SSgt Baloo

Alternate Thread Title: How do I use Artificial Intlligence when I have so little Real Intelligence? In this thead, The Monster describes a schtick his wife's character, The Chauffer does. The Chauffer summons a friendly AI that is the "spirit" of the device, which can then be persuaded to do favors for the summoner. Shades of My Mother the Car! All I've ever done with an AI is put a computer on a spaceship. And it wasn't a very smart computer, either. I've never explored the limits of this ability, either as a GM or a player. Just what are some of the many uses that AI can be used for? GMs: What uses of AI have you allowed in your campaigns? Players: what have your GMs allowed you to [linethru]get away with[/linethru] use AI for?

Forties Fashions: what to wear when your cape's at the cleaners Men's Fashion Women's Fashion I looked and looked but could not find a site with lots of pictures. If anyone has a clue about this sort of thing, please post links to better visual aids than I could.

Re: Golden Age Resources Another picture of one of my planes: Click on the picture to see the inspiration for this one. Another Italian experimental plane: theCaproni Campini. If Italy had fielded a jet engine this might've been a better aircraft. It sure is an interesting detour on the road from piston power to jet turbines, though.

Re: Giant Airplanes Another page of outlandishly swollen aircraft: All About Guppies.

Re: Spanish Civil War Good stuff! Repped.

Re: Richest Man in the World Disease Very effective. Were you aware that calcium is a metal? I think sodium is, too, but I'll leave it to the alpha geeks to confirm or disprove that claim.

Scientist characters are a staple of many different settings. Some are Good (The Absentminded Professor, Professor Klump, Roy Hinkley) while others are evil (Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Moreau, Lex Luthor, etc.). For pulp-flavored campaigns (Pulp Hero or GAC) I'd like my scientists to know every science to some degree. For them, I created a 20-point talent "Mad Science". It's like the "scientist" skill enhancer with the following addition: the character has a basic (8-) understanding of all sciences. It's sort of like "Universal Translator", but for sciences. This is only appropriate for campaigns where scientists are expected to know something about everything. In pulp fiction and some of the early superhero comics, you can take any science problem to someone with "Professor" in front of his name and he can explain scientific things, analyze science clues, etc. So how do you normally build a scientist character?

WWBD (What Would the Batman Drive?) Even back in the Golden Age, folks were dreaming about the good things the future would bring. Their idea of the future was a bit more streamlined and Art Deco than ours, though. Just look at these futuristic vehicles: Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion car was eventually intended to be triphibious (land, sea, air). It is the only front wheel drive vehicle that has rear wheel steering. The rear wheel could turn almost 90°, allowing the Dymaxion to turn in a little more than its own length. The Stout Scarab was similar, but more conventional, with its four wheels and front wheel steering. The Phantom Corsair would have been the most expensive passenger car in the world if it had gone into production. Unfortunately, Rusty Heinz died before this cold happen. I've seen this car at the Harrahs Automobile Collection. The collection's been renamed, but they still have this car. The Buick Y-Job was the first ever "concept car". It was called Y-job because at the time, it was widely known that aircraft in development were labeled "X-something" for experimental, but "Y-something" meant it was just one step short of production. These were all very nice cars for the day, and would be ideal inspiration for Golden Age Hero transportation. Does anyone have links to pics of ordinary cars of the period?

Re: Golden Age Resources Thanks!

Re: Running jokes in your campaign

This thread is for all things Golden Age (including the Pulp Era), from roughly 1935 through the ealy postwar years. I'll start with one of my favorite topics and the inspiration for this: Aviation: Luft 46, What the Nazis were up to when they lost WW II. The aircraft designs of Vincent Burnelli, aviation visionary. Hikoki:1946, Imperial Japanese X-planes of WW II. I would have included American and British experimental planes of that era, but the only website I knew of that had those seems to be long dead. Feel free to add any relevant information.

Re: Running jokes in your campaign There was a player in one of my 3d edition Champions campaigns who once declared "I block his fist!" after he'd already used his phase that segment. I explained that he had no further actions until later and since he'd already acted this segment there wasn't anything he could do. He amended his declaration to "I block his fist with my face!" That became his character's battlecry. That same player ran the only PC to be rescued by his (25-point normal) sidekick in any of my campaigns.

Re: Super Metals

Re: What's the closest you can get to a legal assualt rifle? Sweet! I always wanted one o' dem (the semiauto version). How long is the barrel on that, 21 inches? Your semiauto should be just fine for hunting the "deadly" Can-us Alumunatus. When I lived in New Mexico, I had a friend who was the gunsmith at the local gun shop. He had the Federal licence required for private ownership of fully automatic weapons. He owned an older Thompson SMG, the one with the bimetal blowback-retarding mechanism (Blish Block). One day, he'd just finished rebuilding it and let me squeeze off 6 rounds, full auto, into a sand-filled can. What a piece of machinery! He also owned a black powder signalling cannon and built a Gatling gun from plans to go with a Spanish/American war tripod smeone gave him. It was a blast just to talk tech with this guy.

