Digest Archives Vol 1 Issue 32h
Desmarais, John
From: owner-champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 1998 9:49 AM
To: champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Subject: champ-l-digest V1 #32
champ-l-digest Thursday, November 5 1998 Volume 01 : Number 032
In this issue:
Re: Traveller
Re: Gaming
Re: Ultra slots in multipowers
Re: Everyimmortal skills [long]
Campaign cities
Re: Everyimmortal skills [long]
Re: Something Odd (was:Re: Enchanting Items in FH)
Re: Combat Skill Level
Re: CHAR: The Commando
RE: Personal note on Religion in gaming (feedback needed)
Re: Traveller
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 22:39:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: thomas deja <tdj723@webtv.net>
Subject: Re: Traveller
This is a multipart message in MIME format
- --06362552
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Still stank on ice, and was as confusing as they came....
"'N I fell for all that'die-like-a-warrior' crap. I've seen clowns fall
off their bikes with more honor"
--Xander Haris, BUFFY TVS #1
____________________________________
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
- --06362552
Content-Type: Message/RFC822; name="att.0"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7 bit
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="att.0"
Received: from mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net (mailsorter-102.iap.bryant.webtv.net
[207.79.35.92]) by postoffice-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/po.gso.24Feb98)
with ESMTP id TAA11889; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 19:38:41 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from beelzebubba.sysabend.org (beelzebubba.sysabend.org
[208.243.107.6]) by mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/ms.graham.14Aug97)
with ESMTP id TAA09404; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 19:38:40 -0700 (PDT)
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.9.1/8.9.1)
id WAA21782 for champ-l-list; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 22:12:55 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from endeavor.flash.net (endeavor.flash.net [209.30.0.40]) by
beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id WAA21778 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&>
Thu, 15 Oct 1998 22:12:53 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from drake1 (p116.amax23.dialup.dal1.flash.net [209.30.117.116])
by endeavor.flash.net (8.8.8/8.8.5) with SMTP id VAA23242; Thu, 15
Oct 1998 21:12:36 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Daniel" <drake01@flash.net>
To: "thomas deja" <tdj723@webtv.net>
Cc: "Champions" <champ-l@sysabend.org>
Subject: Re: Traveller
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 21:14:10 -0500
Message-ID: <01bdf8aa$a94a75c0$74751ed1@drake1>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3
Sender: owner-champ-l@sysabend.org
Precedence: bulk
Superworld was originaly part of Worlds of Wonder which came out around
80-82. It was 1/3 of a box set that included rules for Fantasy and
Sci-fi...the fantasy being the rules for RuneQuest. Later in 84-85 they came
out with Superworld as it's own book
- -----Original Message-----
From: thomas deja <tdj723@webtv.net>
To: Daniel <drake01@flash.net>
Cc: Champions <champ-l@sysabend.org>
Date: Thursday, October 15, 1998 5:58 PM
Subject: Re: Traveller
Actually, I seem to recall SUPERWORLD (a game that made V&V's byzantine,
confused combat rules look clean-cut by comparison) was the also ran,
coming out after V&V (1st) and Champions (2nd)....although all three of
them lagged behind SUPERHERO 2044....
"'N I fell for all that'die-like-a-warrior' crap. I've seen clowns fall
off their bikes with more honor"
--Xander Haris, BUFFY TVS #1
____________________________________
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
- --06362552--
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 09:35:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: thomas deja <tdj723@webtv.net>
Subject: Re: Gaming
This is a multipart message in MIME format
- --52214768
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Agreed--the GURPS World Books are sometimes invaluable (I particularly
like the margin articles about cultures and variations on the things
discussed in the main body). I just mever cared for the system.
My PBeM world does utilize the 'Quirks' system to gain disad points.
