Tech

Earlier this year, I did the "Island of Dr. Destroyer 2.0" (actually, it's more like 4.0 due to players over the years but hey). I pulled out all the stops and the episode lasted about 5-6 hours. I prefer the original picture the most but that's my preference. Definitely a fun, fun module.

So, C Taylor, I say go for it!

I've looked at the Drain advantages but I don't think any of them quite fit. I'm designing a villain who can drain any superpower, but only 1 at a time.

ex: If a hero has Barrier, Blast and Flight, he can pick which one to apply his drain to.

As long as he's aware of any power a hero has, he can apply his Drain to it but only one power at a time. Did I miss the advantage/how would you build this?

On 9/30/2020 at 10:22 PM, Ninja-Bear said:

@cbat007 another trick I use is mock battles. Since your unfamiliar with Hero system playing super versus super may not seem that impressive. What I suggest is to take one of the sample heroes or villain in CC and grab either normal or skilled normals throw give them a sample weapon and armor then FIGHT!  I do this even now with rules that I’m not familiar with. I think you get a better feeling of things once the dice start rolling. 

What I did when I started totally fresh (many many years ago) is everyone made their characters. Then I told them - in advance - that the next 2 episodes will be ZERO experience. The Heroes will stop a simple bank robbery. We will do combat slowly and help everyone get used to the game. The rest comes with time. After those two ZERO xp games, they were itching for a real episode and it worked well.

Yep, the entangle leaves someone tied up. I guess that causes a lockout on other powers, unless he has another chain to use. So, maybe the entangle is 2 charges.

Tentatively, I'm thinking I'll go with:

-Stretching with Hand Attack added to it, OAF-Chain.  This way, it also allows a person to block the chain, something I wanted people to be able to do.

-Entangle, 7 Def, 4 Body

-NND linked to Entangle, 1 charge

-AE Attack, Constant, No range, Personal Immunity (or Hole in Center) for swinging the chain around.

I'm working on a villain that uses a long chain to try to entangle his opponent. As long as the opponent is still entangled by the chain, the villain can send a jolt of electricity through the chain to stun the hero. My questions on it are:

a) do you suggest Stun Only or NND since the chain will be unaffected?

b) how do you build the auto. hit by the electricity?

Decided to add: villain can swing the chain around himself in a radius of about 20 feet (3"). Anyone approaching into that radius is hit as long as he swings the chain around. How would you build that?

Let's hear it!

15 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Totally agree here! I wanted to say though that the reverse is true too! Some people don’t feel comfortable with House Ruling hence why we look for guidance from the Rules.

Agreeing with you there. Quite frankly, house ruling should be the 'norm' to fit a campaign in the way the players want & like, as has been mentioned throughout the various editions: (paraphrased) "If you don't like something in the rules, change it."  If a group likes it completely by the book, good, it fits their campaign. If people want to change things, that's also good.

NB, it's up the the player and/or GM to decide on if a limitation is needed. I tossed out something that might not have been considered, whether Legsweep, stomping the toes or whatever. If the player wants it always to function, that's fine.

6 hours ago, Hugh Neilson said:

Maybe he has hairy legs!

Maybe. I went with what the OP said, "We were both thinking that with "metallic razor hair" covering large portions of his body, it would probably inflict damage on someone that tried to grapple him or hit him with a HTH attack."  He didn't say his entire body, just large portions of his body. 'Course, if it was all over his body, he'd probably look like a giant spikey volleyball.
 

Huh. First time my replies have ever been grouped together unexpectedly. And it happened again after posting this.

I would put a limitation on it. Not everyone is going to be striking his hair, such as a Leg Sweep.

16 hours ago, Duke Bushido said:

It also bugs me (though not as much, because at the end of the day, someone else's opinion of my game makes no difference to me) when I comment about a thing here or there that I don't like, only to be derided because "it's an official rule."  you know: by the same person  who shoots down House Rules in spite of playing a game that is  basically "the original plus X generations of House Rules." 

Really agree with you on this point. Have had that happen more than once. Some people like to go strictly by the 'rules' and that's fine. However, it's your game; do whatever you want with those rules including don't use them. It does bother me when people puts someone down or snub their nose because  an opinion was given they don't agree with.

I like the Multiform idea, VPP and in particular Ninja Bear's suggestion: "I missed the gang part. With respect to Bolo of the Earth, I like the basic suite of powers. I’d suggest though that Variable sfx, advantage and maybe disadvantage would work better and also No conscious control."  As GM, cost isn't a factor (usually) so do it whichever way works for you.

23 hours ago, unclevlad said:

 

Extra Limbs would be another way to do it, rather than Clinging.  I'm NOT considering a Transformers approach;  more like a Goliath approach, or a transform to something like a giant horse, bird, or dragon.

Also...in the car scenario...Clinging, UBO.  Seat belts.  You're asking for "I can hold them in my transformed state" for no cost, based on saying "it's a car."  Nope.  Unless you're paying for it, it'd be more like riding in the back of a pickup truck.  Nothing to stop you from being tossed out from the bed.  So if you want them safely ensconced and protected...pay for it somehow.

