Shaft

Re: Help with a character name I was going to suggest "Safe Blind Teleporter"... But on the serious side, Blindside gets my vote.

Re: 007 7.0

Re: nbc heroes tv series Hiro Nakamura He's awesome. But then again, he "bend time unto space!" How could he not rock?

Re: 007 7.0 1) Connery 2) Lazenby 3) Moore 4) Dalton 5) Brosnan 6) Craig. I wasn't including the original Casino Royale in the "explanation". I haven't seen it either, but I've been told it doesn't "jive". "Never Say Never Again" doesn't really fit it, but's not part of the same franchise either. These two are considered "non-canon", according to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_%28character%29 Here are some quick thoughts on how I would write up my versions of 007. The details are minimal, since a lot of the Bond traits are shared (gambling skills, WF: firearm proficiencies). "Connery" Bond: STR 15, DEX 17, CON 15, BODY 14 INT 18, EGO 18, PRE 18, COM 14 PD 7 ED 5 SPD 4 REC 8 END 30 STUN 35 2 overall levels, 2 levels w/combat, 2 levels w/HtH Martial Art style: boxing that includes an offensive strike (hook), though he may have picked up a ninjutsu maneuver or two in "You Only Live Twice". Disadvantage: Psychological limitation: cruel (common, moderate) Physically, the strongest of the Bonds- able to take a beating from the likes of STR 20 opponents like Grant and Oddjob without shying from the melee. In fact he seems to prefer melee combat over firearms since it lets him indulge in a little cruelty. Very "in your face", uses his high PRE to provoke the enemy into making mistakes with taunts that are just subtle enough to be deniable. This Bond never skis on film, though he can SCUBA dive. *** "Lazenby" Bond: STR 13, DEX 20, CON 15, BODY 13 INT 18, EGO 13, PRE 15, COM 16 PD 6 ED 5 SPD 5 REC 6 END 30 STUN 35 2 overall level, 2 levels w/combat, 2 levels w/HtH Martial Art style: dirty infighting, defense maneuver versus multiple opponents. Disadvantage: Unluck 2d6 Physically, he relies more on his agility than his toughness. In the lone film that he was in, he got into Hand to hand combat a lot, and the fights were sped up to make him look faster. Unlike Connery, he is not confrontational, though it would be wrong to suggest that he is timid. He shares his predecessor's passion for subtle insolence (as when he suggests with a straight face that Irma Bunt's name might mean the side of a boat). He has the worst luck of the Bonds- whether he is failing stealth checks by stumbling into a room full of bells or having his wife die within minutes of his wedding. *** "Moore" Bond: STR 10, DEX 23, CON 18 (drops to 15 in View to a Kill), BODY 11 INT 18, EGO 15, PRE 20, COM 20 (drops to 16 in View to a Kill) PD 5 ED 5 SPD 4 REC 10 END 36 STUN 40 4 overall levels, 2 levels w/combat Martial Art style: relies on combat levels, prefers not to dirty himself with HtH combat, though he's certainly able to engage in it. While not physically strong, Moore is extremely agile (bordering on the superhuman- he could survive in a Champions setting, and goes up against Jaws who has a 30+STR) and possessed a great deal of stamina. Even as his age became more apparent in later years, he was able to stay in fighting shape. He could take a beating as well, though he usually ended up outsmarting opponents when he could. His luck and quick wit gives him a detached and aloof attitude that conveys the impression that not only is danger routine for him, he's really quite tired of it all, really, and he would like to get back to the Gentlmen's Club as soon as possible. He was perectly happy to break off a fight to finish it another day, and used his skills as a championship skier, parachutist, SCUBA diver, mountain climber, car/boat/minijet/space shuttle pilot to escape. He could seduce women with a glance, and would often use his PRE to make his enemies underestimate him. He killed quickly with little cruelty, but made it a point to avenge a fallen ally. *** "Dalton" Bond: STR 13, DEX 18, CON 15, BODY 13 INT 18, EGO 20, PRE 18, COM 14 PD 6 ED 5 SPD 4 REC 7 END 30 STUN 35 2 overall level, 2 levels w/combat, 2 levels w/range Martial Art style: commando training Psych lim: vindictive Dalton's most notable trait was his determination to see the mission done. That determiniation is visibly projected in everything he does, and it becomes even more apparent when he chooses to pursue his own agenda. It also keeps him from getting distracted by the beautiful women he encounters- unlike the other agents using the Bond name, Dalton would only involve himself with one woman per movie, and it was the woman most involved in his plot- it's possible that these liasons were just a means to an end for him and that the romances ended once there was no mission to pursue. He favours ranged combat because it is expedient. He is the most vindictive of the Bonds, and the most remorseful because he seems to have an awareness that the other Bonds don't have of what being a "00" has cost him. He is ruthless in his fights, but is outraged when the battle between professional spies spills into the civilian world. Dalton never skis, though he does use a cello to expertly toboggan down a mountain and over a border. *** "Brosnan" Bond: STR 13, DEX 20, CON 15, BODY 12 INT 18, EGO 18, PRE 18, COM 18 PD 6 ED 5 SPD 4 REC 7 END 30 STUN 35 2 overall level, 4 levels w/combat Martial Art style: commando training Brosnan incorporates elements of all his predecessors. He has a strong sense of remorse about what his profession has cost him in life, though he keeps his head and has kept his loyalty to MI6, even staying on after he was captured for a full year. In combat, he is equally adept in melee or with firearms. His charisma is surpassed only by Moore, and as such, he can rely on it, though his charm lacks subtlety, and when it doesn't work, he quickly reverts to a more combatative option. *** I'll share my thoughts on what "Craig"'s write up would be after Nov 14th.

