Talon

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

By the rules as written, PCs can pick up agent's blasters and keep them forever...unless the GM rules that they need to pay points for them. Similarly, you can wield your HKA focus at range...unless the GM rules that you need to pay points for it.

Re: Shorthand for character personality?

I tend to use a personal shorthand (a few descriptive words) which lets me recall enough of what I meant their personality to be. This seems like an interesting system; I'd suggest trying it and modifying it based on what works for you.

Re: The Ultimate Summoner

I agree Hugh and wouldn't consider Specific Person necessary for this construct. (Summoning the "same" spirit each time rather than a random one is discussed in Valdorian Age I believe, and I don't recall it requiring a modifier.)

Re: Need help deciding points for physical limitation

First question is, how likely is it that the character will be injured enough to draw blood? If it's a high-defense supers game and the character has 20 PD/ED Armor, it might not be worth more than 5 points; if defenses are lower, it will be worth more.

The "penalties to normal healing methods" can potentially be significant, as it could kill the character in a bad circumstance. I'd call it Frequent, Slight and thus 10 points.

The fact that it marks him as a Mutant should be Distinctive Features, and since he already has electric orbs for eyes, I'm guessing he has DF already. I wouldn't raise the value any higher for the blood unless the chance of him bleeding is really high.

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

Well' date=' not according to the rules. They state pretty clearly that you can indeed use TK to wield a weapon. They also note that unless you paid points for the weapon or have a WF with it you are at the normal -3 OCV for using it. And that the GM might want to impose an additional -1 OCV to represent the differences between fighting with a weapon in your hand and one used via TK.[/quote']

 

True, but the norm I have experienced (in supers games) is that someone who bought a 2d6 HKA OAF weapon and 30 STR TK and tried to regularly use the weapon with TK would be "discouraged" from doing so and encouraged to buy the ranged attack outright. YMMV.

Re: Telekinesis with Weapons, +STR?

Wow' date=' I didn't think there would be this much gray area over my query. It sounsd as though going with an indirect RKA with special effects would be least controversial, but it seems unnecessary to spend for TK (because the character concept needs it), then build a workaround to handle the ranged attack with a weapon. If I wanted a non-lethal attack, say with a club, I'd have to purchase yet another attack to simulate the effect. Stretching would work as a workaround, but it isn't really the same and there are subtle differences. Perhaps I should submit it to Steve for an opinion?[/quote']

 

In a standard superhero game, you would indeed be expected to pay separately for an RKA, a non-lethal attack, and TK (usually in a Multipower so the cost isn't so bad).

 

In a heroic game, it would be appropriate to use TK to wield a weapon, maybe even a weapon you haven't paid points for.

Re: Change Environment: Personal Immunity or Envirnomental Movement

Rubric:

 

1. Actually, it's not straight out of the book, it incorporates 3 separate Change Environments and puts it into 1 Change Environment.

This is in the book; you just need the Multiple Combat Effects adder (5ER p.137).

Re: Change Environment: Personal Immunity or Envirnomental Movement

I would not apply such penalties to a Desolid character (unless, of course, the special effect of the CE was the "weakness" defined for that instance of Desol).

Re: Attunement Modifier?

I suggest you read "Differing Modifers" on page 276 of 5ER.

For example, say you want to "attune" a sword with the ability to deliver a blinding Flash 4 times a day. Start with:

Sight Group Flash 6d6 (30 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), OAF (attuned sword; -1), No Range (-1/2), Real Cost 8 points.

[you could add Linked to sword attack; I didn't, if someone wants they can just tap someone with the sword.]

Then use the Differing Modifiers rules to apply the following to those 8 points:

Usable As Attack (Ranged, x8 targets; +2 1/4), 26 Active Cost. Extra Time: Full Phase (only to activate; -1/4), Real Cost 21 points. (Defense for Usable As Attack is not picking up the sword.)

[Add other "activation" limitations like Gestures or Incantations as needed.]

Voila, the character can grant the Flash power to up to 8 different swords. Since the "granting" power does not use a Focus, I would say the character can withdraw the power even if the Foci are lost.

