dsatow

A couple of things I see Reduce Penetration used on is a version of attacks where there is a large number of attacks but at the same time autofire doesn't cut it for some reason.
 
In one game, a 4d6 RKA with reduced penetration was defined as a two pistol shot to the same point on the person.  It could have been autofire, but the PC wanted to always hit the same spot with the two gun fire.  This made the damage on par with two guns and the stun damage much more in line with the game.
 
In another game, the speedster had an energy blast no range defined as multiple punches to the same spot.  The reason he didn't use autofire was due to the end cost.  The attack gave him a reasonable effect with out a massive drain on End.
 
 

One of the problems with the V&V conversions for HERO is that the V&V characters in their own game system vary wildly in power the original old system.  You can have characters that did 1d4+2 with characters that did 1d20+6.
 
It is better to use the system numbers and dice as a comparison to power level for the HERO conversion than to use a straight algorithm to convert.  Even if the conversion says that the power only does 6d6 Blast damage, if the character is in a 12d6 game, think about making it at least 10d6 if not 12. 

One of the problems with the V&V conversions for HERO is that the V&V characters in their own game system vary wildly in power the original old system.  You can have characters that did 1d4+2 with characters that did 1d20+6.
 
It is better to use the system numbers and dice as a comparison to power level for the HERO conversion than to use a straight algorithm to convert.  Even if the conversion says that the power only does 6d6 Blast damage, if the character is in a 12d6 game, think about making it at least 10d6 if not 12. 

One of the problems with the V&V conversions for HERO is that the V&V characters in their own game system vary wildly in power the original old system.  You can have characters that did 1d4+2 with characters that did 1d20+6.
 
It is better to use the system numbers and dice as a comparison to power level for the HERO conversion than to use a straight algorithm to convert.  Even if the conversion says that the power only does 6d6 Blast damage, if the character is in a 12d6 game, think about making it at least 10d6 if not 12. 

I made the bow +6 penalty ranged OCV mod levels for a group of attacks OAF and +3d6 HA OAF.  The trick arrows were a quiver OIF multipower.  The arrows were OAF (multiple focii or less effective) with charges slots.  A PC could take the bow away and the archer could still throw arrows at a target but they wouldn't be as good unless they were close.

Not a super-hero but Nixie is too cute not to post. That's her as Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider in my last post.

This seems unnecessarily intricate for that effect.  "STR +10, Only for combat, Only against enemies character has already spent [time period] fighting this combat" seems like a much cleaner method of doing comeback strikes or "now I know how to fight you" ability.  No messy tracking of exact margins of success and cumulative modifiers and the GM having to remember to apply those things, just add 2d6 to your punch/kick/grab/escape because your martial artist knows how best to do so now.  Adjust base power as needed for whatever attack you're using (or switch to CSLs to fit anything), change the numbers and add other Advantages/Limitations such as 0END or No KB as desired.  Alternatively, do something similar with an Aid construct. 
I'll note that I really don't like reducing defenses because that leads to nasty memory issues and speed issues.  Did the GM reduce their defense against your attack?  By the right amount?  Only against your attack?  You probably have to remind them of the exact amount (you are keeping track, right?) anyways.  And then they have to do subtraction instead of you doing a bit more addition, so that's slower, and there's the general cognitive load of all this, and it's just a big mess at the table.  Far far easier on the GM if you just roll more dice when appropriate and tell the GM the damage number that they do the same thing with as anything else. 
 
I agree that the old version of FW was powerful, but I don't think this is much weaker in theory.  A fairly comparable investment into this version should get better results over an extended fight, since you can retry indefinitely with no penalties and you're making linear progress.  Also, you could double-tap FW on your first Phase and get a pretty hefty amount of defense reduction for the entire fight, which is very tempting if you're starting on P12 and most of the STUN you put out by attacking would be post-12'd away anyways.  It's not like you have to worry about the FW turning off either, being unable to use it for a full Turn is such a long time that any enemy capable of eluding you for that long is either outright immune to your FW and just didn't have that Invisibility or whatever on at the start or has such a mobility edge that they can leave or take all the Recoveries (and probably attacks) they want in total safety and thus you're not winning anyways. 
 
