Era Scarecrow

Then the best time to change SPD is on phase 12... Although bumping up or down the SPD of your enemies and a little meta knowledge and you could lower them to 2 phases per turn every turn...

Today's cellphones use encryption, so connecting to the phone to send whole new conversations wholecloth would be difficult without the encryption key. Although exactly how complex the encryption key it is I don't know. Using cryptography wouldn't make sense, analyze might... Building cell phones I'd think they'd have armor vs hacking, and then hacking the cell phone you'd need penetrating (which would simulate hacking and getting past the encryption). But if the phones are unencrypted then fooling them is simply a matter of spoofing them, which is just targetting them either by ID or with LOS... But I doubt phones are made that way in Herosystem. Anyways, as for using the mind control, if you look at it as a simple Radio Perception/transmission (10AP) getting to or exceeding 10AP in damage would be enough to override it, as with Transform logic: If you could kill someone with the attack you may as well turn them into a frog. You'd need 3D6+1 or 4D6 (only vs machines) average stun to get the 10AP points. Would be the same for a minor transform (to redirect who it listens/is authenticated to). Should that not be enough, second successful attack would probably be enough. Healing said device would probably be something like 'restarting the device'.

My 2¢ If it's powered by dark magic? It's undead. If it uses organs and/or needs to digest? It is more or less resurrected or alive. Kinda think back to frogs who can get frozen solid, or starting up rabbit hearts after they were frozen and then thawed...

Some big changes, a lot of little changes...

Then I wonder... of most of the team got close to the max planned in their builds would that mean another character would be urged not to take aid for strength? Or if he took it would all the other characters have to lower their builds so they could take the extra 6d6 from a strength aid? Or would the damage max out at 12d6 and any leftover would be reserved for offsetting drains? Or would the full 18D6 be rolled and the lowest 6 dice be discarded increasing the odds of damage? How is this resolved?

Multipower or a VPP could likely do the job, otherwise I'm not sure how you'd bundle them together. with a multipower you would likely use a fixed slot, and go with say 9pts (3 for skill, 6 extra giving a +3), which reduces it to a 1 point slot. So...?

Hmmm I'm suddenly reminded of another story. 2nd Edition D&D, the world was vampires and werewolves were warring (later when the numbers of supernatural were so high, if you were human you were potential food...). Anyways, I was playing a druid werewolf. He used his were abilities during fights (depending on the opponents) and shifting when other options arose. Regardless we were fighting an Umberhulk, and my character got hit with confusion. First round, I rolled and could act normally. I told the DM "I turn into a squirrel!" The remainder of the battle I was biting Dan's character (who previously was a vampire, long story on that) but as a squirrel the damage was minimal. HOWEVER since my character was a were, he still had a chance to turn (calculated it was like 5-8%) and he rolled it. Then the DM was pondering over how to do it. "A were-squirrel. Well he would get shorter, and lose strength, but his Dex would go up...". The DM decided he'd just become another werewolf I guess due to the silliness of it all, and Dan was angry because he wanted to be infected by a specific were. To note Dan had a quirk where he blurted out whatever he was thinking as his action, regardless if it was smart or not, and eventually wrote down on his character sheet 'THINK FIRST', which actually helped him once or twice. One of his random actions occurred while we got ambushed by like 30 bandits (we had a caravan), Dan picked up a handful of crap/manure and started eating it making all the bandits puke (those that managed to somehow save failed on the second round) and everyone outside lost their lunch. The bandit leader finally replied "Alright, maybe we won't rob you..."

Well here's a 3 for 1 deal... Back in 2007 I got into a fantasy hero game (Brightwood), I made a werewolf characters; Anyways, first session of the game in a tavern there's an attack and a wererat comes in trying to act all that and the like; I transform and outdo his presence attack and am a bit stronger, naturally he was surprised since he wasn't the big bad anymore. But that didn't stop him from summoning some large rats for us to fight. During the fight I made a few successful powerful hits, and did presence attacks. GM added up the dice to something like 11 dice. GM: Soliloquy? Me: Take DAT you rat! GM: Negative one for impact... (Truthfully I still don't know what a Soliloquy is or how I'm suppose to use it...) In a later fight (same first session) we were fighting goblins and orcs, who after I roared and scared them to death they were all running away. Me: Get back here SO I CAN KILL YOU! GM: They run away faster Me: I mean, Stop and won't kill you They surrender, and we interrogate them. I decide to ask the low grunts why they were attacking humans. The answer? Goblin: Humans are Num Nums! The NPC help and my teammate suggested I try someone with a little more rank...

