pawsplay

Re: New Advangtage: Always Hits

Re: New Advangtage: Always Hits I think conceptually it doesn't work. If it can be avoided by taking cover, can't you then Dive for Cover? How does someone block or missile deflect this attack? What kind of attacks actually never miss? It just doesn't make sense. How would you stat Armor, "Never gets penetrated?" Or Martial Dodge, "Attacks always miss?"

Re: My very first mutant

Re: My very first mutant One wacky thing you could do would be to put Density Increase and extra inches of Running in a multipower and make them both ultras. DI would be visible. Link some extra STR and defenses. Alternately, since it's such a simple transformation, why not use Multiform? You could buy a 160 point form and be on par with other characters.

Re: How common are guns No, because it will happen as often as dictated by the Disadvantage. Then it will happen as often as it was going to anyway.

Re: Countries that don't exist (but should) Hail! Hail! Fredonia!

Re: Islam replaces Christianity In real history, Christianity came very close to not being the dominant religion in Europe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Avignon One of many battles that significantly halted the Islamic expansion. while many people think of Europe as comfortably Christian, there were many eras where it seemed Islam was poised to rule Europe.

Re: Musing on D&D spellcasting conversion I sort of get the impression that the invetor of Delayed Effect actually despised the Vancian magic system it was supposed to facillitate.

Re: "Understaning limitations and advantages" Ah, the age old question: does an Energy Blast defined as kryptonite radiation cost more than one defined as something more mundane?

Re: Delayed Effect

Re: Testimonials: Perfect Pitch It would be situationally useful to penetrate diguises. It would help against sound images or mimicry from someone who did not have very good pitch. You could tell whether anyone had entered a room (seriously; just carry around a sensitively tuned instrument, like a small flute, and you could use it to tell instantly if anyone has opened a door to outside). Identifying phone numbers or any other sequence you hear. Judging whether someone or something was moving closer or farther.

Re: Musing on D&D spellcasting conversion I'm a big fan of elegance. For instance, I would not be happy with a version of spellcasting that used Transform to transform yourself into someone with a variety of powers at 1 charge.

Re: Charges vs. Cost END

Re: Musing on D&D spellcasting conversion I'd like to port over well known and loved spells, creatures, and other elements of the D&D world. I'd like to replicate wizardry... not in a note for note fashion, but in a way that the way it runs in HERO and the way it runs in D&D could both be the mechanics behind a spellcasting in a book, say. What converting to HERO would get me would be: - martial arts maneuvers - much simpler constructs (CSLs, talents, powers, maenuvers) for high level combat, as opposed to dozens of feats, iterative attacks, etc. - non indefinitely scaling hit points - more flexible character creation options - a restoration of magic items to the rarity and uniqueness they had in previous editions of the game to 3.5 - a more fluent skill system - less killing things for XP - less reliance on scads of magical items In addition, the conversion process is a fun mental exercise. I don't want to retain levels, although I've been musing on different ways of converting levels to create a HERO character. In fact, one of the appeals of HERO is the ability to assign abilities appropriately, rather than having to accept a predetermined destiny for the advancement of a character. For instance, in HERO, I could design a real oaf that had value as a character, whereas such a character is just a general liability in D&D.

Re: Multiform & Point Balancing: What am I missing? The +5 point doubling is necessary to bring the cost in line with Followers. As for the Multiform cost itself... if you subtract it from all the forms, that has a nice kind of symmetry to it. However, it produces two problems. First, it makes it difficult to create a character who has one pretty normal superhero form, and one less useful form; if the superhero form has to buy Multiform as well, he ends up weaker, despite being pretty interchangeable with a regular hero. Second, it ends up with this weird thing if you try to balance the two forms in points. With Duplication, the reduction is actually convenient, as it basically strips Duplication from the forms, all you have to do is find the point at which it matches. You do not gain the same benefit with Multiform, since the forms are different.

Re: Musing on D&D spellcasting conversion The idea is not to replicate the D&D mechanics, but to replicate some aspects of the D&D game. The point, precisely, is to replace D&D mechanics with a different system with different mechanics.

Re: Musing on D&D spellcasting conversion I found Killer Shrike's stuff and there is a lot of good ideas there. One issue I have with the VPP approach is the spellbook. What is a spellbook? Something defined by fiat? A perk? A possession? IIRC, Killer Shrike's approach dispenses with "learning spells" and simply defines a number of spells known based on INT.

Re: Multiform & Point Balancing: What am I missing? I didn't accuse anyone of abusing the game. I'm just saying, you got your Multiform for a song.

