Sveta8

Pardon for being butting in, but for an energy projector... The first thing that comes to mind for me is a Wizard. I know ya'll probably instantly think of Mystic and Casting Rolls and Power Frameworks. Not Energy Projector. And while at a conceptual level they are very different, that's not the level new people are looking at. You are looking to build a familiar Build, when the people aren't familiar with the Concept of the Build you are talking about. At first, if you have a character throw up an intangible wall of pure energy, and another character cast Wall of Force, the thematics are different, but the build functions similarly. So use that.

Basic Energy Projector would have... Flight. Barriers. Blast both individually and as a group. Maybe a Change Environment or Entangle, but both of those start to veer into complicated territory fast.

So instead of crafting a Power Pool or a Power Framework for it, call those individual spells. Flight? A fly spell, can make them all cloudy and gunk if you wish. Barriers? Summon a plane of force, or perhaps Earth or Iron if you want to get fancy. Blast? A Magical Blast called however you want... Astral Shot or something. And a basic Fireball gets the area version.

The turning point from Mystic to Energy Projector is conceptual there. That instead of channeling "Magic" they are channeling "Energy." A lot of younger people, at least comparatively, want reason for how the superhero's are doing... whatever they are doing. Using something they already accept to work in games, Magic, is a useful shortcut instead of having them accept a whole new feild to draw power from, Energy.

Tis my 2 cents on the issue. Source: Early 20's guy.
 

You could go with Mirrors. They are emblematic of reflections and gateways, so for a cosmically invading force, something like that might work.
 
Each Mirror it's own gate to some time and place, to grant access to a wealth of information or material or space or so on to be used and manipulated as seen fit. Associate each with some sort of force or concept, wrap that Mirror in bringing it forth and to bear, or residing within it. And you can have them all be different sizes and shapes too.

When all are gathered, overlayed on one another, they let you reach forth through time and space, all the cosmos in your grasp in a very literal sense. 

Dunno for name though. Call it... The Celestial Lens or Crucible of the Cosmos. Foundation of the World or so on. 

Well, thanks for that!

I just was sort of frustrated for a moment with the normal stance of Alien = Human + Thing. So, I thought about why that bothers me, and got that ramble. And then made the Alien of the definition of Human + thing.

You could go with Mirrors. They are emblematic of reflections and gateways, so for a cosmically invading force, something like that might work.
 
Each Mirror it's own gate to some time and place, to grant access to a wealth of information or material or space or so on to be used and manipulated as seen fit. Associate each with some sort of force or concept, wrap that Mirror in bringing it forth and to bear, or residing within it. And you can have them all be different sizes and shapes too.

When all are gathered, overlayed on one another, they let you reach forth through time and space, all the cosmos in your grasp in a very literal sense. 

Dunno for name though. Call it... The Celestial Lens or Crucible of the Cosmos. Foundation of the World or so on. 

My recommendation is to narrow down what the player wants to try and do a bit more. Simply effecting the world on the quantum level and changing reality is... broad. Very broad. Worse yet, it's not the sort of broad request that the game handles well. "I want to be big," "I want to shoot fire from my hands," "I want to be as strong as a tank." All of those are very broad, and can be handled any number of ways. So too can your request.

Manipulating reality at a quantum level... As far as science jargon goes, means nothing. And unfortunately, in comic science jargon, it is also unhelpfully broad. Anything from Matter Creation to Time Travel to Teleportation to Entanglement. So the SFX, Quantum Manipulation, isn't helping narrow down the want.

The, "Make Reality Completely Different" is also heedlessly broad. Does that mean they can simply Slip through the ground with Tunneling? How about making Objects disappear and reappear with Transform? Or just having people become wrapped up in space, and thrown elsewhere with Teleport? Or maybe simply solidifying space as a Barrier, or Entangle. Or Transmute a wall into a cannon with Blast/Transform? 

Narrow the scope. Figure out what the player is trying to do with the character. A Reality Warper is a a tried and true concept in Comics, but very... expensive and irritating in HERO. A Variable Power Pool is what it sounds like you are trying to describe though.

