TheEmerged

Re: Campaign Norms I think your standards are a little low -- except for the DEF, which looks to be about right for a 12 DC / 60 active campaign. The system I use for determining defensive benchmarks comes out 12 MIN, 36 MAX, 20 "Expected" for normal (PD/ED) & Mental Defense, and half that for Power & Flash. I'd recommend either raising the standards a bit, or enforcing some type of "rule of X" to keep every character from meeting most of those standards. I've seen a chart-based one somewhere (as opposed to the usual math-based system) that struck me as being balanced, but since I don't use anything like this I can't remember where... (Speaking for myself I prefer the system of having high enough standards that the players can't meet all of them...)

Re: Multiple Power Attacks: Abused? RE: EC Restrictions. I dunno, this seems to be a key balancer to me (right up there with "one attack roll"). EC slots allow you to buy 2 powers for the price of 1, thereby doubling the number of available attacks. RE: Original Topic. I allowed them for the first time in our current campaign and I have to say that they're a lot more balanced than I thought they'd be. I especially like the way they've made variable slots in multipowers more desirable, and the way they've eliminated the 'potential cost' from affect-causing powers like Flash ("To use this slot, I have to give up the ability to do damage..."). However, that comes with the caveat that I use the same "damage cap" for HA that I do with HKA (you can add no more STR than there are DC in the power). There's an obvious abuse this eliminates (the so-called "knuckle sandwich" MP).

Re: Okay, how do you want them to handle the OTHER Organizations? One other important factoid I forgot to mention: my take on the IHA is anti-nova -- nova meaning anyone with superpowers -- not 'just' anti-mutant. There are no 'mutants' in the sense of being distinct from novas...

Re: Okay, how do you want them to handle the OTHER Organizations? Disclaimer: due to my unemployment I haven't been able to purchase VIPER 5th yet. Emphasis on "yet" -- one more paycheck from my new job and I can knock out the final "must pay" expense, and then I can start making gaming purchases again! ------------------------------------- Personally, I made the decision to handle ARGENT-VIPER-IHA using the StarCraft triangle. There is no DEMON in the NeoChampions Universe. VIPER represents the Zerg -- large numbers of very specialized troops. ARGENT represents the Terrans -- they're a kind of middle ground, with special abilities that can hurt you in ways you wouldn't expect. IHA represents the Protoss -- small numbers of powerful units and a killer app mentality (waiting until you can *really* apply the beatdown).

Re: Alternate Earth #25: Mind Switch Hmm, this would mean I'd have Hexadecimal instead of the Disruptor. I wouldn't change her personality much -- it works rather well. I'd probably be guiltier of playing stereotypes for her different forms than the player is, though. I'd also be more tempted to use some of her more obscure forms like Slima, Flama, and Menta; I'd also try to be better about using forms other than Janie and Pusha in "talkie time" scenarios.

Re: Vibora Bay... the Mystery of the Queen City Isn't "Queen City" taken (Cincinnati Ohio)? Especially in a super-hero world, given that it's home to the Hall Of Justice (aka "Union Terminal" in the real world), what...

Re: Question About a SPD Limitation I personally detest limitations on SPD, except for "form based" limits like Focus and OIHID. I find that SPD is the attribute most likely to create a difference in power levels between similarly-pointed characters, and feel that too-easily allowing limitations creates problems I'd rather game without. There is one NPC in the campaign who has a base SPD of 8 with +2 SPD bought Activate 14- and +2 SPD bought Activate 11-, with the mechanic that she makes the activation role during the affected segments -- and it's understood that this isn't a mechanic I'll allow for PC's. As it happens, I have an NPC with something similar to what you're describing -- she has an RKA Explosion, No Range, Penetrating (and Personal Immunity, of course). The concept is that she's normally at 6 SPD, and that the explosion goes off in the odd-numbered segments -- that's *all* she can do during those segments. So the character had to buy 12 SPD, at full price. The character then acquired a Physical Limitation: Can only "blow up" on odd-numbered segments (Frequent, Fully). I allowed "Fully" because the character can't choose to blow up during even numbered segments; I allowed Frequent because it comes up quite a bit but the power can still be used without much hindrance.

Re: Champiosn Destinies -- Spoiler Request For my own "NeoChampions" Universe, I handle it like this: he knows well and good they're interested. He's pretending not to notice so they'll work harder to 'get his attention'.

Re: Would you allow this VPP? I allowed something similar to this a long ways back. I didn't like the result; it is in my opinion too cheap for what it offers -- and is FAR too cheap in a campaign where background skills are likely to matter much at all.

Re: Would you allow this in your campaign? I have Quadruple KB on several NPC's in the campaign, bought as Double Knockback twice (+1 1/2). It's usually a slot in a multipower in cases where high impact is appropriate (Doc Sonic of the Protectors, for example).

Re: WHy does everything have to be by the rules? I can only answer for myself. I have no problem with hand-waiving -- but my inner game geek, given time, will try to find a way to do it in-system. The key phrase there is given time. If I'm prepping for a session my usual two-to-four weeks in advance? It's getting worked out, probably whether I want to or not If I have to come up with something on the fly during a session? Break out the Hand of Waiving +5.