Let me first of all confess that I don't own the latest Fantasy Hero, so if some of this has been covered, I apologize. In that case, just give me the gist of the options offered. I've been musing on a Hero conversion of D&D. One problem area is spell memorization. I'm not interested in a slavish conversion of one mechanic to another, but I would like to make things work in HERO as though they came from a story written from D&D. That is, generally correct. Delayed Effect is presented as the default option for prepared spellcasting. However, I've noticed that if you apply Gestures or Incantations to a power, that applies at preparation time, not when you cast. The same for Concentration. VPP spells don't have this problem at all, but then you have the matter of defining spell selection. To me, it feels inelegant. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Re: Multiform & Point Balancing: What am I missing? In one corner is Multipower Man. He has spent 280 points on characteristics and skills, and 70 points on his attack multipower. Attack Multlipower (50 points) u1 (5 points) u2 (5 points) u3 (5 points) u4 (5 points) Each slot is 50 active points. In the other corner is Multiform Man. He he four forms (+10 points) and can change forms as a zero phase action (+5). With 55 more points, he purchases a number of 275 forms. Each is identical to his original form, except that instead of a multiform power, he spends 65 points on a single power, identical to each of Multipower Man's slots, above, except more points. Thus, multiform is not only abusable, but even in its most basic form, extremely efficient (i.e. underpriced). The ONLY thing keeping multiform under control is the GM. The power itself is priced arbitrarily cheap. Nothing in the price structure prevents you from building essentially any number of characters you want with any abilities you like. At some point, you can have enough powers to effectively be a walking VPP, and if that's not enough, one of your forms can have a VPP for those tight spots. Since you can buy vastly more powerful forms, there is nothing preventing one of those forms from buying even more forms based on even more points by taking the Multiform power itself. Once upon a time, previous versions required multiform to have the power in each of its forms. While balanced, this resulted in fiddly math problems (particularly if you tried to match the forms in some respects). It also meant that even heavily limited versions had trouble reaching the normal point total. I suggest two tweaks: 1. Going over the points total for the base character does not cost double (an extra character point per point); instead, it costs 1:1. 2. Each doubling for +5 points reduces the available base points of each form by 5 points. Thus, having two full power forms would cost 1/5 the total points, plus five for the doubling, plus five more points to overpower each form by five points (to offset the loss). In a 200+150 game, that would be a cost of 85 points.

Re: Disadvantage/Limitation When the power discharges, it should use OCV 0, but the guidelines for collateral damage should definitely be brought into play.

Re: Damage Shield [and Continous] (moved from the MPA thread...) The problem is Damage Shield. Damage Shield should actually be a Limitation on Continuous Powers, since it acts the same way... but only as long as the character continues to touch the DS character. It has the minor advantage of affecting multiple characters and attacks simultaneously.

Re: How much in Disads? Dictintive Features: Yes, with a major or extreme level, Concealable. Even if mundane disguises don't work, magic or a heavy cloak would be able to conceal who they are. Hunted: Yes, if certain groups are actively seeking their destruction, and the rumor of one's presence in a town would bring hunters after them. Reputation: No. They might be known for specific misdeeds, but a Reputation usually attaches to individuals. Physical limitations: Only if crippled. Their DF covers being generally malformed. Some might also be ignorant of the dominant society, which qualifies. Social Limitations: Unlikely. As they are already shunned (DF) and hunted, what further social limitations could they face?

For discussion, a Nova Package Deal: NOVA BASE PACKAGE Powers and Characteristics: Heals Twice as Quickly: +2 REC (4 points) Make It A Double: Poison Damage Reduction 75% (60 points) Soak Lethal Damage: Damage Resistance: PD 2/ED 2 (2 points) Ideal Physiology: Life Support (Diminished Sleep, Longevity, Immune to all terrestrial diseases) (12 points) Quantum Powered: END Reserve, END 20, REC 2 (4 points) Total cost: 82 points Disadvantages: Distinctive Features: Quantum Signature (Not concealable, detectable only by unusual sense) (-5 points) Note: A character with dormancy can conceal the feature, and this Disad is worth no points for them Physical Limitation: Nova physiology, needs to eat a lot (Infrequently, slightly) (-5 points) Social Limitation: Nova (Very frequently, major, not limiting when dealing with colleagues) (-15 points) Total cost: -25 points Total Nova Package Deal cost: 57 points Notes: The Social Limitation reflects the fact that if you are Utopian, the Teragen wants to recruit you or kill you, and vice versa, and that for independent novas, both sides would like you on their side. The character may be attacked or harassed by anti-nova activists. This Disadvantage effectively encompasses a Public or Secret ID, but does not reflect a personal Reputation.

Re: Disadvantage/Limitation However, Side Effects normally come into play when you use your powers. So it requires, at the very least, a modification of the SE Limitation.