Gideon

Re: The Zodiac Group The reason (which is fine) is not the problem. The problem is that IMO it is an invalid Hunted. It would be like Iron Man having the Avengers as a hunted (watched), with the reason being "He's been taken over by Ultron at least twice". As long as Iron Man is a member of the team the "hunted: Avengers" cannot be worth points because he works with them and lives part time with them. I am sorry, but at least as far as I am concerned you cannot have your own team as a hunted, even a watched.

Re: Fallout (Too) I agree with Question Man, the character is very nice (not the kind of thing I would ever want to play, but really well written). The problem is Braincraft is absolutely correct. You cannot purchase only 1 maneuver, and the linked is illegal. Even if you could legally link all of his powers to his life support, there are still things wrong with it. 1) You cannot get the bonus for "Must use power at full value" when linking to a power that only has 1 value. So the value of Linked would be reduced by 1/4 for all the powers 2) The "greater power" is the one with the higher active point value, the "lesser power" is the one with the lower active point value. If a greater power is linked to a lesser power, the value of the linked is reduced by 1/4. Therefore any power he possesses that is more than 49 AP must have its linked value reduced. So at the most the linked would be worth -1/2, but everything in the EC would get only -1/4. And thats if they could get any limitation for linked at all. There is one flaw in Braincraft's suggested fix, though. If the character is stuck permanently as a radiation creature he can't have OIHID.

Re: The Zodiac Group I like what I read, but I found two minor issues: Leo's claws should not be bought with restrainable. Its already an HKA and has the "Hand-to-hand" limitation, this is just redundant (and therefore should be worth 0 points). I don't think its valid to have your own group as a hunted for Libra. Just my 2 cents.

Re: Metagaming Question On Universe Building I am generally better at running the "open-ended" kind of game, but I pick my players VERY carefully, and I only run games for 4-5 players EVER, when I do run this kind of game. The thing of it is, I think the style is very genre dependent. I think every game needs a bit of both styles. There are times when you need the open-ended, so what do you do today bob?", and there are times when you need the adventure with a goal. Its all a matter of how much emphasis is put on which style. I think a typical fantasy game runs better when it is mostly adventures with goals, and the open-endedness of the world comes into play mostly in-between adventures. Yes, a "So what does Zasheir do today?" can lead to an adventure, but it doesn't have to, and unless important things are going to happen to the character while galavanting off alone, I think it should be mostly glossed over (or it interupts the game for everyone else at the table). The same goes for Super hero games. I like my super hero game to feel like a comic book, so to much of "Ok, its Tuesday March 4th, what is Gideon doing today?" gets boring. I mean yes you need some of it, but once a crime happens and the PCs start looking into it, the adventure should gain quite a bit more structure, or IMO it looses its feel. To me a super hero game needs impitus for the characters, crimes, clues, fights, and action. On the other hand I think a small town murder mystery game or supernatural investigator game (more X-files/ Poltergeist the Legacy, less Buffy/ Angel) can be done in a very open-ended "what do you do this morning?" way and work very well. To me the pacing is different in this kind of game, and atmosphere and suspense are more important than fights and action.

Re: Hurl Lightning from another’s lightning ability… I have a character with a similar power. The character: Rebound, has the power to absorb, and expel energy. She is built with a 50 point VPP with the limitation Only to mimic the SFX of the last power absorbed. And she has a 4d6 absorb (any energy attack) 1 minute return rate, absorb to VPP The GM and I have agreed that the lim on the VPP means that the base pool is unaxcessable if she has no energy absorbed. The character is a ton of fun, but with that being her only actual power there have been a number of times during fights where the character feels useless because nobody on the team is an energy projector, and she can't shoot unless already hit. So unless "Son of Zeus" has other powers (the lightning being only a backup power) I think it may be best to give him an item (like a belt, staff, or arm band) that allows him to shoot his bolts with some regularity. Either that or he is going to be shoving his hand into the electrical socket a great deal. I would consider giving him something like this: Armband of Lightning: 10d6 EB (lightning), OIF (golden armband with lightning bolt symbol) (-1/2). I would also consider giving it 8-10 charges (it needs to sit near an electrical source for a given amount of time to recharge). But I would consider keeping its end cost even if it does have charges. Gojira's idea is good also.

Re: "Never Miss" powers Darkseid's Omega Beams are built as Summon 1,517-point energy attack, Slavishly Devoted (+1) (606 Active Points). Read "Nega-Beam" on page 261-262 Until Superpowers Database Revised for the full description. And as for Spidey, that pretty much part covers it. Also, Wayside why do you find it hard to believe that a character can DFC 1" to get out of the way of an attack? I would hope that moving 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) would get me out of the way of a laser beam or a single bullet.

