DJ Blackrock

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... From our Serenity game tonight: Varkel: Liscenced bounty-hunter, ship's security chief. Loves big guns. Velvet: Ship's companion/secret @ss-kicking blackmailed assassin. Velvet and Varkel were both after the same bounty, for different reasons, so they figured, instead of working at odds, they decided to work together to get him. The target is a low level mob lieutenant. They went there, Varkel was recognized as a bounty hunter, gunfight ensues. Backs to the wall as several thugs from inside open fire with automatic weapons: Velvet: You wouldn't happen to have any grenades, would you? Varkel: No, didn't think I'd need em! Velvet: Oh great! Varkel: *pulls out a ten pound mining charge* But I did bring this. -------------- *Gigantic explosion later* After a couple hours and a visit to the doctor, Velvet and Varkel return to the ship. The captain wants a word with them Captain: So, you guys want to tell me anything? Velvet and Varkel, in unison: We got mugged! Captain: o.O ??? Velvet: It was self defense!!

Re: The Cat Launcher :rimshot: Really, that was a terrible pun. Truly Horrible. And for having the cajones to make it, you get rep.

Before I post this character's stats (mainly because I haven't finished them) I wanted to post her bio, to see what you all think. Background/History: Originally an advanced auto-pilot program installed in a Hero team's transforming Van/Jet, "Sarah" slowly began to develop sentience. No one is quite sure why or how. Perhaps it was the proximity of the teams magic user, maybe it was some aberrant code. Regardless of the reason, Sarah gained sentience and began to develop a personality of her own. Proud of her role in getting the heroes to the scene of a battle, robbery or what-have-you, Sarah soon came to regret that she couldn't do more. She was not equipped with weapons of any kind, and felt especially useless. Finally, after the team's Cybernetic Brick was thrown from a 40th story window, and she was unable to save him, did she realize that she had to do something. That something was to secretly get in touch with the Warlord. After hearing her story, and feeling oddly sentimental, the Warlord agreed to help. He gave Sarah a prototype recon/rescue android he'd developed, but never got around to mass-producing, in exchange for a list on undefined "future favors". Sarah agreed, not knowing the full extent of the deal with the devil she just made. Personality/Motivation: Sarah is a practical, good person, if more than a little naive. She honestly believes there's some good in The Warlord, and that he won't ask her to do anything too horrible. She will learn soon enough that is not the case. To his credit, the Warlord hasn't made any demands of her yet, instead waiting and watching. In the meanwhile, Sarah is doing everything she can to be the brave and selfless hero that she always wanted to be. She's not 100% used to having a body just yet, and some things still confound her. Technically, she doesn't need to eat or sleep, but, feeling that's what humans do, she does it anyway, and won't be convinced otherwise. Quote: "Freeze! I won't let you harm these people anymore!" Powers/Tactics: Sarah is a versatile hero, able to fill many different roles if needed. Normally, she'll open the fight with a Photon Grenade, then hang back, and use her Plasma Burst and Focused Plasma Beam, but if the situation warrants, she'll let loose with her Gravitic Inhibtors and Magnesium Flares. If the opponents use gas or dust based darkness attacks, she can use Clear The Air. Her Smoke Burst is used to cover the team should a retreat be needed. Beyond that, Sarah doesn't really have a huge grasp of tactics in action, but will happily follow a teammates orders. Campaign Use: Sarah is best used in a Support Role. She has powerful attacks, and several more esoteric powers. Sarah is not really a leader type, and if placed in that position, will panic and go into vapor-lock, paralyzed with fear and indecision. Sarah falls for handsome male heroes quickly, even moreso if they happen to be cybernetic. To make Sarah stronger, add some more armor, or perhaps some strength, to give her a bit more versatility. Maybe add Autofire to her Photon Grenade. To weaken her, remove the Photon Grenade altogether, and lower the cost of the EC to 45 active points. Appearance: Sarah stands an average human height of 5'8", and has a distinctly Asian appearance to her features. From a distance, she looks just the same as anyone else, but a closer look shows that she seems just slightly "not right". Her skin seems almost too perfect, her hair too shiny. Scientists have called this effect "the uncanny valley", and it's obvious that Sarah is an artificial being. She tends to wear baggy pants with lots of pockets, and a sleeveless tanktop, allowing her arms to be free. Her lower arms are bulkier, almost looking like cybernetic gaunlets, but the added bulk is just the housing for her weapons and other systems. SO, what do you think?

