director13

Re: Secrets of Gamma World

Is 5th the really annoying one that was tied to d20 future? The one that didn't capture the tone and feel of all the previous editions of gamma world?

 

Nope, that was 6. 5 used the Alternity rules.

Re: Sixth Edition Showcase #4: Deflection, Reflection, And Range

"Let that man go, villain!"

"Eh, what? I am not a villain, now go away!"

"You are putting that man in a great deal of pain!"

"Listen, fancypants, I am busy doing SCIENCE! Unless you are here to help, I will ask you to kindly vacate the premises. And please use the door, this time."

"Back off man, I'm a scientist."

Re: Sixth Edition Showcase #4: Deflection, Reflection, And Range

The Hero system rules don't do a good job of simulating a world where some people fall from a plane and survive' date=' while others slip on the sidewalk and break a hip, or even die from head trauma.[/quote']

 

"Luck, Unluck, and a GM that doesn't care what his players think" is mighty close, though.

Re: Transparent Aluminium, for real!

Cool!

Then again "This turned the aluminium nearly invisible to extreme ultraviolet radiation" for 40 femtoseconds, with the world's most powerful soft x-ray emitter?

Yowza.

Re: Sixth Edition Showcase #5: Body-Affecting Powers

I like what sounds like the kit askpect of Growth. I go back and forth how I feel about the PRE bonus the size templates give you now.

Still, if it lets us put "always on" back on the plate for growth powers, that certainly is an advantage*. And with direct edits to OCV / DCV back on the table in 6e, the costs will certainly be more fair.

(Granted, DCV penalties were optional in the 5e size packages, but it always felt like a no-brainer to me)

EDIT:

* or a -1/2 Disadvantage, or whatever we're calling it now.

Re: Eureka! The Stargate isn't in Warehouse 13!

It would probably fit better to link the Sanctuary world with Warehouse 13's. Seeing as both have "Magic" or some force close enough to it to be close to it.

Oooh. Yes. Well, except that if that was the case, someone more important would have boosted more of the stuff by now.

Nikolai, for instance (the only reason I kept watching, after the hawt wore off)

Re: Eureka! The Stargate isn't in Warehouse 13!

The (limited) backstory of Warehouse 13 makes it look like the items are magic (nullifier fluid? Really?), even through they practically sprain their neck going out of the way to avoid the using that word.

Re: Sixth Edition Showcase #4: Deflection, Reflection, And Range

Golly. I had posted something four pages ago, but it looks to have been eaten. For the most part, smarter people than I have said what I said, so I'll skip it.

What I haven't seen yet is a discussion about whether the ability to buy attacks against non standard defenses (mentioned earlier) could or should imply (yes, I know) the possibility of buying non standard defenses against attacks. DECV (or whatever the new name is) vs. OCV, OCV vs. OCV, DCV (as a Block) vs OCV, etc.

Thoughts (aside from the "all change is bad" crowd")?

Re: Transgendered Superperson

So, low point normal form, high point multiform, not controlled by the player?

I can see lots of players not paying it any mind. Then again, I can see lots of boys in real life making a face when hearing about two guys kissing.

So I guess it depends on the players involved.

(I would miss my variable power pool. Then again, I'm an incompetant normal.)

Re: Sixth Edition Showcase #4: Deflection, Reflection, And Range

 

And I won't be using the changes to range. I like them the way they are.

Autofire attacks going farther than non autofire, or blocks only working against HTH?

Re: Sixth Edition Showcase #4: Deflection, Reflection, And Range

 

If a guy is shooting an arrow at me from 20 m away, I can either Deflect it at, say, the 10 m mark, or I can Block it when it comes within arm's reach. What's the real difference? Either way, I don't get hit by the arrow. But Deflection I have to pay points for, and Block I don't.

 

I trust that this will all be spelled out in the book.

In theory, maybe the the first would work against AoE 3m Radius? I don't know, just thinking out loud.

Re: Sixth Edition Showcase #4: Deflection, Reflection, And Range

1) I'm with the (multiple) people who pointed out that unarmed blocks against weapons should require an object to do so, so making that the same regardless of ranged or HTH works for me.

1a) "Should" being dependent on genre and SFX and exciting cinematic descriptions of maneuvers.

