Wyrm Ouroboros

Re: Gunkata If you have Hero Designer, there is a Tetragrammaton Cleric Prefab in the Dark Champions Section. Includes the Gun Kata, equipment (powers), talents, and skills. http://www.herogames.com/hdPrefabs.htm

Re: "Never Miss" powers I don't disagree; this is a matter of SF/X. However, unless it's a Focus whose effect is clearly defined -- the gun, the grenade -- the GM should NOT tell them anything that'll definitely let them know that it's going to be a direct or an AoE attack. FireBob may blast a Cone of flame; Sorcerer Sid might strike with a lightning-bolt. The ACT of them preparing an attack should be clear, and the type of attack should be defined and unchangeable before the attack roll is made; I like the idea of laying down an attack card/chit/whatever, with an indicator on one side that says what attack or attack type it is. But unless it's clearly defined by a Focus type or, for example, Judge Dredd saying to his multi-gun 'Grenade' (Incantations), the target shouldn't have any idea of what's coming his way.

Re: 3D Star mapping software Sorry; yes, I've Windows XP. (Professional; does that sound right?) Anyhow. Am I supposed to load NetFrame into a specific location?

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread. I think I would've voted for yours instead ...

Re: "Never Miss" powers Like almost every other Abort Maneuver (except Roll with Punch), you have to DFC before the roll is made -- which means, in general, before you know whether you're going to get hit with a personal or an AoE attack. The 'rising-to-towering waves of doom' are an F/X of the attack going off; I MIGHT penalize water-man on the F/X if he had Extra Time (so the target 'knows' what sort of attack is coming), but not typically. By the time the waves are coming, it's too late to decide. You have to decide BEFORE you've been attacked. So pretty much always, it's 'it looks like he's going to attack you. What do you do?' THAT is when they can DFC, Dodge, Block, or whatever. If the GM has rolled the dice, it's too late. Or, more accurately, the GM should say, 'Watera is going to attack. Would you like to Abort your next action/use your held action?' If the player doesn't, the dice are rolled and the player is screwed. To be fair, this should work in reverse as well, of course. Ideally, the attacker should have something indicating what maneuver/attack they're using, so that they can't change it after the target has (or has not) decided to dodge, etc.

Re: New Mechanic: Manipulation (Campaign Rules) Mmm ... heightened profile; tasty. The traditional method, however, is as Hugh said -- you drop links instead of reactivating a dead thread, unless you have something new, fresh, and useful to say.

Re: End battery fueled by absorb? Might be wiser, yes. What would be smartest is if you had a built-in charger (i.e. an actual REC on the battery), but the 'absorption tech' that'll directly charge the END Reserve. It might take you six hours to recharge your batteries, but you can do it in three minutes of fighting.

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth? The Rebel gathering point at the end of Empire Strikes Back was just such a star system ... In any case. I never really liked the idea of 'Istvatha V'han, Conqueror of a Billion Universes' being literally true. Maybe she's conquered a few score planets, multiple pocket dimensions, or whatever -- but unless she's spent a two or three hundred points on Head of State (50 Points), trillions of trillions of followers, etc. etc., I'll ignore it as being exaggeration for the press. I prefer her as being someone who's become dictator of a relatively small (and comparatively lower-tech) star empire, discovered dimensional jumping, acquired a few pocket dimensions, extra (no intelligent life) planets, low-tech places, or whatever -- but when she stumbled across Earth-616 (err, the CU), she realized that the mystic nexus that is Earth would be able to power a REAL expansion, power beyond her wildest dreams. So of course the first thing she tried was cowing the people. 'I've conquered a billion universes, you cannot stop me, don't even try!!' A major PRE attack, as it were. Which failed, but hell, you can't go back on your own press, can you?

Re: Is Flight Slow? Quite. You're accurately punching (move-by) five people at 56 MPH. This is something that most people in cars can't do at 30 mph -- i.e. kid with baseball bat smacking mailboxes.

Re: where do the villains get the MONEY? Crime pays, but only if you have 'market penetration' -- like the mob, or the yakuza, &c. Supercrime really doesn't pay; you need to get your cash from somewhere else. IMO, stock market cunning and manipulation is the best place to get it from; other stuff takes too long, comparatively. But a couple of ATM heists can get you the seed cash, if you need it. Otherwise, at least IMO, 'because I needed the money' tends to be a less-than-effective way of going about it.

Re: Create a NEW Zodiac I'm ... thinking about this...

Re: The Zodiac Group Not to be a killjoy, but I must admit I prefer the newer views on a Zodiac group -- less 'everyone's a super and we have the theme of our animal/icon/symbol', more 'the symbols are convenient metaphors and code-names...'

Re: 3D Star mapping software I've got a previous (non-Vista) Windows (2000, I think, but don't quote me) and I'm having problems launching it, too.

Re: Quantum Powers This is where the GM comes in -- as always.

Re: New Mechanic: Manipulation (Campaign Rules) ... why??

Re: Character Names Freedom is called that because of her central theme -- freedom for people, whether herself (from the concentration camps), people who want to throw off an oppressive government, or people who need a boost from the ghetto. A version of her has become M-Proof, since she's the 'proof' of the 'M-Theory' that'll tie all the current physics string and grand unification theories together. Mikael al-Sala'am, Jedi Knight, was named for a) the Archangel Michael, with the flaming sword (Mikael's lightsaber is yellow/gold), and the Arabic for 'Peace' -- therefore Michael of Peace. Shu Ching is a martial artist, a combination of 'Wu Shu' and 'I Ching'. His is the 'Art of Change'. Dimma Darknight was a psionicist drow who became a shade; she later underwent a soul-altering experience and subsequently became Solaria Morningstar Dawndancer -- an avatar of the dawn. Most of my characters have similar backgrounds and meanings...

