Mr. R

Re: Maelstrom MAELSTROM Val Char Cost Roll Notes 13 STR 3 12- Lift 151.6kg; 2 ½d6 [1] 21 DEX 33 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 20 CON 20 13- 10 BODY 0 11- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2 ½d6 16 COM 3 12- 5+20 PD 2 Total: 5/25 PD (0/20 rPD) 5+20 ED 1 Total: 5/25 ED (0/20 rED) 5 SPD 19 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 10 REC 6 50 END 5 27 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 98 Movement: Running: 6"/12" Flight: 20"/40" Leaping: 2"/4" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers END 25 Lightning generation: Elemental Control, 50-point powers 37 1) Lightning Sheild: Force Field (20 PD/20 ED) (Protect Carried Items), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) (62 Active Points) 2 25 2) Lightning riding: Flight 20", Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) (50 Active Points) 2 90 Multipower, 135-point reserve, (135 Active Points); all slots No Range (-½) 9u 1) Maelstrom field: Energy Blast 9d6, Personal Immunity (+¼), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼), Explosion (+½), Continuous (+1) (135 Active Points); No Range (-½) 6 9u 2) Energy Blast 9d6, Personal Immunity (+¼), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼), Explosion (Line; -1 DC/3"; +½), Continuous (+1) (135 Active Points); No Range (-½) 6 17 Burglary tools: Variable Power Pool, 15 base + 2 control cost, (22 Active Points); VPP Powers Can Be Changed Only In Given Circumstance (Access to his tool shed; -½); all slots OAF Fragile (-1 ¼) Perks 5 Favor Talents 3 Absolute Time Sense Skills 3 Deduction 12- 3 Streetwise 12- 2 KS: Fences 11- 2 KS: Gems and Jewelry 11- 2 KS: Antiques 11- 10 +2 with DCV 3 Climbing 13- 3 Security Systems 12- 3 Lockpicking 13- 3 Stealth 13- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 254 Total Cost: 352 200+ Disadvantages 20 Dependent NPC: Mother 8- (Incompetent; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 15 Hunted: Police 8- (As Pow, NCI, Capture) 10 Hunted: 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Prefers being stealthy (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: fear of large bodies of water (Common, Strong) 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 15 Susceptibility: Grounding 2d6 damage Instant (Common) 15 Vulnerability: 1 ½ x STUN Electrical (Very Common) 10 Vulnerability: 1 ½ x Effect Gases and Poisons (Common) 20 Enraged: Berserk When Grounded (Common), go 8-, recover 14- 2 Experience Points (12 points unspent) Total Disadvantage Points: 352 Earned Experience: 14 Spent Experience: 2 Unspent Experience: 12 Background/History: Mike Rubbino was making a name for himself. For those in the know he was the man if you needed an item "borrowed", especially if you didn't want the borrowers to know that fact for a while. He had a cover as an antiquities dealer, but never dealt with anything he "borrowed" personally. Occasionally he would to a private job, a cut of which always went to his handlers. Then the day of the industrial job. He was working with some amatures when someone set of the alarm. In the scramble to get out he fell into a vat of somekind along with an electrical line. He should have died. As it was he barely managed to scramble away. He was sick for a week, then he felt better. On his next job, more bad luck, a cape showed. In his desparation he exploded. Electricity filled the room. The room and the cape was trashed and Mike felt exhasted. He cut and run and began experimenting. Three months later, Maelstrom showed up as the newest super mercenary/burglar. Personality/Motivation: Get rich the easy way. Little work, lots of pay. Is what made him become a second story man in the first place. Since his improvements, it has added to his skill level ( he was good before ), but they also get him with people who are not as professional as he is. With his powers, he can hold his own, but at that point he considers the operation a failure if he had to fight. He has also developed a fear of large bodies of water (fountains, pools, reservoirs), because he beleives that if he was immersed while his powers were active it would be catastrophic (his blast is electrically based). Quote: Damn!! Who tripped the alarm? Powers/Tactics: Maelstrom is a cat burglar first and foremost. Scout out an area. Plan how to get in. Get in, get the material, get out. If he has to fight he will activate his maelstrom field and make his way to safety. If an opponent figures out that his field has a dissipation factor(Explosion), he will super-charge it for one second (AE). Campaign Use: A support character first and foremost. As he should be used as a break in specialist, his powers will ocme as a surprise to those who are used to the catwoman type super agent burglar. If not used as a thief type, can be used in a super team as a flanker. Is especially good versus agents, speedsters and MA types who rely on dex as a defence. To make him more powerful, get rid of the linked to the FF and change his Leaping to Flight. Also a third slot which is non continuous (IE a point blank EB effect) that comes out to about 10d6. To lessen his power, get rid of the leaping and reduce the power of his FF. Appearance: About 1.8 meters and 28 kilos, Maelstrom is in good shape, but not overly muscled. Out of costume he prefers decent clothing that is casual. He almost never wears jeans and t shirts are for undergarments. In costume he prefers a lightly armoured body stocking that covers him head to toe. Its black with dark blue highlights that look like lightning on his arms, legs and chest.

