mrinku

Drain or even Supress doesn't work so well since the Disintegration Wall should have NO effect on someone shooting at a target not protected by it. You'd also need to build it up with awkward triggers, and it's not obvious if the Drain would kick in before the initial attack was applied anyway. Deflection runs into needing phases to Block with... plus deflection is all-or-nothing and less effective if the shooter is high OCV, which doesn't feel right for this effect. A super-sniper isn't going to have any better luck shooting through the wall than a basic soldier using the same weapon. Using actual rPD seems to fit the desired effect. Damage Negation would work as an alternate, especially if you're going for a guaranteed bulletproof effect. Since there would be no weak spots to exploit, having it remove dice *before* rolling for damage feels right. Damage Reduction doesn't feel so right to me, since any missile will get through for some effect using that. And applying DR *before* the target's own defences REALLY feels wrong! Sooo... maybe: RKA AoE Constant PLUS Damage Negation vs Physical and Magic (10 points per -1DC) AoE Useable On Others (+1 anyone who has the Wall between them and an attacker, +1/4 be in limited range). Or something like that. Forgive me if I've overlooked some 6e build issue! And the UOO would need to be tweaked to give the effects the caster wants (i.e. if they control who is protected or if it's out of their control). (On a side note - the thread title originally made me think Ablative might be involved. But the Wall disintegrates other stuff; it's not of itself a wall that's disintegrating )

No, an Obvious focus doesn't need a PER roll. They'd just see a glowy ring but not know what effect (if any) it was producing. Edit: ...until their sword bounced. Then they'd probably guess right (but not if the ring actually DID provide some other effect and the IIF necklace was the real source of the protection!)

Honestly, I'd pitch free interactive toolkit software with the rules (the free .pdf when you purchase the hardcopy SHOULD be a given). Probably a combat app as well. Make it smatphone friendly, too, and for Champions definitely some kind of costume design app.

I usually do his heat vision as an RKE, often with Penentrating or AP. It's commonly used to precision cut (or weld) steel, and he definitely doesn't turn it on normals (just their weapons). But that's varied too over the years. But it's a pretty good writeup.

One thing to tweak is how he actually loses his powers under Kryptonite influence. I KNOW this has been portrayed inconsistantly, but some kind of drain or suppress Susceptability as well? Often he can Push himself through it, but it usually shuts his powers down as well as the STUN.

Things are coming back around. DC at least appear to be back on track... I'm really enjoying the Justice League of China in New Super-Man. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a lot to reorient the moral compass IMHO. And Wonder Woman appears to have gotten the DC movies back on track. (Caveat - movie versions tend to kill off the bad guy, though not usually by the hero directly doing them in. It's typically going to be at least three movies and a decade before they'd want to bring that one back - simpler to snip off the plot thread and do a resurrection. Comics might need that villain back in two months!)

I thought of Missile Deflection myself, but it would only work using earlier edition versions of that power, or setting it up as an automaton that does its own blocking. I'm usually Captain Special Effect but in this case I think you're going to need defense for the small stuff as well as the main area effect zone. Hmm... wasn't there something like this in earlier editions? I'm sure there was an option for Force Wall with no Body that just provided defense against attacks that passed through it, but didn't break. Which sounds exactly what you need. I'll check the BBB and maybe 3e when I get home. The idea about PD (rPD is needed for arrows and such, though) looks better than a destructible wall to me. A Wall of Disintegration or a Wall of Fire aren't really the kinds of barriers that you punch a permanent 2m hole in. Easy to define if only the caster is protected (Limit: Only protects vs attacks passing through the Disintegration Wall), but trickier if the wall provides the same protection to others. I won't go into the UOO and such that would be needed. You're all grown ups and can work out the modifiers. Plus this is Magic, so maybe the sorcerer *doesn't* want anyone else protected.

