sobran

Re: 5th Ed: Flying Dodge This is essentially what I had in mind. Unlike with a Dive For Cover, a Speedster could not move 1" and make the DEX roll with minimal penalty. He would have to move over half their total movement, which for a Speedster, may be quite a bit. Although, come to think of it, that could make a Speedster less able to successfully use a Flying Dodge, depending on their build, which would be counter intuitive to say the least. Err, I clearly misunderstood what you were saying the first time. I scapegoat my four hours sleep in 48 for the discrepancy. In fact, what am I still doing here? I'm going to bed.

Re: Dark Champions Well damn. Thanks for the quick response! I guess I'll have to pony up for the PDF and put up with it or try to find a physical copy somewhere that isn't $75 (eep!)

Re: 5th Ed: Flying Dodge As noted, I would choose to handle this by simply requiring a DEX roll. Turns out my 'example' (did I do that right?) was from a section dealing with resolving actions that take place on the same DEX, when the order of those actions matter. So not exactly applicable. However, given that Dive For Cover renders the target prone and therefore at 1/2 DCV, I don't think it would make Flying Dodge underpowered if, at 5 points, you could use it do everything Dive For Cover grants, with a +4 DCV (instead of 1/2 DCV...) and a farther move potential, but be required to make the same DEX roll that Dive for Cover requires. On the logic consistency front, Flying Dodge is consistent in terms of range and AoE attacks--the AoE only affects someone who Flying Dodges 20" away if the AoE is large enough to still affect them at the end of their move.

Re: Summon Willing Targets I would build this as two powers.The first would be Mind Scan, in order to find your target. Mind Scan Xd6. Ordinarily, you would want enough dice to be able to reliably achieve the expected target's EGO + 20, as this is the target needed to be able to safely Teleport TO a target using Mind Scan. However, EGO + 10 is enough to enable you to use most mental powers through a Mind Link. You may want to consult with your GM to see if he will let you get away with the +10 level or if you need the +20 level. You may also want to spend points to buy up +OECV bonuses for this power (it is 2 points per +1 OECV, according to the description in 5th Edition Revised), as scanning an entire planet gives you a whopping -20 on your roll. You do get a small bonus for familiar minds, which from the sounds of it, will usually apply when using this with the following power... Teleportation, Usable As Attack +1, Ranged +1/2, Line of Sight +1/2, BOECV +3/4 (target can choose whether standard defense or Mental Defense applies), MegaScale (1" = 10,000km; can be scaled down to 1" = 1km) +1.5, Only vs Willing Targets -1, Increased END Cost (x3) -1 Active Points: 42 / Real Points: 14 / END Cost: 12 There are a couple problems with this. The most obvious one is the cost--and that is just for the Teleportation portion. The Mind Scan will cost a hefty bit of points as well, since you will need a large bonus to your OECV in order to reliably target someone anywhere on the planet. If you want to place either or both in a Multipower, you will have to make it rather large because the Active Point Cost on both powers will be rather high. The other is that this power won't work via Line of Sight. The Ranged and LoS advantages are required purchases in order to get BOECV (Based On Ego Combat Value) on there--essentially making it a Mental Power usable via Mind Scan. If you have enough points to put it into a Multipower, you may as well pony up a couple more and make a second version of the same power, with a longer range but minus the MegaScale. This second power will be the one you will use to teleport someone you can see. You may or may not want to drop the BOECV from the second version, depending on whether it will make sense to you that one will work versus DECV and the other versus DCV. I am working from 5th Edition Revised. I'm pretty sure you have 6th, if memory serves. You'll have to convert Teleport, as inches are no longer used as a unit of measurement. I think the final cost will remain the same. Also, it is possible that BOECV has been removed. I think it was folded into the AVAD(?) advantage. You'll have to check. EDIT: While I was dinking around trying to find the MegaScale rules, because I never use them, Sean swooped in and answered in a simpler, build it yourself way.

