Ragdoll
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Posts posted by Ragdoll
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Re: Challenge: deisgn the Machinist's pals...
What about a vaguely star-fished shaped robot, that gets along on it's legs, but can 'spring' forward and only a target and wrap itself around them setting up an electric field that puts a person into a paralytic shock, while the robot 'slowly' squeezes?
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Anyone remember these guys? I used to have them in my old 4e book.. but I tossed it out because it was literally in pieces, now I'm regretting it. At least I kept the one page about the 'T.U.R.T.L.E. armour. =)
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Re: Followers of Takofanes
I'd love to see Zombat and Ghouldozer!!!
Zombat ... Ghouldozer
I smell an alternate universe!
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Re: Opposing Force: Taking a Walk on the Vile Side
Or you could encourage your players not to make villain types that inherently want to screw over or stab their partners in the back?
Hollywood movies not withstanding, it's perfectly acceptable to design a team of super criminals who's goal isn't to 'eat' his partners and be the last one standing. Howler, while paranoid, doesn't kill, and with a little work might work with others. A better example of a Team that aren't all mustache twiddling psychotics is GRAB. Black Diamond, Cheshire Cat, Blue Jay, etc. Sure they might be considered second stringers in the villain world, but hey they work together and they work 'well'. They're all pretty tight too.
The Ultimates are another example that aren't immediately 'kill' you and take your stuff.
Just like most GM's running superhero groups usually try to discourage lone, secretive types that refuse to play nice with the rest of the team, the same thing applies for GM's that want to run a villainous campaign that won't 'eat itself' after session of two as the 'allies' tear one another apart in the attempt to become top dog.
Psychotic nut-job, mustache twiddling villains are 2d cardboard cut outs for heroes to over come. By in large they're not meant to be 'played'.
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Re: Colossus
re: OIHID and Colossus1. His ability to switch between his 'normal' and 'armored' forms is instantaneous and completely under his control.
2. The only thing short of an adjustment power (like Drain, Suppress or Transform) that can force him out of his 'armored' and into a 'normal' form is being unconscious (Knocked Out in HERO terms). He has stayed in his 'armored' state for as long as 5 days with no ill effects.
#1 Rules out the legality of OIHID since its rules state that the transition between forms must take at least 1 full phase.
#2 Requires near full Life Support.
Then build it as a multiform? Can't that work?
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Re: Fueled By *** Power Help
I had a similar character once. They'd often toss themselves down a few flights of stairs before a battle or leap out an unusually high window. =)
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Re: Cryptic Q&A -- Andrew Jansen
Okay, I read it.. and checked the forums on this issue.
It's got me nervous. Getting rid of archetypes = good in my opinion. But as everyone knows, their are checks in place even in a table top RPG that disallow players from making wildly overpowered characters. It's the GM.
In an MMO that safety valve is absent by virtue of the large scope of the game.
Someone mentioned the fear of the return of the Tank Mage in such an open ended system. And I can certainly see that as a valid fear after having played Ultima Online which was.. to my knowledge .. the first instance of the Tank Mage.
Someone mentioned from the forums there, in response that the Tank Mage would not be a problem, mentions this:
Then explain all of the flying invulnerable fire blasters in COH alpha/beta.The Hero point system may be balanced, but the minute you start adding limitations, flaws and adders to the mix, you still get people who put non limiting limitations on powers (and the character itself) in order to get the extra points to build both powerful offense and defense. I'm sorry, I play hero, and the rules lawyers and min/maxers for Hero are just as bad for any 'other' game out there, if not worse.
Thoughts on this?
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Re: Aekis
I knew I shouldn't have shortened the history section like I did. It sees to have caused some 'massive' confusion.
1. As to the EC. Didn't realize that. At times I've gotten conflicting info on whether or not it's allowable to put a no end power into an EC, so I didn't think of it as illegal.
2. The Etruscan artifact is the chest piece. It's a bronze chest piece that appears or disappears on him when he wills it. That's the Only in Hero ID thing.
