Acroyear

While typing it all up again would be a pain. We once had a character that was kind of like a CaptainPlanet version of Ghost Rider (or maybe the Marauder from Team America). Essentially, it was a superhero team that died in action... and their ghosts came back as sort of a collective. The "Vendetta" was a powerful spirit of vengance... but, when needed, it could also "multiform" into the various members of the team to take advantage of their specialties. He was pretty cool, but hard to play.

We had a similar house rule once upon a time (we called it "Intrinsic" for stuff like knives and such. Unless you had a power that specifically targeted the nature of the ability, it couldn't be affected normally). As for "not in the mind" yet... the same guy who wrote the power in also did the write-up heh heh. When published works are our sample characters... what lead will most people follow? And, thus, what is the standard? It leaves the rest of us playing a slightly different game, in the end. I agree with the cost concern, too. However, I suppose for those who are adhering to the letter of the rules and are also Champsguy-like, one must have ways to counter inventive means for SFX-ing everything as immune to drain/etc for free.

Our big campaign has an "evil" GLC of sorts composed of supernatural Judge Death type guys out to wipe out all life since living things are the only things that can commit evil with big power pools and stuff... Their opposite number is kinda more like space shaolin monks. Wuxia martial artists with weapons.

Pshaw! There's no tap dancing around that one, my friend Similarly, Mechanon shouldn't be able to turn off his armor (it's metal, the rest of us can't simply "turn off" our skin), his lack of weakness (it's part of the design, that'd be like me just willing my ligaments not to hold my bones together). And that was only one example. What about the Minuteman Robot? That's actually an automaton without inherent LS. While the tools are certainly there, their use isn't. That's..... real bizarre.

Very true. Although should doesn't always equate to does. This is true of many of the sample characters we've seen, too, where some of their powers should be inherent, but aren't purchased that way (the life support on Mechanon, just to give one example).

I figured as much. However, the "turned off" thing I wouldn't use as a qualifier, myself, because you can drain such a thing away even if he bought it straight and such. Technically, you could also mind control him to turn it off since persistant powers can be voluntarily shut off... but that's against the spirit of many conceptions and, to my experience, rarely comes up. Robot Guy "I'm a robot, I don't have to breath out here in space." Mind Control: "Turn off your life support" Robot Guy then sufforcates...

You can go further back to the GLC's roots, like the Lensmen. Just don't give them as much power... or spread them thin. Or make part of their doctrine that they will not lend aid to systems that do not accept them (jurisdiction, so to speak). Then you can have stories where they are seeking out an "authority" in a space sector in order to form an agreement. When it comes to earth.... these barbarians don't even all speak the same language! No world government... it's chaos. Doctrine can do a lot to limit them. A sort of prime directive or Watcher's oath. Why not tackle Darkseid? He's actually the legal authority on his world. Perhaps they have the potential for great power, but the more people they give the power to, the weaker it gets, so they have to limit the number of their agents. And what happens when some "Oan" decides to start giving out power to anyone who is a potential candidate? Spreading it thinner and thinner... not even the Oans agreed on everything, remember. While you don't need one. They certainly provide a lot of story ideas.

Sure. Does that change have to be physical? No. A psychological one is just fine... such as "I don't want to expose my secret identity." While Jean Grey might be able to secretly toss her powers around in subtle ways, Iceman can hold his hands behind his back and make his cola cold without raising alarm, Colossus can not turn into a metal guy to help himself open a stubborn jar of pickles without everyone easily seeing "oh, cripes, he's a big metal guy!" Colossus doesn't care as much, it seems... however, there are times when he doesn't want to freak people out and stuff. In his particular case, it has to do more with distinctive features and social disads than a "secret id." Not all limitations are about the bad guy doing stuff to you. In Colossus' case. He's very easy to KO when in his fleshy form, he could be put on a weight sensitive device/sensor/whatever attached to a bomb or over a volcano or whatever wacky thing you can think of if you really need that aspect. I'm pretty sure he has, however, comic stories are rare where you showcase a character by leaving him unconscious or something the whole time It can be simulated other ways, of course. OIHID just seems the most streamlined to me.