Reality biting back at them is simple to do though. That's Side Effects for a basic Damage Tick. It even already has No Defense Applies. 

Well, I'd work to first define what you want Nausea to be in this case. As much as I enjoy attacks to someone's Equilibrium, it's hard to represent that super easily. 

I am gonna write it up as a Drain though. Why? Nausea induced by spinning, and other sort of stomach ills like that seem to fade pretty quickly personally. What to drain though? Well, that depends on what you are aiming for with that Nausea.

Personally? I'd write it up as a Drain Movement Powers. If my vision is spinning and my stomach rebelling, I ain't going nowhere. Something along the lines of...

Staggering and Stumbling: Drain: 4d6, Enhanced Effect: Movement Powers (+1/2 to +1), No Range (-1/2)
Other limitations as you please. 

If you are aiming for them to be staggering around and not able to act effectively, I'd say you're probably looking at a Flash to a Targeting Sense. Both as it limits their ability to defend themselves and attack, and their senses are clearly rattled. So likely sight and possibly touch? So...

Dizzy and Confused: Flash 5d6, Sight and Touch, No Range (-1/2)
Other limitations as you please.
 
Those are the only two that really come to mind.

My recommendation is to narrow down what the player wants to try and do a bit more. Simply effecting the world on the quantum level and changing reality is... broad. Very broad. Worse yet, it's not the sort of broad request that the game handles well. "I want to be big," "I want to shoot fire from my hands," "I want to be as strong as a tank." All of those are very broad, and can be handled any number of ways. So too can your request.

Manipulating reality at a quantum level... As far as science jargon goes, means nothing. And unfortunately, in comic science jargon, it is also unhelpfully broad. Anything from Matter Creation to Time Travel to Teleportation to Entanglement. So the SFX, Quantum Manipulation, isn't helping narrow down the want.

The, "Make Reality Completely Different" is also heedlessly broad. Does that mean they can simply Slip through the ground with Tunneling? How about making Objects disappear and reappear with Transform? Or just having people become wrapped up in space, and thrown elsewhere with Teleport? Or maybe simply solidifying space as a Barrier, or Entangle. Or Transmute a wall into a cannon with Blast/Transform? 

Narrow the scope. Figure out what the player is trying to do with the character. A Reality Warper is a a tried and true concept in Comics, but very... expensive and irritating in HERO. A Variable Power Pool is what it sounds like you are trying to describe though.

Reality biting back at them is simple to do though. That's Side Effects for a basic Damage Tick. It even already has No Defense Applies. 

More than that, she was known to fight for what she felt was right. In my college class, only maybe a handful in the thirty or so there can tell you the governing representatives of our own state. But I would say at least half know of, if not about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I don't know how to impart on you how difficult that is, for some post highschool kids to be able to know and talk about a legal representative of the highest court in the land, and know, broadly, what she is standing for. She was prolific. Because of more than what she argued about, but because she would do what she felt was the right thing to do. Always.

I don't know how hard it is to let you know, but... If the average twenty year old knows of a Supreme Court Justice, their general stance, and what they are known for off the top of their head... That doesn't happen. People don't pay that much attention unless it is about something they care about. But from most I've heard and spoken with? She breached that. That is Astonishing. Even if they don't know them, they know of them and what they represent.

And another thing there. What she Represented? That didn't change. She did not become a Justice and suddenly sway with party lines from what I know of. She stayed true to what she felt she had to. And People knew that. You know how hard it is to find a political activist in power that stays true to character? That doesn't balk and go with what is wanted? She wanted to see the world a better place for everyone and did everything in her power to do so. That's commendable on it's own. The fact she often succeeded? Awe inspiring.

The enigmatic and roughshod leader of mercenary group The Saboteurs, Stainless Steel is always decked out to the nines. Not in a ballroom gown, but in an assortment of gadgets provided by their very own resident Mad Scientist, Composite. From the Jet Skater Boots to her Stunning Blaster, and not to mention her signature Steely Gaze Sword, she's mean, lean, and horrifyingly swift at her work.
 
