Pattern Ghost

Re: M&M: this is a Nightmare? You're lumping it into a broad category of d20 which it really doesn't fall into, though. Saying Hero System is the best system for supers is OK. (I wouldn't say that, because there are few apples to apples comparisons among supers systems; each has benefits and drawbacks.) However, the blanket statements about d20 being applied to MnM, is a form of criticising. And you're right, I misused the word "critique," as you've only offered criticism. There's a subtle difference. As others have stated, MnM strips away a lot of the d20 system, and IMO, what was removed makes it much better for supers play. There's room for improvement in the core mechanics, but it's pretty solid. It also gives a pretty decent character generation system, which owes a lot to Hero design philosophies, just as SAS does. But it's an orange, and Hero is an apple, and most other d20 games are, uh, pumaloes! So, you're not just making an apples to oranges comparison with MnM and Hero, you're making an oranges and pumaloes comparison with MnM and d20. Which isn't fair.

Re: Killing stroke Yeah, but I thought you couldn't push over twice the damage with a maneuver on a killing attack, so I must've missed something. Do the extra haymaker DCs add to the base damage, then, rather than count against the maximum?

Re: Killing stroke I'm pretty sure you still can't go over double the base DCs on a KA. Is there something I'm missing, or is this estimate off? (It's possible that I'm missing something; the new damage adding rules look like they were written by a lawyer. )

Re: M&M: this is a Nightmare? You've seen it, but have you read it? Hardly fair to critique something you haven't read.

Re: Devlin1 KA Question When was it illegal? I've seen that construct in plenty of 4th Ed. material.

Re: THE ULTIMATE BRICK -- What Do *You* Want To See? An expanded lifting chart with TONS of objects on it would be cool. I know Marvel and DC don't know how heavy anything is, but well, neither do I! It'd be cool to have a whombing big chart of what things weigh. Likewise, how much STR certain feats would require: stopping a runaway train, holding up a suspension bridge (from the bottom or by holding two severed cable ends), catching a falling aircraft (of various sizes, for those flying bricks), holding up a skyscraper by a support pillar, etc. Of course, those feats that are really transforms (like crushing coal to diamond) wouldn't be included. A good discussion on background skills that complement brick-hood would be nice. For example, a brick who's got a background in architecture should get a bonus for the above-mentioned building support trick. Or for tearing one down by attacking the main supports. That sort of thing. If any of this is repetative, I apologize in advance, as I don't have time to read the whole thread at the moment.

Re: How would you write up the following power?

Re: Sorcery

Re: just a note for the arduin fans We used to use it for the crit table, of course, and adapted a few of the other conventions, like base HP being based on your CON score so you could survive lower levels. (HP would be CON +/- stat adjustment + the normal HD roll). I liked some of the flavor stuff in the Grimoires, and when I dumped a lot of unused gaming stuff, years back, I kept them. The world did tend to be over the top.

Re: Pacifist Fu

The art as usual is nice. I just wanted to toss out a virtual pat on the back for Jack and Ringmistress out of the most recent crop. Nice jobs on both.

Except STR.

I'd say it sounds like a good case for Change Environment, with Incantations Throughout limitation thrown in for good measure. It affects an area (everyone within earshot), and imposes penalties. Also, No Range might be in order, since the effect would stay centered on the villan.

I think the solution is to just tell the players "no" and run with it. If you don't want to see 21- skills, then tell them that 15- skills are world class, and you don't want them to have more than X or X% of their skills at that level. If that doesn't do the trick, give them so few character points that they simply can't afford to get too many skills at that high of a level. =)

Re: Hamsters There's a "Radioactive" in there, too. A riff on the TMNT.

http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song/ (If you've seen the new Quizno's ad, these guys may look familiar)

It's a comic book bow. Someone read about hundred pound longbows, and figured three times that much would be good for a super hero. Comic books and hyperbole....who'd a thunk it?

The side effect on MD is a great idea.

