Nightfire

Re: Vandaleur Twins That's true it is always up to the GM, although since many heroes, villains and the like are "canon" straight, it would be nice if a few were also by canon, not straight. After all it seems being open minded (or perhaps progressive might be a better word) has helped Bioware's bottom line (Dragons Age) why not true RPGs? It doesn't have to be everyone, just a character who actually isn't "open to interpretation" but definitively gay preferably without stereotypes.

Re: Vandaleur Twins

Re: Vandaleur Twins Thank you, I had never known there was a fourth edition version of Arcane Adversaries, or thor Anais was a girl's name. My curiosity has been sated.

I was wondering does anyone know why Anais was changed from a male fraternal twins in Arcane Adversaries to a female in twin in Champions Villains vol2. I thought it was bold move on Hero Games' part to not only feature two gay characters but to have them as villains and incestuous to boot. To change Anais to a woman is a step in the wrong direction, having the unfortunate implication that gay characters can not be presented while maintaining the much more controversial incestuous relationship. I was just wondering others thoughts on the matter.

Re: Superheroic Planets *Looks around embarrassed* I have a whole galaxy where star systems born in a particular stellar nursery produce races who largely developed abilities based on the high radiation principle, in addition to what you mention they often fly, manipulate matter can travel through space unaided. For some reason the rest of the Universe works to keep their population numbers low. Conversely their is another planet where their only ability is to regenerate their reproductive organ and can live 250 years, they have settled their entire galaxy and and parts of others. They have formed Genocidal Cults in the belief their creator will kill 74% of their race to control their population problems. No, birth control does not work for them. Their super power is reproduction at all costs.

Twilight asked me to warn everyone to be careful of Soft Veteran Virus, he was attempting to use the Champions Online Wiki when it first manifested, he is unsure if it was a direct result of something on the wiki, but urges caution. Apparently it is a fairly new virus, here is the information I was able to find on the subject. SoftVeteran is a rogue security application, also known as a fake antivirus program. SoftVeteran is a clone of SafetyKeeper, which is also a fake antivirus program. SoftVeteran hopes to trick the user into thinking that it is a real program. SoftVeteran hopes to scare the user into purchasing the program by displaying fake virus scan results. SoftVeteran is fake and doesn’t work. SoftVeteran will tell the user that their computer is infected and will use tactics to convince the user to purchase it. It will also use other tactics, such as the use of pop ups to warn the user. However, the program itself doesn’t work to remove viruses. It has a website which it uses to advertise the fake program. Common symptoms and characteristics of SoftVeteran and other rogue security programs include: 1. SoftVeteran is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. SoftVeteran uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. SoftVeteran website is unprofessional, with fake testimonials and fake awards. 4. The payment website for SoftVeteran looks suspicious. 5. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop functioning.

Re: Heroes Unfortunately I don't know what Scinema Saturday is. I just know that from what I have seen of more recent Sci Fi on TV, they seem to be handled more intelligently. Example - The learning curve for powered individuals on shows like Bionic Woman, Smallville, Charmed and the like is short. When The Greastest American Hero came was on he never got the hang of his powers even though he used them all the time. The back ground characters more readily understand the concepts behind unusual events that happen around them, even if they did not previously believe such things were actually possible. Basically because most people are familiar with most form concepts Science Fiction, characters within such shows have to equally possess such knowledge and act accordingly.

Re: Politics or not My campaign world no longer resembles the real world at all. There are only six super nations and some holdouts: The USAC (United States and Canada) which controls the Carribbean and all Pacific Islands held by the US), The Asian Commonwealth, European Union, United Federation of the Southern Hemisphere, Russia and the Kingdoms of Magic. These supernations came about by the actions of the players/GM interference in various politics, six alien invasions, a world wide technology crash (not the Y2K bug), and manueverings during the reconstruction. Sometimes politics were neglible background, and other times center stage. I never did powered registration plot lines, because superpowers and magic had been around since the dawn of history and so most countries legislated their penalties for their misuse in ancient times into the present. The complexities of these politics are too numerous to list, and as players characters matured they even too on political roles. Twice now PC have run in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections and while they have not won they have won Senatorial and Governor positions, or have been appointed to cabinet posts. The EU is entirely PC controlled having though the course of play returned to Constitutional Monarchies. There are even complex interactions between nations and various alien races. I think that if the GM and Players are mature about it politics can completely enrich a game, providing lots of plot lines, of course if not done properly it could be a disaster.

