Dust Raven

Re: Build this: I surf the 'net

Tech,

B and C are just the use of various computer related Skills, such as Computer Programming, PS: Hacker, AK: Internet, etc. A is simply a matter of establishing a connection to the Internet or other network. To determine what Power accomplishes this, you need to define exactly what the Internet is and how it works in your game. For me, it's just another part of the environment any character can take advantage of using "free" equipment. To have that equipment, or the stuff that equipment does, built into a character, I typically have them purchase some kind of Radio sense, typically Radio Transmit/Receive for 10 points. In some settings I also allow a -1/2 to -1 Limitation for Telecommunications Only which will include wireless LANs, cell phone communication and using those types of connections to connect to an ISP. Membership to an ISP is free, just like a library card, driver's license or other everyman type thing.

Of course, if he has "special powers" while surfing the net, that's a whole different bag of worms. Just buy whatever Powers seem appropriate to the SFX and the setting.

Re: Would you model hardened buttons?

What this guy needs is a Personal Locality Opposing Transmogrifier Device which counters his ability allowing him to wear and use whatever he needs to. As a SFX, his normal clothing and personal items have been in the field of this enchantment long enough to become effectively immune to the anti-tech field.

Re: Q on a 'New' Disad.

Incidentally' date=' I'm also looking at recommending to him to purchase 'Can Affect Real World' on his Strength while in desolid form. Though this is a +2 advantage to be placed on a truly [i']serious[/i] Strength total, I'd prefer to lessen it by adding a Disad -- 'NonCombat Grab/Squeeze Only'. This way he could seep around the bottom corner of the sub-sub-sub-basement of the high-tech prison, grab hold of the corner, and *CRUNCH* crumple the corner, enabling penetration into the facility. Disad value?

I've done "Only To Grab/Crush" as a -1. What do you mean by "noncombat"? Is it not as accurate so he can only "attack" non-moving targets? Does it require lots of concentration making it easy to attack him? Does it require longer than a full phase to attempt? All you'd need to do if figure out why it's non-combat and place the appropriate Limitation on it. That way, maybe he can still try it in combat, but at the designated penalties.

Re: Looking for recommendations for Power Armor information

Is there a good source' date=' product or forum, that discusses the rules implications for building power armor?.[/quote']

 

Well, you're in the right forum to discuss rules. Unfortunately there really isn't a detailed rules sourcebook that discusses various method of building power armor. The closest is The Ultimate Vehicle, which has a small chapter to the subject. It may be exactly what you are looking for actually, but then again, it might not be enough. What I'd recommend is deciding how you want to represent power armor in your campaign and what role it will play. Will power armor be just another SFX in a large group of other power types (such as bionics, mutants, psionics, etc.)? Will power armor be the primary source of superhuman abilities? Will all power armor share certain qualities and what will those qualities be (such as life support systems, radios/radar, etc.)? Answering these questions may move you toward what rules you need as you effectively reason from effect to eventually build a consistent method for how power armor is built and functions in your game.

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

I guess I don't consider something explicitely allowed in the rules to be an "odd use" or a "trick". Obviously YMMV.

Whatever dude.

Re: Q on a 'New' Disad.

No' date=' what he wants is an "ablative burnout." It starts at 8-, and it goes up by one every phase the PC has. I wrote it for HERO: Combat Evolved (or something very similar to it) none too long ago. I made it -1.[/quote']

 

Sort of/essentially' date=' Thia, though switched the other way around. The first Phase, however, the character should [i']always[/i] be able to Desol; second Phase, a 15- chance to remain in the desolidified form. Third phase, 14-, so on and so forth. The character only needs to stay in solid form for one Phase in order to 'reset', but when you're 150' underground infiltrating an ultrasecure prison for Powers via the water table/aquifer, it becomes really damn important.

 

I originally set it at a -1 as well, just like Ablative, but the problem is that it'll always decrease... I dunno. -1 for Phase, -3/4 for Turn ... -1/2 for minute?

 

I still think this is best represented by a plain old Activation Roll. The GM can always waive the first roll for concept purposes, especially since it's a Constant Power. If you really want to receive penalties over time, borrow the Time Modifiers Limitation (-1/2) from Clairsentience. In any case, this can't really be a Burnout as the character can just turn it on right away (relatively) after it turns off.