"'N I fell for all that'die-like-a-warrior' crap. I've seen clowns fall
off their bikes with more honor"
--Xander Haris, BUFFY TVS #1
____________________________________
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
- --52214768
Content-Type: Message/RFC822; name="att.0"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7 bit
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="att.0"
Received: from mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net
[207.79.35.91]) by postoffice-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/po.gso.24Feb98)
with ESMTP id BAA11923; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 01:46:12 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from beelzebubba.sysabend.org (beelzebubba.sysabend.org
[208.243.107.6]) by mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/ms.graham.14Aug97)
with ESMTP id BAA15562; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 01:46:11 -0700 (PDT)
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.8.5/8.8.5)
id EAA18932 for champ-l-list; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 04:14:46 -0400 (EDT)
X-Authentication-Warning: beelzebubba.sysabend.org: majordom set sender to
owner-champ-l@sysabend.org using -f
Received: from imo23.mx.aol.com (root@localhost) by
beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id EAA18927 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&>
Sun, 4 Oct 1998 04:14:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: JayPHailey@aol.com
X-SMTP: helo imo23.mx.aol.com from jayphailey@aol.com server
@imo23.mx.aol.com ip 198.81.17.67
Received: from JayPHailey@aol.com by imo23.mx.aol.com (IMOv16.10) id
7XHWa02329 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&> Sun, 4 Oct 1998 04:14:25
-0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <75f3980.36172e61@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 04:14:25 EDT
To: champ-l@sysabend.org
Mime-Version: 1.0
Subject: Re: Gaming
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 16-bit for Windows sub 40
Sender: owner-champ-l@sysabend.org
Precedence: bulk
In a message dated 98-10-03 04:23:29 EDT, you write:
<< Question: Do you GMs out there find yourself using different RPG rules
for different aspects of your game? I.e. Hero system for character
generation and combat, MegaTraveller for space combat and world
generation, GURPS for source material, etc.?
|- /\ \\/ |< >>
I still avidly buy and read GURPS world books when I can afford them. I have
yet to see a game that would suffer by translation into Hero system. And many
of them would be improved by the translation (Dragon Quest, AD&D, Traveller of
just about any flavor, Star Trek:RPG for example.)
But I do like the philosophy and some elements of GURPS system. Just
mechnically the Hero system does the job of describing characters better.
Jay <Meow!>
- --52214768--
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 01:43:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: thomas deja <tdj723@webtv.net>
Subject: Re: Ultra slots in multipowers
This is a multipart message in MIME format
- --61552437
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
The difference is that if you have all the same slots in an EC, you can
theoretically use all your powers at once if you had the END....with an
ultra'd multipower, you can only use the powers one at a time, so you
have to pick and choose what would be most effective.
Ultra MPs are good for characters like my Black Talon, whose powers are
granted by items and devices, where not all powers can be accessed at
all times....
"'N I fell for all that'die-like-a-warrior' crap. I've seen clowns fall
off their bikes with more honor"
--Xander Haris, BUFFY TVS #1
____________________________________
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
- --61552437
Content-Type: Message/RFC822; name="att.0"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7 bit
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="att.0"
Received: from mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net
[207.79.35.91]) by postoffice-102.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/po.gso.24Feb98)
with ESMTP id WAA17674; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 22:38:07 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from beelzebubba.sysabend.org (beelzebubba.sysabend.org
[208.243.107.6]) by mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/ms.graham.14Aug97)
with ESMTP id WAA14901; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 22:38:06 -0700 (PDT)
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.8.5/8.8.5)
id BAA19132 for champ-l-list; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 01:05:38 -0400 (EDT)
X-Authentication-Warning: beelzebubba.sysabend.org: majordom set sender to
owner-champ-l@sysabend.org using -f
Received: from sam.on-net.net (root@localhost) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.8.5/8.8.5)
with ESMTP id BAA19126 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&> Tue, 6 Oct 1998
01:05:36 -0400 (EDT)
X-SMTP: helo sam.on-net.net from matrixm@on-net.net server @sam.on-net.net
ip 204.117.190.8
Received: from c2l.on-net.net (c2l.on-net.net [204.117.190.121]) by
sam.on-net.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id AAA26541 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&>
Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:04:03 -0500 (EST)
From: matrixm@on-net.net (Matrix Mole)
To: champ-l@sysabend.org
Subject: Ultra slots in multipowers
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 05:05:36 GMT
Reply-To: matrixm@on-net.net
Message-ID: <361da4a3.39958983@mail.on-net.net>
X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.5/32.452
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by
beelzebubba.sysabend.org id BAA19128
Sender: owner-champ-l@sysabend.org
Precedence: bulk
I've seen a few character writeups on the net that give a character a
multipower pool and then all of the slots in the MP are ultra's. My
biggest question is, what's the point? If all of the powers have a set
AC already, why not give the character an EC with all the powers in
it? Perhaps there's something I'm missing about MP that would make
someone use it with all slots as ultra's instead of EC.
- --
Matrix Mole
"sig routed to /dev/null"
- --61552437--
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 13:19:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net>
Subject: Re: Everyimmortal skills [long]
On Wed, 12 Aug 1998, Lockie wrote:
> philosophy is the basis of game mechnics! you have to know what
> your tryint ot achieve before you set out trying to achieve it.
