SCUBA Hero

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please) [Additional thought] Although I am interested in seeing the original build with +dice outside the Multipower and the Explosion as a Single-Power Naked Advantage properly written up and costed, as it is one of the most complex Hero math situations I've run across... [/thought]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please) After review, I'd go with Oddhat's method; add another Slot to the Multipower, then add more dice outside the Multipower. If the character can do a 'normal-strength' explosion blast all the time, that build gives him the flexibility to do so; otherwise, Limit the Slot so that it must be used with the outside additional dice. Nanite Multipower (1) Quick Blast (2) Big Blast (3) Explosion Blast Nova Blast (+dice to Explosion Blast) I also like the "Only In Emergencies" -1 over Charges. Good discussion!

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please) Quick thoughts: The Nova Blast has No Range. You'll want to put Hole In The Middle or Personal Immunity on it, or the character will take 18d6 every time he uses it. I'd add Charges to it (still buy Costs END, Increased END though)... say one or two. I'm not sure you can buy No Range on the Explosion Single-Power Naked Advantage. 5ER, page 245: "Generally, a character cannot purchase a naked Power Advantage or Adder that adds to any slot in a Power Framework, but this depends on the nature of the powers and special effects involved and the GM's judgment regarding game balance, commmon sense, and dramatic sense." So I'd be wary of it, but it's not an absolute show-stopper. [edit] Cost for calculating a Single-Power Naked Advantage is different than one that can apply to any Power - see 5ER, page 245. [/edit]

Re: My First Game of Champions! Seeker?

Re: Traveller Hero... What's Next? Yes. *More* books of starship deckplans. One of Hero Systems weaknesses, IMO.

Re: Damage and Defenses Psylint, Thanks for the info! Repped! The earliest version of Champions that I have is 56 pages, copyright 1981. As far as I know, that's the first edition of Champions, but I could be wrong. In that book on page 34, Taking Damage: "Killing Attacks are applied differently from normal attacks. A character's PD or ED does not subtract from the damage done by a Killing Attack (Bullets, Lasers, Knives, etc.) unless the character has bought the power Damage Resistance, Force Field, or Armor. Defenses that stop Killing Attacks are called Resistant Defenses." Interesting. Under Armor (page 12), it says: "Armor defense points act versus the BODY and STUN from normal or killing attacks. The Armor must be determined as PD or ED when the power is bought." Under Damage Resistance (page 13), it says: "The character with Damage Resistance uses 1/2 his defense versus the BODY done by a killing attack, and he is allowed his full defense versus the STUN done by a killing attack." Under Force Field Example (page 17), it says: "The character adds his PD to the +8 PD for the Force Field when subtracting STUN from all physical attacks. Likewise, the character adds +12 to his ED versus the STUN from all energy attacks." Taken as a whole, and with the benefit of 25 years of hindsight from the following editions, it's clear that normal PD and ED were meant to subtract from STUN damage if any resistant defenses were present - but the Armor writeup, taken in isolation, seems to contradict that. Cool. I learned something today!

