torchwolf

Re: APG Discussion thread In this upcoming sourcebook, will you also include The Loneliness? (the one who killed Britney)

Re: Inherent: SFX, any? Meta-game-phorically speaking, reasoning from SFX or Difficult to Dispel would probably be how Logan bought them (and his skeleton), since Magneto sometimes had a field day doing funky stuff with his metal skeleton and claws, bending the claws and even Draining the whole thing once. On that note, Wolverine might now be more reasonably built in 6E, since buying a bit of his BODY and some Resistant Defense as Powers would work reasonably. Other similar builds could be made with superhuman-powers boosted CHAR bought as powers (not necessarily limited) in a campaign where some kind of "superpower neutralizer" might exist. This might be easier than deciding afterwards... "Hm, I guess about 7 points of DEX comes from my superpowers, as I think my character should have had about DEX 11 without his powers..." Just deciding that a character without powers have their CHAR reduced by a Normal Characteristic Maxima recosting becomes just silly under any edition, and declaring every character who becomes depowered is at base starting DEX of 10 etc. becomes equally silly.

Re: Density Decrease Loved it, introduced some options into what was previously one of the few absolutes. It could also simulate a character who is partly in another dimension, as well as allowing for some Lovecraftian creatures (partly or wholly composed of non-terrene matter) to be better represented. Previously, you had to tinker some with Damage Reduction (giving you 3 more "levels" of insubstantiality).

Re: Secret Wars Campaign Log I don't usually wear hats, but I'll just put one on now so I can say "My hat off to Manic Typist". Reading the installments in this campaign is extremely enjoyable, and you get a good sense, especially from the cut scenes and the GM comments, of what aspects of storytelling should be focused upon when GMing. Keeping in mind what goes on behind the scenes, and especially visualizing it, is what breathes life into a campaign world, and when described like this, reading it is more like watching a good movie unfold than many novels I've read. In an ideal world, it is an excellent idea to include cut scenes between sessions, but in-game it can be hard to pull off, and describing such cut scenes directly before or after a session can be pretty difficult to pace exactly so it doesn't detract from the players point of view. Writing it down like this in between sessions is a very good solution - which is applicable to most other genres as well. It also reminds me of Alan Moore's style of writing: describing what happens offstage (from the main characters' point of view) can definitely enhance the mood in a special way. The last installment also gives a really good sense of how the tension escalates, and a whole new level of danger is ominously descending upon the unsuspecting city... All in all, excellent work, and it keeps getting better.

Re: Champions Background Information The biggest difference would probably be in some of the trickier character concepts which might be more easily designed using 6E, but even that wouldn't exclude them from being usable. Put me down as not only having liked High Tech Enemies and Allies but built story arcs around them (especially the Cyberknights concept). The worst one was European Enemies.

Re: CHAMPIONS 6E -- What Do *You* Want To See?

Re: Building a "Superhuman Scanalyzer" This sounds like a pretty good summary of how it could work, and how different categories of Detects could be defined. Ultimate Energy Projector does some detailing on what 10-point Increments of Active Points could represent in real-world terms. Personally I would think that threat level categories (Alpha, Beta, Gamma etc up to Omega for off the scale) can feel more meaningful in game play than a strict description in Points; also, you might consider doing up a chart for the players to interpret the results. Finally, a superpower detector might not necessarily detect a higher power level than is actually used (Sapphire using less then her full EB, or pushing it, might give erroneous estimates on her actual level as purchased for the character). This is an interesting subject.

Re: 6E Telekinetic Strength Hmm. Since you could pick up any heavy object and bludgeon away using TK, I suppose that portion of it adds to damage as STR does, and would have similar advantages as buying a HTH Attack or HKA with Ranged. The damage should reasonable add 1:1, but the advantages on having STR at range are worth a 50% increase in Active points, just like the Ranged Advantage. Example: Brawny Bill is a telekinetic, but noone knows this at this point in the campaign, since he has so far just used his TK to pretend he is super strong (all the benefits of STR). Unknown to anyone as yet, he can also do this at range (equaling buying the Ranged advantage on STR, costing the same). Using an increased lifting capacity only on TK would not allow it to do more damage directly, but it could still be used to drop heavy stuff on people, doing more damage than a TK that couldn't lift as much; hence, I don't think the active points should be reduced in such a case, even if it is definitely worth a limitation. That's my theory on it, but you may of course crush it now.