Re: Maelstrom Hmmm. OK, how about keeping the EC for the flight and FF, Taking the Maelstrom field out of the EC, place it back into a MP with explosive and AE line versions (rationalle is that he focuses the explosion in one direction. Also I would get rid of the EB since it really didn't totally fit the concept.

Re: Maelstrom OK redid the character to make him more efficient. Got rid of Penetrating on AE field and made it 0 end. Added flight instead of leaping. Added a focused blast. Placed it all in an EC. Added a VPP burglary tool pool. Raised some stats to make him better in combat and skills (DEX) and his recovery. MAELSTROM Val Char Cost Roll Notes 13 STR 3 12- Lift 151.6kg; 2 1/2d6; [1] 21 DEX 33 13- OCV 7 DCV 7 20 CON 20 13- 10 BODY 0 11- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2 1/2d6 16 COM 3 12- 5/25 PD 2 Total: 5/25 PD (0/20 rPD) 5/25 ED 1 Total: 5/25 ED (0/20 rED) 5 SPD 19 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 10 REC 6 50 END 5 27 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 98 Movement: Running: 6" / 12" Swimming: 2" / 4" Leaping: 2" / 4" Flight: 20" / 40" Cost Powers END 25 Lightning generation: Elemental Control, 50-point powers 37 1) Lightning Sheild: Force Field (20 PD/20 ED) (Protect Carried Items), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (62 Active Points) 2 83 2) Maelstrom field: Energy Blast 8d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Area Of Effect (11" Radius; +1), Continuous (+1) (150 Active Points); No Range (-1/2) 0 25 3) Lightning riding: Flight 20", Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (50 Active Points) 2 37 4) Lightning field: Energy Blast 10d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (62 Active Points) 2 17 Burglary tools: Variable Power Pool, 15 base + 2 control cost, (22 Active Points); VPP Powers Can Be Changed Only In Given Circumstance (Access to his tool shed; -1/2); all slots OAF Fragile (-1 1/4) Perks 5 Favor Talents 3 Absolute Time Sense Skills 3 Deduction 12- 3 Streetwise 12- 2 KS: Fences 11- 2 KS: Gems and Jewelry 11- 2 KS: Antiques 11- 10 +2 with DCV 3 Climbing 13- 3 Security Systems 12- 3 Lockpicking 13- 3 Stealth 13- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 266 Total Cost: 364 200+ Disadvantages 20 Dependent NPC: Mother 8- (Incompetent; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 15 Hunted: Police 8- (As Pow, NCI, Capture) 10 Hunted: 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Prefers being stealthy (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: fear of large bodies of water (Common, Strong) 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 15 Susceptibility: Grounding 2d6 damage Instant (Common) 15 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Electrical (Very Common) 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x Effect Gases and Poisons (Common) 20 Enraged: Berserk When Grounded (Common), go 8-, recover 14- 14 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 364 Background/History: Mike Rubbino was making a name for himself. For those in the know he was the man if you needed an item "borrowed", especially if you didn't want the borrowers to know that fact for a while. He had a cover as an antiquities dealer, but never dealt with anything he "borrowed" personally. Occasionally he would to a private job, a cut of which always went to his handlers. Then the day of the industrial job. He was working with some amatures when someone set of the alarm. In the scramble to get out he fell into a vat of somekind along with an electrical line. He should have died. As it was he barely managed to scramble away. He was sick for a