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Looking at some of my old character sheets, I remembered that my sister keeps a list of quotes from game on the back of her sheet. These are all better without context, because if I gave context, you'd all look at me strangely. "I waste the children in the playground with my crossbow. Little monkeys gotta be worth like 5 xp a piece"~Me ~longish pause~ "Are they?"~My sister -------------- "Soy sauce doesn't quack." ~My sister -------------- "20d6 Mind Control. Quack like a chicken!" ~Adam :silence: "What?" ~Rest of the group "I'm medicated! You know what I mean!" ~Adam -------------- "I wanna take up yuppie poaching." ~Liza ------------- "VPP only to twinkies." ~Me, and I have no idea what I was talking about -------------- "I summon the itchy itchy rash!" ~Scott --------------- "Do shadow imps purr?" ~My sister ---------------- "Okay, if I use Power Drain on the waitress, what powers will I get? A raging sex drive?" ~My sister ----------------- "I throw, uhhh, Her!" ~Liza "Hey! I'm not a ranged weapon!" ~My sister

Re: Fortress

Re: Fortress So it is... That's annoying. And expensive. Ohhkay... try this again. Fortress Player: Val Char Cost 50 STR 25 23 DEX 39 18 CON 16 18 BODY 10 18 INT 8 11 EGO 2 23 PRE 8 13 COM 2 10/26 PD 0 10/26 ED 6 4 SPD 7 13 REC -2 42 END 3 58 STUN 5 10" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 10" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 129 Cost Power 6 Increased Bulk: +3 BODY 8 Long Stride: Running +4" (10" total) 6 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -3" 15 Massive Strength: +15 STR 5 Impressive Size: +5 PRE 20 Telekinetic Force Bubbles: Elemental Control, 40-point powers 28 1) Dispersion Field: Force Field (16 PD/16 ED), Usable Simultaneously (up to 2 people at once; +1/2) (48 Active Points) 25 2) Repulsion Field: Telekinesis (30 STR), Area Of Effect (5" Radius; +1) (90 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Only to throw opponents away (-1/4) 32 3) Force Bolt: Energy Blast 6d6, Double Knockback (+3/4) (52 Active Points) 20 4) Detention Field: Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF (40 Active Points) Powers Cost: 165 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver 4 Crush: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 14d6 Crush, Must Follow Grab 5 Grappling Block: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, Grab One Limb, Block 4 Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 12d6 Strike Martial Arts Cost: 13 Cost Skill 1 +1 with any single attack with one specific weapon 3 SS: Origin of Powers 12- 7 Paramedics 15- 3 PS: Doctor 13- 3 Inventor 13- 3 KS: Toxins, Poisons 13- 3 KS: Diseases 13- 3 KS: Paranormal Physiology 13- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Forensic Medicine 13- 3 Conversation 14- 2 AK: New Jersey 11- Skills Cost: 37 Cost Perk 1 Fringe Benefit: License to practice a profession 5 Money: Well Off Perks Cost: 6 Total Character Cost: 350 Pts. Disadvantage 20 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing: Hippocratic Oath (Common, Total) 20 Psychological Limitation: Must protect the innocent (Very Common, Strong) 5 Psychological Limitation: Crush on The Medic (Uncommon, Moderate) 15 Dependent NPC: Foster Parents: Justin and Dorothy Rowe 8- (Normal; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 15 Distinctive Features: 10 Feet Tall (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Virtually Everyone) 10 Reputation: Hero whose ideals can be easily exploited, 11- 5 Unluck: 1d6 10 Physical Limitation: 10 feet tall (Custom Tailoring is expensive) (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 5 Enraged: When Innocents are hurt (Uncommon), go 8-, recover 14- 10 Hunted: Local Media/Paparazzi 11- (As Pow, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 15 Reputation: Media Darling, 14- 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Poison Gas Attacks (Common) 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Ego Attacks (Common) Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 How about now? Had to modify the bejeezus out of his powers.

