Talon

See this thread for a stab at a FAQ summary.

Inspired by a thread on the Champions board, I went through the FAQ and pulled out stuff that I thought was above the level of interpretation -- new Adders, restrictions on powers that might not have been clear in FREd, etc. This is *my* interpretation of what's most valuable or useful. This is not an official company interpretation and has not been reviewed or approved by Mr. Long. Obviously, everything in here is subject to change, as the FAQ evolves. My intent is to update this as the FAQ changes, but for the most up to date info, check the FAQ. Some of the names for the Modifiers, Adders, etc. are made up – the FAQ doesn't give a name, just a rule. FAQ Summary, July 8 2003 Combat Skill Levels: There are several specific rulings on what can and cannot be purchased with CSLs (2 and 3 point CSLs in particular). [FAQ, Skills, CSLs] Built-In Powers: Limitations on “built-in” powers (such as Running) do not use the total value, even if it applies to that Running as well as any additional Running purchased. [FAQ, Powers, General Issues] Area of Effect Powers: Options listed under the “Area of Effect” Advantage (such as Cone or Selective) can be applied to inherently AOE powers at the GM's option. [FAQ, Powers, General Issues; FAQ, Advantages and Add-Ons, Area of Effect] Alterable Size: +5 Adder for any AOE power. Allows the character to alter the size as a Zero Phase action (unless the Power has Extra Time and/or Concentration) once per Phase. Optional (requires GM permission). [FAQ, Powers, General Issues] Moveable: (Stop Sign) +1 Advantage for any AOE power. Allows the character to move an AOE power, potentially affecting everything that the power contacts as it moves. Power has No Range (even if it previously had Range); Ranged can be purchased if desired. Exact rate of movement left up to GM. Optional (requires GM permission and clarification). [FAQ, Powers, General Issues] Mental Powers: Mental powers with Reduced Endurance: 0 END still require END to prevent deterioration. [FAQ, Powers, Mental Powers] Sense-Affecting Powers: Sense-Affecting Powers (such as Darkness and Images) with Autofire require the additional +1 Advantage. (Included because some official writeups apparently do not have the additional +1.) [FAQ, Powers, Sense-Affecting Powers] Change Environment: Only one type of effect is allowed per purchase of Change Environment unless the GM rules otherwise. [FAQ, Powers, Change Environment] An adder to bypass this is listed in The UNTIL Superpowers Database, page 251. Varying Combat Effects: +10 Adder for Change Environment. Allows the character to change the combat effect of the Change Environment to any other effect of equal or lesser value. [FAQ, Powers, Change Environment] Listed in The UNTIL Superpowers Database, page 251. Characteristics: Characteristics bought through a Power Framework automatically get to apply the No Figured Characteristics Limitation. [FAQ, Powers, Characteristics] Clairsentience: Note that since the perception point is immobile, by default Clairsentience bought as “through the eyes of others” won't work well if the target is moving. [FAQ, Powers, Clairsentience] Mobile Perception Point: +5 Adder for Clairsentience. Allows the character to move the perception point at 6” per Phase (x2 per +5 points) in any direction (including in the air and through solid objects). [FAQ, Powers, Clairsentience] Official version listed in Star Hero, page 53. Multiple Perception Points: +5 Adder for Clairsentience. Allows x2 perception points for each +5 (4 for +10, 8 for +15, etc.); otherwise, Clairsentience can only have a single perception point active at a time. [FAQ, Powers, Clairsentience] Official version listed in Star Hero, page 53. Duplication: Simultaneous Follower: +5 Adder for Duplication. Allows the Follower of a Duplicate to appear at the same time as the duplicate is formed. [FAQ, Powers, Duplication] Rapid Duplication: Advantage for Duplication. For each +1/4, the character can create x2 the number of Duplicates in a Half Phase (+1/4 for 2, +1/2 for 4, etc.). [FAQ, Powers, Duplication] Energy Blast: Optional BODY: +1/2 Advantage for Energy Blasts. Allows the character to choose whether or not to do BODY damage. [FAQ, Powers, Energy Blast] Enhanced Senses: Only the following Sense Modifiers can be “inherited” from the Sense Group: Discriminatory, Range, Sense, Targeting. Analyze and Increased Arc of Perception cannot be inherited. [FAQ, Powers, Enhanced Senses] Specific Sense Modifiers included in each sense group: Hearing: Discriminatory (crude), Range, Sense. Mental: Range. (Sense is not granted, even though Mental Awareness has it.) Radio: Range, Sense. Sight: Discriminatory (crude), Range, Sense, Targeting. Smell/Taste: Discriminatory (crude), Range, Sense. Touch: Discriminatory (crude), Sense. Unusual: (no Sense Modifiers granted) (In all cases of Discriminatory being granted, the effect is lesser than that described in the book; use the degree of information provided by real-world senses as a guide.) Dimensional: Sense Modifier. Allows Sense or Sense group to see into a single other dimension. +5 points for one Sense, +10 points for a Sense Group. Expanding the Sense or Sense Group to a related group of dimensions cost +5 points, or to all dimensions for +10 points. [FAQ, Powers, Enhanced Senses] Healing: Decreased Healing Time: Advantage for Healing (not Regeneration). For each +1/4, the character can re-apply Healing one step on the Time Chart faster (starting from the default of 24 hours). [FAQ, Powers, Healing] Shape Shift: Makeover: +5 Adder for Shape Shift. Allows the character to alter his COM while Shape Shifting to any value to whatever range of standards the GM has defined for the campaign. [FAQ, Powers, Shape Shift] Telekinesis: Affects Porous: +10 Adder for Telekinesis. Allows character to affect liquids; normally, Telekinesis cannot affect liquids or gases. [FAQ, Powers, Telekinesis] Official version listed in The Hero System Bestiary and The UNTIL Superpowers Database. To affect gases, apply AOE to Telekinesis; the FAQ notes this may be unbalancing and may be altered to a +10 Adder at some point. [FAQ, Powers, Telekinesis] Megascale: Scalable: Additional option for Megascale. For +1/4, the character can “scale down” the Megascale measurement, to a minimum of 1 km (or less, with the GM's permission). [FAQ, Advantages and Add-Ons, Megascale] Official version listed in Star Hero and several other supplements. Charges: For powers that cost no END with Fuel Charges, the Charges value can never be higher than -0 (even if counting down the Charges table would indicate an Advantage). [FAQ, Limitations, Charges] Requires # Charges Per Use: Limitation for powers in a Multipower with Charges that require more than one Charge per use. The value is: -1/4 for 2 Charges per use; -1/2 for 3-7 Charges per use; -3/4 for 8-12 Charges per use; -1 for 13-17 Charges per use, etc. This assumes the Multipower has 65 or more Charges in total. For each step up the Charges table, add -1/4 to the above Limitation values. [FAQ, Limitations, Charges] Increased Reload Time: Limitation for powers with Charges with clips. If changing clips takes 2 Full Phases, apply a -1/4 Limitation; for each step down the Time Chart, increase the Limitation by -1/4. [FAQ, Limitations, Charges] Variable Power Pools: Use Characteristic or Background Skill: +1/4 Advantage on VPP Control Cost. Allows the character to use a Characteristic or Background Skill Roll to change the VPP allocation. [FAQ, Power Frameworks, Variable Power Pools]