2) This was something I was allowing anyway, with shield parries and arrows / crossbows (which is admittedly, genre and SFX dependent).

3) I wonder how this will play with the previously announced "resisted with alternate defense" rules. If the defense for the attack is bought as OCV instead of DCV, would a block use DCV instead of OCV for that attack?

3a) (I wonder..) Could you buy a version of Block that worked with DCV instead (all the time), to work the way Dodges do in other games?

A significant consistent point of style for Gamma World is the difference between the powers available to mutants, and the high tech skills and equipment available to pure strain humans.

The fifth edition of Gamma World did this a little differently. Instead of some kind of insurmountable psychic block (which is -no lie- how previous editions handled it), they addressed this difference in a new way. Effectively, they added genetic scanners to hi-tech equipment. If you weren't a pure strain human (or an android, more about that in a minute) you couldn't even make laser rifles (or a, *gulp*, black ray pistol) function, even if you knew how.

I think fifth edition also added androids as a playable race. If not, it was only one version earlier. In any case, it was also definitely fifth edition that added backstory in the main rules to indicate that pure strain humans were not, in fact, humans at all. They were the "Invaders" that destroyed the world (with the help of their mechanical servants, the androids). All of the actual humans died or mutated (or were somewhere else) when the Cataclysm happened. Pure Strain Humans didn't mutate; Pure Strain Humans can't mutate.

It hit me about a week ago, randomly. Pure Strain Humans?

Cylons.

Re: Alternative systems for mental powers

On the 6e forums' date=' I rewrote some of the Mental Powers (specifically, Mind Link, Mind Scan, and Telepathy) using the Enhanced Senses rules. [/quote']

 

The first part of your original post was exactly what I was talking about when I mentioned having the mental powers be a subset of social interactions! Thank you.

Re: Technomancer

I've heard Telekinesis mentioned multiple times, and not a lot of discussion of why that wouldn't work (with appropriate limitations... Only electrically powered devices, state changes only / no movement other than what is actuated on the device, etc.)

I think it also addresses the "would this work on magic SFX" question that's come up as well. Yes?

That would be my primary solution. The second being appropriately limited Supress.

Re: Cold Fusion? Unpossible. Cold Fission? Wait... what?

Then they make a movie about it starring Val Kilmer?

Watch it after "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Leaving Las Vegas" for unintentional hilarity!

Re: Post-Apocalypse NPCs

You're welcome!

Re: Alternative systems for mental powers

 

1. The adjustment method for Mind Control: Buy Ego drain with a limitation that EGO is ONLY drained for the purpose of obeying commands from the ‘drainer’. Once your EGO gets down to 0 or less you have to start making EGO rolls or you do as you are told – the lower you go the harder it is to resist. You should get a bonus of +2 on your roll if you are asked to do something difficult or dangerous, +4 if you are asked to do something potentially lethal and +8 if you are asked to do something that is almost certainly fatal.

2. The adjustment method for Mental Illusions: same as above but drain INT instead: once you get to zero and fail a roll you are perceiving hallucinations (as INT controls perception); you can not properly interact with reality. If you want damage, also drain STUN or BODY. The specific illusion is really just sfx; what happens is what always happens if you have very low INT: you take no action unless you make an INT roll.

3. The adjustment method for Telepathy: same as above but also buy Mind Link: once down to 0 or less EGO and you fail a roll you will be open to the mind link and give any information requested. In fact Mind link is probably quite a good idea of all these powers. You can get a bonus on your roll not based on how 'deeply buried' the information is but on how embarrassing or harmful it is to you.

 

I like the first one. A lot. I would do it based on PREsence, actually, because I house ruled EGO out as a resistance to PREsence attacks (makes fear powers more useful, I found). #2 looks good as written.

I'm less sure about item #3. That feels like it would take the most testing to check out.

About all three, I think they should be piped into a social skill resolution system for conflict, barter, seduction, etc, as powers that give "unfair advantages" to mundane tasks accomplished with skills and characteristics. (And maneuvers, but I'm funny like that).

Re: Post-Apocalypse NPCs

Good stuff, I can use some of that in my campaign.