Re: Controlled (?) Growth Concepts That is indeed the problem with it - successful skill use is likelier with higher skill rolls, and if success gives you improvement faster, you accelerate this imbalance further. On the Chaosium system: as pointed out, a successful skill roll allows you a chance to improve a skill by rolling over it, allowing ease for improving low skill rolls, and improvement getting progressively harder. That system is random, though, not point-based. Suggestion for a variant for Hero (this would probably work best in heroic campaigns): 1) Use XP Chart, but multiply by 10. Note each ability that was used in a clever, constructive, or useful way and note pts assigned for this purpose (adjusting a few pts up or down at GM leisure). 2) Each Skill costs as many points to improve by 1 as their current roll is. Example: Lockpicking at 12-, requires 12 points to increase by 1. It was used in a fairly clever way to gain critical access during last session, but no big frills beyond that - 10 points assigned, plus 1 because the player played it out entertainingly. With 1 more point, Lockpicking can be increased. The 11 assigned so far are noted by GM and/or player by campaign preference.

Re: Another view of Damage Negation (6e)

Re: Post "gotchas" here +PER benefits from Images creating Light would probably usually only apply to negative modifiers from Darkness and similar conditions; still, if you shine a +4 PER spotlight through a -3 PER fog from CE, the resulting remaining +1 would still help you spot Shrinker - currently small enough to have a -5 PER modifier, which becomes reduced to -4 PER. If it would be broad daylight, the +4 PER spotlight would probably negate the modifier. That is, if it was pointed toward Shrinker, her shadow might give her away, even though small. So it does have various benefits. Using a + to PER Rolls UBO (+5 INT only for PER Rolls per level of +1 PER?) would make everyone more perceptive, but would not affect the situation of having a negative PER modifier - which is what usually forces a PER Roll. Apart from having characters making PER Rolls to notice attacks from behind and such, a positive total PER modifier would usually mean everyone can perceive whatever it is, without making a PER Roll. All of this might be slightly overanalyzing it, but it also depends on how you handle it in your game and how often you require (or secretly make) PER Rolls - some of these aspects, like constantly using the PER modifiers listed in the books, might slow the game down too much with no real benefit. As long as it works reasonable at construction time, go with what you decide. I have never discussed this with anyone to this extent before, and it's been enjoyable, so thank you for bringing it up.

Re: Post "gotchas" here Thank you, but to be perfectly honest I haven't actually gamed with the 5ER rules yet (got them last fall) and am still digesting 6E, so I was originally going by the non-explanation in 4th Ed, which only deals with how to detect an Image as being an illusion - my first reaction was to say Images did block LOS by default. It wasn't until it was brought up: and later expanded upon by him, by you, ghost-angel, SteveZilla and many others that I actually read through all of those Powers and related sections with intent to clear it up, that I posted that. But I'm glad if it helped clear anything up.

Re: Post "gotchas" here Personally, I interpreted it to mean you wanted a more detailed discussion on why CE should not give a positive effect. Steve Long would probably not answer this (as it concerns design philosophy) except maybe to note it has to do with game balance issues: negative adjustments generally levels the playing field for other PCs, while positive adjustment effects may probably be unbalancingly effective. I don't claim to have extensively analyzed this statistically, but it would seem that it would be easier to just define positive adjustment effects as being the prerogative of other Powers such as Aid, instead of applying extra Advantages to Change Environment. It's also a matter of relative odds - instead of improving the capabilities of the other PCs you can reduce the capabilities of your opponents to the same degree without causing the same game imbalance issues; if you can provide cheap benefits using any Power, it will probably stack with other effects and escalate out of proportion until you find the only balance solution is to increase the cost of the original benefits. The positive adjustment Powers that exist are already pretty well balanced (and play-tested), and it is one of the most risky elements to change the costs of, game-balance-wise. Even if it seems clunkier at first, the safest bet is probably trying to build an effect from what exists, and summarize that under for easy reference rather than make up a temporary new rule to make the writeup briefer. This is especially true for effects that impact directly on combat, I would think, since those are the costs everything is balanced in respect to (apart from "scenario-breakers", but that would be an extensive issue in itself). Disclaimer: Please not that I'm not intending to explain the rules to anyone - I'm sure you're all well versed in these - but I'd rather be overly verbose than be misunderstood. That's my theory, but if anyone has a better one, I'm all ears.

