Wolfgar

Re: Distinguishing Transform from Adjustment Powers It also doesn't really take care of them changing physical appearence, which does have some utility above and beyond being able to fly. This might be minute enough in some people's mind to handwave as SFX, but I prefer the Transform.

Re: Distinguishing Transform from Adjustment Powers I think trying to shoehorn Adjustment powers into ability granting uses of Transform doesn't really work out. Adjustment powers typically work on one specific power, or a group of powers ordered by SFX or power type. Transform can provide a group of powers that are otherwise unrelated. Say you are turning humans into gargoyle minions. The Transform gives them Stone Skin (Physical Damage Resistance), Wings (Gliding), and Claws (HKA). To do the same thing with Adjustment powers, you would need to have three seperate Aids on top of the Transform (needed to account for the shift in appearence). You could theoretically buy Aid with the modifier Gargoyle Powers, but then you have to decide the modifier value for every single power clump. Plus, Sean has a point that it would be weird to have an easier time affecting strong characters than affecting weak ones, which is what buying everything through Aid would essentially do. The 5x part of the rule I only use in two situations: 1) If the Transform is turning someone into an obviously more powerful (i.e. more expensive xp-wise) form. The Gargoyles, above call for it. If the new form is less powerful, such as turning most characters into frogs, horses, pigs, whatever, then there isn't any need to go through the calculation. 2) If the Transform turns someone into an object more useful than a dead body. So turning someone into a sword requires you to buy the HKA, which I think helps keep it balanced with regular attacks. Note: Technically, you don't get more utility from turning someone into a horse than killing him. Turning them into a horse requires a Body Transform, but Transforming them to animal intelligence requires a Mental Transform. Thus, unless you buy two Transforms, all you get is a human with a horse's intelligence, or a horse that has human intelligence and most likely hates you for turning him into a horse.

Re: Genre Conventions 2: What is Cool? Leather Jacket- Cool, if a bit dated. Leath Trenchcoat- Cool, because it combines leather jacket with a cloak. Leather Vest- Not cool. So what is cool? Leather Sleeves.

Re: Genres HERO GAMES may want to avoid (intended to be humorous) Teacup Chihuaha HERO.

Re: Genres HERO GAMES may want to avoid (intended to be humorous) HERO of Alpha Complex HERO Occupied Landfill Teenage HEROES From Outer Space Herioc & Macho HERO Women with Heroic Hero Guns. Supplement to Redundant HERO HERO.

Re: Inherent, does anyone use it? How? Common sense says the Earth is flat. I put very little stock in it as a concept.

Re: Genres HERO GAMES may want to avoid (intended to be humorous) His mom is still fat though.

Re: HA versus MA The Focus Limitation already has some advantages to it. Several Power Modifiers are a mixed bag, with their overall utility or lack thereof decinding whether they are Advantages or Limitations. I'm going to want to reread the ruling to really grasp the logic though.

Re: Suffer, Kate! Can't live with them, can't buy them off.

Re: Suffer, Kate! Well, that and the underlying rule that we are playing Heroes, or folks of similar mettle. It would be perfectly realistic to have the first reaction to almost all Attack powers be screaming, running away, panicking, fainting, or losing bladder control, but I don't think that would seem very heroic at all. Plus, it's one thing to die; it's quite another to die looking like a coward.

Re: Suffer, Kate!

Re: Inherent, does anyone use it? How? As a side thought, Inherent may be useful for certain artifacts and relics that are in and of themselves magical. I wouldn't do this with your typical run-of-the-mill magic sword, or even most enchanted objects, but for the Ark of the Covenant or Vecna's Left Testicle it's perfect.

Re: Genres HERO GAMES may want to avoid (intended to be humorous) I call Cthulu.

Re: Genres HERO GAMES may want to avoid (intended to be humorous) Hey now. Say what you will about poor Cool Devices, but comparing it to FATAL is just low. Gay Rights HERO. Fight for tolerance, acceptance, and basic human rights in a world of sexual oppression. Somehow I doubt it will take off.

Re: Inherent, does anyone use it? How? A de-evolution ray would be a Transform, not a Drain. Life Support should not normally be the target of Adjustment powers by itself, largely because it makes no sense. Most variants of a power that do so would be beter represented with an Attack power. Life Support as a power should still be affectable by an Adjustment power that focuses on a large group of powers, such as an anti-magic Suppress vs. Underwater Breathing, or a technology-scrambling Drain on a characters Power Armor LS systems.

