Doc Democracy
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Posts posted by Doc Democracy
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Re: What fundamental thing would you change about the Hero system?
Hmm, it was fun to see all of the comments about various aspects of characteristics both figured and primary. There are huge problems associated with characteristics and their costs because they break some of the fundamentals of the system - they are black box powers with semi-arbitrary costs.
Personally I would abolish characteristics. Characteristics as has been pointed out streamline the making of a character but they do introduce all of the skewed problems.
Instead I would make everything be bought through powers and skills - you want to do damage? Buy it through EB. You want to hit more easily? Buy skill levels. You want to be tough? Buy Armour FF etc. You want to be able to lift more weight? Buy limited TK.
I think that the only characteristics that would have to remain would be STUN, BODY, END and REC. They play a role in the game seperate from anything that the other stats do.
Doc
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Re: Some GMing Advice? Please
I hate to repeat myself - I just said this on another thread. You need to buy Villainy Amok (Scott, how many copies do I need to tout to get the Star Hero version for free?)
It is a brilliant source book that guides you through the generic superhero plotlines and how they can be developed and twisted to make a good story. Obviously you need to add some imagination and depth to some of it and everything above will make it better but this book can provide you with a solid framework off which everything else can hang.
Doc
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Re: Learning Hero
I remember picking up Champions back in 1982 when everyone else was playing AD&D and being hugely intimidated by that book - what a wimp!! I can't imagine how complicated the latest edition looks to someone entirely new.
I think the advice you have been given is good. I learned (in the absence of net support) by making up characters and fighting them and boy did they suck big time.
I practiced the system by me and my friends fighting the premade characters in source books. That got me used to looking at both the powers and system without having to consider building powers.
What no-one has suggested so far is Villainy Amok by Scott Bennie. It is one of the best superhero supplements I have ever picked up because it helps you, as a GM, to come up with plots for your game and suggestions on how to develop plots you may already have.
I have used it once or twice and it is good as it does provide you with some good comic-book style plots and plot developments and how to use them.
I'm just waiting on Scott to do something similar for Fantasy Hero and Star Hero...I'll buy them both.
Doc
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Re: Build me a power - Paralyzing Touch
I agree with Doc that the CourtFool has an elegant build but I don't think it is what I am looking for since the goal really is to bypass the typical defenses (which is why my original ideas leaned toward NNDs) and rely on strange things like "missing nerve cluster".Well, CourtFool's build works with NND as well - and it shouldn't be too difficult to work out when the NND wouldn't work. The deciding factors would be STUN and REC about who succumbed and for how long.
Doc
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Re: Build me a power - Paralyzing Touch
That all being said' date=' you could probably do a powerful HA with Must Target Hit Location -½, Requires Skill Roll (Anatomy) -½, All Or Nothing -½. SFX = conscious, but paralyzed.[/quote']I can't remember seeing this before but it is probably the best model that I can think of. Will rep you as soon as I've finished here.
When you think about it the SFX ask for an attack that renders the target incapable of acting. That is exactly what being reduced to 0 STUN or below achieves. Now you limit the attack by making it all or nothing (when target goes above 0 STUN they immediately recover to STUN prior to attack) and that the target would be able to use their senses while 'unconcious'.
Much better than other ENTANGLE based constructs and the things that should aid you in defending against it (high PD, good REC and SPD) do.
Good work.
Doc
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Re: Help Request with a magic item
For game mechanics' date=' I agree that Transform is the best candidate. I might also give the weapon Mind Control for a short-term "burst" of possession (for example, enemies of the weapon show up and the character goes on a killing spree, even if they aren't completely taken over yet).[/quote']If you are going the transform route then stick with it I say! Why mess around with Mind Control when adding a decent Berserk would be so much more effective!
Doc
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Re: why the UNITED NATIONS? (for global super-agency)
...and still no-one has pointed out that ITIL is not a real word, UNTIL is.