Re: Attunement Modifier? Interesting ideas, have some Rep! In Hero System, creating a magical item which is an enhanced version of a mundane item that has a Character Point cost, then the character must pay the cost of both the mundane item and the enchantment, even if he ordinarily could buy the mundane item with money alone. (paraphrased from Fantasy Hero, page 278). So you need to buy the base weapon and the enhancements. Let's look at your flame sword example. It might look like this: [Note: a normal longsword (from page 481 of Fifth Edition Revised) is HKA 1d6+1, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Minimum (12; -1/2). Total cost: 11 points.] Now, for our flame sword we'll remove the Real Weapon Limitation (you could leave it in if you wanted). It does more damage than a normal longsword, is Penetrating, can Detect Evil, gives +1 OCV, gives another +1 OCV only against Evil beings, and gives +1 DCV only against Evil beings. It takes 6 hours to enchant a normal longsword to make it a flame sword. So: Flame Sword: Cost Power 16 Flame Blade: HKA 2d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Penetrating (+1/2) (60 Active Points); Extra Time (6 Hours, only to activate; -1 3/4), OIF (longsword of opportunity; -1/2), STR Minimum (12; -1/2) 5 Detect Evil: Detect Evil (PER Roll) (Sight Group), Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range (15 Active Points); Extra Time (6 Hours, only to activate; -1 3/4), OIF (longsword of opportunity; -1/2) 1 Accurate: +1 OCV (5 Active Points); Extra Time (6 Hours, only to activate; -1 3/4), OIF (longsword of opportunity; -1/2) 1 Accurate Against Evil: +1 OCV (5 Active Points); Extra Time (6 Hours, only to activate; -1 3/4), OIF (longsword of opportunity; -1/2), Only Against Evil Beings (-1/4) 1 Evil Cannot Touch Me: +1 DCV (5 Active Points); Extra Time (6 Hours, only to activate; -1 3/4), OIF (longsword of opportunity; -1/2), Only Against Evil Beings (-1/4) For a total of 90 Active Points and 24 Real Points. To increase the number of flameswords, add Usable By Others at the appropriate level to each slot. Here's the difficult thing - to make these enchancements on *any* mundane weapon, you'd have to buy an HKA with a big enough base to cover any mundane weapon plus the extra flame damage, plus a Variable Advantage to cover any Advantage the mundane weapon has plus any Advantage(s) you want the flame sword to add, plus +1 OCV (only if the base weapon has it), plus the Detect Evil and other OCV and DCV enhancements you want. Gets expensive... The other way to do it is with a Variable Power Pool - which is probably *more* expensive than the above build. The other other way to do it is with the Usable By Others with differing modifiers on the base build, as suggested by Talon - but I haven't fully worked through this method yet. The other other other (non standard-rules) way to do it is to waive the requirement that the base item be paid for. Hope this helps. I certainly had fun working through it!

Re: Damage and Defenses

Re: Damage and Defenses Can you provide an edition and page number for that? I don't recall that being the case in any edition - not saying you're wrong, just that I can't recall any cite that supports it.

Re: I hate adding damage Oddhat is right. "Damage bonuses from Haymakers, Martial Maneuvers, and Combat Skill Levels are not affected by Advantages. They add to an attack that has Advantages at the same rate, and by the same rules, as they do to an attack with no Advantages." 5ER, p. 407. He's also right (IMO) in keeping a sharp eye out for balance problems with this...

Re: Help me name this hero! Mr. Giggles

Re: Last shot! Here's another vote for ghost-angel's solution. Last Chance!: RKA +2d6; OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2), Only With Last Charge Of Weapon Or When Dramatically Appropriate (-1) plus +4 OCV; OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2), Only With Last Charge Of Weapon Or When Dramatically Appropriate (-1). Total cost: 20 points. And then enforce the 'dramatically appropriate' part.

Re: An alternative to CSLs? UMA, page 132, top of right-hand column. Although it does note that buying Hardened with the Block maneuver negates the Indirect advantage. [edit] Also on page 131, under One Hex

Re: Images of Lost Cities

Re: Images of Lost Cities There's also the mountain city of Paska-Dal, which (by Gate) has carried on commerce with gem merchants everywhere for at least four hundred years. (And underwater rep swimming to the first person who correctly identifies *that* reference! )

Re: Help With Build (1) Nice! I missed this too... Hmm, for the example given, Partially Limited seems better, as the swordbearer shouldn't be able to 'turn off' the sharpness (or, you could argue that he could strike with the flat of the blade, or somesuch... Hero is versatile!) So, doing it as a Partially Limited Power: Semi-Sharp Long Sword: HKA 1 1/2 d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) Activation (11-; -1), Reduced Endurance (+1/2) (50 Active Points); OAF (-1), Independent (-2), STR Minimum (12; -1/2). Total cost: 10 points. Is that right? (Both points and write-up style.) Would someone with Hero Designer punch this in and post the write-up? Points-wise: 25 Base Points, with a +1/2 Advantage and -4 1/2 Limitations ([25 * (1 + 1/2)] - 25) rounded = 12 / 5.5 = 2, plus 25 Base Points, with a +1/2 Advantage and -3 1/2 Limitations 37 / 4.5 = 8 Oh, and note the rounding rules on page 7 of 5ER - you round at each step of the calculation.

