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RexMundi

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Posts posted by RexMundi

  1. Re: 400 pounds per square inch = ???

     

    According to the recreation of the snake in question, 2,500 pounds is an accurate weight. Also, it's about 3' wide. Considering 24-26' feet of Green Anaconda can weigh 500 lbs, with a much smaller width, this sounds about right.

     

    Actually, it's not just a case of stating that a 48' snake is equal to two 25' anaconda. It's actually equal to eight, since the 48' snake is not just twice as long, it's also twice as wide and high. So, technically, you're talking 4,000 pounds of animal. But the reconstruction works out to 2,500.

     

    Oh you're absolutely correct Snakes can get to be a bit odd when it comes to size and mass and species. I took my numbers from real critters down the road here and one of the books off the shelf (The Giant Snakes, by Clifford Pope .....interesting read but a bit dry compared to a couple of the other ones up there....)... You can get immense differences in Mass between species. Reticulated Pythons have come in around 33 feet by the record so far, but it's outweighed by Anaconda's that are shorter in length.

     

    From the size and weight you're going for I'm guessing you are trying to reconstruct Titanoboa. Titanoboa was a big critter but even though some estimates toss it in the 48' 2500 pound range that was just the largest found in the pile (Worlds heaviest Discovered Snake so far). Still, 48' long plus 2500 pounds and upwards of 3 feet thick in places and a diet of alligators and the like, makes for a big snake but at that size too it's bite would be something horrific as well which is often overlooked in snake builds. Just a normal Python or Anaconda Bite is nasty as all hell...

     

    Should be interesting when it's done. Be another good critter to add to the critter pile....

     

    ~Rex

  2. Re: 400 pounds per square inch = ???

     

    Hmm, if we're talking Snakes that's a different ball of Wax. While big Constrictors have piles of Power, they actually do most of their killing by suffocating their prey (Big Continuous NND attack, heh) combined with cardiac arrest from ever increasing pressure. Every time the prey exhales they just tighten up a little. Now that being said they can also Crush things to pulp as well if they have to. At 48' Long you're only around twice as big as some of the Largest Reticulated Pythons and Anacondas in captivity (nature is debatable, especially for the reported attacks....example of one being a 23 foot Reticulated Python that came in at around 300 pounds or so.....)... Some of the Measured Numbers come in around 33 and a half give or take, psi for a green anaconda or about 8,960 pounds of force total.. So if you want to come up with an approximate, use the HERO crushing damage for 18,000 pounds or so for your 48 footer... I will say though, you might want to adjust your weight a bit. They're roughly 300 pounds every 22 feet. Some fluctuations for species and diet. There's a math thingie out there somewhere that works out weight per length of certain species.... going by the Anaconda scale for example, your 48 footer would weigh around 500 pounds and a girth about 44 inches or so, again give or take.....

     

    ~Rex

  3. Re: Second Best Game System ?

     

    I picked up the Marvel heroic Basic Game at Garycon. It's Pretty. But it lacks a LOT to be considered a complete role playing game. You can play the characters provided in the book. There is no Generation system etc (Though you can with a bit of a headache reverse engineer it if you have the Cortex Rules). It doesn't play bad, it gets clunky at the top end like all Cortex Material does. I'll be honest so far this is the Worst of the "Marvel" games to date. It IS Pretty though, and if it were a complete unto itself system, would have had potential.

     

    ~Rex....Basically what you get is a Card Game, with a small starter Deck and some Dice throwing for random effect. Missed the RPG mark by a bit.

  4. Re: Who are the copies/pastiches/tributes/captain ersatz in your campaigns?

     

    This is a great topic. And I have enjoyed reading all the responses so far.

     

    On reflection, substantially all the characters I created as a teenager in the 80s were almost 'light box swipes' of existing Marvel and DC characters.

     

    But then again, has there really been a truly original character created since, maybe, Wolverine in the early 1970s (and Judge Dredd in the late 1970s), that has achieved enduring mass popularity?

     

    The Punisher's popularity has waned since the mid-1980s. And even then, he was clearly the comic book adaptation of "Mack Bolan: The Executioner. " The "Watchmen" protagonists were based on Charlton heroes. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" started as an homage to Frank Miller's Daredevil and the X-Men. And on and on....

     

    There is Nothing Original in Comics anymore. It's All Been Done and if you don't believe that you need to take a look at the old Encyclopedia of Super Heroes. What you can Do though, is present a new or better (hopefully) story, wrapped around what's been done, so that your thing stands on it's own two feet (As Marvel did with both Hyperion, Gladiator and Sentry, or DC has done with Multitudes of stuff or as the Indies have done with creator owned material like Invincible or Irredeemable).

