Digest Archives Vol 1 Issue 29
Desmarais, John
From: owner-champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 1998 3:19 AM
To: champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Subject: champ-l-digest V1 #29
champ-l-digest Thursday, November 5 1998 Volume 01 : Number 029
In this issue:
Re: Star Trek Campaigns (was Re: Howdy!)
Re: Power Pool Deja Vu
RE: Everyimmortal skills [Filksinger & Lockie]
Re: (Sorta Off-Topic) Miniatures & Maps
Re: Automatons
Re: Need help with plot [long]
RE: Everyimmortal Skills
Re: Personal note on Religion in gaming (feedback needed)
Re: Favorite Scenarios
Re: Anglo-HERO (Re: San Angelo Opinions)
Re: metal armour
Re: Simulating Mind Link with something else due to VPP
Re: Wierd
Re: Automatons
Re: Simulating Mind Link with something else due to VPP
Re: Icorporating Myth without stepping on religion.
Re: Did you have to do that?!?
Re: Power Questions
Re: Power Pool Mark II
Re: Scrapping OCV/DCV?
Re: Breadth vs. Depth
Re: Enchanting Items in FH
Re: Periscopic Senses
Re: What language is Hero? (was Re: Possession?)
Re: Language Questions
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 13:06:28 -0500
From: Ross Rannells <rossrannells@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Star Trek Campaigns (was Re: Howdy!)
B.C. Holmes wrote:
> Jay Hailey wrote:
>
> <snip>
> Leadership (is this just PRE? Or is there a real skill, there?)
> Starship Tactics (as a different skill than Small Unit Tactics)
> Zero-G Operations (PS?)
>
> Any thoughts?
>
As far as Starship Tactics goes, I've always used the Tactics skill with a negitive
for the cerw size applied to it. The exact negitive is the power of 2 that is
closest to the crew size. This is then modified by the number of ships being
commanded for fleet actions. A Battleship (crews between 1200 and 1800) would be a
- -11 while light cruisers/destroyers (250 to 300 men) are a -8. A battle line of 4
Battleships would be a -13 while a squadron of 6 destroyer would be a -11. This
means that a ships captain would need a fairly high Tactics skill with additional
secondary skills such as Naval History, Naval Maneuvers, and Naval Science to give
those all important +1's when needed. The support staff of command grade and
junior officers also can give plus's for making successful rolls against their
skills to assist the ships cammander. So a bridge staff of 5 (captian plus
officers is a good sized gaming group) and 3 successful secondary skill rolls could
yeild a +8 to counter the ship's crew size minues.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 07:17:41 -0700
From: Bob Greenwade <bob.greenwade@klock.com>
Subject: Re: Power Pool Deja Vu
At 12:32 AM 9/15/1998 EDT, Firelynx16@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 9/14/98 5:47:34 PM Central Daylight Time,
>bob.greenwade@klock.com writes:
>
>> >60/10 = 6 is right IF the slots are fixed and not variable, otherwise
>> >it's 60/5 = 12
>> >
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> [snip for space]
>> >> > > 60 Multipower Pool (120), OAF Mystic Staff
>> >> > > 6 m 12d6 EB
>> >> > > 6 m 30" Flight
>> >> > > 6 m 30 PD, 30 ED Force Field
>> >> > >
>> >> > > If it isn't legal, please tell me where it breaks down. If it is
>> >> legal,
>> >> > > please tell me how you would design it, if you would design it
>> >> differently.
>> >> >
>> >> > These should be 12 each and not 6.
>> >> > 60/5=12.
>> >>
>> >> Except each slot also gets the -1 OAF limitation as well, so they
>> >> *would*
>> >> cost 6 points each.
>>
>> Both Brians are correct that a variable slot in a 60 point pool would
>> cost 60/5=12 points; but *then* you apply the -1 Limitation for OAF on the
>> above power construct to get a final slot cost of 6 points.
>> ---
>
>That's not right, if I'm reading it correctly. The Multipower is a 120 point
>MP, not a 60, right? So the variable slots would cost 24 points each, before
>the Limitation is applied... which would then result in the correct answer of
>12 points each. Am I missing something?
You're missing that the variable slots don't fill up the entire
Multipower. They only fill 60 points each, not the whole 120.
- ---
Bob's Original Hero Stuff Page! [Circle of HEROs member]
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/original.htm
Homepage of the Merry-Go-Round Webring! (Wanna join?)