The defacto leader on actual ops, she had been just a hired gun for a low ranking mobster. But, when a run went south due to a rival gang showing up, things went south fast. When she woke up on Composite's medical bench, it was a good thing she'd been disarmed first! A short argument over whether to thank or shoot him for saving her, and she was roped into the Mad Man's Plan. To take vengeance against his cooperate Rival, Hardline Industries! A lifedebt owed, she agreed on the condition she run the ops. 
 
Fighting alongside their resident Brickhouse, Cast Iron, she provides the speed where as he provides the raw power of the two. With their six covered by Brass, a hotshot sniper, the team does good work, with only one rule. Only locations, not targets. Too much bad blood from a bit too much blood. A Hit squad they are not. They are... The Saboteurs.

Ah, see, this is where the grader made a mistake.

You see, you see this? Chicago has a set space, but is treated as public. Just redefine Chicago's values, and have it cover everywhere. Then, the answer is Yes. You are already in Chicago.

As a target? It can be done.
Why is it not seen? Well, this is conjecture on my part, but that would be due to efficiency.

PD and ED and DCV are all Defensive Characteristics. What that means for Adjustment powers like Drain is that they are twice as hard to effect. (6e1, 141) So what does that mean? Well, if you are trying to drain a Resistant PD, that's clocking in at an active point of 1.5 per point. So you need to drain 3 Active Points to drain 1 Resistant PD. Considering that one can expect to roll 3.5 on a d6, you are essentially getting 1 rPD per 1 Dice.

So that's a cost of 10 Points to on average, remove 1 point of rPD/ED. For DCV it's worse. You need to drain 10 points to remove 1 DCV. So, An average of 3 dice, or 30pt for 1 DCV removed. And that is all presuming you are okay with the points coming back at the end of the round

More than that, she was known to fight for what she felt was right. In my college class, only maybe a handful in the thirty or so there can tell you the governing representatives of our own state. But I would say at least half know of, if not about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I don't know how to impart on you how difficult that is, for some post highschool kids to be able to know and talk about a legal representative of the highest court in the land, and know, broadly, what she is standing for. She was prolific. Because of more than what she argued about, but because she would do what she felt was the right thing to do. Always.

I don't know how hard it is to let you know, but... If the average twenty year old knows of a Supreme Court Justice, their general stance, and what they are known for off the top of their head... That doesn't happen. People don't pay that much attention unless it is about something they care about. But from most I've heard and spoken with? She breached that. That is Astonishing. Even if they don't know them, they know of them and what they represent.

And another thing there. What she Represented? That didn't change. She did not become a Justice and suddenly sway with party lines from what I know of. She stayed true to what she felt she had to. And People knew that. You know how hard it is to find a political activist in power that stays true to character? That doesn't balk and go with what is wanted? She wanted to see the world a better place for everyone and did everything in her power to do so. That's commendable on it's own. The fact she often succeeded? Awe inspiring.

Well, I'd work to first define what you want Nausea to be in this case. As much as I enjoy attacks to someone's Equilibrium, it's hard to represent that super easily. 

I am gonna write it up as a Drain though. Why? Nausea induced by spinning, and other sort of stomach ills like that seem to fade pretty quickly personally. What to drain though? Well, that depends on what you are aiming for with that Nausea.

Personally? I'd write it up as a Drain Movement Powers. If my vision is spinning and my stomach rebelling, I ain't going nowhere. Something along the lines of...

Staggering and Stumbling: Drain: 4d6, Enhanced Effect: Movement Powers (+1/2 to +1), No Range (-1/2)
Other limitations as you please. 

If you are aiming for them to be staggering around and not able to act effectively, I'd say you're probably looking at a Flash to a Targeting Sense. Both as it limits their ability to defend themselves and attack, and their senses are clearly rattled. So likely sight and possibly touch? So...

Dizzy and Confused: Flash 5d6, Sight and Touch, No Range (-1/2)
Other limitations as you please.
 
Those are the only two that really come to mind.

More than that, she was known to fight for what she felt was right. In my college class, only maybe a handful in the thirty or so there can tell you the governing representatives of our own state. But I would say at least half know of, if not about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I don't know how to impart on you how difficult that is, for some post highschool kids to be able to know and talk about a legal representative of the highest court in the land, and know, broadly, what she is standing for. She was prolific. Because of more than what she argued about, but because she would do what she felt was the right thing to do. Always.

