misterdeath

Mainly because you get so few feats and skills, and so much cash that it's easier to come up with magic items than to give your character the abilities he needs.

My Cleric just took a level of Barbarian, because it was easier to get the Movement abilties and Weapon Proficiencies that he needed than to try to wait for feats. He spent his cash on stuff to augment his spell casting, so he's not giving up much. I even role played the change last level (all of which spent in the wilderness fighting things), so it's not completely out of the blue why a NE cleric of the god of seduction, manipulation, and control took a level of barbarian.

I was talking to my wife about this last night (she's the 3E GM). She thinks that it might be fundamental to D&D. I'll try to reproduce her logic.

D&D is derived from a wargame, through many permutations, and based on the Attacks of Opportunity rules, it still seems to hold quite a bit of wargame feel.

D&D was designed to be simpler, and to appeal to a broader market. This market was mainly supposed to come from computer gamers. Hence the rapid level ups, the "Kewl" feats and magic items, the lots of abilities at each level.

And at each level, you have to step out of game play, and metagame to determine what you get for a level/what you can spend your money on/what spells you can take.

Now, it comes into play differently in Hero. Most of the math permutations happens during character creation. Once you're playing, since the jumps in XP are much smaller, you tend to spend them during play, and so, don't spend a session metagaming trying to get your character up to speed.

If you were to drop 30 points on the character every three weeks, then you'd see some metagaming in Hero too.

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Plonk.

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Keith "man of a thousand names" Curtis has a really nice website. You can get it from his Member's Profile.

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Originally posted by sbarron

Sorry, tesuji. You get an A for sarcasm, but a D- for content. The correct box was...

 

"The player that is actually role-playing a character with distictively unique abilities and personality will have more fun (and a more fulfilling role-playing experience) than any player that is roll-playing numbers he wrote down on a sheet of paper, regardless of the GM."

 

Keep studying, though. I'm sure you can do better next time.

This answer boils down to "a player that roleplays in a roleplaying adventure will have more fun than a character that doesn't." Really? Gosh.

But, unfortunately, this answer holds true whether or not the character is min maxed or anything else.

Role playing, and number crunching are NOT mutually exclusive.

I can, and do, have some of the most unique characters and personalities that most of my GMs have ever seen. Lots of hooks, role playing possibilities.

And, yet, each and every one of those is minmaxed to some extent. Normally quite an extent.

Joe can have the biggest piece of crap (numbers wise) character

and still have a horrible time because all his characters want to do is fight.

They just do it really badly. And they still don't roleplay.

So, in my book Tesuji gets an A.

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Originally posted by Shadowpup

But if you go with HKA STR doesn't add, you can still use it with Martial Arts and get +DC

 

Can RKA No Range get Missile Deflected?

Truth. But, there isn't any reason why you couldn't apply DCs to your "light sabre combat style". Sure, it's Ranged levels. Just make a separate style for "light sabre combat" from your "knife fighting"

And then you might be able to add WE: Blaster, and get the extra DCs with that too.

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Simple form: You prorate HKA, you do not prorate HAs.

So, if it were a 2d6 HKA, Armor Piercing, 15 points of STR would be 10 points more of HKA, so the new HKA would be 2 1/2d6. It'd take 22 STR to make a full die (3d6 AP RKA).

Aside: This occurs with all the advantages, so if you had double AP, double Pen (+2) then 15 points of STR would give you 5 points of damage.

If you had a 6d6 HA, Armor Piercing, all 15 points add, so you get 9d6 AP HA.

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RKA: 15 points per die.

No Range (-1/2) makes that 10 points per die.

If you use an HKA: 15 points per die.

You'd have to use "Str doesn't Add" (-1/2) to make things cost the same and be the same.

So, we have RKA, no Range, and HKA, Str doesn't add, both for 10 points per die. (barring any other modifiers).

So, since they cost the same, you have to look at which one better represents the SFX of the situation.

For a lot of SFX, Steve feels that RKA, no range fits better (it's the energy of the blade that does damage, not the person swinging it in the light sabre example. Rest the light sabre on the table, it'll still cut. Do that with your sword, and, well, you'll have a sword lying on the table.)

HKA implies, to me at least, that you're using your STR with the item, like Wolverine's Claws or Black Knight's Sword. So, I like Steve's way.