Sounds like a good workaround to the whole tracking problem, where a key detail required to be noticed by the best most experienced person there is missed and could completely derail the entire plot. Forcibly adding the 'extra time' as you put it (another +1 per delay category) would certainly be the way to go. Seeing as a -10 would be a day at worst, that means the worst (them all realizing a month after the fact) won't happen... unless it's a very difficult roll.

I'd think they would see them as a threat. Mind you I don't know the amount of points of powers we're talking about. Could be a 75+75 characters, who then over the years become stronger and as the powers get stronger so does everything else after a few years. In more authoritarian regimes you know they wouldn't want anyone who could challenge them and all emerging powers are killed off so only the military has the appropriate strength... In the west I'd guess they would jail at first, and then decide to register or give a pass for benign powers. Or the smart governments would go on a recruiting spree to take up as many of them as possible, so the new firepower is within their control (or at least monitored).

Emerging powers... hmm... Seems like it would be similar to these steps and/or phases. 1) lots of clumsy use of powers, accidents, accidental discharges, loss of some life but mostly it's property damage. 2) Increased crime. A sudden uptick of recruiting for gangs and robbery while the police and law enforcement can't keep up or being unable to handle them until they call in higher military gear. 3) Legislation, trying to quantify and how to handle the sudden uptick in crime and powers, perhaps quickly passed laws that ultimately do very little 4) R&D for detection and restraining technology for law enforcement, including darts, nets and fields, new guns, etc. 4b) Once developed there will be plenty of false positives ultimately making most of the tech useless as they are outlawed until they are more precise. 5) powered communities; Those leaving home to try and limit damage/destruction and thus probably getting into a community whom are similar to them; By coincidence the increased concentration somehow cancels out most of the accidents. 6) random rag-tag 'heroes' start appearing, wearing pajamas and masks, and soon enough getting enough support and even payments from local government that they can have actual costumes. 7) Within 10 years things will stabilize, accidental changes and discharges would be similar to x-men, where sudden onslaught of powers cause most of the problems, although a number of the powers might be quite benign and invisible, or easily controlled and thus you'll also have many in the community who have powers but choose not to use them. 8) while many superpowers are feared, it would be more or less accepted it exists, and like carrying a firearm you would only worry if someone was brandishing it. 9) technology is more or less perfected for some detection and restraining of powers, however they would likely be entangles and/or drains and little more.

I'm suddenly reminded of Dextor's Lab... Finding a thing... you can probably expect as useful conversations... I've heard someone who played out being able to talk to squirrels in D&D and they were useless. They only know of things going on in a 50ft radius of their home, really important events they have like a week long memory of events, their sense of time is totally off, etc...

Well seeing as maneuvers are based on if you had a max of 20 in movement or STR, mostly so they can up to double the damage you can do.

It might be far better to come up with some type of long ruler or the like, where everyone has to have a token per their speed that's easy to identify. The token could be a picture, or could just be a little fortune-cookie sized piece of paper with a name on it. Regardless, when going into combat those pieces would be put on the chart, arranged according to DEX, and of course standard players and SPD that doesn't change those would of course could be taped or fixed in place. Then only temporary characters or villains who don't conform with the established norms would have to be added manually. Takes a little setup, but having a moving token to say which phase you're on and going down the list without asking 'Who's got a SPD3? SPD4? SPD5?' and those tidbits. Although a computer program would also do the job for you far better, and most have tablets or laptops with manuals character sheets and other details on hand, so having something like that wouldn't be hard either. Automating the process to a degree isn't bad.

