TheDarkness

Damn straight! Bananistan is ours to tamper with!

First, it probably helped that it was remote. Second, and I'm not having any luck remembering or finding the name and region, but one influential party leader actually took great pains to prevent the destruction of heritage during the cultural revolution. I don't think that that leader was at work in this case, for some reason I'm remembering the leader having been in the Henan area, but again, that's totally off of my faulty memory. The West has the unfortunate habit of overvaluing the effect of both the destruction of tradition in China and the effect of propaganda. The classic example is the Tainanmen Square massacre. Yes, internet searches on it are limited by the great firewall. BUT, everyone and their brother uses a VPN to get around this. And, aside from professors from my university, pretty much all the most meaty conversations I've had on the topic were with Chinese people in China. Westerners tend to know tank man and little else. Chinese contemporaries tend to know the role of the Yang family in it, the undercurrents at play, etc. There is actually an article that was fairly well distributed in the West about how the Chinese population was longing for the West to help China at the time. The centerpiece of the article was a picture of a group of people with a Statue of Liberty they had made. The problem is, the people who made the statue were a group of artists, one of whom is my old professor's wife. The assertion that the meaning of the statue had anything to do with this is patently false, and given that she lives in the states, it's strange that they never did the slightest bit of research on their claim. Anyone who claims that there is any support for foreign intervention in China among Chinese is beyond ridiculous- there are few things considered to have been more disastrous for China by the Chinese over foreign interference. In China, there is a long history of repression actually pushing things into the grassroots that then become so inextricably intertwined with the culture as to become inseparable. Every single repression of Buddhism and Taoism in Chinese history, including the Cultural Revolution, ended up making those things something people practiced at home more than at the temples that were no longer there. Which then, when the temple invariably reopened, made them instantly have a base of popularity again. For another example of repression actually aiding the survival of a thing as a cultural heritage, one need look no further than the last destruction of the Shaolin Temple, which was actually due to repression of Buddhism by pro-Christian leaders. When the Buddhists began literally fighting back, the temple became a target. So ironically, the temple, destroyed by forces under pro-Christian leaders seeking to take property from temples in order for the state to make use of them, said leaders most decidedly later being tied to the nationalists, is rebuilt by Communists. My experience in China has been that propaganda, for those living in a country with a long history of it, is more the art of what one must say than the definition of what anyone actually believes. The less its use, the more people believe it, the more, the less they do. That said, a lot of monuments were destroyed. And now, there are whole industries of restoring temples. Weird world. I currently live at the foot of Mount Tai, which is the most important of the five most famous mountains for any leader, as it was considered a duty to climb to its top as part of a ritual. Confucius references standing on a lookout and seeing his state of Lu. It is one of the few peaks that had each of the major group's temples atop it, and at its foot is the Dai Temple, which has an imperial home within. That home has a layout only allowed in three places, modeled after Confucius' ancestral home. The three versions are in the Forbidden Palace, in Qufu, where Confucius' ancestral home is found, and at the Dai Temple near me. All three are still in existence. The Cultural Revolution was never close to organized enough to actually achieve the destruction of enough of the monuments and cultural heritage of China to actually achieve the much claimed end of traditional culture. Frankly, it was a bit of a ragtag affair in the end, and it broke Mao's power within the party. It's important to keep in mind that one of the first things that Deng set about doing, besides opening the markets, was retiring the old guard, and that he was entirely successful in doing so without using the same sort of unilateral power that Mao would have.

Or Dune, the book, versus Dune, the other books.

I would say clandestine foreign involvement in an election is only really done as an attack on said nations sovereignty. It was a direct attempt to influence the vote. What other purpose would they have had? Breaking up a boring news cycle?

Okay, as it turns out, I summed up the notes on the idea for a pool based around skills in one post in the rebuilding MA from scratch thread in the Hero Discussion forum. Hopefully, this link works, If not, I'll copy the whole thing. http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/93329-rebuilding-martial-arts-from-scratch/page-6?do=findComment&comment=2544607

One thing to keep in mind is that the green destiny sword is a dueling weapon, so it is quicker than a heavy sword, while simultaneously able to break any weapon given enough time. Further, I would interpret the requiring skill to use to make the powers only accessible for those with a skill level above a certain value. I may need to watch that movie again. I'm trying to remember, but I think there is an allusion to it being cursed. Another thing to note is that, in the movie, the hero, Li Bai, asks another to hold onto the sword when he is, in effect, giving up the sword. This is because it is bad luck to give any sort of blade or knife as a gift, it representing a cutting of ties.

