Tech

Re: Firewing vs. Gravitar? Sure! Someone has to do it.

Re: Thanks from a GM We try. The fun thing about this board is that you can indeed throw out some of your hardest and most difficult questions that you have and you'll get an answer.. or two.. or ten.. or thirty.

Re: A Question for the Super-Tech designers amongst us Sounds like a case of someone sticking too close to the point system: "You didn't buy it so you don't have it. Tough garbanzo beans." Unless the team is going to be regularly going to Antartica, North Pole, etc., the coats/jackets are merely plot devices for that one adventure. As for the character, force him to buy the Life Support - it's so cheap cost-wise. A character doesn't have to spend actual character points on ordinary, buyable objects like cell phones, jackets, etc for a group unless it becomes used regularly.

Herodom, how would you build this? I'm working on a robot character. If an arm gets detached for some reason but not destroyed, i.e. ripped out of joint, blown out, the arm can still be controlled by the body such as having the arm point somewhere, tap someone on the leg standing right by. However, I don't think I'll have the arm be able to move around. Distance to still be controlled... oh, maybe within a mile. Build it for me, please. With sugar on top.

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down I understand what you mean about your job sapping creativity. What about a powered suit which actually has a level or two of Growth. It works the same as a powered suit but gives the illusion of a mecha. An ordinary detective in a superhero world. Statistics exceed 20 because of intensive training. I'm not suggesting Batman but a detective who has gadgets to help him survive. Ex. Forcefield Belt, Mega-glove (Hand Attack), etc. Someone who uses sound as an attack. Can create Images of sound (or whatever is used to make sound) A midget who has Growth powers. A midget who has superspeed. Name suggested: Racing Mini Someone who gained superpowers while a normal teen, while rooting around an abandoned building which happened to be an abandoned supervillain base. Permanently changed to water and has water powers. These are ideas off the top of my head. I personally think the last idea is the best of the batch so far.

Re: The VPP - my bugbear. Please help! The diagram, I am sure, is well put together but not user friendly to understand. On the other hand, I've never had a problem understanding EC (and if anything ever had, I resorted to house rules.)

Re: C25 Island of Dr. Destroyer: Official? C25? I've been busy with life recently so I haven't been able to follow threads so I have no idea what this is.

Re: Is there a Gamemaster Screen for 5th?

Re: Quick Superhuman Generator A few of those can be workable but one of the funniest ones I've seen was one my brother ended up creating using it. The guy ended up with 30 END, could increase his SPEED to 10 (which cost END to do), had Autofire attacks I think and now for the best part: none of the powers had any kind of reduced END cost. His name: The Amazing Gasp!

Re: "Thing ring, do your thing!" Do you lie awake at night, thinking of things to bring nightmares to us humble forum posters?

Re: Lameness Is Not Illegal Lameness can be overcome as well. A friend of mine from years ago (who's moved on to become a very successful trumpet/clarinet player onboard a cruise ship) made up an armored character. It wasn't the Iron Man type of armor but more of a powered uniform. Anyways, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, we gave him the name 'Flyboy'. He grimaced & took it, but never full accepted it - not that I blame him. Eventually, Flyboy got an overhaul 100 experience points later to become Ultech, with his 'ironfist move-thru' capable of about 21d6 damage. Ouch! Same character, changed from lame name to cool name, blah outfit to cool outfit.

Re: What pre-5th Edition Hero books do you still use? What pre-5th books do I still use? Hoo-boy, that's a big list. Champions 2 book Champions 4th edition Viper 4th edition Enemies I & II Stronghold (1st edition) Atlantis book (forgot name) Enemies: Villainy Unbound Ultimate Martial Arts Enemies: International Files Hi-Tech Enemies Enemies Classic There's more but I'd have to dig them out for their names.

Re: Character out of balance Pardon me if I missed something and these were already covered: A question to ponder is: do you want this player in your campaign? If this is but one of many continued rules abuse, perhaps this question needs to be raised. If this is a beginner player, you need the help the player see how foolish/inconsistent/totally cheesy/etc., these 'limitations' are. I would suggest you junk the character concept, sit down with the player and help build a new character. Limitations like these are either a sign the player purposely is milking the hero system or they geniuinely don't see a problem with these limitations.

Re: Does your GM play too? Yes, I'm player and GM. As player, I'm not the GM but as the GM (at times) I also play my player character. I'm not the only GM in my campaign and we all do it. Of course, NPC's are also used. Does it cause problems? Not that I'm aware of. If there are more than enough characters, the GM doesn't use a player character/NPC.

