Dust Raven

Re: Haymaker! Wants You

They work for me so it might be your location

Actually, unless I'm doing something REALLY wrong, they have to work for me at work... three guesses where I work....

Re: Haymaker! Wants You

I'm not sure if it's my location (I'm at work), but the pages for Haymaker.org are not loading.

Re: Characters Pictures

There's always http://www.heromachine.com/ if you're not too fussy.

I thought about that, but I'm looking for something a bit more professional looking than dress up dolls all in the same pose (no offense to heromachine... the program just isn't what I'm looking for on my website).

Unless of course they've massively updated that software in the past few months without me noticing...

Re: Characters Pictures

If you are not in a rush for them I could try to help out' date=' I'm still trying to get back in a Groove of drawing, My work aint great but it's fair. and cheap ( I wouldnt charge you because it's just more practice for me & I'm not good enough to charge). There are examples of my work in my Blog or in the Superhero images thread. PM me if you are interseted[/quote']

 

Free can be good. I'll look over your stuff.

I'm creating a website for the team of superheroes in my current Champions game. I would like to include pictures of the characters. I'm a good graphic designer and can make background images, logos and other incidental website images, but I'm no good at people. In fact, I'm horrible at it.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might find an artist who will accept commission work for half a dozen character sketched (color or not) and won't charge me too much? I'm not looking for the Mona Lisa, just something that's not my own crappy stick figures.

Re: How much do you use...

I use a lot of early 4th edition and mid to late 3rd edition Champions stuff. Most of them villain books or adventures. Most of them also suck, but have just enough good ideas to inspire me to change things around a bit. For example, my version of DEMON has a technology based front organization used to cover the activities of the real deal, as described in 3rd edition (and revised for 4th). The main difference is that some heroes simply assume there are two organizations with the same name, or that the mages are working part time for the front organization.

I also use most of the 4th edition information for PRIMUS, which I found extremely useful and detailed.

Many of the villain groups, or old hero groups I have existing in my universe, but are usually part of its history (such as the Protectors from Protect and Serve - the adventure was crap, but the hero team was spiffy).

Re: Alas and Farewell, Digital Hero

I feel somehow compelled to buy a subscription just so I will have credits to encourage the republication of DH in the future...

Re: Magic Teleport Mirror

Unless you're counted INCHES and want 1 Game Inch, due to the scale your combat takes place on, to be 100km, not 50km.

 

Like I said, generally, probably a bad combo. In certain instances, perfectly valid.

 

Like Costs Endurance, Decreased Endurance Cost.

 

Megscale does not just change Range, in changes what 1" is equal to, which is an extremely important factor.

 

I want Space Guns with a 50", 75" and Full Inch Range, but I need those Inches to be measured in 10km increments. Now do you see why Megascale + Reduced Range may be a useful tool?

I can see how lots of things would be useful tools, but that doesn't make them balanced builds.

Re: Magic Teleport Mirror

Like I said - I can see some cases where it's not only valid - but preferred and useful. And sometimes it's just no good.

 

What happens if we do this: Capital Ship Rail Gun: 1"=100km, Reduced Range 50% of "whatever the Range would be after we decide on dice, etc."

 

You want a really really long range on the weapon - but you also don't want Range Penalties to be insanely stupid, nor non-existent (No Range Penalty). So you can't just buy lots of Range because you want the Inches involved (which determine the Range Penalties) to be within a certain attainable/reasonable value.

 

As I see it, this combo is probably good for Star Hero space combat, not so much for Superheroes games. All about the context.

Since Megascale 1"=50km is the same cost as 1"=100km, placing Reduced Range is invalid. You should simply buy Megascale 1"=50km, and if you are concerned about range penalties, buy some PSLs, or go ahead and make it 1"=100km and apply a -0 Lim Reduced Range. In any case, you should not receive any discount for Reduced Range as it does not actually limit the Power.

Re: Magic Teleport Mirror

Buying Up The Range: I don't want to Increase The Range' date=' you're missing the idea - the idea if the Clairsentience can see where the Teleport Ends, that's it. No points in between, no points beyond. Why would I spend MORE points to do LESS?[/quote']

 

You are already getting a hefty -1 limitation for 'fixed perception point'. Taking a reduction in range as a limitation because you have decided that the fixed perception point is within the maximum range doesn't seem appropriate.

 

 

Correct, you are not paying more after applying the -1 Lim. If you prefer, you may think of "Fixed Perception Point" to be a more limiting version of Reduced Range, and you can't take the same Lim twice on the same Power.

Re: Magic Teleport Mirror

Or, I can just keep reading the thread a little more before replying next time...