Gold Dust (desolidy dusty kind of guy) Gold Nugget (ha ha - a shrinker) Silence is Golden (the ninja) Ok, these are cheesy... I can't help it, all I have to watch it paid programming or Saved by the Bell.

...and Long the drawring: As you can imagine... the quickies take very little time. Useful when you are generating a whole universe and history worth of guys... edit: whoops. This one doesn't have the logo. Ah well, imagine the logo there.

I've been using them as "quickies" for a campaign background I've been doing so I don't have to actually draw. Here's Long, the quickie...

So does Colossus, imo. I guess it's all in the personal design philosophy. Cap's doesn't meet that requirement, imo, because it can be used while not in his heroic identity. For us, OIHID (we call it "HFO" - pre4th throwback) represents a visible and obvious difference from the civvie ID (Colossus fits that description, for example). Personally, I'd build Cap's as a focus and just say his GM is a slacker. heh heh Because we've been playing since '81 or '82 and been playing 4th since, well, it came out. It works fine for us and we have no reason to change and a few reasons not to change; I won't go into it, but feel it would be too much work for too little (if any) benefit and the lack of an acceptable chargen software (HD is very slow, imo, and prints like crap for longer characters). The campaign I am working on (and probably will never run) is intended to be a 5th game without the MAP stuff. Mostly just to justify the expense of the book.

Brick Energy projector Martial Artist Skills Guy Egoist Other That's about all we use to describe our "archetypes." And we never say "other." At that point it's just "I'm a shapeshifter" or "I'm a stretchy guy with acid spit!" or "I have beer powers!" It's not really something that comes up.

I wouldn't say it's incorrect (especially after I said it was technically legal). Cap's armor is almost never taken from him nor can I think of any instances (there must be some) where it's "focus" nature is a disadvantage to him. Thus, it is not a focus. Nor is it OIHID because he can wear it and get the benefit of it underneath normal clothing in his secret identity. However, it's visible to anyone who sees it that it is scale armor, it's visible to anyone who touches it that it's scale armor, etc. What about Dr. Doom? Or Dr. Destroyer. He is bought "straight" with the SFX that it's impossible to remove. However, the limitation is not on his armor even though it's quite obvious he's wearing it. Just pointing out something that does not seem to provide support in officially published characters (and comic examples) yet seems perfectly legal. Or he dropped OIHID for a while and changed his Distinctive Features disad to "concealable with great effort" or even a Susc to END from being in his fleshy form. Jus' sayin'...

I just use OIHID. DI has to be visible to 3 sense groups, anyway. I'm not sure armor qualifies for visible, really. Does a Knight have "visible" on his armor? Technically, it doesn't have to be visible. Just a thought, lots of armored types might be due an extra -1/4 lim on their armor (Iron Man, Captain America, all those guys with kevlar uniforms, etc - Perhaps not, say, Warhead... who has a bulletproof costume that is, apparently, made up of BDU pants and a tank top, yet affords him total armor coverage). I always get gunshy when I see things like all stats and such linked to armor (or other naturally persistant power). Armor doesn't turn on and off, really... and it's worth -1/4 more than OIHID. My group terms this "point whoring" and, while technically legal, you can bet your backside that you'll run into a lot more situations where your armor is hindered or suppressed than you would get caught in your civilian ID. While nothing really stops Colossus from changing forms whenever he wants, the visible change is harmful to a secret ID. Not such a big deal in X titles. In game terms, I would require a stricter adherance to secret ID or a reasonable civilian ID timeframe for the character to get caught without his powers on (snipers, surprise, etc).

