Fabricati

Re: If Only I Had The Will (or Building 'Stock' Meters for Fun and Beatings)

I'd considered that; the problem there is twofold.

First, the Absorption maximum- of xd6 of Absorption, I can only achieve x*6 END. Now, likely, I'm never going to reach that max in a useful length of time (in fact, considering how blindingly fast most HERO combats go in 'game time'- compared to a 2D fighting game, at least- it'd probably never get that far, especially since everyone's slinging Normal Damage in the Absorption dice range).

Second, the END reserve in that case only fills when the character takes damage- If I give out damage, the reserve just sits there. It encourages much more defensive play than I'd like. Maybe there's some funky way to do it so damage done (Normal Damage BODY) gets in there too? That's mostly what I'm hung up on.

I'd also say it's porky, but since I'm mostly doing this for giggle value, there's no reason I can't use as many points as I like (though it might belie the character's abilities).

So in building fighting game-style characters, as the above implies, I've hit a little bit of a snag. Call them Desperation Moves, Super Arts, Hyper Combos, whatever- one of the fun little strategic bits of old 2D fighting games was the little meter at the bottom of your screen that accumulated both as you hit things and as things hit you. That meter fills, and then you get a chance to land a nasty turnaround blow.

From there, the idea then starts to veer wildly from game to game, allowing things like multiple 'meters' (and varying levels of inflicting pain!), using these meters for things other than pre-made Super Maneuvers, having a specific ability that increased your Meter at the cost of essentially being 0 DCV, etc.

I have no idea how to do this in HERO. Not even the basic concept. Oh, the things that follow are no problem- that's stuff like vanilla HAs, Linked attacks, bonuses to Sweep or Grapple, CON for purposes of Stunning with a Continuous Recoverable Charge- but the actual building of the meter escapes me. Is it an END Reserve? A nutty form of Absorption/Aid? A strange use of Transfer?

Suggestions? Comments that maybe I should leave well enough alone?

What I am attempting to do: Character enters the Extra Dimension in a certain Phase. The power kicks character out after a short period of time (say, one Turn from the character's perspective).

The idea: Continuing Charges (1 Turn) on Extra-Dimensional Movement. Is this correct from a rules perspective? If not, what is the correct effect?

Re: What's in the moon?

So the moon's interior has a Starbux?

Of course, they're everywhere these days.

Look for your cuppa on Mars, circa 2010!

Re: Superhero Legacy 2: He took my old ID!

Junkyard Dog would surreptitiously make sure it isn't her kid doing this insane stuff before relaxing. Heaven knows she took the name from someone; at least this one won't have to end the old wolf now...

U.S. Steel would blink, sigh, shrug, and get on with life.

Envy is the only interesting one- he'd be balls-to-the-wall against this, and as a major telekinetic (now an old one), he'd probably have more than enough power, skill, and energy to say "No, you won't be taking that name thank you, I happen to like it just fine." There would be one exception- if his so-called successor is, like himself, The Earthbound Savior of his generation. Then the kid'll just get a warning, maybe a little fear of God in 'em.

Re: "As Long as I Have Will to Fight..."

Indestructible Focus, with the one way to break it being to break the character's fighting spirit? Assuming it's a singular weapon.

 

Alternately: Buying off the OAF limitation for weaponry, with the limitation 'only while (name) has fighting spirit', though then you're gonna have to define that somehow, for any weapon he grabs.

Bleh. The latter- any weapon in his hands is Unbreakable, as long as he's still truly willing to fight someone (which means this ablity is useless if, for instance, he's facing off against someone he must fight, but is old friends with...). Unfortunately, it is as clunky as I feared it was, at least in that form.

I'd handwave it, except I'm almost certain it'll come up at some point, especially as the other characters are also just as Mythical, as is the tone.

Here's a somewhat vague power to try and model. The character in question has the ability, as long as a weapon is in hand and she has the will to fight, the weapon in said hand will not break.

This is something that I'm finding it a little difficult to model, since it's not a Power Advantage per se... Help?

Re: What's the point? They're gonna escape anyways

In the words of my PCs:

Junkyard Dog: "Pardon me? This is our city. Let them escape. We'll destroy them any time they care to arrive here."

U.S. Steel: "Would you rather they served their time, made the world believe they were rehabilitated and started plans in secret behind a face of respectability? Because that works too."

Re: German for Fearless?

Frau Blucher

 

*Horses neigh*

Re: Superheroic Blazons

Ah, there we are. Bumped for awesome idea, as well as a suggestion- describe your characters in that manner, so people know almost precisely how your costume looks.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

I personally know someone who punned Steve Jackson to a tie. There is now a card in a Steve Jackson game that deals more damage to him than other players.

 

I game with a man who punned the word halon without the slightest falter.

