Colossus

Re: Champions Babies An interesting role playing chance. Good example are the orginal X-Babies (the X-Men turned to babies, a late 80's annual) or the Star Terk: TNG episode when Pacard and three minor characters were turned into 12 year olds. Always wished Data had been in the effect and turned into the Robot form Lost in Space "Danger Will Ricker"

Re: Colossus as almost all Colossus powers are linked to that armor, it really makes the character less expensive to operate purchase I'd also consider giving him even higher Damage Reductions against falling and knockback only (-1 Limited, I'd guess). This illustrates how in the comics he tends to jump out of planes or get thrown for miles and take little damage. Then again, generally in comics every character takes less environmental damage than they do from other people. Spider-man can be hurt by a punch from Daredevil, but seems fine recovering from 10 story falls and being hit by subway trains. DD is a strong fighter, I know, but not that strong.

Re: Colossus Actually Colossus still reverts to normal form when knocked out (I'd say 0 Stun). This is a pretty serious limitation, I'd even consider giving it some Disad points as an uncontrolled change.

Re: Too real? Didn't marvel basically do this with the Avengers vs. the Truine Understanding several years ago? If I remember this group discredited the whole team and forced a member onto them. A group with a lot of influence can be used against the team in some very interesting ways, obviously you need to make sure your players can handle it. I'd have three concerns: 1. Make sure none of them are members of the group (or big Tom Cruise fans). 2. Make sure they want to play in a game where the public turns against them. 3. As always, make sure it's fun (the group should be beatable)

Re: Let's make a superhero base auditions (Topside description) I like the idea of a converted warehouse. I lot of cities with urban redevelopment are taking these area with major tax breaks. It is an example of an urban secret base. Several apartments and maybe an office on the ground floor that all belong to the team members in their secret ID’s and there could be converted below ground floors for the actual labs/gym/meeting room and whatever else. The team would need some way to leave. If it is near the water create a team transport that is a submarine/plane and can leave from an underwater hanger.

Re: Thoughts on some superhero origins Stupid Native Syndrome is a serious problem culturally, but it depends on the character. It often deals more with the author’s limitations (or the players). Mark Twain has a wonderful piece on how bad Cooper (the author who created Hawkeye in last of the Mohicans) was. He has some “Indians” actually miss a raft by jumping from a tree after it went by despite the fact that it was a 15 foot wide raft floating down a 20 foot river, giving it a clearance of 2.5 feet on either side (they could have simply step onto the boat! This does not mean it is not an interesting character. Remember Ka-Zar was raised by a Saber-toothed Tiger and Tarzan by apes. Humans are in fact, at least in general, smarter than apes and I am assuming smarter than Saber-toothed cats. A lot of this is PC (main characters) vs. NPC. These characters transplanted to their parents native environments tend to be more skilled than the people their as well, what is cool is when a character blends native skills with non-native skills. The person raised partially in Victorian England and partially in a “savage land” would have amazing Skills. Then again there is George of the Jungle, who is clearly less skilled than both the natives AND the apes!

Re: Secret Identities and Teammates It should be the PC option, but if they hid their ID it may have problems. One of my PC last week actually had another PC masquerade as him using a high level Shape Shift Power. The one PC, who was wanted by the police took the form of the other, while the other was in his SID, a police officer, trying to get more information. Both had SID they have not yet shared. They both enjoyed the role playing. If everyone else shares their ID and you do not there may be trust issues in the team, but that leads to role playing. It really depends on the team feel. Some teams like the X-Men and their various allies tend to live together and therefore know almost everyone’s SID (Wolverine is the exception, but hey as he did not know it). Some teams socialize a lot, Teen Titans, and know each others SID pretty much from the start. Others like the Avengers know some and not others for years. IN the DCU SID are pretty much no longer an issue within the superhuman community, dozens of people (all the JLA, JSA, Titans and their former members) know Batman is Bruce Wayne. Trust need to be built.