Sounds like some well through out growth and good story telling. I know X-men were more or less good at one thing within their specialty, some had no room for growth in their powers (wolverine comes to mind, can't expand much with personal regeneration), while others still have lots of room to grow.

I know 5E didn't have the table/explanations of how to build maneuvers, and I don't see them in 6E... (thus I refer to the ultimate martial artist book), So I didn't see anywhere the 3-4th DC would cost double... Although you can do a TON of damage as you show, probably anyone can with a high enough speed on a move-by/through, the dive kinda means you have to be up high first, so you'd probably... can only use it (at best) every other round. Edit: I've included page 109 which I hope Steve doesn't mind...

If we look at it, the ultimate martial artists book page 119 says for each DC you add 1 point, and for each OCV/DCV you stubtract, you remove one point, making this cost 0 points to purchase. However as it's likely NND so if we double the cost of the damage dice, the maneuver ultimately would cost 4pts. If you take 1/2 damage as a disadvantage, remove 1 pt to 3 pts. But that's from a quick glance at the rules and tables, I can't be sure I did that estimation right. Regardless if you think it's worth 5, charge 5 edit: page 116, take half damage -1 point page 117 add v/5 +1 point... So you're looking at probably a 4pt maneuver. edit2: Hmm found another table of 'useful elements' on page 109. So... Let's rebuild it from scratch. +4DC: +4 (NND max is +2, so can't go that route, although you can do 4DC killing damage for +3 per DC) FMOV: +3 v/5: +1 OCV -2 : -2 DCV -2: -2 take 1/2 DMG: -1 Total Maneuver: 8 Total Disadv: -5 New Total: 3

Yep, that's one way... Alternatively it a multi-power, one with OAF and one with always on, and treat it as appropriate... But what you put is probably the best way to do it.

Guess I should introduce myself. Let's see... I'm Era, a bit autistic (and thus quiet and shy), love computers, computer games, role playing, programming, and other things. I learned about Herosystem (5E) back in 2005 when I was in Korea (military), and in 2006-2007 I came here to get into my first 5E fantasy game in Brightwood (and haven't had a chance to play since ) Other than some posts years ago (commenting on powers and mistakes in the books etc) most of those seem to have been either archived or deleted... So I've more or less not here or paying attention, But... I'd like to be here more now, since video games can't seem to keep my attention quite as easily the last year. --- So I guess there's a few standard questions... How did you come up with your 'handle' (forum name)?When I was on ICQ I wanted a way to differentiate myself so I was more searchable. So I decided on Era, then later while doing my paperroute the name Hawkeye came to mind (MASH), now of course I didn't want to steal that so I went to Crow, then Scarecrow.... yeah... not very exciting... What was the first tabletop RPG you played?D&D 2nd Ed What was the first tabletop RPG you GMed?D&D 2nd Ed (limited experience, but had one really good session!) What are you currently playing/GMing?Looking... if there were a hobby shop in my town, I'd probably be gone 2 nights a week playing... Otherwise playing video games trying to keep myself occupied.

Seeing as he will almost always have glasses or his helmet on, it seems like OIF with side effects (adding always on) would be the way to build it... maybe? Naturally it would be 0 END, although if it forcibly was draining his END that could be annoying, although he'd likely just shut his eyes until he could find his helmet/glasses again so that would not have a huge effect on things...