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/merrhome.htm
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 09:19:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net>
Subject: RE: Everyimmortal skills [Filksinger & Lockie]
On Sun, 9 Aug 1998, Michael (Damon) or Peni R. Griffin wrote:
> Lockie, are you paying attention? Do you see how this is done? Filksinger
> and I didn't agree on this issue, and said so, but he didn't howl about the
> end of the Hero world being at hand, resort to name calling or flatly
> refuse to consider what I was saying before telling me he didn't agree with
> it. Take a lesson.
Oh, yer gonna get it for that. For the crime of telling him to try and be
more coherent in his debates I received this immense rambling post about
how the whole list is trying to smash him down. I would have passed on
to the rest of your for your reading pleasure (for some reason the reply
only came to me) but I figured no one would want toread it. So brace
yourself.
***************************************************************************
* "'Cause I'm the god of destruction, that's why!" - Susano Orbatos,Orion *
* Michael Surbrook / susano@access.digex.net *
* Visit "Surbrook's Stuff' the Hero Games resource site at: *
* http://www.access.digex.net/~susano/index.html *
* Attacked Mystification Police / AD Police / ESWAT *
* Society for Creative Anachronism / House ap Gwystl / Company of St.Mark *
***************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Aug 1998 17:32:47 -0400
From: Mike Christodoulou <Cypriot@concentric.net>
Subject: Re: (Sorta Off-Topic) Miniatures & Maps
>
>While most of the figures won't have back pictures, I still think they'll
>work. I'll just repeat the same picture on the back. I even took one of my
>player's character sketches and will have a figure for him by next game.
We get around that problem by printing the picture twice: Once in color,
and once in a B&W outline. The color side, by convention, is the front.
Some pictures are a little easier to get a back shot. Cloaked figures,
for instance. Just mirror the picture, draw hair over the face, and
draw the cape over the top. It's a little awkward at full size, but
shrunk down, you can get away with it.
====================== =================================================
Mike Christodoulou "Never doubt that a small group of committed
Cypriot@Concentric.Net citizens can change the world. In fact, it is
(770) 662-5605 the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead
====================== =================================================
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 19:40:55 -0500
From: Ross Rannells <rossrannells@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Automatons
Michael (Damon) or Peni R. Griffin wrote:
> >Considering that every Unix with which I'm familiar comes with TCP/IP, I'd
> >be inclined to call it an everycomputer skill. Failure to run Unix should be
> >represented as a Disadvantage.:) (Eg, Phys Lim: Runs MS Windows, Greatly
> >impairing All the time)
>
> UNIX systems are a small minority of computers and getting smaller. We've
> all heard the jokes about Bill Gates being a Borg, assimilating the world's
> computers. His reach now extends into Fantasy Hero games as well. It was
> recently discovered that if you toss a Windows 98 CD into the microwave for
> a few seconds, glowing letters appear on the disc which translate to:
>
> One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them
> One OS to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them
> In the land of Redmond, where the Shadows lie.
>
> Soon, all the lovely little UNIXorns will be gone, transformed into dray
> beasts to slave and toil beyond...the Gates of Redmond.
>
> Damon
> having a seriously weird moment :)
>
I've heard many a person say Unix won't survive, that some other OS would kill
it. All have come to nought. Do you know what the fastest growing OS for Intel
hardware is? I'll give you a clue it isn't sold by Microsoft, matter of fact it
isn't sold at all.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 16:11:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net>
Subject: Re: Need help with plot [long]
On Mon, 10 Aug 1998, Curt Hicks wrote:
> I may come back later with some ideas, but I just wanted to comment
> on the preparation here. Is this a PBEM game or live ?
Live face-to-face game.
> I'm amazed at the level of detail. Is this typical for game preparation ?
Uh... no. The game is due to start soon so I've been thinking on how to
do a really cool slam-bang opening scnario. I hope to be able to create
more like this, but normally, I'm much less... detailed.
I will admit that I know the setting cold, and the rest of the players
are only passingly familier. It is also a setting that allows a lot of
different 'things' to be present.
I think that trying to write stuff like this in the future is the way to
go, it really allows me to plumb the depths of each character.
