The Weapon

Re: Eccentric but plausible ways a character could be rich?

A termingly socially inept/asocial genius used you as what he called his "face". You pretended to invent all the things he invented, went to meetings to charm investors, gave interviews both TV and magazine, basically be the person people wanted to do business with. The genius pretended to be the lab assistant. The character wasn't as rich as people think but the genius was quite generous (he doesn't really care about money). Then one day some men came to the lab, they claimed to be businessmen, but you knew there was something wrong. Genius wanted you to leave but you stayed in case there was trouble. There was. You managed to see off the "businessmen" but genius was dying. His last word were "Final contingency D-5", which caused the computer to print out a will and testament leaving everything to you, included the results of his "special projects".

Re: 1000 Star HERO Weapons

027: David & Co. Legal Protector During the mid-21st century the increasingly restrictive "Anti-Terror" laws made almost everyone technically a "terrorist suspect" and therefore forbidden from owning guns. Small concealable spring guns like the Legal Protector become common for self-defence in the increasingly lawless USA.

Edition: 6e

Power Build:

1d6+1 RKA, Autofire (+1/4) OAF (-1), 4 clips of 2 charges (-1/2), extra reload time 1 full turn (-1 1/4)

Active Cost: 20

Real Cost: 7

Weapon Familiarity: Handgun or xbow (designed to operate enough like a hangun that that familiarity covers it.)

Description: Two small bolts are propelled by steel wire pulled by powerful spring-loaded wheels. They are arranged one above the other. Both can be fired at once or individually. Reloading each shot takes about 12 seconds, mostly retensioning the springs with the extensible lever.

Re: Fantasy Economies: How closely should we examine them?

I think economics gets a pretty bad rap from people in general, no one really wants to spend time (especially while gaming) thinking about how markets work and how they're influenced by governments or in the case of a fantasy game, how they are influenced by magic, gobs of gold, and piles of jewels. Dispite the common quote of referring to economics as the "dismal" science, I find it to be intriguing and far reaching and with dynamic consequences even for a fantasy setting. When you boil it all down, economics is really just markets and markets are just two or more people involved in mutually benificial exchanges. Sure, both (or everyone) is trying to get the upper hand in the deal, but both (or more) people want what the other is offering so some deal is likely to be struck and it will likely be to the benifit of both (or more) people.

 

Plus, I'm not really sure how badly magic can destroy an economy. If food can be created out of thin air, sure farmers, cooks, and the like will need to find skills that will serve their current situation better, but beyond that? It's like when any technology creates efficiencies in a system, it has ripple effects outward (loss of jobs, fewer labor requirements, etc), it also expands the market for that particular product, usually by decreasing the price bringing those who earn less into that products market. I think magic would act in many ways, like advancing technology... which is why I always define my magic systems thoroughly so that I (as GM) can regulate how the fantasy society develops and toward what direction.

It's not that magic could destroy the economy as that it could radically change it. Consider healing magic that makes diseases more survivable. You no longer need to bear 10 children to have 2 survive and provide for you in your old age so you don't need to cripple a woman's productivity for several months every chance you get. Magic that increases land productivity can boost population density, producing economies of scale for producing more sophisticated goods. Anything that allows relatively large amounts of cheap long distance travel reduces famine impact. Few famines were Continent-wide or even country-wide, there would be reserves in the neighbouring duchy, but the costs of transportation was about the cost of grain per 100 miles or something like that. Similarly preservation magic that reduced losses per year from 10-25% at least to say 5% at most would significantly curtail the suffering in bad years.

A country that suffers few serious famines, has high population density, low infant/child mortality and other changes from standard medieval life would be very different from a standard medieval country. And the people who provide those benefits will be very powerful, whether they want to be or not.

BTW economics was called the "dismal science" because it implied that white anglo-saxons were basically the same as blacks and Irish. This Thomas Carlyle found horrible.