(Also, I'm choosing to use the option that powers granted through a Focus don't require LOS to maintain; the GM could instead require 0 END and Persistent, or Uncontrolled, on the power. See page 273-4.)

Re: Attunement Modifier?

I think this is Usable By Others (probably the "Differing Modifiers" section.

I wouldn't consider it a Focus on the ability to create the power, since the attuner can end the effect at any time, even if the weapons are not present.

Re: Change Environment: Personal Immunity or Envirnomental Movement

Thanks for the reply. That solves the falling down problem. Is this a rule' date=' or is it your interpretation as GM? I don't have my book at the moment, although I don't recall reading anything about an automatic Dex roll upon entering. [/quote']

 

It's in 5ER (page 136, left column about where the "Weather Alteration" example beings).

 

However, if you would give me free EM for a Running power, why not for a Personal Immunity to my CE?

 

Paying points for a power that gives you the ability to run across ice seems like a good reason to let you, well, run across ice. I fully admit this is a subjective call -- by the book, there's no reason to do so. Just giving my perspective.

 

OTOH, if you /want/ EM to stop the power completely, I would give a Limitation for that (probably -1/4); use those points to buy EM and you are all set!

 

The idea of buying "enhanced" EM is also a good one -- since it just consists of PSLs, buy enough of those to cover all the penalties your CE creates, add 3" of Running, done. You could even buy the whole thing Usable By Others, OIF (cleats) and hand them out to buddies.

 

Well, the justification is that it is regular ice, not special mutant ice or alien ice or something. Possible reasons why others could walk on it: (1) experience with working on ice, (2) cleats or spikes on your feet, (3) extraordinary mass that breaks the ice with each step, etc.

 

Good answer. I like the idea of the character handing out cleats (with his logo on them, of course!), but that's just me.

Re: Change Environment: Personal Immunity or Envirnomental Movement

Change Environment says that if it affects a characteristic roll, the character is required to make at least one roll when entering the field of effect -- so if your power involves a penalty to DEX rolls, characters will have to make a DEX roll or fall down when they enter it (or if they are in the effect when you activate it).

In a supers game where you are paying points for the power, I would require Personal Immunity rather than Environmental Movement. I would also require Environmental Movement to walk on all ice (or some other power; if you have Running based on creating an ice slide, for example, I would probably just give you Environmental Movement for free in most supers games).

12 points seems like a lot...except that in every fight you might be doing this, and ignoring the penalties that everyone else incurs is a big deal.

I wouldn't let Environmental Movement negate the power unless you took a limitation to that effect (I would have it reduce the penalties, and I would make that clear to the player taking the power so they don't feel cheated -- he could take the same thing if he didn't want to go with PI). To make other characters immune to the effect would involve some sort of Power setup...and I'd be more curious about the concept justification for it.

Re: Building Whirlwind Attack

Also, I would not allow the Linked limitation in the original post (or at best it would be -1/4, linking a greater power to a lesser power), and I would note that Full Phase plus Delayed Phase for -3/4 is the same limitation value as Extra Phase (-3/4); depending on the character, I might consider the Delayed Phase to be not worth a limitation.

Re: Building Whirlwind Attack

Whirlwind Attack would also be Selective Area of Effect, I believe.

Re: Suseptibilty vs. Vulnerability

Most importantly, Vulnerability only works against things that cause damage of some sort (i.e., Attack Powers). If a character takes damage from something else, that's Susceptibility.

Susceptibility is nice because it lets you choose the effect level and frequency, so you can model "can only be out of water for X hours" for pretty much any value of X.

Vulnerabilities can be nasty because multiplying damage totals can result in a lot of damage. I played a character at a con with "2x STUN from physical attacks"; one bullet and she was at -45 STUN.

I prefer (both as a GM and a player) to point people toward Susceptibility since it's a "kinder" disad most of the time. Vulnerability is good for villains with an Achilles heel, and it does make sense for some PCs.