 

I fear not such lesser puns as these.

Which reminds me- just how expensive is Pun Defense?

Re: Not "Secret", not "Public", just "Identity"

 

I'd really like someone to come up with a 'neither' idea for world saving superheroes, that doesn't strain credibility (Yes I know we are in comics land where the laws of physics don't apply, but I'd like to suspend my belief, not hang it).

They could be like one team of mine- Yes, they ended up saving the world on national television from an alien invasion. But... And this is a big BUT-

Everyone had already been evacuated. In fact, the Nat'l Guard set up a battle line.

They just happened to teleport in behind enemy lines, too far for the cameras to get a good bead on them.

And the aliens enforced a rather rigorous no-fly zone.

Essentially, the team saved the world- is documented as having saved the world- and nobody really knows for sure who the team is.

Hell, half the time superheroes end up saving the world and no one ever knows about it- because it's deep beneath the earth, or out in space where no news camera can cover it, or somewhere no one else is willing to go (or might notice), like deep into the Amazon or lost in the Rockies or out near Everest.

It's the time when it's in the middle of a city that it strains disbelief. But then, so does starting your world takeover in an urban center...

Re: Atmospheric reentry

Yes, but the physics work out, so if someone conceivably matched rotation speed with the Earth via a Flight power, it's more than conceivable. It'd probably require some major MegaScale and/or noncombat doubling, but I could see it happening.

Just saying.

Re: Not "Secret", not "Public", just "Identity"

I've been thinking about this and I'd make a hero with neither Secret or Public ID the equivelent of the real heroes in the real world. ie. police officers & fire fighters. These are guys that put their lives on the line to save people and property and apprehend criminals, just like Superheroes do. Some are even awarded medals for it. Thing is alot of people would have a hard time telling you, off the top of their heads, who the last cop or firefighter to get a medal in their city was. Sure that people he saved/criminals she apprehended might never forget them, and for a while they'll have people offeing them free food and stuff and saying 'good on you', but then something else 'newsworthy' happens and people tend to forget. If they don't do something 'medal-worthy' again then eventually they are just like every cop or firefighter, an everyday hero, but not someone that people know the name off automatically.

 

The same would be true of superheroes. They'll stop 'Evil Guy' or save the city and they'll get famous because of it. The media might lionise them, the mayor might hold a press conference, people might come up to them in the streets and say 'Hey aren't you Mega-man? Thanks for stopping Evil guy, that was cool.' However the next day the Champions are called on to save the city from Dr Destroyer or some such and that becomes upermost in peoples' mind. Sure the hostages you saved might keep sending you cookies and the teenage girl who was one of them might have a picture of you on her diary with a love heart around it, and you can be sure that Evil Guy won't forget you when he inevitably breaks out of jail, but the the populous at large you will be 'just another superhero protecting the city because it's what they do' (until you do something else that gets you public attention and lets face it Superheroes are more likely to do this, just because of how 'Super' their 'Heroics' are)

Remarkably good treatment. Repped.

Re: EGO Rolls and PRE Attacks (2)

Not quite- then it would be -3; EGO has one big thing up on PRE for Presence Attacks.

EGO also supplies your Breakout for PRE damage, just like everything else. Hence, -2. It can actually help a lot when you're hit by someone's 70 damage PRE attack and not only do you get hit for a 'mere' +30, your Breakout is say around 14-, because your EGO for this purpose is 40. You'll probably get to move before therest of your party, and if you're the spellcaster or mentalist, that means you have just saved your own bacon.

Re: EGO Rolls and PRE Attacks (2)

Why not buy extra PRE' date=' which is cheaper, and call it 'EGO', as a sfx?[/quote']

 

Well, I always liked the idea of someone who is quiet, reserved, nevertheless impossible to shake (many mages are like this), because Ego does not make one more impressive, but PRE attacks are resisted as the better of Ego or Presence. If the character is naturally impressive as opposed to merely willful, buying up PRE makes sense. If the opposite is true, then Ego makes more sense (and helps later if you buy off the Limitation/Skill Roll).

 

In short, it's a little clunky to buy up your PRE when what you're resisting with is EGO. I'm tempted to call it a -2 Limitation, "Only to Resist PRE attacks", and let him buy up as much as he likes (in lots of two points gets you three).

Re: Senses in a multipower--legal build?

As he pays more points in the pool cost, the difference between having them as a Multipower and just bying them normally becomes vanishingly small.

I still think he'll look a right twit trying to write all this down, like a Western Columbo...

Re: Senses in a multipower--legal build?

I'd allow it, but that's because I think it's kind of funny that he can't use all these senses at once. Make him pay a point- "Always has a pad of paper", so he can write it all down while he's observin'.

Re: Picking a codename that, like, a million other characters haven't already used.