3. The year thing.. I may have gotten wrong. I changed the time line for his retirement and moving to South America several times when I was writing his history and it may have gotten mixed with another date. *pause* No, wait I see where the problem is. Further into the story their's an explanation ...
See I sort of wanted to build a rough and tumble character that wasn't based around 'superhuman strength'. I wanted something very tough.. difficult to hurt, but a very good hand to hand fighter with mostly 'normal' strength. =) He was 20 in 1945 when he originally got the Aekis powers from the last holder of the chest piece. He spends from 1945 to 1986 battling crime. In '86 he finally settles down with a woman he'd been dating for years and marries. At that time he gives up his career as a superhero. So he was not active between '86 and 2001. He was a married man, eventually built his garage business to a successful pinnacle and was 'daddy' to three children, his oldest a boy, and two twin girls.Mike can find the inherent weakness in virtually anything he concentrates on and is virtually ageless. Bearers of the Aekis only age when they are not in their heroic form. Mike has racked up a few years in the time since his marriage, but he's still a vital 42 year old.He looses his family in the 9/11 attacks. Stays in Minnesota for about 6 months in a depressed state, until finally he just decides to leave for South America. I picked South America because:
1. I was looking for some place 'different' from the traditional places.
2. I thought it might be an interesting place to simply give up and lose
oneself in. I think I settled on Brazil. A small coastal town that was often
the sight of Tourists heading deeper into the Amazon.
4. As to the point level. Yeah, I've got an aversion to the 350 point level that came with 5th ed. I started on 4th ed at 250 and most of my experiences are with 250 point characters. So when I make a character, my point total more often then not is 250. The speed issue is just my own person preference. I've always liked more realistic speeds (2-4) for instance. I usually only go above if a character's power concept specifically makes sense (like a speedster, or someone with inhuman reflexes, etc). And also this character is a mostly 'normal' guy, I wanted to keep that flavor of the 'everyman' even in his super human ID.
5. As to the WW2 thing. Yeah..he was 20 in 1945, and between 1943 to '45 I imagine as a soldier he might have taken part in the Italian Campaign of WW2. I'd intended him to come into the Aekis power somewhere in Europe so this would be a good place I think. He later joins the National Guard years later in his civilian ID mostly as a way to continue to help out. I'd intended him to be 'very' four color. So he's 42 now physically by virtue of being out of his heroic form for so long between '86 to '08. So in '08 he's 42.
In brief, I was looking to make a non-traditional immortal type character and a non-traditional brick type of character. Someone 'very' hard to hurt but a brawler/hand to hand combatant with nothing in the way of super human strength, and someone not the usual 20 something immortal that's been around for 500+ years. I wanted someone that had been around a few decades and to use that to explore the changes in his society as he lived through them, how he reacted to them and how he deals with even more of the changes to his nation (the US) and the changes to superhuman society in a world that might not be as four color as it used to be. I'd intended him to be quite old fashioned in some of his attitudes about super human combat, etc, etc.
I'd originally written up a much looooonger in character story that takes place between some Primus investigators and a sort of head of operations, and it was basically a vehicle to explain the history of Aekis in more detail the previous owners of the chest piece and how long they lasted etc, etc. And a sort of thing where they lose track of mike in '86 and now they see he's returned to the states etc, and they want to know why and where he's been, and they note the age change, etc, etc.
And it ends with the investigators being dismissed to find out these things, and the senior agent at his desk looking over this sparse file on Aekis, then putting it away in a desk draw and the reader sees these bronze Etruscan designed bracers in the draw, leaving some ambiguity as to whether or not their's more of the Aekis armour then any of the previous holder's believed, etc.
But as I typed this up, I started to feel it was too long and no one would take the time to read all of it, so I decided to just give a short and sweet exposition of the history and his powers.
I think perhaps I should have expanded on it, a bit more.
