dsatow

The usefulness is in the bell curve itself. It denotes the % of the population with a score of this value which is similar to the 3d6 range of DnD of which the 0-20 values of HERO is based.

That you are about 3 standard deviations from normal. See https://www.123test.com/interpretation-of-an-iq-score/ which has a good explanation.

From my understanding, is that the IQ tests were problematic in that it assumed a certain level of education, a certain culture and upbringing. This makes using them on a person from New York, New York when compared to someone from Ghana, Africa vastly different.

Bryce Nakagawa: I'm his friend so I am biased.

Endurance might be measurable. Doctor's offices do heart tests on a treadmill. You basically run at higher speeds until you can't run anymore (but not pass out).

Personally, I think a vehicle is inoperable once it gets to 0 BODY and unrepairable when it gets to -BODY. Probably to destroy the entire body would be 2x -BODY. But as noted this is all GM subjective.

1 mile = 1609.34 meters average car is a speed 3 assuming a strength of 30 for a size 5 car (generous, since I think most cars are size 4) (30mph * 1609.34)/(60 minutes * 5 turns to a minute) ~= 161 meters per turn / speed of 3 ~= 54m per phase Assuming a move through = 6d6 for strength + 9d6 for velocity = 15d6 This would mean the car takes 12-13 body after a crash in to a wall at 30 mph. Does this look like a car has take over 80% of its body?

I would say the normal characteristic maxima are for a typical human being age 21. This needs to be defined because technically in previous rules sets, your physical maxima would deteriorate while you mental maxima would increase. On the 20 being a limit, I would say that 20 represents 99% of the population of the world (or even 99.999% if you prefer). This allows greatly talented people to surpass these limits with credibility. Technically, IQ can be scaled with the INT stat. But IQ isn't a great measure of intelligence and then value changes as you get older. Assuming that IQ tests are valid and exact, then IQ scores are something like this: 115-124 - Above average (e.g., university students) 125-134 - Gifted (e.g., post-graduate students) 135-144 - Highly gifted (e.g., intellectuals) 145-154 - Genius (e.g., professors) 155-164 - Genius (e.g., Nobel Prize winners) 165-179 - High genius 180-200 - Highest genius >200 - "Unmeasurable genius" (mostly from: http://www.wilderdom.com/intelligence/IQWhatScoresMean.html and https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-genius-iq-score-2795585) Personally, I think INT is actually the rating of how fast you learn concepts. People can become gifted in skills and be perceived as smart, but if they have a rough time grasping new ideas, they are probably book smart rather than INT stat high. NOTE: My own IQ was measured in junior high and rated 135. Given my love of HERO it might be higher until you see the tv shows I like, then you'd wonder how I got out from the 80-90s range. Also for Lucius

Personally, for those situations where the granularity of the extra time chart does not handle, I would advise the player to take the lesser valued increment and just extend the time. Example: The Cosmic Waiter has a 4 speed. He has the ability to boost his SPD but he wants it to take two extra segments after his action. This less than an extra phase but more than extra segment. Cosmic Waiter would buy this as an extra segment time limitation.

This is a car vs fence at lower speed (say about 30 mph). The car hits the fence at the 33 second mark.

I think for the most part people are over thinking this. The starting abilities were never really efficient, they just represent a baseline for an average normal human being (though a i know very few human beings of this stature:220#, 6'6", able to lift 110# with minimal effort or 220# as a dead lift). Given this, if someone was given mental powers all of a sudden, what would their ECV be, a 3 seems fair. If a players buys it up or down, it doesn't matter too much unless they are point whoring for some reason. At which point, I think the point whoring might be more the concern.

Mental combat maneuvers are mentioned I believe in the APG2 though I do not have an electronic copy of that book to check.

The rules increase body based on increasing thickness (check under environment rules for walls). I think rather than reducing Body to below one. As one reduces thickness, the defense of the item should go down. Personally, I just make an educated guess and just run with stuff pulled outta thin air using the environment values as guides.

