Harry Canyon

Re: [Alera - Furies of Calderon] Advice on Summoning/Elemental Ally I wouldn't consider it a vulnerability as it caused no damage to the furycratfter, just the fury. Which results in a weaker furycrafting, hence, my idea of 'reduced power'. Derek

Re: [Alera - Furies of Calderon] Advice on Summoning/Elemental Ally Towards the end of chapter 6, just after Tavi is tested by the Captain. I'll certainly add to the thread as I can, sometimes I'm just reading and burning through to find out what happened! So no promises. A section I just read, did reinforce for me that it's an entity of some sort whose power is manipulated by the furycrafter. (Somewhere along the line I started viewing it as an innate power... ) When Amara's fury is weakened by salt thrown by an enemy. There are many ways this could be handled. Perhaps it's just a limitation of each 'power', i.e. something like, "Loses X active points if effect is subjected to salt". Take care, Derek

Re: [Alera - Furies of Calderon] Advice on Summoning/Elemental Ally Hmm... Looks like metal crafting can also be used to increase the effectiveness of shields and armor. (See paperback, book 3, pg. 79). One way to create that would be: Force Field requires OIF (Shield or Armor). I chose FF because it costs end. Good point on the distinction between the talent (for base points) and the perk for social status. It's quite conceivable (at least in game ) to have someone with great furycrafting ability but not a matching social status. (Or at least an unknown social status, i.e. "Why in the world would you think I'm the bastard son of the High Lord of Aquitaine?") Two 'military martial arts' come to mind: the dualist / gladiator and the legionnaire. (From Paperback, book 3, pg. 47) (By no means implying there aren't others, just pointing out some of the many. ) Take care, Derek

Re: [Alera - Furies of Calderon] Advice on Summoning/Elemental Ally Nice job on that overview, Jaws! Funny thing, just today, I was just jotting down notes at lunch (in between reading the 3rd book) for a Fantasy Hero game... :-D As far as the actual furies, I'm inclined to think of it as a special effect myself. Perhaps with differing levels of 'visibility'. Meaning some powers seem to have the advantage Invisible. For example, when Bernard uses his earthcrafting for strength, the big dog isn't around. (At least that I recall.) And I don't recall him necessarily looking more muscular. Although being able to lift a gargant (just an example!), no one would assume that was his natural strength I guess... And would therefore draw the conclusion foHowever, when he uses it to 'detect' things, the dog is the focal point. But being the Hero system, there's never a correct answer, just what you think it means. Allow them to buy reduced endurance (but never zero), or endurance batteries perhaps? Heck, maybe even just purchase standard endurance with the limitation: Only For Use with Furycrafting (maybe a -1/4 if a GM is generous ). Heck, maybe experienced users just have more endurance, it's fairly cheap. Those are a few ideas, I'm sure other folks will come up with others. I was thinking about some sort of Perk (?) which defines the upper limits of a furycrafter's power as well as their social standing. For example: Knights tend to be very strong crafters of one fury (IIRC), so you would have the social limitation of Knight , bound to duty, your superiors, etc. This also defines the AP available. Then you could add the disad "No furycrafting ability." Just the skeleton of an idea at the moment... Hmm... Maybe these should just be packages? So many choices! IIRC, Earth crafters also seem to be able to use their fury to increase their seduction rolls... Take care, Derek

Re: [Alera - Furies of Calderon] Advice on Summoning/Elemental Ally

Re: Going to be running a Teen Champions game... Problem is I went from being a very off the cuff GM to being a 'planner'. I'm trying to get back to the off the cuff stuff. Quite frankly it was much more organic as it reacts to the players actions, rather than requiring some predetermined set of goals to be achieved. So what kind of adventures have they been generating? Take care, Derek

Re: Designing a drug: need name and text description Snowcrash? (Not original, but what the hey.) Derek

Re: Going to be running a Teen Champions game... Cool. Thanks! The link to your questions and the responses gave me some good ideas. I recently made some notes on a couple of teachers at their school. A sex ed. teacher and a coach. (Not at all based on any teachers I remember from high school. Way back then.) Take care, Derek

Hi all, I'm going to be starting up a Teen Champions game in the not-too-distant future. We need some gaming, but light-hearted is the goal. So, what types of stories/adventures and background things (especially related to the whole teen angst issue) have you done in a Teen Champions game? What settings have you used? What things didn't work? Thanks! Take care, Derek

Hi all, So how many GM's worry about the 'side effects' of a missed attack? (I'd imagine that this would mostly apply to ranged attacks, but proximity of 'delicate' objects might include HtH attacks.) Do you just allow them to 'miss everything'? Make a roll? Only if the attacker has Unluck? Something else? Just curious how others handle this in their games. Thanks in advance! Take care, Derek

Re: Using Supervillain Psych Lims I completely agree with the 'random element' aspect. Personally I like rolls in some (perhaps even most) situations, but not all! A roll allows me as GM, IMO, two options. I take the roll at face value and work it into the current situation. Or I ignore the roll and use what I feel works for the story. I've no hard and fast rule about this , I use either as it suits me, the game, and what I believe my player's expectations to be, at that moment in the game. Where did that come from? And who ever said it (the 'burden of proof') was? The original response was regarding Disadvantages, not "all rolls". You're generalizing here when the post was, IMO, specific. I disagree. I'll be specific. If I claim that it hurts if I stomp your foot, and then stomp your foot (and you're not wearing some sort of protective footgear), it will hurt. Proving something isn't difficult. Getting the other person to accept that it's been proven (i.e. they're wrong), now THAT's the difficult part. As to the original poster... Good question. There have been some interesting replies. And truth be told, I haven't given it much thought as to how that's a disadvantage, until now. Curse you for making me think!! I did enjoy the Running Man reference and thought it was an appropriate example. I will ponder this further. Take care, Derek