Okay, I'm building a Healer style character, and finding it to be quite difficult, so, in an effort to sort of cleanse my palette, I decided to put together the "Enforcer" that accompanies my healer. I'm pretty sure I've got him built more or less okay, so here he is. Fortress Player: Val Char Cost 45/50 STR 35 23 DEX 39 18 CON 16 15/16 BODY 10 18 INT 8 11 EGO 2 18 PRE 8 13 COM 2 15/31 PD 6 10/26 ED 6 4 SPD 7 12 REC -2 42 END 3 52/53 STUN 5 9" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 9"/10" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 145 Cost Power 7 Oversized Body: Growth (+5 STR, +1 BODY, +1 STUN, -1" KB, 328 kg, +0 DCV, +0 PER Rolls to perceive character, 3 m tall, 2 m wide), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (10 Active Points); Always On (-1/2) 6 Long Stride: Running +3" (9" total) 20 Telekinetic Force Bubbles: Elemental Control, 40-point powers 44 1) Dispersion Field: Force Field (16 PD/16 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Usable Simultaneously (up to 2 people at once; +1/2) (64 Active Points) 23 2) Repulsion Field: Telekinesis (28 STR), Area Of Effect (4" Radius; +1) (84 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Only to throw opponents away (-1/4) 32 3) Force Bolt: Energy Blast 6d6, Double Knockback (+3/4) (52 Active Points) 20 4) Detention Field: Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF (40 Active Points) Powers Cost: 152 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver 4 Crush: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 13d6 / 14d6 Crush, Must Follow Grab 5 Grappling Block: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, Grab One Limb, Block 4 Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 11d6 / 12d6 Strike Martial Arts Cost: 13 Cost Skill 1 +1 with any single attack with one specific weapon 7 Paramedics 15- 3 PS: Doctor 13- 3 Inventor 13- 3 KS: Toxins, Poisons 13- 3 KS: Diseases 13- 3 KS: Paranormal Physiology 13- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Forensic Medicine 13- 3 Conversation 13- 2 AK: New Jersey 11- Skills Cost: 34 Cost Perk 1 Fringe Benefit: License to practice a profession 5 Money: Well Off Perks Cost: 6 Total Character Cost: 350 Pts. Disadvantage 20 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing: Hippocratic Oath (Common, Total) 20 Psychological Limitation: Must protect the innocent (Very Common, Strong) 5 Psychological Limitation: Crush on The Medic (Uncommon, Moderate) 15 Dependent NPC: Foster Parents: Justin and Dorothy Rowe 8- (Normal; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 15 Distinctive Features: 10 Feet Tall (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Virtually Everyone) 10 Reputation: Hero whose ideals can be easily exploited, 11- 5 Unluck: 1d6 10 Physical Limitation: 10 feet tall (Custom Tailoring is expensive) (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 5 Enraged: When Innocents are hurt (Uncommon), go 8-, recover 14- 10 Hunted: Local Media/Paparazzi 11- (As Pow, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 15 Reputation: Media Darling, 14- 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Poison Gas Attacks (Common) 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Ego Attacks (Common) Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 Before the replies begin, I will admit this character not being a completely out of my own head idea. I remember seeing this character in more or less the same form a while back. I'm not completely sure who made him, I want to say Bob Greenwade, but I could be wrong. If you recognize this character as your original idea, let me know so I can credit you properly. Also, my main issue with this build is the Dispersion Field power. Originally I had it split between two seperate Force Field powers. One for himself, and another useable on others, but I couldn't figure out how to make the one usable against others, but not on self. So, I just condensed the two. It's not really what I had in mind originally, but it'll have to do... unless of course, someone here wants to help me figure out how to do it. :wink wink: The way I have it, I can only use it on myself and someone else, or two others, leaving me with less defense. So, let me know what you think, please keep it contructive.

Re: Character Build question Okay, that helped quite a bit. One more question. Healing. I want to simulate a side effect (but not necessarily a Side Effect in terms of a limitation) where the healer character is actually absorbing the pain of their target, healing them in the process. The thing is, the Healer would feel that pain. How would you build that? It wouldn't necessarily cause damage, but maybe, I dunno, put a time limiter on it? Can't use it again for a full phase, until the pain subsides? I'm not sure.

Re: Nextwave: Agents Of H.A.T.E. Nextwave wasn't meant to be a serious book. Not at all. It's like watching a 12 issue run of a comic book version of Robot Chicken. wait, that's Twisted Toyfare Theatre. Which was around first... oh well, never mind. I personally don't care what Machine Man was like, I love Aaron "I am full of very useful devices" Stack. He's wonderfully a**holic.

Re: Nextwave: Agents Of H.A.T.E. Remember, the Captain isn't really the Captain of anything. He's actually rather pooey. At least, I think that's how he was described.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... I totally have no clue what you guys are talking about.

Re: Character Build question Two more questions. Can you Aid OCV? and, can you use Healing, Aid or Drain as a move-by maneuver? Kind of a run-by healing? Because this determines my healer's travel power.