Re: 5th Ed: Flying Dodge Yeah, I quoted it vaguely because it may or may not actually pertain to this situation. It may have been in relation to Held Actions or something. I do remember that it was, specifically, an example that involved a DEX roll to see if a defender could desolidify before being struck. I'm at work. I'll have to look at the book when I get home. As for the Block/Flying Dodge thing... you're comparing apples and oranges. I said that I would choose to ignore one portion of that rule because it seemed a little too close to an "absolute defense", in my opinion. Sean outlined my concerns a bit more eloquently. The mere fact that I said I would be ignoring that part puts it in "clear house rule territory". There is little point in stating it. Its obvious. To compare my concern with Flying Dodge to Block is evidence that either you are ignoring what my actual concerns with the maneuver are, since the way that I would run Flying Dodge would actually make it more SIMILAR to Block, or engaging in the type of argument in which you extrapolate my argument to a ridiculous degree and then question the result. As far as I'm concerned, you may as well have said, "As long as you're houseruling anyway, why not remove STR as a characteristic?" I can see why you would compare Flying Dodge to Desolidification. That makes sense. I just happen to disagree that Flying Dodge, as written, represents an appropriate defense with an appropriate cost.

Re: 5th Ed: Flying Dodge Did we stop rolling to see if a Block succeeds these days? Much like the DEX roll I said I would require in my games? Maybe you could read the whole post before you become flippant.

Re: 5th Ed: Flying Dodge I think I would ignore a single part of the FAQ and require a DEX contest to see who goes first in the case of a HtH attack vs Flying Dodge. Sort of like the example given when someone is trying to axe someone that is in the process of Desolidifying. Maybe that is altering the rules, but I am uncomfortable with anything that functions as an "absolute defense", even against a single type of attack. It doesn't seem very Hero-esque. That being said, if used by a Speedster, chances are they would win most DEX contests anyway.

Re: Alter Shape This is a whole other ball of wax when compared to what I thought you were saying. Ordinarilly I would suggest Multiform, but that doesn't work to well with a metamorph that can mix and match the attributes they use. I can see this working two ways. 1) A VPP with the Side Effect that 1 Body damage is inflicted for each X Active points that are swapped out in the VPP. Just work backwards to find X. First decide what a reasonable amount of Body would be, so you don't kill yourself if you swap out the whole pool while at full health. Divide Body into the Active points of the pool. Assign Side Effect value. Or that's how I'd do it. Presti's suggestion of a Suppress Body is actually a good one. Move it up the time table so it stays suppressed for the length of time you desire, with an additional limitation stating that the VPP empties of powers when the Suppression ends. For increased realism at the cost of book keeping, pro rate the Active Points of the VPP over the time period, so that the powers heal back gradually. 2) A Multipower with a variety of Fixed and Variable slots corresponding to the various modifications the character tends to make to himself. This is more straightforward at the cost of versatility. Honestly, I would go with the VPP and simply stat out a bunch of powers as if you were going the Multipower route. This is actually recommended for VPPs anyway, to keep the game flowing smoothly during play.

Re: Alter Shape While I'm on the subject, I should probably add that Sean's construct could do with Reduced END and either Persistent or Uncontrolled. Probably the latter. Otherwise, the ability will have a practical limit of two uses per month before the user risks killing himself (unless he has some way to heal faster than normal). Actually, the Reduced END and Persistent/Uncontrolled won't increase the number of possible uses, but it will make each shift able to last longer than one day, giving it a chance to last about two weeks. Constant Powers (as Shape Shift as a default), will turn off if the user loses consciousness. Hmm. I suppose you could forgoe Reduced END and Persistent/Uncontrolled and instead opt for lots of Meth use. I suspect that might come with some Side Effects though. Judging by Sean's comments, they may go something like:

Re: Alter Shape I like your build Sean. The time to heal a single shift would be about 2 weeks for a PC with a REC of 6, assuming only natural healing. This seems much more reasonable than the 3 months the Transorm power would result in. I would add the Only Affects Body Limitation to reflect that it doesn't Shape Shift clothes, as the base power does.

Re: Gun Summoning Hmm, that's a good point. I remember seeing that Magic Bag construct now that I think about it. Given the sheer amount of guns that may end up in this pocket dimension, I don't think it would be too finicky for me to require a bit of Stretching. Hell, an upgrade on the Stretching component could be required to justify an upgrade to the character's equipment pool, assuming he has no physical Armory. And while I'm thinking about it, I think I should probably throw Reduced Time on there as well. EDM is normally a Full Phase Action, while one of the uses of this Power (reloading the gun constantly as it is fired) would essentially require it to be a Zero Phase Action. (EDIT: I guess Trigger takes care of this last part.)

Re: Gun Summoning Sorry for a small bit of Thread-Necro here. In the EDM build outlined above, is there any particular reason that it would need to be built as two separate abilities? Since the Transdimensional Advantage would allow EDM to affect both the guns and ammo in this plane AND in the pocket dimension, wouldn't a single ability with Transdimensional work to both Store and Retrieve said weapons and ammo? Or am I missing something?