If the STR doesn't matter, where the damage stays the same no matter who's using it, then it doesn't matter which method you use, because it costs the same.

If STR does matter, then go with the HKA, and forget the Str doesn't add, and rock and roll.

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From the company questions forum http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2432&highlight=resource

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Originally posted by innominatus

so you're back to the same problem of Mechanon having lost the 480+ points he spent on his attack Multipowers and such in his original form.

Is that's what's bothering you? So, Mechanon's lost a boatload of points and has to "earn" them back? Big deal.

That's what makes him take time to return. He's got to earn back 480 points of stuff.

If you were to use a different type of Duplication (total, only when original killed, yadda yadda), then you have to remember to take into consideration that it takes Mechanon time to reform.

That amount of time is dependant on GM/Plot considerations, in the published case, that's how long it takes Mechanon to earn those EPs.

___

And, perhaps it's a 4th edition bias, but I never got the impression that the body was the important part.

Just like in 4th edition, the most expensive form pays for the Duplicate/Multiform. IIRC, that's one of the things people howled about when 5th came out--you could have 350 point multiform guy spend pretty much all of that on his "duplicate".

So, Rather than listening to people complain, Steve put the head as a duplicate of the body, and not the other way around.

You could do it the other way. Probably makes more sense. But, from a Game Balance standpoint, well, it's point whoring of a high order.

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Originally posted by Knightraven

Well, Shelly, I don't think you saw the secondary problem that I mentioned. Making them like-superheroes but with a charming public identity smiling face is a bad thing, IMO.

In my example, after Fenris killed off her family, how would the public view Sanchez? Object of pity? Sadness?

Also, lets say it was a superpowered terrorist, ala Ember that she helped put away. He specializes in incendiary bombs. He blows up her car with her in it, killing her. Killing Silver Avenger Sanchez. A person with a public face. Thereby making Primus look vulnerable and making all the other Silver Avengers targets.

At least with a code-name, costume, Primus could simply replace the person in the suit. Who knows how many different Silver Avenger Valkyrie's there have been? Does it really matter? All that matters is that there always will be one defending Millenium City.

And, when she decides to retire and maybe have kids in her late thirties or so, the criminals never bother her or her small children ever.

Just my 2 cents.

Then Fenris or Ember dies.

Just like if you kill a cop, your life isn't worth much when other cops catch you.

"Ember was killed resisting arrest, shot 142 times with high wattage plasma weaponry."

Heck, all PRIMUS has to do is leak the information to Thunderbird, and whoops, crispy critter. Sorry Fenris. We'll mount your pelt to the wall.

See, the same thing applies as for police today. If a cop dies, does that make all the other cops more vulnerable? What happens if you target a cop's family?

I can see your point. But, there's a trade off between safety (can't target what you don't know!) and public opinion (Talk about your faceless government bureaucrat.)

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On my computer, it happens right about here

Active Cost: 86 for Astral Form, (Vampire character total ¸ 2.5) + 12 for dimension-travelling Duplicate

 

Real Cost: 34 for Astral Form, Duplicate Active Cost ¸ 3.5 for dimension-travelling Duplicate

It converts back to normal font when posted here but everything in italics and thereafter is in symbol font.

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Originally posted by Gary

You have a deal. I can make some custom improvements in the body if you wish, or my colleague Genesis (Jenna) could grow a custom clone android body for you. Being able to pass as human does have a few advantages.

 

Kosmic Krusher

Beware of this, I tried sending QUARK a very nice biomorphic android for Christmas. Had it made up all pretty, with some nice enhancements, including a Reverse Phase Anti-photon Cannon.

It came marked Undeliverable, and it blew up when I opened it. Inside was a note, "Please, do not attempt this again."--L.C.F.

Sorry. Just an FYI. Took a few days to get bioplasm off the carpet.

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Perhaps you misunderstand.

Autofire (3 shots) on up to 2d6 RKA (7 active points) OIF Bow of Opportunity (-1/2). 5 points.

The power has nothing to do with the bow, even though he needs one to use it. It has everything to do with the skill of the wielder.

It's sort of like buying an Uber Martial Arts Maneuver or one of those nifty characters in Ninja Hero.

But, if you were running, I'd be more than happy to take a -1/4 (Bows only) limitation. It's not worth quibbling over the point (5 vs 6 cost)

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I'd have probably defined the power as OIF: Bow of Opportunity (-1/2) instead of the limited power used.