Re: Villains Vandals And Vermin (VVV) I’ve yet to buy the book, but plan to do so. From the description, I think Buzzsaw is useful. Buzzsaw or any underpowered villain is often able to catch the PC off guard. 1d6 RKA with an autofire is no real danger to most 350 PC, but it is to normals. If 4 blades hit a single normal (10 Body) they are most likely dead. Even if you play without hit location damage multipliers, as most of us do (I think), 2 1d6 can kill a person. PC tends to forget that they can ignore flying razor blades, but people on the street cannot. A sample scenario. Buzzsaw become an Ultimate Shocker (good annlogy), Doctor Light, or Toad (back in the lacky days) to the PCs, they fight him 2 or 3 times and then he escapes (because they always escape). Here are 4 uses for the character after they know he is a “wimp” 1. PC do not respond (or respond quickly enough) to an emergency call because it’s just Buzzsaw, and a NPC (or DNPC) is killed, wounded, or kidnapped 2. Buzzsaw somehow gets a lucky shot it and actually wounds a PC, and they become a laughing stock. 3. Identity Crisis: Doctor Light clone. Buzzsaw becomes much more dangerous (new equipment) and still the PC will not take him seriously. 4. The League of Buzzsaws. One weak villain with a RKA nothing serious, 10 – a little more serious!

Re: Higher-point-level Fantasy I think experimented with Superhero level characters in Fantasy Hero or Star Hero settings is an interesting idea. I think of certain great heroes in both genres who are larger than life. If you really want to do a SF game with Jedi-knight types or a Fantasy hero with powerful wizards and one-man army barbarians – this would seem to be the best way for me. Let’s take Fantasy hero and spend 350 points on a rogue. Sure this rogue could take 3 or 4 “normal†warriors, but that just makes her a larger than life character. A 350 warrior might be able to handle as many a dozen “normals†or a dragon but this is not unheard of. I believe there would be three things needed to make this work: 1. While NPC do not need to spend points on equipment our heroes would. That keeps balance between the wizard collecting magical items and the warrior grabbing every weapon he can get his hands on. 2. The GM has to remember that his four (or however many characters) have 1,400 points between them at the start. There first encounter can not be six orcs (maybe six ogres). 3. If there are “Super Hero†level Fantasy Heroes, there are “Super Villain†level villains as well. Sure most of the people they meet and conflict with our built on a lot few points, but some few are not. I think this is a way to do really high fantasy or really ultra-powered SF, a way that really only the Hero System is equipped to handle (unless you start D&D characters at 15 level)! If you’ve tried this what happened? if not what do you think?

. I’m crating a PC who has an illusion generator built into his costume. He has Images, Invisibility, Darkness, Shape Shift and perhaps one or two other powers bought as effects of the images generated – I’m making it as a multi-power. I’ve got a few option questions for you all about it. Fuel charge? Page 184 of the 5 Edition says multiple powers off the same fuel charge should be purchased as an Endurance reserve. Would it be legal (and far) to purchase a Multi-Power with a unified special effect with a fuel charge instead. It seems to me a single fuel cell could power all these powers. Also I want him to have 5 hours of illusions from a single “charge” (a + ¼ fuel charge) – this seems far to me. (If not it is a 60 Multi-Power and I can just buy it at + ½ 0 END for a few more points). Point Division? Can a power that is not created by dice be lowered with a variable slot in a multi-power. If a PC has Images with max value of 60 (lots of increased area and lowered PER rolls) can he use less than the 60 points. (Create say a bunny rabbit for 15 points) and not use the increased area and lowered PER rolls and thus saving himself 45 points to use for other powers? Also the PC has Invisibility with the adders usable by others. If he is just using it on himself can he put only 30 points (sight and hearing) and have the others to use for other powers in the multi-power? Thanks for your help

Can the - 1 Mental Powers Limitation “Requires skin to skin contact” be used with non-mental powers like various FLASH or TRANSFORMS to simulate chemicals which must touch the skin to work or some other special effect? Can it be used as a –1/2 Limitation on non-ranged powers like various DRAINS, TRANSFERS, or even HKA’s?