***************************************************************************
* "'Cause I'm the god of destruction, that's why!" - Susano Orbatos,Orion *
* Michael Surbrook / susano@access.digex.net *
* Visit "Surbrook's Stuff' the Hero Games resource site at: *
* http://www.access.digex.net/~susano/index.html *
* Attacked Mystification Police / AD Police / ESWAT *
* Society for Creative Anachronism / House ap Gwystl / Company of St.Mark *
***************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 09:16:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net>
Subject: RE: Everyimmortal Skills
On Fri, 7 Aug 1998, Dr. Nuncheon wrote:
> > Captain Future gets Computer Programming free. You as a Modern man have to
> > pay for it. This is unfair?
>
> Note that, in general, Everyman skills are supposed to apply across an
> entire campaign - i.e. everyone in 'Spy Hunt' gets the 'Modern' ES
> package. If you're going to have crossover campaigns, you should really
> revise the ES packages so that they are equal instead of slavishly
> following what's in the book.
I'd like to state that I disagree with giving out 'Computer Programming'
as an ES skill for the Future game. It presumes that *everyone* is
trainined in progremming computers. I'm betting that this is supposed to
be 'computer operations' which is a seperate skill (and should be a KS).
***************************************************************************
* "'Cause I'm the god of destruction, that's why!" - Susano Orbatos,Orion *
* Michael Surbrook / susano@access.digex.net *
* Visit "Surbrook's Stuff' the Hero Games resource site at: *
* http://www.access.digex.net/~susano/index.html *
* Attacked Mystification Police / AD Police / ESWAT *
* Society for Creative Anachronism / House ap Gwystl / Company of St.Mark *
***************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 01:26:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@njcu.edu>
Subject: Re: Personal note on Religion in gaming (feedback needed)
> >Those who fail outright and are deemed non-salvagable are deported.
> Whoa! This seems harsh...and where are they deported to? Neighboring
> nations are just supposed to take in all these "undesirables" without
> question?
I figure the Nationalists who failed are still throughly educated
hard working individuals guarenteed to be disease free and mentally well.
I'm sure any country with 'open door' policies for citizenship would let
them in. Any one know of any such country?
> > Outsiders may request temporary citizenship, but only after a
> >rigorous series of tests and screenings. Many of the 'outsiders' study
> >medicine at the nation's medical schools.
> Why would someone want to become a "temporary citizen" rather than just
> obtain a work visa or whatever? What's the advantage?
A temporary citizenship would entitle them to all of the 'rights'
such as medical coverage, nation owned housing, etc. while allowing them
to study in some of the finest schools in the world.
> > In order to have children, you must first be licenced by the
<snip>
> Human rights violations here...of course, that won't stop the good ol' USA
> from giving them Most Favored Nation trading status.
oo! Which rights are being violated?
> > Media from other countries is considered contraband unless
> >approved by the nation. People are assigned uniforms.
> All people are assigned uniforms? All forms of media have to be approved?
Yes and yes.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 10:25:56 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net>
Subject: Re: Favorite Scenarios
On Wed, 30 Sep 1998, Bob Greenwade wrote:
> * * * THE STORY STARTS HERE * * *
>
> As the scenario opens, various heroes start getting clues that something
> strange is going on. Those with wide-ranging Danger Sense get powerful bad
> vibes. Tidal phenomena becomes exaggerated, and cetacean catastrophes
> (beached whales and such) increase and become more severe.
Here is a bit of color to add - include strandings of giant squid.
Flucuations in water temps seem to really screw with squid, which is why
so many specimens ended up stranded off of the coast of Maine and Canada
in 1870.
Oh, and when I say giant squid, I mean 'giant'. 50-60' long.
Hmmm... have some fun and include some really strange deepwater animals
too, like really big 6-gill sharks and/or 'sea monsters'.
***************************************************************************
* "'Cause I'm the god of destruction, that's why!" - Susano Orbatos,Orion *
* Michael Surbrook / susano@access.digex.net *
* Visit "Surbrook's Stuff' the Hero Games resource site at: *
* http://www.access.digex.net/~susano/index.html *
* Attacked Mystification Police / AD Police / ESWAT *
* Society for Creative Anachronism / House ap Gwystl / Company of St.Mark *
***************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 18:41:53 +1000
From: happyelf <jonesmj@cqu.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Anglo-HERO (Re: San Angelo Opinions)
> (As a counter-example from TOS, though, remember that Khan's band of
> world-conquering genetic supermen(and women) were from all cultures and
> ethnicities. To me, it's more important to have interesting bad guys of
> different races/cultures than heroes. I mean, why can't a JEWISH guy be a
> world-conquering overlord for once?
have you seen under siege 2? i'd rather a cliche nazi any day. .
