rjcurrie

Re: HERO system observations and beefs I'm another one in that minority with you, Nexus. I love the discussion of genres and things to consider much more than I like specific write-ups. I create my own worlds, so in general, books full of such write-ups (such as CKC) are pretty much only good as a possible source of ideas -- much like any book of write-ups for any system. I will say, however, that USPD is an exception to this. It covers so many powers and provides so many ideas on how to express concepts in Hero terms that I do find it very useful. And as for 5e reading and looking like a textbook, I think that's a good thing. I think the plain black cover with the Hero logo stands out far more than most other gaming books which just tend to blend together on the shelves. And I've always felt that the writing in a game's rulebook should be much closer to technical writing than to fiction writing. I don't want a pile of fluffy flavor text, but instead clear, detailed descriptions of the rules. It's a reference book not something that's necessarily meant to be read cover-to-cover in one sitting.

Re: The Brat Pack I'm not sure I'd use "parody" to describe it. "Satire" is probably more accurate. At least to me, parody tends to be lighter and more in a "poking fun" vein, while satire tends to be darker and more serious. Rick Veitch was the writer/artist for Brat Pack and Maximortal (which I never read -- in fact, I'm not even sure if I read all of Brat Pack).

Re: SuperSquad America ... in color Incidentally, I'm hoping to get an update to the SuperSquad America web site done later this week. Rod

Re: Who is... COUNT INFINITY? My take on Count Infinity would be something like this. Medieval count makes a wish with a demon, gypsy, or some other mystical source that he "wants to live forever and have the ability to visit any time or place instantly". Of course, wish granters being what they are, they don't quite give the count what he wants. Instead, they turn his castle in a "nexus of worlds". Essentially, he came open up doors in his castle to any time or place; and he will live forever, providing he himself never leave the castle, if he does so, he will die. While at first, he is annoyed with this resolution of his wish, he soon decides to make the best of things and begins to create a network of contacts in various times and places and becomes a supplier of goods and services from one location to another as well as providing access to these locations to those who want to travel there. This version of Count Infinity could be a good guy. Perhaps he creates a group of troubleshooters from throughout the multiverse who could be sent out to solve problems anywhere in the multiverse that needs them. He could be neutral. He'll sell his services to anyone who'll pay his price. He could be a criminal mastermind with his finger in any number of endeavors througout time and space. He has massive resources to draw upon even if he himself can never leave his castle. In any event, he would most likely be quite eccentric as a result of living in one building for hundreds of years. Perhaps he has little concern with individual human lives as he has seen so many of them simply come and go over his lifetime -- maybe he's seeking an immortal mate with whom he can share his life. Just a few ideas off the top of my head, Rod PS: I am annoyed at myself, though, for missing the math connection when I first read the name. As a former math major and someone who has written too many puns in his life, I should have seen it.

Re: SuperSquad America ... in color Thanks. As for group pics, Kerry's done a couple for me over the years, but the membership of SuperSquad America has changed a couple of times and at least one of the years, the group pic was a very specific event, so they're not really re-usable, so I probably won't color them. You can see the black and white versions of these pictures plus the group pics on my web site (www.supersquadamerica.com). The group pictures appear as part of the "comic book covers" that were used for years 4-7. Years 4 and 7 used actual group pics by Kerry, while years 5 and 6 used modifiications of individual pics created by me. These colorized pics will probably be used as part of this year's cover (year 8). Rod Edit: Corrected misspelling in link. It will work now

I was fooling around with Paint Shop Pro and the drawings that Kerry Connell (fellow Infinite Imaginations GM and Digital Hero artist) did for me for my SuperSquad America game and decided to try coloring them. While not perfect, they turned out better than I thought they might.

Re: A question of size

Re: Low Men in Yellow Coats Can a given low man appear as different humans? Or will a given low man always appear as a given human? If the former, I would be tempted to say ShapeShift with a Limitation that it doesn't work against those you describe in your post. If the latter, I think it might just be Distinctive Features. Just my take Rod

Re: Copy Restrictions on HERO PDFs? I believe the policy is that it's okay to make copies for your own use, but not to give them out to others. So, for example, you can make backups or put it on both your home and work computers, but you probably shouldn't give out copies to your whole gaming group.

