Pattern Ghost

OR ... buy some Running AND Accurize your Leaping. Bricks are fun.

Move them around, as in, you can assign your levels (except for the 2 point type and the 5 point DCV only type) to either OCV or DCV from round to round. For example: If you have a really high DEX, say 30, you have a base CV of 10, which is good. Now, without levels, you get that as your OCV and your DCV, modified by maneuvers and by the rest of the combat modifiers. However, if you had a lower DEX and CSLs, say a 24 DEX, CV 8, and 4 CSLs (lets say they're 8 pt levels b/c you can do everything with those), you can either have 10 OCV and 10 DCV, or 12 OCV and 8 DCV, or 8 OCV and 12 DCV, or any other combination that uses those four levels. Of course, there are matters of point efficiency, and that high DEX also lets you act first, and increases your DEX skill rolls, etc. But, most games have a cap on characteristics, especially DEX, so you can usually do quite a bit of tuning within your character concept. In most games, the base CV spread isn't that far apart, so the versitility of levels comes in handy. The rules for when you can assign the levels are detailed in the main rulebook, but basically, you can reassign your CSLs when it's your phase or when you abort (I think, read the book on this), and it's a 0 phase (free) action. Your CSLs stay assigned until your next action phase. Suppose you have a base CV of 6, and let's say 3 levles with all combat. On your phase, you make a cautious attack at, oh, let's say a troll, with your levels assigned to DCV, giving you an OCV of 6 and a DCV of 9. On the troll's phase, he takes a swipe at you, and due to your high DCV, misses. You figure this is a good strategy and do the same thing the next turn. However, on the troll's next turn, he's gotten tired of being harrassed by the fidgety little human, and picks up a large log to bash you with, effectively an area of effect attack. Now the troll has to hit your hex, which is DCV 0 because you're adjacent. So, you decide you don't want to be smashed and abort your next phase to a Dive For Cover. Since you need to roll to hit your target hex (if I remember the dive for cover rule correctly), you decide to shift those 3 levels into OCV. Basically, by moving around your CSLs in combat, along with chosing your combat maneuvers, you can play a very tactical game very easily. Hope that helps clarify what I mean by move them around.

If he has to work with real items, such as palmed coins and such, same as a regular prestidigitator, just give him an high Slieght of Hand roll, and maybe some PS or KS in his background skills. If he doesn't actually have to have a coin to pull out of someone's ear, he'd probably need transform or another power construct. Maybe summon for little animals, transform air to small objects for small objects, etc.

Go for it. I officially plunk both combat examples squarely in the public domain. Do with them what you will.

I forgot one of the key things that's cool about CSLs: You can move them around! So, you can opt to fight more offensively, more defensively, etc. That's where a lot of tactics come in.

I'll take a crack at it. First, read the combat section a couple of times. Just the basic section. Ignore everything after the header for Optional whatever. (I forgot the exact section title, and my book is in a box b/c I moved). Ok, once you've read that, read the section on combat skill levels again. The short version: Combat is resolved by the following roll: 11 + OCV - DCV You want to roll under the number you get from this basic formula. Here's how you get the formula: 11 <-- this number is a given. It's around a 50% chance on 3d6, so it's the basis for the roll. [Edit: Actually, I think it's about 62%] OCV <-- This is the attacker's Offensive Combat Value. This is derived from the base Combat Value (CV), which is DEX/3. (Rounding applies.) However, the OCV and DCV are modified by a number of factors, including skill levels. DCV <-- This is the Defender's Defensive Combat Value. This is arrived at based on Combat Value (CV) (Dex/3). It's also modified by a number of factors, including skill levels. What this formula does is give you a base chance to land a damaging (or at least potentially damaging) blow, and have the chance modified by the relative skill (CV) of the attackers, as well as tactics, terrain, and other modfiers used to adjust OCV and DCV. Let's look at some modifiers used to calculate OCV and DCV: If you look up the combat manuevers list in the rulebook, you'll find good old Offensive Strike, a martial maneuver. Among the other information (time taken, half phase, damage modifier, +4DCs, etc.), you have an OCV and DCV column. There's a penalty of -2 to OCV and a bonus of +1 to DCV for the Offensive Strike. So, if your character has a DEX of let's say 14, he'd have a base CV of 5 (14/3, rounds up). If he used an Offensive Strike, he'd have an OCV of 3 (5-2) and a DCV of 6 (5+1). One note here, you have a set of Basic Maneuvers, which everyone can do. Offensive Strike is a Marial Maneuver, which you would have to pay points to buy in order to use. (See Martial Arts under Skills). Now, another modifier is Range. If you're further away, it's harder to hit your target. So, there's a chart of OCV penalties for range. Actually, right in there somewhere is a whole list of combat modifiers, and since you weren't asking about those, we'll move on. Now, we get to Combat Skill Levels. Read that part again. There are several different CSLs, with different point values. 2 pts: You can use this for ONLY increasing OCV with a single attack. 3 pts. You can use a 3 point level to increase your OCV or DCV with a group of three attacks, or a tight group, such as a Multipower or Martial Art. You can ALSO use 3 point levels to increase your damage. You can probably do something else with them, but since I don't have the book out, and I've had a rough day, heck if I can remember. But increasing your odds to hit and your damage are by far the most fun to be had here. There is ONE catch, however. You can only use these levels to defend against the same type of attack as they were purchased for. So, if you took some 3 point levels with melee attacks, you can only use them for DCV vs. melee attacks. I'm not looking right now, so I'm not sure if you can use them vs. ranged attacks if you bought them for a group of ranged attacks or not. A check of the book or the FAQ will help you there. 5 pts. These levels work just like 3 point levels, except for two things. The first thing is that they can be used for very broad categories of attacks, such as Hand to Hand or Ranged. The other thing is that you can buy DCV only levels, which defend against any attack with, but can't use for OCV or for increasing damage. 8 pts. Work just like 3 and 5 point levels, but can be used for ANY attack you have, and can apply to DCV vs. any attack. These are pretty cool, but sometimes 3 point or 5 point levels are more cost effective. Now, as to how stats are derived, and characters created, that's a different can of worms. This will depend on a lot of things, including guidelines given by the GM, the points you have to spend, etc. If you don't have a GM handy to give guidance, the best suggestion is to look in one of the Genre books, such as Champions, Star Hero, or the forthcoming Fantasy Hero. Also, there's the free Genre by Genre PDF file here on the Hero site. The characters there will give you some good ideas of what the norms are. (There are no norms, but this will provide you with something close.) Hope this helps.