> Why do we always have to be portrayed
> as nebbishy Woody Allen types?)
>
Well, here i am thinking that most jewish people are depicted as highly
competentor at 'worst', ultra-funny
(alexi sayle did a good scetch on that) which is the real issue here. We can't
even agree on what the stereotypes are, it's silly for us to insist that a group
as
limited as corperate tv producers try and counteract them.
> (And for that matter, why no Jews on Star Trek? Whom do I sue?)
let's face it. what sane person would join the federation? The jewish people
are probably living with the real irish, american indian, australian and other
people
on the southern continents, while the pack of badly-contrived loonies wandering
around
space babbling about prime directives are likely a minority group tolerated due
to equal oppurtunity laws.
The southerners might have a completly different culture, based on dimensional
travel perhaps,
or maybe they have lives outside the brige, promenade, and/or poker room.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:38:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@iii.com>
Subject: Re: metal armour
qts writes:
> >>Obviously, metal armour is useless against electricity
> >
> >Why do people always say this? Have you ever heard of a
> >"Faraday Cage"?
>
> Yes, but you're not touching the Faraday cage, are you?
>
> >Properly-fashioned full plate mail has leather *throughout*, and the
> >conductance of the outer plates pretty much prevents the personinside
> >from ever taking any of the electricity (it all arcs around him).
>
> No, it will conduct through the leather due to misc contact, sweat etc.
Electricity will follow the path of lowest resistance (more accurately, it will
follow multiple paths, and the amount following each path is proportional to
the resistance of the path). As metal has significantly lower resistance than
flesh, the general result of being hit by shock while wearing metal armor is
that most of the shock is carried away by the armor.
However...the metal only protects to the degree that it actually provides a
path to the ground (or wherever the electricity is going). As such, if you
were wearing a chainmail vest and got hit by lightning, a significant portion
of the electricity would be transmitted by the vest -- until the mail stopped,
at which point the easiest path to the ground is probably through your leg...
The net effect is that metal armor should probably provide full defense against
electrical attacks (dealing with the ability of a shock to hit multiple hit
locations is probably not worth the effort); _however_, the real disadvantage
of metal armor against lightning is that metal armor will make electrical
attacks somewhat more likely to _hit_ you (figure -1 to -3 DCV).
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 12:27:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Wong <rook@shell.infinex.com>
Subject: Re: Simulating Mind Link with something else due to VPP
> > This should be simple....
> >
> > I need to simulate a mindlink between my PC and two others. Since MindLink
> > is a special power I can't do it in a VPP without GM approval.
> >
> > The concept of Mindlink is very much fitting the character in this
> > situation. How can I simulate it in case the GM decides to not let it inside
> > the VPP?
>
> Is there a reason you can't buy it outside the power pool? That would
> seem to be the easiest way to handle it.
I'm in mid turn in a PBeM, I sent off my turn with mindlink in the VPP,
one of the other players who's online as much as me replied that it's a special
power (not being near a BBB, I had forgotten). If the GM rejects it, I need
another way to do it. Effect I desire:
To have my mystic 'ride' on the souls of two of the PC's as they go
to battle the villains while I work on 'projects' back at my alter.
She's a Voodoo Priestess and her MO is much like a Shadowrun
Decker/Rigger using spirits, the spirit plane, or spirit/demon/undead
drones while she stays hidden in the back. (Not using spirit rules, but
things like desolid, clairvoyance, summon, etc...)
- --
Rook ¿Õ ¿ë ±â WebRPG Town Hall Magistrate townhall.webrpg.com <0){{{{><
__ Super WebRing http://orion.supersoldiers.com/heroes/webring.html
/.)\ http://www.infinex.com/~rook/SH/SHlinks.html Super Hero Links
\(@/ http://www.infinex.com/~rook/SH/ Super Hero RPG Site
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 18:26:50 -0500 (EST)
From: tdj723@webtv.net (thomas deja)
Subject: Re: Wierd
- --WebTV-Mail-1580710760-594
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Got 'em as well.....
"'Money doesn't talk--it screams."
