pawsplay

So many years ago (during 5th edition revised) I got an idea for a campaign.  
 
A few false starts
 
Decided to make it a book (never happened)
 
Started it about a year and a half ago.
 
In the first time in 40 years of gaming, a campaign ended at a natural end...I have NEVER had that happen before in any RPG

Well, let's assume you did get a free recovery. It wouldn't matter because there are no Phases or initiative.

Dark Champions is arguably the genre of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (graphical lit, not the kiddie cartoons).

Dark Champions is arguably the genre of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (graphical lit, not the kiddie cartoons).

My favorite use is for representing martial arts in ways that aren't as accessible otherwise. I think I've already used the example of the use of a montante as an area denial tool (change environment with a ton of -running or some such). But there are also techniques for protecting someone else (Boost DCV gestures throughout?) and more. And that's real life martial arts without getting into more fantastical martial possibilities.
 

I'm sorry, but generally I don't answer game design/philosophy questions. If you want to discuss whether this power costs too much for its effectiveness, please post on the Discussion board, where anyone can respond (here, only I can).
 
 
 
P.S.:  Cool art.

How can a character simply change its skin color without spending too many points on a purely self affecting, non-combat power?

Something like this would still cost 3 Points, cost 1 END and require 2 ZERO PHASES to activate: Change Hair/Skin Color:  Cosmetic Transform 3d6 (9 Active Points); Limited Power - Self Only, power loses about half of its effectiveness (-1), No Range (-1/2), Gestures - Must shake out hair (-1/4).

Seems a bit much for just changing your color... 
 

A bit more on topic   While I'm not any of the board admins, I can't imagine there being any harm at all in asking someone to write such a supplement.  
 
A couple of the 4th edition Dark Champions books have some info about supers and the law (Dark Champions, Justice Not Law), and they're available in PDF from the Hero Games store.  I don't have the 5th edition Dark Champions in PDF, but I'm sure that information is in there as well.  I have both the 4th and 5th edition Dark Champions in hardcopy; I can bring them to the next session if you want to borrow them.
 
I've bought a lot of GURPS supplements over the years, partly because they're usually well researched and quite usable with Hero.  There's a GURPS Cops supplement which would probably prove helpful.  I don't believe I have that one or I'd bring it as well.

But... but... why would the police ever do such a terrible thing?  Arrest a hero?  For what?  Whatever she -- I mean, they -- did, there must have been a good reason...

Winston Churchill is supposed to have said, “Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.”
 
This is one of those times---and it doesn't happen as often as it should.

Biden isn't the (presumptive) nominee because a small cabal of party insiders considered him the, "most electable" - it's because he got more votes than any other candidate.

I don't automatically take Vulnerability, but if it makes sense, it's an easy go to. Particularly if I'm already squeezing my brain trying to come up with another Psych. If you look at Champions 3e characters, a lot of them have Vulnerabilities. You might think, well, if I take that, I'm going to end up paste. That's likely to happen anyway. If you're a flying blaster, it's all fun and games until you are Flashed and Entangled. Vulnerability can actually be an asset, because if you have a Vulnerability to fire, and the GM brings out a fire enemy, you know, "Okay, this one is gunning for me." 
Someone mentioned Hunted as an easy option you can take instead. The inability to Presence Attack a Hunted, IMO, actually makes them potentially more dangerous. Presence is situational but can affect anybody. With a Hunted, there will be baddies you have no choice but to take head-on in some fashion.

I can actually think of a lots of spellcasting protagonists, even part timers. Lythande, from Thieves World, swordsman-mage; Grey Mouser, thief-fighter-magic-user; Harry Potter, ace pilot and wizard; Luke Skywalker, ace pilot and wizard; Willow, farmer/rogue/wizard.
A lot of this goes back to the Combat Luck controversy. Sometimes, it is inappropriate. But in high action games, when your dodgy characters get hit, they don't usually go down in one hit, and that's what Combat Luck does for you. Different options make sense for different campaigns.
Some campaigns might ban Variable Power Pool. Others might require ALL spells to be Variable Power Pool.
Some campaigns might ban Multipower. Others might require it for the standard set of magic spells.
 

I would build that by buying the "Let Me Lend You A Hand" power on page 48 of Champions Powers, which does exactly what you want. It's built with Summon, so you have to create separate character sheets for each body part, but that's easy enough.

I don't automatically take Vulnerability, but if it makes sense, it's an easy go to. Particularly if I'm already squeezing my brain trying to come up with another Psych. If you look at Champions 3e characters, a lot of them have Vulnerabilities. You might think, well, if I take that, I'm going to end up paste. That's likely to happen anyway. If you're a flying blaster, it's all fun and games until you are Flashed and Entangled. Vulnerability can actually be an asset, because if you have a Vulnerability to fire, and the GM brings out a fire enemy, you know, "Okay, this one is gunning for me." 
Someone mentioned Hunted as an easy option you can take instead. The inability to Presence Attack a Hunted, IMO, actually makes them potentially more dangerous. Presence is situational but can affect anybody. With a Hunted, there will be baddies you have no choice but to take head-on in some fashion.

Preach!
 
 
 
 
 
 
If I could find a thumbs-up, I'd stick it here.
 

 
 

I can confirm from playtest with Ron that The Champions Now Focus limitation is intended only for items that will often be taken away in play. Many powers, like PowerStar's resistant defense and his Distortion Generator are gadgets that are separate, but I did not want them taken away, so no focus limitation. His Tesla Tap does have an inobvious focus, because I imagine the connection between the generators in the PowerCave and his receiver are subject to interference. The Focus limitation is primarily intended as an exploit heros can use against villains. 
 