Re: KISS vs MEPD I'm guessing here, but... stupidity?

Re: You practice what-o-mancy? Oenomancy - Wine-based magic Philomancy - The magic of love Gastronomancy - The magic of good food (see also: Gastronomicon)

Seriously? Sorry. I just can't resist a good straight line.

Re: Wondrous Inventions All but the last report at the Vulcan Institute of Very Advanced Logic, Applied Science and Various Endeavors of Generally Advanced Studies (VIVALASVEGAS) deals with advanced technology. Of course, all that stuff was for consumption by Trek-o-philes, but I did work out the math for the proposed "artificial quantum singularity". I also figured out how you'd draw energy from one, given its characteristics. You'd definitely need some sort of gravity manipulation tech just to keep it from bumping into stuff (an event fraught with catastrophic potential).

Re: Super Metals Emphasis added. Krellium? Surely this versatile metal was inspired by the Krell metal of Forbidden Planet? Repped (even if I'm wrong.)

Re: Modelling the Mundane Thanks! This is all very helpful. Sometimes it's difficult for me to envision a simple, logical way to do things. When I try to model things in HERO, it's easy for me to get lost in the details. My first attempts are usually too complex for easy game use. I have to examine the build and gradually figure out how to "simplify and add lightness".

Re: Brain-in-a-Jar & Stretch I seem to have arrived fashionably late to this party. One thing I might suggest for the Brain-in-a-Jar is remotely-controlled bodies. In the first few adventures, the PCs might think he's a guy in an armored suit or maybe a robot. Only if someone with appropriate sciences examines the deactivated (or disabled) body will it become apparent that the "robot" isn't self-controlled. If the BITJ is of supernatural origin, he might be able to summon "flesh golems" or use dead body parts to build undead minions. If he clones his bodies (or builds them from scratch), he might be able to make copies of specific people and replace them as part of his plan to take over the world! Or perhaps he's just an escaped lab mouse... ...so don't forget to punch air holes in the lid!

Re: Power up a TV or movie character. Long ago, when Eddie Murphy was on Saturday Night Live, they did a Sketch where Eddie Murphy, as "Skunkman!" stopped a bank robbery. He was dressed in a furry black costume with white stripes, with a big, black-and-white striped tail. He looked like a sports mascot, except his face was visible. His power was the ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid. Nobody was thrilled when he demonstrated his power. Cute sketch, though.

Re: Richest Man in the World Disease I don't know if anyone else has asked this, but have you tried turning this question around? Not "Why do my players all want to be wealthy?", but "What am I doing to make the player feel that they need fifteen points of wealth to survive in my game?" Another question: have you asked them? They just might tell you. If they do, tell us, too. Long experience has taught me to learn from the mistakes of others whenever possible.

Re: Modelling the Mundane Okay, while all the above doesn't give specifics, it is a comprehensive guideline for how to build a low-point item that might otherwise be commonly available. Repped! So now I'm building a super cell phone, what all should it be able to do? Just a few thoughts: Send/Receive phone calls -- would you model this as a radio sense or, because some cellphones are secure, would a form of "mindlink" based on radio senses do? GPS function -- you call 911, and Emergency Services can tell where you're at. How to simulate this? Or perhaps this is a power that Emergency Services has even though you're the beneficiary? Internet Access: No clue. I haven't modeled out what the internet can do for a hero in a cyber-world, let alone a realistic one. It's like having 24-7 access to a huge library of information (and disinformation), isn't it? Are there effects useful to Supers that I haven't thought of? (If you answer "no" to that last one, you're either delusional or messing with my head.) :evil: What else can a modern cellphone do that might prove useful? How about disads? I get the whole "phone rings when you're being stealthy" bit. What else?

Re: KISS vs MEPD If I've been rubbing too many people the wrong way, I apologize. I don't think I've been articulating my point clearly enough. I'll try again (and possibly again) until I get it right. What I object to is not that some people dislike hearing the word "stupid", even though the context and origin truthfully demand its inclusion. What I do object to is the attitude which says "I don't like that word. This thread is now My forum for objecting to that word until the OP accedes to my demands." I know, I know. I've contributed to the hijack, and for that I apologize.[/hijack] Getting back on track, I still say that keeping things simple (stupidly or otherwise ) allows you to have more stuff going on at once with a reduced risk of anyone's brain exploding.