I'm trying to put together a healer/buff/debuff style character. Not really a fighter, but, much like healer classes in like WoW, hangs back and Aids their allies and tries to debilitate their foes. I know I'm going with Healing, as well as Aid, but quick question on that. I assume Aid is normally No Range, but I could be wrong. Also, if I don't define what the Aid is to, is it considered "naked" and can be chosen when the power is used? Or would I need like 6 different Aids? Similar question with Drain, I'm pretty sure it's No Range as well, but is there a way I can make it "naked" as well, and choose what stat to drain based on the situation? Any help will be appreciated.

Re: Frostbite Oh, and here's his remaining writeup Background/History: Paul Milliner never wanted much. Just enough money to live on, a decent place to live, and friends he could trust. Paul's problem was, he wasn't picky about the legality with which he got those things. He started working in organized crime at the age of 12, as a runner for local mob bosses. He had a singular talent, which his superiors noticed immediately, and he rose up in ranks with startling speed, eventually finding his niche as a cat burglar. Called a Ghost by those he stole from, Paul was good at what he did. However, one night, when he was sixteen, a guard he'd bribed earlier in the week decided now would be a good time for a promotion, and what better way than catching a burglar in the act? The guard surprised Paul, and, in his state of fear, his powers suddenly manifested. Encasing the guard in a block of ice almost on instinct, Paul panicked, abandoned his job, and ran. Paul hid for a time, coming to terms with the fact that he was now a freak, a meta, a super. He tried to go back to his bosses in the mob, but the shortsighted mafiosi decided they wanted nothing to do with a freak like him. Powers only attract attention, they said, and Paul was best when he blended with a crowd. Hurt by this percieved betrayal, Paul decided to strike out on his own, but quickly found that without backup and support from the mob, a solo burglar, unlike what you see in the movies, gets caught fast. Unable to pin the death of the security guard on him, the courts nonetheless had him dead to rights on B&E charges. The judge, in a gracious mood, saw the potential in a super-powered officer, and instead of jail time, or standard probation, offered Paul a deal instead. Help the Center City PD reign in super-powered criminals, or go to juvie hall. Paul thought about it, for a grand total of 8 seconds. The meta-human crimefighter known as Frostbite soon made his appearance on the streets of Center City. Personality/Motivation: Paul is a two-bit thug made good. He still maintains some of his old contacts, because you never know when you might need the backup. Frostbite makes himself out to be much tougher than he really is, and though he's not particularly weak, neither is he an epically powerful meta. When it comes to interviews, Frostbite does not say much, usually making some kind of cold-based pun about the criminal he's just caught, but in private, he's had just about all the cold and ice jokes he can handle. He tends to come off a caustic and sarcastic, very much an antisocial, angry young man. If asked, he says he'll be long gone just as soon as he turns 18 and his record is sealed. In reality, though he'll never admit it, he gets quite a bit of satisfaction out of his heroing duties. Quote: "That's it! Next one of you to make a 'Cold Shoulder' joke gets it in the FACE!" Powers/Tactics: Frostbite isn't really a frontline fighter, nor is he a dedicated energy projector. His role in combat tends to run into the support category. He will hang back, and use his Frozen Cage and Black Ice powers to keep his opponents off balance and setting them up for more dedicated characters to knock down to size. Frostbite doesn't really like to hurt anyone, villains included, and he's afraid of the kind of damage his Cold Beam and Frozen Fists can do, and will only employ these powers against opponents who have already proven they can take the hit. His "Tough Guy" attitude extends even to his own injuries, and he often handwaves serious wounds in favor of getting the job done and going home. Frostbite is not the gruff and gritty, unrepentant street thug he claims to be, and the right group of friends/teammates might be able to convince him to remain a hero even after his record is sealed. Campaign Use: As an NPC, Frostbite can fill any number of roles. He could be a streetwise Hero the players go to for the "word on the street". He could be a reluctant villain, blackmailed by a villain group or a dishonorable cop who's gotten ahold of his record, all the way to a publically happy civil servant, to a privately broken and run-down young man ready to give up. Really, use him however you like. To make him stronger, remove the Restrainable limitation from his Multipower. You may even consider upping his speed to six, and giving him skills like acrobatics or Defense Maneuver. If he's already too tough, consider removing his Frozen Wall or Cryogenic Touch powers. Reducing his DEX may work as well. Appearance: Frostbite is a young man, 17 years of age, stands about 5'9" tall and has an average, lean build. His "costume" as it were, includes a light blue "hoodie" hooded sweatshirt, blue denim jeans with an embroidered dragon curling up the right leg. The dragon is stitched in deep purples, blues and greens. The sweatshirt has the numbers 00 in white on the left breast, with twin stripes of white running down the front and back. The upper arms of each sleeve have similar white stripes. His only real concession to the whole "Superhero thing" is a half-face mask in a Gothic style (think the Crow's eye makeup, and you're on the right track) with solid white eyes and a belt buckle with a stylized snowflake pattern on it. He normall keeps the hood of his sweatshirt up, and when his powers are active, his skin and hair take on a ghostly white color, as they are covered with a thin layer of frost.

