Tonio

Re: HERO Noob, be gentle Hehehe! I'd heard the phrase "There are no stupid questions, only stupid people asking questions." =)

Re: Changing the direction of knockback??? The reverse is also true for attacks that don't do KB (like STUN-only EBs, NNDs, Flashes with EB-like SFXs, etc.), in that they might make the target waste an action in bracing against KB. You could also rule that the SFX of the power makes it's reverse knockback property obvious, so characters would brace properly. Many SFXs can also cause the target to react inappropriately on first contact, yet we don't charge for that.

Re: Changing the direction of knockback??? Would need to add "doesn't actually hit from behind", which would prevent the power from hitting someone who's behind a narrow wall. I don't think Indirect really helps here... the directness of the attack is completely normal: fires from the attacker, goes straight out, away from the attacker, towards the target. When it hits the target, it knocks him forward instead of back. There are already rules for upwards and downwards knockback, and they don't cost the character anything. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to let an attack do forwards knockback by default.

Re: Spending Experience Of course, the most bestest way to handle it is using HERO Designer. Just enter the XP you got and go adjust your powers as you like (subject, as always, to GM approval), until you're all balanced out. =)

Re: Penalty skill lvl question Like g-a said, interesting point of view... but even if you choose to attack less times with Sweep, you still end up with CSLs you can't use, CSLs that are therefore less useful than 2 pointers. There's really a significant difference when you have, say, 6 levels. You could attack two targets at +4, if you use 2pt CLSs, or at +0, if you use PSLs. Yes, it's entirely under your control... but you're left with fewer choices. With regular CSLs you can choose to hit less times to gain accuracy; with PSLs you wouldn't get any increased accuracy for attacking less times.

Re: Penalty skill lvl question Well, I don't have that big an issue with it (we're talking a handful of points at most). It's mostly the academic thing, hehe. While they're low-cost, I'm not sure I'd call them "cheap", which implies (or means?) "lower cost than actual value". If a 2pt CSL is priced adequately, then a PSL should cost less than 2pts, since it does less (or rather, it works less often).

Re: Social resolution mechanics for Hero

Re: Disadvantage Point Limits.

Re: Penalty skill lvl question Well, actually, for the first two levels, I understand it. Sweep always gets at least -2, so the first two levels will always be in effect, so there shouldn't be a limitation on them. But after that, a limitation should be applicable. Which makes me think... not all PSLs are created equal. The first ones you buy are more likely to be useful than subsequent ones, yet they cost the same. For example, 2 PSLs for Range will be useful in most ranged situations. 12 PSLs, though, are hardly more useful than 10... how often are you shooting further than 128" away? 60 AP powers can't even reach that far.

Re: Disadvantage Point Limits. Also remember that a new hero isn't necessarily a new hero in the campaign world. Just because you're starting to play the hero now doesn't mean they don't have a backstory.

Re: Penalty skill lvl question I understand perfectly the rationale for not allowing PSLs for Combat Maneuver OCV penalties, most of the time. Specifically, I don't understand why it applies to Sweep. Sweep has a variable penalty, similar to the range penalty for range attacks. Taking, say, 10 levels with Sweep costs 20pts and means I get a +10 to OCV every time I use Sweep. Offsetting the first -10 to Sweep, though, shouldn't cost the same, since I'll often be Sweeping less than 5 attacks, and hence getting less than -10, and therefore not getting full use out of my 10 levels. As I understand it, that's the reason PSLs are cheaper than regular levels: you won't get their full benefit all the time.

Re: Penalty skill lvl question

Re: Changing the direction of knockback??? I dunno, I'd probably just give it a -0 Limitation/Advantage. Sure, it's useful at times, but it'll also cause the target to smack into you if you fire too close, hehe.

Re: Disadvantage Point Limits. Excellent examples, again!