Ya play a game system for decades and.. anyways, I want other opinions or even the official answer, if one is to be given. When it comes to a vulnerability (ex. 2x Stun from Cold attacks), I've always assumed the cap is 2x Stun or Body, since no where are there examples beyond that. However, my two questions are: 1) Can a vulnerability exceed 2x Stun/Body? For example: 3x Stun from Ego Attacks. 2) Do attacks which hit two different vulnerabilities stack? Example: Robotman has two vulnerabilities; 2x Stun from Electricity and 2x Stun from Killing attacks. He is hit with an electrical RKA. Does he take 4x Stun? Time for these questions to never raise their heads again. And the answers are..?

Re: I need a function! You need a function? Conjunction, junction, what's your function? Someone had to say it.

Re: With your combined powers, nothing can stop me! Yes, I have someone like this and have for a long time. My brother made up the Superskrull a long time ago but his powers were based on one of our groups, not the Fantastic Four (since they don't exist in our campaign). Anyways, it was one of our best adventures in our entire 20+ years campaign. First, I'll recall the episode with Superskrull before describing my villain. For some reason, one our teams was in the antarctic (why? who knows) and encountered him. He prompty thrashed them and continued on to New York City with his goal of destroying the group with which he had copied their powers. As it turns out, the team Superskrull was aiming for was on a mission somewhere else. One of our premier supergroups was there house/base-sitting and here comes along Superskrull. He lands on the front lawn, spewing out how he's so powerful and gonna destroy his target. Our premier group says "There not here. Do you want to leave a message?" Now, the group had just previously had a real rough adventure so they were tired and base-sitting was relaxing, and this dude comes up threatening everyone - time to release some frustration. This was a complete turnaround fight! Whereas Superskrull had thrashed our other team, this one goes a 180': Superskrull gets off one attack. Every single attack from the heroes is high damage, from move-throughs to coordinated haymakers to other attacks. Superskrull is trashed. That episode has become the bar against every fight with a mega-powerful badguy is measured. Ah, sweet memories of a glorious adventure. Regarding my villain, he can copy powers but there is a limit of how much he can copy. He can also change his shape, meaning he could be almost anyone or anything. However, in order to copy a power, he has to be able to read your mind, and that can lead to powers not copied. Also, intricated worked in as a -0 limitation, he can't copy certain powers that as GM I deem special. I arbitrarily put limits on total PD & ED he can have, else theoretically he could end up with 100 PD or ED. Anyways, having a recurring villain like this can work but it must be carefully handled: having a villain trash a team doesn't make for good player/GM relationships if you do it on a regular basis.

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Gadgeteer Hopefully whoever buys this can survive the 1 turn since they were ambushed.

Re: [GM Help Needed] Superhero Mystries

Make GPS cost high Curiousity has got the best of me right now: what's the most expensive way you could design GPS? Hmmmm?

Easy answer There's an easy way to solve this and it won't cost you any points: just be the GM. Ok, problem solved.

Re: Thrown non-killing weapon I have someone who throws a boomerang from time to time. I used HA, usable at range. Yes, I could have bought it as an Energy Blast but EB doesn't give me the effect I want which is: if the hero gets his STR drained or for whatever reason, can't use his full STR, the boomerang simply won't hit for as much impact. The paraphrase someone from a long time ago: The rules are there to help you have fun. If they get in the way, change them or don't use them. Everyone in the campaign has absolutely no problem with me having HA at range because it fits.

Re: Villianous/Heroic Powers Any power that I'd make up that's likely end up on the villain's side would probably be Killing Attack, NND KA w/maybe Does Body, excrutiating complex powers because I know how they work and don't have to explain it's build to the players, Multiple Drains in one attack, oh so many to choose from. On the plus side, I have seen some nasty attacks on the players side once in a blue moon. Nasty not necessarily meaning lethal but more of "Ooh, yes, that villain's gonna be feeling that for awhile!"

Re: Making Survival Fun Don't forget one of the most suspenseful aspects of a possible survival episode: that characters might have to work with their enemy to survive. Oh sure, the enemy may indeed not have any plot to attack the characters, realizing that would only hurt themselves, but the players don't know that.

Re: Frequency of Pushing powers My players generally only push when things are getting tough. Also, our in-house joke is "Pushing never pays!" You get 10 pts and so very often, those extra two dice wimp out. We've come up with new rules for Perfect 3's but nothing yet for pushing a power.