DOCTOR WHO LIKE Campaign. I think the Hero system lends itself to a very interesting Doctor Who like Campaign. This is a perfect way to get different types of gamers together. The Hero Universe has a history that would easily allow a time traveling team of adventurers to explore the universe to it’s fullest. The system also has a universal mechanic that allows a superhero and a fantasy knight to fight and interact. Just imagine. Give each player 200 base and 150 disads to start. Some PC would be novices (a superhero) and some would be powerful in the extreme (a medieval knight with 350 points). Obviously PC would have to pay points for equipment for balance, but the extra points would make the knight, gunfighter, or scientist character totally balanced. The possibilities are endless. A “Time Lord” like leader with a huge amount of points on his/her TARDIS. A novice Champions superhero, an Fantasy Hero Wizards, an old West Gunfighter, a Space Pirates, a Medieval knight, a 1940’s spy, a Victorian Scientist/Adventurer, a cyberpunk adventurer. has anyone played anything like this?

Can an OAF not in use can become an IIF for free when not in use? I say yes. If my pistol is an OAF, I can hid it in my coat. Suppose you have a multi-power where each slot is an OAF. Can the whole MP be purchased as an OAF? I say yes. Example: Say I’ve got a PC who uses a brace of 4 specialized pistols. They are purchaced as a 60 multi-Power with each gun being a 60 fixed slot. Technically each gun is an OAF, but taking one gun away still leaves the PC three. I’d allow it because I think it is balanced, otherwise the PC is spending a huge amount of points on a series of foci. Perhaps this should be a –3/4 rather than a – 1 limitation, what do you thing?

I've got some questions: First. All the major powers are built through a Multi-Power. I want to give him a wand that allows him to cast these spells at 0 END, otherwise his END will be gone after a very few spells.. The Multi-Power is 60 points. To make it 0 END would cost 30 extra, if I make that only am OAF: Wand the cost of the wand would then be 15, correct. While the wizard holds the wand it powers his spells, if he loses it the spells come from his own END. Does this seem far to you, I am assuming he will lose the wand a lot, since many people will assume it is the sourse of his powers?

Re: Character for review: Artemis A great character concept. I think there is a lot of potential for use of Zeus vs. Hera. Also do not ignore she is using the name (an motif) of a pretty powerful Greek goddess, the historic Artemis might show up too. There are a couple of concerns I have about her though. I’m assuming all the characters are built on a 480 point max. and will be facing people of around 500 total points. My first concern is her bow. These arrows have 90 active points! She is effectively firing mini-guided missiles at people. The different types of arrows are interesting. How does she work the RKA with her Code vs. Killing? She also has a STR of 15. She is much more powerful than Hawkeye or Green Arrow, I’d build them with a 50 or 60 point MP. Any villain team with a collective IQ of 80 is going to release they have to get that bow away from her. Even is she is hovering a lot of villains will used called shots or fly up and try to take the bow away. Sure he has a high DCV, but when someone hits the bow is basically gone -15 STR to hold onto a bow in a campaign that allows 18 DC attacks. She could be facing foes with 90 STR, but a normal person has a chance to take it away. Without the bow she is powerless in a fight, she can take some damage, sure and throw around her PRE attacks, but that’s about it. On the STR not you also need to worry about entangles. Even a 3d6 Entangle is likely to take her out of a whole battle! I would remedy this in one of two ways. Magically attach the bow to her so it cannot be taken away (by changing OAF to OIF) You could do this by dropping the 90 active points to 70. All of the arrows would be weaker, but she would be much more versatile. The other possibility is to drop of few points of DEX or Skills and bump up her strength through a magic item to 30 or 40. Then she could hold her own against a lot of grabbers. Also I'd define this as a personal focus, or she is going to have a bunch of people come looking to steal it. Of course you may have though of this and left it for a weakness in the character, in which care I take back everything!