He's got to have a bow to use the power, hence the focus, but he can use it with any bow, hence OIF.

Same cost, perhaps a better limitation in that Bows are the defined autofire actor (not crossbows, not rocks, not daggers), and it distinctly says that he's got to have one in order to make the power work.

Disarm him of his bow, he picks up one of the ones just laying around, voila, Flurry of Arrow time.

And, yeah, it's pretty darn cheap. That's why Naked Modifiers are GMs Call powers.

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I Like 350 points. When trying to create a 250 point character, I always had to give up too much, or twist things to fit, or point whore until the sheet screamed.

With 350 I can get what I want, and not have to point whore.

250 is a young, starting hero. Good point for teen angst mutants with one power or two, not people with actual jobs and a cadre of power and stunts.

350 is a good starting team hero. It works. It really does.

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Re: Re: Re: Maybe We Wasn't Robbed

Originally posted by Al_Beddow

This I find amusing. While I'm not going to assume anything, it has been my experiance that the person making such comments truly hasn't given HM more than a quick glance or "once over."

 

But, since this isn't a HM discussion board, I'll end the thread hijacking here.

FWIW, I own all the hackmaster books, and have created a few characters. 1st edition, with a bunch of complexity added on. (flaws, powers, training, new ways of doing skills)

It's a change, and in a lot of ways an improvement. But, it's still 1st edition at it's core.

Which is logical, since the game is based off the comic, which based it's game off of D&D.

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Re: Maybe We Wasn't Robbed

Originally posted by Kevin Scrivner

After reading Steve's explanation of the awards, I have to risk roaring flames and suggest that maybe we wasn't robbed. Hero 5th is an excellent game, and the recent revisions are helpful, but the rewrite isn't so extensive as to qualify it as a "new" game. Which in a way is a good thing; it's familiar yet with improvements.

 

Now, if Hero's new and totally rewritten products -- such as Star Hero or Champions -- aren't nominated for something, I'd be concerned.

Hence, my comments about Hackmaster. It's basically 1st edition D&D, with 2nd edition Bards and Rangers (and a bunch of complexity) grafted on.

It's not a New Game either, yet it won.

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Originally posted by tesuji

Is there actually a category for "Best Rehash of 1980's rules" at Origins?

Must be, Hackmaster won didn't it?

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That's Classic Organizations for the 4th edition write ups.

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He cuts a deal with ... something to bring himself back. Possibilities include:

Teleos: Clone and Braintape.

Takofanes: Undead.

DEMON: Raise him with Demonic powers as a minion.

Real Demons: Muerte cuts a deal.

Krim: Death Crown of Krim, perhaps.

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Originally posted by Syberdwarf2

Heuristic Electronic Logistical Liason-Being In Total Control of the Heroes.

 

H.E.L.L.-B.I.T.C.H.

 

Joke about X-wife deleted.

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Originally posted by Agent Escafarc

OK I found the answer (UMA page 102) It says you must have both to use the maneuvers.

Cool. That's a built in counter to the Weapons Master (+3 PSL vs Non Proficiency Penalties == 9 pts). You can do it, but you can't use your Martial Arts Abilities in conjunction.

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Ringside objects probably are clubs (chairs, microphones). But I completely missed the umbrella. Sigh.

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There are?! Damn it, I thought I checked all of those. Grrr.

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AFAIK, not usually. The two are/should be separate.

If you pay points for something, you can use it without weapon element or weapon familiarity.

If you want to know how to use a weapon, that you didn't pay points for, you have to have weapon familiarity (or take the -3 OCV penalty). If you want to use the weapon with your martial arts, you need to have the weapons element.

I suppose you could buy the WE without having the WF. You'd be able to use the maneuver to offset the -3 OCV penalty.

Weapon Elements are much more restrictive than Weapon Familiarities. You can buy Common Melee Weapons for two points, and know how to use everything, but getting Clubs, Blades, and Axes Weapon Elements costs three points, because you don't get groupings.

So, if you have a character with WF: Common Melee, and WE: Blades with his martial arts, and he disarms the Black Knight, he can pick up BKs sword and use it.

But, if you have your own sword, and no WF or WE, you can use your martial arts, because you get your points. If you disarm the BK, you don't get the full benefit of using his sword, because you don't have the skill. Too specialized I guess. "I'm really good with my sword, and no other."

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