Re: Post "gotchas" here Interesting. Examples for Change Environment use in both 5ER and 6E is the Stealth Suit, as a -4 PER Self Only CE. This could have been done with Images - except that Images only force a single PER Roll, then it no longer blocks LOS. Change Environment can force consecutive PER Rolls to maintain LOS. One thing that Change Environment cannot do, though, is create mobile illusions. Either of those Powers could be expanded to include elements of the other. Also, Change Environment, Darkness and Images already have related game effects, so these can maybe all be combined for ease of use if this frequently comes up, although Darkness is the only one with an absolute effect. Personally, I think your suggestion here is a very good solution, and the relative costs can be analyzed to come up with a good value for an Advantage to Change Environment. The big problem is that Images is the more expensive power, so possibly Change Environment should be based on Images instead. I think Steve Long commented that Change Environment can never be used to grant a benefit to rolls, but I may be incorrect on this. By the RAW, though, I've pondered the hologram effect, and I think that the way to go when creating a semi-realistic hologram is to link another Power to it (possibly with Only to block LOS through Image at -1/2 to -1): A completely opaque hologram or other Image would have a Linked Darkness; A hologram or other Image that may not be absolutley opaque would have a Linked Change Environment (PER modifier appropriate to the difficulty to perceive through the Image - not necessarily the same as the Images PER modifier, which more or less only seems to apply to the difficulty of perceiving it as an illusion). However, since Images (Only to create Light) always provides a positive PER modifier, I would assume that any Images used to increase PER modifiers negates any need to make PER rolls just to achieve/maintain LOS. Example: A Change Environment effect defined as dense mist, reduces PER rolls by -3. Photon uses Images (Only to create Light) to create a +4 PER modifier, which cancels the need to make a PER roll for LOS purposes, in addition to giving a +1 to PER rolls through the Change Environment effect for other purposes.

Re: What is a MP and what is not ? Yeah, I think it's just a slight specific OCD I acquired sometime during the 2nd/3rd supplements where this was not necessarily true. My brain automatically activates "Paranoid Point-Defense Mode" and recalculates.

Re: What is a MP and what is not ?

Re: Hero Podcast: What Would You Like To Hear? Does anyone here who listens to/deals with much podcasting have any impression of whether it is frequently used to promote new books, and if so, how efficiently? Naturally a Hero podcast couldn't replace Digital Hero, but might feature some similar stuff? I have the impression it can serve much the same functions as Steve Long's Showcases, and it would be cool if there was a brief section on a letterbox - a special email address announced where people could ask questions about the podcast, products, developments, or what color of cats DOJ executives prefer. One thing - I don't think the number of replies to this thread is necessarily indicative of how many on these forums would listen and become interested in buying more products, since there are probably more people here that possess Hero System books than are actually posting. That said, I personally would love to hear everyone's ideas. Myself, I don't listen much to podcasts. Yet...

Re: Post "gotchas" here As Change Environment works on the premise that it can (for instance) force a CHAR Roll or PER Roll to avoid some negative effect, the negative effect in that case is usually that LOS among other things cannot be achieved with Sense(s) that are blocked. If Images and Change Environment functions similarly in that respect, it would mean Images is opaque unless you make the PER Roll with the modifiers, and if you do, you can also achieve LOS and see through it. Conditionally transparent by default, I'd say. Opaque unless PER Rolls is made. I'm thinking that buying an absolutely opaque Images might have disproportionately effective results even with modifiers and go beyond the Power... one way would be to buy Darkness linked to Images to make it opaque, and compare the resulting costs, which would equate to more like an Advantage than an Adder (since the Linked Darkness would also have to get larger if you increase Images size). A way to make an Image require two separate PER Rolls (one to detect it as an illusion and a second one to see through it) would be to add a second Linked Images, only for that purpose (though I'm not sure how much that would be worth as a limitation - maybe -1/2?). Would this work?

