Thaingar

Re: Another Brick in the Wall (Tell me about your Brick!) Well, my FAVORITE brick was Thaingar (oddly enough). He was an extra-dimensional alien from an alternate earth (Areth) where magic was at a much higher level and tech-levels were very low (although 'magical technology' served the same function to an extent). The world was divided between two mega-powers: the warriors (super-powered bricks and martial artists) and the wizards (super-mages). The warriors were honorable and good (mostly) and the mages dastardly evil-doers (mostly). Of course, there were exceptions (a few mages sided with the warriors and a number of warriors with the mages). The two sides had been at war for centuries ... the mages were more powerful, but less numerous so the two were stalemated. In the middle of this war was the normals. The "supers" on both sides needed the normals though ... because they could only concieve through mating with normals. "Super to super" relationships were always barren. Of course, all this had little effect on the character, since Thaingar got banished to Earth while battling a wizard. So, he shows up, super-strength, magic armor and hammer and takes becomes a super hero. Okay ... it's kinda hokey, but that was the background I came up with. So sue me. I also had a brick named ... Champion! Picture the big, bulky Captain Britain from X-calibur comics. Only he was a physicist that got zapped during a Viper attack on the lab where he was conducting a gravitic experiment. Just a smart, flying brick. Nothing fancy ... had a lot of fun with him. One power that I give nearly all my bricks is KB Resistance ... with Non-persistent (-1/4), Must be aware of / Perceive the attack (-1/4), and Based on Casual Strength (-1/4) ... 1" for every 5 points of casual str is the limit and it is reduced if the character's str is drained (or whatever). It doesn't stack with bracing vs KB (but doesn't reduce DCV either). I just got tired of Brick A punches Brick B and Brick B flies back XX inches. Brick B gets up, does a move throuh on Brick A and Brick A flies back YY inches. Gets kind tedius.

Re: Go home, Superman! I liked all the suggestions (even Supergood and Superbad are one and the same! in, fact, I used that one in a campaign once. The PCs were actually glad to get to take him down cause he was a pompous jerk. Even his name was arrogant ... Superion.) But I also like where he becomes a friend and mentor ... and where he then gets killed. I think my favorite suggestion, though, was have him show up to help. He fights the giant, unstoppable robot (or whatever) while the main heroes take on the master villain. Just mix it up. Have him help out sometimes (he doesn't have to upstage the heroes if there is something for them to do that's just as / more important), have him out of town sometimes, have him disappear for a while, have him captured ... or just kill him. All good ideas.

Re: Staring into the sun Perhaps a cumulative Flash? (Cheesy, I know ... since, once flashed people are usually immune to further flashing until it wears off ... but it could work.)

Re: The Perfect Power Build Yeah, depending on the situation he would get a PER roll. "Whats that warm liquid trickling down my back ... blood?" And of course, his allies would see his wounds and might warn him. It requires some arbitration by the GM, but it can be fun.

Re: Heroic Characteristic Maxima? So .... you don't get points for things that limit how the player chooses to design his character ... like not being able to buy running because you have the Physical Lim: Can't Walk, for example? That's really what I look on NCM as. Its a sort of Physical Limitation. Could other such limitations (or more restrictive ones) be introduced? Sure, why not? If that's how the GM and players want it, I see no reason that couldn't be done. You can also get rid of Speed (segmented movement is wonky), make Mental Defense a figured characteristic, and anything else you want to change about the system. Provided the GM and the players like it (and, imo, there is a rationale for it). As for Psych Lims vs those other Lims you've been suggesting ... saying "Oh, I choose not to do this ... usually" is worth points but saying "Oh, I am incapable of doing this" isn't? Okay. If that works for your campaign more power to you. As for poor Tiger Man ... if there is some rationale that says he can never have a gun or throwing knives or a sonic roar EB or whatever ... and the lack of a ranged attack is that restrictive in your campaign. Cut him some slack and give him some points.

