g3taso

In a 5e fantasy game we have a character who is trying to be well-prepared, and I'm kind of stumped as to a good way to work this in the system. He wants to have an equipment pool. Not gadgets like Bat-A-Rangs, Bat-Helicopters and so forth, but equipment and supplies so they don't need to keep a list of "stuff they have". Need a lighter? Got that. Do we have a crowbar to get past this door? Of course. Civet oil to mask our scent from the werewolves? Got some right here. What makes this different (in my mind) from the classic VPP is that in all likelihood these items are small mundane items, like matches, rope, thirsty towels and so forth. Aside from not including objects of great intrinsic value, there is the desire for the pool to be able to supply skill tools (+1 bonus only, reflecting better-than-average equipment). It could supply a nice compass but would not be able to supply an exquisite pocket watch which was far beyond the capabilities of a 14th century clockmaker. What I'm looking at as a starting point is a low-point VPP, choosing 2 points for the base cost to simulate a +1 to a given skill that uses equipment, which should be more than enough points for stuff like matches, rope, thirsty towels and so forth). Larceny Backpack: VPP (Gadget Pool), 2 base + 2 control cost, Cosmic (+2) (5 Active Points); all slots IIF (; -1/4) Looking at this, it appears to work but I think there's probably another way. If this does work straight up that's great, but if there is another way to do this (or a more elegant way) I'm all for hearing about it.

It's a 2-point modifier, and I was wondering if this might be appropriate as a Naked Adder to be applied to a sense group. From the recipients perspective, they receive images (sight group) or audio (hearing group) when someone "sends it". I thought it would be an interesting power. Is there any reason it wouldn't work as a "naked adder" to various sense groups?

Only In Contact With A Surface by default would not allow for the 'Leaping' often used in Parkour. This is why I defined a customized version in my example from that earlier thread. Flash (a poster boy for Flight OICWAS) would run the full distance from roof to ground to roof when going between tall buildings. A Parkour user would 'leap' between them if he invested enough points into extra running and the Parkour Skill/Talent. I was going with the notion that like in a FMOVE martial maneuver, that your attack (or jump, in this case) could be made along the path

In the recent Parkour threads a naked advantage was proposed that looked similar to this: 3 Parkour Movement, Enhanced: Usable As Flight (+1/4) for up to 24 Active Points of Running, (6 Active Points); Requires An Acrobatics Roll (-1/2), Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4) I thought that No Turn Mode might be ossum. Is the adjusted power below workable? In Hero Designer there was the option of applying as a modifier or a naked modifier, and I used the former. 4 Parkour Movement, Enhanced: Usable As Flight (+1/4) for up to 24 Active Points of Running, No Turn Mode (+1/4) (7 Active Points); Requires An Acrobatics Roll (-1/2), Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4)

Someone in another thread made a comment about not liking Focus (for any of a number of reasons). I agree, and I'm looking for ways to break, remove or temporarily put out of commission Foci of the various types from NPCs we encounter. I'm not talking armor, vehicles and such, but personal IIF, IAF, OIF and OAF stuff. 1. Can someone explain Dispel vs Drain effects as it applies to Foci? 2. What other options exist (novel approaches are particularly welcome)?

I never thought about body drain. That is an amazing idea.

Clairsentience (Sight Group), Mobile Perception Point (can move up to 12" per Phase) (30 Active Points); Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2) I love knowing where the opposition is, even when they don't know I am coming. A cat-burglar paradise.

Unless you can shoehorn cumulative on there

Change Environment 4" radius, -4 to DEX Roll Or Lose Held Item or something like that?

That's a good tip. I have a copy of Ultimate Speedster around here. I'll check that out.

You and Christopher obliquely raise the same point. I can use Disarm/Grab, but my objection to just using them is they don't have the right "feel". I'm not trying to Hulk Hogan "rip it out of their mitts", when they are very likely stronger than me. Barring attacking a wizard or Professor X, most opponents can beat STR 14. On the other hand, using a Disarm/Grab using something other than STR would seem to be perfectly workable. Is there a modifier that lets an opposed STR grab/disarm for taking a weapon be based on opposed DEX rather that STR? I'd be interested in the Palindromedary and friends could help with a HD-style output for that. (I'm away from home).