Re: Quantum Powers

Re: "Never Miss" powers

Re: "Never Miss" powers Well, let's look at that mechanic again, and lay out exactly what it means. First, it's optional; I could see a GM not allowing it for use with basic HTH. "You can Roll with Punch, but not Dive for Cover." However, if you're gonna allow one, you gotta allow it all, so ... DFC == 'Abort your next action. Dive out of the way. End up prone.' MB ALWAYS ends up prone. No Breakfall or Acrobatics roll is going to get him out of this one; he's prone. Which means that when the next Phase comes around, he's still prone, and he has to spend half a phase standing. I believe UMA gets to go first and, since MB cannot DFC without being properly oriented, he can't go that route; gotta Abort to a Dodge instead, at which point I'm presuming UMA knocks him into silly-land -- or at least STUNS him. So presuming an equal SPD, unequal DEX, Monkey Boy's first Abort to DFC will let him dive out of the way of that wicked punch/kick/whatever. But then ... the very next Phase, he's toast. As for 'I don't like this scenario', okay -- but Defense Wins is the way the HERO system is built. *shrugs* If you absolutely must have this power, I'd be mean and say +2 minimum -- because it IS potentially unbalancing.

Re: "Never Miss" powers Well, here's the thing. You're wanting to build a mechanic that'll allow UMA to punch Monkey Boy, but that'll also allow him to hit: flying bullets supersonic planes someone running at light-speed Micro-Man, the Smallest Man In The World ...and yet you're not wanting to build something that'll let him use superior tactics (i.e. suckering Monkey Boy) to do the job. This isn't meta-gaming or meta-building; this is building someone who knows how to draw his opponent into a combat pattern and then break it, thus getting through to his opponent. This is actually the one time that I'd use 'AoE Any Area', to enable the UMA to 'strike more rapidly'. 'AoE Any Area (+1), Selective (+1/4), One Target Only (-1/4)'. Because he's punching, punching, then punching -ahead- of where the guy's dodging to. Metagaming is something on the player's part. IMNSHO, this isn't it; this is 'what does the best @$$kicker in the world do when the scairdy-cat keeps diving and rolling out of his way'. He knows what to do, and how to do it. Unless, of course, you were looking for something else. IMO, 'always hits' is a game-breaker; there should always be a miss chance. Otherwise, why not just play ... heck, I dunno. There's always a miss chance...

Re: Sonic Overpressure Attack Typically, I'd treat this as the Side Effect, only affects the environment around the character. Or -- since any sharp cookie is going to use this in combat, to devastating effect, and with the sonic boom being limited in 'wash' due to the size of the individual -- Sean Waters' version seems appropriate. Or, if you don't like that one, just change his 1d6 RKA to 3d6 EB. Might use Explosion (Cone) instead of the AoE. And/or Double Knockback ...

Re: Cheap and Effective Yeah, well ... I typically read this as 'when you roll the dice, the number of BODY they'd read if it were Normal Damage get through'. (STUN for Penetrating Normal Damage, BODY for Penetrating KAs.) 1 pip == 0 body on Normal Damage, therefore nothing gets through. So yes, if you rolled all 1's on your 5d6 Penetrating KA, nothing gets through -- but then, your luck sucks anyhow. I'd look at this and laugh, basically -- yes, and disallow it. Much better, more appropriate to have a Flash, Does Body.

Re: Armored Suit This ... is an interesting concept. I may have to play around with this idea. However, each chassis multiform is an 'add-on' to the base, right? Or is he 'buying himself' again each time? The VPP would be there partially as an excuse for how to modify each chassis, yes/no? IOW, once he's in a suit (shifted into one of the MForms), no Gadget Pool Man. BUT he can gadget stuff to carry along as Tony. Hm. Interesting. This is a good use of the lesser form paying the points for the greater form.

Re: Armored Suit The idea is that you're buying only 'The Suit' multiple times, instead of 'Me + Suit' again and again and again. IF I were to permit this route, buying each suit individually in the MPow is probably the way I'd allow it, thus: Power Suits: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); all slots OIF (-1/2): 40 Real Cost. u) Limited Multiform 1 (300 Character Points in the most expensive form) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2): 4 Real Cost. u) Limited Multiform 2 (300 Character Points in the most expensive form) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2): 4 Real Cost. u) Limited Multiform 3 (300 Character Points in the most expensive form) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2): 4 Real Cost. Etc. Eight suits would thus be 64 points -- while Multiform (300 points) OIF x8 forms is 50 points. Limited Multiform, however -- meaning that the base character remains the same, it's just the suit that varies -- might be an actual Advantage. How much is the question. +1/2? I suspect it would vary by how much of the original character you're spending ...

Re: "Never Miss" powers I have two words for TUMA, then: "AoE Attack". You use this specifically for people who keep dodging/DFCing your strike. You let them DFC; you let them DFC again. Then, when they're used to DFCing 1" to get out of your fist's way, you hit them with a 2" AoE. My question is, would AoE Selective be sufficient? They're still in the AoE, they'll be hit anyhow, you would NORMALLY hit them, and so you do, right? Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy. Laugh while you can.