There's a supers combat too, but I don't think I ever went and fixed a couple of errors in that one which someone pointed out. (But the gaffs are pointed out, so you can figure out what I goofed on.)

SAGA or FASERIP system? Certainly not in the older system.

X-Men = Children of the .... ready for this... ATOM!!! Silver Age = Lots of nuke anxiety.

I vaguely recall Jarvis displaying some combat ability in one issue. Not sure if that counts. Not sure if Alfred's beefing up over the years counts any more, though. I think they'd team up and crush Dust Bunny for his temitry and ill manners, personally.

Just go with a nice, round 5/8 lim.

The big critter on New Genesis broke the Lasso... Good episode...but when's the next one??? Manhunter was definately flexing some brickly might too. I'd guess he was using his DI to boost his STR in the Braniac-fest. Maybe put him around 40-50 plus some DI levels.

GUI = Graphic User Interface (Windows) DOS= Disk Operating System They're just invoking the power of analogy for a simplified character sheet that doesn't show how everything is derived, just the results. Or, just what you need to click on to get the thing to work... Which is a really cool idea.

That makes sense.

Since his Telepathy is outside the multi, he could just establish telepathic contact, then use the Mind Control. Only hitch is that you'd have to overcome the target's ego twice, once for the TP and once for the MC. Your GM might also make you take two phases, if he considers the Telepathy an attack. So, the telepathic command option might be a good idea, but not entirely necessary. I'm not sure I'd allow the "only while gnawing" modifier on the tunnelling. What's the rationale behind it? It doesn't seem particularly limiting, especially considering that the character doesn't communicate with speach, so having his mouth busy isn't such a big deal. It's also going to be assumed that the character is using some body part to do the tunnelling with.

I should point out, too, that the recoil problem is greatly amplified at range. At very close range, a fraction of an inch of the muzzel being out of alignment doesn't translate to much, but over distance, it adds up fast. Now, an M-60 on a bipod or tripod...different story. M-2 (50 cal), even better. But it's the stabilization that makes the difference.

Tom made my point. Except that 3 shot burst is utterly useless b/c it can't be used for supressing fire or for clearing rooms, and the second and third shots still have the recoil problem. When I was in Berlin, we had to maintain a rack full of A-1's for our personal security detail guys b/c they absolutely had to have full auto (busting crowds) for their mission. Of course, we field guys did, too, as we were supposed to be training for urban combat. The autofire rules for supressing fire, etc., and the OCV penalties do a pretty fair job of simulating the advantages and drawbacks of autofire.

Why would you want to give OCV bonuses to an autofire weapon? Against a single target, chances to hit decrease after the first round due to the shots stringing out. So, the OCV bonus wouldn't work to model RL AF weapons all that accurately. Autofire is good for busting crowds of people up, clearing rooms, etc. It's best for close-in work.

Military Police and civilian law enforcement are a far cry from each other when it comes to policies. Even regular Army MPs were required to carry with an empty chamber. Civilian law enforcement does not have this handicap.

I've not taken an "official" test. But there is a pretty consistant online test. I've taken it maybe a half dozen times over several years. Of course, the drawback to those tests is the "WTF?" factor of some of the choices. Sometimes, you just don't care about either option enough to choose one over the other.

I'm an INXJ! My T and F are usually either tied or just shy of each other. Of course, a lot of that test depends on your current mood and externalities, so it does vary. Sometimes my I flipflops to an E too. The big question is if your X or Y is dominant (or present, I suppose, genetics and personality typing don't really make for good analogies...) Another board I'm on had a pretty long discussion on writing from the POV of the opposite sex, so these kinds of things were coming up lately, and it got me thinking. It was one of those "should I or shouldn't I?" type questions. I think the consensus was not to worry about it much, b/c most of the time you can't tell the sex of, say, a first person narrator, regardless of whether it matches the writer's without obvious clues. Etc., etc. Don't want to drag that whole discussion in here.

I read that part. The public service announcement was to correct your misunderstanding of copyright laws, or at least the misstatement.

You just don't know the right gamers. Not misogynistic, really, just trying to get a rise out of you. You do argue from a feminine perspective, and frequently, yet you also take a highly logical approach at other times. Leads me to believe your avatar isn't representative of your gender. The dramatization of the gender cues were just cheap shots b/c I didn't like your attitude. But since we're not being personal, you can disregard those now.

This is totally aside from the argument at hand. I just want to take a time out to point out to the viewers at home that this is NOT how copyright law works. You do NOT buy the right to scan items out of a book you've bought and then publically display them.

So, you're saying that you don't have to follow those piddly copyright laws or respect someone's intellectual property? Cool beans. Ok, if you aren't attacking me (you probably will be after you read that last post though), then I'll lay off of you. Fair enough. You seem unreasonably cranky today, though.