week, then he felt better. On his next job, more bad luck, a cape showed. In his desparation he exploded. Electricity filled the room. The room and the cape was trashed and Mike felt exhasted. He cut and run and began experimenting. Three months later, Maelstrom showed up as the newest super mercenary/burglar. Personality/Motivation: Get rich the easy way. Little work, lots of pay. Is what made him become a second story man in the first place. Since his improvements, it has added to his skill level ( he was good before ), but they also get him with people who are not as professional as he is. With his powers, he can hold his own, but at that point he considers the operation a failure if he had to fight. He has also developed a fear of large bodies of water (fountains, pools, reservoirs), because he beleives that if he was immersed while his powers were active it would be catastrophic (his blast is electrically based). Quote: Damn!! Who tripped the alarm? Powers/Tactics: Maelstrom is a cat burglar first and foremost. Scout out an area. Plan how to get in. Get in, get the material, get out. If he has to fight he will activate his maelstrom field and make his way to safety. If an opponent figures out that his field has a dissipation factor(Explosion), he will super-charge it for one second (AE). Campaign Use: A support character first and foremost. As he should be used as a break in specialist, his powers will ocme as a surprise to those who are used to the catwoman type super agent burglar. If not used as a thief type, can be used in a super team as a flanker. Is especially good versus agents, speedsters and MA types who rely on dex as a defence. make him more powerful, get rid of the linked to the FF and change his Leaping to Flight. Also a third slot which is non continuous (IE a point blank EB effect) that comes out to about 10d6.lessen his power, get rid of the leaping and reduce the power of his FF. Appearance: About 1.8 meters and 28 kilos, Maelstrom is in good shape, but not overly muscled. Out of costume he prefers decent clothing that is casual. He almost never wears jeans and t shirts are for undergarments. costume he prefers a lightly armoured body stocking that covers him head to toe. Its black with dark blue highlights that look like lightning on his arms, legs and chest.

Re: What happens when a new GM doesn't understand game balance Yeah but isn't that also due to the Rings of Husband control they wear? Hers is the controlling ring, his is the receiver. And it's telepathic "Disappoint me and you sleep on the couch--for a month"

Re: Maelstrom Hmm. OK let me see. Just as an aside this is not a character I would play as a PC. He would strictly be an NPC. So get rid of Explosion, make it AE totally? Drop the Link (idea is that only when the blast is active does he get a FF. No PBAOE = no FF). Change to fly for better manuverability. HMM maybe an EC-PBAOE-Fly-FF-CE. may fit better and save some points. As far as CE what were you thinking?

Re: Spyder from V&V's Most Wanted Vol 1. (Last test post for a while) Well I just found someone who beats Spider in the Dex department. Check out Wraith from the Algernon Files Vol. 2.0. Dex 45. I kid you not. Fortunately the skill levels are not as high, but still DCV 22 when dodging. Tack on a Damage Reduction that requires a dex roll (18- in this case) and he rarely gets hurt.

Re: Maelstrom

Re: Maelstrom OOOOKAAAAAAY! Well he has been played awhile. WOW.

Re: Maelstrom Doh Typo!!! 82KG

Re: Maelstrom Could I see yours? I would like to compare.

Re: Maelstrom Whew!!! OK. If to want you can "borrow the character yourself for your own use. I would be honoured honestly.