Re: Invisibility, Shapeshift, and Enhanced Senses Ok, what about invisibility or shapeshift to a single non-targeting sense, like radar, or normal smell? Would a targeting version of said sense trump the alteration?

I have a problem understanding Invisibility and Shapeshift when it comes to targeting VS non-targeting senses and sense groups. Let me explain... According to the book, the only sense group that is automatically targeting is the sight group. So if I want to be invisible to sight I need to pay the points for "Targeting Sense Group". The hearing group is listed as a non-targeting group, so it would make sense to buy my invisibility to all hearing as "Non-targeting Sense Group". But what happens if someone is playing Dog-man, and has targeting hearing? I payed to be invisible to the entire hearing group. Which power trumps? If I want to be truly invisible to all all sight and hearing, do I need to buy both as targeting groups, even though targeting hearing is almost unheard of? The same thing goes for shapeshift. The book says that a voice modulator (voice changer) should be bought as Images, but a voice synthesizer (a device that makes its own voice) should be shapeshift. If my character has a voice synthesizer (effectively the character thinks something and the machine speaks it for him, the character never actually talks), and the power is bought as Shapeshift: hearing group (non-targeting), how will this interact with targeting hearing? Should the power be bought as "Targeting group"?

Re: Multitasking, or the hyper-advanced intellect Yes, but only if you need to spend points on it. If you don't want this ability to have a combat effect (IE you can multitask like a normal person) then you don't need PSLs or anything else. Only if you have super-multitasking do you need to spend even 1 point for this ability, and then I'm not sure if PSLs work because I have never used them and don't know the mechanics behind them.

Re: Multitasking, or the hyper-advanced intellect I agree with Bloodstone. I would simply chalk it up to SFX, especially if your character has speed reading and lightning calculator, (and then even more so if he has Eiditic memory on top of that). At least as long as it doesn't have a combat effect. I mean, please, why would you need to spend points so that your character can dictate a letter, read a book, and type out quantum theory equations while in his lab? As long as he can talk, read, knows Quantum Theory, and it fits the character it should cost nothing. Mind you, if you want him to be able to defuse a bomb, while driving a car, and shooting at a villain all in the same combat phase, then yes you pay for it.

Re: The Questions 6th Edition Really Needs To Answer ghoti. or in other words "fish"

Re: Modeling Parkour/Free Running What about Flight with the "surfaces only" limitation? A lot of characters I've seen use that to simulate the Flash's ability to run up walls and over water. You just take a -0, to the advantage and make it solid surfaces only. Or you could alter the lim slightly and instead of calling it "surfaces only" call it "free running only", in this case you can "run", "jump" and "climb" the way free runners do, but it counts as only 1 mode of movement.

Re: Bewitched "time stop" While you are right and the description of the power does say that, the build of the power doesn't support it. That is why I said it is debatable whether or not you should be able to interact with "real time" without having Transdimensional powers. Granted due to the SFX of this power if I were ever to allow it in a game (yeah, right) I wouldn't require the character to have transdimensional on his senses, only on everything else he would need in order to manipulate things in "real time" Otherwise its just a super-cheesy teleport substitute.

Re: Characteristics in an EC I disagree. IMO a constant power that is in an EC must cost end to have active not simply to use. Thats what I meant earlier. I will only allow STR in an EC if you have to "activate" the STR and pay end to have it active as well as paying the normal end to use it. You are right, and I realized I forgot to mention that I also impose the No Figured Characteristics lim on any characteristics in an EC.

Re: Bewitched "time stop" You are absolutely right. I was simply looking at this from a strictly rules standpoint. "Entering the Speed Zone" IMO wouldn't be built as a massive area drain, but EDM or Transform. The problem is that (if you try to use this in combat) you can't stop someone from falling out a window by draining their speed. Maur: I only watched the show for a short time during the first season or so. The only scene I remembered was one where Piper used her power outside of an office to stop someone from attacking her.

Re: Characteristics in an EC For the most part I say no stats in an EC. My reason is simple: The book says that you cannot buy a power in an EC unless it costs end. Therefore, my one exception is if you buy a stat (say +5 Dex) with an end cost. So you can do it, but it's going to cost you 1 end a phase. Oh, and I don't allow "costs end only to activate" on stats in an EC.

Re: Bewitched "time stop" While Thia's build is awesome. There is a problem with it as relates to this theme. In Charmed, Piper could only stop people and vehicles. I Bewitched, Samantha could stop a cup of coffee from falling off a tray. The speed drain version of this power has no effect on falling objects, spilling liquids, or already released projectiles (a bullet in the air would continue to move, as would a thrown ball). The only way to be able to stop these things as well as people, animals and vehicles, would be to use one of the EDM versions, or a transform similar to what Clsage described. (granted I wouldn't allow a character to gain personal immunity as part of a -1/4 limitation, but thats me.)