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Here's a concept character that'd been kicking around my head the last week. So I decided to take the plunge.
Aekis - The Old Hero. (Means Sheild or Ageis).
15 STR [05] 15 DEX [15] 15/30 CON [10] 10 BOD 11 INT [01] 10 EGO 15 PRE [05] 12 COM [01] 5/35 PD [02] 4/35 ED [-01] 3 SPD [05] 8/10 REC [04] 30/60 END 35/42 STUN [10] [57 points] POWERS [108 points] 12 Elemental Controls: Aekis Chest Piece [15 points] OIHF (-1/4) 12a Characteristic: +30 PD 12b Characteristic: +30 ED 12c Characteristic: +15 CON 12d Damage Reduction Physical Resistant 50% 12e Damage Reduction Energy Resistant 50% 16f Resistant Defenses 35 PD/35 ED 16g Find Weakness with all Attacks 12- 4 Longevity/5; OIHF (-1/4). SKILLS [85 points] 20 Generic Combat Ability (Martial Arts from Core Book) 15 +3 CSL with Hand To Hand Combat. 1 AK: Small Town in South America 11- 2 PS: Soldier 11- 5 PS: Mechanic 14- 5 KS: Mechanics 15- 9 Mechanics 14- 5 Rapid Attack (Hand to Hand) 3 Streetwise 12- 3 Traveler 3 Scholar 2 WF: Small Arms 2 TF: Small Ground Vehicles 2 KS: World War Two 12- 8 DC +2 with Martial Arts DISADVANTAGES [100] Code vs. Killing (Common, Total) [20] Sense of Responsibility - Code of the Hero (Very Common, Strong) [20] Protective of Innocents (Very Common, Strong) [10] Social Limitation - Secret Identity (Frequently, Major) [15] Age: 40+ [5] Normal Characteristic Maxima [20] Distinctive Features: Very 'ancient' Etruscan Aura of Sorcery (Not Concealable, Always Noticed caused a major reaction, Unusual Senses only) [10] Total: [250 points]
In short, Mike is a haunted man. Taking up the mantle of Akeis from it's former owner, Mike spent a large majority of the the late forties to early eighties as the fifth person to be the hero Aekis. In '86 he married and gave up the mantle, willing to pass it on, but unsure of who to give it to. In 2001, Mike lost his wife and two children in the events of 9/11. Mike closed his successful Auto Garage in Minnesota after 6 months of aimless depression and dropped out of sight, leaving the states to loose himself in another place as far from his roots as he could manage with the money he had left.
For the last 7 years, he's wallowed in the past and too unfocused or unwilling to call upon the powers of Aekis. A run in with a team of heroes is the one thing that's spurred him to return to the states and once again return to service.
Mike's a relic. Despite his living through the eras, he holds onto some very four color attitudes and would likely be in for a shock once he returns to 'duty'. The world around him, especially the world of Heroics has changed, and Mike may struggle to exist within it.
With the powers of Aekis at his command Mike is highly resistant to damage. He can mix it up with the best of them. He has no superhuman strength, but Mike's years of combat training make him a devastating hand to hand combatant. Mike can find the inherent weakness in virtually anything he concentrates on and is virtually ageless. Bearers of the Aekis only age when they are not in their heroic form. Mike has racked up a few years in the time since his marriage, but he's still a vital 42 year old. Mike has no powers outside of the Aekis armour, save for his years of fighting skill and his wits.
In his Hero Form Mike looks the same, except for the ornate Bronze chest piece that magically appears around him and a strange mystical aura about him. He wears no mask, and Aekis seems to screen others from realizing that Mike and Aekis are one in the same.
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Let's say a player has a mentalist character. She's generally 'very' heroic. Instead of killing thugs, and criminals, etc, etc, she puts them out of commission with mental flashes to their sight, or BOECV based 'entangles', or just slowly suppressing their nervous systems with mental energy until they can't stay awake anymore and fall unconcious (ego attacks).