Re: Heroic Characteristic Maxima? Yes, the can both increase to superhuman levels later ... but I think you knew what was meant. As for buying off the NCM ... that would probably require a "radiation accident" in my campaign. The player would have to save up 25 points (that's a lot since I am very cheap with experience and players get to spend them as hero points). I prefer to focus less on disadvantages ... however, EVERY disadvantage will be a hinderance to some degree at some time or another. NCM just happens to be one every time you spend experience by limiting your options. (Just like a code vs killing is one everytime you have the chance or inclination to kill a villain.) And you are WAY off base saying that the value of NCM is only as good as the extra points you spend. You totally miss the point of the disad. Again, I point to the Psych Lims. Why give points to someone for role-playing their character the way they intended to role-play it to start with? Because it limits their options. Just like NCM does. As for other powers (ranged powers for bricks) ... well, if practically EVERY character has ranged powers, then sure ... you could take a limitation for that. Of course, if you're strong, you can throw stuff ... heavy stuff ... so the limitation wouldn't be worth as much to a brick (who already has some inherent ranged abilty) as it would to a martial artist in a campaign where EVERYONE has powerful ranged attacks and high movement. Then again ... there would have to be a rationale as to WHY he could never buy them. NCM has a rationale behind it: physically, you're a normal joe. Whats the rationale for "can't buy ranged attacks"? Sounds more like a ... PSYCH LIM: Code vs using ranged attacks. Would you give points to someone for that?

Re: Help with a Duplication-type power Yay! Thanks.

Re: Help with a Duplication-type power Hmmm. Good point. I'd forgotten the need for two transforms. That does make the power more acceptable. It wouldn't really be all that expensive (as major villain main-powers go) since it would, likely, only be 2 or 3 d6 and requires the vicitim to be grappled, willing, or helpless. However, I'm considering making it an NND as power defense doesn't neccessarily seem an appropriate resistance to this sort of power. What would be the defense though? Maybe Regeneration or lack of human physiology. Hmmm ...

Re: Help with a Duplication-type power Yeah, the summon works too. Again though, you get into the "cheese" factor of a power doing double-duty (A Summon that also "banishes" someone ... the victim of the tecno-virus.). What I'm really wondering about is what kind of limitations should I put on the Summon (or duplication ... though I'm thinking maybe summon works better?) to indicate that it only works with a successful Transform? Would a simple linked (-1/4, since the transform is likely to be lower cost) be sufficient? Probably not ... what kind of limitation should I put on "Requires a successful Transform of the target"?

Re: Heroic Characteristic Maxima? NEW RANT: Psych Lims worthless! Psychological Limitations don't limit a character, just their DECISIONS! If I plan on playing a character that never kills, then taking a Code Vs Killing isn't worth any points! Why, it's as worthless as taking NCM on a character when I don't plan on buying any stats over NCM anyway. I propose that instead, you only give points for someone with a Psych Lim when they break it, since that's the only time it actually limits them. PS: For those that didn't "get it" ... that was strictly tongue in cheek. Only the GM (and the players) can decide whether a particular disadvantage is limiting in their campaign. Go with what works.