     

    ~Rex....Points out Even Superman was a Pastiche of things that came before, and the same with Batman. I can name a few that can claim "Original" though. Takes work and they tend to be "exceptions" rather then proof of "I R Original!"

  5. Re: Who are the copies/pastiches/tributes/captain ersatz in your campaigns?

     

    Hmm....I fell I have to point out that Superman is just a Pastiche of Hugo Danner heh....

     

    I suppose my Mainstream ones would be.......

     

    Pitbull - Pastiche of Wildcat

     

    The Phantom Avenger - Sort of a Pastiche of The Shadow, The Spider, Dr. Occult, and some aspects of The Sandman and the Spectre

     

    Paragon - A sort of Superman-ish Pastiche, think a Superman/Hyperion/Gladiator type with Silver Surfer Energy Manipulation Actually my first Champions Character from '82

     

    Mer-Man - Total Aquaman Rip Off.

     

    The Emerald Beacon - Alan Scott Pastiche... Changed colors per Edition...

     

    ThunderHawk - Hawkman/Flying Fox Pastiche

     

    Overdrive - Hour-Man Pastiche

     

    Shotput - A sort of Al Pratt/Eugene Judd combo Pastiche....

     

    Hood - Green Arrow/Hawkeye Pastiche

     

    Spotlight - A Pastiche of The Ray

     

    Stuntman! - Pastiche of The Human Fly and aspects of Johnny Blaze

     

    Neo-Man - Pastiche of Captain Comet

     

    Kid Cobalt - Sort of a cross between Kid Flash and The Silver Streak

     

    And the list goes on and on, heh......

     

    ~Rex.... Actually is in the middle of making Starting Sheets in 6e for a lot of them....Paragon remains full points though, heh he's the first Champions character I put on a Sheet :D Nostalgia

  6. Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now?

     

    Catching up on my New and Upcoming Music Stars like this Kid from American Idol this season Phillip Phillips (Also my pick to win at the rate things are going and the way the judges are sitting on their "save).....

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8mJT-YMejM&feature=BFa&list=LLKC0THNv7VFzPgRr9uulR1A&lf=my_liked_videos

    for example.....

     

    ~Rex...is a huge Billy Joel fan so was uber picky about this cover, and couldn't find anything to complain about....

  7. Re: Wolverine 6th edition

     

    Like I said, if it were going by how often and the possibility of having the metal removed, and or controlled, or nullified, then I'm not to off put by someone wanting to snag a -1/4 kind of focus limitation for it if the removal etc is a potential part of what can happen to the character in the game. Restrainable fits for a lot of stuff that's happened to him as well and I do lean strongly in the direction of some of the disadvantage possibilities as well (where as it cuts back on his level of regen and a few other issues as pointed out after the "Attack of the Idiot Writer"....

     

    I've also got to look at his Real Origin vs his Retconned by Idiots Origin as well and compare it to other similar things in Wolvie's Universe and what's happened to those people. Simply put, there's been a lot of Adamantium enhanced folks in the Marvel Universe, and they have all had their Adamantium taken away at one point or another and most of it have gotten it back in a relatively short time. That's pretty much a focus, since if it's not a focus by the game rules, you can't really take it away (Unless you want to start pulling the Transforms out of ones Backside). Said Occurrences happened basically out of combat 'cept for the Magneto episode and even that's debatable because the fight was pretty much done at that point. I chalk it up as a flavor thing on one hand and preference on the other. Either way, a -1/4 isn't bad and does pretty much earn that over the course of his story up to the point where the Unholy One decides to mash pieces of his various origins together into one uber stinky fanboy version....

     

    ~Rex

  8. Re: Wolverine 6th edition

     

    I would say there is a strong argument that even a -1/4 Restrainable is too strong of a Limitation. He can't stab some who pins his arms? That's covered by the point of origin rules just like someone with eye lazers can't hit someone who grabs him from behind or someone with hand blasts can't shoot in front of him when his arms are tied behind him. Wolverine uses his claws to escape from various types of entangles with some regularity, so he is no more limited in that respect. If a strong enough magnetic field can prevent him from attacking it can probably prevent him from moving or acting since his entire skeleton is metal and should probably be some kind of Physical Complication on the character, not a Limitation on a single Power. No known surgical method in the Marvel Universe could remove his claws or skeleton. Magneto ripping his metal out? That's a plot point/radiation accident in my opinion for several reasons. First, there is no way a -1/4 Limitation could justify having your skeleton ripped out and your character's schtick fundamentally changed. Secondly, he got the bone claws which screams radiation accident/change or alteration of powers, not a Limitation being enforced.