I would see a lot of arguments over Psych Lims. Also, it would be funny to see the arguments about Hunteds showing up. "Darnit, that's not fair -- his Hunted showed up AGAIN! Why won't anybody ever come after me?"

I agree with everything you said...but it's still unrealistic. Someone with 20 STR shouldn't automatically be able to break world leaping records. It doesn't make real-world sense. Of course, most of the time it doesn't matter that it doesn't make sense. But it's good to acknowledge the fact.

You didn't miss anything, it's unrealistic. If I was running an Olympics campaign or something, I would definitely house-rule it. For cinematic games (where people seem to defy gravity, physics, etc. on a regular basis), it's not terrible so long as everyone understands that it's part of the game. Similarly, note that people can Swim all day with no problem, since Swimming will rarely cost more than 1 END. A more realistic rule would be to have normal human Swimming cost 2-4x END, so that people would actually get tired being in the water.

I think the idea of the Aid solution was to start with a minimum amount of the power, and then have Aid that boosts it to the appropriate AP max and which has the ability to add advantages. Still might not be what you want, though.

IMO, a power bought with enough OCV levels to hit anyone in the campaign on a 17- is close enough to "always hits" as makes no difference; just use a SFX other than "I missed" for when you roll an 18. I actually had a PC in one of my games who took "Not My Fault" as a Perk...whenever he missed, it was due to some random aspect of the universe (ceiling tile falling, etc.). The /character/ never missed. As for melee Reflection: one common SFX is a character who creates teleport gates, so that someone's attack literally appears behind them (or across the battlefield). Although the Ranged UAA Advantage thing give me fits when I read it in the Questions forum (before seeing this thread), I think it's the best way to go -- expensive and cheesy, but gets the job done, and properly conveys the dangerousness of allowing this sort of power. ("Hm...no, you attack /him/, you attack /him/, and you attack yourself. OK.")