Re: The Treasure Thread

The Hero's ring. A small brass ring with a distinctive design. If gained through efforts to protect the citizens in a particular area it chooses a desired bearer. This will be the one who acted most heroically defence of the local citizenry, although it doesn't have to be altruistic heroism, paid mercs doing their job well are fine. It influences this person (Mind Control, Invisibile Power Effects, +7d6 set effect to make it seem like their idea) to put it on or wear it on a necklace. If it can't get it's chosen person it will try for others in the party. Anyone seen wearing it in a particular village is treated extremel well, food is free for basic stuff, 1/3 price at most for delicacies, a clean room is free, minor misbehaviour is laughed off, officials born in the village ignore any taxes owed or if they can't get away with that massively lowball them. No explanation will be forthcoming. Any hostile forces asking after the character will diverted off unless it is extremely dangerous to do so. The character will be warned of dangers unless it is extremely dangerous to do so.

If acquired without heroic efforts on behalf of the local citizens it's just a ring, not very expensive but something a peasant might have as his treasured family heirloom. Nobody knows how the locals know whether it was acquired heroically or not, but they do.

The ring belonged to a famous adventurer who defended the town even though they didn't have money to pay for his services. He got them to swear on his ring that he and those he designated as his successors would always have a welcome and safe haven from the villagers and their descendants. He thought he might need it. He got a friend of his to preserve the promise in the ring. Died shortly afterwards with no known heirs passing on the ring to a young adventurer out of respect for his heroism. Ever since the ring seems to have regarded heroic defenders of the area his "successors".

Re: 1000 Star HERO Weapons

027: ASKD 1.3 Anti-Stealth Killdrone With the expanding number of advanced stealth options low-resource militias needed a cheap countermeasure. The ASKD 1.3 is simply an anti-battlesuit rocket reprogrammed to fly rapidly around an area and to avoid anything visible. If there is a stealth suit in the area it will eventually run into it.

Edition: 6e

Power Build:

4d6 RKA, AP * 2 (+1/2), AOE 16m radius (+3/4), Only against target invisible to normal sight (-1), Affects a maximum of one target within the area of effect (randomly chosen) (-1) , OAF (-1), 4 charges (-1).

Real Cost: 27

Weapon Familiarity: Rocket Launchers

Description: A rocket launcher with 4 rockets each about the size of a man's forearm.

Re: 1000 Star HERO Weapons

025: CJ-3 Cyberjammer Grenade Designed to incapacitate robot troops by generating large numbers of very powerful, very brief microelectonic bursts. Somewhat effective against early models of Android Soldier series but rapidly made obsolete.

Edition: 6e

Power Build:

5d6 Drain SPD, AOE [22m Radius, explosion] +1/2, delayed return rate 5/minute +1, 4 Charges -1, OAF -1, Only against AIs, robots or other things with cybernetic brains -1

Real Cost: 31

Weapon Familiarity: Thrown Grenades

Description: Looks like a bit like a pealed orange on a stick. When it activates each section pops out a bit and it spins rapidly.

Note: the -1 disadvantage for only AIs and robots can be altered depending on how common they are in your campaign.

026: CJ-4 Cyberjammer Grenade Designed to incapacitate robot troops by generating large numbers of very powerful, very brief microelectonic bursts. Replaced the CJ-3 when the AS series started incorporating defences. Added advanced phasing to overcome these defenses.

Edition: 6e

Power Build:

5d6 Drain SPD, AOE [22m Radius, explosion] +1/2, Armor piercing +1/4, delayed return rate 5/minute +1, 4 Charges -1, OAF -1, Only against AIs, robots or other things with cybernetic brains -1

Real Cost: 34

Weapon Familiarity: Thrown Grenades

Description: Looks like a bit like a pealed orange on a stick. When it activates each section pops out a bit and it spins rapidly.

Note: the -1 disadvantage for only AIs and robots can be altered depending on how common they are in your campaign.

