Stelknecht

I really like the naked AP advantage. I guess I'd have to think about what constituted surprise or hidden; just rolling stealth again after you gank someone in the kidney is totally not going to get you off their radar. I don't think I'd like them to be able to backstab at will, although as noted by Christopher and Gnome it's pretty situational and tough to arrange if anyone's aware.

Maybe once per fight; must be from stealth, and first attack of the combat? 

Good stuff. I like that after the first stab the victim would no longer be unsuspecting. Lucius' build would allow further strikes as long as you could remain behind/flanking and succeed at stealth. Hrm. I was just thinking that anyone used to D&D would want to see that available, and wanted to try to build it. 

How would you build a backstabbing power? Traditionally in either OSR or many modern variations, the thief, if undetected, can do lots of damage on an undetected strike with a melee weapons. Obviously the first notion is hit locations, and perhaps buy some penalty skill levels to hit vital stuff, but that doesn't require stealth. Maybe extra DC's, requires a weapon, only from stealth? 

Any thoughts? I don't see anything in Fantasy Hero and a quick search of the forums got me not much. 

Well, maybe, but if it's used in a crowd of people, with invisible power effects, it shouldn't be too obvious. 

out of curiosity, I worked over a severe transform, using extra body to add powers; at a 200 point budget, you could get a 275 point superhero, or thereabouts. 

This is just for my mental fun; i wouldn't try to play it, and I'd probably refuse to GM it unless the player was really good. But it seemed like really interesting concept. Don't think I've seen it done before, although obviously Duke has. 

Well, I worked on a Severe Transform, but that'd be hugely expensive, or create a very subpar hero. Which might be ok, really; flying bricks are cheap. 

I was thinking always the same, yep. Captain Hero, here in the nick of time! 

Summon does seem like the best option. I'm not sure I'd ever play this (I'd try, but you're right, it'd be a challenge) but the build sounded fun to me. 

Hi folks. I had a thought today, and wanted to build an innocent bystander, a kid who has the power to transform a nearby adult into a superhero.

I see this as invisible power effects, end cost from the kid, and no control over the subject. The subject would have to have relevant Psy comps to make them act like a hero (protect innocents, code vs killing, etc) and of course superpowers. My first thought was a severe transform, but what other ideas would you have? Maybe a summon (need innocent bystander)? 

I like the idea of the herophile kid cheering on their hero, yelling at the villains, and generally being a nuisance, while the "hero" fought valiantly. Interesting drama/danger could be achieved by the kid running low on End, or the Hero being harmed/killed, and reverting to a normal human, and the kid summoning/transforming another one. The questions could also be interesting; where does this Hero come from? Why does s/he seem so confused yet so focussed on justice? 

Ah, I see, I found the rule. 1 hit per 2 points of success on the attack roll, but a very minimal bonus to hit, so at even OCV/DCV, you'd hit with maybe 1-2 projectiles per burst. Good balancer. Even with a dozen skill levels in Autofire, you'd still only hit a half a dozen times. 

I was thinking today about Penetrating. Not too expensive an advantage, although GM Flagged to avoid the smelly cheese I'm about to slice. 

RKA, 1 point, Autofire (160 shots, +3), Penetrating (+1/2). 22 points, 2 End. 

Am I right in thinking this would cause 160 minimum damage by RAW? Even if you had to upgrade to 1d6 it's still only 67 points. Not planning on spreading this gooey stinky cheese anywhere but sometimes I like to look at things I'll never consume. 

I agree, but I'm just trying to get a taste for the build. Sounds like we had the same basic idea, tho. I considered teleport, but ... not cool enough. Roaring down from the sky! CHOOM! etc etc. 

HI folks. Thinking about another armor guy, and I wanted to build him an anime style launch system. He's got limited mobility otherwise, so an ability to get anywhere in the city quickly would be useful and fun.

I thought Leaping (10m, doesn't add to primary), Megascale (1m=1km), 1 recoverable charge (return to HQ to relaunch), Accurate, extra prep time (30 seconds). Does that sound like it'll do what I want it to do? 

Mostly for my own amusement. 