Re: 007 7.0 James Bond is a disaster, continuity wise. You'd have to be pretty creative to come up with a way to explain the 20+ movies, 6 actors, and 40 years. One of my friends has surmised that he is a Time-Lord. This same friend also came up with the possible explanation that the name "James Bond" is an identidy assigned to an agent in conjunction with the number. The name has as much of a repuation as the number, but keeping the face fresh allows 007 to confuse the enemy a little (to say nothing of the viewers). When "Sean Connery" retired, the James Bond/007 ID went to "George Lazenby". Lazenby cracked after one mission when his new wife was killed, and "Connery" came out of retirement for one last mission to avenge his fellow agent in "Diamonds Are Forver". After that the designation went to "Roger Moore", then to "Timothy Dalton" (who had a short run due to his tendency to go rogue), and then "Pierce Brosnan". "Brosnan" was an old school veteran agent that had been operating for a long time without a "00" designation, and M (Judi Densh) didn't like him initially, but she eventually grew to trust him. Now "Brosnan" has retired, and a new man, "Daniel Craig" is stepping up to the plate. It actually works, sort of. And Lazenby does refer to Connery when he says "that never happened to the other fella".

Re: Ego Boost I'm inclined to agree with you that beyond an EGO of 30, we're looking at superhuman willpower. To have complete mind control (EGO +30 result) a character with a 30 EGO, you'd need to roll 60, which is the average roll on 17 or 18d6. If that same character buys a single point of Mental Defense, the target climbs up to 37 (which means you need 20d6 mind control). That's very, very impressive, but not in the realm of godliness. To have complete mind control of a 50 EGO character, you'd need to roll an 80! (This is after getting past his 17 ECV). For that result, you need about 23d6. If that same character has just 1 pt of mental defense, your target climbs up to 91, which means you need 26d6. If your willpower is at a level where 20+d6 of mind control is not a guaranteed result of complete mind control, then I'd say you're in the clearly superhuman range of power. For the record, I think an 18 EGO is quite impressive for a non-mentalist. It allows you to push yourself on a 13- (before levels), gives you a ECV of 6, and adds 4 pts of mental defense to whatever totals you have. I think it fits the definition of "strong willed" very nicely.

Re: Ego Boost I'm inclined to agree with you that beyond an EGO of 30, we're looking at superhuman willpower. To have complete mind control (EGO +30 result) a character with a 30 EGO, you'd need to roll 60, which is the average roll on 17 or 18d6. I remind you that average here means you roll that half the time with those dice. If that same character buys a single point of Mental Defense, the target climbs up to 37 (which means you need 20d6 mind control). That's very, very impressive, but not in the realm of godliness. To have complete mind control of a 50 EGO character, you'd need to roll an 80! (This is after getting past his 17 ECV). For that result, you need about 23d6. If that same character has just 1 pt of mental defense, your target climbs up to 91, which means you need 26d6 for a 50% chance of success. If your willpower is at a level where 20+d6 of mind control is not a guaranteed result of complete mind control, then I'd say you're in the clearly superhuman range of power. For the record, I think an 18 EGO is quite impressive for a non-mentalist. It allows you to push yourself on a 13- (before levels), gives you a ECV of 6, and adds 4 pts of mental defense to whatever totals you have. I think it fits the definition of "strong willed" very nicely, and is a good investment for 16 or 17pts.