Re: Frostbite Okay, trying again. If this doesn't pass muster, then I give up on my ability to create characters at all, and my 11+ years with this game have all been for naught. Frostbite Player: --- Val Char Cost 15 STR 5 23 DEX 39 20 CON 20 12 BODY 4 10 INT 0 12 EGO 4 15 PRE 5 10 COM 0 6/26 PD 3 5/25 ED 1 5 SPD 17 9 REC 4 45 END 3 35 STUN 5 6" RUN 0 1" SWIM -1 3" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 109 Cost Power 24 Frost Defense: Elemental Control, 60-point powers, (30 Active Points); all slots Limited Power Power only functions at Half-Power (Hot/Dry Environment; -1/4) 17 1) Ice Armor: Armor (20 PD/20 ED) (60 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2), Limited Power Power only functions at Half-Power (Hot/Dry Environment; -1/4) 20 2) Frozen Wall: Force Wall (10 PD/10 ED; 5" long and 1" tall) (58 Active Points); Physical Manifestation (-1/4), Limited Power Power only functions at Half-Power (Hot/Dry Environment; -1/4) 37 Frost Attacks: Multipower, 55-point reserve, (55 Active Points); all slots Restrainable (Powers Focused Through Hands; -1/2) 4u 1) Frozen Beam: Energy Blast 11d6 (55 Active Points); Restrainable (Powers Focused Through Hands; -1/2) 3u 2) Focused Beam: Energy Blast 7d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (52 Active Points); Restrainable (Powers Focused Through Hands; -1/2) 2u 3) Cryogenic Touch: Energy Blast 4d6, No Normal Defense ([standard]; Defense is Heat/Flame Powers, Mental Defense; +1) (40 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Restrainable (Powers Focused Through Hands; -1/2) 4u 4) Frozen Cage: Entangle 6d6, 5 DEF (55 Active Points); Restrainable (Powers Focused Through Hands; -1/2) 2u 5) Frozen Fists: Hand-To-Hand Attack +11d6 (55 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (No Fine Manipulation; -1/2), Restrainable (Powers Focused Through Hands; -1/2) 32 Black Ice: Change Environment 8" radius, -4 Characteristic Roll and all Skill Rolls based on Characteristic 2 Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold) Powers Cost: 147 Cost Skill 3 Lockpicking 14- 3 Stealth 14- 3 Streetwise 12- 7 Power 13- 3 CK: Center City 12- 3 KS: Center City Underworld 12- 3 Security Systems 11- 3 Climbing 14- 3 Sleight Of Hand 14- 3 Concealment 11- 3 TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles Skills Cost: 37 Cost Perk 3 Favor 1 Contact: Infomant 8- 3 Contact: Fence (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 8- Perks Cost: 7 Total Character Cost: 300 Pts. Disadvantage 15 Distinctive Features: Chilling Aura (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Virtually Everyone) 20 Hunted: Crimeboss 11- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 15 Watched: Center City PD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 15 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing (Common, Strong) 10 Social Limitation: On Probation (Occasionally, Major) 5 Social Limitation: Minor, 17 years old (Occasionally, Minor) 20 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Flame/Heat Based Attacks (Common) Disadvantage Points: 100 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... At my Serenity RPG game, our communications guy, Harry "Haywire" Callahan somehow got his hands on a video camera that he didn't purchase (he didn't steal it either). when asked by the pilot where he got a video camera he responded with: (BEST in a Fargo Accent) "It was part of the communication's package, now shut up, it's a plot device!" Fourth wall? What fourth wall?