--A.J. Benza, HOLLYWOOD MYSTERIES AND SCANDALS
____________________________________
THE ULTIMATE HULK, containing the new story, "A Quiet, Normal Life," is
available now from Byron Preiss and Berkley
_______________________________
MAKE UP YOUR OWN DAMN TITLE, Tom Deja's webpage
www.freeyellow.com/members/tdj
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Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 00:54:54 -0800
From: Chad Riley <chadriley01@m7.sprynet.com>
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I just got some messages that were 0ne to two months old. Anyone else?
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 19:41:16 -0500
From: Ross Rannells <rossrannells@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Automatons
Michael (Damon) or Peni R. Griffin wrote:
> >Considering that every Unix with which I'm familiar comes with TCP/IP, I'd
> >be inclined to call it an everycomputer skill. Failure to run Unix should be
> >represented as a Disadvantage.:) (Eg, Phys Lim: Runs MS Windows, Greatly
> >impairing All the time)
>
> UNIX systems are a small minority of computers and getting smaller. We've
> all heard the jokes about Bill Gates being a Borg, assimilating the world's
> computers. His reach now extends into Fantasy Hero games as well. It was
> recently discovered that if you toss a Windows 98 CD into the microwave for
> a few seconds, glowing letters appear on the disc which translate to:
>
> One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them
> One OS to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them
> In the land of Redmond, where the Shadows lie.
>
> Soon, all the lovely little UNIXorns will be gone, transformed into dray
> beasts to slave and toil beyond...the Gates of Redmond.
>
> Damon
> having a seriously weird moment :)
>
I've heard many a person say Unix won't survive, that some other OS would kill
it. All have come to nought. Do you know what the fastest growing OS for Intel
hardware was last year? I'll give you a clue it isn't sold by Microsoft, matter
of fact it isn't sold at all.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 98 13:30:10
From: qts <qts@nildram.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Simulating Mind Link with something else due to VPP
On Fri, 2 Oct 1998 12:27:47 -0700 (PDT), Brian Wong wrote:
>> > This should be simple....
>> >
>> > I need to simulate a mindlink between my PC and two others. Since MindLink
>> > is a special power I can't do it in a VPP without GM approval.
>> >
>> > The concept of Mindlink is very much fitting the character in this
>> > situation. How can I simulate it in case the GM decides to not let it inside
>> > the VPP?
>>
>> Is there a reason you can't buy it outside the power pool? That would
>> seem to be the easiest way to handle it.
>
> I'm in mid turn in a PBeM, I sent off my turn with mindlink in the VPP,
>one of the other players who's online as much as me replied that it's a special
>power (not being near a BBB, I had forgotten). If the GM rejects it, I need
>another way to do it. Effect I desire:
>
> To have my mystic 'ride' on the souls of two of the PC's as they go
>to battle the villains while I work on 'projects' back at my alter.
>
> She's a Voodoo Priestess and her MO is much like a Shadowrun
>Decker/Rigger using spirits, the spirit plane, or spirit/demon/undead
>drones while she stays hidden in the back. (Not using spirit rules, but
>things like desolid, clairvoyance, summon, etc...)
Then Mind Link is probably not the best route - Duplication (because
she's going to be in two places at once, and doing two things at once)
and Desolid seem appropriate here.
qts
Home: qts@nildram.co.uk.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 21:41:48 -0500
From: Ross Rannells <rossrannells@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Icorporating Myth without stepping on religion.
Michael (Damon) or Peni R. Griffin wrote:
> At 04:53 PM 8/26/98 -0800, David McKee wrote:
> >Take for example: I'll assume there is a Christian God in this
> >particular campaign world, but I have an atheist player and a
> >player who is Jewish.
> >
> >Incorporating/introducing a "real" angel to the game (especially
> >a "catholic looking one", or a female one) would offend either or
> >both players.
>
> I'm not entirely sure what's meant by a "Catholic looking" angel, but I
> suppose I can see a 'devout' atheist taking exception to the presence of an
> angel of any description if he thought that meant the GM was thereby
> validating Judeo-Christian cosmology in the campaign world.
>
Speaking as a devout Atheist (yes that's an oxymoran). I have no problem
accepting the existance of Angels, Demons, Vampires, Zombies etc. in a heroic
or superheroic campaign. It simply comes with the territory. Just don't make
any pretence that your world is the real world (the surest way to kill any
campaign is taking it to seriously). It may be an alternitive or mirror of our
world, but it is not the world we live in.