Sound advice. As Rat says: "What are you trying to do? What is the end
result of the power?"
>And the
> mechanics are clear in this case- they are based around
>
> A) the idea that you get what you pay for!
Correct.
> B) the idea that all sfx are independant of power/game effects!
Incorrect. SFX often determine the best suitible mechanic and game
effect. SFX 'knock out gas' almost always means power mechanic NND. The
SFX isn't independent it defeines the power being used.
> once you begin to abuse these issues, you
>
> A) cause imbalance becasue the rationale for getting stuff does not
> fit the balances worked into the stuff in question,
Possibly. Imbalance will occure if only *one* person gets the 'free'
stuff and no one else does.
> B) by deffinition deifes the mechanical constructs involved. saying you can
> seperate the mechanics from the intent, philosophy and goals they are based
> on is like
> saying you can seperate the roof of a building from it's foundations just
> becasue
> they aren't directly and obviously attached. In fact, it's like saying you
> can talk about
> building a house without discussing why the house should be built, and what
> you
> seek to do with it once it's built.
A good point. See my comments aboive about Rat's questions.
> > Besides which, as I look closely at it, it looks more like the idea of
> > giving extra points to an immortal character specificially to pay for the
> > extra Skills he'd have for being immortal undermines the "all SFX are
> equal
> > within the setting" principle. After all, he's getting bonus character
> > points merely for the SFX of being immortal.
This is my argument. (see, we agree Lockie). If it's a 250 point game,
then you should build your concept (no-matter what) within 250 points and
not try and get bennies due to concept or origin.
> no. . as is allowed by the quantifies system. he can write' immortal
> bonus:50 points' and
> everything is clear, and the sfx are not effected. he isn't basing the
> bonus on what the sfx
> 'are' and how they should 'work better', he's basing it on the fact that he
> wants to give a bonus
> becasue of those things. It sounds the same, but it's worlds apart. One is
> an iccorrect assumption
> as to how the MECHANICS work (ie 'some sfx are intrinsically better than
> others, due to the nature
> of the power/skill/whatvever') and the other is fine becasue it's a
> statement about how the SETTING works.
> (ie 'in this setting some sfx are more capable than others, due to their
> percieved realism/basis/whatever')
This sorta makes sense too.
***************************************************************************
* "'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: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 14:28:47 -0400
From: David Stallard <DBStallard@compuserve.com>
Subject: Campaign cities
Message text written by Bob Greenwade
>> This presents two problems. One, what's the campaign city? Not
everyone will want to set their campaigns in Bay City, Hudson City, or even
(gasp!) San Angelo; many GMs prefer to keep their settings in their home
town, or at least in the nearest major metropolis, if only for the sake of
familiarity. <<
Not to be rude, but I'd say "tough nuggies" to those GMs.... Hero Games
can't be expected to provide writeups for the entire planet. They can't
afford to please everyone, so I think it's best to keep the focus on one or
two cities/areas and leave those GMs who don't want those settings to
create their own, perhaps using the "official" settings for ideas.
>> A campaign setting book for each such area can give a lot of
ideas, as well as a campaign back history (or, at least, elements from
which such a history can be built). It can also provide information that
even some locals might not know -- a lot of residents here in Corvallis,
for instance, are unaware that the Oregon State University campus includes
a nuclear reactor, a wave research center run by the EPA, and a number of
other facilities that are highly regarded within the scientific community
(we mostly hear from the sports and arts departments).<<
Region books (like the Cascade Champions you have slated) seem a little
more reasonable to me, but still don't seem cost effective. Hero could
pump out a ton of region books, but most gamers will probably only buy one
or two for the areas they are interested in, which means lower sales for
each book. There seems to be a movement on this list to have the entire
planet Earth written in Champions terms, but I just don't think that's
feasible or worthwhile.
>> Two, what information about other cities are going to be appropriate
for
your visiting PCs? A Dark Champions GM will want information on organized
crime, while a four-color GM will more likely want to know such things as
major landmarks and the makeup of the scientific community. If the
campaign has a mystical bent, then that information will be desired as
well. A group heavily into detective work will need to know what the law
enforcement community is like. And any visiting group will be affected by,
or at least get the "feel" of the community through, brushes with the
area's noted personalities. All this is in addition to the physical
description (and I'm probably only scratching the surface compared to
what's gone into San Angelo).<<
Many people on this list are saying that they use their own worlds. You
would think that these people would create the personalities and
organizations you mention above, since they apparantly aren't happy with
the published works. *Maybe* Hero could write a generic book about
organized crime, but there's no way they should be expected to detail
organized crime in every city in the country (much lest the rest of the
world). If the GM really wants a huge level of detail about organized
crime in some unofficial campaign city, then the onus is on him to do all
the legwork. Since I'm not a GM who likes to create work for himself, I'll
stick with the published information....