     

    Screams Idiot Writer and Bad Marvel Idea from the Unholy Trinity to me. Besides, He did get the Adamantium Back, and that sorta follows the Focus rules there. *Shrug* I wouldn't have an issue with the -1/4 simply because over the Decades I've been reading the character, Good Writers and the Bad, that's about the "effect" having the Metal Laced Skeleton (Infused with Adamantium Beta) level in play, and the effects of said Metal upon his other powers and such could have elements of a Disadvantage to them, but a lot of it runs with Focus simply because it Can be effected separately from Wolverine Himself in a variety of ways, and his control over the claws can be effected likewise.

     

    ~Rex .... may put together a Wolverine (starting) write up when he has better then a not so smart phone to work with in about 7 hours.... if he can stay awake long enough, heh....

  9. Re: Wolverine 6th edition

     

    I do like the write up' date=' however the IIF isn't legal. The rules of foci state that a metal skeleton isn't allowed as a focus. Guess Steve knew about Wolverine:)[/quote']

     

    I'd allow it because a lot of people (Magneto for example) Can and have done very bad things to Wolverine just because of the skeleton and claws. It may not be exactly the right "type" of Limitation but it's about the right cost. One could argue with the prevalence of certain types of badguys it could be worth even more, especially if you go with the real Wolverine origin and not the crap they came up with in Origins....

     

    ~Rex

  10. Re: VPP Frequency?

     

    I wonder why Variable Advantage never gets as many complaints?

     

    Because it doesn't say, Variable Power Pool. Like I said before, some people are just terrified of VPP's (And most of them are old grognards like me), and are perfectly happy to allow Anything else, because it doesn't scare them like VPP's do. It's like an OCD thing almost. Irrational, but don't dare re-arrange their desk even if the new arrangement works better faster cleaner and represents the character and it's "type" even better.....

     

    ~Rex

  11. Re: VPP Frequency?

     

    Love VPP's. Always have and I love them more even now. They add in that structured flexibility you see in other Super Hero genre games (for example), while not violating the "Gotta Pay to Play" HERO set up. I have noticed though that folks that are more, hmm, rigid in their thinking or just not good at doing stuff on the fly within the character concept, tend to be very Anti VPP, especially as a gm......

     

    ~Rex

  12. Re: Famous Martial Artists in the Champions Universe?

     

    Seeker Was trapped on a Force Field Encapsulated Desert Island Trap set by *Insert villain here* during the 4th Ed Crisis on Infinite Game Companies. This of course resulted in him being eaten by a Starving Jaguar who had already hunted down and eaten the rest of the team.

     

    Hence not a good role model, and neither is the 5th Ed Replacement for him with the Duck Cowl and Metallic Man'siere .....

     

    ~Rex

  13. Re: Cool Guns for your Games

     

    One could adjust for Hit Locations as well. I've never been a fan of the bullets I've been hit with in any of their caliber. However I think I would still take being shot over the 5 stabbings I've had to go through. I've had a lot of luck though getting very close to realistic results, by building for effect. Then again I also find Phoenix Command to be a fun fast and rules light game, heh.....

     

    ~Rex

  14. Re: 7 deadly sins

     

    Hmm... not sure how to equate Sloth with V'han. Looking at her daily schedule in Book Of The Empress, she's one industrious little queen bee.

     

    This will take some thought.

     

    She's the laziest Villain I've ever seen.....Sits on her throne, send out the masses, take something over, then requires them to do basically nothing, change almost nothing, wash rinse repeat *yawn*... That puts me to sleep, hence ....Sloth....Nothing is more slothful then an immense bureaucracy like that.

     

    ~Rex

  15. Re: 7 deadly sins

     

    Published as in the CU? Or something else. Seven Deadly Sins of the CU shouldn't be to hard. Wrath: Baron Nihil, Greed: Tyrannon the Conqueror, Sloth: Istvatha V’han, Pride: Dr. Destroyer, Lust: Arachne (tough one really but at least she gets her flirt on with good looking heroes.....), Envy: Holocaust (Gets no Respect heh), and Gluttony has to be Slun.

     

    ~Rex

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