bjvargas

Re: How to kill characters?

Re: Linking in a VPP DOH! And I knew that too. Sheeeeooot. What a waste of time that was. Thanks for saving me before I trudged off and made a fool of myself in front of Dan...again...lol

Re: Wand of Fireballs (or the Champions Equivalent) Thanks! You know how it goes...you know you should know this one, but your mind just blanks out. lol

Re: [Villain Group] The Cabal of Nightmares Awesome work - well thought out. I may steal it

Re: [Character] Riot Very nice...I was just giving Duplication a once-over again today and was thinking I might have to give it a shot. This one looks very nice and balanced, and I like the background.

Quandry: Using HD, I have powers that are linked in a VPP. No problem. So obviously the rules allow for that. But then there are these two: 25 Mental Paralysis - Entangle Linked to Absorption: Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF, Takes No Damage From Attacks Physical (+1/4), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), Works against Ego not Str (+1/2), BOECV (Mental Defense applies; +1), Range Modifiers Apply (-1/4) (120 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), Does Not Prevent The Use Of Accessible Foci (As long as those foci don't require physical manipulation (ex: just need to be on target's body); -1), Gestures (Requires both hands; Both hands coming together to 'squish' the target's head between them, in the caster's eyesight; -1/2), Incantations (Complex; Lating: Your mind is MINE; -1/2), Linked (???; -1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4) [Notes: Mental Paralysis, Linked to Absorption of Ego Attacks, Adds to the Entangle == RSR Psionics] [4]40 Mental Paralysis - Absorption linked to Mental Paralysis: Absorption 10d6+1 (Ego Attacks, the Entangle), Can Absorb Maximum Of 64 Points' Worth Of Ego Attacks Damage, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Absorption As A Defense (x2) (120 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), Linked (???; -1/2), Limited Power "MR" (-1/4), Conditional Power *Monthly Ritual* (-1/4) [Notes: RSP Psionics] Outside of the VPP, they link just fine in HD. But I try to move them up into the VPP and I get an error message, on each of them, that says that Linking is not allowed for this power because there is nothing to link to. I remove the links, try to re-link, it's not an option. I move them out of the VPP, the option re-appears. I move them back into the VPP, the error message again appears, and so on. I tried raising the VPP Base Points to an ungodly amount (600) in case they couldn't link because together they were too much for the VPP, and that didn't fix the problem. Anyone ever run into something like this, before I go off whining to Dan? Thanks!

Borrowing from another, early, unmentionable game in a Fantasy setting, you have a Wand of Fireballs. This want, effectively, has charges that never recover (at least in the usual Hero sense). However, as long as the wand doesn't use up all of its charges, it can have more charges 'put into' it. In other words, any schlub can use the wand (as long as, in most cases, he can discover the 'magick trigger word' or whatever), but only an appropriately trained mage can put more charges back into it. How would y'all build something like this? Thanks!

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits What I'm dealing with is, for a PC, the concept of a Very strong-willed person who was murdered...then stewed over it as a Ghost, hoping to get revenge, building power and talent while doing so. She got that revenge many years later...but then found out that her death was a stupid mistake, not a pre-meditated or malicious thing. All she had done with her revenge was to take away a father from his family. So after a few more years of remorse (a very, very small time for a ghost), she has decided to try and put what she has learned to good use...try and make up for what she did. --- So yeah, much of the time she is 'elsewhere', but when needed, she will jump in and help the team. Costs her pleny in energy, but worth it to her.

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits Exactly my thoughts, but I haven't had the chance to work out some of the mechanics to prove it to myself. Thanks!

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits I am not too worried with the complexity - as long as I can explain it to myself, I am fine with it And, I am not even all that worried about less expensive, though I wouldn't want to saddle them with more expense either. My thinking is that characters, pc or npc, aren't all necessarily guaranteed to be subject to the limitations that come with desolidification. Spirit magick shouldn't (in my worldview) work on a spirit that isn't somehow 'manifest' (in other words is off in its own dimension). And it shouldn't be subject 24/7 to whatever effects are chosen with Desolid when it isn't 'manifest'. Thanks for the input!

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits Hmmm, yes, thinking and reading more about Ghosts of various sorts...often ghost-chasers can't find any evidence of a ghost via whatever tests they have available while the ghost is 'dormant' (in its own dimension), but can while it is active (manifest). In its own dimension, no desolid. Manifested, desolid, paid for with a limitation (only while manifested - costs serious END), and the like.

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits Don't mind me - I am just thinking 'out loud', if you will. Thoughts still greatly appreciated.

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits Thinking about it even more...the spirits can have multiple ways of 'manifesting', depending on the nature of the spirit. For example, a true 'ghost' could be off in its own world, and need transD effects if it wants to affect the 'real world' while still there. Or, if it chooses to truly 'manifest', it can do so by using EDM to move into the real world, and then having a desolid body and effect (paying appropriately for all those, of course). Now, in the case of say, a Demon, often considered a type of spirit, the Demon doesn't have to have Desolid while in its own dimension. Nor does it need to be desolid here in the 'real world'. So it manifests without desolid, or as partly desolid, all depending on definition, build process, and GM. So it seems to me that the same can/should apply to some 'spirit's that sometimes manifest, such as ghosts.

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits

Re: Ghosts and other Spirits PS: Various powers could still be paid for as 'inherent', like a fire-based damage shield for a fire elemental. But still wouldn't have to buy 'Desolid' just to exist.