Generally, I agree. Certainly just making yourself better looking would fall into that category. However, a few things might come up: 1) Impersonation. If the shapeshifter actually duplicated the victim's spouse a strong case would exist for rape by deception (and probably other charges relating to identity theft). Even if a relationship had not previously happened I think the principle would hold. ("Wha- where's George Clooney!?!") 2) Some places allow for sex or marriage between younger people of the same age (i.e both are 16-17) but where sex between a 16 yo and an adult is statutory rape. If an adult shapeshifted into a 16 y.o. form you could find that statutory rape charges apply. 3) Gender swaps. A LOT of people would not be happy to find out the hot chick they'd just slept with was actually Mister Flexible. (More power to those who'd chill and explore their new options). Definitely worth talking to a lawyer about. 4) Species swaps. MANY people would have issues finding out that the hot stud who rocked their world last night was a slimy, tentacled blob from Tau Ceti (again, more power to those... etc). Though it worked out okay in Galaxy Quest, I guess. (Mister Flexible is now definitely appearing in my campaign )

(The following thoughts assume she stays dead) Legalities aside, that agent was a member of VIPER who was killed by a cape. They're not going to be too happy about that. Good opportunity to add them as a Hunted or up their frequency for a while. Lots of folks owe VIPER favours, and their pockets are deep. It's potentially going to colour his relationships with NPC heroes as well as the villain community, though some may applaud him. Have Harbinger of Justice turn up on his windowsill some night and congratulate him ("Good start kid. You need to move quicker next time so you kill more than one. Maybe add some spikes to that costume."). Then have Black Harlequin do the same the following night ("Such an amusing episode. I can't wait to see who you dispose of in the next chapter! It's almost enough to make me miss HBO."). Chances of her being a friendless orphan with no significant other or family are slim. If you'd rather leave her dead but like the idea of this leading to a revenge subplot, look for other avengers. Could even be on the Hero side - maybe she was Muscle Girl's kid sister (or lover). "Suzy had gone off the tracks, sure. We alI knew that. I had no idea she'd started running with VIPER or Id'a done somethin'... but there was no call for that bastard to do what he done. Oh, Suzy kiddo, when I gets my hands on him, he's DEAD!!!" Have fun!

Yeah, I'd go with the agent surviving with severe injuries on this one. The agent may have technically died, but didn't suffer so much damage that her body was totally obliterated. I assume she got fairly rapid medical attention? In any case, VIPER (and PRIMUS) have access to super science and having them bring her back to life is not beyond the realm of possibility. Even in the real world a person struck by a car who was thrown against a brick wall and lost all life signs can be survive and recover with fast enough paramedic action (no guarantees mind you, but you're the one writing this story). Doctor Doom has come back from FAR worse than that. You may also want to recall The Six Million Dollar Man. Steve Austin. A man barely alive. We can rebuild him... But maybe that's a bit before your time. Google it. I still like the idea that this becomes her Origin Story and she turns up later as Captain Payback. Even better if you fill out her backstory and set things up so her relationship with the hero is less than one dimensional. I'm always a sucker for a good guy/bad girl romance, myself

Then there's the genre savvy players who happen to like Punisher, Wolverine, Ultimate Marvel and such and *want* to play a lethal character. Some can handle it in a 4 colour campaign (Wolverine manages to pull it off in the comics), many cannot. Not a lot you can do with the latter if common ground can't be found. I have to admit to being lucky with my players in that resect.

Byrne is pretty much responsible for She-Hulk's ongoing popularity. Before he popped her into the FF she was basically just someone who ran with the Avengers because her own book had been cancelled. Then he did Sensational She-Hulk, which was the 4th wall bending comic Hyper-Man is thinking of (not much 4th wall breaking in FF). Also an Ambush Bug fan here, HM!