I've got a wizard PC whose got the following slot in a multi-power: Transfer 3d6 END to END (+ 1/2 0 END Cost). Two questions 1. Every pip on the dice equals 2 END correct (as END cost 1/2) and she could reach up to 36 Extra END? Also the phade rate would be 10 per turn, correct? 2. As she is going to be spending the END rather quickly (burning it off with other spells) does it Heal? If for example she had Transfered 18 END on her first phase and spent 20 END over the Turn on various things she would have used all 18 points she drained (which I assume come off first) plus 2 of her natural END. Post phase 12 she would lose 10 END that transfer back to the drainee, but would the remaining 8 heal if she had a REC of 10 - or is transfer END (or STUN for that matter) gone once it is spent?

I've got a PC Brick in the works who turns to Steel based somehat on Colossus of the X-Men. Rather than Multi-form I'm using Only in Hero ID, since the charcter only gains higher stats and does not gain or loss skills or mental abilities. I've got two construction issues I need help with 1. A major disad for the PC is Accidental Change. If reduced to 0 STUN he automatically reverts to normal, yet if awakened he can instantly change back. To me this is a more than fair trade off; rather than having an activate on 14 - and disactivate on 8 - for this disad, since he goes form 30 RPD to 8 Non-R PD in the coversation and losses the ability to breath under water! How much would you rate for this Disad. 2. Magentic Attacks do added Stun X 1 1/2 and have X 2 Effect on him. Yet when he is normal these limits should disappear. If I do not want to use Multi-form is there a far way to say Vulerabilities have a counter.

Re: Magic in a Champions game? Friends, In my real life I am a minister in a Main line Christian church. I would certainly not practice "magic," but HERO GAMES is a Game. Play away! Fiction is fiction. Be careful what you call magic, the term Hocus Pocus comes from a mistranslation from the Latin Mass! I have always allowed magic, it only makes sense in Champs. I I have a Magic related question, however. I have a PC with a “magic sword” Special Effect. The sword is purchased as a Multi-Power with the only limitation being the – ½ No Range. At first this seems weird I know, but the sword can be summoned from anywhere – so the PC can not really be disarmed. Anyway a simple 60 MP with the “No Range” makes the cost 40 – plus 8 for variable or 4 for fixed slots. A reasonable and fair construction if all the powers in the sword were originally ranged; which they were. When I reviewed the PC I found this slot Basic Strike (4d6 Ranged Killing Attack; - ½ No Range, fixed) END: 6 COST: 4 Now originally I said no to this, but after thinking it through I think it should be fully legal. A Ranged Killing attack with No Range means the PC can’t add her 15 STR. A Ranged Killing Attack is basically an EB that does killing damage. Would you allow this slot.

Re: Code VS Killing Poll An interesting question. Back in the old Marvel RPG remember you lost all your Karma if you killed someone? I remember several issues of the X-Men when "Code vs. Killing" is dealt with. Cyclops, who has been happly blasting aliens for issues, refuseds to kill the Prof. X Brood with "we fight to keep people alive." Colossus is upset that he is driven to kill or watch someone else die (Moria by Protos, about 128). I like 1 or 2. A Character can skill kill, they just avoid it. My rule of thumb is if killing is the only way to save someone elses life it is a little different than just the PC own.

Re: Super Team Membership Fringe Benefit But what do you do when players leave or join a team. If everyone chipped in 10 XP for the team base and two of five members leave, do the other three need to come up with 20 points? If a PC dies and the player replaces the PC does she have to pay what her old PC did for group equipment. Of course if she wants her last PC's Green Lantern ring she needs to pay for it, but the team Jet? Is it already paid for, or does the new PC need to pay her share.