I don't know how hard it is to let you know, but... If the average twenty year old knows of a Supreme Court Justice, their general stance, and what they are known for off the top of their head... That doesn't happen. People don't pay that much attention unless it is about something they care about. But from most I've heard and spoken with? She breached that. That is Astonishing. Even if they don't know them, they know of them and what they represent.

And another thing there. What she Represented? That didn't change. She did not become a Justice and suddenly sway with party lines from what I know of. She stayed true to what she felt she had to. And People knew that. You know how hard it is to find a political activist in power that stays true to character? That doesn't balk and go with what is wanted? She wanted to see the world a better place for everyone and did everything in her power to do so. That's commendable on it's own. The fact she often succeeded? Awe inspiring.

Okay! I think I understand the basic sorta... fundamental weirdness now.

If I want my SFX to do something reliably, I should expect to pay for it. If Big Monster wants a scaly HIde, some spooky Claws, and a loud as all get out Roar, I should snag Resistant Protection, KHA, and a Flash attack.

If I then want to use those claws to carve a message into the ground for people who pass, well, that should be fine without requiring a Transform. Maybe Power Skill if so chosen. If others want to try to track the character via.... I guess scale shedding, I don't need to purchase a negative for Tracking Checks based on shedding. Both of those things make sense given the character, but aren't something I generally am thinking of when I consider the character.
 
Or in other words, Pay for what I expect, ask if it makes sense.

There are a few options that first come to mind, but the end result really depends on the flavor and speed you want the ritual to go away at.
 
A: Relays. The Party knows where the den of the cultists are and how to get in right? Well, have that be the hub, but not the only stronghold they have set up. A fair chunk of the cultists are there, as well as a Mini-Boss of sorts, probably a pretty strong summoner with a pair of Area of Denial Casting Lieutenant sounds about right. But, in that Hub, they find evidence of several Mystic Relays around the city, places that the ritual is reinforced and magnified at. After taking on the main hub, the ritual starts to break down and "Occult Energies go wild upon the city, uncontrolled and violent!" Flavor and mechanic that how you will (I recommend treating it as a Persistent 5 STR Change environment sort of poltergeist over the city, and temporarily granting the World 2d6 Unluck). That should spur the Heros to finish the problem up quickly, and provide lovely sources of Radioactive Accidents for whoever you want. The number of relays there are matters a bit, but it mainly depends how many you want for them to take down before the ritual actually falls apart. No more than three before the ritual falls apart should be good. Each one has a smaller miniboss and some flavor for what the occult ritual is doing. At the final one, Big Boss can either try to stop them from interfering with the last ritual and rite, or be running away with that rite. Either way, upon either escape or defeat, the ritual finally falls apart. Just depends if you want to use the Big Bad later.
 
B: Puzzle Summons. The Party knows where the den of cultists are and how to get in. What they don't know is the emergency Tamper Prevention with the Ritual! Unless they get a few specific items/people in the base before the Occult Alter, if they try to take out the ritual two or three powerful occult energies are summoned to truly wreck people's day. Have one stay and start fighting the heros as much as the cultists, and the remaining go out and start targeting the city. This should make it so that they want to go out and stop it, so it stops wrecking their stuff. Treating it as Puzzle Summons also helps the Occult Leaders start to have to interact with the ritual carefully, and panic more when the players mess it up.
 
C : Mind Slaves. The cultists there are moderately strong, but the people actually holding together the ritual don't even realize they are doing it. They have been mentally controlled and compelled by the cult, and are maintaining it's casting and chanting. Have one or two of them be from the Player's past for a few extra personal knives. The ritual itself is easy enough to stop. Simply take of the mind controlling black iron crowns on their head. But if they do that, they risk simply shutting off the mind of the person, rendering them innert and unresponsive. They can talk with the people casting it, but they won't really know how to stop it, or even what the party is referring to to stop. The boss will show up when they finally make a decision and help the first person, successfully or no. Now you've got a fight with several Innocents in the way. And worse yet, the boss is strengthened/summons show up/the area becomes more violent as more people are disrupted from casting!
 