I think some people may be missing the elephant in the room which is that 2017 is NOT 1985. Back then, genre books and universal systems were cutting edge stuff. You largely received your community contact through magazine subscriptions... SOME people might have been active on early bulletin boards, but today's switched on, connected space just did not exist. Video games came fairly close to killing off PnP gaming in the 90's (just start counting off the major publishers that fell by the wayside). Card games played a part in that, too. The 00's brought us MMORPGs. Multiplayer gaming in the 21st century basically means team shooters and party brawlers, not character sheets and rolling dice. It's coming back a little. My son (21) who I always struggled to get interested in anything that wasn't Nintendo or Team Fortress 2 has gotten into Pathfinder at University and plays a bit of that both face to face and by social media. Our old MMORPG group is playing Space:1889 via Skype on Tuesday nights and I'm lined up to run Champions 6e after that campaign. But. I look at the giant 6e books that add a wealth of detail and complexity and often very little in the way of actual fun and I shake my head a bit. CC and FHC seem the right way ahead to me. Leave out what is not needed and package what is in a self contained budget product. Champions (let alone HERO) never really needed more of an update other than making it better able to match stuff seen in the source material (i.e. superhero comics, latterly movies and TV). I think I might pull out my old copy of Champions III and pencil the Shockwave maneuver into the edition I'm using. Should have done that decades ago.

Inobvious really only means it requires a PER roll to work out. It's NOT Imperceptable unless you spring for Invisible Power Effects. But you do need to distinguish between an IIF ring and an OIF ring regardless of the perceptibility of the power itself. An IIF ring Power may still have some special effect that clues in the observer that the target has resistant defences, but would not in itself appear to be the source ("My sword bounced!?! What the..." "Make a perception roll. The old man's skin appears to have a slightly metallic sheen to it." "Oh, crap - magic!"). An OIF one with the same special effect should be apparent as the source, that's why it's cheaper, after all ("My sword bounced!?! Damn that glowy ring! It's some kind of Ward!") And special senses can be outside normal OIF and IIF rules anyway, since those are for normal observers ("Stupid barbarian. My Mage Gaze spotted that silly trinket as soon as he appeared. Cut the left hand off.")

I did dig out Ninja Hero (often imitated, never bettered!) and it pretty much just goes with +1DCV for learning an off-hand weapon element (and equipping with one) and the standard -3 for attacking with an off-hand weapon unless you buy Ambidexterity. But you can build something like: Double Dragon Strike: +1 OCV, -2 DCV, +2KDC (5 pts) with specific double armed style. Another thought I had... the old reply to "I want to hit more often" is "buy more Speed". So maybe do exactly that - extra Speed limited to off-hand weapon use (-1 1/2 or more I'd suggest as it doesn't add extra movement or allow the main weapon on that phase). Would probably be a little tricky to run, but there are rules for changing speed mid-turn if the weapon is drawn or lost. Since this is meant to be some epic fantasy situation and not a generic rule it would be up to the GM to work out how to run it. This would have the bonus of providing extra phases a character could block with (using the off hand weapon) which fits neatly with how I've seen twin swords used.

I might dig out Ninja Hero and see how it was handled there. Pre-Multiple Attack and it has its own maneuver building rules.

Go for -DCV over -OCV. This isn't really a hard trick to learn, and more attacks are harder for the target to stop, but it leaves you wide open because you're giving up your parry defence. HERO is a bit misleading because multiple attacks are -OCV... but they simulate hasty ones. Using both weapons in a practiced, co-ordinated manner is different.

It's a bit ahistorical (some historical Kung Fu weapon styles may have done it), but some modern martial arts have definitely gone in this direction. Miyamoto Musashi was also noted (and unusual) for actively using two swords. My own experience is SCA heavy combat fighting (I profess very little personal skill, mind you) and "two stick" was (and probably still is) a popular form. Typically one weapon is used to block, but the trick is that you can't really be sure which one is going to be used to attack with. (This is directly akin to Boxing). It's a lot more effective to feint with one sword and strike with the second than to just keep hitting with both. My gut feeling would be to build a co-ordinated two weapon attack into a Martial maneuver with a high OCV, neutral to small negative DCV and an extra DC. Or select some appropriate Martial maneuvers that already exist. CSLs bought only for "two weapon style" could also work. But having said all that, I don't have any problem with how the OP has built this especially for epic fantasy.