Re: 1000 Star HERO Weapons

0015: Dismantling device A5

Edition: 6e

Power Build:

RKA: 4D6K (60) vs Energy Defense

Armor Piercing *3 (+13/4), Increased maximum range *2 (+1/2) Active: 135

OAF(-1) Bulky (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), 2-Handed (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4), 4* 4 Charge Clips (-1/4), Full turn between shots (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV) (-1/2)

Real Cost: 30

Weight: 28kg including ammo

Weapon Familiarity: Shoulder mounted weapons

Description:

The "dismantling device" was designed to dismantle [edit corrected spelling] "rogue" nuclear weapons without all that "cut the blue wire/red wire)" stuff. The principle is quite simple a nuke needs highly symetrical geometry in it's initiating chages and explosive lenses. All you have to do is send a chunk of metal through it faster than the shockwave of the RDX* and the nuke is junk. Probably highly radioactive junk spread throughout the building but still junk. This was accomplished by a man-portable (barely) railgun with an awesome recoil kick and a horrible recharge time (a full 12 seconds). Due to it's power it doubles as bunker buster/door opener in case the people who stole the nuke put it in a fortress.

* Rapid Detonation Explosive, an explosive whose explosion velocity is very fast.

Re: Infertile Half-Breeds?

Actually' date=' comparing them to eunuchs is an idea I had not considered. Since they can't found dynasties through progeny, taking a society like ancient China's and saying the bureaucracy only accepts half-elves gives it an interesting spin. Imagine half-elves as bureaucrats and courtiers. Since we would be talking about both males and females, other ramifications could be considered.[/quote']

 

Sure they don't have children but they have nephews. The Catholic Church found out that can be almost as bad for celibate/infertile managers. The term "nepotism" comes from the Italian for nephew. Fathering children that qualify for powerful bureaucratic positions can be very beneficial for their half-siblings.

Re: 1000 Star HERO Weapons

0014: HRG-2400

Edition: 6e

Power Build:

Multipower 75 (OAF -1,can't choose which power to use -1/4, real weapon -1/4, AP +1/4, AF (3 shots) +1/4, 8 * 16 shot clips +1/2, Activecost: 112.5 Real Cost: 40

fixed slot: 3d6+1 RKA(pd) AP +1/4, AF (3 shots) +1/4, (against targets with >2rPD)Real Cost: 10

fixed slot: 10d6 Blast(pd) AP +1/4, AF (3 shots) +1/4, (no body damage, against targetswith <3 rPD ) Real Cost: 10

Armoursense: DetectResistent Physical Defence over 2 (5), 18- (+18), only to againstthings shot by Binarybeam and only to determine which power used, -3/2, OAF -1 Active cost: 25

Real cost: 7

Real Cost: 67

Weight: 10kg

Weapon Familiarity: Beam weapons (plamsa)

Description:

The HRG was designed to make hostage rescue easier. It shoots a tightly contained ball of plasma that expands on contact. Any surface of less than 3rPD causes a slower, less concentrated expansion that does only STUN damage. A harder surface causes a concentrated burst forward doing killing damage. Armored opponents are hopefully taken out with no danger to unarmoured civilians. The design had a fundamental flaw though, it didn't take into account the walls civilans might hide behind. Taking cover from a HRG can be deadly. The overconfidence that they would not kill civilians backfired. They were retired from standard issue many years ago but some units can request them because they're easy on the budget (being discountinued) and fairly effective. Getting parts is pretty hard though. Used most effectively by the Free Sirius Collective when the Sirian government started strapping prisoners to the outside of their APCs.

Re: The Treasure Thread

Perhaps even said bard's very first book...and for an "epic level" bard' date=' the cost could be astronomical.[/quote']

 

Of course if the bard's first book is completely lame, the work of a pretentious amateur without the skill of his later works, this could be potent blackmail material.

Re: Recreating Magic from the Manga Fairy Tail.

We see that Natsu is effected by Fire attacks used by a God Slayer. Probaby build Dragon Slayer near immunity as Resistant Damage Reduction 75% - Fire Only and 10rED vs. Fire Only. (Possible remove the Vs Fire only and make it an absolute effect rule)

 

I only saw the anime so obviously they haven't got up to that bit.