> Angels are part of the Hebrew tradition, though. Why should your Jewish
> player be offended? Angels appear in human form in the old testament.
> There may be no record of angels in female form at that time, but should a
> Jew be offended by the possibility that an angel in the modern world might
> choose to appear in female form?
>
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 00:17:32 -0500
From: Ross Rannells <rossrannells@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Did you have to do that?!?
Bob Greenwade wrote:
> At 06:24 PM 8/13/1998 -0500, Ross Rannells wrote:
> >Michael Surbrook wrote:
> <snip>
> >One quick question, how many agents does a standard vipers nest have? In a
> >campaign I'm currently working on I gave them 150 100 point agents and 225 75
> >point agents with a total of just over 1000 total followers. Does this sound
> >like to many to the rest of you?
>
> Per the VIPER sourcebook, a VIPER Nest with 1000 agents is *huge*. The
> New York nest, one of the largest, has a total of about 800-900. The San
> Francisco nest, at 215 agents, is a medium-sized nest, but still larger
> than average.
> ---
The nest has 350 combat agents with 140 of them being 100 point agents (40 base
points and 60 pooints of disadvanages) and 210 75 point (30/45) agents. The
majority of the rest are are 25 and 50 point support personnel. Technicians,
computer operators, mechanics etc. that do not get involved in combat and most
don't even know they are working for Viper. These are the run of the mill
employees working for a Viper cover company. The nest is designed to be one that
has been around for quite a while and has been fairly successful. Is this an
unreasonable size for such a nest?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 14:31:54 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
Subject: Re: Power Questions
On Wed, 19 Aug 1998, Michael Surbrook wrote:
> > Is the 'solid object' not just a SFX - Change Environment, HA, RKA
> > respectively for your examples?
>
> Becuase you can't use CE to create damaging effects.
That's what the HA and RKA are mentioned for - he wasn't suggesting CE for
all of them, just for the flashlight.
> And I presume the
> characte can create more than just the three examples listed. The
> character can create a variety of items. Handcuffs, pens, possibly food,
> silverware, maybe a radio stuff like that.
That's why I think a VPP would be the best thing for the job.
OTOH, some real world items have point costs that would seem
disproportionate to their actual usefulness - handcuffs come to mind - and
just how do you model a piece of rope? (Could be swinging, entangle, or
several other things) Does it depend on how you want to use it? For that
matter, what power does a butter knife have? Or a fork?
Plus, you've got the problem of Matter Creator Man making (say) a rope to
tie up the badguys (Entangle) and then having his power be locked into
that rope until it's not of use anymore. This would fit if he only had a
limited amount of whatever to make stuff out of, but it can also be a pain
in the hind end...
This is one of those really ugly powers. I'll still stand by a VPP,
though, as long as the GM is reasonably flexible.
J
Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent. Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com
Qui annus est? http://www.io.com/~jeffj
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 09:54:49 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
Subject: Re: Power Pool Mark II
On Fri, 21 Aug 1998, Michael Surbrook wrote:
> Okay, I've done some work on the 'create things out of thin air' guy and
> have the following construct:
>
> 45 Point Variable Power Pool
> 22 Point Control Cost
>
> No Skill Roll (+1), Act 11- (-1), Limited SFX: 20th C 'mundane' technology
> (-1/2), Minimum of IIF (1/4), Can only change in Lab (1/2)
>
> Now, it takes this guy several minutes to produce something, so do I
> really need the No Skill Roll? (since you can freely switch a VPP over
> several turns with no penalty)
'fraid so. He could produce a rope in several minutes, but he could
switch it from an Entangle to Swinging to, er, some kind of NND HA
(strangling someone) etc. without taking any extra time.
You could say, 'Skill Roll/extra time only needed to produce new object'
for +1/2 or something.
> Also, should there be an Extra Time or
> Concentrate limitation to reflect the effort needed?
Yes, but only if you specify: only to create a new object. Probably half
value on those limitations.
> And, finally, use of
> this VPP requires thge character be seated in an Immobile Foci... should I
> up the "Can only change" limitation then?
Hmm. Sitting in an immobile Focus is about the same as going to the lab,
IMHO - although since a gadgeteer could use someone else's lab, in
theory.../maybe/ a -3/4, but I'm not sure. I'd have to check for examples.