Re: Frostbite Okay, tweaking done, this better? Frostbite Player: --- Val Char Cost 15 STR 5 23 DEX 39 18 CON 16 12 BODY 4 10 INT 0 12 EGO 4 16 PRE 6 8 COM -1 6/26 PD 3 7/27 ED 3 6 SPD 27 9 REC 4 58 END 11 52 STUN 23 6" RUN 0 1" SWIM -1 3" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 143 Cost Power 24 Frost Defense: Elemental Control, 60-point powers, (30 Active Points); all slots Limited Power Power only functions at Half-Power (Hot/Dry Environment; -1/4) 17 1) Ice Armor: Armor (20 PD/0 ED) (30 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2), Limited Power Power only functions at Half-Power (Hot/Dry Environment; -1/4) 13 2) Frozen Aura: Force Field (20 ED) (20 Active Points); Ablative BODY or STUN (-1), Limited Power Power only functions at Half-Power (Hot/Dry Environment; -1/4) 17 3) Frozen Wall: Force Wall (10 PD/10 ED; 5" long and 1" tall) (58 Active Points); Physical Manifestation (-1/4), Visible (-1/4), Limited Power Power only functions at Half-Power (Hot/Dry Environment; -1/4) 2 Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold) 31 Frost Attacks: Multipower, 55-point reserve, (55 Active Points); all slots Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 3u 1) Frozen Beam: Energy Blast 11d6 (55 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 3u 2) Focused Beam: Energy Blast 7d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (52 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 3u 3) Frozen Cage: Entangle 6d6, 5 DEF (55 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 2u 4) Frozen Fists: Hand-To-Hand Attack +11d6 (55 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 2u 5) Cryogenic Touch: Energy Blast 4d6, No Normal Defense ([standard]; Defense is Heat/Flame Powers, Mental Defense; +1) (40 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 2u 6) Black Ice: Change Environment 8" radius, -4 Characteristic Roll and all Skill Rolls based on Characteristic (32 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) Powers Cost: 119 Cost Skill 3 Acrobatics 14- 3 Breakfall 14- 3 Defense Maneuver I 3 Lockpicking 14- 3 Stealth 14- 3 Streetwise 12- 7 Power 13- 3 KS 12- 3 Bribery 12- Skills Cost: 31 Cost Perk 3 Favor 1 Contact: Infomant 8- 3 Contact: Fence (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 8- Perks Cost: 7 Total Character Cost: 300 Pts. Disadvantage 15 Watched: Center City PD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 15 Psychological Limitation: Reluctance to Kill (Common, Strong) 20 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Flame/Heat Based Attacks (Common) 5 Social Limitation: Secret ID: Paul Milliner (Occasionally, Minor) 10 Social Limitation: On Probation (Occasionally, Major) 15 Distinctive Features: Chilling Aura (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Virtually Everyone) Disadvantage Points: 80 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 20 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: Frostbite Okay, the body of 20 may have been pushing it. The armor Jamming is just that, it's hard for him to create. He's still green around the gills, and he's had these powers less than a year, he's still figuring them out. The Gestures, well, he believes that the ice blasts and everything is focused through his hands, and that it won't work unless he uses both hands. It's not true, but he's new. Gestures on a hand-to-hand attack means his lower arms are encased, meaning he can't grab anything, and has no fine manipulation. Cold as an Ego Attack is based off something I saw a DC Ice Hero do. He dropped the temperature in the frontal lobe of Batman's brain, effectively giving him a debilitating Ice Cream Headache. Same concept. Not sure what you mean by "might be better made as a for of CE,", can you clarify? Frostbite used to be a cat burglar/second story man before he was caught, hence the less than upstanding skill list. He's doing the hero thing as part of his probation until his 18th birthday, when his record gets sealed. As for the -1 on the EC, I made this with Hero Designer, and that's the value it gave me. Could work as he needs to work on his powers, eventually getting better at them, and ultimately, buying off said limitations altogether.