So limburger? 

Couldn't agree more. I did extrapolate weights from the table on 212, and it weighs in at 350kg. If the breastplate loses either the STR boost or the END reserve, he's basically a turtle, and the END reserve is the first thing to go if anything penetrates armor. Possibly lay on the floor and fire hand cannons, occasionally, although that'd be out if the power was. Some other fun thoughts might be requiring a forklift or a pickup truck to move it if not wearing it, or not being able to pick up more than just the helmet and gauntlets at one time if the pieces are separated. I did think it'd be a fun enemy for the players, though, or maybe an NPC who seems mighty, but ... just doesn't make it. Thanks for your thoughts!

And I just now realized expendable can't apply to armor foci; please pretend I'm not an idiot, and ignore that part. Some days I feel brighter than others. 

Here's the character in question; he's just a sort of testbed for a concept, so it's just his "powers".

Thanks Occam's spoon. I think that's it right there

Hi folks. This may be cheese, but cheese is delicious, and it's mostly just for my own entertainment anyhow. 

I'm trying to create a suit of Iron-man-esque armor in modular pieces, helmet, breastplate, etc, with powers built into each piece. So, fr'instance, the gauntlets might have an EB, and a HKA, be a difficult to replace OIF, real armor, mass, and covering only the hands/forearms with RDef. 

That last part is where I can't find anything. I did look extensively, and all I could come up with for partial coverage was for bases, which was about facing arcs, rather than hit locations. 

What do you think would be reasonable limits for RPD/RPD bought "Covering only the head"? or torso, etc. 

If you're still reading, what I was thinking about was fun gaming wherein the big-bad fires his pulson cannon at our armored hero, and aims for his gauntlets, noting that they (obvious focus) are the source of his Concussion busters, destroying them, and putting our hero in a pickle. 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts. 

Stel!

First, Just say people with Superpowers exist.  No need for extensive backstory until you can use the origin in an adventure.  This scenario would be a good way for various types of superheroes and crime fighters to come together and form a team.  For the purposes of this Superheroes are those with powers along the lines of Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Iron Man, or Thor.  Crime Fighters are those who sneak around and use weapons like Batman, Black Widow, Green Arrow, or Huntress.

 

Fair enough, but there ought to be some semi-logical reason they came about, and a vague explosion 25 years ago sounds pretty loose. in general, they're all superheros, from your breakdown. Well, except for one, and he's going to have to be led, because he admires batman, but doesn't like to think in games; he's a caster who charges melee frequently. In any case, that's the idea; several isolated incidents (a road rager trying to ram a bus full of nuns, fr'instance) attracts the player, who then makes his/her supehero debut. I do want to make this the first of the supers, so that the players can set the flavor of the campaign; it may end up being dark champions, or 4 color supheroics. 

 

Second, First Hook: Team members (Crime Fighter Types) on patrol stop a robbery of a warehouse.  Suggest change to Starbucks like coffee shop warehouse.  Thieves exhibit near superhuman strength and rage resulting in them getting away by either defeating the heroes or putting innocents in peril forcing the heroes to let them escape.  Clue found at fight lead to hideout.

 

I'm sensing some hate for Starbucks here. Although, really, that's probably just a good idea because vastly wider distribution. I love the innocents in peril letting them escape; that's a lovely cliche that always sets the flavor. 

 

Third, Second Hook: Team members (Superhero Types) on patrol respond to news reports of road rage in certain part of city, and have to act quickly to contain the threat of near superhuman strength rage filled drivers.  During fight notice a number of people filming the rage filled drivers not fleeing with other civilians.  Heroes save one from out of control car, and the would be victim takes off, but leaves a clue to the hideout.  After using powers to stop road rage drivers Heroes notice all had Starbucks like coffee stop drinks in cars. 

 

I'd intended this sort of thing to start them off; they're all new to superehero games, and stopping one speeding rage rider should be straightforward enough to be simple. 

 

Fourth, Superheroes and Crime Fighters both arrive at the Hideout at the same time.  The Thieves and those that filmed the road rage are listening to orders given by a Costumed villain, with two other costume people at his side.  If the Crime Fighters arrive first they have sneaked in and hear the Costumed villain talk about phase one, only to have his speech interrupted when the Superheroes arrive. 