J
Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent. Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com
Qui annus est? http://www.io.com/~jeffj
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 22:34:11 -0700
From: Rook <rook@infinex.com>
Subject: Re: Scrapping OCV/DCV?
> Other weapons are similarly difficult. But then you get into the idea of
> weapon that basic to learn but can be endlessly refinded. A sword, fer
> instance.
>
> But, to me, there's a difference between basic competence (Able to use your
> full OCV) and a highly skilled practioner (Someone who has Combat levels with
> the weapon.
Agreed. There's a major danger in going down this road that just
occurred to me.
It's called GURPS.
In GURPS costs are not based on play balance. They're based on how hard
it is to do something, or how rare the designers thought a certain
special effect would be. They even have an advantage to penalize
creative players called "Unusual background" which basically says that
any player who comes up with a real neat origin for his character has to
pay extra points or make the character more bland.
One thing I like about Hero is that it's point costs are based on how
useful something is in game terms. Not on concerns of rarity or special
effect. Now we all know Hero is not perfect here and you can exploit
this. But at least it gives it a good effort.
The last thing I would want to do is undermins that system of attempted
play balance by introducing an inconsistant method of determining costs.
- --
Rook ¿Õ ¿ë ±â WebRPG TownHall Magistrate townhall.webrpg.com <0){{{{><
__ Super WebRing http://orion.supersoldiers.com/heroes/webring.html
/.)\ Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.
\(@/ http://www.infinex.com/~rook/SH/ Super Hero RPG Site
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:58:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Wong <rook@shell.infinex.com>
Subject: Re: Breadth vs. Depth
You did a much better clarification than I did (which makes sense...)
>
> What I'm seeing in these responses is that there's a variety of opinion on
> characters, but that most people agree it's nice to have a very detailed
> location. Now here's another question: Should we do more cities in depth, or
> areas of the world, or should we (instead) present characters, story seeds,
Here my christmas list:
1. Carboard Heroes (I'm a firm believer that anytime a game publisher asks
what people want; the first answer MUST be Cardboard Heroes. They were
the coolest game suppliment I ever encountered.)
2. A darn good Genre book to accompany 5th edition.
3. Settings
4. Generic Setting NPCs
5. Generic Adventure hooks
6. Specific to a Setting NPC's and Adventures
I'll take Cities before NPC's before regions. I can make my own gadgets.
Adventures are a fun read. Sometimes I use them. Usually another player
already bought the module and using it becomes hard. Adventure Hooks
however, giving me ideas to build on my own can be useful.
> decide what to tackle). For instance, should we do a city book on LA or New
> York, or take that same effort and put it into more detail about villain
> groups, or more detail on Bay City, for instance?
>
More detail on Bay City. You forgot several neighborhoods that are ripe
for adventure (Mission anyone?). Also more on what makes the city tick, like
San Angelo had; rather than just places to hold battles.
Why would anyone want to know anything about LA? :) Seriously though;
other city books would be cool. The level of detail given to Foxbat's group or
The Ultimates from Enemies Assemble is about the max I can handle in a printed
book.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 09:20:54 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Wong <rook@shell.infinex.com>
Subject: Re: Enchanting Items in FH
>> Depends entirely upon the nature of the campaign you wish to run. As far
>> as Hero is concerned, creating a magical object (enchanting) requires
>> nothing more than an expenditure of character/experience points to cover
>> the cost of whatever powers the object will have.
>>
> [Brian Wawrow] I realize this is the way it has traditionaly
> been done but I wanted to come up with a system by which someone could
> enchant items with a great expenditure of effort, time and resources but
> no actual character points.
>
One easy way is to give them the points to make it after they go
through the process. In my own games I have removed experience points.
Instead what I do is give out however many points fit for whatever learning
or gain or whatever happens in game; main plot or subplot.
Gives me 100% control over development as well as mooting issues
like this. It also means that all development will make sense within the
frame of the game.
That said; what I'd do for a magic item is require a long ritual
dedication to the proper spirits followed by the investing of some of the
mage's soul/karma and a possible binding of a spirit to the object.
