Mr. R

A bit more on law and government. Also, why Thalasseners don't mind hurricanes.
 
Dean Shomshak

thalassene is a commercial hub, so there's more about its businesses and artisans than about its government. Many Thalasseners care more about activities among the guilds than the Imperial government.
 
Dean Shomshak

From the commanding heights of the great Arts to the lesser Crafts, down to the small trades of the poor.
 
Dean Shomshak

Religious faith cannot be ignored, rspecially when representatives of the divine wield magical power. Faith is vital to many Thalasseners -- and source of a major threat to the city, and to the Plenary Empire.
 
(One bit is conceptually a little racy, but don't worry: Nothing is described that couldn't be shown on network TV.)
 
Dean Shomshak

Last bit! TGhalassene's most distinctive foreign connection:
 
Dean Shomshak

I didn't word it properly, sorry.  So you want a magic item made.  OK pay the Exp Pts, and then you can have it made.  But in the last expedition to the dungeon you found a pair of +1 swords.  So we will DISenchant them so we can farm their magic to make your own Special Weapon.  Basically the lower powered weapons are ingredients in the new weapon.  

I think when it comes to Magic items we should remember that there is a LONG amount of time here.  Though the Apprentice/ Master type is done, that does NOT mean one Master - one Apprentice.  I can see multiple apprentices at various learning levels, so the number of mages may be larger than you think.  This also means that the number of low level items they can make because they are low level is a large amount.  It just that a +1 weapon is extremely common, most likely because it was a test just to see if they could make it.  Or a suit of armour, or a ring or a wand or..... 
 
Also lets not forget that the various gods will be asking for items to be made for their members.
 
So items of +1 or equivalent common!  That +4 defender sword, yeah that is NOT that common and most likely has a history and story attached (can we say plot hooks).  
 
To this you can add those items made from a splash of Inspiration (Bruennor made Aegis Fang that way).  
 
Also DnD 3rd had his leveled item, where you pay exp and the item gets more powerful (sot of like Earthdawn's thread Weaving).  Allow PCs to do the same, IF they are willing to undergo the tests!
 
Finally if you are using Hero, then Items are Independent and PCs must pay points for them, UNLESS they can get some certain items that can be used in their place, like some low level magic items that can be harvested for their magic.  

Straight up and simple:  overpowered casters, unbounded by any sense of game balance or genre fidelity, let alone realism; and strictly inferior non-casters, struggling against the system to do much at all, and, if anything, more constrained in options and ability than actual reality.
 
Fortunately you're not going for that.

Two suggestions:
 
1) Make the elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings be a larger part of the world.  Out of all the countries in the Gazetteer, I think four and not human lead.  I realize part of this was the level limits of the OG.  But you can just remove that (Whiteout is made for getting rid of pesky ole stoopid rulez)
 
2) The city of Greyhawk (like it or not) is going to be the center of everything.  All the trade going N-->S and E---> W,  ALL goes past the city.  It is THE trade hub.  

Two suggestions:
 
1) Make the elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings be a larger part of the world.  Out of all the countries in the Gazetteer, I think four and not human lead.  I realize part of this was the level limits of the OG.  But you can just remove that (Whiteout is made for getting rid of pesky ole stoopid rulez)
 
2) The city of Greyhawk (like it or not) is going to be the center of everything.  All the trade going N-->S and E---> W,  ALL goes past the city.  It is THE trade hub.  

WOW!

So bolded and separated!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1- Yes.
 
2- At the end of segment 9.
 
3- Yes, though with the minuses for multiple opponents, I doubt it'll be effective. I'd use a Martial Dodge instead.

The way I have always used this works thus, if the spell has a +1 phase, the spell would go off (complete) in phase 9, if at +1 turn then it would complete on phase eight during the next turn, assuming you are still around. 

I am compiling a list of special abilities for (mostly ) warriors and rogues.  Most I found on the sight of M. Shrike, and I made a list.  But if you can think of any others that you have used in your game, please add!
 
 

So she's a flying Martial Artist.  Cool!
 
I have two flags (whether they are red depends on your answers)
1-  The Sacrifice Lunge   13 d6 damage?  After a full move?    It would be nice to have your campaign parameters here like : CV 8  Spd 6  Defenses total 50 AP  Attacks 50 AP (with up to 75 with advantages)  But as it is this is a lot of damage!
 
2- Quantum radiation field   3 body every one of her phases means that by the time phase 6 comes someone will have taken 9 body.  I would have severe misgivings about allowing this ability.  It is extremely lethal.  If this is a PC, be prepared for some villains unleashing BIG attacks on you just to get you out of the fight ASAP.  If the rational is "I'll only use it in emergencies!" I don't buy it.  I have had encounters wit too many players who said that, and then used it all the time.
 
AS far as the rest.... not bad!