A few more Vial of Troll Hide: +10 PD (10 Active Points); 3 Charges which Never Recover (-3 1/4) (Use is obvious, and the PD doesn't stack although I haven't put this as a Limitation) Gecko Fetish: Flight 2" (4 Active Points); 3 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Minute each which Recover every 1 Week (-1), OIF (; -1/2), Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4) (Use is to be a wall crawler) Any Weather Clothing: Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat) (4 Active Points); OIF Durable (; -1/2) (Use is to have amazingly durable clothing that lets you remain comfortable in Panama summers and Siberian winters)

With 3 attacks per round and assuming 2 hit with average damage, it will take 48 seconds to overcome a 12DEF door, lock or mechanism. Of course another phase or two made possible through another tick of Cumulative could make it tougher, but we're just a poor Heroic campaign

Damage Reduction, Bah! Armor, Humbug! I'm on the prowl for brain cells other than mine to have spiffy ideas. I'm looking for defenses that are more than just mechanical advantage. Like to walk up a wall and stand on the ceiling while firing your weapons, knowing you are safe from melee? Do your fork-flinging powers allow you to create an improvised set of handholds on a wall, allowing you to climb out of harm's reach? Do your farts achieve such high speeds that the sonic crack causes enemies' clothes to scorch and make them blow their Phase putting it out? Let's have 'em. Hero Designer write-ups are especially nice, since not everyone can actually quote several editions of HERO Please cap at 40pts Active or thereabouts (or lower) to weed out the truly high-power ones. Novelty is awesome, efficiency equally so!

5th Edition Rules Book under "limitations" section about 1/2 way through the book

Doc and others, you raised an interesting possibility. Ultimate Martial Artist and Fantasy hero have weapons that can do grabs, including whips and gusari (chain) weapons. They are often used to disarm weapons and both by coincidence can be modeled with Stretching.

In retrospect I agree. When I first came up with the idea it seemed appropriate, but as it evolved via feedback it became apparent that it wasn't really necessary. It could look like this Teleportation 1", Ranged (+1/2), Usable As Attack (+1) (5 Active Points); Limited Power Inanimate Objects Only (-1/2) it could even be stretching, now that someone mentioned it

Perceptions are of course relative. In this case, the character in question is Heroic and a STR of 14. The character is more roguelike, using his Larceny Backpack to break into buildings and so forth. He's not a brick, and when possible he avoids combat or instead attacks from surprise. However, after watching Empire Strikes Back and the great Vader telekinetic blaster snatch I realized a grab/disarm would be extremely useful as well as a totally unexpected monkeywrench from the non-combat dude. In my case, my 14STR won't allow me to disarm most opponents in a roll-off. I realized a DEX or ninja-based approach was appropriate. Perhaps a thrown object at their hand holding a weapon, or just an unexpected darting in and disarming from an unexpected direction and forth would be appropriate. That's why I consider it a ninja/skill-based grab/disarm with the SFX of teleport.

The SFX is cool ninja-like smacking of some item out of the pesky opponent's hand. "I understand the teleport is actually the special effect in this case, since the mechanic is actually grab/disarm."

I really thought these were well done. I thought they were so good I am poaching three.

Ring of Al'Jassik: Healing 1 BODY, Can Heal Limbs (8 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Minute (-1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2), IIF (; -1/4) *lovely for parties where the cleric does scrying and not healing Breaker Toolset: Dispel Mechanisms & Objects 1d6 (standard effect: 3 points), (0 END; +1/2), Cumulative (24 points; +1) (7 Active Points); OIF (; -1/2), No Range (-1/2) *Lovely for rogues who would prefer to tear the door off its' hinges if they can't do it "the other way" first

This is wonderful feedback, just what I was hoping for. Based on that, I'll Take Those: Teleportation 2", Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), Usable As Attack (+1) (10 Active Points); Limited Power Solid Non-Living Items Only (-1) As I understand it using this attack I use Grab/Disarm rules (and their variants) to attempt to take (or at least remove) any items I may wish. If I am correct in my understanding, let me know. If I got it wrong, how would you amend it so it works correctly. I understand the teleport is actually the special effect in this case, since the mechanic is actually grab/disarm. Although it wasn't my intent, I am curious as to how this power might be amended to grab everything in that square that was non-living and rigid. I put that Limit on there just to remove the possibility of hurting someone, but the notion of removing their change from their pockets along with the gun hidden in their ankle holster, their two knives and their cell phone with the target none the wiser is a happy one also If you got a writeup for that, throw it up for completeness if anything else, and any notes about how it operates in the rules.

To be sure, I am not in favor of having to spend 2 actions (read 2 phases) to get rid of some sort of object when I can use Disarm instead as a single action. If a combat maneuver does it on one, I don't want to have to use a power (twice) for the same result.

Not at all. I'm saying that I could use Telekinesis to snatch their weapon, possibly even putting it right in my hand. Disintegrating it would be acceptable, and so would just teleporting it in a random direction so it no longer influences combat. Teleportation was selected primarily because it works mechanically and SFX wise so to me it's the obvious starting point. Now we're just settling some details. I have a strict antiteleportation via palindromedary policy