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phookz

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Everything posted by phookz

  1. Re: Fantasy Art Thread Your pencil work is stunning. Must spread rep, yadda yadda. Lots of great work in that link you sent. I really like your improved version for panel 2 on the first page by the way. I think it's what jumped out at me the most.
  2. Re: Interactive Sky Map
  3. Very cool interactive map of the night sky stitched together from 37,000 images: http://media.skysurvey.org/interactive360/index.html
  4. Re: Hydra and Multi-Headed Monsters Then you need to do whatever you feel is appropriate for a heavily stunned Hydra head. I would suggest the head be indefinitely incapacitate, but not spawn a new head, otherwise it becomes very difficult to beat the Hydra. /shrug. I would give it as many duplicate heads as felt appropriate.
  5. Re: many wolves > one chimaera O.o You wrote: Except you didn't have asterisks in it. Personally, I'm not offended, but some might be. Old Man is just looking out for you so you don't get in trouble by violating forum rules.
  6. Re: Superpowers and Ethics This is a great real-world example. As far as any of us know, this is real life and not a game. If it were a game, then there could be a character sheet somewhere with powers describing how the gun works. That build of the gun does not describe the ethical nature of the gun. Only the specifics of use of the gun can be used to determine the ethics related to said use. If we are in fact in a game world, I've been seriously blowing my Persuasion rolls.
  7. Re: Superpowers and Ethics Absolutely not. I never suggested anything of the sort. Whether or not you get caught or can get caught has nothing to do with ethics. I was simply agreeing with Hugh's statement that what you do, not how you define the ability in game terms is what defines the ethical nature of the action. For example, if I convince a 5 year old running a lemonade stand that they should give me all their lemonade for free, and they think it's a good idea because of how persuasive I am, it would be unethical. This is regardless of whether or not anyone ever finds out. It's unethical because I took advantage of someone unfairly, irrespective of whether I did so because I have a 19- in Trading, or Persuasion, or a 20d6 Mind Control. The action is unethical, not how the ability is defined in game terms.
  8. Re: Why there is no Gulo Gulo in bestiary(ies)? According to "Squirrels: the animal answer guide", in 2001 the US had over 2.1 million registered squirrel hunters. Wolverine hunting is a little harder to find, but according to this site (http://www.currentresults.com/Wildlife/Endangered-Species/Endangered-Mammals/wolverine-709211.php) it's estimated that there are only between 15,000 and 19,000 left in Canada. Add in what the US has and I'm sure you're still a LOT less than the number of squirrels. I submit there are therefore fewer wolverine hunters. So, given those stats, maybe it is more likely to fight a squirrel than a wolverine With regards to pigeons, I've personally shot more off my roof with a pellet gun than the number of wolverines I've ever seen
  9. Re: Superpowers and Ethics Who said it did? That sounds more like a limitation than the SFX What if it does? What if the prophet of the lord doesn't even know it's happening, is it still unethical? The SFX define it as the Lord protecting him. From a game mechanics standpoint, the power emanates from him, because that's how the game is defined. From the character's world standpoint, the power emanates from the Lord. Where do the ethics of the power lie now? Maybe not different, but more effective. Why would that not be possible? The ethics of using it are no different than using Persuasion.
  10. Re: Superpowers and Ethics Page 195 of Champions Powers, Environmental Mayhem.
  11. Re: Superpowers and Ethics What is and is not an attack in the character's world is not the same as what is and is not an attack in the player's world. RSR doesn't mean anything in the character's world - the power is difficult to do, some effects are more difficult that others. Players know what the roll is, they know they have to roll less than some number on 3D6 in order to achieve the desired effect, but dice and rolls means nothing to the characters. Whether or not the MC is an attack is no different than whether or not a Persuasion roll is an attack. There is precedence in published rules for using powers as skills. That doesn't make it automatically an attack in the character's world. Is it considered an attack when there is a skill vs skill roll? It's just a mechanic to see if the action worked and nothing more. What is and is not an attack in the character's world is up for interpretation based on the knowledge available in the character's world. They know nothing of attack powers, skill rolls, damage rolls, etc. By the way, I just picked up Champions Powers and on page 228 they have a variation of Mind Control: Silver-Tongued. "Instead of reflecting literal control of the mind, they represent his extreme persuasiveness. With a few glib words, he can convince people to do just about anything. Add Requires A Persuasion Roll (-½) and Incantaitons (-¼)" You are welcome to disagree with this and not allow it in your game. Depending on the campaign world that may be the right thing to do. If you're running the "typical" four-color superhero world (if such a thing exists), I suspect this would be somewhat unfair and would be coming down on mental powers unfairly. This is in essence the position Hugh had stated that started this entire conversation spanning two threads.
