Comic

Re: Help with a magic drum How much do hearing villagers pay for their normal signal drums? If it's in effect radio transmit and receive, just with touch sense instead of radio, why not model it on that? Presumably the people with the skill at interpreting and using the drums get substantial information from their signal (like with a radio receiver) while the untrained get little to no information and may even be disoriented if they try to use these skills untrained to find the drums. This may be similar to something like the Systems Operation skill.

Re: Effect Build Assistance: Delay Damage I'd suggest Regeneration. If the damage happens at a time where it will have no game effect, then the side effect is just a special effect, worth no points. Though the later damage could be a phys. lim.

Re: The Autofire Attack part of a Sweep Misses -- Now What? I'd really consider the point moot. You haven't mentioned the damage each of these weapons does, but I doubt any would be 'low damage weapons,' You've also described the Marilith as virtually invulnerable, so unless Ironclad's extremely lucky, he's going down next phase, considering she's throwing what sounds like more than enough to do the job. As for does the attack sequence end on the first miss? That's always been the way I've done it and seen it done. You're the GM, and this is an extremely special creature, apparently, so up to you, I suppose. Personally, my characters ever see something like that, they'll flee first, make up excuses later.

Re: The Autofire Attack part of a Sweep Misses -- Now What? Erm.. I'm not sure if I follow. Your Marilith has six different attack actions each with a different effect per phase?

Re: Character monologues Overgamer's Monologue (he calls himself 'Magister' in 'hero id'... "D20's fake man! It's _FAKE! I know! I know. Only Champions is real. Only Dark Champs, man! The figure paces back and forth, agitated, gesticulating, twitching. "Believe me, I held out hope for years. I tried to find them -- wizard chicks, sorceress types with mega CHA, she-Paladins with healing touch.. Nothin'. "I kept the faith. I mean, d20 is so.. beautiful, man. It seduces you with those pretty pretty dice and that cover art. All that cover art. He pauses, sighs, carries on, ranting and rambling. "My path kept getting darker and darker. They don't exist. There's no TG. Not even a TG. I mean, I tried to bribe.. I tried to find it with bugging and hacking and shadowing. I tried beating it out of panhandlers and addicts and pimps, man. Nada. There's no such thing as the TG. d20 is so FAKE!" It's a shout, repeated, to the sky, "D20 is FAKE!" The rain laughs, spitting down. The wind laughs over the shout. The sodden figure draws out a pair of very heavy-looking handguns. "But Dark Champions -- that's real. These SIGs are real, man. The dragonsbreath rounds -- they're the only real dragons there are, except the tatts on my arms and my chi-power throat-strike. The weapons are brought level. One taps the steel cable wrapping the bound man who stares incomprehendingly. From the look on the struggling, prone man's face, he's only making out perhaps half of the psychotic ranter's meaning. He whimpers in a puddle of more than just rainwater, pleading for "M-m-mercy." "Mercy? You filthy scum, begging Magister for mercy? Did they show me mercy, man? Did they show me mercy when they threw me in that place? I don't think so. Man, you are so dead. You tell me where to find the VIPER's nest, and I'll make it quick. That's the only mercy you'll get, you scum. You slipped green into my crystal for the last time tonight, man." There's a mechanical sound as the weapon is readied to fire. One points at the prone man's head. The other at his elbow. "Your choice, man. Fast or slow. Where is the VIPER's Nest?"

Re: Post-Apocalyptic Hero -- What Do *You* Want To See? PA also seems a great place to talk about building new organizations, leading communities, creating bases as a campaign not a combat effect, and the long-term influence of the actions of heroes on the conditions of their world. In a PA setting, where teachers of skills are in limited supply, suddenly a 2-3 pt skill in all sorts of things -- Farming, Medicine, Hunting, Gathering, Building, Radio Operator, Mechanic, Electronics, Languages -- becomes far more valuable than a lot of 50 pt powers.

Re: [Character] Seizure Dunno how much less effective than the average 350 pt starting character this excellently built brickish MA would be. I'd guess that could put a hurting on a lot of very tough foes, and be a valuable part of any team. Frightening to consider what he'd look like with a few XP spent on his various weak spots.

Re: Increasing Target Visibility It sounds like the intention is a cosmetic transform.. which I understand is Transform. Optionally, drain/dispel/suppress Invisibility and Concealment. Really optionally, Change Environment, Usable against Other?