Re: Q on a 'New' Disad.

This looks like a plain ol' Activation Roll to me. You roll every Phase. Eventually a roll is failed and the Power turns off.

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

Well, they seem pretty straightforward.

 

 

 

I'm not quite sure how that could be interpreted to mean "It is okay for Heroic level campaigns, but not Superheroic level".

Since I'm at work, I have no book to draw quotes from. I am aware of that rule, and I agree with it. I also agree with the rule stated elsewhere in the same book (and perhaps Champions as well) which says you should pay for odd uses of equipment or common performed "tricks" in superheroic game. As far as I'm concerned, the rules for a specific Power doesn't necessarily trump the assumption of how thing work in a given campaign or campaign type. So I guess we're both right.

Re: Shorthand for character personality?

Hello,

As a GM I find that, at times during a gaming session, I have difficulty making assorted NPC's distinct as well as remembering what personalities I want each of the NPC's to display. I was wondering if anyone had developed a shorthand for an NPC's personality type.

 

I have thought about this a bit and here is what I came up with. I would use colors and a 5 point scale (+5 to -5) to reflect the main motivations of the character and use the Meyer-Briggs Indices to reflect the means the character goes about it...

I like it. Seems I must spread around rep again though...

I've used similar systems for major NPCs in my own games before, but never quite this detailed. For background/flavor NPCs and such (such as the store clerk, witness, beat cop, etc. that only shows up in a single scenario) I at most just write down a few obvious personality quirks which will be apparent during the scene he's in. If Shady Sam is nervous around authority figures asking him questions, he'll be nervous when the heroes show up and start questioning him, but if he's otherwise a nice fellow and very well spoken the heroes may never know.

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

Personally' date=' I'll go with the rules as written on this one, at least as a default. Obviously YMMV.[/quote']

 

Personally, I do go with the rules as written. It just seems we disagree on what those rules mean in a superheroic campaign.

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

The difference being that someone who pays for TK and pays for a HKA has already paid both for the attack and the ability to use it at range. Wheras a brick who just picks up random available objects to throw to give range to their STR has only paid for their STR, not the ability to use it at range.

 

To my mind at least, the TK + HKA character has already bought the attack, and doesn't need to buy it again. So yup, my mileage does indeed vary.

To my mind, if you buy the following:

Demon Claws: HKA 2d6

Infernal Hand: TK 30 STR

There is absolutely no way anyone can convince me you can use that HKA at range. It's just an HKA, the SFX is that of demonic claws on the hands. As a result, it is extremely difficult to convince me that by adding a Limitation to the HKA, it suddenly gains such a high level of flexibility. After all, most would agree that in a supers game, putting Focus on your sword SFX HKA does not automatically grant you the ability to throw it around with your STR. Why would it then allow you to do so with with TK?

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

True' date=' but the norm I have experienced (in supers games) is that someone who bought a 2d6 HKA OAF weapon and 30 STR TK and tried to regularly use the weapon with TK would be "discouraged" from doing so and encouraged to buy the ranged attack outright. YMMV.[/quote']

Agreed. This is pretty much the same as a high STR character throwing things around often enough he should be buying a separate ranged attack of some kind, such as EB.

Re: Continuous unlimited?

I don't have the book with me, but I'm pretty sure things like poisons and drugs are built with Gradual Effect rather than Continuous (and thus stop working when they use up all their time increments). Otherwise if it's bought with Continuous it would also likely be built with Uncontrolled or else it stops working as soon as the attacker is out of LOS, knocked out/killed or just turns it off. With Uncontrolled, a method of stopping the Power is required. Some GMs may allow "after 1 minute of effect" to count, others may allow that in addition to another method such as "when antidote applied."

Re: It's That Time Again

For talk like a pirate day Green Ronin is giving away the freeport trilogy for free...here is a link to the file. This is for pirate day ONLY!

 

ARRR! Shiver me timbers!

Well blow me down! A whole book! I'll have to go learn to read now... Arrr!

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

I believe the consensus on similar issues issues in the past was that the TK would have to have the Fine Manipulation adder to be used to wield a HTH weapon at the range of the TK.