Re: Like Cold Fusion... Except It Works?

Yes, unlimited power would run desalinization plants, ans unlimited fresh water would be used for irrigation to grow more food.

 

But, I'm sorry to say, unless there was a profit margin in growing food for the poor most big corporations would just let them starve since feeding them made no money.

Providing stuff to poor people is what most big corporations do. While without massive help from government they probably wouldn't feed poor people this is only because other poor people would undercut them. They would certainly run the desal plants though, because, although the profit per megalitre wouldn't be great, it would add up.

Re: Like Cold Fusion... Except It Works?

I know one thing:

If we can make energy cheap enough, we find ways to burn much more of it. (until we burn so much energy we get back to square one).

 

It's similar to how discspace works in Computers:

You neven can have enough.

When you have enough storage space, there will be more you want to store (beause you have the space). When you have too much to store, you upgrade your storage space.

And thus the loop begins.

We're talking about tens of tonnes of one of the world's most common substances to power the entire human race. Even if we consumed 1000x more energy in response to the lower cost it would still take tens of thousands of years to go through the hydrogen a cubic kilometer of water. Removing a cubic kilometer of water from the Pacific isn't even measurable. Using hydrogen at even a rate that would mean we'd run out of it would cook the earth from sheer waste heat. If this works we NEVER run out of feul.

Re: Recreating Magic from the Manga Fairy Tail.

Well for a start dragon slayer magic grants VERY high defenses against that element. Natsu is said to be totally immune to fire magic, while it's possible that there is someone or something in that world that can hurt him with fire, you don't every see it. I'd say a MINIMUM 30rED (against fire only, Hardened *2)

Requiping effectively is either a multi-form, Multipower or a VPP with the limitations that each different set of powers is visibly different. Erza requips instantly but it's noted that she's faster the bad guys ever saw. Presumably requipping is takes a segment, 1/2 phase or even full phase for most people who can do it. We never hear how Erza got all this stuff and it's never said that she spent a whole lot of money on it, so it might be created by her. Having over 100 armor (and god knows how many swords, dozens are seen AT ONCE) seems kinda expensive.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

*smiles a little unhappily* Thanks for that' date=' but sadly not anything nearly as amusing ( and yes, giant spiders would amuse me )[/quote']

 

As Dr. Henry (indiana) Jones pointed out, it's the small ones that are the worry, and since we've already got a lot of them why worry about the big ones?

Re: Like Cold Fusion... Except It Works?

But isn't it getting us on a different limited Fuel - Water?

 

When we asume it works out (and propably with better efficiency than current tech), then we will "burn" a lot of water on this.

 

Also while the CO² bilance is good, CO² isn't the only Greenhouse Gas. Producing millions of tons of helium per year or even day could have repecussion we have no idea of yet.

 

It would be fine if it works out, but it is not really a Miracle Source.

We have 622 million cubic kilometers of water in the Pacific alone (source wikipedia article on the Pacific Ocean). That is to say approximately 6.22 * 10^17 tonnes of water with about 6.9 * 10^16 tonnes of hydrogen. That's a lot when you consider we'll be burning it at fusion rates, not fossil feul rates.

From the masses of the hydrogen and helium atoms it appears that 0.7% of the mass turns to heat. Even assuming a 10% energy conversion rate each gram would get you 9*10^12 joules of electricity*, world energy consumption in 2008 (wikipedia again) was 474 exajoules or 4.74 *10^20 joules. So about the actual hydrogen needed would be on the order of 10^8 grams or tens of tonnes. The amount of helium released (even if it's made in small amounts so it's not worth capturing) is very 0.7% less than the hydrogen consumed i.e. trivial on a world scale.

* Take the figure in the projectrho big boom table for a gram of matter and antimatter divide by 2 for a gram mass/energy equivalence then by 10 for 10% efficiency.

Re: When I Am the Benevolent Ruler....