Re: Using Supervillain Psych Lims Uhh... Why are you generalizing here? I'm fairly confident that the "why require a dice roll" reference was regarding Disadvantages; not damage rolls, "to hit" or any other roll in the game. So where did the leap to "what do you mean all rolls are bad" come from? Take care, Derek

Re: Killing Damage and Defenses B is the Way*. :-D * Although, you're certainly entitled to run your game however you like. Derek

Hi all, By nature I'm a fairly disorganized person who'd like to be organized. I'm always picking up this program or that, a "New notebook with new organizational capabilities!", and so on. While I realize that organizing stuff is ultimately very personal, I'm curious... How do you organize and track the going's on in your Champions game? (Assuming you do of course.) Do you prefer electronic? "Analog"? Something in between? What? Thanks! Take care, Derek "Disorganized GM"

Re: Between Two Cities Treasure Island? [EDIT: Arkham beat me to it. Must read the entire thread before posting... ] Derek

Howdy, There are many places where we ignore the real world for the genre. For instance: How does a world wide criminal organization like VIPER exist? (Posed in the VIPER sourcebook.) Answer: it just does because it's part of the genre (at least that's the answer I remember ) Well this got me to thinking (you smelled smoke too? )... How do folks handle all the damage done by battles between superbeings in their games? Are the heroes held responsible and required to make restitution? Does the government pay (probably only in the case of appropriately sponsored groups... at least that's how I'd handle it.)? Do the affected individuals/businesses insurances cover it? Does "damage by superbeings" coverage exist in insurance policies in your game? Or do you even worry about any of this? Uhh... That was a few more questions than I thought. Thanks in advance if you've read this far! Take care, Derek

Re: Champions miniatures Never mind... Must go home... I just realized that the post I replied to was almost a year old. Where's that nice young man with my medication? Derek

Re: Belief in magic by normals. Query on the bold text... (Which is mine...) Who's opinion? The character's? The player's? Yours? Something else? Just curious... I've more questions/comments, but it's really late, and my brain is asleep (even though my body hasn't caught up yet). Derek

Re: needing help with a new Campaign Well, since you mentioned Kolchak... TV and movie heroes seem like a legit area for mining. How about: Inspector Harry "Dirty Harry" Calahan Shaft Rooster Cogburn James Maverick Robocop The Greatest American Hero I have no idea if those fit with your idea, but on a Friday afternoon that's all my brain can come up with... Take care, Derek

Re: Dudes, I need help building a city. Borrowing from Roy_The_Ruthless, apply some Sim City like concepts. Think in terms of residential, commerical, and industrial. Where's the following main financial district? all the manufacturing plants, big or small? the smaller less expensive houses? the big expensive houses? the low income high density housing, i.e. projects? the entertainment spots (theaters, museums, amusement parks, city/county/state parks, sport stadiums)? schools? infrastructure: fire departments, police stations, water facilities, power generation, military base, courthouse(s), jails/prison? possibly PRIMUS and/or UNTIL offices? public super bases If you start with transportation as suggested by McCoy some of these things will be somewhat obvious. Industrial sections need to be able to move goods, this could be through shipping, rail, or trucking. So they'll occur where those facilities exist. Also, industrial sections are frequently isolated in some way from the other two zones, particularly residential. Hope that gives you some food for thought! Take care, Derek

Re: Hudson City Blues Neither, but a general suggestion. Make the players figure out why their characters would work together! Also, veto characters who are total loners. (Even Wolverine joins in on the reindeer games.) Take care, Derek

Re: Dear G-D, NOOOOOOOOO!!! I hate Hollywood! While I have no faith in Hollywood not f'ing with things for their own perverse pleasure, as everyone has said these are rumors. Perhaps we should wait until the film is finished... And even... Dare I say it? Watch it before deciding to hate it. Take care, Derek

Re: Belief in magic by normals. Sometimes. Again, I think it all depends on the individual. Even people with a "truly scientific outlook" can be close-minded. Take care, Derek

Re: Belief in magic by normals. Hmm... Many interesting ideas. (And some even game related. ) All this discussion has firmed up how I'll handle belief in magic by normals in my CU: views will be just as personal, there's no universal belief. Ask each spectator at the scene of some supers battle where the supers' powers derive and you'll get a bunch of different answers. At what I view as the two extremes of the spectrum: a person of "abosolute" science (i.e. no faith-based beliefs of any kind) when faced with magical powers would always explain them as technology and never accept the idea that it was magic; it was just science he/she didn't understand. Conversely, the person of "absolute" faith/supernatural belief, would tend to view all extreme powers as coming from their gawd or magic. I say "extreme powers" because those people of faith live in a world where technology and science is verifiable, and they use it all the time. They don't (at least to my knowledge) think that the automobile, telephone or computer was created by gawd(s) or magic. Yet there are things in their lives where these external forces of their beliefs do manifest. Then there's every combination in between. Take care, Derek P.S. Teflon Billy, Hoody hoo!

Hi there, With all the mystical heroes and baddies in the Champions universe how do you treat belief in magic by the general populace? Do they believe in it? If so, to what extent? If not, why not? I'm working up my new campaign* and was wondering how others handled this in their games. * Okay re-working a previously very short campaign ) Thanks! Derek