I don't believe Fine Manipulation would be required for most HTH weapon. In my opinion, Fine Manipulation is overrated. TK as it's basic level can't grasp and move simple objects. As far as I'm concerned, a sword or a knife is a simple object. A pistol or other firearm, certainly Fine Manipulation would be required because you are no longer dealing with a simple object. Same may be said if the HTH weapon is something like a whip or other weapon which requires a high level of finesse. Otherwise, hack and slash is a simple use of TK and nothing more (other than perhaps a WF as mentioned previously) is required.

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

Well' date=' TK is designed to be Strength at range. I certainly don't see a problem with it.[/quote']

 

If TK was so designed or intended, it would not exist, or exist only as an Advantage on STR. TK is more it's own independent Power with its own unique abilities (such as its indirectness and ability to lift/manipulate multiple objects).

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

If you normally don't pay points for weapons/equipment in the campaign, absolutely you can use TK with your weapons and add the STR of your TK to the damage. However, I would rule that TK counts as an "off-hand" even if you have Ambidexterity, unless a separate WF is purchased specifically for use with TK.

If you do normally pay points for any equipment (such as in a superheroic campaign), then I'd say you must purchase the maneuver/ability/tactic of wielding your HTH weapon with TK as as additional Power.

Re: When success is a failure

It sounds to me like this should simply be a normal function of the Skill. Create a system (such as when the roll is a 3, or when any roll is made by 10 or more) to determine the unusually high success. Players purchase the Skill knowing that's the rule and it's at their own risk for increasing the Skill Roll with XP.

Re: It's That Time Again

Avast! All hands hoay, ye drivelswiggers!

Re: Change Environment: Personal Immunity or Envirnomental Movement

Talon has some good points here. In addition, keep in mind that your ice power is different from the ice power the official Ice Walking ability is designed to counter. Ice Walking will basically help prevent you from falling down on ice, but would not prevent you from being slowed down or reduce/eliminate the OCV penalty. For that, you would have to buy a more expensive version of Environment Movement to account for all the penalties of your particular ice sheet power. Or just spend the 12 points on Personal Immunity. If you want to get fancy, you can also buy a Naked/Limited Advantage to put 0 END on the PI only so you don't need to spend the extra END (bringing the total cost to 18 points, personally, I just suck up the END or spend those 6 point on REC).

Re: Building Whirlwind Attack

I agree that this should not be Linked. It's like Linking STR to Strike so you can punch someone. Completely unnecessary.

Re: For them's that play CITY OF HEROES/CITY OF VILLAINS...

Well when i click on the link it brings me to a forums page and tells me to log in. then when I do so it tells me WRONG, try again. Tried four times and gave up.

 

So I can't comment.

That's... weird. If all else fails, you can just stop by the NGD and look for the thread with the same name as this one for the referenced post.

Samuraiko has created a rather spiffy video featuring the current Issue 10 material for COH/COV. She posted a link to it here:

http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1420019#post1420019

Re: I was expecting someone taller...

My favorite trick.

 

Zero to Hero: +8 COM, +10 PRE, -1/4 Only in Hero Id

That's one of my favorite as well, though often I use just the +PRE, and occasionally also include +EGO as well. Oddly enough though, I use things like this most often for villains rather than heroes. Then again, I most often GM rather than play so I suppose that's to be expected.

Re: Rules to ignore, or replace

I agree that in the present rules that you are better off setting up your next attack with a block. I do not' date=' however, agree that it is necessarily the best, most reasonable, or most genre-representing way as the rules now are written. Mr Slow and Steady can still block, he's just got to block how well the attacker managed to execute his attack - and anyone who has done any martial arts, boxing, or even swordplay will tell you that a well-executed attack is harder to block than a poorly done one.[/quote']

 

I agree 100%. However, what is your reasoning that a random toss of the dice represents how well-executed the attack was, and nothing else? I believe the random toss of the dice represents far more than what the attacker does. It may also represent the luck or skill of the defender. After all, the current system of rules do not assume the defender is just standing there, still as a stone, hoping the attack is not well executed.

 

I believe the current system for blocking is best because it does not rely on the result of a prior roll to determine its difficulty. This does two things. First, it's simpler, and in a game which by its very nature is complicated, simpler is preferred is possible. Second, as far as an abstract system can do so, it resolves the defensive action accurately and fairly.