She has never actually said this, but I understand the implied rule. Either I use the razor, or she does. The choice of how close a shave I get is mine. That said, there is a balance of power. If I find an alternate version of me who has no limit on the amount of garage sale furniture he will put up with, I will find him in the maze in which he dwells of discarded armoires, van seats, and cute little girl's desks for the little girl he and his wife do not have, and I will kill him as well. I cannot have that precedent set.

I'll copy the notes on the pool from there, the thread is a bit long, and most of it doesn't relate to that. Give me a bit of time, I've been meaning to copy those to my notes anyway. The main idea for the pool was a pool that enabled skills that worked at the level of a power, but, if done under the current rules, made it cost prohibitive compared to the actual game effect. So, for example, Batman's street detective skills. Done under the current approach, starting Batman pays heavily for a set of related skills that don't actually have that profound of game effects. The pool, like VPPs, would have to have a defined theme. Street Detective, Martial Artist(this would bypass the martial arts system, and maneuvers would be built as powers), World Renowned Super Scientist(Richard Reed, Bruce Banner, Viktor Von Doom, etc.). We haven't gotten to a point of defining what discount the pool would give, the agreement seems to be that it shouldn't be a huge cost break, but more modest than other pools. Another aspect that has been talked about, if I recall correctly this came from the influence of making it useful for magic, but which I found potentially useful for martial arts as well, was the idea of incremental gains. Not levels per se, but that higher powered things must have lower powered and related items bought first. If you can't produce fire, you can't make a fireball, as an oversimplified example.

My wife would travel to the timeline where my wife let me grow a goatee and kill the Earth-goatee wife dead.

I thought we were supposed to do that. Build on the fly is not Hero's strong suit...

And I don't see why you can't put a trigger on a palendromedary. Technically, it would be a triggirt.

But Lucius, Roy Rogers had a half move with a Trigger.

Skill based systems are a lot of what the talk about a new kind of pool has been in the hero system forum thread on revamping the martial arts system. Magic has often come up as something else that could benefit from such a pool. Other than that, my knowledge on skill-based magic is limited.

I would go with "an assumed, but not codified, weakness", since that is what it is. The flashlight itself has no blinding property in bright light. It seems wrong to force people to pay for that property in a light, so as GM, I would merely play it as what it is, a weakness. The light we're talking about does not normally blind. Almost any lamp would have the same effect, if flashed in any human's eyes after they have been in darkness for a long time.

I think one of the problems that others have with a VPP is that it allows starting characters a lot of spells. For my part, I feel that if you force narrow subdivisions on what applies as a VPP for a certain type of magic, this mitigates that problem.

I would never allow on the fly VPP except in the most extreme, oh crap, these baddies weren't supposed to be this hard and I need the group to get out of this fight kind of circumstance. I don't want to have to judge a character build while we're trying to play. It's not fair to anyone. The VPP is advantage enough without adding that. But I admit, I am lazy...

And, ironically, he has no idea that aliens are behind it.

Alcamtar, I just copied your last post to a thread that seemed to relate, hope you don't mind. http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/94477-creating-a-magic-system-with-multipowers/page-3?do=findComment&comment=2550332