Re: Inherent, does anyone use it? How? Ghosts and Spirits would have Inherent Desolidification. A magician might have the ability to become desolified, and that can be subject to Drain, Dispel, or Suppress normally. Air Elementals would be inherently Invisible to Sight Group. Being Invisible is just part of what the elemental is. Likewise a fire elemental is made of living fire, and cannot be completely drained of its RKA Damage Shield, or it's Defenses against fire damage. Part of that may be purchased Inherent and part not, to allow for mild Suppresion effects, but you just can't snuff it out completely without killing it. Undead and Robots may have Inherent Life Support powers versus poisons and Disease. They don't have any biological system, so therefore there really is just no way to make a poison or disease affect them, outside of an Attack power. By contrst a magician could have temporary LS granted by a spell, or a gadgeteer could have LS granted by some fiddley gidget. A Dispel, Drain, or Suppress that targeted Magic or Fiddley Gidgets might very well be able to affect those. A Slime has Inherent Physical Damage Reduction. Boy, that's a mouthful. Eww, mouthful of slime. Anyway, The Damage Reduction is based on the physical make-up of the slime. You could theoretically describe the Drain as changing the slime into a substance easier to hit, but doesn't that sound more like a transform? Conversely, someone who just has the Protection of the Gods or has cast Bufshnu's Adamantine Skin could be theoretically Drained. I think my examples go to show it's mostly useful for non-human types.

Re: Inherent, does anyone use it? How? Personally I think Inherent is a perfectly fine modifier. Largely I think it works best for things that are mostly on/off affairs: Desolidification, Enhanced Senses, Extra Limbs, Life Support and the like. Damage Reduction may fall into that category. For most of those if you really want to mess with them, you should buy Transform, KA for LS, or Flash for Enhanced Senses; Draining them is kind of silly. Things that have a scale and can be partially reduced without being eliminated entirely should stay subject to Drain. Pretty much all your Defense powers fall into this category, except possibly Damage Reduction.

Re: Genres HERO GAMES may want to avoid (intended to be humorous) Lovely Hats with Delicate Flowers On Them HERO.

Re: Eureka HERO ? I think Carter has the advantage in not having a bunch of Psych Lims and freaky gadget Side Effects. He might not be the smartest person in Eureka, but he's probably the least likely to completely dissolve his molecular bonds by accident.

Re: Horror Hero: Cliches to Avoid Stupid authority is one of my most hated cliches. Shutting the protagonists away from authority, or having the authority be ultimately in on it is one thing. But cops that never call for back up, never wear body armor, have the smallest handgun on the planet, overlook extremely obvious clues, or who refuse to take something seriously just because it sounds weird irritate me to no end. Wonderful thing about Slither: Actually reasonably intelligent law enforcement.

Re: What is special about this? I thinkas far as the as some of the powers go, it's a consideration towards the group rather than a consideration for the power. It can be assumed everyone will have an attack power, and having multiple attack powers is useful. It can be assumed that everyone in the group will have a Movement power of some sort, and it's usually neccesary. Every needs to be able to move of their own accord now and again. However, if one person has a particular sense, it's pretty much redundant for anyone else in the group to have them. "Yeah guys, there's gold/traps/enemies/metallic carbonium 'round here." One person senses, and then he can tell the rest of the group. If you can just put Sense into a power framework, then you get a lot more utility buying up multiple senses, and render other people's super-senses useless, or in the case of Detect Fish, more useless. The same applies to exotic defense. Everyone can be assumed to have X amount of PD/ED. However, normally only one character, if any, will have Flash Defense, Mental Defense, Power Defense or similar. If you can put those exotic defenses into Framework, you risk stepping on other people's toes. I think END Reserve is special just because it'd be kinda weird with a Multipower or a VPP. I don't get Extra Limbs though. Not that I know anything; I'm just talking to hear myself think.

Re: Visible Foci Maybe, maybe not. It's handy if evil ambushes you in a dark place, assuming it's an actually bright enough light to see by, but that doesn't seem to be the intention of the build. Mostly it seems to me that it would make stealth impossible, and will draw attackers like a beacon, while the actual benifits seem pretty much wiped out. Honestly I'd say since it's being built as an Obvious Focus for the Detect, that the glow should be covered by the "Obvious" part of the Focus, and no additional limitations or powers should be needed. Otherwise, I would suggest Side Effect: Images: Only to Create Light. Such wouldn't make seeing easier for the character, but would draw attention to them.

Re: Visible Foci

Re: Hero System for Horror gaming I also like most of the equipment having Activation Roll or No Concious Control, especially things like cars and flashlights. Darn things never seem to work right.

Re: 39 point me COM +6, Only to Women With A Santa Claus Fetish (-1 1/2) I'm jolly.