Yes, its a problem for a lot of players when starting to play Hero for a while. They probably should use the term "your segment" rather than "your phase" and only use "your phase" when actually describing your actions but I doubt it will help in any case. It would be a battle similar to trying to stop people using the word STUN/STUNNED vs CON STUN.

One reason not to is if you allow maneuvers for mental attacks. Say someone is trying to use telepathy to read your thoughts. Theoretically, you could try to fill your mind with useless trivia (a mental dodge) or you could try to block the attempt by thinking something unpleasant (a mental block).

The problem I think people are having is that the term Phase has two meanings but are closely related. Let's start with some RaW definitions. 6e2p16 Turn The basic time frame of combat is called a Turn. Each Turn equals 12 seconds of time. Each Turn a character gets a number of Phases equal to his Speed (see below). A Turn is divided into 12 Segments. Segment A Turn consists of 12 Segments, each 1 second long. Characters who can perform an Action in a Segment (i.e., who have a Phase in that Segment) do so in order of their DEX values. The character with the highest DEX score goes first, the second highest goes next, and so on. Two or more characters with the same DEX who act in the same Segment should each roll 1d6; the one with the highest roll acts first. Ties should roll again. After every Segment 12, before the next Turn begins, there’s a “Post-Segment 12” period that takes no time. At this time most characters automatically get to take a Recovery (see 6E2 129). Phase A Segment on which a character can act is known as one of his Phases. Each character has a number of Phases in each Turn equal to his SPD. For instance, a Speed 5 character has five Phases; the character can perform one or more Actions in each Phase. The Speed Chart tells you which Segments a character’s Phases are in. Each time one of a character’s Phases comes up, he may perform one or more Actions. Find the character’s Speed on the left side of the Speed Chart, and look at the row next to it. Every Segment marked with a H in that column is a Segment in which the character has a Phase. For instance, a character with a SPD of 4 has Phases in Segments 3, 6, 9, and 12. A character’s Phase begins on his DEX in each of the indicated Segments. For example, if a character has SPD 5, DEX 20, his first Phase in a Turn begins in Segment 3 on DEX 20. Typically the GM begins each Segment by counting down DEXs, from highest to lowest, until there’s no one left who has a Phase. HERO System gamers typically refer to this as having a character’s DEX “come up” or “occur,” or as a character “going on” his DEX (“My character goes on DEX 21”). The type of Actions a character performs have no effect on when he acts. A character gets to perform his entire Phase’s worth of Actions when his Phase occurs, even if a character with a lower DEX only wants to perform a Zero or Half Phase Action. So the questions in the arguments I am hearing are 1) I have a power which takes a full phase action. Can I do a zero phase action when I use the full phase action? The answer is yes so long as it is started before you take the full phase action. A full phase action effectively ends your phase and must be completed in full (you can not take half a phase, delay, and then take the other half as an example). See 6e2p18, Full Phase Actions and Zero Phase Actions. 2) When does your phase end? A phase is both a measure of time and when you go. A full phase is both half actions. An Extra phase is a full phase in one segment to the completion of a full phase in next segment of the character. 3) Doesn't a phase end at the bottom of the segment? No, certain actions complete at the bottom of the segment but the amount of time to start the action does not change. This is fairly confusing to people because probably the most common use of a full phase action is to take a recovery in turn. What you need to understand is that when you take a recovery, you are initiating a recovery. The initiating of the recovery take a full phase. The results just happen to end at the bottom of the phase. HERO has many actions which do this. A Haymaker is a 1/2 phase action but it completes in the next segment. Recovery from being stunned is a full phase but the effects of the recovery occur at the start of the character's next phase. The reason for this is that there can be things which interfere with the action and prevent the action from completing. 4) But my GM doesn't do it this way! Yup, that's because your GM has house ruled it for their game. I can't say why they did it. Maybe it's too limiting in their game. Maybe it doesn't match the genre. Maybe they learned it differently when they played the game. You just have to live with it or talk the GM out of it. 4a) How should I handle it when I GM? However you want to handle it, just be uniform. For instance, if you don't like the idea a villain can be screwed over when recovering from being stunned, you can say that after the villain completes the full round action, they are unstunned. But that same argument should apply to the heroes and NPCs too.