Oh! Maybe there's some stuff here that you could use: http://goblinnet.org/director/gw/gw.html

feel free. Check out "Rules" for some mutation conversions!

Re: 6e Characteristics

 

I find myself slightly distressed that PER is still based on INT. Never did understand why humans had better PER rolls than animals because, you know, they don't.

I agree. Hero Bestiary 5 has INT values for most mundane creatures is in the 8 ballpark, with some insects having a 5. Of the things I know INT does, I don't see that being applicable for anything EXCEPT PER. Honestly, I'm not sure what negative INT would do exactly, but combined with decoupling PER if implemented it would let us get around the 15 point "animal Intelligence" physical limitation rule (that feels kludge-y to me).

Furthermore, there was some discussion of the difference between perceiving things and understanding their significance. As far as I can tell, the second would be covered by Deduction. Give it as an everyman skill to humans, and I think we've resolved that disparity (animals typically have a "act like this kind of animal" professional skill that could be used, in context, for things that kind of animal would figure out).

Honestly, I would get rid of PER entirely and give out a new Everyman General skill called Observation. 8- for free, 2/2 for 11- with normal sense groups. This still lets Enhanced Senses (mostly) work as written, with a slightly higher point cost for enhanced perception with the weird stuff.

(Existing PER references would be replaced with Observation references, and we wouldn't need to spend as much time in the Powers section for something mundane characters can do.)

I think there might even be a clever way to parlay this into the normal darkness penalties with minimal effort, but while I'm a big fan of minial effort, "clever" currently escapes me.

Re: 6e Characteristics

In my Heroic / Dark Champions game, I house ruled NCM costs for Primary Characteristics to 2 points per level, and Figured Characteristics to 1 point per level. I dumped COM entirely, and calculate SPD off INT, not DEX.

At the 150/75 level it's doing what I want (for about half a year now), without too many "gotcha" moments. Since these seem to be pretty similar to what's been announced in 6e, I'm not too worried about it.

Removing figured characteristics I could see everything costing 1 except the Combat Value Stats. Although honestly I would rename OECV and DECV to Defensive Psychic Value and Offensive Psychic Value (although I certainly understand why Combat sticks around in the title).

Re: Free equipment side discussion.

Sounds like it would increase the level of "cinematic" in my games, and decrease my player's natural nesting instincts, both to the good.

Well, in four color genre's where that's good, I mean.

Re: portable computers - too much?

I built computers normally using the normal equipment rules, then setup followers based on those point totals, but that was more of a Dark Champions vibe I was going for.

What I ended up with

Specifically:

Healing 1 BODY, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (20 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness (only applies to bleeding damage; -1 1/2), Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Turn (Post-Segment 12) (-1 1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in Very Common Circumstances (Does not work above BODY 1; -1), Self Only (-1/2)

It's either 5 points or 4 points which is (if you're not using the Bleeding optional rules, the Conditional power isn't a Limitation at all and thus not worth the points). In my Gamma World Game, I allow the "Always On" limitation as a handy way to detect mutants. The 17- Paramedic with Trigger costs something like 26 points, and I'm a little unclear if you can "Limited" the same condition as the trigger.

For the Drug Version

Dose, Sanguine: Healing BODY 7d6 (standard effect: 21 points) (70 Active Points); 1 Charge (-2), Activation Roll Mutated Humanoids 11-, Mutated Animals 8- (-1 1/2), Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Cannot restore BODY to above 1; -1), OAF (-1), Extra Time (Extra Phase, -3/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in Common Circumstances (only at 0 and below BODY; -1/2), Side Effects (1d6 HKA, NND (poisons) on failed Activation Roll or if used when BODY>0; -1/2)

Re: Little "b" bleeding

Given that every character has Paramedics as an Everyman Skill in just about every game (of mine at least)' date=' I consider all the above suggestions that don't involve direct use of a Power to be applications of that. Clever uses might certainly merit Complimentary Rolls or straight bonuses, of course. I would consider Transform actually, but otherwise it's straight Adjustment Powers (including Healing and thus regeneration, of course).[/quote']

 

I played with a power that gave the skill and a Trigger, but between the extra cost of skill levels for it to work, and the implicit RSR, simple Regeneration was the way to go.