You've reintroduced FW, but I don't feel you've removed the problems with FW. 
I can't speak for feel.  I'm perfectly fine with "this +4 damage is because the attack pierces defenses" but that's a purely subjective stance. 
The mechanics are absolutely not clean, unfortunately.  Way too much small math and tallying going on to be clean. 

Well, the player side of me (thus empathetic to players who want Find Weakness), would like to build the characters with Find Weakness.  The concept of being a martial artist who finds holes in a person defenses is an interesting ability.  The ancient master who after a couple of phases unleashes devastating attack.  The boxer who is on the defensive and then finds the hole in his opponents defenses to win the match.  AP as find weakness seems like a cop out in truth.  So a desire to make a character that feels the way you want rather than force a kludge.
 
The GM side of me notes that halving on a roll is just too effective.  And multiple halvings is worse.  It makes it difficult to create villains without all of a sudden all villains having lack of weakness for no other reason than to prevent PCs cutting their defenses in half multiple times.  I don't know about you, but I dislike targeting players when creating villains(basically making villains that target the players inefficiencies).  There is a small part of me who wants a villain with find weakness, but it doesn't speak up very often.  This is mainly because supervillains don't need to watch out for things like point totals.
 
So the goal here is to reintroduce find weakness to players without the problems of the older versions of find weakness, keeping the feel of piercing defenses, while keeping the mechanics fairly clean.

A couple of things I see Reduce Penetration used on is a version of attacks where there is a large number of attacks but at the same time autofire doesn't cut it for some reason.
 
In one game, a 4d6 RKA with reduced penetration was defined as a two pistol shot to the same point on the person.  It could have been autofire, but the PC wanted to always hit the same spot with the two gun fire.  This made the damage on par with two guns and the stun damage much more in line with the game.
 
In another game, the speedster had an energy blast no range defined as multiple punches to the same spot.  The reason he didn't use autofire was due to the end cost.  The attack gave him a reasonable effect with out a massive drain on End.
 
 

So a long time ago (about 15 years IIRC) in a gaming house now but a distant memory, I ran a 5th game and introduced a lowered powered hero NPC trying to get into the main hero's roster.  That hero was MinMax.  When 6th came out, the new cost challenges for growth made that a bit difficult.  I think I finally got it down where I think power, CV, and damage variability is still playable.  She may still require some tweaking but on the whole seems okay.  Sadly, I am the only GM I know doing Hero right now and the only one doing 6th so she may be on hold for a while.
 
Power Level: Game Average: 12DC, 8 CV, 5 Spd
 
Sex: Female
Age: 18
Height: 157cm (5'2")
Weight: 51kg (112.5 lbs)
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black
Handed: Right
 
Background: 
Maxine Ming is a mutant teenager with the size changing power. She found that within a limited range of her body, she could shrink herself and things she has to about the size of an ant. Later on, she found that she could enlarge herself. She trained a unique fighting style involving her shrinking/growth and the martial arts she studied her entire life. Now, with a new suit (which shee keeps in an altoids small tin), she fights in the San Francisco bay area as MinMax.
 
Personality/Motivation:
She's always had the push to be a doctor or lawyer from her parents.  Now in college, she's studying to be an engineer (an acceptable profession) but what she really wants to be is a superhero.  So she hides her adventuring behind a mask and suit while slowly earning an engineering degree.
 
Quote:
I'm MinMax.
 
Powers/Tactics:
Inside buidlings, she tends to stay small and use martial arts.  Her costume can change colors to help blend into the background.  Outside, if she needs a push in damage, she can grow to about 2 stories.
 
Appearance: 
She's 5'2" and weighs 112#.  She's fairly curvy for an Asian woman with a petite frame.
 