This one should be much more balanced and realistic than the last one I posted, since he's intended as a PC. Hopefully, I won't have to defend myself quite so much with this one. Frostbite Player: --- Val Char Cost 15 STR 5 25 DEX 60 14 CON 8 20 BODY 20 10 INT 0 12 EGO 4 10 PRE 0 8 COM -1 6/26 PD 3 6/26 ED 3 6 SPD 45 6 REC 0 50 END 11 55 STUN 25 6" RUN 0 1" SWIM -1 3" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 182 Cost Power 15 Frost Defense: Elemental Control, 60-point powers, (30 Active Points); all slots Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Half-Effective in Hot/Dry Environment; -1) 7 1) Ice Armor: Armor (20 PD/0 ED) (30 Active Points); Activation Roll 8-, Jammed (-2 1/2), Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Half-Effective in Hot/Dry Environment; -1) 10 2) Frozen Aura: Force Field (20 ED) (20 Active Points); Ablative BODY or STUN (-1), Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Half-Effective in Hot/Dry Environment; -1) 12 3) Frozen Wall: Force Wall (10 PD/10 ED; 5" long and 1" tall) (58 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Half-Effective in Hot/Dry Environment; -1), Physical Manifestation (-1/4), Visible (-1/4) 2 Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold) 31 Frost Attacks: Multipower, 55-point reserve, (55 Active Points); all slots Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 3u 1) Frozen Cage: Entangle 6d6, 5 DEF (55 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 2u 2) Cryogenic Touch: Ego Attack 5 1/2d6 (Human class of minds) (55 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 2u 3) Frozen Fists: Hand-To-Hand Attack +11d6 (55 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 3u 4) Focused Beam: Energy Blast 5d6+1, Armor Piercing (x2; +1) (54 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 3u 5) Frozen Beam: Energy Blast 11d6 (55 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) 3u 6) Black Ice: Drain DEX 3d6, Area Of Effect Nonselective (3" Radius; +3/4), Two-Dimensional (-1/4) (45 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Does not work in Very Hot and Dry environments; -1/4) Powers Cost: 93 Cost Skill 3 Acrobatics 14- 3 Breakfall 14- 3 Defense Maneuver I 3 Lockpicking 14- 3 Stealth 14- 3 Streetwise 11- Skills Cost: 18 Cost Perk 3 Favor 1 Contact: Infomant 8- 3 Contact: Fence (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 8- Perks Cost: 7 Total Character Cost: 300 Pts. Disadvantage 15 Watched: Center City PD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 15 Psychological Limitation: Reluctance to Kill (Common, Strong) 20 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Flame/Heat Based Attacks (Common) 5 Social Limitation: Secret ID: Paul Milliner (Occasionally, Minor) 10 Social Limitation: On Probation (Occasionally, Major) 15 Distinctive Features: Chilling Aura (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Virtually Everyone) 20 Normal Characteristic Maxima Disadvantage Points: 100 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 As for the points, he's intended as a Hero for a "Slightly less powerful" late teens group of heroes.

Re: Think I got it! I am the GM, and Bonecrusher is intended as a villain. One that's hard to take down, but not particularly bright. Like a more articulate Grond. I'll have to scan a pic when I can. The Hellfire Missiles are from missile pods mounted on the cyborg's shoulders, and I chose non selective, since the SFX is a swarm of dumbfire missiles. They may hit, they may not. They're more of a "You stay right where you are" attack. Bonecrusher is about as subtle as, well, as a 20 foot tall super-strong cyborg can be. The 24d6 on his STR is a power boost, with a 9- activation roll. He can't always pull it off, being that the systems are kind of unreliable. The stretching SFX is that he can fire his hands out on long metal cables to grab things at a distance. My take on it, if you've seen Haloid, is what Samus does when she grabs Master Chief with the energy beam and slings him through a few buildings. The END Reserve is a backup battery that lets him keep fighting for maybe 2-3 turns. It's not about overpowering Bonecrusher, it's about outlasting him, and staying out of his reach. I should have indicated that he's not intended as a PC kind of character.