What do y'all think of building ghosts and other spirits (pc or npc) as naturally inhabiting their dimensions, and not having to pay all that cost just to merely exist? In other words, no desolid-affected by blah, etc. Just like a character built on the 'real world' has to pay to affect their world, they have to pay to affect the 'real world', or to move into it, etc. But without all the other drek. I mean, PCs built normally don't have to buy Inherent to have their natural PD and ED, for example. But if these 'ghosts' or 'spirits' so much as even want to Peek into the 'real world', they would have to buy affects solid. In other words, no up-front costs just to exists, but every fragging detail of affecting the other side must be paid for. Thoughts?

Re: New to the hero system, trying to figure out some things Ooooh, yeah. I haven't tried to sit down and figure it out in a long time, but you don't even need Champions to destroy most of the world. I vaguely remember many years ago sitting down to create a FH mage, and for the hell of it, created a spell that would do several d6 killing damage in a field that covered the entire earth. 99.999% of all living things would die instantly. Sure, the spell took gawdawful ingredients, and, I think, it was like a year in the casting, but it could be done. HERO isn't for the faint-hearted GM, that's for sure. But that's the price one pays for the absolutely *outstanding* flexibility and creative possibilities.

Re: Building a Puppeteer

Re: "Charges Never Recover" and Frameworks Lol, I think that is finally beginning to sink in. Heh.

Re: "Charges Never Recover" and Frameworks LOL. It is amazing what a direct challenge to one's understandings will do to their rationale. Me, I don't tell them that. But I do tell them that unless they hide their independent items in some way, villains will see them and go "OOOOOOH! Goodies!" And at least plan on making future attempts on the items. BJ

Re: "Charges Never Recover" and Frameworks I can see that - makes sense. But for comparison, lets view a 'wand of fireballs', 6 charges, no special components beyond the wand/focus itself, and has a Trigger to use. The charges just 'poof' appear again tomorrow. A potion with no special components/activity to make. 'Potion' just means its a liquid and it is Quaffed as the trigger. Would the potion just 'refill' in some way? If so, in your opinion, how is that equal in benefits/disadvantages to having just built a wand instead? I know I am being persnickety, but I am trying to wrap my head around it well enough to be able to explain it, lol. Absolutely! Nobody I have discussed this with so far would disagree with that. As it should be. I like that, thanks! I am suprised that not one of us had thought about that...well, hadn't come up till now I guess.

Re: "Charges Never Recover" and Frameworks Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against GM Fiat to balance a game - and Special Effect is often a useful tool in applying GM Fiat. But 'GM should approve' as a special effect *is* still GM Fiat. Which is one thing that makes our group sway back toward allowing it (still plenty of things making us sway away from it though too).

Re: "Charges Never Recover" and Frameworks So what if you make a 'potion of healing' with a dozen charges. Takes the character a week of brewing and some components that it takes effort to procure. Now, if the charges DO recover, what happens? Do the vials mystically refill themselves (yuk) and you never have to brew the potions again? Now, a wand of healing, yeah, 24 hours later (or whatever) the charges are back. If the charges *don't* recover, one would at least have to repeat the brewing process, getting those difficult components again, taking another week to brew, etc. BUT! If this is done in a VPP, there are no 'points' being spent to re-make the potion, just the renewed time, effort, and materials. If one would say no in a VPP, I would like to know why, to discuss it with my group (to avoid burnout, we take turns GM'ing the same characters in the same setting). If one would say no in a VPP, what about an MP or EC, and why? Wands that recover in a VPP, no problem. Potions that recover, just feels wrong (at least when it is a *character* creating the potions, and not some "Potion Creation Vat" that just keeps spewing stuff forth. I'm confoooozed. BJ

Re: "Charges Never Recover" and Frameworks Well, in my on-again-off-again group, we often take turns GM'ing, anywhere from one session at a time to a long adventure at a time (mostly to avoid burnout). So I often think dual-mindedly about such questions - GM and Player - at the same time. That has its benefits and its drawbacks, as shown by your very legitimate question to me. It originated when another member mentioned the concept. We sat around and discussed it - nixing his particular idea, but we all started to wonder if there even *could be* a valid reason for it. So I started thinking about it from both points of view. And now, it is more curiosity than anything. But again, you make a valid point. So here is what I was thinking when wondering how it would apply it to one of my characters: Modern, Superheroic level game. Alchemist. She uses a Multipower and cannot create potions and such on the fly. Being an MP, obviously she needs GM approval to even put such a potion into her repertoire, and then it takes skill rolls and brewing time, yadda, yadda. She creates this potion, say, Potion of Healing: * Xd6 * Trigger = Quaffing * Extra Time 1 Hour to put it all together and start it brewing * 1 Week 'steeping and aging' * Expendable Focus 'snow from the top of the Himalayas' or something that takes effort to replace * 6 Charges brewed all at once. If you don't take Charges Never Recover, then technically (short of GM Fiat), the charges all recover the next day. No point to brewing replacement potions at all - maybe the vials just 'refill themselves' again or something (yuk). If the charges don't ever recover, then one has to re-brew all 6 charges eventually, going back to the Himalayas, brewing for another week, etc. Now comes the real question: Is this legitimate/reasonable in a MP? The only real, end purpose of a framework is to save cost (by applying the limitations having a framework places on the powers within them) compared to having that same number (and levels) of powers outside of the framework. Now, after answering that question, apply the same concept to a VPP. At least in the MP, you have to pay a point (minimum) for having that specific potion available to you. In the VPP, it's 'free', though it has already been paid for in the higher framework cost. What I guess I would really like opinions on, to discuss/share with the others, is: Would you approve the above in an MP, why/not? (and therefore any 'potion, salve, etc.' that can be thought of (as long as it fits the character and framework concept, of course) If you would approve the above in an MP, would you also approve it for a VPP? Why/not? Thanks!