Re: Help with a magic drum How's it to be used? If it has no game effects, it's a special effect and free. If it's a signaling device, its signal is too simple for Images, IMO, and might be better modeled as Change Environment, Megascale +1/4, Fragile OAF. If it's a disadvantage or limitation of some sort, like a side effect that gives away one's position and presence when another power is used, it's worth points.

Re: The NEW Champions of Vancouver -- What Would You Like To See? You have no idea. I remember Garnet Rogers telling a story about a knife fight he and his brother Stan had behind a hotel in Kirkland Lake one night between sets, to decide what song they'd do next in their show. Which puts me in mind of the Chipmunks take on Barrett's Privateers.

Re: Help with a Shapeshifting Villain Sounds like the best way to build is from the concept up, rather than modeling on another template. 'Mimic people' is only 10 pts of Shapeshift. Deciding for how long and how versatile ups the points and adds advantages like reduced endurance, persistent, more levels of Shapeshift. Damage resistance is pretty straightforward. Rip answers - buy telepathy. It doesn't take a lot, if you're in a 250 pt campaign. 'Rip' is just a special effect. Throw in talents like cramming, perfect pitch and eidetic memory to simulate the skills studied and memories stolen. Buy the skills acting and mimicry. Sounds like it needs a high PRE score. Possibly you would have a VPP for stolen powers/skills/characteristics with the 'mimic' limitation on the VPP control, or you could have a multipower or EC for shape-dependent powers (stretch, KA, desolid, etc.) [font=Courier New]| 5 Str 15[/font] [font=Courier New]| 30 Dex 20[/font] [font=Courier New]| 18 Con 19[/font] [font=Courier New]| Body 10[/font] [font=Courier New]| 3 Int 13[/font] [font=Courier New]| 14 Ego 17[/font] [font=Courier New]| 15 Pre 25[/font] [font=Courier New]| -5 Com 0[/font] [font=Courier New]| 12 PD 15[/font] [font=Courier New]| 11 ED 15[/font] [font=Courier New]| SPD 3[/font] [font=Courier New]| REC 7[/font] [font=Courier New]| END 38[/font] [font=Courier New]| STUN 28[/font] [font=Courier New]|---[/font] [font=Courier New]|103 Total Ctx[/font] [font=Courier New]+[/font] Powers | 10 10 rPD/rED Damage Resistance, 10 AP [-] | 10 EC Liquid form | 20 A) Desolid - (-1/2) Not through Solid barriers, 40 AP [4] | 10 Shapeshift - (+1/2) 0 END, (+1/2) Persistent, 20 AP [0] | 22 9d6 Telepathy x2 END, 0" Range (-1/2), 45 AP [8] | 35 VPP Mimic Powers | 10 Mimic Control - Limited to powers/characteristics/emulate skills stolen (-1/2) by Telepathic contact (-1/4) |--- |115 Total Powers + | 3 Acting | 3 Disguise | 3 Mimicry + | 3 Perfect Pitch | 10 Cramming - 2 knowledges | 10 Eidetic Memory |--- | 32 Total Skills and Talents Not pretty, but it'll do the job.

Re: Character: RAD I used to love that build. Had a mentalist who absorbed damage to telepathy. The world's most powerful unconscious psychic.

Re: need help for a power How is it aimed? Does it use the character's OCV, automatically hit like a damage shield, or target a hex?

Re: What would your character Dream: The Hero who has everything A hero isn't tempted by the lure of life without struggle, while there is suffering. So my heroes would have to dream about being tunnel-visioned ignorant self-absorbed inattentive dimwits, unaware of the pain of others. So, they dream of being their teammates.

Re: The NEW Champions of Vancouver -- What Would You Like To See? The great thing about Sevillian knife fighting is the accompanying sound track of Alvin, Theodore and Simon.

Re: Character monologues Once played supermodel heroine-against-her-will Fluff, who could "wield the power cosmetic", and break down the structural integrity of matter on a large, large scale. Not so much a monologue as a one-liner, but sums her up: "Oh look, all their big guns just went all soft and fuzzy and limp and flopsy and bendy. Those would be good names for bunnyrabbits, don't you think?