That's what comes to mind off the top of my head.

More than that, she was known to fight for what she felt was right. In my college class, only maybe a handful in the thirty or so there can tell you the governing representatives of our own state. But I would say at least half know of, if not about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I don't know how to impart on you how difficult that is, for some post highschool kids to be able to know and talk about a legal representative of the highest court in the land, and know, broadly, what she is standing for. She was prolific. Because of more than what she argued about, but because she would do what she felt was the right thing to do. Always.

I don't know how hard it is to let you know, but... If the average twenty year old knows of a Supreme Court Justice, their general stance, and what they are known for off the top of their head... That doesn't happen. People don't pay that much attention unless it is about something they care about. But from most I've heard and spoken with? She breached that. That is Astonishing. Even if they don't know them, they know of them and what they represent.

And another thing there. What she Represented? That didn't change. She did not become a Justice and suddenly sway with party lines from what I know of. She stayed true to what she felt she had to. And People knew that. You know how hard it is to find a political activist in power that stays true to character? That doesn't balk and go with what is wanted? She wanted to see the world a better place for everyone and did everything in her power to do so. That's commendable on it's own. The fact she often succeeded? Awe inspiring.

The enigmatic and roughshod leader of mercenary group The Saboteurs, Stainless Steel is always decked out to the nines. Not in a ballroom gown, but in an assortment of gadgets provided by their very own resident Mad Scientist, Composite. From the Jet Skater Boots to her Stunning Blaster, and not to mention her signature Steely Gaze Sword, she's mean, lean, and horrifyingly swift at her work.
 
The defacto leader on actual ops, she had been just a hired gun for a low ranking mobster. But, when a run went south due to a rival gang showing up, things went south fast. When she woke up on Composite's medical bench, it was a good thing she'd been disarmed first! A short argument over whether to thank or shoot him for saving her, and she was roped into the Mad Man's Plan. To take vengeance against his cooperate Rival, Hardline Industries! A lifedebt owed, she agreed on the condition she run the ops. 
 
Fighting alongside their resident Brickhouse, Cast Iron, she provides the speed where as he provides the raw power of the two. With their six covered by Brass, a hotshot sniper, the team does good work, with only one rule. Only locations, not targets. Too much bad blood from a bit too much blood. A Hit squad they are not. They are... The Saboteurs.

The enigmatic and roughshod leader of mercenary group The Saboteurs, Stainless Steel is always decked out to the nines. Not in a ballroom gown, but in an assortment of gadgets provided by their very own resident Mad Scientist, Composite. From the Jet Skater Boots to her Stunning Blaster, and not to mention her signature Steely Gaze Sword, she's mean, lean, and horrifyingly swift at her work.
 
The defacto leader on actual ops, she had been just a hired gun for a low ranking mobster. But, when a run went south due to a rival gang showing up, things went south fast. When she woke up on Composite's medical bench, it was a good thing she'd been disarmed first! A short argument over whether to thank or shoot him for saving her, and she was roped into the Mad Man's Plan. To take vengeance against his cooperate Rival, Hardline Industries! A lifedebt owed, she agreed on the condition she run the ops. 
 
Fighting alongside their resident Brickhouse, Cast Iron, she provides the speed where as he provides the raw power of the two. With their six covered by Brass, a hotshot sniper, the team does good work, with only one rule. Only locations, not targets. Too much bad blood from a bit too much blood. A Hit squad they are not. They are... The Saboteurs.

The enigmatic and roughshod leader of mercenary group The Saboteurs, Stainless Steel is always decked out to the nines. Not in a ballroom gown, but in an assortment of gadgets provided by their very own resident Mad Scientist, Composite. From the Jet Skater Boots to her Stunning Blaster, and not to mention her signature Steely Gaze Sword, she's mean, lean, and horrifyingly swift at her work.
 