Re: Heroic Characteristic Maxima? I'd certainly let someone take a disadavantage (Physical Limitation: Lame leg, Frequent, Slight, 10 pts perhaps ... though frequency would depend on other factors) AND sell back 3" of running. As for a limitation: Can't spend XP on skills ... I'd allow that too -- probably for more than 20 points since it is more limiting than double cost for skills -- if it made sense for the character. (Brain damaged? Pre-programmed android that with no more RAM? etc.). Again, here we're talking about things available to everyone. Can't buy Magic Powers? If Magic Powers are extra-ordinarily common (like in a fantasy setting or a Super-Magic campaign) ... sure. That's worth some points. As for worrying about characters getting something for nothing ... if NCM isn't a restriction in your game, then yeah ... it'worth nothing. However, in any truly "super" game, it's worth points IMO. EDIT: As a side note, I tend to be a bit more "permissive" with disadvantages in my supers campaigns anyway. At just 150 points of disdavantages, you're looking at an average of 10 or more disadvantages. With 5 players, that's 50 disadvantages to address. If you REALLY want to make players "earn" those disadvantage points you need to address each and every one of those on a regular basis. Do you really want your campaign to devolve into, "Okay, whose turn is it to get shafted by your Disads this Phase?" I think as Disdavantages as being used to add flavor ... and yes, to me, saying this guy is stuck at the normal human level while Superman, Flash, Wonderwoman, The Martian Manhunter, and everyone else are virtual gods IS a disadvantage. The difference between A & B btw ... one has the OPTION to improve to superhuman levels later. And balancing the cost of NCM by basing it on the number of points spent over the NCM limits? Do you give the guy with a vulnerability to fire more points everytime someone finds out about his weakness or every time you introduce another fire-wielding villain? And take points away when one of those villains is "retired"? Maybe you give him more points for a particular adventure if there's a burning building in it, but take them away the next adventure? Hmm?

Re: Help with a Duplication-type power Well the original idea wasn't that the duplication caused the others to "disapear" ... it was the the duplication only worked if the Transform power was succesful. As to how it's "cheesy" to just use a Transform only ... it's allowing a Transform to do "double duty" by not only eliminating a target, but also creating an ally. That was why my intial thought was to build it as BOTH a Transform AND Duplication that only worked after a successful Transform.

Re: Help with a Duplication-type power Yeah, I considered just making it a Transform ... though that seems rather "cheesy." Of course, since he's a villain (and a plot device, at that) I realize that I don't have to "build him to spec" for the campaign, although I generally like to do so as much as possible because it makes it easier when powers start interacting (especially adjustment powers). I suppose it could also be done as a Summon. I expect I'll probably just go with it as a transform though. Still, I'd love to see any other suggestions anyone has ...

Re: How do you keep your dark knights from going "squish"? Yeah, I'm big on using XP as Hero Points. Here's what I allow: A character can, ONCE PER TURN, spend 1 xp as a Hero Point to ... 1) Turn his own failed roll (attack roll, skill check, activation roll, etc.) into a success -or- 2) Turn his own successful roll (attack roll, skill check, etc.) into a critical success (+3 DCs for attacks, better success for skills) -or- 3) Turn a successful roll against him into a failure (attack, find weakness, etc.) -or- 4) Second Wind! -- the character heals 3d6 normal damage (body and stun) and recovers endurance equal to the stun healed -or- 5) Wake up! -- an unconcious character wakes up with 1 stun and 1 endurance and stops bleeding. If his body is still at zero or less, may perform only half-phase actions and is half DCV (and will lapse into unconciousness again if he performs any stressful -- at the GM's option -- action or takes any damage) -or- 6) Revelation! -- the character gains some insight into a current dilema (a clue -- or even an outright solution -- on how to beat the villain he's fighting now, how to find his secret base, how to foil his dastardly scheme) All such uses are subject to GM veto (especially the last one)

Re: Help with a Duplication-type power Hmmm. I don't really want the duplicates to be able to use the duplication power (one of the things limiting this guy and keeping him from totally going out of control) ... and I would like it to be difficult, but possible, to change the victims back to normal. (And would like for him to have the ability to "withdraw" the virus from his victims, thus turning them back to normal.) Recombination is also tricky ... should he get ranged / easy recombination? (Since victims seperated from him by a great distance can be rehabilitated.) However, he has to physically touch the victim to withdraw the virus himself. Hmmm.

Re: The Perfect Power Build Here's one that I liked ... The painless blade: HKA with Invisible to Touch and Does no Stun This represents a blade (or other attack) that causes no pain to the target. The target is usually unaware that he has even taken damage unless he takes time to examine his wound. (As such, the GM doesn't tell him that he has taken Body damage.) Can be very lethal in the hands of an invisible character attacking from behind.

Re: How do you encourage your players to buy more skills I really the idea of divorcing skills from stats! I think I'll start doing the skills in my campaign that way ... simply denoting them by how much they modify the attribute roll. Thanks!