 

Fourth, Fight breaks out.  Superheroes and Crime Fighters work together against large number of near superstrong rage filled individuals while three villains manage to get away.  In the fight clues are left to next step in villain plan.

 

Fifth, Superheroes and Crime Fighters go in pursuit of villains.  Plan is to blackmail city and Starbucks like coffee shop into paying Villains or watch everyone who drinks coffee turned into near superhumanly strong rage filled maniacs. 

 

The final show down can go a few ways. 

 

The three villains use an army of innocent civilians exposed to the tainted coffee to attack the heroes and overwhelm them.  Then the Team is put into a death trap (boiling hot coffee about to be poured down on them, for example) while each of them has been rendered powerless.  Only by using their combined abilities can the escape.

 

After this it can be a straight up fight with the Three Villains, but a few more to even out the fight to prevent the city from being turned into a battleground.

 

Hope this helps.

Some comments and thoughts in italics there; have to go to work, but I'll pick up after work. Thanks so much for the help!

Basic plot:

I'm kind of trying to make him a little video-gamey; players can see the barriers, and react to them, by moving angle of attack to avoid, or accept that they may hit it, or use an indirect attack. He's got two summons, so I am hoping he'll be able to turtle a little and let his (weak) radiation ghosts do some damage when he's having trouble. 

I'm seeing his walls as very fragile (1 body) but fairly easy to make. 

I do agree, generally (especially in play) simpler is better, but in this case I'm trying both to learn hero better, and create a specific build just to gain understanding. 

If I'm reading you right, a basic barrier with some limits and mods will do what I want. 

thanks! that's what I was hurting my brain over, the attack action; somehow I had it in my head, setting up a barrier was an attack action. Does it need instant? As long as he's able to use it to block, that'll work. I'm trying to make him annoying, but not unstoppable.

I'm kinda seeing what you're saying about indirect, but I'm hoping to encourage a variety of attacks on him; maybe the bruiser/speedster are doing PD and taking down his shields, while the blaster is doing damage with ED. Or so I hope. Players are always able to see holes in my bad guys I never saw and wouldn't have thought of in a million years.

Hello, new to this forum, but not to champions or hero system, although a few things have changed since the last edition I saw. Played a lot of superhero champions and a few fantasy hero games in the 80's, and thinking about trying to introduce it to current pathfinder/D&D group. 

That said, I'm trying to make a power and not getting where I want to. I'd like my villain to be able to make shields as a blocking action (like, abort his next action) that are barriers. I can build the barriers (X rPD, X rED, Non-anchored, cannot englobe, instant, larger (+1 by +1 M), 1 Body, always same Red Hex shape). but I think making them is an attack action, and so he couldn't make them except on his attacks. 

Am I right? How could I build this? I'd like to make a slightly but not horribly annoying mini-boss, who can defend himself by making a wall that blocks the next attack shot at it; so if he builds a few walls, he can protect himself from attack from a few different directions. 

Hopefully I'm explaining this well enough; if not, please let me know. 

Thanks, 

Stel

• How did you come up with your 'handle' (forum name)?

Stelknecht was the first Mud character I made, on Medievia, about 20 years ago. I adopted it as an online handle, and (to my delight) have rarely found others using it. Often enough to be annoying, but not frequent. Never used it as a P&P character name, though. 

• What was the first tabletop RPG you played?

Red Box D&D, of course, which I just realized, almost exactly date checks every one of us who admits that. 

• What was the first tabletop RPG you GMed?

Same as above. 

• What are you currently playing/GMing?

A D20 Modern game based on Dies the Fire, by SM Stirling, and previously, a few pathfinder oneshots. I'm trying not to scare this new group before I gently try to introduce them to point buy systems, like Hero or GURPS, both of which I prefer vastly to D20 in any ramification (I just don't like the die). Hopefully a Hero system is a good intro; super heros are fun. Played a TON of champions back in the early 80's; was my go to for almost any genre.