Re: Ideas for a circus/carnival themed villain team GURPS villains has a few suggestions: Caleb St John, a psychic vampire that runs the freak show in a circus and feeds off the audiences horror; Corrine St John, his shapechaging were-leopard sister; Alli-Gertie, the Alligator Girl (a brick with swimming and extended breathing); Mr Elasto, the rubber man (stretching, limited desolid); Rainbow, the tattooed lady- covered head to toe in tattoos (tattoos come to life, use summoning power with limitation, only tattooed object); Targo, the two headed dwarf- has a vesigal head and forearm spouting from his chest (duplication- the head and forearm step out); Mr Starfish, has shortened limbs, the intellect of a child, and lives in straw filled crib; Gordon Applebee, the fattest man in the world- also an avid reader thanks to his limited mobility (brick with knockback resistance a la Blob); Li and Tao, Siamese twins joined at the hip that share a leg (martial arts, extra limbs, 360 degrees of vision); Drei Augen- has a third eye (psychic); The WolfMan of Madagascar- some hairy dude that was found in a boat by Japanese fishermen and sold to Caleb (tracking scent, nightvision, HKA). Except for the first two, in the supplement, these are normals with freakish appearances for the most part, but it might be easy to add powers to them- my suggestions are in brackets next to the name.

Re: Bad Powers 1d6 EB, AP, autofire (20). 12 pts, 1 END/shot DropZone: Leaping 1", megascale. Do not take accuracy adder- his scatter zone is 1 km for every point he fails his dex roll by, and his "on target" leaps are all over the place too. Life Support, usable as an attack, only usable as an attack. The Stupid Ugly Stick: 1d6 HA linked to 1d6 drain INT (must target head), and 1d6 drain COM (leaves a nasty welt) 0 pt duplicate, gradual effect over 9 months, gestures (intercourse with another fertile person of opposite gender with the same power, gesture is complex and must be sustained through casting), extra time (1 turn to 6 hrs, depending on CON roll), duplicate cannot recombine, powers do not work in the presence of contraceptive... hopefully.

Re: Assault on Stronghold A fun scenario for a Villains in Prison might be a variation on the Suicide Squad, where villains get recruited for deniable missions by a government agency that doesn't exist in exchange for time off their sentence. But that is a digression: if I had to play a villain, and playing nicely with the other PCs wasn't a requirement, the Blue Moon Killer might be fun. To paraphrase Rorschach in the Watchment: “You don’t understand. I’m not trapped in here with you. You’re trapped in here with me.” The Idiot King from one of those 4th edition Dark Champions sourcebooks would be another fun choice.

Re: Need an organization name It looks like a name has already been chosen, but I can't resist sharing this idea. In my group, we have an expression which is "IFM". It stands for "Inner F***'n Monologue", and it is used when one player wishes to convey the suggestion that another player should keep his "bright ideas" to himself instead of announcing them out loud for the GM to incorporate into his plot (these are ideas made during the speculative phase of an investigation like "what if person X is a were-tiger?" or "maybe your DNPC is being mind-controlled?" or "maybe the CIA put implants in our head to track us?", at which point the GM is thinking to himself: "hmm, That's a good idea. I'll just rewrite my story...") At any rate, the term has become kibbage in our group. I recently introduced a STAR labs type company called IFM. Unlike other corporations that use a set of letters to market themselves, the IFM corporation refuses to restrict their definition to one set of words to match those initials. The first two letters always stand for "Ideas For...", but the last letter is always open. IFM's motto is as follows: (picture a montage with shfting pictures of scientists working in the related field below) "Ideas For Machinery... Ideas For Materials... Ideas For Manufacturing... Ideas For Medecine... Ideas For Missions... Ideas For Matters... Ideas For Mercy... (and then the dramatic pause) Ideas For Mankind..." The logo looks suspiciously like IBM's, with one of the letter's changed.