Copied from Alcamtar's post on page four of this thread: http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/94453-swap-in-replacement-for-dd-5e/page-4 I also wanted to address an idea for how to do D&D Vancian magic, if that is what you are interested in. There are three core mechanics that regulate spells in D&D: (1) how many and which spells you know, (2) the need to memorize them each day, and (3) how many times you can use them per day. In Hero, spells you know (1) are bought with points, and memorization (2) is the Delayed Effect advantage. Just like in D&D you can reskin it in Hero as pre-casting, hanging spells, enchanting acorns, "stacking your rack", whatever, it is the mechanic that matters. The time spent memorizing is the "casting time" in Hero, and delayed spells are released instantly. If you want a casting time at time of use, then either do not delay the spell, or create a custom limitation. A really nice thing about Delayed Effect is that you can take huge limitations on casting time to reduce the cost of your spells. Nothing about Delayed Effect says that you cannot re-memorize spells, unless you add a custom limitation "can only cast in the morning." How many times per day can be handled multiple ways. The simplest way is charges: X times per day. That also eliminates END cost, which is not present in D&D. But another (more fine-grained) method is to have an Endurance Reserve to power your spells, tuned so that it recharges all its points every day. For example a 240 END pool that recharges 10 per hour. This allows each spell to vary in how much of your power it consumes, at the expense of tracking END points and recoveries, and also when you're desperate you can wait an hour to get a few points back. Cantrips are almost free and unlimited while a single huge spell may drain nearly all your power. This accomplishes the effect of "use per day" in a way that is more reflective of fantasy literature, but it is not as true to the flavor of D&D. Duration from spells can be handled with Time Limit. A pure D&D system that would be very easy for players: Multipower with X-point reserve, all: N charges (?), Delayed Effect (+1/4), incantations (-1/4), gestures (-1/4), requires OAF fragile spellbook to cast (-1.25), requires light to use (-1/4), extra time 5 minutes (-2) [Campaign rule: number of delayed spells are limited by the charges in the multipower.] That says that you can cast N spells per day, up to X active points each, you can restrain or silence wizards to keep them from casting spells, and memorization requires 5 minutes with a spellbook and light to read it. X is 30 for first level spells, 45 for second level spells, 60 for third level, etc. You only need one Multipower sized to the largest spells you can cast. So if you have 3/2/2/1 spell slots, but a 4th level multipower with 8 charges. It would look like this: Multipower with 75-point reserve, 8 charges (-1/2), Delayed Effect (+1/4), incantations (-1/4), gestures (-1/4), requires OAF fragile spellbook to cast (-1.25), requires light to use (-1/4), extra time 5 minutes (-2). Cost: 17 points (4v) Shield: +2 DCV and 10 Power Defense, 20 active. (14v) Magic Missile: 1d6 energy RKA, Autofire x3 (+1.25), NND vs shield spell or power defense (+2), accurate vs DCV 3 (+1/2), 71 active (10v) Sleep: 3d6 Drain STUN, Uncontrolled (+1/2), Increased max effect x2 [36 STUN] (+1/4), area 4m radius (+1/4), only until asleep (-1/4), active 60 (2v) Levitate: Flight 20m, only vertical (-1), concentrate 1/2 DCV throughout (-1/2), active 20 (15v) Fireball: 10d6 Blast, area 20 ft radius (+1/2), 75 active [15 per 2d6] (10v) Phantasmal Killer: Mental Blast 2d6 (20), does Body (+1), Time Limit lingering 1 minute (+3/4), active 55 You cannot have more spells active than the pool size. To levitate (20) while casting a fireball (60) you'd need an 80 point pool, or you need to reduce the power of those slots so they fit (which is why this example bought them as varaible slots). For example, 5m levitattion would fit with a 7d6 fireball. If you want spells only to be prepared in the morning, use standard charges. If you want to allow a mage to rest during the day and recover spells, make them charges "recoverable after a 4-hour nap" or something. Cantrips are special, you can use them in 5E D&D at will, but they are weak. Creating a separate Multipower for cantrips allows them to use different rules: Cantrip Multipower with 15-point reserve, Reduced END zero (+1/2), incantations (-1/4), gestures (-1/4): cost 15 points (1f) Acid Splash: 1d6 energy RKA, 15 active (1f) Chill Touch: 1d6 energy Blast, NND vs power defense (+2), 15 active (1f) Light: Images +1 PER vs Sight, only to create light (-1), 13 active Cantrips are usable at will and require no END, but you can only use one at a time. They have a separate multipower from regular spells. As with other spells, silencing or restraining a wizard will prevent cantrip use. In play, this is how it would work: In the morning, the PC recovers his charges. He spends 5 minutes per spell to pre-cast spells, until he has used all his charges, selecting which spells will be pre-cast. During the adventuring day, casting a spell is as simple as saying "I cast X" and taking a half phase action to discharge it. As each spell is used up, it cannot be re-used until the charge recovers the next morning. If a player choose not to use all his charges in the morning, he can cast the spell at any time during the day by simply spending the 5 minute casting time, and can either use the spell immediately or hang it for later. That's all there is, its about as painless as FH magic gets. Cantrips can be used at will. House Rule: Normally all limitations apply at casting time, but a table rule for this system is that incantations and gestures and concentration apply at the time of release, allowing silence spells to be effective. The GM can tweak Hero as desired if he feels it is balanced and fun. House Rule: Since spells are inherently limited by charges, Delayed Effect simply accepts that limit and no additional limit need be applied. This construct can be adjusted a lot, but it is a starting point to show some ideas.