Re: Partial Multiforms

Should you allow some sort of limtiation discount on the multiform to reflect that you are not getting as much from the points as someone who changes the whole 'form'? I mean the build makes SENSE but you would probably be more efficient if you changed your skill set with each form so that you could cover a wider spectrum.

I personally wouldn't allow such a limitation, in part because drawing the line of when to apply it would create as many problems as it solved. For example, when the switch between forms is constrained in some way, having access to certain basic abilities is probably an advantage, not a limitation. Someone shouldn't get a cost break because they want their Force Field to exist in both forms.

Re: Talking to the duplicates

It's a trust issue, and an enjoyment issue. Few players like being told what their characters do...and good players will "play along" if something happens that their character would do even if it hurts the character.

As GM, I will use escalating hints "you REALLY find his words convincing", but in the end it's the player's call. A player who consistently ignores his character's background/personality probably won't enjoy my games anyway...and I'll find other ways to mess with them. I also apply the same logic to NPCs; sometimes a really good Interaction roll will fail because of an NPC's background (obviously this is far more likely to happen with more important NPCs, since they are likely to have more background info).

As for superskills...that's a different game mechanic, and I would describe it accordingly ("you can't help yourself"), etc.

Re: Hero Sales Figures, new blood?

Not that I'm trying to defend D20' date=' but you can do the same thing with any system. If a D20 book has something you don't like throw it out, the same way you can with Hero. It's actually probably easier since you can just say "I'm not using that book/PrC" as opposed to having to fight off the: "...but the president of the frickin' company says it's this way!"[/quote']

 

I found it harder to do that in d20 because unlike Hero, "rolling your own" rules changes is not easy. New spells / classes / items / etc. in Hero are generally based on existing mechanics, so it's easy to decide if they fit or not. In d20 they are not.

 

My final solution in D&D was "if you want me to consider something from another book, I need a copy of the book first, and I'm not buying it". Worked pretty well!

Re: Talking to the duplicates

I'd say the best you can do is convince whatever copies are actually present, and hope they can convince the other duplicates.

Or, buy Sticky on your Oratory.

Re: Partial Multiforms

There is, however, nothing to prevent you from buying multiform for a vehicle, or a follower, or an automaton.

 

This begs a different question, though. Say I buy my intelligent vari-weapon as a follower with multiform instead of a focus based multipower. Can I pick up my follower and hit someone with it?

I would be unlikely to allow this; if I were to allow it, the follower's attacks would need Usable by Other.

Of course, if you're going down that path, why bother? Just give the follower SPD and OCV equal to your own, and you get double Phases!

Re: Partial Multiforms

Gotta disagree with the disagreement with respect to your respecting of...oh bother.

Multiform is based on "forms"; you look at how much a /character/ costs, not "the stuff that you want to have change". It even says that forms don't get to share anything for free. I'd say sharing characteristics and skills would fall under that clause.

In the "Vari-armor" case, I assume that the Multiform includes all of the other character's abilities and stats...they just don't change between forms.

Re: help with a character build

Personally, I think many of the example limitations in 5ER are under-rated. I would give "only in darkness" -1 most likely; "only vs fire" seems closer to -2 than -1 IMO.

Re: help with a character build

A lot depends on the game; if it's a "heroes defend the city" game and the villains can time their attacks for early morning, big limitation. If it's a vigilante game where the heroes are taking the initiative most of the time, not so much. I chose arbitrary numbers that made the math work well.

Re: help with a character build

I would totally have a villain arrange to have a special time zone law passed just before a major crime.

Re: help with a character build

You can use partially limited powers...just buy parts of each power with a different limitation.

Flight 3" (only from 6 am onward, -1/4), 5 points

Flight 3" (only from noon onward, -1/2), 4 points

Flight 6" (only from 6 pm onward, -1) 6 points

That's all one power, with differing limitations applied to different amounts.

The less complex way is to make an aggregate limitation "loses 100% before 6am, 75% before noon, 50% before 6 pm" and apply it to the whole thing, but that seems less precise to me.