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine

Re: Maelstrom I didn't mean to be .....insulting, when I chose the name. The name popped into my head and the character followed. I usually work that way, start with a name then the powers. Others are powers and name to fit it but alot less often.

Has anyone tried this variation on RSR? When you cast a spell you will succeed. No difficulty there. What the Skill roll is for is for powering the spell. Make your roll and you tap the magic normally and nothing happens other than the spell goes off. A good roll can lead to benefits, eg red end, bonuses to next spell roll, etc. A bad roll . extra end, drain to end, backlash etc. If so how did you make it mechanically? If not how would you make it? If so how did it work ie. well or a big headache.

Just fooling around with HD. MAELSTROM Val Char Cost Roll Notes 10 STR 0 11- Lift 100.0kg; 2d6 [1] 18 DEX 24 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6 20 CON 20 13- 10 BODY 0 11- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 13 EGO 6 12- ECV: 4 13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2 ½d6 16 COM 3 12- 4+25 PD 2 Total: 4/29 PD (0/25 rPD) 4+25 ED 0 Total: 4/29 ED (0/25 rED) 4 SPD 12 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 6 REC 0 50 END 5 25 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 78 Movement: Running: 6"/12" Leaping: 12"/48" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers END 33 Lightning Sheild: Force Field (20 PD/20 ED), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) (50 Active Points); Linked to EB (Energy Blast; -½) 2 10 Armor (5 PD/5 ED) (15 Active Points); OIF (-½) 160 Lightning Generation: Multipower, 160-point reserve 9u 1) Energy Blast 8d6, Personal Immunity (+¼), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼), Explosion (+½), Penetrating (+½), Continuous (+1) (140 Active Points); No Range (-½) 6 11u 2) Energy Blast 8d6, Personal Immunity (+¼), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼), Penetrating (+½), Area Of Effect (12" Radius; +1), Continuous (+1) (160 Active Points); No Range (-½) 7 20 Explosive Jumps: Leaping +10" (12" forward, 6" upward) (Accurate, x4 Noncombat) 2 Perks 5 Favor Talents 3 Absolute Time Sense Skills 3 Deduction 12- 3 Streetwise 12- 2 KS: Fences 11- 2 KS: Gems and Jewelry 11- 2 KS: Antiques 11- 10 +2 with DCV 3 Climbing 13- 3 Security Systems 12- 3 Lockpicking 13- 3 Stealth 13- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 285 Total Cost: 363 200+ Disadvantages 20 Dependent NPC: Mother 8- (Incompetent; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 15 Hunted: Police 8- (As Pow, NCI, Capture) 10 Hunted: 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Prefers being stealthy (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: fear of large bodies of water (Common, Strong) 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 15 Susceptibility: Grounding 2d6 damage Instant (Common) 15 Vulnerability: 1 ½ x STUN Electrical (Very Common) 10 Vulnerability: 1 ½ x Effect Gases and Poisons (Common) 20 Enraged: Berserk When Grounded (Common), go 8-, recover 14- 13 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 363 Background/History: Mike Rubbino was making a name for himself. For those in the know he was the man if you needed an item "borrowed", especially if you didn't want the borrowers to know that fact for a while. He had a cover as an antiquities dealer, but never dealt with anything he "borrowed" personally. Occasionally he would to a private job, a cut of which always went to his handlers. Then the day of the industrial job. He was working with some amatures when someone set of the alarm. In the scramble to get out he fell into a vat of some kind along with an electrical line. He should have died. As it was he barely managed to scramble away. He was sick for a week, then he felt better. On his next job, more bad luck, a cape showed. In his desperation he exploded. Electricity filled the room. The room and the cape was trashed and Mike felt exhausted. He cut and run and began experimenting. Three months later, Maelstrom showed up as the newest super mercenary/burglar. Personality/Motivation: Get rich the easy way. Little work, lots of pay. Is what made him become a second story man in the first place. Since his improvements, it has added to his skill level ( he was good before ), but they also get him with people who are not as professional as he is. With his powers, he can hold his own, but at that point he considers the operation a failure if he had to fight. He has also developed a fear of large bodies of water (fountains, pools, reservoirs), because he believes that if he was immersed while his powers were active it would be catastrophic (his blast is electrically based). Quote: Damn!! Who tripped the alarm? Powers/Tactics: Maelstrom is a cat burglar first and foremost. Scout out an area. Plan how to get in. Get in, get the material, get out. If he has to fight he will activate his maelstrom field and make his way to safety. If an opponent figures out that his field has a dissipation factor(Explosion), he will super-charge it for one second (AE). Campaign Use: A support character first and foremost. As he should be used as a break in specialist, his powers will come as a surprise to those who are used to the cat woman type super agent burglar. If not used as a thief type, can be used in a super team as a flanker. Is especially good versus agents, speedsters and MA types who rely on dex as a defense. To make him more powerful, get rid of the linked to the FF and change his Leaping to Flight. Also a third slot which is non continuous (IE a point blank EB effect) that comes out to about 10d6. To lessen his power, get rid of the leaping and reduce the power of his FF. Appearance: About 1.8 meters and 28 kilos, Maelstrom is in good shape, but not overly muscled. Out of costume he prefers decent clothing that is casual. He almost never wears jeans and t shirts are for undergarments. In costume he prefers a lightly armored body stocking that covers him head to toe. Its black with dark blue highlights that look like lightning on his arms, legs and chest.