Re: Disadvantage Point Limits. As with everything in HERO, you've got to look beyond (or even ignore) the names of things. Just like an Energy Blast might have nothing to do with energy, a Physical Disadvantage might not be physical. Physical Disadvantages represent things your character can't do, while Psychological Disadvantages represent things your character won't do. A Code vs. Killing could conceivably be written up as a Physical Disadvantage. It'd be a stretch, but consider a robot operating under something similar to Asimov's First Rule of Robotics. It's no longer a question of whether they'll do their best not to kill, since they're vehemently opposed to it, but rather that try as they might, they'll be unable to willingly kill a human. Ok, so it's a stretch, and most GMs would probably not allow it... but that's the idea. For example, Limited Intellect isn't something a character can overcome with an EGO roll. It's not something the character refuses to do, or insists on doing. Hence, it's not a Psychological Limitation. It's still categorized as Psychological since it deals with the character's mind, but that's more of a SFX/Roleplay thing; it doesn't affect the mechanics of the Disadvantage, I think.

Re: Penalty skill lvl question I'm pretty sure Benzini was asking how he could offset the OCV penalty on various maneuvers, since PSLs are not applicable to maneuver penalties. But yeah, the solution is to buy straight CSLs. The reason PSLs get a cost break is that they won't always be useful, since a penalty might not exist for you to offset (for example, firing a ranged power point blank, or from any distance where the range penalty is less than your PSLs). But if the penalty is always going to be there, then a straight CSL and a PSL would behave exactly the same (well, either that, or the PSL will always be ignored, in which case you shouldn't buy it anyway), so they should cost the same.

Re: Penalty skill lvl question I know PSLs aren't applicable to maneuver OCV reductions, which makes complete sense, since you'll always get the full bonus from them. That is, they aren't limited compared to normal skill levels. It works with range penalties because your range penalty might be less than your PSLs, which means you "lose" some of the levels. If Offensive Strike always gives me a -2, then +2 with Offensive Strike will always be +2. The fact that it offsets the penalty doesn't make it limited, since it'll ALWAYS offset the penalty. But what about Sweep? Shouldn't I be allowed to buy PSLs for Sweep? If I buy 8 PSLs with Sweep, but only attack twice, I'm "losing" +4.

Re: Is this a limitation or a power? I thought about this, but I'm not sure it's entirely appropriate. The situation isn't quite the same as Cyclops's. Without her ring, the aura is always on. With the ring, though, the aura is always off, not controllable. Buying off Always On with a Focus would allow you to control your power when you have the Focus.

Re: Hand-to-hand stun weapon If you're only looking to Stun opponents, not KO them, mebbe an Instant STUN Suppress would work. Being Instant, it'll only reduce the target's STUN score for an instant (so they won't be easier to KO after being hit), but if it Suppresses more STUN than the target has CON, they'll be Stunned. If it doesn't, nothing happens.

Re: How would you use a true name as a vulnerability?

Re: So, what don't you like about HERO 5th? Yah, it wasn't "just" a 600pt campaign, it was a high powered, galactic superhero campaign. I'm pretty sure the problem was overlooking KBR more than anything. We all thought "characters should be stronger than normal, have more powerful attacks, better defenses, life support, etc.", but never thought about KBR.

Re: Doppelganger (Weird Horror!)

Re: Staying conscious and alive LOVE the concept! I woulda used Succor rather than Aid, though. That way you get around the "clunky" "Locks this slot until points fade" Limitation.

Re: How would you use a true name as a vulnerability? Vulnerability might just be the way to go. x1.5 (or x2) BODY, STUN, and Effect (or whichever of those you choose), and adjust the frequency depending on how easy it is to obtain the character's name. If it's plastered across his forehead, it's Very Common. If it needs to be read off his mind, Uncommon. If it's just his regular name (which people who know him might know, but not total strangers), Common. It's a little coarse grained, but might work.

Re: So, what don't you like about HERO 5th? Think so, as well as Movement if applicable (useful if you're flying). But it uses up an action, which is even worse if you need to Abort to it. =/