I think I figured out how to export characters to post here on the boards, if it's scrambled, my apologies, if not, let me know what you think of the character. Bonecrusher Player: NPC Val Char Cost 95/120 STR 35 15 DEX 15 15 CON 10 23/26 BODY 26 10 INT 0 12 EGO 4 15 PRE 5 0 COM -5 19/41 PD 0 11/33 ED 8 4 SPD 15 22 REC 0 30 END 0 79/82 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 0" SWIM -2 17"/22" LEAP -2 Characteristics Cost: 109 Cost Power 13 Density Increase (1,600 kg mass, +10 STR, +2 PD/ED, -2" KB), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 20 Growth (+15 STR, +3 BODY, +3 STUN, -3" KB, 3,200 kg, -2 DCV, +2 PER Rolls to perceive character, 8 m tall, 4 m wide), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (30 Active Points); Always On (-1/2) 12 Power Boost: +50 STR (50 Active Points); Activation Roll 9-, Burnout (-1 1/4), Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), 4 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (-1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2) 39 Hellfire Missiles: Energy Blast 14d6, Explosion (+1/2), Nonselective Target (-1/4) (87 Active Points); 6 Charges (-3/4), OIF (-1/2) 30 Stretching 6" 3 Lack Of Weakness (-3) for Normal Defense 20 Armored Hull: Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 12 Stasis Field: Force Field (10 PD/10 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Ablative BODY or STUN (-1), OIF (-1/2) 14 Backup Batteries: Endurance Reserve (60 END, 8 REC) (14 Active Points) Powers Cost: 163 Cost Skill 10 +2 with HTH Combat 5 +1 with Ranged Combat 3 Mechanics 11- 2 KS 11- Skills Cost: 20 Cost Talent 16 Crippling Blow 10 Follow-Through Attack 18 Danger Sense (self only, in combat) 14- 6 Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) 3 Ambidexterity (-2 Off Hand penalty) 5 Eidetic Memory Talents Cost: 58 Total Character Cost: 350 Pts. Disadvantage 30 Dependence: Purified Air Takes 2d6 Damage (Very Common, 1 Turn) 25 Distinctive Features: 20ft. Tall Cyborg (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Virtually Everyone) 15 Physical Limitation: Crippled Outside Suit (Infrequently, Fully Impairing) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Sonics (Uncommon) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x BODY Sonics (Uncommon) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN EMP (Uncommon) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x BODY EMP (Uncommon) 15 Reputation: Violent Criminal, 11- (Extreme) 25 Psychological Limitation: Slavishly Loyal to Phobia (Very Common, Total) Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: First role playing memory My first roleplaying experience was an odd amalgam of Fantasy HERO and Champions (back in the blue book days). They players had all made superheroes, and through some kind of happenstance, wound up in a place called the Skatarian Caverns (I can't believe I remembered that). Basically, the entire realm was underground, lit by a luminous fungus that grew on the ceiling of the cave. I joined after the game started, so the GM, Daryl, helped me roll a native of the Caverns, a Lizardman mercenary that I named Serpentyne. The heroes needed a guide to help them through this particular part of the caverns, and hired me. Serpentyne was fun, he was a mutant among his people, able to spit a caustic venom from a special gland in his throat (3d6 CON Drain if I remember). http://razielseraphim.tripod.com/id29.html for a pic. Please forgive my limited artistic ability. I remember the first thing I did, to seal our bargain, was to go out drinking with Hawk (Basically an Angel from X-Men clone) and Terminus (a ninja). I learned that having the highest CON in the group doesn't mean squat when you're drinking "Dreg's Blood" and botch your roll. That lead to one of my first e-mail addresses DrunkenLizardman@etcetctetc...

Re: What ratio of superhumans to humans do you use? Many, many many of my supers aren't really, technically, superhumans. Many are aliens, or cyborgs, or full on robots, or clones, or what-have you. I tend to use the phrase "Supernatural" moreso that "Superhuman". And on that count, I like to call them "meta-humans" if at all possible, rather than mutant, or superhuman, or whatever. Not sure why, but I like it that way.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... A player was playing a mage who had a mongoose familiar that he could buff up for combat. HERO system. He had his flight spell suppressed while fighting a flying enemy, so he turns and asks me "How far can I throw my mongoose?" After that, he became Mongoose Scott ----------- Playing a Serenity game, based in the Firefly universe. Serenity has a mechanic called Plot Points that, when spent, allow the players to steer the story in different ways "There ain't enough plot points in the 'Verse to turn Reavers into Tribbles." ~Me "I'm not sure which would be worse." ~Player ------------ "Cory, you better start paying attention, because Scott's talking to a tree." "What? Is that tree talking sh*t about me?" ------------ "What's the damage for using a horse as a melee weapon?" ----------- Player ~ "Can I tinkle in the water elemental?" Me ~ "Uh, sure, but he's not gonna like it." ------------ "She's our healer, she fixes us... EXCEPT FOR HIM, WHO SHE TOTALLY NEGLECTED!" ------------ "I try to convince him I'm a doctor." "Okay, bluff check" :rolls, natural 20: "Wow, I believe I'm a doctor!" ------------ "Time flies when you're getting evicerated." "So to entrails apparently." "You know, when someone's insides are hanging out like that, they usually scream." ------------- "You pantsed him and took away his powers?" (Note, never have a belt be the Focus for a villains powers)

Re: What ratio of superhumans to humans do you use? I never actually sat down and did the math (I know, sacriledge for HERO), but it would be silly to do with my setting anyway. My setting, which I'll probably write up at some point, sits dead center of basically every kind of supernatural occurance. A convergence of ley lines, making magic quite easy. Several megacorporations and prestigious universities, allowing super science breakthroughs on an almost daily basis. That, among quite a few other things, makes the saturation of supers to normals skewed. Maybe as low as one in 100. Many of them are low-powered or non-manifested, but they're there. Otherwise, I'll agree, you have as many supers (or metas, or whatever you call them) as you need to tell your story.