I still wouldn't allow reduced range because megascale can be bought at LESS than 1"=1km: you just define the scale when you buy it (page 262' date=' second column).[/quote']

Re: Magic Teleport Mirror

As for the Megascale + Reduced Range - it's not adding then removing range; it's changing the Range Scale then reducing that. Remember' date=' that Clairsentience can't see in increments of less than 1km, right now it has a Range of 175" where 1"=1km. But it's stuck to an object that's Permanently closer than that (5" away, where 1"=km).[/quote']

 

Keep in mind the 1"=1km is only a suggestion. You may make that scale anything up to 1km per inch. You could easily say 1"=30m, which should put you a bit over the 5km to your target. Regardless, adding any kind of Reduce Range Limitation on top of anything with Megascale should be disallowed; while not exactly opposite Modifiers, they are close enough to be exclusive from each other.

Re: Danger Sense with Targeting

Um... yes, that looks right, as far as getting the Targeting upon any successful PER Roll. I'm not sure about how Range Penalties work with Danger Sense. I've always figured it was based on the range of the sensing character to the source of the danger, rather than to who's in danger.

Re: "You Homo sapiens and your guns!"

AoE is needed for the hurt the guy holding it aspect

Actually, you can make it AoE with a Limitation "Must Target Guns". That way it affects everything in the Hex, but you must aim at the gun itself for it to work at all. No gun, no boom.

Re: Is this worth a -1/4 lim

I don't get the advantage' date=' I can understand the +/-0. I mean at least in a champs game flying is fairly common and to be at 1/2 dice when facing it seems to at least guarantee it is not an advantage. Just curious if you could tell me more on why a possible advantage[/quote']

The potentially Indirect and surprise attack issue, plus the limited AVLD aspect against some technological targets.

Re: 2008 Projects

Licensed Setting See: http://www.ps238.com

 

It's a comic book thing.

Ah, spiffy. So the Earth is safe... for now.

Re: SFX for Darkness with IPE?

Nekkidcarpenter's 'affects targeting' idea is a neat solution; it involves limiting the power. Even then I'd be wary as you are (probably) getting a lot more mileage from IPE than normal given the very unusual situation - normally if someone is in a darkness field you wouldn't even aim at them' date=' whereas here you have people wasting shots, and it is only a tiny step to a personal targeting darkness field with personal immunity, which is something I've actualy had to kill someone for suggesting in the past.[/quote']

 

Affects Targeting is probably better served by using Images or CSLs UBO or even Aid DEX (only affects DCV).

 

After giving this a lot more thought, I'm not sure how to adjudicate a few issues involving targeting into IPE Darkness. If the Darkness is only perceptible from the inside, so that you can see into it and through it, but not out of it, what is fair for targeting? Should attackers be penalized for taking a shot when there is no apparent reason for their aim to be off? Should the target be penalized and the attack not, effectively making anyone inside a sitting duck? I'm kind of in favor for the sitting duck option, but this may make IPE Darkness too powerful for the cost... I need more play testing.

Re: Is this worth a -1/4 lim

Well, I've given it a ringing endorsement on multiple occasions as I consider it a "true" Ultimate Book, in that it really gives you all new rules and mechanics that you can take or leave. Some of the other texts I never considered nearly as strong for that reason. While I liked bits of Speedster, to me it was "another powers book" and didn't really push the envelope of what that "class" is capable of outside of a few pages.

 

UEP most certainly does push the envelope, and that's why I love it so.

Indeed' date=' UEP is one of the books that went "Let's see how fast this baby can go" and dropped the pedal to the floor on the system.[/quote']

 

And it flies down the highway pretty much in sixth gear the whole time. I've often complained that Steve is all crunch' date=' no fluff; that there's very little "setting" not to say there should be a short story for every chapter, but they tend to read like law texts. UEP is the book that I [i']wanted[/i] to read that way, and it does, and it works brilliantly. I so love that book.

 

Well, I'm sold... now I'll just have to find a copy of it at a FLGS or get it online (most likely online, for some reason the stores near me are going all comic book, or all war-game and both are pissing me off).

Re: The Uber-Blast

I guess my issue is that I try to address metagame issues in-game as much as possible. Thus' date=' a limitation like "Only When Dramatically appropriate" would be valid, but only for a character whose powerset was specifically designed to be some sort of self-aware comic book hero of some sort.[/quote']

 

Same here. As such I tend to apply a No Conscious Control Limitation to such Powers (the GM's whim Modifier), or otherwise attempt to define what circumstances would be dramatic for the use of the Power, and place Modifiers which will either encourage it's use then and/or discourage its use other times. An example would be a villain's "and while you lay there helpless and bleeding, I will kill you" moves, which I'd apply such things as Extra Time, Concentration, etc... effectively making the maneuver a bad option during normal combat. For "this is my last chance, I'm putting everything into this" abilities, Extra END is good, and since you can burn STUN it really doesn't matter how much END you have left if it's your last move, but it sure as hell matters if it's your first.