Re: Character monologues "Now, in general, I'm of few words, as folks say..." there's a pause. The figure scans his audience, strides a step, languidly wave an open-hand gesture of undefined nuance. "Folks not being me, as I'm of few words." "But seein' as no one's shooting at me at the moment," there's a muffled moan, cut short by a sudden kick from the last man standing.. and talking, "I suppose I best make the best of this opportunity to explain a few things to you all." "One. If you bring a fight to me again, ever," And then his voice drops so low it is the merest whisper, intimately audible, insinuative, "I will end you." "Two," voice louder again. "When a feller stands up and tells you you best lay down your arms and reason things out, that feller might be me. Refer back to item One. I don't always wear this same outfit, and am given to changing the way I part my hair. You never know." "Three. You should tell all your friends, colleagues, collaborators, bosses, underlings and so forth, as I would consider it a courtesy, what with me leaving you all alive, and you being so inhospitable and saying such uncouth things about me earlier. There ain't overmuch courtesy left in the world." "Now, I'd go past three, but I don't want to strain you folks' counting skills, what with the headaches you all must be havin', them loud sirens comin', and the way the ceiling seems to be creaking and crumblin' so noisily just now. Those of you what can still crawl might want to think on makin' for the way out. If not, sit tight. I'm fair sure somone will be by to dig you out. With that, the figure vanishes, retreating back to his usual mode of fewer words. Which is just as well. His next words would have been, "And I think I've got a splinter under one of my fingernails. You ever have one of them? That surely smarts. Ow. Ow. Ow."

Re: Iconic Villains Er.. Brick? Ogre? Exoskeleton Man?

Re: Changing direction mid-jump A swingline? Stretching or growth to reach out and grab something in passing for a quick turn? An improvised aileron made out of an entangle, shapeshifting, cape, or force wall? You can certainly have attitude and facing changes in leaping while maintaining conservation of momentum easily enough, but if you're a mass-changer or have any of the above powers, all sorts of things are possible as power stunts to change your path, I imagine. Same with using that convenient Newtonian principle of equal and opposite reactions, if you fire an EB, hurl something with great strength, or have a teammate helping you out.

Re: Teleporting -- need a better name for it. Psychoportation, shadow-walking, going sideways, blinking, stepping, astral walking, bending, warping, transcendence, spotwalking, folding, weave-walking, spiral-dancing..

Re: Something bothering me Sorry, no help from me on this. I've played dozens of characters of every kind, perhaps hundreds if you count all the different games over the decades. The highest compliment I've ever received about my rp online was, "No way he's your alt. His player's utterly creepy, and you're totally sweet." Erm.. the point is.. uh.. so long as you're not the same creep every character you play, who cares what mechanic you choose to carry your role?

Re: Post-Apocalyptic Hero -- What Do *You* Want To See? Maybe a brief discussion of how long after the 'end of the world as we know it' might help frame campaigns? Day of the Triffids, for example, talks about the day it happens and the few years following. The Chrysalids begins centuries later, although it repeatedly refers to the event. Two very different post-apocalyptic campaigns. A Canticle for Leibowitz goes further, and covers centuries, starting a few generations after and carrying on to the rebuilding of a new modern world. It might be interesting to have a campaign that hits critical points in future history for a few sessions, and then 'reconvenes' a couple of centuries later, after the impact of what the players did has played out on the world, in this fashion. And, as Girl Genius reminds, just because a world is post-Apocalypse, it doesn't have to be _our_ world post-Apocalypse. At least, I think I'd notice if people in our world looked like the ancestors of Agatha Heterodyne.

Re: Deep holes on Mars Yeah. My bad. I was thinking about a phenomenon I'd heard described near the Martian polar regions. Volcanic venting, collapses and so on also explain this picture very nicely, especially considering how huge the volcano is. Which makes it all the more worthy of study and exploration.

Re: Character: No-One A character I wouldn't change a thing about. Very nice. He'll spend a fair amount of time unconscious if the rolls go against him, unless his fellow heroes work well as a team and his GM presents interesting challenges to exploit the very nicely built concept. Thank you for posting No One.

Re: Creating a Martial Art Personally, I'd require the KS before the use of group skill levels that could be applied to the group of maneuvers. 'Personal style' to describe a haphazard bunch of unorganized moves without the 'art' behind them, the philosophy, the knowledge or theory of why they work, may qualify someone to trip, shove, reverse a grab or such, but it doesn't make for an efficient system. I'm pretty sure before Bruce Lee created his 'personal style' he had more than a few points of KS of other styles.