The defacto leader on actual ops, she had been just a hired gun for a low ranking mobster. But, when a run went south due to a rival gang showing up, things went south fast. When she woke up on Composite's medical bench, it was a good thing she'd been disarmed first! A short argument over whether to thank or shoot him for saving her, and she was roped into the Mad Man's Plan. To take vengeance against his cooperate Rival, Hardline Industries! A lifedebt owed, she agreed on the condition she run the ops. 
 
Fighting alongside their resident Brickhouse, Cast Iron, she provides the speed where as he provides the raw power of the two. With their six covered by Brass, a hotshot sniper, the team does good work, with only one rule. Only locations, not targets. Too much bad blood from a bit too much blood. A Hit squad they are not. They are... The Saboteurs.

1 Quart of Chocolate Milk
Cocktail Peanuts
How to learn Spanish in your Car

Pardon for being butting in, but for an energy projector... The first thing that comes to mind for me is a Wizard. I know ya'll probably instantly think of Mystic and Casting Rolls and Power Frameworks. Not Energy Projector. And while at a conceptual level they are very different, that's not the level new people are looking at. You are looking to build a familiar Build, when the people aren't familiar with the Concept of the Build you are talking about. At first, if you have a character throw up an intangible wall of pure energy, and another character cast Wall of Force, the thematics are different, but the build functions similarly. So use that.

Basic Energy Projector would have... Flight. Barriers. Blast both individually and as a group. Maybe a Change Environment or Entangle, but both of those start to veer into complicated territory fast.

So instead of crafting a Power Pool or a Power Framework for it, call those individual spells. Flight? A fly spell, can make them all cloudy and gunk if you wish. Barriers? Summon a plane of force, or perhaps Earth or Iron if you want to get fancy. Blast? A Magical Blast called however you want... Astral Shot or something. And a basic Fireball gets the area version.

The turning point from Mystic to Energy Projector is conceptual there. That instead of channeling "Magic" they are channeling "Energy." A lot of younger people, at least comparatively, want reason for how the superhero's are doing... whatever they are doing. Using something they already accept to work in games, Magic, is a useful shortcut instead of having them accept a whole new feild to draw power from, Energy.

Tis my 2 cents on the issue. Source: Early 20's guy.
 

Okay! I think I understand the basic sorta... fundamental weirdness now.

If I want my SFX to do something reliably, I should expect to pay for it. If Big Monster wants a scaly HIde, some spooky Claws, and a loud as all get out Roar, I should snag Resistant Protection, KHA, and a Flash attack.

If I then want to use those claws to carve a message into the ground for people who pass, well, that should be fine without requiring a Transform. Maybe Power Skill if so chosen. If others want to try to track the character via.... I guess scale shedding, I don't need to purchase a negative for Tracking Checks based on shedding. Both of those things make sense given the character, but aren't something I generally am thinking of when I consider the character.
 
Or in other words, Pay for what I expect, ask if it makes sense.

Okay! I think I understand the basic sorta... fundamental weirdness now.

If I want my SFX to do something reliably, I should expect to pay for it. If Big Monster wants a scaly HIde, some spooky Claws, and a loud as all get out Roar, I should snag Resistant Protection, KHA, and a Flash attack.

If I then want to use those claws to carve a message into the ground for people who pass, well, that should be fine without requiring a Transform. Maybe Power Skill if so chosen. If others want to try to track the character via.... I guess scale shedding, I don't need to purchase a negative for Tracking Checks based on shedding. Both of those things make sense given the character, but aren't something I generally am thinking of when I consider the character.
 
Or in other words, Pay for what I expect, ask if it makes sense.

Okay! I think I understand the basic sorta... fundamental weirdness now.

If I want my SFX to do something reliably, I should expect to pay for it. If Big Monster wants a scaly HIde, some spooky Claws, and a loud as all get out Roar, I should snag Resistant Protection, KHA, and a Flash attack.

If I then want to use those claws to carve a message into the ground for people who pass, well, that should be fine without requiring a Transform. Maybe Power Skill if so chosen. If others want to try to track the character via.... I guess scale shedding, I don't need to purchase a negative for Tracking Checks based on shedding. Both of those things make sense given the character, but aren't something I generally am thinking of when I consider the character.
 
Or in other words, Pay for what I expect, ask if it makes sense.