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Re: Difficult Build: Armor that tranfers damage
All forms of Desolid have to have something that they take damage from defined. This is usually a SFX; but in this case I've defined it as damage done to the wearer of the OTHER suit of transference Armor.Thus when the person wearing Armor suit A is damaged, the person wearing Armor suit B takes the damage and vice versa.
I wasn't confused about the mechanics, as I said I think you have a cool design for magical armour that apparently grants invulnerability - it didn't meet Alice's requirements though.
Doc
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Re: Difficult Build: Armor that tranfers damage
Not sure where your confusion lays -- obviously there would be two suits of armor' date=' each with the same build, paired to one another.[/quote']My confusion comes from my reading of Alice's request.
InAlice's there would be a master suit where the wearer's damage simply gets transferred to a second suit - no reciprocality. The wearer would be effectively immune because the damage done to him would go to the wearer of the cursed suit.
In your case the wearer is immune unless someone attacks the paired suit; in my understanding of Alice's request the wearer is immune because the damage is being directed to the paired suit.
Is my confusion clearer? As I said - its a variant on what I thought Alice was asking for and an intersting magic item in its own merit.
Doc
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Re: Difficult Build: Armor that tranfers damage
Armor of Transference: Desolidification (affected by Damage Done To Wearer Of Paired Suit of Armor)' date=' Only To Protect Against Damage (+0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (80 Active Points); Cannot Pass Through Solid Objects (-1/2), OIF (Armor; -1/2), Only Functions While Someone Else Is Wearing Paired Suit Of Armor (-1/2); Real Cost: 32[/quote']It's a nice build but does it do the job?
I presume this is the second suit of armour - the cursed one? However, the way you have built it the wearer of the armour would be virtually invulnerable to all blows except those directed at the person wearing the paired suit.
It's a nice variation on what I thought was being asked for - a Lord could stridfe through the battlefield attracting attacks while his only weakness would be if someone ignored the obvious target and instead attacked one of his minor lackeys.
Is that what you were going for? It meets Dust Raven's requirements of why such a paired suit of armour would be built...
Doc
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Re: Difficult Build: Armor that tranfers damage
Another take might be that damage transferred through the first set - when the second was empty would instead attack the armour thus ruining a fine suit of armour and rendering the first suit useless as more than simple armour.
I might even have the first suit fall apart if the second suit was destroyed. Lots of good story potential in both those situations...
Doc
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Re: Difficult Build: Armor that tranfers damage
Just to make sure I've got this straight...There are TWO sets of magical armor, each presumably providing some level of defense. The trick is that any damage that get's past the defense of one suit of armor, is applied to the guy wearing the other suit (which is applied to his defenses, minus the armor he's wearing), and none of it is applied at all to the guy wearing the suit of armor that was actually hit (beyond taking into account the armor's defense).
Have I got that right?
If I have, then I have a question: What happens when only one suit of the armor is being worn?
Good question! Give the man a GM badge...
I agree with your reading of the context - two suits - damage transference.
My take on the magical item would be that if the second suit was empty then the transference of damage would not happen - thus another limitation on the the power as I wrote it otherwise we have a fantastic invulnerability write around!
I would of course ensure that the second suit was suitably cursed so that, once on it could not be taken off until certain obscure conditions had been met (or through the devices of a high powered clerical type!).
Doc
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Re: Difficult Build: Armor that tranfers damage
Hmm. I agree that it is a magic item that can be handwaved as a plot device. However when I looked at it originally I wanted to use Missile Deflection (reflects damage) indirect until I realised that this didn't deal with HtH.
If it did deal with HtH then it didn't provide any range for the reflection.
Now. If I HAD to write it up then I think that I'd be buying a Missile Deflection (reflects damage), indirect, at range. There would be a requirement of two foci (suits of armour).
There would be no need to think about the bypassing of damage as I believe each suit of armour would have the same DEF and so damage that passes through one suit would pass through the other and I'd buy enough levels with the reflect to ensure that I could handwave it as automatic rather than having to roll for it.
I think I would also have to limit the reflection to ensure that the reflected damage only affected the wearer of the second suit of armour.
