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Vulcan

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Posts posted by Vulcan

  1. How much change to a character do you consider it a new character.

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    Re: How much change to a character do you consider it a new character.

     

    I think it depends much more on the attitudes of the person playing the new/old character. If you intend it to be the same character, you'll play them the same way you used to. If you intend it to be a new character, you'll play them differently.

     

    The numbers on the sheet are just that; numbers. They are not the character. Properly speaking, they are the capabilities and limitations the character operates under in game. The character shows itself slightly in the Complications section, but even that is not the character.

     

    The character is the person behind the numbers. And if the player want it to be the same person, then it's the same person.

  6. Lucky

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: Lucky

     

    One of my favories was 'Environmental Mayhem' - fully indirect Blast, special effect being things around just happen to fall on, short out, or otherwise conspire to deliver pain on the lucky character's opponents.

  12. "Neat" Pictures

    in Non-Gaming Discussion

    Posted

    Re: "Neat" Pictures

     

    A similar effect has been observed in Shadowrun. To wit:

     

    1. The Elminster expects you to fail.

    2. The Elminster is sending you up against something he can't handle.

    3. Plausible deniability.

    4. The Elminster wants to challenge your group to earn your own rewards and otherwise improve as people. (extremely unlikely)

    5. The task is so menial, and the Elminster is so busy otherwise, that the job really is what it seems to be at face value.

    6. The PCs actually have some key capability that the Elminster does not.

     

    That's why in Shadowrun, the NPCs handing out assingnments use the name "Mr. Johnson." If there were to be a first name, it would be 'Richard'.

  17. "Holy Silver Age, Batman!"

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: "Holy Silver Age, Batman!"

     

    Best way, isn't it?

     

    They aren't really hurting anyone, so provoking an open battle might well cause more casualties and damage than just letting the crime suceed... for the moment. And once these goofs are stripped of their toys and tied up, cops should be able to handle things quite nicely, so I can move on to the next goofball.

  18. The Last Action (Super) Hero

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: The Last Action (Super) Hero

     

    The defining feature I gave to Vigil was his deceptively gentle brown eyes; something similar to James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom in the original Conan the Barbarian, right in the beginning of the movie. The actor would need to be able to NAIL that to make the character work.

  19. "Holy Silver Age, Batman!"

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: "Holy Silver Age, Batman!"

     

    Vigil would follow them - invisibly - back to their hideout. He'd come back later, reprising his old identity as the villian Stalker to deal with them - just in case things get... harsh. And agent-level sidekicks? I survived Eurostar. A pack of agents would be meat on the table.

     

    Once they are subdued... take the loot (such as it is), donate it to some worthwhile charity, and call the cops.

  20. Create a Villain Theme Team!

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: Create a Villain Theme Team!

     

    A friend of mine ran a really tough trio of villians: Hook (martial artist with hooking swords and grappling), Line (Entangle specialist) and Sinker (Brick from heck!).

     

    The only way we ever beat them was when we managed to bait Sinker off from the other two, and we discovered their combat levels only worked when the three of them were working together... :sneaky:

  21. The Last Action (Super) Hero

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: The Last Action (Super) Hero

     

    Okay...

     

    Why this kid would have fixated on Vigil as his hero is beyond me, unless it is because he also has a terminal disease... but his regeneration keeps him alive, if not always well.

     

    But... talk about having no secrets! With his background (as a mostly-reformed villian) being open knowledge, few people are going to trust him. And he's not exactly really high on the power level chart, more of a martial arts 'eggshell with a sledgehammer." This is gonna be a tough one.

     

    Although the possibility that his actions might be able to prevent the rampant anti-super paranioa of his past world would be quite appealing.

     

    At least he has all the skills to set up a whole new secret ID. He's done it before - several times - in his original universe.

  24. Repercussions of mass-producing comic book technology

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: Repercussions of mass-producing comic book technology

     

    That superdense fuel cell source would revolutionize electric and hybrid automobiles overnight. You could extend their range by a factor of 10, or reduce the mass of their batteries by a factor of 10 and still increase range by a significant amount from the mass savings. You also open up possibilities for electric semi rigs, and might even boost rail service to competitive levels. Heck, perhaps you might even be able to have fuel-cell powered aircraft - they'd be slower than jets, but not needing expensive aviation fuel could well make them profitable despite the increased travel times. Gang enough of them up and you could power a large cargo ship too.

     

    The communications set wouldn't impact the Western world terribly much; we do much the same thing with our existing infrastructure now. It would help extend coverage out into the boonies better, but that's about it. Where it would make a huge difference is in the 3rd world, where the extensive cellular and wi-fi infrastructure doesn't exist.

     

    Androids... that's the messy one. Take that one to it's logical extent. Aside from a few people making decisions, there is no need for anyone to work. So... there is no work for anyone to do. Even if you postulate plenty of resources to maintain quality of life, how long is that going to last before mass boredom sets in and we, as a species, go off the deep end?

     

    I'm reading a novel - Saturn's Children by Charles Stross - where the human race created just such a android helper. Eventually they were improved to AIs. And eventually the humans just...died off. No plague, no war, they just stopped breeding, populations plummeted below a sustainable level...

     

    The pathetic part was that "human society didn't even take a lunch break when the last human beings died off."

     

    If you are going to have androids, there MUST BE things humans can do that androids can't... or there likely won't be any reason for there to be humans.

  25. Black Powder Arms in the Hero System. Gun Nuts and reenactors welcome!

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    Re: Black Powder Arms in the Hero System. Gun Nuts and reenactors welcome!

     

    You know' date=' it occurs to me that it would be a lot simpler just to make it illegal to hurt people, instead of fussing around with banning weapons.[/quote']

     

    It is. They keep doing it anyway.

     

    I think weapons shouldn't be banned; they should be manditory but that's a discussion for a different thread.

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