Re: Looking for cool ideas for "puzzle-combat" If you want a variation on the opponent who hears his name and gains strength from it, you can make the opponent an empathic vampire who gains strength from the crowds' adoration. Of course, if the crowd turns on him, things go south. Presence attacking the crowd instead of the opponent might be a way to do this. Arena Combat ideas are not just limited to the arena itself. You can have an NPC gladiator who is a plant by the captors that reports what happens in the arena in exchange for privileges (superior weapons, drugs, etc...). This is a good "streetwise" test. Of course there's also a few other classic personas- the gladiator "leader" who has given up on getting his freedom that the PCs can inspire, the pacifist monk that was abducted who still refuses to fight (challenge: how will the players save him? This guy makes a great NPC partner in a "doubles" match- espcially if he taught the PC a maneuver an the player feels indebted to him), the actor who isn't actually as good as the movies make him out to be, the slimeball who cuts a deal, the guard who "didn't sign up for this" and is losing his resolve, the other guard who gets pissed off with the PC so much, he decides to enter the arena to take care of him, the spectator who takes an interest in the PC(s) and makes an offer... There's a whole range of social skills waiting to be used in there. A natural opponent for a Mechanical Engineering specialist is a robot. The test can range from spotting that a "human" is actually a Life Model Decoy or something or it can act as a substitute for Find Weakness on a more obvious robot. IR vision is an obvious choice for the sense that provides the first clue. Or else, make the combat involve vehicles of somekind like combat hoverbiking. If the player realises that his vehicle is less maneuverable but has more thrust and can climb higher and faster than his more maneuverable opponent, he might be able to change the rules (The Top Gun school discovered this when they were comparing MIGs to Phantoms and changed their tactics as a result). Weaponsmith might be usable like Tactics or Analyze combat to gain a small bonus against a weapon-using enemy. Or perhaps it can be used to offer a clue: the character realise that an energy weapon shorts out when exposed to water or rapid temperature changes (hey, that covers warm up environment too). An exmple that comes to mind is the Predator's cloaking armor. Another use might be jury rigging a broken weapon (imagine Darth Maul's double sided lightsabre getting split in two with only one side still working. The PC could get his hands on the defective half and with a roll or two "bzzz!", Duel of the Fates! Your PC with fine manipulation Telekinesis will probably appreciate it if he has to go up against an opponent that has a damage shield and that favours grab maneuvers. Or if the TK affects porous, he can target bodily fluids (of course that sets a dangerous precedent...) or hydraulic fluids (if the opponent is a robot). Forensic medecine might be useful against a zombie opponent to find a weakness. Maybe the zombie has an implanted device that triggers resurrection after he is killed (Mechanical engineering works well too here) and the PC has to take that out before truly being able to kill his enemy. Another opponent might be a resurector whose parts come bak together when they are severed. The PC would have to figure out a way to seperate the two "dead" parts to keep the opponent died (tie the head to one side of the arena, and the body to the other side). Good luck. I'm curious to hear how this all goes down.

I suspect that the answers to these questions are that the GM makes these calls at his/her discretion, but I was hoping I could get your thoughts on a few queries I have regarding multiforms and OiHID: 1) I have a player in my game who has two forms. One is an astronaut (his secret ID), the other is a flying brick, who does not possess the myriad of skills that is gained through NASA training. He has taken the OiHID limitation on the on his super powers and taken the "Only in non-Hero ID" (effectively the same limitation, but applying to his normal ID). Is this a questionable way to apply a -1/4 limitation to nearly every skill he has, or is it actually an acceptable option? My personal belief is that a multiform is more appropriate in this case. 2) Does the point cap for a character apply to each multiform? For example, if I am running a base 200pts + 150pts in disads, and the player builds a multiform, can he have a form that exceeds 350 pts? 3) When multiform is used in a supers game, is the "super" identidy required to be the primary form? One of my players wants to build his secret ID as the primary form and the super ID as a secondary form (which conveniently means he can effectively convert every 1 XP that is awarded to him to 5 that he uses to power up his secondary form. I feel that since the superhero form is the form in which the majority of the experience is gained, that is the form which should be the primary. Thank you, MLG