Doctor Agenda

Re: Traveller Hero

Ah, this seems to be it:

http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Re: Traveller Hero

I will have to look for a link to this 'Traveller Hero' you speak of.

Re: Enterprise, Inc.

That's an excellent point. There's no way of knowing whether the 'hyperdrive' or 'anti-gravity' will pan out because they're theoretical, but MATERIALS that don't violate the laws of physics but are beyond our capacity to manufacture with current technology could be designed and Alts with appropriate transformation powers could make them real. There are both geniuses who can design spacecraft and Alts who can perform otherwise-impossible feats of manufacturing. Such spacecraft would be intermediate between paratechnology (paranormal technology that can't be understood or reproduced by current science) and regular technology...it can be understood, but not reproduced. Cutting current space travel times in half would make things like a manned Mars expedition practical.

Re: Enterprise, Inc.

You guys rock, thanks lots!

Re: Enterprise, Inc.

Enterprise Group, Inc.: This space-oriented research corporation started out as a Discussion Board inspired by the appearance of Alts (paranormals). Reasoning that Alts could accelerate the time table of humanity's reach for the stars, some computer-savvy Star Trek fans created a board with sub-forums for Engineering, Personnel, Colonization, and Financing. With the aid of Titan, the International Space Station has been completed with some extra bells and whistles. The technical expertise they've attracted for designing better spacecraft and the business know-how brought up on the Financing sub-forum has given some of the participants the confidence to incorporate a new aerospace business with a business model of employing Alts to help with all phases of their business, with putting up satellites being their current main source of income. The dream is to build an FTL starship, the reality is the theoretical foundation may be out of reach in our lifetimes even with Alt geniuses working on the problem. They will probably wind up using inexplicably functioning paratech with potential repair issues, but they want it bad enough to take the risk. They are rumored to have discovered a crystalline power source that will allow a 'warp engine' to function. They are designing something like a Star Trek 'Runabout' to deliver payloads, explore the solar system and nearby Stars, and start a Mars Colony. They are searching for Alts with abilities and skills that will be useful in space, like life support or radiation control. The Board is still active and full of suggestions for missions for Titan and other space-capable Alts.

I need some help for a present-day 'super-powers just appeared' setting. I'm not in the wrong forum, I'm just thinking of the technical progress that could be made in a setting where nearly 10% of the world's population gained paranormal gifts (around 90% of those very low-powered in terms of points, like +0-25 in base points and +0-25 in disads). Changes generally reflect the subject's desires and personality. The setting includes power objects created by the event and paratechnology that some paranormals can create which can somehow cheat the laws of physics. Left over from the empowering event are fulgarite-like glassine objects that contain the same transformative power as the event (effectively containing character points) which can be used to grant powers or allow normals to build or repair paratechnology. Sort of in-between lie paranormals whose powers allow them to alter substances and materials in ways not easily duplicated by current technology...they can help make technology that is theoretically possible if only we had 'X', but the tech requires the equivalent of highly skilled handcrafting.

Naturally, I expect both legitimate technological breakthroughs (by random roll, Paul Moller of Moller Skycar fame, is a paranormal), and theoretically impossible and non-reproducible paratech devices (reactionless drives, gravity rods, that sort of thing). The event occurred Oct 12, 2007, and I think it is time the fruits of a small percentage scientists getting +10 to their Int and engineers getting +5 to all Engineering-related skills started appearing.

Making the skycar practical and pushing the development of Valkyrie-type interstellar vehicles decades ahead are two things I'm considering. A related feature of the setting is space-worthy paranormals can deliver payloads, salvage debris, etc. I've basically stolen Titan from Gestalt Hero to be North America's most powerful paranormal (one in a billion).

Any suggestions for cool stuff that geniuses and savants could have close to market after 7-8 months in the category of legitimate breakthroughs?

