical and a better point savings to simply put OIF on the whole list, and skip the rules-questionable doubling up of OIHID and OIF.

     

    33 Body is excessive, perhaps instead of the extra Body in the suit, add some Regeneration.

     

    In a 250 point game (150+100) a 31 Dex is way excessive unless you are a Ninja. And even then, it is excessive at that power level. Same goes for 6 Speed.

     

    There is more to be said, but that's my first take on it...

     

    Edit: With your Power Strike, you are doing 13 Dice ( 65 active points ) in a 50 active point game...

  7. Re: Revisiting TAUNT

     

    Last time I built a character with a sort of 'taunt', I took a two-fold approach. First, a cumulative, penetrating, fairly small area Mind Control ( Attack Me ) linked to STR. So the more I hit someone, the more they and their allies wanted to focus on me. The second part was +4 OCV only to attack someone who attacked someone other than me last. So if someone is focusing on my allies, it is easier to hit them. Again, making them really want to hit me.

     

    Not the purely verbal taunt you might be looking for, but it certainly did the job.

  8. Re: Robin Hooding Superhero Crimefighters

     

    Greetings Programs, I am have an interesting discussion with a HERO Central member and thought it interesting enough to ask HEROphiles.

     

    01. Question: Psychological Limitation: Devoted to Justice (Justice, Not Law)

    Does this prevent a Superhero/Vigilante from seizing a criminals assets and using them to fund a war on crime?

     

    02. Question: Psychological Limitation: Robin Hooding (Needs a better name)

    Does Stealing Criminal Assets to fund Crimefighting and the excess given to Soup Kitchens, Victims Shelters, and Local Charities in violation of Devoted to Justice?

     

    03. Question: As a GM would you allow a Robin Hooding Superhero in your Campaign?

    Y/N and Why?

     

    04. Question: Psychological Limitation: Reluctant to Kill or Kill Only to Protect Innocents or Only is Self Defense or Ectera...

    Is there a better Name to describe a Police level Code vs Killing.

     

    05. Question: Why are there so few examples of level of Code vs Killing?

    God is a little fuzzy about knee caps.

     

    1. Justice isn't necessarily the law, especially from the viewpoint of a vigilante.

    2. Nope.

    3. After making sure it doesn't cause insurmountable conflicts with other characters, sure.

    4. Normal. Not worth any points. That is what most people have. It requires a Psych Lim. to be more casual than that about killing.

    5. Ask Steve Long.

  9. Re: need a name...

     

    Sadly I think too many people would make the connection to the Harry Potter villain of the same name.

     

    Never restrict your creativity just because someone might be dumb.

  10. Re: What is the strangest super power you have allowed from a SFX?

     

    One player's character was a zombie brick. He had both a BODY heal, can reattach limbs, with the focus being a needle and thread. He used it quite often, as he also had about 24" KBR on an activation roll, with the side effect that if the KBR activated, it was because a limb was torn off and went flying instead of his whole body.

  11. Re: Are there ANY good plant/wood powers names?

     

    Outside of Poison Ivy' date=' I can't even think of a good one that's already taken ... and I'm trying to come up with one. Anybody have any thoughts?[/quote']

     

    Weeping Willow

    Ash. Housewares. (jk)

    The Mighty Oak ( Very heroic. )

    Lumber ( double entendre, especially for a slow-moving tree-based brick. )

    Lotus

  12. Re: Who are the copies/pastiches/tributes/captain ersatz in your campaigns?

     

    I have a plethora...

    Snuff, a gender-swapped version of Deathstroke, the Terminator

    The Paladine, a tribute to The Tick... but with a light sabre as well.

    The Rubber Bandit - A criminal version of Plastic Man

    The Red Rustler - The Vigilante, the Action Comics #1 version, but as he would appear in the modern age if he was first active in the Golden Age

    The Mud Tracker - a tribute to Man-Thing, but dirtier

    Madame Hex - A tribute to the DC version of Enchantress.

    Irrompible - a Captain Ersatz version of Wolverine... but Mexican

    The Hollow Man - a criminal version of Cloak from Marvel's Cloak and Dagger

    Highwayman - a direct tribute to the Gentleman Ghost

    Dr. Martini - Combine the scientist/president Lex Luthor with the personality of Thurston Howell the Third

  13. Re: Rings of Power

     

    How would I go about basing the rings off of the myths and legends of Europe and possibly Asia?

     

    Easy. Figure out what those mythical rings do. Look at the Hero System books for powers that would best emulate those abilities. Write them up.

  14. Re: A Riddle:

     

    How do you make a super hero' date=' with no offensive capability, who was still useful in combat...[/quote']

     

    I have a character, Mr. Blackwings, who commands crows. While he isn't _totally_ lacking in offensive ability, a 6d6 Reduced Penetration AoE in a 12d6 game doesn't count for much. Instead, he used the crows to control the battlefield. -OCV and -DCV Change Environments were really useful in helping his teammates take down the villains. And after a few sessions working together, they could even buy the Environmental Movement: Crows to avoid the effects themselves.

  15. Re: X Ray-ted Vision

     

    Mr. Blackwings - Ugly scarred grumpy blind man. N/A

    Hybrid - Robot teen-ager. N/A

    Mother Superior - Older woman who transforms into a hot young brick in a nun's habit. She would decline, though it would start her thinking about it. And might change her mind if they ask her again a year or so later.

    Arc Angel - Narcissistic shallow pretty-boy who is also a brilliant engineer. He would jump at the chance to show off, and would probably be a bit non-discerning about the type of spread he was being asked to do.

    Bingo the Clowno - Body-morphing clown detective. He would think about it, accept, and give them vastly more and less than they were counting on. It would be funny. Coulrophiles would be confused.

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