Re: Two Powers in Multipower Slot? I would say that say the powers should be logically relatted, even if they are not linked or are launched at the same time. For instance, a character with four forms, one for each of the four traditional elements (earth, air, fire, and water), might be built as a multipower with four slots; one for each of the forms that contains all the powers associated with that form.

Re: Heroes By Gaslight I have to say that I hope that you do not insist on people playing characters of their own gender. I know a fair number of convention players, myself included, who would be insulted by this approach. For last year's version of SuperSquad America, the team I use for my Champions convention game, consisted of 5 females and 3 males and I had men playing female characters and women playing characters in some games and was generally pleased with the role-playing of all concerned and SuperSquad America has a definite emphasis on role-playing. I also did not receive any complaints or sense any disappointment in the choice of characters. Of course, if you do not insist on people playing their own gender, then you can pretty much ignore anything I have to say.

Re: Question on character "value" (point totals) In some ways, I would say that a player is nerfing his character by not taking the full points of Disadvantages. However my reasoning is that Disadvantages are more plot hooks for the GM and by not taking full advantage of that, he is shortchanging himself on having storylines taylored to his character. And of course, if you were really going to consider balance between characters, then you also have to consider the players' abillity to play their characters. I have seen players be far more effective with a 100 point normal with a good skill selection than players with 120 point VPP.

Re: I smell something fishy Or pehaps simply pluses with Perception only when noticing unusual things.

Re: Speedster Name Needed So did I. He was a V&V character.

Re: Speedster Name Needed A friend of mine named a speedster villain in his Champions campaign History. He'd often state "I'm History" and dash off. Rod

Re: Pulp Hero The characters for my Friends of Justice Pulp Hero convention game are built on 100 + 50 Disads + XP and range from 200-224 points. All of them are pretty normal except for a few talents (some from FH) and a couple of gadgets for the scientist/inventor in the group.

Re: Speedster Name Needed Actually, I like PDQ.

Re: Combat!! I hereby second my fellow Canadian's suggestion for a clearer presentation of the "adding damage" rules.

Re: Size Matters My question would be if you need the shapeshift -- I thought that body changes that took place as part of a power activation didn't require anything like that. That is, unless the dragon can change into a variety of human forms.

Re: Fifth Edition Villains

Re: Fifth Edition Villains To me the background is the really important stuff. The stats are just away of expressing that kind of think in game terms. I'd much rather have fewer more fleshed out villains. And how many pre-written villains do you really need?

Re: 5ER Combat Example Errrata should be e-mailed directly to Steve. Rod

Re: System streamlining? Yes, it is. But some people see stating it that way as being different from 11+OCV-DCV=what you need to roll. Just like I've seen some see these two statements as being different methods: Add 11 to your OCV and subtract your roll. That's the DCV you hit. Roll under 11+DCV. How much you make it by is the DCV you hit. As for roll-high vs. roll-low mechanics, I prefer systems like Hero where sometimes you need to roll low (skills, to-hit) and sometimes high (damage) because it encourages the use of fair and properly loaded dice. With the popularity of d20 and its all-roll-high philosophy, I'm surprised there isn't someone out there doing a good business from selling loaded d20s. In fact, why would I ever want a fair d20? Rod

Re: Early "What do you want to see?" for Teen Champions Well, given that there are still two books on the 2004 schedule that haven't made it out and five books listed before it on the 2005 schedule, my rough guess would be late March or April.

Re: Add A Power Comments on Possession: In the Vampiros example, shouldn't the 7d6 power which works against Spirit and Body cost 115 points (7 x 15 +10)? You use "supernatural" in a few places where it should be "spiritual" I'm not sure I like allowing Dispel (and I assume Suppress, since it's the only other similar adjustment power) to affect Possession because it relies on the GM's discretion part of Dispel to affect the lasting effects of an instant power. So, it looks like Jericho from the Titans would be have a Body Possession with a linked EDM to represent his BODY disappearing when he possess someone.