How about Scrap or Scrap Iron The name sounds like something batter and untidy and "Scrap" is also slang for "fight."

For the extra yard, take it into german, with Alt Eisen...

Re: One HELL of a poker game...

Junkyard Dog would probably just walk on, having some mission to complete (otherwise she wouldn't even be down here- it's established that she has the ability to channel holy power... People like that typically don't end up Down South unless they have a good reason to be there.).

Envy would probably be the Dealer, collecting all the souls and then bowing out before the demons realized he's stacked the deck in his favor. The cathartic release of thousands of tormented repentant souls would do much to ease Envy's worried mind. As to the problem of every demon lord in Hell being after him? "I've seen worse."

U.S. Steel is not stupid, despite himself, and would probably get on with what he needed to do.

Ladon would be the only one to try and break up the poker game... With predictable results.

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central

Eh? Whatcha mean? The Hiroshima thing? I thought it was pretty cool.

I didn't. It gives Hiroshima all the dramatic impact of a wet tissue. I can even hear the wolf theme from Peter and the Wolf showing up.

They don't want Golden Age pomp, and then they pull this?

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central

....

.....

Oh, gag me with a spoon. Application withdrawn.

I mean, really, you expect me to take a speech like that seriously?

Re: Need advice on Growth

And don't feel bad - they're bouncing all kinds of interesting and good constructs in that campaign. Vox's original character was pretty cool and emasculated for no good reason.

They really are. It's like they want a remarkably specific flavor, but can't seem to quite agree on what that flavor is.

Though I'll admit both of mine were pretty much made up for S+G value; if they keep tugging me about like this I'm more than half-tempted to pick up my marbles and leave like you did.

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central

I don't recall seeing it, which is easy to do right now. The whole idea of hyper-intelligent animals is something I have not considered (at all, even on drugs).

 

[OK, I went back and looked at you bio. It does say Rats in the basement. I get that... old house. I did not put 2+2 together to get hyper-intelligent rats out of How was she supposed to know his familiar had gotten around with the rats in the basement... Probably should have, but didn't]

 

Do you mind them getting out an infecting other areas of the city? They are rats after all, they do breed like crazy. I see a mission with some guy and a set of pipes in my future

Not too much, but she'd probably sit it out for the same reason she'd want to hide them from the County Dept. of Public Health. That CvK applies to all sapient beings, which is why this is a problem in the first place (of course, she's no stranger to the strange, either).

They mostly clean up after themselves, so they're not spectacular vectors (of disease) except for their own magic-screwed DNA, but yeah, they probably get around- for technical writers, at least.

Revised.

Re: Catalyst: A Champions campaign on Hero Central

Ok starting with the disads again:

Enraged: When Innocents Are Actually Hurt (Uncommon), go 8-, recover 14-

This is a nice touch to your...

Psychological Limitation: Considers Herself To Have an Ethical Duty to Protect People (Common, Moderate)

 

I need to ask what "actually hurt" is by your definition. Scenario:

1. Mugger threatens civilian.

2. Mugger pulls out pistol and threatens civilian.

3. Mugger wrestles with civilian to get purse.

4. Mugger pushes civilian to the ground but does not get purse.

5. Mugger football kicks civilian.

6. Mugger pistol whips civilian.

7. Mugger shoots civilian.

 

Now, most of us would jump in at one BUT I need to know when YOU THINK would need to make a roll for enraged.

Legally it becomes...

1. Mugger threatens civilian. (verbal assault, low grade misdameanor)

2. Mugger pulls out pistol and threatens civilian. (threatening with intent to harm, high grade misdameanor)

3. Mugger wrestles with civilian to get purse. (attempt robbery, felony)

4. Mugger pushes civilian to the ground but does not get purse. (assault and attempted robbery, now the assault is a felony too)

5. Mugger football kicks civilian (assault, felony... could be attempted murder)

6. Mugger pistol whips civilian (assault with a deadly weapon, felony could be attempted murder)

7. Mugger shoots civilian (assault and attempted murder)

 

This is a lot of noise for a 5 point disad, but I want to get an idea where you sit. Where you put it on the scale determines the frequency. I see your enraged firing off between 5 and 6. The mugger would not have to really harm the person (they missed their attack, but the intent is evident)

Yeah, 5's that limit.

Social Limitation: House Populated By Hyperintelligent Rats (who are her Tenants) (Frequently, Minor)

This feels like golden age sillyness, not Bronze age. However, I would allow a 10 point social limitation on your house Weirdness Magnet. Basically, all sorts of stuff can and will happen at your house, and at inopportune times (you have it as frequent). This could probably be explained away as a poltergeist or something similar.

... You allowed it in the background. I even wrote it in the background. It's right there, and is no worse (or better) than the Worms in MiB, which is definitely Bronze Age, if light-hearted.