This seems to be pretty good proof that baseball is evil. (I really don't know much about Bullseye's orign, just seemed odd that they'd pick the same origin for two assassins who operate at about the same level.)

I'd say it's just an SFX for a Mind Link to the bots controlled by what's his name, and the SFX for an attack on Kikaida. The attack would take a bit of thought. Basically, it's a mind control. He can resist it, but it causes enough pain to be a major distraction, and even drop him to his knees. After figuring out how to get the effect over long distances, I'd build the two linked, with a MC and an Ego Attack, but with a custom limit on the Ego Attack that it doesn't go off if the MC succeeds. Might dig around in the sections on MC for specific limits, like requiring a set effect. The pain he has when he's throwing it off would be an SFX. The range is probably best handled with megascale area of effect, selective. It'd be only vs. bots. It also seems like a Continuous attack. Just a few random suggestions. I'm sure if you give a detailed description of the effects of the flute, you'll get a number of better replies.

Oh, yeah: Did anyone else misread the topic line as "Avoiding FISH" ? I must be hungry...

I might allow blocking a flash, but unless it was a held action, I'd give a minimum of one phase flashed if the character doesn't have any flash defense, since they're reacting to the flash and there is a delay. This also justifies a speedster buying flash defense with the same SFX, b/c he would have the reflexes to cover the sense after the attack started, but before it reached him.

Sounds like a single command Mind Control to get the hate and loathing effect. Since it's not beneficial to the critter, I'd probably allow it to be taken as a side effect even though it's an attack on someone else. As long as all it does is create the emotions, but not require the other characters to act on those emotions in any predetermined way, it shouldn't be to abusive.