Actually, I halfway think that there is too much importance put on the
campaign city in a superhero game. Look at all that detail in San Angelo
(sorry, Bob...how about C:NM?)--how much of that would you learn by reading
a comic book series? Just a small fraction! So why are we demanding so
much detail? Maybe we aren't really trying to recreate what we read in
comics....
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 09:06:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net>
Subject: Re: Everyimmortal skills [long]
On Wed, 12 Aug 1998, Lockie wrote:
> > > B) the idea that all sfx are independant of power/game effects!
> >
> > Incorrect. SFX often determine the best suitible mechanic and game
> > effect. SFX 'knock out gas' almost always means power mechanic NND. The
> > SFX isn't independent it defeines the power being used.
>
> actually i almost always use stun drains.
I've never really seen that as an SFX for 'knockout gas'.
>and you got it backwards-
> the equivalent logic in this argument would be that nnd's should get a
> *bonus* if their sfx is knockout gas, since that makes more 'sence'
> than other possibilities.
What do you mean by 'bonus'? The NND gas should work better or get more
becuase it's a more logical choice for the power?
> > > once you begin to abuse these issues, you
> > >
> > > A) cause imbalance becasue the rationale for getting stuff does not
> > > fit the balances worked into the stuff in question,
> >
> > Possibly. Imbalance will occure if only *one* person gets the 'free'
> > stuff and no one else does.
>
> actually, it imbalances the character creation situation.
> it stops being about free concepts and starts being about
> sfx negotiations and arguments baout why x or y is 'clearly justified'.
Heck, you can get that anyway in a 'normal' 4-color game.
> note i'm talking about the basic tenants of the sytem, as well as said
> tenants applied to a given power construct. The dialogue of the game as
> a whole is currently
> 'explain the power/sfx, find a fitting mechanic, working within setting,
> pay proper points.'
Yes.
> but in a game which gets. . .wiggy. . about sfx and interpretations of the
> rules which seem to benefit a given sfx, that changes to:
>
> 'find a mechanic based on the wording involved
> , explain why it fits a given power/sfx really really well,
> with the intention of paying less points'
Maybe. I decided that in my anime game, TK cost 1 point per point of STR,
thus allowing the psychokinetic characters to have telekinesis on par with
the source material. Is this a gross violation of the rules?
> > This is my argument. (see, we agree Lockie). If it's a 250 point game,
> > then you should build your concept (no-matter what) within 250 points and
> > not try and get bennies due to concept or origin.
> >
>
> well my argument is that if your going to get, uh 'bennies'
'bennies' - slang for benefits
>you should do
> so openly with points bonus, not some mangling of the ES skill list.
> (that is if you can't *bear* just sticking to the normal points level)
Okay, now you seem to think that the GM can give out bonuses to a PC based
on origin. Correct?
And what is wrong at playing at more than 250 points? In the Silent
Mobius plot I posted, the PCS are around 350. It's not that big a dead
(especially since a lot of the extra points (over the base 250) come from
issued equipment)
***************************************************************************
* "'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: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 16:38:41 -0500 (EST)
From: thomas deja <tdj723@webtv.net>
Subject: Re: Something Odd (was:Re: Enchanting Items in FH)
This is a multipart message in MIME format
- --63562871
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
I don't see what the problem is with building Galactus along with his
heralds....
Galactus always has a (and I'm roughly guessing here) 300 point
'floating follower'-herald. He must alwas have this follower, but who
this follower is varies from adventure to adventure. The 'bestowing of
the power cosmic' is a special effect of acquiring a new follower....
"'I thought you loved stake-outs."
"Yeah--it's like camping with guns."