Yes, you get what you pay for but you also have special effects. Special effects all too often are ignored. I don't recall which Hero Games book it is but it basically said (sorry, badly paraphrasing here because I can't recall which book nor have it memorized): special effects can allow you to do some things simply because of them. Build the power however you want and then ask the GM if anything is needed/not needed. The GMs we have are more lenient and don't require every single detail of a power to be paid for by points because of special effects. Ultimately, the GM decides on what's needed/not needed. As many others have said, any power idea can be built numerous ways.

You see Clinging UBO as necessary, I don't. We'll agree to disagree.

1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

 

The UBO was for the Clinging, not the Growth.  They're riding on your back.  What's keeping them from being thrown off in a high-speed turn?

Your strength, since you're the car 'carrying' them. Or extra limbs.

On 9/9/2020 at 5:36 PM, unclevlad said:

Depending on the movement power in question and the SFX:

 

--Growth.  For fun, tack on Clinging, Usable By Others (cling to you only).  Growth's an expensive way to do it, but it's the most straightforward.  Look at how to build a vehicle, and particularly the reference vehicles.  

--High STR lets you deal with 2;  couple that with extra limbs (and stretching helps here) and you can carry a few.

--TK

 

All of these are basically carrying everyone else.

 

--Usable Simultaneously (part of Usable By Others).  Probably used the overwhelming majority of the time with teleport.  Occasional with Extra Dim Movement, but that's a fairly unusual power in most genres.  (Even in fantasy.)  It's possible to use it with other powers;  it's just fairly rare in the comics or supers lit that I can recall.  

If you used Growth, it doesn't need Usable By Others - your example means they can Grow (Growth). That's not what's needed. I tend to think of Growth only with perhaps extra Running. The Special Effect is you're a car.

I guess the question is: what do you want it to do in game mechanics?

a) Do you want it to 'stun' them in their tracks? If so, perhaps a weak Entangle using Rec or Ego stat to break out.

b) Do you want it to weaken them? Perhaps a Stun drain.

c) Do you want them just to fall over from pain? Perhaps a NND attack.

The GM has the final say-so but you get potentially get:

+1d6 if target is surprised

+1d6 for exhibiting power

+1-2d6 if appropriate or very appropriate (the bad guy knows he's got this coming to him)

+1-2d6 if character makes appropriate Interaction skill

I don't see you doing a violent action but that depends on the special effects of your power. If it looks violent:

+1-3d6 for Violent/Extremely Violent/Incredibly Violent action

On 8/20/2020 at 10:38 PM, dmjalund said:

The default version of Duplication, I believe is inspired by Triplicate Girl from Legion of Super heroes, who became Dual Damsel when one of her duplicates died

I could easily see the power having been written with duplicates dying off and not losing those points. If this has been a Champions game, in this case a player wanting to change the power and concept of the hero so it went from 3 heroes to 2.

If you don't like Duplication, I vaguely recall someone writing their Duplication in an entirely different way. It's only vague so I'll take my best guesses:

a) are your duplicates all attacking one person? Buy it as bonus OCV or autofire

b) are your duplicates attacking different people? Buy it as selective area effect

c) etc

Of course, this won't work if one duplicate is flying away to check on a crime scene while another sneaks into a suspicious warehouse, and yet another is piloting the team airplane. Still, it was an interesting take on a hero with 'duplication'.

Welcome back!

I'd use a Multipower with two slots, one for Flight and the other for TP.

16 hours ago, Chris Goodwin said:

 

Resistant defenses have always stopped the BODY and STUN from Killing Attacks.  🙂  Armor, Force Field, and Damage Resistance were three Powers that could grant a character resistant defenses.  

 

For first edition Fantasy Hero, the Shield effect (basically, Force Field) was used for magical armor/resistant defenses.  Mundane armor was just armor, not a Power or spell effect.  

 

(There's a difference between game mechanics and Powers.  Resistant defenses and killing damage are game mechanics; HKA, RKA, Resistant Protection, Armor and Force Field (up through 5th edition) are Powers.  The Powers aren't necessary for the game mechanics; all Powers are is formalized ways for characters to add the game mechanics to their character sheets by spending points.)

You're correct, Armor, Forcefield and DR were the 3 powers in the earlier editions. I was specific in my response about Damage Resistance since that was the topic, ignoring Armor & FF. I guess I should've been a little more descriptive. Oh well.

Lee, totally agree. The base 10 STR still has to have END used but since END cost is 1 pt/10 pts, the END cost for the base 10 STR would be 1.

My understanding is charges don't cost END to use or activate, even if continuing charges. Since charges do not cost END, you don't need to buy reduced END on it.

I'm looking for your help in finding some viper pictures. I ran across some Viper agent minifigs that were colored in. They're very well done, and I'm looking for the larger pictures of them. Here's a couple of the pictures that were colored in.

I use Excel to create characters 99% of the time.

The original request was: "I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to stat a serum that could be carried around in an device to cure mutants or inhumans if one was encountered in the middle of a field mission? Not against their will, even".  This seems to be a plot device which no player will be using. However, he asked how it could be built and it can be built since with enough points, any power can be built. However, PsiJudge has already said:  "Thanks guys. I think I know what I'm doing now" so unless he says something, I think he's good to go.