How no you handle new members on an especially on a well developed team. I have no problem starting new PC at the campaign standard (350, for example) even if some players have as much as 100 or 150 EP. Remember Thor and the Falcon are on the same team, but what do you do about team property, contacts, and reputation. Suppose, for example Super Team 1 has five members, each of whom over a year throws 40 points into a single base/vehicle. The team could have the team could have the Starship Enterprise as a floating base/vehicle. Suppose two members leave, do the others need to come up with the 80 points or does 2/5th of their ship disappear? If a new member joins does she have to pay for her “share” of the vehicle. My answer is to set a Fringe Benefit of Team Membership. When the team is first founded this is free. Once the team has a minor base, a vehicle, or even a decent reputation I charge 1 point (generally after 2 or 3 sessions). Once the team is more established (Team Mansion, Team Jet, the President of France is coming to dinner tomorrow) I will charge 2 or 3. Maximum “Team Membership” benefit is 10 points. Equipment bought for the team is the team, as long as it is not abused. (OK our team of four spends 200 points a piece on our ship the Power Monger, so that’s 4000 points. At the start of the next session three of us quit and bring in our new characters and the final player loses his character in the third phase of combat and creates a new one) Here is the chart I think works Benefit + 1 For every 50 EP (250 points) of equipment the team shares up to 250 EP + 1 For every 100 EP (500 points) of equipment the team shares after 250 EP + 1 to + 3 For team contacts + 1 If team is sanctioned + 1 If the team has a positive reputation A character may also take Limitations like Hunted and Reputation if they know they are joining a villain team. Sure Wimp Boy just joined Force Seven three days ago, but it was in the paper so now he is a target . Normally I would not allow a PC to join an established NPC team. “I am a member of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Spider Friends!”

Re: Multi-Power and recovery Good point about buy up cost - I agree that would be unfair., I did not buy up the END cost on this character, but she has a force field costing 4 END a phase plus a dozen or so spells that have 60 active points; so she burns 10 END a phase and has a speed of 6 (magically enhanced by a focus) - thats 60 END if she stands completely still. Her Con is only 20, so her END is 40! I plan to use at least one phase for recovery once she has clocked the battle and has an idea when she will not be hurt.

I’m creating a mage character who draws on her own END to power all her spells, several are quite expensive in END. Her primary spells are built into a multi-power and I want one of those spells to be a “Refresher” where her END and/or STUN are restored. Without this her spells would draw 100% of her END in less than 30 seconds of combat! Normally I don’t believe stats should go in multi-powers, but in this case it makes sense. So is it legal (and balanced) to put a + 30 Recovery in a Multi-Power. Then when it is the mage’s phase she can shift the multi that Recovery and take a recovery on that phase and recharge her batteries (the Effect is a moment of meditation, which would certainly fit taking a recovery). If it’s legal and she takes it on phase 12 would she also then get her post 12 recovery at + 30? There are of course other ways of doing the same thing: Healing END (Self Only, NO END – opr you could actually lose more than you gain.)

I’m creating a mage character who draws on her own END to power all her spells, several are quite expensive in END. Her primary spells are built into a multi-power and I want one of those spells to be a “Refresher” where her END and/or STUN are restored. Without this her spells would draw 100% of her END in less than 30 seconds of combat! Normally I don’t believe stats should go in multi-powers, but in this case it makes sense. So is it legal (and balanced) to put a + 30 Recovery in a Multi-Power. Then when it is the mage’s phase she can shift the multi that Recovery and take a recovery on that phase and recharge her batteries (the Effect is a moment of meditation, which would certainly fit taking a recovery). If it’s legal and she takes it on phase 12 would she also then get her post 12 recovery at + 30? There are of course other ways of doing the same thing: Healing END (Self Only, NO END – opr you could actually lose more than you gain.)

I’m building a series of cheap (both point-wise and shoddy) robots that lack the normal Robotic powers. They can be stunned, they bleed and they most certainly have hit locations. I think this is actually quite logically. My reasons; 1. Machines leak. How many helicopters and TV have a fuel line hit and rather than blow up (which is really what would happen) slowly leak fuel. Of course a robot would not bleed, but small internal fires or even crakes may get worse over time. (If you don’t believe me ignore that weird pinging in your car and see what happens. I really think, for less advanced robots, the bleeding rule is a good way to simulate this effect. 2. Computers can be “stunned” by a need to multi-task at to high a level. If they are jarred it may take a matter of seconds for internal systems to recalibrate. A punch could easily knock a robot “offline” for a second or two. Obviously the most advanced robots would be built with the normal advantages, but less powerful ones could easily fall into this category – right?