Personally sounds more like an OCD thing; Like for a car "If I don't always drive at 120MPH then why do I have a sports car at all?" mentality. But compare to say a car vs a rocket, a car can speed up and slow down, a rocket has ONLY one speed... (kinda like one of the only problems with rocket stoves) So I guess it's more where the complication hits... Outside of combat (which you might always use full strength anyways) So... Hmmm.... Complications: Physical: Automatic and works, but I don't think really fits Social: The social reactions of you destroying things accidentally, people running or being leery of you, getting upset, commenting how you ruined their dinner. Psychological: Doesn't see a problem with using it all the time, perhaps has utter disdain for anything that can't handle him. Unluck: Maybe any time strength is used, if a 6 is rolled then full strength is used (whether you want to or not), ignored during battle or when you use full strength... Hmmm... one of the few times I might take unluck. But seems a better fit if it's a skill/characteristic roll. Powers (other than STR): Damage shield: The effects of walking through an area and brushing against things would cause damage to nearby property, seen as effects of uncontrolled strength. Disadvantages: Concentration roll (To use less than full strength): Yes you'd be at 1/2 DCV, but again this would likely only be out of combat so 1/2 DCV doesn't mean much. I mean, how many people might be making model ships or overhauling the engine of a car while in combat which would require this concentration roll? (not to say it couldn't happen, just unlikely) Skill/characteristic roll: For anything other than routine/non-stressed actions the effect could blow up in your face. On the other hand the 'off by one' roll could be casual strength instead, less severe but still a problem. No Conscious Control: If the Strength is bought separately, then sure; But not applicable for your base STR for this, otherwise you'd be a 0 STR except when you're randomly a 60 STR Goliath... Someone likened using full strength to merely paying full Strengths' END but they still choose how much strength of that they actually wanted to use (intentionally wasting it). Feels more akin to an idling car (a lot of horse power but not doing anything)... Or renting a tank to tote a hotdog stand.

Sounds sorta what a VR/AR system might work like, since they are the only one to perceive said information.

Hmmm haven't glanced at every possible solution posted, but I'll try stretching and a base to do mine... 12m stretching; trans-dimensional +1/2; 0 END (+1/2); Only to reach into dimensional storage (-1); Focus OAF (bag or other container, -1) Base 6pts linked to stronger power (-1/2) (Base (size 0): Another dimension +30pts, inner holding volume 125m³) AP 30, Real 12 The logic is the entire base can be reached within about 12m. The base costs JUST enough to qualify as inter-dimensional. If you can qualify the dimension as not having moving time, then it deals with a lot of the issues of interaction and aging. Of course if you weren't aware it WAS a bag of holding, the bag would just be a bag to anyone else... and you could put anything in it that the bag could normally hold, so carrying a few misc items in it would make it less suspicious, in case it gets snatched or searched. Or Another idea... You could define it as an NPC (or Vehicle)... 10 points gives you a 50pt NPC, which is a 60str NPC (or as strong as you need), only for the purposes of carrying loot for you (-1), 5pts... Then just handwave him being a bag. Unless you REALLY want to add the complications and LS to simulate it perfectly... which seems like too much work. In the end the SFX is you aren't burdened by the weight and it's nearby... close enough? The Vehicle route: 9pts vehicle, Only for Storage (-1), 5pts. Vehicle build: Size 3 (25 STR, volume 16m³); Shrinking 3x, No END cost (+1/2). (42pts) With shrinking, you just pick it up and carry it with you. 1/8th size, 1/512th the mass... Adjust as necessary. Some games like Castle of the winds (damn I feel old) have a descriptive flavor text of as they approach eachother it gets harder and harder, until it's impossible before they actually touch. Morale: Not dealing with the side effects is easier than dealing with it, thus just make it impossible to start.

How about a 3 point tiered language? 1) Specific subcategory of animals (all domestic types of dogs, all domestic types of cats, all types of squirrels, large felines, etc) 2) Large category of animals (land based mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, etc) 3) All animals (on a particular planet) Mind you they probably wouldn't have complex intelligence so it would be like talking to a 5 yearold, and you might have to explain concepts or use more descriptive language, and best to also bring treats... They are far more willing to divulge information if they are given snacks for every question they answer! Seems overtly complicated... wouldn't Language: Common, fluent; Usable on others (+1/4). Active points 3 be better? Although that certainly wouldn't let them speak if they couldn't, or raise their volume to a level you'd understand. (A fly for example could talk but it would be so quiet you'd need super hearing or to shrink yourself down first, and a steak couldn't talk because it isn't alive...)

Yep, although having a damage shield (always on, 0 end, persistent, concentration & dex rolls to disable?, or uncontrolled?) might have a similar effect of just walking through an area or bumping things doing 1-2 body & 3-6 end... as I doubt brushing a door would give it rag-doll physics and bouncing away 100 feet away.