But the player also, on occasion wants to keep a thug or two they she defeats, and put them in service to her as helpers and good deed doers. Essentially she wants to reform one or two thugs with her mental powers, and have them be loyal to her, and help her and the rest of her teammates out.
It seems like a noble idea, but the idea of her using her mental abilities to basically rewrite their loyalties strikes me as .. I dunno.. each time the player mentions it I keep seeing a mind flayer enslaving the townies. O.o
How 'dodgey' a concept is this? I mean, the character is 'essentially' very good, is an alturistic type, donates to charity and spends time as a free clinic whenever she's got the free time to do so. But something about taking a thug or two every so many games and .. okay I'll say it.. psychically enslaving them to be loyal and good eggs instead of thugs and ruffians, rubs me in a bad way. O.O
Essentially the character wants to set aside 10 points for a follower, and then plink down 5 points every so many weeks of games to 'increase' the number of followers. To represent picking one thug they defeat and turning him so to speak.
So I was wondering about thoughts on this? Can this be made to seem 'good' or is it really something.. unseemly this otherwise good hero does?
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Okay, I am making a character that has eyes like the 'greys' from the alien lore? Basically looking into it's eyes will cause the person to relive very strong emotional memories from their past based around fear or despair.
The only problem is it's not under his control. It's always on. So when he begins play in the game he's locked up in the Asylum in Hudson City as a dangerous psionic monster (it's a humanoid lizard type of creature).
I'm not sure if it needs to be built as a power though?
Couldn't I just say:
Distinctive Feature: Eyes that cause fear in human beings; Easily Concelable, Extreme Reaction?
Or do I need to actually build it as an always on power? And if so.. how would I go about it? =?
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A 'smidge' off topic, but I've recently read that City of Heroes will be incorporating a sort of mission designer for players to use to make their own missions and upload them to the servers for themselves and others to play through. Basically user created content.
Given the big popularity of UCC in many games now a days, does anyone think that the new Champions MMO may also incorporate the feature as well? Perhaps not at first? I'm not completely in tune with everything the Champions MMO will have to offer, but it sounds pretty exciting regardless. =)
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I'm trying to design a spell that slowly but surely destroys a target by transforming them into sand. This is what I have so far, but I'm not sure it's built correctly.
RKA: 1d-1; NND (+1), Does Body (+1), Continuous (+1), 1/2 END (+1/4), Gestures (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), OAF (-1). [16]
Transform: 1D; Partial Effect (+1/2), 1/2 END (+1/4), Continuous (+1), Linked to RKA (-1/2), RSR (-1/2), Gestures (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), OAF (-1). [11]
Total: 27 point spell.
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Re: Delayed Internal Explosion power?
RKA' date=' NND (or AVLD), Does Body, Time Delay, No Range. I'd need to know more about the power to define a defense (Force Field or external armor might work, since it would prevent the character from touching the target himself).[/quote']Well, I know I want the energy the character infects into a person or object to cause the molecules to explode. So if the character were to strike them in the arm, a phase later they'd take damage to their arm from an internal explosion. If he were to hit the flak jacket of a soldier instead it'd be the flax jacket that would 'explode' one phase later and still harm the soldier because it's in his hex, but while the flak jacket would get no defense against the attack, the soldier would in that case.
If two people are in the same hex for instance, and the arm of 'one' explodes they get no defense against it, but their friend would get their normal defenses since it's no longer an internalized explosion.
So I supposed 'force fields' would be a 'defense' against this power, yes?
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Hey ya, I have a character that wants to be able to punch or just 'touch' something be it an inanimate object or a person, and then one phase later, have the person suffer an internal explosion that harms them and anyone else in the same hex as the person. He wants it internalized so that a person will take damage regardless of their defenses. But I'm not sure how to build something like that. Any help would be appreciated thanks. =)
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Re: Champions Speed Chart Question. Need help.