And for that to make sense, you can check out my world's
Magic system:
http://www.infinex.com/~rook/alluvia/
http://www.infinex.com/~rook/alluvia/world/magic.html
http://www.infinex.com/~rook/alluvia/FH/magic.html
- --
Rook ¿Õ ¿ë ±â WebRPG Town Hall Magistrate townhall.webrpg.com <0){{{{><
__ Super WebRing http://orion.supersoldiers.com/heroes/webring.html
/.)\ http://www.infinex.com/~rook/SH/SHlinks.html Super Hero Links
\(@/ http://www.infinex.com/~rook/SH/ Super Hero RPG Site
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 23:42:40 -0700
From: James Jandebeur <james@javaman.to>
Subject: Re: Periscopic Senses
> So that makes the indirect
> option look better--the +1/4 one for 9 points. Also, that better models
> other senses, since this level of indirect is already in normal hearing,
> IMHO.
This depends though on how you think of Hearing: if it's something you
do or something you sense. If it's detect sound, with some other
abilities, you are just detecting the sound that reaches you. Since
sound goes around corners and so on, you wouldn't need indirect on it.
Sight is Detect Light, and it doesn't go around corners, so you need
Indirect on it.
However, while these interpretations are physically acurate, they may
very well not be how you want to represent them in a game. That is,
indirect on hearing makes some sense, for game balance reasons.
> In a private reply, Donald Tsang made the same assumption about using only
> existing eyes (along with some good points) and brought up the issue of
> Flash. That's something I had not considered. This guy is just about
> impossible to Flash for more than an action. He can always just grow
> another eyestalk. Of course, the GM might rule that it isn't just the
> eyes, but also the optic nerve that gets flashed :-) Or maybe I should
> just buy him some Flash Defense :-)
You might be able to get Flash Defense with the -1/4 limitation:
Minimum of 1 phase (Wait a bit here, need to grow another eyeball. Ah,
there. <SMACK!>) Sorry, just picturing the scene...
JAJ, Gaming Philosopher
http://www.javaman.to/philosopher.html
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 17:29:35 -0500
From: Ross Rannells <rossrannells@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: What language is Hero? (was Re: Possession?)
Michael (Damon) or Peni R. Griffin wrote:
> >VB is definitely not as advanced as AD&D. VB is more like Tic Tac Toe or
> >Battle Masters. simple and easy to learn but worthless after the second or
> >third use. AD&D is more like MS Office, lots of bells and whistles but the
> >underlying product is so bad it just can't be saved no matter how much money
> >and effert you pump into it. Yet it remains number one in sales since all
> the
> >newbies use it.
>
> But not *only* newbies use it. I first played D&D using the Blue Book and
> the White Boxed Set in the mid-'70s, then switched to AD&D the first year
> it came out. I still play, 25 years later. In fact (admittedly from habit
> rather than any belief in the superiority of the system) I play it in
> preference to Fantasy Hero, reserving the Hero system for four-color comic
> and space adventure games. (Call of Cthulhu gives me my horror fix, though
> I'd have no objection to a Lovecraftian Horror Hero campaign.)
>
> I agree there are a lot of problems with the system, and I won't contest an
> opinion that it has more problems than, say, Hero. But "so bad it just
> can't be saved" is a bit harsh, I think.
>
> Damon
>
Maybe I was a little to harsh on AD&D, definitely not on MS Office.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:17:56 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net>
Subject: Re: Language Questions
On 20 Oct 1998, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> "MS" == Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net> writes:
>
> MS> Can anyone give me a German translation for 'Pretty Poison'?
>
> Schönesgift (schön = beautiful, gift = poison).
^^^^^^
Okay, what is that really? An i with two dots over it?
> MS> Does anyone know what languages are spoken in Rhodesia?
>
> English, what as the country was bought (and renamed after) by Cecil
> Rhodes.
How do you buy a country? And is that a Dr. Destroyer plot or what?
Or... wait for it... Foxbat.
Yeah, Foxbat buys Australia... imagine the possibilites.
(Like, would anyone notice?)
> MS> And didn't Rhodesia receive a lot of backing from the old Soviet Union?
>
> Not sure on that.
Me either.
***************************************************************************
* "'Cause I'm the god of destruction, that's why!" - Susano Orbatos,Orion *
* Michael Surbrook / susano@access.digex.net *
* Visit "Surbrook's Stuff' the Hero Games resource site at: *
* http://www.access.digex.net/~susano/index.html *
* Attacked Mystification Police / AD Police / ESWAT *
* Society for Creative Anachronism / House ap Gwystl / Company of St.Mark *
***************************************************************************
------------------------------
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Date: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 09:13 AM