Re: Alter Shape I agree that in this particular case, a Transform effect most closely resembles what the OP outlined, particularly because of the "heals back shapeshifting as BODY damage" thing. There is something to note here though. Body damage, in the absence of a Healing ability, comes back quite slowly. Under 5th Edition Revised, Transform requires a character to heal back the amount of Body that was required to make a character transform in the first place (not the total amount rolled). A character heals REC in Body each month. This means that for a character with a modest 10 Body and a REC of 7 (kind of high), it would still take 3 months for the shapeshift to return to normal. I'm not sure exactly what SFX you are going for here, but I suspect the second option outlined here would be a better bet. Set a Time Limit and use Side Effects, as Prest suggested. Assuming you want a character that can change their coloration, general shape (so long as it remains humanoid), and can imitate the appearance of others, but cannot change their total amount of mass, the clothes they are wearing, or the way their voice sounds, I would construct it something like this: Final Real Point Cost: 16. END Cost: 3. I might consider slapping Increased END on there if you want to make it more tiring to use. Note the use of Side Effect. To simulate the change being painful, I created a Side Effect that drains 3 DEX each time the change is used. The DEX returns at a rate of 1 per Turn, which means you could potentially change often enough that you begin losing DEX faster than you get it back. The fact that this Power is Constant rather than Persistent means that you would return to normal if knocked out or if you go to sleep. For a true time limit, you could replace Reduced END with Charges, but it would limit the amount of times you could shift per day. I believe 6th Edition includes a true Time Limit Limitation. Obviously this is built with 5th Edition Revised rules. I am unsure how this would change under 6th Edition, but it should give you a baseline to get you started. Often, examining someone's build and going through the book to see what the Advantages and Limitations they used do, is a great way to increase your understanding of the Hero System.

Re: OMCV Whats it good for (besides Mental Powers) I rather like this idea actually. I will likely implement it in any games in which I could see it being relevant. Or rather, I will provide the opportunity for characters to receive such training in play, essentially allowing a Post-Chargen sellback/trade. I would like to say I will give you full credit, but none of my players are really aware of these forums. Come to think of it, none of my players could contradict me... *shifty eyes* I promise to give you full credit!

Re: Persistent vs. Costs END Only to Activate Fixed it for ya. Seriously though. CETA serves no purpose on any instant power, by its very definition.

Re: Dark Champions I am curious if there is any idea when the 6th Edition of Dark Champions might be coming out? I am sure that Champions will take priority, both due to its stand-alone popularity and the recent computer game release. I hope Dark Champions is next on the list. I would just pick up 5th Edition and call it good, but it doesn't seem to be available anymore, save in PDF, which I despise.

Re: Gun Summoning

Re: Hero Basic 6th : Destructible FOCUS and Power Armor Generally speaking, a Focus should only be subjected to damage when it is specifically targeted or the PC is hit with an AoE. In the latter case, SFX are worth considering. A flamethrower may damage Foci, while a spell that drains life energy from the living may not... unless it is a living Focus (a mage familiar, for example). As for Power Armor, I would consider letting the Armor that the Power Armor grants the character also apply to the Power Armor Focus itself. Between the Armor and the PD/ED it will get from the multiple powers most PAs have, the Focus defenses should be high enough that you shouldn't have to worry about it. If you're curious, compare the Standard Effect and/or Maximum Damage of a few attacks to the total defense of the Power Armor. In most cases, damaging the Power Armor would be more difficult than killing the squishy human wearing it. In which case, don't bother worrying about damage to Power Armor except in exceptional cases. Checking damage to the PA every time a character got hit would get old really quick.

Re: Brand new to HERO & finding my feet I second the Ultimate Skill recommendation. Also, if you run any sort of game that might involve fantastic creatures, you might consider one of the Asian Bestiaries. It is no ordinary Monster Manual. Because it uses a lot of Eastern inspiration, it contains many creatures your players will have never heard of. Also, the creatures are often so odd that they work well as the basis for an alien race in a Champions or Galactic Champions game. I plan on using it in an upcoming Dark Champions game I'm running. Genetic monstrosities FTW.