These are the entries from the Goodman School of Cost Efficiency.  They are actually longer and more detailed than I remember, about a 3rd of the page.  These are summaries:
 
-After a certain point, complications start to lose their effectiveness and become a net loss for your character (this was before 6th edition, when complications brought down your total overall character cost).
-Rounding in characteristics results in certain break points such as 13 and 18 (anything ending in a 3 or 8 ) which makes them very efficient
-Odd numbers of dice or point totals round down giving you better END Cost, especially if you buy half END on a power (both 8d6 and 9d6 blast is 4 END for example).
-Levels are the great equalizer, allowing for a lower CV character to be excellent where they need it, particularly broader categories like a level in Multipower or Overall levels which are very efficient
-DEX is super efficient because it gave you several figured characteristics, including "hidden" ones like CV and combat order.
-Rounding comes up again in movement, giving you a full 1" added half move (8" running is 4" half move, but 9" is 5" and only cost 2 more points).
-CON is the biggest bonus for figured characteristics, giving you ED, REC, END, and STN not to mention protecting you from being stunned
 
Some of these aren't as significant any more, and all of them probably seem really obvious to old time players, because we all studied Goodman's ideas and took them to heart decades ago but I think they matter a lot to new players, helping them see how to construct a more effective character.
 

Steve Goodman gave us Bulldozer, amongst other characters.

Ahh the Late Steve Goodman. He was a regular at Hero games and was famous for rules hacks. He played more Fantasy Hero than Champions, but he was a member of The Guardians. Very chill guy and a font of information. I’ll raise a shot glass of Glenlivet in his memory. 

Rivers of Life is a PBS series about, duh, notable rivers. The Zambezi in Africa sounds like it would fit well in a Fantasy world. Here's a link to the episode:
 
Rivers of Life | Zambezi | Season 2 | Episode 1 | PBS
 
Highlights include:
*Headwaters are a spring in a sacred forest.
*But the flow is intensely seasonal. In an exceptionally flat plains region, the rainy season turns the Zambezi from a river into an immense shallow lake, a cycle of wet and dry that shapes the lives of the inhabitants. Not magical as such, but this could be a cool location and culture.
*Further downstream, the Zambezi flows through spectacular gorges with many rapids and Victoria Falls, the widest waterfall in the world. At least that's the case in the rainy season; in the dry season it's just a few trickles going over the cliffs. Local name is "The Smoke That Thunders." Obvious home for a god or nature spirit.
*As the water level drops after the rainy season, there's one spot where an underwater ledge of rock creates a permanent standing wave -- a breaker that never breaks. One can surf the Zambezi Wave. Perhaps you must do so if you want a boon from the God of the River, or it's a gate to another plane.
*The next stage is a broad river valley with abundant wildlife. The show visits a safari resort where the wildlife has learned that people won't hurt them. Watch the family of elephants troop through the resort's lobby to reach a mango tree. Temple of the Elephant God?
 
(The next episode, about the Danube, did not have so much Fantasy potential. Though one might do something with the water-filled cave network beneath Budapest.)
 
Dean Shomshak

The Stronghold Files version of Neutron is described as having had a 200 pt. VPP only for electro-magnetic effects, when he was in his prime. It was undoubtedly intended to fit him for a master-villain role.
 
I do think the trauma of their father being killed in front of them would be sufficient to motivate anyone to change the direction of their lives; but Neutron's stated direction seemed rather vague, and more based in ego than in any logical viewpoint. For my Fourth Edition games using Neutron, I borrowed the motivation of the Champs villain Beamline, of imposing government by elite scientists like himself, being best trained to think rationally and objectively. My Neutron gathered scientist supervillains for his team, and established a covert network of other sympathetic scientists.

Or take a page from "Sky High" Warren Peace Hero Mother, Villain Father!
 
Imagine the role playing:
"Hey mom I fought with dad last week!" 
"Oh dear!  Who was he working for this time?" 
"Dr. Demonicus!  Don't worry we won, but he got away!" 
"Thank you!  I'll have to talk to him again I see!" 
"Please mom, don't!  You either end up hooking up for the weekend, or arguing and almost getting into a fight!  What do you see in him?" 
"He has the bluest eyes, (Sigh)!"
"EWwwwww!  MOM!"
 
 

An alternative to the nation-conquering version of Deathstroke might be to have them be the “secret masters” of a large town or small city they took over in the intervening years since their last appearance. It would give them a base of operations and set them apart a bit from other villain teams with more grandiose plans.
 
They could have secret IDs as upstanding citizens and maybe even be raising their kids with powers as the future of their operation.

Or take a page from "Sky High" Warren Peace Hero Mother, Villain Father!
 
Imagine the role playing:
"Hey mom I fought with dad last week!" 
"Oh dear!  Who was he working for this time?" 
"Dr. Demonicus!  Don't worry we won, but he got away!" 
"Thank you!  I'll have to talk to him again I see!" 
"Please mom, don't!  You either end up hooking up for the weekend, or arguing and almost getting into a fight!  What do you see in him?" 
"He has the bluest eyes, (Sigh)!"
"EWwwwww!  MOM!"
 
 

So I changed the Splendid Fist  First Fist into a Fast Strike.  It does fit better making for a more aggressive style!  SO.....
 
Splendid Fist
4 Fast Strike +2 +0 Str + 2d6 First Fist
5 Offensive Strike -2 +1 Str +4d6 Second Fist
4 Killing Strike -2 +0 1/2d6 HKA Third Fist
4 Martial Block +2 +2 Abort Intercepting Fist
4 Martial Dodge +0 +5 Abort Darting Fist
4 Martial Disarm -1 +1 +10 Str DA Removing Fist
3 Martial Grab -1 -1 +10 Str Grab Open Fist