Re: Elemental benders (Avatar) I am interested to see what you come up with. I like that show and the visuals are easily translated into a supers environment.

Re: Ten Best Superhero Martial Arts Ohh that was good.

Re: Hero Talk Magazine

Re: Spyder from V&V's Most Wanted Vol 1. (Last test post for a while) Yep, nasty whichever system you use. In one game I was in the other players told me of a time where the GM used him against the team. Between his level bonuses powers and the way the combat system works he was practically un-hitable. Was another case of the GM just not taking into account how many powers interacted and multiplied. PS I must spread rep. Darn!!!

Re: New HERO GM, Fantasy Campaign Advice OK, just to be a devil's advocate. What is there for the non spell caster. IE is magic common, everyone has a bit. Or rare, where casters are small in numbers. What abilities do the non spell caster bring to the board. I say this as a person who played a non caster in a game with 50% of the characters were casters. It was rapidly apparent that casters were just so much more versetile and capable. have stealth at 95% and climbing at 95% meant nothing when casters can go invisible, TP and fly. I just ask because the first thing you mentioned was your magic system. Not to knock it, I like it. But again, what about the non caster?

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Recently finished A New World by Michael Stackpole. Excellent read. Was one of those JUST ONE MORE PAGE finishes that kept me up past 3 am. The Spriggan's Mirror by Lawrence Watt-Evans. This one of a handful of writers whose books I buy sight unseen as I know it will be good. Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher. It starts slowly but ramps up real fast at the middle. My favourite characters are Bernard and Amara. They make such a nice couple. Nasty, but sweet.

Re: What Non-Fiction Book have you just finished?

Re: Setting: World of Alts This has been a very entertaining thread. And I like the ideas you present, the rationalizations and the general tone. I look forward to your next arc. Rep to you.

Re: WWYCD: framed I'd look for the noose. Then I'd check to see if Disbelief was suspended by it and was he alive. After verifying his death I'd wait until the end of session, have good talk with the GM and if his explanation didn't satisfy me, tell him I was leaving his game. I had too many time being scr****ed by the DM for no reason (PM me if you want to hear about my Palladium experience) to put up with it now. This smells of railroading of the worst kind. PS Someone mentioned the OP had a good reason for this and I would love to read it.

Re: WWYCD: Foxbat The Mighty! OHHH, you have one evil GM. I love that idea!!! Consider it creatively acquired.