I had a GM who INSISTED that my Aid - STUN booster shot gadget didn't need Continuous or Uncontrolled...just Continuing Charges. That lasted right up until the first time I used it.

The answers regarding Linked powers with Activation rolls under "Activation" and "Linked" contradict each other.

Although the final paragraph talks about extending it to buildings and the like, I think Analyze: Value strays a bit far from the basic concept (which was really analyzing other characters). I wouldn't recommend it, but since it's a 3/2 skill I wouldn't get too bent out of shape if that's how my GM wanted it done.

(I'm so glad that FH is done so I can ask questions like these. ) The FAQ says that to Missile Deflect an Autofire attack, you make a roll which depends in part on the number of hits. Later on, the FAQ says that you make a Missile Deflection roll before the Attack Roll has been made (and thus before the number of hits has been established). Is the Autofire ruling a specific exception to this?

According to the FAQ, you can't Limit 2-point Missile Deflection CSLs -- you have to buy them as 5-point CSLs. But (the FAQ says soon after) if you put the Missile Deflection in a Power Framework, then you can limit the 2-point CSLs. Is this correct -- it seems rather unfair to those people who aren't using a Power Framework.

If a character has Find Weakness that costs END, and stops paying END for it, does the halving of defenses still apply?

Find Weakness has two "Can you use PSLs to counteract penalties for multiple attempts" questions.

Can you post the heroes too please. :)

IMO, knowing the value of stuff is a Knowledge Skill, not a Professional Skill. KS: Value of stuff would take care of this. Of course, that's very broad, so the character would know generally how much everything was worth but not be too good about specifics. KS: Jewelry Values would give the character amazing knowledge about that subject, as it's very focused. PS: Merchant would include knowing how to appraise something (general rules based on appearance, market factors, etc.; plus what kinds of people to take specific items to) and probably how to estimate an item's value based on how people react to it. PS: Thief would include being able to prioritize items (what items in a house are portable, valuable, and easily fenced) and again some basic info on how to value items. Obviously, a Detect (with Discriminatory or Analyze) would be a way for a character to get near-perfect knowledge about the value of items.

Another option would be some sort of Extra-Dimensional Travel to "inside the target"; that gets rid of weird circumstances where someone tries to un-Cling the character (say, by using a Double Knockback attack against them while Desolid, so the host isn't affected). As for the Mind Link, I would probably rule that establishing a Mind Link requires ARW, but using a pre-existing Mind Link does not. That might not be entirely consistent, but it makes sense to me.

The FAQ says: If the character takes a second Attack action (and pays any extra END, etc.) to re-invoke the power over the same area, would the penalties then accumulate?

In the Mental Powers section, there are two "How do AOE Mental Powers work?" questions that are mostly duplicative.

Just noticed the FAQ question about determining Casual STR for characters with negative STR. I believe that the answer you give can be more concisely stated as "take the character's STR and subtract 5 to get Casual STR (for negative STR values)".

Since SPD doesn't cost END, it shouldn't be in an Elemental Control even if it's bought as a Power, correct?

When's the game, we want to know what happens!

What I think is needed (and I might do after GenCon) is some sort of condensation of the FAQ which focuses on stuff you should know for character creation. Right now it's very hard to look through the FAQ for "stuff that I might want to know when making a character". I believe that it would be possible to present that information in a more friendly manner, and keep that updated as the FAQ changes.

Which, for the most part, is the case.

Even with the vastly improved quality of character writeups in 5th edition books, I hesitate to use those writeups as primary sources for rules interpretations. I think that if Steve/DOJ wanted to cynically require people to purchase more books just to get all the rules, they would have put a lot more rules stuff into those books. I think what we see is a refining of the system over time, as the implications of various rules surface. I do agree, however, that such implications and refinings should be referenced in the FAQ, so that people with only FREd can find out what the current state of the rules is. If the FAQ says "Change Environment works this way", that's an official change. If CKC or USPD says "Change Environment works this way," that's an optional rule, albeit one from an official source. I certainly wouldn't assume that any such rule was being used if I joined a campaign.