Re: Gun Summoning I've been thinking about this more. I'm at work and I don't have my book in front of me, but is the Usable As Attack Adv necessary on that last build? Granted, it is being used as part of an attack action, but I thought that advantage was used to grant the ability to use a Power on others that doesn't normally function that way. For example, EDM with Usable As Attack would enable a character to send a turret attempting to attack him into another dimension. Am I misunderstanding this advantage? If it isn't technically necessary but is being added for balance considerations, I can certainly understand that. I'm merely curious. Also, was EDM reduced in cost in 6E? Your build comes up cheaper than my calculations. I plan on buying 6E when the books come in, but didn't bother with the PDFs. EDIT: Nevermind the cost consideration. I'm an idiot.

Re: Gun Summoning Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Re: Post "gotchas" here This is from a couple pages ago but: I think that this needs to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. For example, I can't imagine that it would ever matter that your oatmeal thrower throws technological oatmeal. On the other hand, I could see your magic fireball triggering the Vulnerability on both Superman and vampires. Maybe Vampires too. VaMpIrEs?

Re: Gun Summoning I may make the "Must have purchased ammo" limitation worth -1/4. Granted it isn't as limiting on pistols, but it is still limiting on pick-up and fire weapons. For example, if he grabs a thugs shotgun and starts blasting away with it, the Naked Advantage is of no use unless he just so happens to have purchased 12 gauge rounds earlier and has them sitting in his Extra-Dimensional Pocket. Would you still consider those conditions to be a -0 Limitation? I may have to examine the AP of various weapon builds. I suspect I could cut the AP cost down a bit there too, as I don't see it being applied to missile launchers and the like. I suppose if he got a hold of a grenade launcher and a cache of grenades, that AP total could be rather high...

Re: Gun Summoning Hmm. That is most definitely cleaner than my version. It is considerably more expensive, but I don't think it is overpriced by any means. After all, after purchasing that power he can apply it to any weapon he encounters, provided he has the ammunition, which was kind of the idea. The Conditional: Only in Partial or Total Darkness will bring it down a bit anyway. An addition of Extra-Dimensional Travel with the Limitation: Usable on Weapons Only or somesuch ought to take care of the other part of the ability (summoning and banishing his arsenal at will). Given the costs involved, he may have to start without that second part, but that may make things more interesting anyway. Thank you for your assistance!

So I decided to run a Dark Champions campaign with very limited super powers. Think the first season of Heroes, before everyone and their brother seemed to have powers. Or maybe Batman, given that Poison Ivy and Ras Au Ghul (probably spelled that wrong) both seem quasi-mystical. Anyway. I decided to run it as a Heroic Level campaign, with slightly higher than average point values to accommodate a few powers and allow characters to pick up shotguns at Bi-Mart to blast bad guys with. All was going well until my brother came up with the following, admittedly awesome, but difficult to model concept: A vigilante with various darkness/extra-dimensional powers (relatively easy), but also the ability to summon and banish guns from the other dimension or what-have-you that he gains his power. He also keeps his ammo there and essentially "teleports" the ammunition into the weapon as he fires, eliminating the need to reload or worry about carrying massive amounts of ammunition. This still requires him to obtain the ammunition. So. I don't mind making him pay for the weaponry, given the advantages he would receive, so my first draft for this is as follows... Now the above works. Sort of. The Naked Advantages can be used to model other weapon types, since the damage is virtually the same on all weapons. But it has several problems that I can see. First of all, I don't think Naked Advantages work with Frameworks. Even if they do, this setup costs virtually no END, meaning that scarcity of resources (ammunition) would be the only reason not to just use fully automatic weapons all the time. I could switch this into a Multipower with fixed slots, which would solve some of the problems. Additional weapons would cost points, but not so many so as to be prohibitively expensive. There is still the fact that scarcity of resources would be the only reason to not use an automatic weapon all the time, save when the situation calls for a shotgun. Building the slots with a varying number of charges (albeit large) would reinforce the limited resources issue, but also guarantee they cost no END. Also, I would have to simply use GM fiat to prevent the player from buying up the number of charges, since in a Multipower, it would cost essentially nothing. Also, the way the concept works, if the character is caught in bright light, the weapons should stay in his hands. That is, he can't banish them back to the other dimension and must endure any consequences this might entail should it be Law Enforcement that does the catching. The power as written does not really imply this. I can handwave it or maybe apply a custom limitation... but at what value? It seems to me that I am building this in a clumsy fashion. Surely there is a more elegant way to accomplish what I'm trying to do here. So now I turn to the Hero System geniuses: how would YOU build this ability?