Re: 2008 Projects

Atlantean Age is a must for me, as is Stronghold. Book of the Destroyer and Champions Beyond are pretty high on the list.

I have to ask though, what is PS 238? Is it a dithintegrator intended to prevent the Earth from blocking my view of Venus?

Re: "I shoot the escape pod!!!"

Yeah' date=' welll after the fact I was able to armchair quarterback a couple of excuses that would have kept things going at the time. Unfortunatly at the moment it happened, I had complete brain lock for some reason or another. Ah well, good rolls and brain farts have undone better men than I. . . .[/quote']

 

Another thing occurred to me. This is my secret GM weapon, so unless you're a GM, STOP READING THIS POST!! (yeah, that'll stop 'em).

 

Play along. Yep, you knew it was gonna be an easy job to stop the portal thingy. No prob. Congratulate the player's ingenuity and even have some important bystandard cheer them for their success. Essentially, make them think it was too easy and put them on edge. That way, when you come up with an alternate plot device (maybe the portal machine regenerated, or was only temporarily shut down, or there were other survivors who manage to jury rig it back open but are killed in the process). Just the fact it opens again should convince the team they have to go through "just to make sure".

 

I love playing along with my players when they do something that screws up my plans. They usually think of something more exciting anyway and all I have to do is smile and pretend I had their idea planned all along.

Re: "You Homo sapiens and your guns!"

Trying to design a slot in a multipower to allow a character to destroy guns.

 

I think dispel is the power I want, a dispelled object "must be repaired, recharged or rebuilt." But not all guns are built on RKA's, some are EB, so the "expanded effect" would be needed, but how strongly? I'm thinking the +1/4 level could get any single gun, agree or disagree?

Agree.

If insted of maing the guns nonfunctional, the character wanted to give them an 11- activation and side effect (11- the gun functions normally, 12+ it blows up in the user's hands), the only way I can think of to do this is transformation. Any other way?

I'm in with the Triggered attack with an Activation Roll. The trick here is to have that Triggered attack still be triggered to go off if the Activation Roll fails. It will go off eventually, given enough attempts to use the weapon. I'd be willing to say the value here would be worth 1/2 less a Limitation for the Activation Roll.

Re: "I shoot the escape pod!!!"

Oh definitely I have such stories. Although in yours, couldn't you have just said the EMP couldn't affect the portal generator because it was on another dimension, and then simply gave some massive to-hit penalties? After all, the generator need not be right next to the portal on the other end...

I've had long term scenarios planed out which start with the major villain being seen on site of the first crime but get away a the heroes defeat his henchmen, only to have them ignore the henchmen and capture the villain right off the bat. This are real fun to recover from, and I usually end up doing the kung fu cop out of the "my older brother will avenge me" plot device.

I've had others where a play that too smart for my own good actually makes a real life deduction roll far too early in the adventure and ends up spoiling much of the surprise and suspense I had planned.

What's sometimes worse is when the players completely skip over the obvious clues and plod along oblivious, thinking they are making progress while things are actually getting worse. Two examples of this was a giant monster which adapts to fight its enemies and is effectively unbeatable, accept it doesn't like high pitched noises. They players never caught on when it would suddenly break off from the fight to stomp on parked cars which had their alarms set off, and alternately swatted at or ran from the team's only member with sonic attacks. Another was in my last scenario involving Pulsar in which he further mutated and developed the ability to unconsciously duplicate himself after taking a large amount of physical trauma (basically, taking a point of BODY or more, or getting Stunned). The it took the group to the point where there were literally hundreds of Pulsars running amok in the city before the realized they should stop hitting them...

Then again, I can understand that impulse concerning Pulsar, so I blamed myself and never used him again.

Re: Making Memorable Mooks!

This is nice stuff. I've typically used the background tables in Cyberpunk 2020 to create more distinctive mooks for my games. I tend to avoid making my mooks too memorable unless I intend them to be recurring. If some of my distinctive mooks end up being remembered though, they automatically become recurring.

Re: Is this worth a -1/4 lim

Maybe I really need to pick UEP, because I've always considered "Real Electricity" to be a +0 modifier, or possibly an Advantage depending on most settings. I had a character a while back called Livewire who was a mutant with expendable, prehensile tentacles he could electrify. One of his tactics was to electrify people by electrify their conductive surroundings as a surprise attack (specific examples include electrifying a group of agents standing in water, and hitting one target out of reach by hitting the bottom of the wrought iron stairs he was standing on).

Then again, maybe I was really using "Cinematic Electricity" rather than "Real"...