Re: Is it really so wrong? I think every once in a while it is good to have an odd ball villian or hero who comes straight out of Toy R Us or some place similar. Three examples from my decades long game were The Liquidator - a water emlemental who looked and behaved like the character from Darkwing Duck A reality manipulator had pikachu and invisible weiner dog called 'Not There' as familiars The Toy Maker - A villian who stole gems to power his minature space ships i.e USS Enterprise, Millenium Falcon and Battlestar Galactica.

Re: Heroes I dunno, I think writers are more cognizant about paying attention to their fan base, especially in the sci fi arena where people are more likely topoint out plot weaknesses.

Re: WWYCD: Dr. Destroyer vs Takofanes Hey, isn't one thread on the longest running battle in history enough But since it is here, I would have to help Doctor Drakken . . .Ummm I mean Destroyer to defeat Takofanes. They may both look like moldy corpses, but at least the good Doctor wants people in his world.

In a previous post you stated that for a - Suppress 10d6 to STUN, Continuous, costs 0 END - that additional stun would be surpressed. Would it not mean instead that either the same level of supression would be applied ad nauseum until the dispel condition was met or alternately that each phase a new roll would be made. The effect of the latter would mean perhaps someone who was drugged, and was fading in and out of consciousness?

Re: Heroes For my two cents I love Heroes. First of all I am an absolute power junky (I missed a lot of Smallville and what could catch made little sense). Secondly it reminds me of Charmed with out the demons, these people are utterly distracted by thier real lives -- imagine that. Also I would love to marry Mohinder, but that is just me. I think I can shed some light on Parkman though, as a fellow Dyslexic individual I understand why sometimes he has no problems with comprehending things and other times does not. Most people born in the sixties or earlier had to learn to over come our dyslexia on our own, so it is actually a discipline to correctly interpret things when we read. Stress and fatigue erode this disicpline so the more stressed he becomes the harder it is to correctly read. One sour note for me is Hiro in the past, I love time traveling stories, but I just hope that he does not become his own childhood idol that would be really annoying.

Re: Anyone here find a use for Takofanes yet? Somone summoned Takofanes into my game world, but only had the body of a sixth year old available, so currently he is attending elementary school, while he plots his plans to take over the world. So while he is still the same monsterously powerful lich, he must, because of the nature of the magic that summoned him, must obey his parents, teachers and other authority figures.

Re: Wuxia abilities As a clarification of this ability Penetrating Voice - The use of inner power to have your voice penetrate even through layers of stone. Example. Li Qiu Shi used her voice to torment Tian Xian Tong Lao and Xhu Zhu who were in the third ice cellar deep below Li Qiu Shi's Castle. She was not only heard, but was capable of breaking the Inner Power induced Trance of Tian Xian Tong Lao and drove Xhu Zhu mad at the same time.

Re: Why Kill At All? I run a very involved campaign where most villians like heroes evolve, gaining experience, and moving through the 'weight" classes. As a consequence of this, Heroes and Villians get to know each other. The Heroes try to sway the villians to the good side, though the insidious act to getting to know them, and test their convicitons. Some reform, so go to jail, and some just keeep getting wrose and worst. When they cross the line (mass murder and the like) then the gloves come off. To date only a small handful of villians have been so monsterous as to "need killin". Both sides call it the game. It is "okay" for villians to commit crimes, the heres try to capute them. the villains try desperately to avoid this bacause villians in the campaign serve real prision sentence, not revoling door method of comic books. I'm creative enough to make new villians, Villians are "allowed" to try to kill heroes. 99% of the time they fail, Heroes are notoriously hard to kill. The Heroes are allowed to beat the stuffing out of the villians proportional to the closeness to success. If the Villians actually succed then the heroes friends are allowed to retailiate, but must yield if the villian begs for mercy. The villians are "Allowed" to kidnaap DNPC andloved ones, after all that's part of the convention. But if they actually defile said persons the Hero is allowed ti retaliate to the full exent that their psych lims allow. Some villians are so nasty that even other villians will join in dispatching them. It is one thing to serve an evil elder god of chaos, it is is another matter altogether to actually slaughter 10,000 peole to that entity.