Another bit of advice: make characters that are fun to play, not combat optimized. Half the fun is coming up with creative ways to bring down a villain when your best attack can't on its own. The other half is getting knocked down and coming back. Heros aren't about winning, they are about persisting.

You're preaching to the choir. I was just noting that if wizards have more options, expect that most characters will be wizards, even if only part-time.

Well, let's assume you did get a free recovery. It wouldn't matter because there are no Phases or initiative.

"How and why did you learn that spell?" is equivalent to "How and why do you have a laser pistol?" No, you cannot just spend an experience point and learn any old spell. When your character was created, all their spells have a stated or implied origin in your character's magical training. That doesn't disappear just because you have an experience point. Further, if spells are supposed to be something that are hard to learn, you aren't necessarily entitled to spend those points willy-nilly. Learning a new spell every other month might be unreasonable. Just because you have points to spend on a Follower doesn't mean you can suddenly acquire a squire while traveling through the desert. You might be able to, but you have to justify it.

You say "throwing obstacles in the way of players spending the XP they earned" as if that is not one of the central pillars of the Hero System.

Feel free to add, comment, discuss and criticize.
 
A Spell With Multiple Functions
Simply put, some spells make sense as Multipowers, perhaps with Unified Power. This is a good concept for Three Secret Symbols of Power, or maybe a spell for controlling large amounts of water. This can work even in magic systems where Multipowers aren't generally used.
 
Magic Systems Were Powers Are Fairly Unified and Simple
Basically, if your spells are really more like psychic powers, it might make sense to put most spells in a multipower. If wizards basically just levitate stuff and read minds, and maybe have one or two unique abilities, and their abilities all require END and some level of mental focus to maintain, this makes sense.
 
Magic Systems Were Mages Are Extremely Versatile But Not Necessarily Sages
The earliest I know where this came up in print is a suggested conversion of the classic GURPS Magic system. And it works exactly like it does on the can. Magic is expensive up front to learn your main spells, but you can add other spells for a few points. Few spells are specialized or esoteric. Limitations tend to be unified more than not. There aren't a lot of thematic limits under this scheme but the GM should establish what does and doesn't belong in the Big Multipower. Without extensive research or learning requirements, spells are easy to learn.
 
Loosely Thematic Action-Adventure Games
If your game is on the cusp of Superheroic, maybe you can stick any old thing in a Multipower. Even journeyman mages have a breadth comparable to Doctor Strange or Zatanna. The main challenges are the GM needs to set some limits on what spells are and aren't acceptable, in principle, and non-wizards need some attractive options as well if they aren't going to be sidelined. Otherwise everyone will just a a wizard.

"How and why did you learn that spell?" is equivalent to "How and why do you have a laser pistol?" No, you cannot just spend an experience point and learn any old spell. When your character was created, all their spells have a stated or implied origin in your character's magical training. That doesn't disappear just because you have an experience point. Further, if spells are supposed to be something that are hard to learn, you aren't necessarily entitled to spend those points willy-nilly. Learning a new spell every other month might be unreasonable. Just because you have points to spend on a Follower doesn't mean you can suddenly acquire a squire while traveling through the desert. You might be able to, but you have to justify it.

"Regulated" in the 18th century was often synonymous with "trained" or "functioning according to its purpose." Like a well-regulated clock. Something that is regular, in the positive sense. Here is a link to Wikipedia which discusses this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Meaning_of_"well_regulated_militia"
The Second Amendment could be rendered:
"Because of the need to be able to muster an effective, disciplined force of lawful civilians into a defensive force to protect the community in times of civil disorder or external threat, the government shall not unduly restrict the natural right of the citizens to have and use personal weapons suitable for that purpose."
 
Which is why I believe the Second Amendment probably means the government cannot simply ban semiautomatic rifles, because those are the basic, modern type of personal firearm one would use for defense and order. However, I believe the second amendment allows, and perhaps demands, that someone exercising that right not be someone who would be excluded from being deputized or drafted, whether due to serious felonies or inability due to serious psychological or mental inability. I think the question can be posed, "Do you need a 30 round magazine to use on a regular basis, in order to meaningfully exercise that right?" And I think the answer is probably not, you can probably participate in suppressing a riot five rounds at a time. I think it's reasonable the government insist on some limits on items that are more likely to be used for mass murder than a reasonable, lawful act. So, for instance, high capacity magazines might require a special license. Because your use and training in a semiautomatic rifle could be of use in a "militia," said if you were deputized, or joined a service branch, I think a case could be made for "will-issue" licenses to people without a criminal history. That is, if you pay the license and fulfill the other requirements, the government probably can't restrict you from owning such a weapon and practicing with it on a firing range.
 
Arguably, your Second Amendment rights could be modeled after European models, where rifles are assigned to people and the keeper practices regularly at a training center. But that does cut against a substantial amount of precedent.
 
Notably the Second Amendment concerns the natural right of self-defense and community defense, not some abstract need to at a later date possibly dismantle the government itself.
 
 

"Probably?" See, now you're getting into interpretation, hence not ironclad. But there's nothing in the definition of "regulated," now or in the past, that says anything about competence. Again, the article I linked to cites and quotes historical evidence of government regulation, bans, and confiscations of all manner of firearms going back centuries.