You can still hear someone speaking with a throat mic. It's basically just a microphone strapped to your neck. You can speak more softly, but you're still speaking (some are good enough that you can whisper). The benefit of this kind of mic is that it cuts down on a lot of ambient noises and allows the voice to come through more clearly (kind of like a stethascope) and it's usable while you are wearing things like a gas mask or something. The concealed ability is best to simulate a real throat mic. If he wants to be totally unheard, say, he's in some armor and the helmet is soundproof or something (perhaps he speaks through a voice modulator externally) he should buy HRRH with invisible power effects to "hearing." HRRH is technically a radio sense and such communcation can only be heard that way, anyway without the visible lim, but if the GM rules a radio can be heard with normal hearing then this is the way to go - most radios as we depict them are actually normal hearing AND radio based. That is... we communicate in hearing, it's "converted to radio" and sent back out in hearing. When you listen to a radio station, the signal to the machine is radio hearing... but it broadcasts that to you in normal hearing.

It's been posted a few times http://www.wuji-web.com/multiverse.html The tutorial style thing was at... http://formula119.com/eqtaa/index2.html I enjoy using them for design, mostly. However, in my recent scribblings for a campaign setting, I've been using the templates almost exclusively for speed and fun.

Lock On: Use the Cover maneuver. Blow the roll, didn't lock on. Make the roll, and you locked on. Buy levels with "Cover" as a targeting computer or something if you want. Homing Missiles... Fire when you get the lock on (succeed with your attack roll with the cover maneuver). Limitation: Use delayed effect, the effect does not land for X phases (let's say 6). Reduce by 1 Phase for every 1 you made the roll by. Can be missile deflected at any time from the "hit roll" to "damage taking effect." So the mechanic is you hit right away. The SFX is that the missiles are chasing the target during the "time delay." Including around corners, down hallways, zipping through closing doors, etc. If you want you can add more limitations indicating the projectiles fail to hit if the target "closes himself off" from them before then (for example, he jumps into a bank vault and closes the door... the missiles hit the door. Without the lim, the missiles always manage to make it through the door, hot on his tail). A salvo of missiles could be autofire or simply the SFX of a larger attack. (eg: 4d6 RKA "5 Missile Salvo")...or something. You can have a lot of fun with SFX. It's one of Hero's best strengths.

Typically I use them when the advantage is disconnected in some way from the primary power. Like a separate focus attachment (bigger battery for reduced end/no end, power amplifier for extra range, AP, whatever). Sometimes the advantage, itself, carries with it its own limitations. AP, but only if you spend an extra phase to fire. Explosion, but only if you are using both hands. No END cost, but only if it's daytime. Etc. This is simply easier to buy as a naked advantage than work work out lims on advs within complete powers. It all still counts towards point caps if you have them, though, imo.

On purpose. And then you go and remind me. Piker.

HellloooOOOOOoooooo

He still had the name Babelfish says it's La Muerte Negra, which I assume is neutral or feminine and was masculined up to El Muerte Negro? I don't know spanish....but he still had the name for YEARS and is the name he's stuck with in my mind (because I never bothered buying Champs Deluxe where, say, Icicle is no more and such). I also don't think it was a "misprint" I just think someone threw a stink over the word "negro" as insulting to those of african descent or something equally ignorant.

You left out "and getting sawed in half, vertically, with a butter knife and tossed behind a kindergarten."

I think the ninja guy was originally called El Muerte Negro or something. He's had a couple name changes

My speedster had a VPP but within it, those powers were built as... Missiile Deflection (mostly as above) with the range limited to his half move (he always zipped back to where he started). And Force Wall (could only stop attacks he could reasonably missile deflect, block or destroy "I can pound that boulder to dust before it reaches its target"). The block part actually was the main point of it for melee attacks, but I expanded it to missiles so I could "block" and "missile deflect" in the same phase. I also used the linked teleport version for those times it was desired... I didn't always want to end up where I was missile deflecting. My linked t-port ported me after all the deflecting to the last hex I deflected at/the FW took a hit (in instances of deflecting for multiple people).