My wife will be advised in no uncertain terms against inviting Faerie Godmothers' date=' Witches, or supernatural creatures of any sort to our child's christening.[/quote']

 

Are you kidding? Do you know how those weirdos react when you don't invite them? It's not pretty. No what you want is to invite them but time it so that none of them can make it. You know the same day as the Annual Faerie Godmothers, Witches and Supernaturals Drink Free Day at one of the better pubs. If there is no such day consider secretly funding it's creation.

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

And here is my teaser art, "The Beast". I haven't inked in some time for a project that is to remain black and white. I ink all the time for my "superhero style", so it was fun to go back to an old friend and ink this up as a piece of black and white artwork.

 

Love this picture. The great thing is that there's nothing really to give scale, so you can just throw in sword, human, figure, house, or anything of known size and making this thing from 3 to 3000 foot tall.

Re: Adventure Seed that could be used in several genres:

This made me think of this Buffy TVS quote:

Re: Has anyone done an Artemesia Adventures in the Known World/HERO conversion?

Presumably you're excited about this idea. Express that excitement - Show us why we should be excited about this, too.

 

Right now, all we've got is a single sentence with the textual equivelant of a monotone.

I doubt anyone is going to get excited enough to do a coversion just because I want it. I just want to know if anyone has done the work. I like the Atermesia background but the writeup for that background is horribly unbalanced. If someone did a Fuzion system conversion that would help.

Re: 7 Sci-Fi Series Ripe for Movie Reboots

Yes! Yes! And Yes! again! Only please don't make it darker and edgier and grimmer and grittier and hotter and sexier. That trend not only is unneccessary' date=' it really p's me off.[/quote']

 

Darker than Blake's Seven? Darker than the series that starts out with the main character discovering that his entire family has been wiped out in backstory and that he's been talking to computer simulations of them over the videophone, possibly for years. The government alters children's memories to frame him for pedophilia. What damage this does to the children is unexplored, but presumably it's pretty bad (the memories don't apparently get reset). The government licenses mining corporations to commit genocide, or does anything it wants to, but is totally ineffective in stopping the major crime syndicate. Dissent is dealt with by massacre or exile to Signus Alpha depending on how lucky you are (not sure which result qualifies as lucky). One of the main characters suggests leaving the title character to rot in a hell because "He can't win, he can't possibly win" the fight for justice and freedom. And he doesn't. How would that get darker?

I like the background hate the unbalanced parts of the AAKw system.

Re: Living in PA-radise

I have to come back and reputize this later.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Telling the PAlindromedary to make a note of it.

Got him for you.

Re: Realistic Monetary Systems in FH

I've been thinking about something for a campaign setting I'm working on' date=' and I was wondering if anyone has played in a game with a "realistic" monetary system? By that I mean 12 copper = 1 silver, 20 silver = 1 gold, like the pre-decimal Pound Sterling, the French Franc and Livre (which as far as I can tell, was worth exactly the same), the Roman Currency system, and some others, I can't remember. But yeah. I think I like the system in abstract, but I feel it could be difficult to keep up with, compared to the simplicity of the decimal system.[/quote']

 

Best thing about 12copper = 1 silver = 1/20 gold is that it comes out to 240 copper a gold, about the easiest number to divide loot (divides by 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10, 12, 15, 16).

Re: The Treasure Thread

The Crown of Impartiality.

A coronet or tiara that removes the ability to sense sexual attractiveness or physical beauty. Effectively gives +20 or more PRE defence (only to counteract physical beauty), and +20 Power and Mental Defence (only versus powers based on beauty or sexual attractiveness). The wearer doesn't lack libido, he just isn't attracted by physical beauty, instead judging potential paramours by their inner qualities. Originally made by a Queen who wanted her son to pick a good, noble, wise wife instead of just grabbing the hottest little social climbing noble's daughter. Later torn from the Prince's head and thrown away after he eloped with the wheelwright's daughter. Well she was a very nice girl. Found, stolen, thrown away and found again many times. Rumours vary but there is some indication it can only be removed by the person who puts it in the wearer's head. There is also a rumour that, although it was designed and used several times with the intention of making political marriages easier, it has never achieved that purpose.