Re: Heroic Characteristic Maxima? It all depends on the campaign ... in my campaign, NCM is a big disadavantage (about equivilant to not being able to walk). The biggest limiting factor is Speed (though the other stats hurt too). Very few "supers" in my campaign would qualify for the NCM limitation as even the "normals" tend to exceed the NCM limit on Dex, Con, and Speed. (And I wouldn't classify Batman as having NCM either.) Of course, if it's not uncommon for characters in your campaign to be bought with no stats that exceed NCM, then it might not be worth anything in your campaign. I also don't have a problem with a NCM character having some stats (Str, Dex, Pre, Speed, and possibly Body) above the limit bought through Foci (so long as the "Does not add to figured char" limit also applies). Should Superman get points for "Double cost to buy magical powers"? Sorry, the two don't equate. Everyone has stats. Not everyone has magical powers. That's just how I see it ... it works well in my campaign.

I'm working on a villain for my campaign who is based, loosely, on Agent Smith from The Matrix (amoung others ... including the last Terminator, the alien-human hybrid from Species, and Warlock from the new mutants). Now, if THAT didn't make you change to a different thread, here is the premise for the villain: He is was a soldier who volunteered for a military experiment ... to become a cyborg. However instead of replacing limbs or muscles or organs with machine parts, he was "infused" with a technological "virus." (The origins of this "techno-virus" are extra-terrestrial, as it turns out, and are part of an attempt by an alien species to "soften up" Earth for an invasion). He posses many powers, including shape-shifting, regeneration, and the ability to cybernetically link with computers and computer networks. In any event, the power that is troubling me is his ability to create "clones" of himself by infecting humans with his techno-virus. The "clones" are exact duplicates (though built on fewers points ... so they are less powerful than he is and are missing a couple of key powers). I'm planning to limit him to 32 duplicates. However, I'm not sure how to work in the limitation that he can only duplicate by infecting a human being. I started working on a Transform power with a Duplication power that only works when he successfully transforms someone ... but I'm not sure if this is the way to go. Any suggestions?

Re: Shared Damage I have a pair of villains in my campaign (mutant brothers, one with Energy Absorption to an EB and the other with Physical Absorption to Str) that have this power and I used the Damage Reduction option. It works well. There power was limited by proximity though ... they had to remain within 8" of each other for it to work.

Re: Problem with Missile Deflection I don't have a problem with any of the solutions presented here (Missile Deflection, DCV levels, Desolid, etc.) ... though I would probably not allow the Extra-Dimensional Movement option except in rare cases (and then probably only for "plot-device" NPCs like Captain Chronos). Another good limitation for +DCV shields is Limited Coverage: Front Arc Only. My "Rule of X" for defenses takes into account DCV, PD, ED, and Stun ... so having a high DCV is okay if your other stats are reasonable. I'll pretty much allow anything in my campaign so long as it is, in my estimation, reasonable ... several characters have a single "mega-attack" that exceed the DC + Speed + OCV limitations I've set, however these attacks are extraordinarily limited. Extra endurance and limited charges (which cost endurance) are a must ... extra time, concentration, activation / skill rolls, are also popular. Of course, the more the attack exceeds the "rule of X," the more limited it needs to be, and, even then, there are limits. One thing that I wanted to add about Missile Deflection is that I require OCV levels with it (and any other power, like Mind Scan) be bought at the 5 point level or higher if they are limited or placed in a framework.

Re: lets make this work: Instant Change I just have to throw in another vote for grandfathering in the old Instant Change power. I also still use the old Regeneration power in my campaigns. I have to comment on Nekkidcarpenter's post about Instant Change negating the value of an Only In Hero Identity limitation ... if the character has a secret identity, then the limitation is valid regardless of how long it takes to change into hero identity. On the other hand, if the character does not have a secret identity to maintain, then Instant Change might well negate the value of an Only In Hero Identity limitation.