  12. Re: Superpowers and Ethics I'm not arguing for any other power - this topic stemmed originally (from another thread) from a discussions on the ethics of Mind Control. I don't see anything I've stated giving MC anything extra. From an ethics standpoint, in the character's world, what is and is not an attack is situational; it depends on the power, now it's defined, its SFX and its use.
  13. Re: Superpowers and Ethics I don't see anything in the rules that state that MC doesn't change your point of view. My point was that how MC gets a character to do what they do is entirely up to the SFX of the MC. If you put a limitation on the MC that it must always use the +20 Adder "Target will remember actions and think they were natural", then I see no reason why MC couldn't be used to change someone's point of view. If the MC is a build for Professor Puppetmaster, and the SFX is he mechanically controls the persons body to force them to do what he wants, but they are aware of the actions and will remember it, then yes, if he uses this power on a Nun she will immediately know when the power is up what happened. If the MC is built for Miss Persuasion, who has multiple levels of striking appearance and the SFX is she's just super convincing, limited level of effect, always with the +20 Adder "Target will remember actions and think they were natural", then no, if she uses the power the Nun will think she was tempted and failed, and that the sin was all hers. The game mechanics are there to support this type of build. We have precedence from the rules of using powers to represent high levels of skills (see Advanced Hiding in Shadows 6E1 240). The use of the power, and whether or not it is an assault or ethical, depends on how the power is built, the SFX, and the specifics of the scenario in which it was used. Then please allow me to apologize for my misunderstanding.
  14. Re: Superpowers and Ethics None of this, to my understanding, precludes using Mind Control as skill as a power. In fact, I think it supports it. For those builds where you want that level of effect, Mind Control is one way to do it. This is no different than building Super Stealth using Invisibility.
  15. Re: Superpowers and Ethics Fair enough. Hence the use of a power as skill. However, TUS does present rules for achieving that level of effect.
  16. Re: Superpowers and Ethics I don't see that anywhere in the rules, but you're welcome to view it that way. I don't see that having any meaningful effect on the mechanics. The issue I've had with your position hasn't been one of non-HERO terminology. My issue is with the position you've stated that any use of MC is unethical. I believe it is possible to build an MC power such that it mimics a skill - say Persuasion, but it could be others, as a superskill. That doesn't make MC any more unethical than the skill it is simulating. The mechanics of requiring an attack roll, or "forcing your view on someone else" are just a way to adjudicate what happens in game terms. It is no different than applying the mechanics of, say, Persuasion. The ethics of the use are situational, and depend on what it's being used for. Interestingly enough, The Ultimate Skill pp65 lists Interaction Skill Effects and has at the "10 or more; Critical Success" level:
  17. Re: Tactile Metal Control powers Dispel is all or nothing, so if you don't exceed the points it has no effect. You might consider Drain.
  18. Re: Superpowers and Ethics Still an EGO+30 effect roll, even if it is modified. Besides which, at this point we're talking about skills as powers. I don't think it's unreasonable for a game, given that it's been done in real life.
  19. Re: Why there is no Gulo Gulo in bestiary(ies)? Maybe because at 496 pages it couldn't possible have all 1.7 million of the currently identified species on planet Earth represented? Actually, it is listed on pg 13 of the 6E Bestiary, but only as an entry in the Weasels category for Animal Handler. I'd probably use American Black Bear and lower the STR, maybe up the SPD.
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