Re: SuperVillian Combat problems. No order implied #1> Sense rules. Often overlooked, few things can skew a fight quite like one side being prepared for this and the other not. The PC's in the campaign I'm running right now, for example, were built knowing that one of the PC's was going to be surrounded by a perpetual Darkness field and the ability to create others. As a result all of them have a second targetting sense (radar for the gadgeteer, "the ear that sees" for the ninja, and a variety of them for the multiformer). #2> Entangle with "offers no protections" (+1/2), as others mentioned, can be evil. Reduce victim to 0 DCV, everyone makes their Teamwork role, sucks to be entangled #3> Crowd Control/Misdirection. Playing an enchanter in EverQuest drove this home to me -- there are few things as powerful as the ability to make the opposition waste phases. Consider an NPC with Invisibility, Teleport, and Images -- did he teleport, or go invisible and create an image? Add Duplication to that and it gets even screwier -- add Desolidification w/ IPE and you can drive the PC's nuts. Images and Mental Illusions are *vastly* underrated tools, IMO; a little creativity and you'll find MI is often easier to invoke a combat-useful effect than MC. #5> Dispel, the nigh-ultimate screwer. You can do some really nifty things by dispelling things that might not have occured to you. Dispel a gadgeteer's END Reserve, for example, and anything drawing power from it is turned off until the power can be turned back on -- no simple matter if it has the Focus limitation and must be repaired, for example.

Re: Alternate Earth #22—World of your Dreams The Black Mercy would be an almost perfect trap for The Disruptor, since he is primarily motivated by his rage at the world for the way his life didn't work out the way it should have (long story that would involve a campaign spoiler). I can't discuss the nature of the trap -- but he'd probably kill whoever "rescued" him from it. He'd know it was an illusion and would prefer it anyway.

Re: Building a MacGyver "Superskill" Let's also not forget the HERO construct named after him: Penalty Skill Levels vs the penalty for not having proper tools.

Re: the 5th Edition CU is by far the best 4th Edition was too "busy", for lack of a better term. They were simply trying to cram in too many different ingredients. 5th Edition is a little too narrow for me, and in my opinion is lacking some elements that make it the Champions Universe instead of Just Another Comic Book Setting. Neutral Ground and CLOWN are two particular elements that seperate the CU from other settings, and while I understand that they aren't for every campaign world (although I insist CLOWN's PR problem is in how they've been used instead of the group itself) each is quite distinctive. While many aspects of CU5 are quite well thought out -- I'm especially fond of the heavy pulp leavening -- there are others that are almost criminally out of touch. The extremely weak treatment of the Registration Act is the worst case; the thing with the car chips in Millenium City is another.

Re: Gravity Control tricks. Change Environment: -x to DCV, Personal Immunity. SFX is that everyone is having trouble moving fast enough to get out of the way.

Re: Gravity Control tricks. Dispel vs Flight. Yes, they can turn it back on next phase -- but they'll be 1/2 DCV until then and have to either make a Breakfall roll or spend half a phase righting themselves... Dispel vs Desolidification. Depending on how you feel about it this may require Affects Desolid and/or benefit from "Only versus SFX where the victim could logically be 'pressed back together' " limitation. Another one where it may only affect them for a phase, but timed right it can be a nasty surprise. Summon 3-4 "Grabbers", Object of Opportunity (OIF). Basically a weird varient on Entangle, but instead of the usual mechanic you "summon" 3-4 automatons designed to leap at the victim, grab them, and then hold them and/or squeeze the life out of them. I have a 215-pt writeup for this that works particularly well without being overpowered. Entangle, Object of Opportunity (OIF), actual DEF cannot exceed DEF of object used(-1/2): the simpler, more straight-forward version of the above. Entangles the victim using objects in the environment. NND: G-Force shock. Defense is making a Combat Piloting Skill Roll, having Gravity Powers, or lacking a nervous system.

Re: Do You Design Characters for the Team?? Personally, I'm almost always the GM. However, the players *usually* work together in their concepts. For our current campaign, for example, one of them decided he was building his character around various lines in the "Summoner Geeks" short -- which included Darkness fields. As a result the other players all made sure they had secondary targetting senses (not that hard to justify anyway).

Re: The horror, the horror. European Enemies "debugged." I've actually made a few stabs at trying to contact Stan West to see if he'd allow me to post a CLOWN 5th Ed rewrite. No luck so far...

Re: The horror, the horror. European Enemies "debugged." I've actually got a Mime on my rewrite of CLOWN -- Master Mime.

Re: Alternate Earth 20: Paradise Island Lost Feminist columnist I read when that Julia Roberts movie about a woman's college came out a while back.

Re: Multipower/Combat Rules Clarification The biggest difference is that STUN doesn't get through FW if the BODY doesn't -- but FW doesn't follow the target around without appropriate advantages. The *second* biggest is that you can attack through Armor but not FW -- without the appropriate advantages (Transparent is quite common for FW for this very reason).

Re: Alternate Earth 20: Paradise Island Lost Interesting side note: it's been suggested that the status of women in the 1950's was "self-inflicted", with women willingly giving up the "gains" they made during the 1940's. Please note the scare quotes and keep the flames to "defrost"

Re: The Incredibles Both movies are on my "Must See" list. I'm hoping to get to Sky Captain later today, what with being a card-carrying Pulp Fan and all...

Re: Regular and Martial Maneuver Bonus? My rule o' thumb is that manuever-based skill levels work by "basis", not the specific manuever. Both Disarm and Martial Disarm have "Disarm" as their basis so both would benefit from the skill level. Another example (that's not very good for weapons, I'll admit) would be that Dodge, Martial Dodge, and Flying Dodge are all based on the same basis (Dodge) and therefore a skill level with Dodge would affect all three.