I guess with this construction you would end up with a range for the effect and if the wearer went beyond that range the damage would no longer be reflected - as such the power would have to be bought with that range strictly in mind.
Doc
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Re: As a GM, do you charge for...knick-knacks
That's always been my take. However, if a piece of mundane equipment is an integral part of the character and receives lots of on-screen time, it should be paid for with points. Example: Spider-man's camera.Keith "paid-for equipment is far more dependable" Curtis
Its not the screen time that I emphasise to players, its the dependability aspect.
If they want to be able to rely on having something then they pay for it, if something isn't paid for, from a flashlight to a nuclear warhead, then the players cannot rely on either its availability or it working when they have it.
Things paid for by points are under the control of the players and everything else comes under my dictat as GM.
Doc
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Re: Ghostly Possession
Corpse Possession: 50-point VPP + 25-point Control Cost (75 Active Points)- Limited Class (-1/2): Multiform Only
- No Choice Regarding How Powers Change (-1/2): Multiform Attributes Based Strictly on Merger of Spirit and Corpse Attributes (see below)
- Bulky Expendable (Very Difficult to Recover) OIF: Recently Slain "Corpse of Opportunity" (-1 1/2)
- Nonpersistent (-1/4)
Real Cost: 57 (50 + 7, with total Limitation of 2 3/4 on Control Cost)
How anal is the game about foci? I almost never invoke focus damage rules as a GM - just one too many things to consider usually. In this case I might warn the player that I am inclined to think seriously about it.
The OIF will be the focus for attacks and thus will degrade substantially over time and I'm not sure that you have any defences that will work for the focus. Are you planning on running two BODY totals - it didn't seem so from your post though that could also solve the problem of kicked out or killed. If the focus is destroyed before the ghost is killed then the spirit becomes free again.
You could also have a BODY pool in the VPP that represents the 'tie' to the BODY. Once the BODY pool is overcome then the spirit is expelled - whether or not the focus is destroyed. That amount of the VPP would be unavailable until the BODY was healed.
You'll have to let us know how it plays - the true test of any construct.
Doc
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Re: Mind Control for Translation?
You can use mind control to make people do things that they have the ability to perform.
If you were trying to make a person read a foreign newspaper then it probably wouldn't require more than minimal success to get them to do so. If it was reading out the instructions on how to fire missiles from a nuclear silo and begin a world war then it might take greater success.
If the person was not bilingual (and able to read the language in question) then no amount of success would get you a translation.
Doc
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Re: Plaugue Bearer powers?
Erm... you guys *do* realize that Michael has already said he's got the disease part itself already built' date=' right?[/quote']Hell yes, but this is an interesting discussion - I'm sure that Michael is more than capable of ignoring the noise or stealing anything that would add to the game fun...
Doc
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Re: Plaugue Bearer powers?
Why do I suddenly fear that stating out the common cold will result in a archvillian made with more points then Dr Destroyer' date=' Tekofanes and Tyrannus combined
[/quote']I don't think the common cold would do it. The effects wouldn't cost enough. Influenza might - but then that has probably killed more people.
It sounds complex but if you want to model something that affects so many people then it tends to cost points and the more effect the disease has the more it costs.
The side effect transform wouldn't cost extra - it would decrease the overall cost....and make it more 'real'.
I understand though - when you start properly costing this kind of stuff it always looks more expensive than you think it should. That's why so many people would simply handwave it as plot device under most circumstances.
Doc
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Re: Plaugue Bearer powers?
or you could put an activation roll on the "damage" portion of the disease. If the immune person is stil a carrier, you can apply that as a naked Sticky advantage that does not have the activation roll...I've actully considered making more poisons and diseases as AVLD's that apply vs "Bio Defense", a type of Power Defense that only works against that sort of attack. But NND just feels cleaner and easier to do the book keeping on
Oh good point, I had omitted carriers!
I'll have to play with numbers now...
A disease therefore has to have several characteristics
Effect, transmission, incubation time and immunity characteristics.