I think one thing is, using Harry Potter, while the low powered students did not have much in the way of powerful spells, some, like Hermoine, did have a lot of low powered spells. This all, to me, seems like the sort of thing campaign worlds are made of. You are needing to prevent magic users from having a huge. POWERFUL repertoire of spells. I would say it's not necessary to prevent them from having a large list of weak spells, and, frankly, if you use pools, they can have such. One of the reasons that I favor pools for magic is that they give the player room to be inventive. Especially VPPs. However, I recognize that fantasy hero has a problem, in that the system, originally designed for supers games where characters who are normals are still kind of super, but in fantasy, there are more actual normals, and the difference in abilities can become rather difficult. I understand where a VPP could be problematic as it may normally be used. It still seems to me that pools are very useful for this, just problematic. Let's say that, even with dividing out magic into schools, with each school representing a different pool. Back to Harry Potter. In Harry Potter, EVERYONE has to know some potions, some charms, some divination, some defensive magic, some this, some that. If you want players to specialize in a school from the start, you exacerbate your problem, because they do not have to split out their points between as many pools, and ironically now have more points to back a pool with more abilities. Ironically, I think the solution is more pools, not less. If you require them to have some abilities in, let's say, five fields, with one or two being their main focus, this splits up points. For the sake of VPPs, this split doesn't solve the problem entirely, since as long as they have the points, they can fill it with a bunch of spells. However, if you then subdivide every branch out, so that instead of buying a divination pool and being able to muster every divination spell possible, one has to first have a minor divination pool, and, if desired, then have an adept divination pool and a higher divination pool, very quickly the number of spells they can have in a VPP will become much smaller, and they will have to pay more for the privilege. Further, if they want to have a lot of spells in such pools, they will probably have to invent more, which is kind of cool, these wizards walking around thinking of new spells. As for preventing multiple spells at the same time, I think you'd have to go the route of one or the other of the build solutions presented in this thread. And, for the record, I think the Dumbledore vs. Voldemort duel is possibly the best wizard's duel on film. I'm actually designing my own game, and that fight is a big part of how magic can work in what I'm trying to make.

Ah, I see what you mean. Thanks for the reply! I suppose if I still want to try it, I might work in bulk, as it were. Instead of doing segment by segment, work blocks of segments in which no one has an action into one move that would be the combined inches of the, let's say three, segments in which no one has their phase. See if that helps. That, or require players to wear depends.

Using the above list of powers as an example, if one doesn't allow a general 'magic' pool, but does allow 'fire magic' pool, 'divination' pool, etc, then that list above, well, invisibility is likely a glamour, flight a charm, telepathy mind magic, telekinesis(not sure what that would go under), and clairsentience is divination. At the absolute best, you might get a couple or MAAAAYBE three of those in the same pool, but that pool would not get you fireball or things like that. In order to have a diverse variety of spells, the caster would need to have more pools, and thus, more expenditure in pools. Further, I think the VPP issue might become a bit of a non-issue this way. Exactly how many fire magic spells is the player going to be looking for? A few types of magic might be good for a vpp, but, in most cases, the categories may not end up being that broad. EDIT: Looking back at the original posts, apparently I'm behind the curve on the conversation. Never mind my digression!

On the first part, all it allows is movement. Really nothing else, and, as I got at before, I'm well accustomed to games where everyone,is moving every turn. I can accept that very possibly it will slow the turn resolution down, I just think between six players they can quickly decide this and make it routine enough to cut down on that. However, the proof is in the pudding, I know. On the second part, assuming every confrontation is two people with the exact same movement and absolutely no environmental factors, yes, and neither of them have any ranged attacks, yes. No walls, no terrain, no obstacles whatsoever. But then, it would be the same situation under the normal rules between them if they had the same speed and movement. But as soon as there are more people involved, the chances of actually pulling that off become less and less, and, as I was referencing an idea where this movement every segment was simply one's starting, un-bought movement, every player who has bought movement would still be able to use that movement during the segments they have actions and catch up just as easily as if they all had never moved. The Zeno's paradox could still occur as is if the two are the right distance. In fact, it should be able to occur, if someone is trying to catch up to a person who moves at the same rate the same number of times as them. I'm expecting that the issue Bigdamnhero encountered had more to do with the turn resolution side of things.

My view is that a 'magic' multipower or vpp is not a good idea to start with. 'Fire Magic', sure, 'Water Magic', sure, 'necromancy', sure, 'divination', sure. 'Magic', no. A pool is supposed to have a somewhat narrow focus, a topic as it were. 'Magic' is literally 'anything I can imagine'. That is not at all defined. It is effectively no different than a 'totally unrelated things I want cheap pool'. Perhaps people already do this, but if not, it seems to me that, if magic is defined into multiple pools, not one, this would mitigate some of the difficulty. The player would have to pick and choose which pools are going to get more focus, and consign themselves to 'sucking at charms'. This way, a player could even have a 'potions' pool, sure, it could have a wider range of powers in it than a 'fire magic' pool, but the pool would have limitations like having delayed effects, etc.

I'm curious what the problem was. Some of the gamers I play with are far easier to convince to play games like Mordheim, Warhammer, etc., so everyone moving every turn is something I'm fairly used to. The one catch I can see is in maneuvers that require speed, but I think a lot of the problem is in the distinction between combat and non-combat speed. That distinction seems problematic to me as well. I'm pretty sure most people running through a war zone are not running at half speed, especially people driving a car, and if it's simulating loss of speed to turning, there's already a mechanic for that. That said, it's quite possible I'm missing details in why it might be problematic.