Re: AI with remote "puppet" body Reasoning from how systems are constructed, it would be logical to assume that motor skills (Agility or other DEX-based) that the parent AI would have no other use for could reside in the remote drone body, as well as maybe basic programming reasonably more efficiently used by a slave unit. Advanced programming requiring direct remote control by the AI and seldom-needed databases could reside in the AI. Game Info: Follower, Machine Intellect Physical Disadvantage (literal interpretation, no self-initiative, etc.) or the already suggested EGO Drain. EGO, KS, SCI and other abilities provided by the AI could be bought as UBO (2 simultaneously) which handily can be configured to apply to LOS (in this case Radio or Mind Link). In this case, the AI might also have Mind Scan, Only To Locate And Reestablish Contact With Drone Body. As an aside, the drone could, instead of a total shutdown in case of comm failure, activate a basic subroutine that makes the drone say "I'm so depressed" or "I'm so tired I can't think straight. Just tell me what to do." to cover for the contingency of loss of initiative capability. You could also name the drone Marvin.

Re: Post "gotchas" here Yup, what I meant when I wrote "I just thought of the suggestion for an Adder to Images" but I should have credited you more explicitly. I lean towards your suggestion for a solution. "rep must be spread yadda yadda" EDIT: No, I can now rep again!

Re: Multipower imbalance 1) Multiple Attack also has a Caution Sign, and the GM is advised to disallow abuse or ill-considered use of this Maneuver. It does give you -2 OCV per additional attack and reduces DCV by half; Area Attacks must be targeted at target's DCV instead of DCV 3 for a target point; all attacks involved use worst OCV modifier - this includes bonuses for Martial Arts Maneuvers used in a Multiple Attack. I think Steve Long has commented on how this can be used to enable more cinematic action scenes (if used with some GM caution). An example would be: kick the opponent in front of you, punch the one to your left, and throw your knife to disarm the one to your right. 2) Combined Attack can be used for simultaneous attacks with similar attack forms, and this is considered a Strike (unmodified attack). Martial Arts Maneuvers do not qualify for this (you have but one STR). An example would be: shoot two thugs at the same time, or shoot one twice, using your two guns. 3) Previously (edition-wise), a good way to make several attacks at once with the same power/ability was to use the Sweep Maneuver, which originally was applied only in HTH combat - mostly to allow a Martial Artist to take down multiple goons. Multiple Attack is in some ways an extension of this, with similar modifiers, so even if Multiple Attack has not yet been playtested by many people, I think it will work out reasonably. An important value of Multiple Attack and similar abilities is that it mitigates the effects of a SPD advantage, which tends to be very powerful. With MA, slower characters at least get a chance to keep up, but at a significant penalty. All in all, there are good reasons to be extra careful with all the stuff labeled with caution signs, but don't go overboard in the other direction: just consider those before you begin to use them, and by all means playtest it first - even if you just run a mock combat by yourself, the implications and effects with make more sense when you figure it out in practice.

Re: 6E: Astral Blast 6E Mental Blast is EGO Attack renamed, not a mental form of Blast.

Re: Post "gotchas" here A Shape Shift vs Sight or a Linked Darkness might fulfill the Images illusion that is non-transparent, but I just thought of the suggestion for an Adder to Images. +5 Opaque to a single Sense +10 Opaque to a Sense Group These are listed under Barrier, but they also happen to be the same costs as Darkness, so they might be applicable to a more opaque Images as well. Hmm.

Re: Post "gotchas" here Lazily, I spoke of the hole-on-hole illusion before actually looking it up in the Rules - so I was just wrong. My hat off.

Re: Hero Podcast: What Would You Like To Hear?