Notes:
Against opponents using only direct attacks, she's pretty unstoppable.  Shrunk, her DCV is around 24.  In normal size mode, her DCV can be on the average 12 assuming she's doing a martial punch and making her acrobatics roll.  She doesn't fly and that is something I'm a bit torn on.  Flight might be incredibly useful.  When she's big, her martial punch can land a whopping 14d6.  Her defenses go up to 20 points, and with 6 damage negation classes, an average 12d6 attack should do a point or two of stun on the average.  Her big weakness is area of effects.  When shrunk or normal sized, the area of effects negate her DCV.  When grown, while her PD/ED still go up to 20, she no longer gets her damage negation.  Combined with the bonus to hit her at that size, she's at a disadvantage with a cheap area effect being just +1/4 on 10d6 normal (doing 15 stun when grown or 21 at any other time against her 15 Con). 
 
MinMax.pdf

I think one of the best location ideas is from Urusai Yatsura is the school where just about everything seems to happen (all because of Ataru's massive unluck).  Spirits, aliens, magic, tech, etc.  Of course, that might be a bit too zany for some games/players.

Instead of Doctor Destroyer, maybe Science Teacher Destroyer, before he got his PhDs and paying off student loans.
 
It could be his evil origin story, he was going to be the greatest superhero but those teenage heroes drove him mad!!!!!
 
 

I would think that any supervillain is fine so long as they are scaled to the heroes.  Here are some themes which might be good for a campaign.
 
Evil authority figures:  basically along the theme of preventing a teenager from blossoming into a healthy individual
A group which promotes a "proper" line of thought: Fanatical religious groups or something like the Stepford Wives but with students Uncaring or evil teachers: Kind of like The Faculty (aliens). Evil tempters: getting teenagers to do wrong
A coven tempting PCs to the dark arts A gang tempting the PCs to be bullies and vandals The evil geek squad trying to be a power to manipulate society in their image.  More chess club, less football! There is no such villain villain: Villains which no adult believes exists
The hidden demon The silent take over aliens Replacements

This seems like a good idea, a nice place and in accordance with the rules let me say now.....Nazi’s suck.   
    P.S.   So does Hydra.
              P.P.S.   Although watching them get their butts kicked does make for a fun night of gaming or a fine evening of programming on the History Channel.

Instead of Doctor Destroyer, maybe Science Teacher Destroyer, before he got his PhDs and paying off student loans.
 
It could be his evil origin story, he was going to be the greatest superhero but those teenage heroes drove him mad!!!!!
 
 

Instead of Doctor Destroyer, maybe Science Teacher Destroyer, before he got his PhDs and paying off student loans.
 
It could be his evil origin story, he was going to be the greatest superhero but those teenage heroes drove him mad!!!!!
 
 

I would think that any supervillain is fine so long as they are scaled to the heroes.  Here are some themes which might be good for a campaign.
 
Evil authority figures:  basically along the theme of preventing a teenager from blossoming into a healthy individual
A group which promotes a "proper" line of thought: Fanatical religious groups or something like the Stepford Wives but with students Uncaring or evil teachers: Kind of like The Faculty (aliens). Evil tempters: getting teenagers to do wrong
A coven tempting PCs to the dark arts A gang tempting the PCs to be bullies and vandals The evil geek squad trying to be a power to manipulate society in their image.  More chess club, less football! There is no such villain villain: Villains which no adult believes exists
The hidden demon The silent take over aliens Replacements

I would think that any supervillain is fine so long as they are scaled to the heroes.  Here are some themes which might be good for a campaign.
 
Evil authority figures:  basically along the theme of preventing a teenager from blossoming into a healthy individual
A group which promotes a "proper" line of thought: Fanatical religious groups or something like the Stepford Wives but with students Uncaring or evil teachers: Kind of like The Faculty (aliens). Evil tempters: getting teenagers to do wrong
A coven tempting PCs to the dark arts A gang tempting the PCs to be bullies and vandals The evil geek squad trying to be a power to manipulate society in their image.  More chess club, less football! There is no such villain villain: Villains which no adult believes exists
The hidden demon The silent take over aliens Replacements

This is just how I adjudicate complex gestures vs regular gestures.  Other GMs may adjudicate otherwise.
 
If you have no issues doing something else with your hands, it's not worth the limitation gestures.  
If you can do something else with your hands but it might ruin what you are doing unless you succeed on a Dex roll, its normal gestures.
If you can't do something else with your hands, its complex gestures.