Re: Alpha Male Contest

Re: Alpha Male Contest

Re: Alpha Male Contest Actually, Aquaman while enjoying name recognition is very much a fringe character. He has naver enjoyed the full respect his colleagues have. Cartoon Network has made him the butt of many jokes because of his ability to talk to and summon fish. Even in the Justice League Cartoon, Wonder Woman belittles him because in their battle he summoned sea creatures to help defeat her, so even in Amazon Society (i.e. where women rule) he is seen as weaker for having summoned. In the battle between himself and Namor in the Amalgam universe, they are both Sea Kings but Aquaman acknowledged that he was cheating by summoning a whale to pin Namor. Perhaps he was a poor choice to defend the summoners.

Re: Alpha Male Contest Omega male, I like that, The fact that sports draw more spectators than chess matches suggests that the Omega male is no where near ascendancy. We're still moved more by aderenaline than by beta waves.

Re: Alpha Male Contest Wow, you articulated my point better than I could. I would imagine in a fantasy mage battle summoners would be top dogs because magic is a sighn of prowess, a summon can fight a longer stronger battle, because less of his personal stength is needed to produce results. But Mages strength comes from their knowledge and application of power. Their contest would be quite different.

Re: Alpha Male Contest

Re: Alpha Male Contest Any my age and profession would be? And don't peak at my profile. You said guess

Re: Alpha Male Contest But if an alpha male contest comes up amongst supers it is a chest beating scenario. IF the leader is chosen through peaceful means, that's called and election, and persuasion (or intimidation) is the mechanism. It's true the Alpha-Male leads, but while I agree that the nature of the contest is situational, the situation in question is Superheroes, most times questions of leader ship are resolved in some civil manner, but the comic conventions say the stuffed shirts don't always talk: The Thing, The Hulk Green Arrow, Wolverine, sometimes Batman and always Lobo resort to the old fashion method of deciding who's the main man. Remember this is how supers (who really aren't worried about such namby pamby laws like Assault and BAttery) settle mano y mano issues.

Re: Alpha Male Contest For humans in the 21st century being aplha male IS a macho cage match, look at professional wrestling, the guy who picks up the chair is the bad guy, even if he wins. If two superheroes are duking it out for supremacy there is a sort of school yard set of rules that they fight by. Granted you can get away with a lot of things, but somethings make you the loser, even if the other guy is bleed ing on the floor at battle's end. If one fighter were to whip out a can of pepper spray (ie summon) then he's whimping out. There is a classif fight between BAtman and Guy Gardner (Green Lantern). Granted with the Ring Guy could beat BAts 9 ways to sunday, but sense the strugle between them was a chest beating seesion Guy forwent the use of the ring believing that his physical prowess was more than Bats. Batman laid him out in one punch, because all things being equal ( No ring for Guy/No Utility Gadgets for Bats) Bataman was actually more the Alpha Male. Mafia Don's having a guy wacked is not an Alpha Male fight, its an Alpha male having a Beta male, rubbing out a gamma male. From the Stand point of sociology, it is his right to not bother doing his own scut work. The discovery channel had an excellent example of a pure Alpha male fight a few years ago. One prehistoric leader had some animal tooth that was a symbol of his leadership, on a particular hunting trip he lost the tooth, and a would be rival found it. The Rival now declared himself (sans actual words, of course) leader, but the leader beat him to death and took it back. Remember for the most part superheroes are more like the chest beater than they are like the mafia dons, they don't have proxies fight for them.