THUNDERHAWK 400 pts (300 + 100) 50 STR 50 20 DEX 30 50 CON 80 25 BOD 30 13 INT 3 11 EGO 2 20 PRE 10 16 COM 3 30 PD 20 30 ED 20 4 SPD 10 25 REC 10 50 END -25 75 STN 0 ---- 243 POWERS: 15 Damage Resistance to 15PD/15ED 11 Hardened Defenses (15rPD/15rED) 10 Knockback Resistance -5†6 Running +3†(9†total) 26 Life Support: Need Not Eat, Self-Contained Breathing, Safe Environments: Vacuum/Low Pressure, High Radiation, Intense Heat, Intense Cold, High Pressure, and Longevity (1/8 normal aging) -- 65 Total Powers EQUIPMENT: 18 Flight Suit: Flight 12â€/x32 NCM (12â€/384â€/714 mph),OIF(-1/2), x3 END (-1) 15 Onboard AI: 10 DEX, 18 INT, 3 SPD. Programs: Universal Translator 14-, AK: Campaign City 14-, KS: Penal Codes 14-, KS: Criminal Database 14-, Systems Operation 14-, Cryptography 14-. Powers: HRRP(to connect to police and NCIC databases and scan emergency frequencies). 3 Visor: Flash Defense +5 4 Visor: Telescopic Vision, +4 to offset Range Penalties ---- 40 Total Equipment SKILLS: Martial Arts OCV DCV Damage 4 Fast Strike +2 +0 12d6 Strike 5 Offensive Strike -2 +1 14d6 Strike 3 Martial Grab -1 -1 Grab, 60 STR to hold 4 Martial Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 3 Oratory 13- 3 Paramedic 12- 3 Tactics 12- 3 Teamwork 13- 2 KS: The Superhuman World 11- 6 +2 Levels w/Martial Arts ---- 34 Total Skills PERKS: 4 Contact: Publicity Agent Lois Watson 11-, Normal Usefulness, Very Good Relationship 5 Contact: High Tech Firm 11-, Extremely Useful, Good Relationship 3 Reputation: Hero. Large Group/Huge Area, 14- 1 Money: 100,000/year -- 13 Total Perks Total: 400 pts DISADVANTAGES: 20 Psychological: Code of the Hero (Very Common, Strong) 10 Social: Famous (Frequently, Minor) 15 Social: Public ID (Frequently, Major) 15 Distinctive Features: Huge, super muscular physique (Not Concealable) 15 Reputation: Do-Gooder Superhero who will help anyone 14- 20 Vulnerability: 2x STUN from Fire 5 Psychological: Shy Around Women (Uncommon, Moderate) --- 100 Total + 300 Base = 400 This is a version of a brick of mine that wasn't used yet, for a 300+100 game. His prior 350 point incarnation was just plain nasty with a brick trick multi, so I toned down his potential for destruction a bit and made him more basic, while adding a few things that fit his concept. The background: Thunderhawk first appeared in an impact crater on a New England hillside. He was battered, but not badly injured when found. Was he some strange visitor from the stars? Only if they came wearing dog tags that said "Hawke" on them. (And nothing else. No numbers, blood type info, etc.) Hawke's first public appearance was when he subdued Ogre. A photo of Hawke, wearing camo pants and a black tee-shirt and carrying Ogre out of a wrecked warehouse building on one shoulder appeared on Time magazine's cover. Soon after that incident, Hawke met Lois Walker. With no real skills and no other means of earning a living, Hawke decided to go along with Lois's plan to license his image. Lois decided that she'd go with the Hawke name and contracted with a high tech firm (ala Stark or the like) to make Hawke fly. The newly fledged hero was issued a red, white and blue prototype flight suit with a hawk motiff. (Later, he joins the campaign super team, and this is the point where he entered the original campaign, in his original form.) After his original costume is destroyed in a particularly harrowing battle, he is issued his current uniform, which is black with a silver hawk (thunderbird) design on the chest, visor, and cape (kind of a Gatchaman look, so if you don't like huge ass bird guys... too bad =). The concept: If you've read the old Malibu title, Prime, you'll get the basic idea. "Hawke" is not a real person. He's a child with probability-alteration powers. An orphan who has been in many foster homes, he developed a superheroic alter ego. The Hawke who beat Ogre was his Iron Age phase, the primary-colored, red, white and blue Thunderhawk was his Four Color phase, and this incarnation is a a further reaction to the realities of a superheroing career. He's gotten a bit less over the top Big Blue Boyscout and more serious, but he's still the same basic personality. He just wants to do good, and help people. On the powers side, he's pretty vanilla. His contact, Lois Watson, may or may not be a real PR person. She was either created by or drawn to him by his reality manipulation. The improbable high tech firm which provides his equipment either does or does not exist. If an existing campaign organization, the offer to sponsor him was also a result of reality manipulation. He used to have an accidental change an a physical limitation to represent that his original memories are supressed, and recalling them, or sufficient trauma, would revert him to his thirteen-year old self. In this write up, all of the background stuff is left for GM fiat. It'd be great fun to have the team brick get whacked by a mentalist in a hard fight and revert to a thirteen year old, but it's probably also best not to leave that to the dice... The rest of the sheet is pretty self explanatory. The shyness around women is b/c he's only a kid. (And was pretty fun to play up in a group where half the PCs were female and a bit flirty with him.) The DF is b/c he's about seven feet tall and four hundred pounds of solid muscle. The vulnerability to fire was b/c he's a survivor of a fire that killed his family (that's how he was orphaned) and b/c he's at the campaign's max defenese, so it seemed good to give him a vulnerability. That could be replaced by a Hunted by Ogre or some other rival brick. Edit: Oh, yeah, forgot one design note. I put some of his powers into the suit so that I could justify adding a variety of powers later, rather than to shave pts. Of course, he's the poster child for radiation accidents since any large trauma or shift in world view or outlook will change his character somewhat. (Gotta get some freaking lasers on his head one way or another...) Edit 2: Oops, forgot his SFX for brick-ness: He's infused with a LOT of energy. Kind of a solar battery like Supes, but not solar. The "impact crater" was from the reaction that converted a whole buttload of energy to mass for his new body.

Don't forget Super Grover!