Re: Odd Champions campaigns

Post-modern Surreal Realism: No one provably has super powers before today, now nearly 10% of the world's population is enhanced with new or improved abilities, about 90% of them very low-level, but about 1-in-a-million is at standard superhero level. What happens next?

Re: In the Gestalt Universe, The Superhero Ideal

They didn't really add on mind reading, I think the point was Lois had no way of knowing what he was or wasn't capable of.

An icon of heroism needs a code, like 'True Blue Hero' and 'Protective of Innocents'. Hero is as hero does, so in action he/she needs to be competent above all, whatever he/she can do, he/she should be very good at it. OR so powerful that he/she can forget a few powers here and there and still win the day without any casualties or property damage he/she can't fix before zooming off into the sunset.

Re: Super City

Super Thrift!

The place for someone on a budget to find used clothing, books (surprisingly varied occult selection), furniture, cheap jewelry (but some of it glows), trick boomerangs and arrows that people left just lying around the city, circuit-boarded helmets that will boost your intelligence and/or fry your brain, obsolete and clunky power armor prototypes, etc. If you're creative you can look or fashionable and/or equip your lair for surprisingly little money.

Re: My Superhero Universe

Just...wow! Cassandra, you have become one of the main reasons I check this board. I particularly found the idea of ground-up superhero training similar to Special Forces training to be very interesting.

Re: Superman

Showoff!

Re: Black Widow (250 Points)

I keep a file of all of Cassandra's writeups to rework slightly for a Low-powered Supers game. She is queen of 'less is more' character builds.

Re: help flushing out skills for Teen Champ Character.

I think the kind of skills she needs to be more fleshed out are this kind:

AK: Her School

KS: Latest Music

PS: Keep Up with Fashion

PS: Teen Diva

You might want to consider changing some of her skills to Advanced Familiarities, from the Ultimate Skill

Cost Skill

2 Acting 10-

2 Conversation 10-

2 High Society 10-

2 Oratory 10-

2 Persuasion 10-

I'm not suggesting you do that with all those skills, but you might want to consider doing it with some of them. Not only will it make her seem more like a teenager, I think you'll find the character development interesting as she gradually spends experience to bring those skills to their full potential.

Re: My Superhero Universe

From reading the Champions Universe book and the Champions Genre book 150 paranormals are probably quite prevalent. Out of the 6000 paranormals on Champions Earth only about 600 or so actually do the costumed whatever thing. And that doesn't include the however many Trained people who do the Batman/Nightwing/ etc thing. So you have the "low level" paranormals doing stuff with their powers that would help them with their jobs' date=' or community service. Things of that nature.[/quote']

 

That's a good point! All the power levels, even down to Competent Normals with powers IMO, can be effective supers in the right setting/story...street, rural, small town, investigation-oriented, etc. And they're missing a lot of color...I did like the nod in Everyman to a few 'regular people with powers'. I would just like to see more of that, and Low-powered Supers, too. I guess with the new edition coming up soon I shouldn't hold my breath on that kind of expansion of the CU.

Re: My Superhero Universe

Pad, pad, pad...nab!

Re: Are YOU a superhero?

I got 50 points for my moral code. If I start calling myself Dr. Agenda in public and wear a costume with a cape, apparently that would be enough to do the trick. If you see me on a Reals site you'll know what happened.

Re: Rifts HERO?

I started with the Wilke's Laser Pistol to establish a baseline MD rating: a 4d6 AP RKA, based on the fact that a modern LAW Rocket in Palladium has the same MD as the LP. Then each +1d6 of MD equals +1 DC. MD Armor is, of course, hardened. If you want to simulate the chipping away affect of Palladium MD Armor, instead of raising its DEF, give it extra Body. The characteristics translate pretty well directly, including # of Attacks = Spd.