Re: Bewitched "time stop"

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... D&D game tonight: Characters are hunting down Yuan-ti. My PC (Evendur a Tiefling Dervish) trailed some Ophidians from an out door market place to get recon. The Ophidians met up with a Yuan-ti riding in a palanquin named Sythisus, talked with him and were then given money and told: "Go spend this however you you wish". One of the stupider ones made mention of "I want purple hat." Needless to say the Ophidians were killed before ever getting to spend the money. The PCs have been tracking the palanquin for a few days, with everyone covered by illusions to look like Ophidians (my disguise including a purple hat). At about noon on the 3rd day, and we are accosted by a huge black dragon. During the fight the bard uses his Figurine of Wonderous Power: Marble Elephant to give himself cover. Since it can only be activated 4 times a month, he decides not to dismiss the elephant after the dragon is slain. So, late that night while at camp: GM: You all see six Yuan-ti appear via teleportation. They are in spaced out groups of two: One archer and one mage. Yuan-ti Mage: (not seeing through the illusions) "State your business here!!" Evendur: (thinking quickly) *in a very happy and satisfied voice* We given money by Sythisus. We told buy what we want. We get elephant... and... purple hat. Yuan-ti Mage: (totally taken off guard by this) I see. Go about your business. All the Yuan-ti teleport away confused.

Re: Bewitched "time stop" The Until Superpowers Database book has Time stop on page 233. It is built as: Extra-Dimensional Movement ("Travel" to the "dimension" where time is stopped for everyone but the character, to any point in that "dimension" corresponding to his current location in normal time-space) 40pts Granted this version makes it debatable whether or not the time-stopper can affect anything that has been stopped, or if he can simply move.

Re: how do you deal with guns and superheroes in your campaign One of the issues I have, and part of the reason I made my character Gideon the way I did, is because in the comics "superhero" gunslingers with normal weapons work. Look at Vigilante I (Greg Saunders) as an example. He's been a member of the Seven Soldiers since 1941 (Leading Comics #1). He's fought many villains, and been effective against all but the toughest. Even in JLU Vigilante was shown using apparently normal bullets (they never made reference to them being anything else), and the only person he was truly ineffectual against was the General (at least until he blew up his motorcycle in the guys face). So, my take is that things are a bit overboard if every super (PC or NPC, hero or villain) is bullet proof. It takes an entire character concept (one that really is golden age in origin) and throws it out the window.

The game I play in works a little strangely. I have been playing in the game for just around 10 years now, and have several characters. A game session may cover anywhere from a few hours to a couple of months, and adventures generally last a few In Game weeks. However, after 4-5 adventures we will put the campaign on hold for a while and play something else for a while (but we always go back to the champions game.) The in-between campaign time (relatively) passes in real time. Because of this, the game is currently a little behind real time (late August-early september 2007). However, 10 years has passed In Game since my first PC showed up on scene. One of my characters, (in fact my longest played character) Mesa originally had immortality OIHID. His powers changed and now he only has X4 life span. So he really still looks like he is in his mid twenties. Back in 1998 he got married, and has had two kids since. Lilly was born June first, 2000 (she just had her 7th birthday), and her little brother Ken was born November 15, 2002 (his 5th birthday is coming up IG soon). So yes, in this game time passes relatively normally, but only during down time.

Re: Dispel, not a single power but a single Adv. I would call the VPP "Counter magic". I would give it at least a -1/2 for "limited class", especially if it does in fact only work on magical effects.

Re: S.H.A.R.D. - Super Hero Acronym Resource Directory In a Big Eyes Small Mouth game I played (Ranma/Tenchi style powered teens) the PCs once encountered a group named: S.P.I.T. (Supernatural Paranormal Investigation Team) After having to deal with them just a wee bit too long, my PC found out that they were looking for a new name, so I (on the spot) suggested: Terrestrial Universal Research and Investigation Patrol (T.U.R.N.I.P.) Needless to say the group's leader loved it.

Re: Dispel, not a single power but a single Adv. Yes OP is "original poster" Well, I can only tell you how it works in the games I play in. For Aids, Drains and Transfers, you use heal or aid. For Mental powers you use the power to defeat itself. In one game a character plays a Japanese mage. The player wanted her to be able to break possession/ domination effects. The GM told the player that the character needed to buy Mind Control to break people out of possession/ dominations, because they were (normally) built as Mind Control themselves. For Transform, you again use transform. Most likely described as: "turn back to your normal self", or something similar. For entangles use anything that deals it damage. For Summons, I don't actually know. Strangely I've never actually been in a situation where "unsummoning" ever came up. Now, of course killing the summoned creature will end the effect, but possibly not in the way you intended. Do remember, Transforms (and sometimes summons) have a "back door" means of breaking them, like kissing the prince/princess, or drinking the from the "fountain of forever".