Yah. It's far more common to see Drains, which are a lot simpler in this regard. Aids on Characteristics are probably a bit more common, but also don't cause so many headaches

I'm not sure an OIF suit of armour is your best example here, though I get what you're saying. Someone wearing gear that appears to provide substantial protection is indeed telegraphing Resistant Projection. You'd need gear that doesn't look like it protects (IIF) to do otherwise. (Of course that armour may well be made of plastic and not *actually* provide protection.) Superman has standard, Inobvious Resistant Protetction. Iron Man has his bought as an OIF suit. The Thing has changed his to Obvious (rocky hide). But yeah, power perceivability does mesh with that of foci, and you're right to pick me up on that - if the Resistant Protection is left as Inobvious, the OIF ring should glow to show something is happening before the protection is used, but for a forcefield effect the power itself should be changed to Obvious too. On the other hand, the focus limitation rules quite clearly state that to qualify as Obvious it needs to be clear that the power is provided by the focus. There really has to be something that telegraphs that that ring is providing the power to "any observer", or it's IIF. In this case it would be enough that this happens when blows are stopped. How that is done will depend on the designer's choice of special effect: Ring of Warding Flame: On activation the ring smoulders with an eerie red glow. Flames leap from the artifact to block incoming attacks. Ring of the Guardian: On activation a low wailing emanates from the ring. Ghostly hands project from it to block weapons daring to strike the owner. Ring of Emerald Power: On activation the ring glows with a green light. A green barrier appears (centred on the ring) against attackers.

That was a great story. Which also had a (then) rare cameo by Jen as... Jen! (i.e. as non-Hulk Jennifer Waters)

Byrne also did that FF story where She-Hulk got photographed sunbathing topless on the roof of the Baxter Building by sleazy skin mag types. Hmm... bit of a theme forming...

Heck, I doubt you'd have much problem with normals sourced from any earlier edition. Normals Unbound was the comprehensive 4e one, but you could use the original lists out of Champions II.

Personally I would have preferred them to have kept with the genre books. It allowed them to tailor stuff to better suit the setting (Robot HERO is a particularly good example, though Justice Inc was something special). I DID appreciate 4e bringing together the ramshackle expansions of Champions II and Champions III, which actually crossed editions and could be awkward, as well as rules that started out in Golden Age of Champions and other source books (I think even old Autoduel Champions contributed towards that). And stuff out of Adventurer's Club. But you can also see the bloat starting to set in, too. Or maybe I'm still bitter that the Shockwave maneuver was dropped for "make that stuff with powers, son."?

Couple of things here. Most importantly, whatever the campaign tone, this player is new and didn't understand things fully. So I'd pull strings to make it an object lesson rather than a career finisher. You are allowed to cheat as GM!!! A perfect opportunity to explore the legal system and establish some campaign ground rules. Maybe pick up a Watched or Hunted and a Public Defender contact. Reputation change is likely. Press attention almost certain. And... maybe the agent was more than she seemed and only appeared to be broken like a child's toy. Or that after months on life support she awakes thirsting for revenge and submits to VIPER's latest supervillain creation scheme. Power armour that offsets her paraplegia is always a good one for a shock reveal if you still need to drive the guilt hammer home Secondly, there's a responsibility on the part of a GM to check player actions if you think they're going to do something their character wouldn't. Does the character have a Code vs Killing, or Honorable or something? You don't need to forbid them from doing something dumb, but a quick "are you sure you want to hit her with your full strength, which is capable of crumpling plate steel and shattering reinforced concrete?" might do. Finally, I don't think you mentioned what actually happened to the VIPER agent? Has the character been held for Assault, Causing Grievous Bodily Harm, Manslaughter or Murder? The telepath that identified the VIPER agent as such might also face charges as an accessory. Who are the witnesses? Are the cops in VIPER's pocket? How trustworthy ARE PRIMUS, anyway? (IMHO, not much!) Was it all a setup all along??? However, given that weapons were pulled before the punch happened, there's probably a case for self-defense. Unless the leader herself was unarmed.