The way you've described it essentially eliminates the Speed Figured Characteristic what if you still used that for a basis for free recoveries. The character may get a Free Recover after (12-Speed) Actions so a Speed 2 character would get a recover every 10 actions a speed 8 character' date=' every 4.[/quote']I have been considering that. I've been thinking of a way to 'use' SPD rather then just dropping it from the characteristics, but I'm concerned about players getting confused as to what turn they recover on. *thinks*
Of course, one could argue that it's no more difficult then keeping track of a character's DEX, so. Hm. I think I will consider this idea a 'strong' front runner for a solution, though I'd like to hear some other ideas from the community before I commit to it. =)
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I know that elimination of the speed chart is not a 'popular' subject around the boards, but I decided to post this anyway, because I need ideas. I have a GM, a good GM that ran a champion's game for years in Hudson City. It was an amazingly good campaign. But, as it goes, all good things come to an end, and the campaign slowly drew to a close.
Now, I'm trying to get him interested in running another Champions game. But his 'major' problem with the game was the speed chart. Combat took 'forever' was his main complaint. Now, I don't want to raise the ire of anyone here on the boards, but I need help.
Right now, he's settled on the 'old' Marvel Super Heroes system to play the next game. It's not that I hate it, it's got some definitely bright gems of interest. It's just that, I'm not crazy about the combat. All one has is health, and if you get low, it becomes a chore as to how to continue or heal. Plus. I just really like HERO more.
I've already removed the speed chart and tested a few thing, but my 'main' concern is Endurance expenditure and post segment 12 recoveries.
With it's removal, each combat functions like a GURPS 'Turn'.
At first I thought.. just let the players get a post 12 recovery after 12 turns of combat.
But that seems excessively long to me. Then I thought, maybe just get rid of the post 12 segment recovery, and just let a player take a recovery for their action when they wished like in the rules. Until I read up on the rule in HERO. 1/2 DCV, etc.. it was kind of scary.
I even toyed with allowing a free recovery after 10 turns, or after 5, but I'm not sure what's overpowered or what's fair, so I decided to ask for help.
If anyone can help me with this last 'detail', I'd be really appreciative. =)
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The Manufacturers of the 'TURTLE' Armour? =) Take on any enemy, and WIN!
It was an add in the old 4e book, with stats for the armour and a listing of various abilities it could be given. It was basically a stripped down power armour with modular abilities so the suit could be customized.
Is the TURTLE armour still around in the 5e? Would be cool, or if not, would be a neat idea for a hero. Have him salvage an old outdated TURTLE armour that's been lying around forever, and maybe add a small VPP that can cover the cost of the modular fittings, have them only be able to be changed at the base.
A non-wild cards version of 'The Great and Powerful Turtle!'
XD
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Re: Entombment Spell with no air.
It is odd. But only by virtue of the OP forgetting to add that into the Entangle power. =) It was meant to block at the very 'least' Sight.SFX wise it's odd that the target can't breathe but their senses are unimpeded by the entombment.
A 'very' smart move. It should not 'be' this difficult to simulate a rather common hazzard. What I don't quite get is there 'are' clear rules already in place that deal with not being able to breath, and the effects that come with that.I think that was one of the reasons he stated he was considering adding a Suffocation style power to 6th edition.Change Environment already has combat effects costs. Granted they're minor, but the precedent is there, isn't it? It isn't even an 'effect' that would do automatic damage either. It's not like defining Change Env to say 'Create' a Hex of Chlorine gas. That's something one would expect to begin to damage a target immediately.
The power isn't seeking to automatically begin to effect the character, but simply to use the Holding Breath and Drowning Rule on page 285. The target is allowed no recoveries and can lower their SPD to 2, and lose one END per phase, until END is gone, then STUN until it's gone, then BOD until dead. That's 'faaaaaar' slower, then say an actual power that 'kind' of simulates a concrete environmental rule already in place.
How is it any different then trussing some poor guy up in a straight jacket, and tossing him in bank vault, or off a dock into water, and waiting for him to suffocate or drown? =?