LOL, the first thing that came to mind is "It's only offensive if you just roll one for yourself and don't share."

I'd probably allow it but depending on the situation and usage would give you bonuses or minuses to you presence attack. Reasoning? Anything I think I should be able to do for my villains, I should also allow my heroes to do. Example 1: Foxbat is starting up his foxbat mobile but has to manually crank up the motor on each leg. While doing this he make a soliloquy "Wait until you see the awesome power of the Foxbat Mobile (tm) in New York!" (-3d6 Pre attack) Example 2: Dr. Destroyer is powering up his Orbital NEO Railgun. While channeling the power through his suit to power the Railgun he makes a soliloquy "Wait until you see the awesome power of the Orbital Near Earth Object Railgun on New York!" (+3d6 Pre attack)

Sure. 6e1p374, last paragraph BTW: that scenario uses extra phase not full phase. Full phase would mean the only action you could do that segment is the teleport but you would teleport that segment.

One standard whip action in movies is to use it to grab something at range and then effectively throw it to yourself. Another standard movie whip action is swing it around you to keep villains at bay. Finally, I've seen one or two movies where they wrap the whip around their hand to make an improvised cestus.

It's not a tactic against players, but for players... I had a mentalist with mental illusions. When co-players were down stun, she would mentally illusion them into thinking she healed them or aided their recovery. It wasn't much, but it was useful.

I think this relates. A 0 pt contact is like the friend and a 1+ pt contact is like the best friend.

I generally treat contacts as player accessible abilities. In other word, you can have "contacts" without paying points for them, but they may not respond to you if they are busy or etc. It's more a role playing exercise/plot contingent contact and slightly beneficial. If you want someone who will drop what they are doing to try and help you out when you need it, then the contact perk is for you. Example of the difference (YMMV): You know a lawyer. He's good (18- PS: Lawyer) but he's not bought as a contact. You get framed for the murder of some punk. You call him for help but get his secretary. She says she'll relay the message to him. A day goes by and this kid fresh out of college come by your prison cell. Kid lawyer has been referred to you by the big shot lawyer. When you get out of jail on bond a day later, the press tries to crucify you outside the court house. You know a lawyer. He's good (18- PS: Lawyer) and he's bought as a contact. You get framed for the murder of some punk. You call him for help and get the roll. His secretary puts you through to the big shot lawyer even though he's in a meeting. 15 minutes later, you are out of jail on bond. The lawyer has gotten a gag order on the press in place and is already talking about how to defeat the accusations. You know a lawyer. He's good (18- PS: Lawyer) and he's bought as a contact. You get framed for the murder of some punk. You call him for help but you failed the roll. His secretary gives him a message. A hour later, a junior partner from the firm gets you out of jail on bond. The press already has wind of your problem but he's arranged for a press release to give your side of the issue.

Repeated uses of Presence attacks drop the effectiveness of the attack by 1d6 per previous attack (6e2p138). If used in combat, the PRE attack suffers a -1d6. If the attack is a super power ("I have a scare power which makes people scared of me"), I usually do not give extra dice for violent actions or soliloquy. I also think the more experienced your players get, the less violent an action will seem. When the heroes first start out, a guy with a mini gun shooting at you is pretty violent, but after facing Dr. Destroyer and Mechanon a few times, he just doesn't seem as dangerous. I also allow people to use either EGO or PRE whichever is higher and most players have bought their EGO or PRE to about 25-30 after 30+ xp. Your mileage will vary of course.

One attack people hardly ever defend against adequately is the presence attack. A 12d6 presence attack, effectively robs people of an action, drops their DCV, and makes them regret leaving their PRE at 15 as a starting characteristic.