When the disease hits someone who has no immunity to the disease they suffer the effects and at some point possibly become infective (though certain diseases do not transmit from person to person).
If the disease hits someone who has immunity to the effects then they may still carry the disease and transmit it.
If the disease hits someone who has immunity to its entirety then they do not suffer the effects nor do they carry it.
The incubation time is important. Some diseases are infective only prior to the effects becoming obvious while others are infectious after the main ravages of the disease have passed and other during the effects phase. There should be some indication of incubation times and when the infectious stage of the disease occurs.
I think that there is also the potential for a disease power having a small transform side-effect - non-immune host to immune host. It makes the disease more limited in effect if it recurs.
Doc
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Re: Plaugue Bearer powers?
For more drama, I might ask them all to allocate 1 point of their XP to the PERK and then randomly allocate the person in secret and let them find out the hard way which of them are actually naturally immune..
You would then refund the points to those who succumb through play.
Doc
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Re: Plaugue Bearer powers?
One of the things that is missing from the diseases I see written up on the boards is any reflection that some of the hosts for the disease will be resistant. Even killer diseases find that some of their hosts are resistant and, if the disease pressure is applied constantly enough, a resistant population develops that co-exists with the disease.
It is a bad disease that wipes out its host as, once the hosts are gone, so is the disease. Usually, fatalities caused by a disease aer when the disease first encounters the host population and those with no resistance are felled. Eventually diseases are accommodated by populations and only become fatal once more when they undergo some serious mutation.
I understand this is not particularly superheroic, but if you have a heroic campaign then it might be worth having one or two of the party naturally immune. They may suffer limited symptoms, or take longer to succumb.
I would suggest a lottery among the players to determine who would be allowed to spend XP for a 1 point PERK.
Doc
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Re: Plaugue Bearer powers?
I'm thinking along the same lines as Derek. Build the disease first, then apply whatever you need to deliver it. You could possibly buy the disease and then buy a suite of naked modifiers that will allow it to be delivered by those means.The thing about burning it causes the ash to spread the disease is weird though. I don't know of any diseases that can survive being burned.
Well, one of the big problems with vCJD (new variant Creutzveldt Jakobs Disease) is that burning the cattle corpses did not eradicate the protein causing the problem - dentists' drills etc would not be sterile simply by autoclaving - they needed a chemical wash and possibly physical cleaning as well.
A lot of heat resistant bacteria could survive a poor burn - clumps of cells shrivel but the outer layers protect the inner cells from destruction and those go on to infect - indeed, having been boosted into the atmosphere by the hot air they spread a good deal further than before.
[sorry - couldn't resist the opportunity to use my bacteriology!]
Doc
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Re: Ghostly Possession
In the situation where a ghost animates a corpse I always wonder why it isn't simply a matter of switching off an always on Desolid with a VPP to provide added physical attributes from the corpse.
So if the ghost has 10 STR and animates a giant with STR 25 then the VPP needs to provide +15 STR.
The VPP would also have to provide BODY and when that BODY was depleted then the corpse was damaged so badly that the animation fails - it also means that a huge attack might actually disrupt the spirit before it goes desolid again.
Doc
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Re: Transformation
Unless there's been a computer game of the same or a similar name' date=' that still doesn't explain why Robyn thought I was talking about computer games. From the context, I would have thought it obvious I was talking about role-playing games.[/quote']Robyn's probably more likely to be aware of EverQuest and other Quest related computer games than RuneQuest.
It faded coz they lost focus and stopped producing fast simple products that people liked to play....lessons there for everyone
[/quote']
What fundamental thing would you change about the Hero system?
in HERO System Discussion
Posted
Re: What fundamental thing would you change about the Hero system?
I just love such fundamental statements!
It would fundamentally change the look of the game in both cases.
There have been a few comments directed at why removing fixed pricing would affect the game adversely.
How would removing characteristics 'ruin' the game? Characteristics and their black box package deals cause no end of argument on the forums and the lists that used to take that traffic. Removing them removes all that source of conflist and allows people to buy the effects that they want.
Doc