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From what I've read about standard AID if a person with AID wants to add to a power located in a Multipower they must first pump enough AID into the MP points in order for the slotted power to be able to be increased after, correct?
What about AID that's using the Succor rule? Since Succor only lasts as long as END is being paid, does that mean Succor can 'never' increase a power slot within a Multipower, since one would have to Succor to the points in the overall MP 'first' and since you must continue to pay END and Succor has no fade rate one could never Succor anything in a MP 'except' the overall points in the MP?
Or could you simply Succor, pay the END, then next phase succor the slot in the MP and then begin to pay the END for that use as well?
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Re: End battery fueled by absorb?
Doesn't Absorbtion not work the way it used to in 4th? You used to beable to had absorbtion fill up an end reserve up to it's max, with no chance of it 'fading'. With the 5th Ed change it fades regardless.
I think you use AID now to achieve the old Absorbtion 3E trick? Only you just say.. AID triggers to END reserve when you take damage or something?
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I have a character that designed an 'earth' entombment spell. He built it this way by taking a page from FRED.
Entombment Spell - 21 points
Entangle 2d, def 3, blocks sight; AE: Hex (+1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Magick Skill Roll Required (-1/2), Only Effects Ground Targets (-1/2), OAF: A common stone with the spells words etched into it, held in the flat of the users palm. (-1)
Change Environment 1" 'Airless Environment'; 0 END, Persistent (+1), Uncontrolled; 'Ended by Breaking the Entangle' (+1/2), Linked to Entangle (-1/2)
Will this 'work' the way it's built? Eventually causing suffocation and death if not broken out of?
Challenge: deisgn the Machinist's pals...
in Champions
Posted
Re: Challenge: deisgn the Machinist's pals...
Well, a bot that can simply jump on a target and entangle it. You'd build the entangle like:
xD6 entangle; backlash, entangle and character both take damage, 2 charges, each charge costs one body, no barriers, 1 body only, must grab target and hold on.
It grabs, and can be ripped off if you beat the def of the entangle. if it's hit or strained against it just 'squeezes' you harder to deter you or anyone from getting it off you.
Name: Starfish Robot
Val Char Cost
30 STR 20
15 DEX 15
0 CON -20
10 BODY 0
6 INT -4
10 PRE 0
8 COM -1
5 PD 9
5 ED 15
3 SPD 5
0 REC -12
0 END 0
Run: 6", Swim: 2", Jump: 6", Lift: 1600kg
Cost Powers
45 Takes No Stun
10 No Hit Locations
15 Does Not Bleed
15 0 END on 30 STR
6 0 END on 6" Running
6 0 END on 6" Jumping
2 0 END on 2" Swimming
30 Armor (5 PD/5 ED); Activation: 14-, -½
25 LS: self, cont breathing, Immune to disease/poisons, no need to sleep
22 6D6 entangle; backlash, entangle and character both take damage, 2 charges, each charge costs one body, no barriers, 1 body only, must grab target and hold on.
5 Extra Limbs
Cost Skills, Talents, Perks
6 +3 level w/ Entangle
2 Lang: English (Fluent Conv.)
3 Lighting Calculator
3 PS: Housekeeper/Assistant 12-
122+ Disadvantages
20 Distinctive Features: Mechanical Construct (Major Reaction, Detect with Common Senses, Not Concealable)
15 Berserk (8-) when hit with electrical attacks, Recover (14-)
25 Susceptibility: Intense Magnetic Fields (Uncommon, 3d6 DEX/Phase)
20 Vulnerability: Electricity (2× BODY)
20 Psychological Limitation: Obey the creator! (Common, Total)
OCV: 5; DCV: 5; ECV: 0; Mental Def.: 0; Phases: 4, 8, 12
PD/rPD: 10/5; ED/rED: 10/5
COSTS:
Char.: 27 + Powers: 195 = Total: 222
Base: 122 + Disad.: 100 = Total: 222