Re: Help With Build (2) Well, here's the thing - the orc swings his sword at you - does the +3 DCV slot 'know' if the attack is going to miss and therefore not discharge, or does it have to go off and expend itself before the dice are rolled? For that matter, I don't know how it worked in D&D 3.5 either.

Re: Help With Build (2) Thanks for the ideas! Rep coming once it recharges. So for the +3 DCV slot, would you allow it to only work against an attack that would otherwise have hit the character?

Re: Help With Build (1) AARRGGHH!!!! Again, can we assume for the moment that I have the game effect that I want and figure out how to properly build it and write it up??? Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the alternate suggestions (Hero gamers are a creative bunch! ), but in this case I'm interested in the concept of how to write up a Limitation on an Advantage; the example is just that - an example to illustrate the idea.

Re: Help With Build (1) Hugh Nielson, THANK YOU! for the rules reference and the writeup. That's what I was looking for. Rep coming once I spread it around...

Re: Help With Build (1) Yeah, so perhaps it's an unfortunate name. Consider that I have the game effect that I want and that the name could be improved... On the math, it's a matter of when the rounding occurs... Plus I don't know how to properly write it up (as per the Submissions And Writing Guidelines. And I don't have Hero Designer to check out how it would spit out this build...

For a Fantasy Hero campaign, I want to build a 'Ring Of The Four Winds' (this is based on a writeup I saw in a D&D 3.5 book, but I don't have the book). Four times a day it can either Feather Fall or cause a gust of wind to make an attack against the character harder to hit. Okay, the basics I get: A Multipower with four overall Charges and two Fixed Slots, one a 'Feather Fall' (Gliding with some Limitations and Continuing Charges) - I can stat that out, no problem; the other being a +3 to DCV. Two issues: 1. Can I do a four Charge Overall Limitation with one of the slots being Continuing Charges? And if not, how to do it? Build both Slots normally, then apply some custom 'Drains One Charge From Other Slot' Limitation? 2. I want the +3 DCV Slot to apply as follows: the character has to consiously will it to apply (even if he subsequently is asleep, Stunned, or Knocked Out it will still work if he willed it on), and to stop, but it will only apply against an attack that would have hit him with out the DCV bonus. I have three main thoughts on this: (1) I don't think it should be proportionately more expensive than a straight +DCV Power - that is, if the ring worked continuously, but only against attacks that would otherwise have hit, that would be 15 Active Points, so a ring with unlimited Charges would also be capped at 15 Active Points; (2) maybe it should be a Trigger (but that could put it in conflict with #1); and (3) maybe it should just be bought with straight Charges (but maybe that's too cheap). Thoughts?

For a Fantasy Hero game, I want to build a Vorpal Sword (does more damage than normal and cuts through armor with ease). No problem: Vorpal Long Sword: HKA 1 1/2 d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (+1/2) (50 Active Points); OAF (-1), Independent (-2), STR Minimum (12; -1/2). Total cost: 11 points. But now I want a semi-Vorpal Sword (still does more damage, but only sometimes cuts through armor with ease). In game terms, I want to apply an 11- Activation Roll Disadvantage (a -1 Limitation) to the Armor Piercing advantage. How is this properly calculated and written up?

Re: Power Help A most interesting thought, indeed! I need to spread Rep around, yadda yadda... The ingenuity of Hero folks never ceases to amaze me.

Re: First-aid kit, physicians bag Lord Liaden beat me to it...