My recommendation though, is that you throw out the RIFTS rules and just use the setting with Champions rules, Star Hero Tech and Fantasy Hero Magic. You've got enough to do figuring out what Juicers and Linewalkers should look like (IF you want to stick with classes, no reason why people can't have unique characters) without statting out every piece of equipment, too. They can have blasters and such off-the-shelf from Star Hero. I'm just sayin' there's such a thing as too much conversion if what you REALLY like is the setting.

Re: Martial Arts sub-genre settings?

The closest I've come to running a martial arts game was a horror setting where we fought an ancient Chinese mystic with legions of Kung Fu gangsters and a horde of various alchemically-created zombies hidden in a lair reminiscent of Lo Pan's. The PCs tended more toward 'good-guy monsters and mystics' than martial artists, though. If I recall we had a Kitsune, a guy who saw dead people, a half-fey, and a goblin who could eat anything. At least the Kitsune knew some martial arts.

Re: My Superhero Universe

In my campaign setting, Epsilon-level paranormals (around 250 points) are supposed to be about 10 times as common as Zetas (around 350 points), it would be very difficult for me to have too many of them. With a few tweaks to modernize them, your write-ups are a gold mine for me. Incidentally, it seems logical that they would be more common in the Champions Universe too, but low-powered heroes and villains are practially non-existent there: I think I could count all the examples in all the books for that universe on my fingers.

Re: A 'realistic' supers world?

Many supers would find a way to use their powers to make an honest living in industry or entertainment. 'Super' life coaches with tremendous charisma, welders with laser eyes, artists (sculptors, plastic surgeons) with transmutation powers, healers, etc. Others would use them as an edge to help them along, like super-persuasive lawyers, bulletproof soldiers, mind-reading therapists, and horticulturists with 'super green thumbs' for instance. If you're about the buck, there's lots of ways to make it besides crime, even if your power is invisibility--heck, you could probably charge just to demonstrate some powers.

Re: Pulling Authority & Other Genres

Too right. Being super means having more options than a crimefighter without powers. If bullets aren't a real threat to you, your life isn't on the line and you can afford to take a chance that your first shot won't take your opponent out. Being a superhero isn't about being a more effective killer, it's about being able to rise above, to at least some degree, the limitations of normal police or firefighters or helpful citizens.

Re: My Superhero Universe

Sadly, I must spread some rep around before giving more to Cassandra. I really like the design philosophy and tight characters, AND 150-point supers!

Re: My Superhero Universe

I stand corrected on Ultraman's EB. I was thinking 4th edition.

That happens to me a LOT.

Re: 250 character points vs 350 character points

You can still build an effective superhero on 250 points (just ask Cassandra), but it is harder than it used to be because a fair amount of the non-combat stuff is now more expensive (as Hank McCoy pointed out). It's hard to do a low-powered super game in the Champions Universe because it's geared to 350-point plus heroes. It would be nice to see something oriented to a game somewhere BETWEEN Standard Heroes and DC: The Animated Series or Teen Champions. Maybe 350 points is better for a game inspired by the Avengers or Justice League, but what if you want to run a game inspired by the Doom Patrol or New Warriors? Low-powered Superhero is a neglected power level, IMHO.

Re: A 'realistic' supers world?

More Known Individuals of the Wormwood Fallen universe:

 

The Middleman

 

While super-tech is available, it's not always easy to *find* on WF Earth. Further, meta-powered mercenaries (and the mundane sort) need a network to find employers they can trust, and crooks need ways to dispose of their ill-gotten gains.

 

Enter the Middleman.

 

The Middleman is a mystery man with a network of contacts and resources that boggles the mind. He sells anything, fences anything, and has only one rule; if you use his resources to kill, you will go to prison for it. More than one meta has been sent to jail on evidence anonymously delivered by one of the Middleman's agents.

 

However, among those who also don't want to kill, he remains practically the gold-standard of fixers... and has actually supplied more than one gadget-based superhero over the last couple of years.

How did the appearance of super powers affect the non-First World nations? I imagine many of them would fear or try to exploit their supers...or be taken over by them.