--Costas Amdolyr and Tammy Lauren, MARTIAL LAW
____________________________________
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
- --63562871
Content-Type: Message/RFC822; name="att.0"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7 bit
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="att.0"
Received: from mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net (mailsorter-102.iap.bryant.webtv.net
[207.79.35.92]) by postoffice-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/po.gso.24Feb98)
with ESMTP id MAA11086; Tue, 27 Oct 1998 12:43:22 -0800 (PST)
Received: from beelzebubba.sysabend.org (beelzebubba.sysabend.org
[208.243.107.6]) by mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/ms.graham.14Aug97)
with ESMTP id MAA09021; Tue, 27 Oct 1998 12:43:22 -0800 (PST)
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.9.1/8.9.1)
id PAA06449 for champ-l-list; Tue, 27 Oct 1998 15:10:55 -0500 (EST)
Received: from send204.yahoomail.com (send204.yahoomail.com
[205.180.60.158]) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.9.1/8.9.1) with
SMTP id PAA06444 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&> Tue, 27 Oct 1998
15:10:53 -0500 (EST)
Message-ID: <19981027201140.12739.rocketmail@send204.yahoomail.com>
Received: from [20.20.43.33] by send204.yahoomail.com; Tue, 27 Oct 1998
12:11:40 PST
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 12:11:40 -0800 (PST)
From: Egyptoid <egyptoid@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: egyptoid@bellsouth.net
Subject: Re: Something Odd (was:Re: Enchanting Items in FH)
To: champ-l@sysabend.org
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Sender: owner-champ-l@sysabend.org
Precedence: bulk
>Next, give him one spell outside of the VPP built using Power Transfer
>CON to VPP with a really slow fade rate (like 1 points per decade or
>something), and limited to "just enough points to make the item".
Desmarais You Booger-Head! :) It seems this is TERRIBLY SIMILAR
to the way I was trying to build Galactus last year. I just didn't
word it that same way.
(for those of you joining us late, the Galactus question is:
how do you give someone else super-powers without losing your own?,
like the way Galactus powered up Nova and Surfer)
neener neener neener
(sorry folks, I've just never been ahead of Desmarais on anything in
Hero
so when I am I have to jump up-n-down about it ;)
By the way, if anyone else has been so foolish as to try and write up
Galactus in Hero System, please write me, I'd love to compare notes.
[now back to our regularly scheduled enchantments...]
==
"and fiery demons will dance
when you walk thru that door;
don't say you're easy on me, Elliott
you're about as easy as a nuclear war." Egyptoid
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
- --63562871--
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 18:19:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: thomas deja <tdj723@webtv.net>
Subject: Re: Combat Skill Level
This is a multipart message in MIME format
- --14721880
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
My only problem with Combat Skill Levels with ECV is that it unbalances
an already potentially unbalancing set of powers--Mental Powers are
wicked effective, which is why they are generally more expensive to
purchase....
Look at it this way: since EGO is usually the last combat-ready stat a
non-mentalist might buy, he's already at a disadvantage. If a player
was allowed to buy three levels with EGo Combat, and his ego is already,
let's say, 15, that mentalist's got freerange---he's potentially an 8 v.
any other player's or NPC's 3.
If I allowed purchase of this, I would only llow mentalists to buy
combat levels with Ego Combat at a higher point cost...but then, that's
me.
"'N I fell for all that'die-like-a-warrior' crap. I've seen clowns fall
off their bikes with more honor"
--Xander Haris, BUFFY TVS #1
____________________________________
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
- --14721880
Content-Type: Message/RFC822; name="att.0"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7 bit
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="att.0"
Received: from mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net
[207.79.35.91]) by postoffice-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/po.gso.24Feb98)
with ESMTP id KAA09518; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:05:20 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from beelzebubba.sysabend.org (beelzebubba.sysabend.org
[208.243.107.6]) by mailsorter-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/ms.graham.14Aug97)
with ESMTP id KAA18755; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:05:20 -0700 (PDT)
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.8.5/8.8.5)
id MAA22027 for champ-l-list; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 12:39:41 -0400 (EDT)
X-Authentication-Warning: beelzebubba.sysabend.org: majordom set sender to
owner-champ-l@sysabend.org using -f
Received: from arthur.avalon.net (root@localhost) by
beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id MAA22023 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&>
Sun, 4 Oct 1998 12:39:39 -0400 (EDT)
X-SMTP: helo arthur.avalon.net from brat-inc@avalon.net server
@arthur.avalon.net ip 204.71.106.20
Received: from pod.avalon.net (dial18.icwest.avalon.net [206.150.147.118])
by arthur.avalon.net (8.9.1/8.9.1) with SMTP id LAA09246 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&>
Sun, 4 Oct 1998 11:39:29 -0500 (CDT)
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 11:39:29 -0500 (CDT)
Message-Id: <199810041639.LAA09246@arthur.avalon.net>
X-Sender: brat-inc@avalon.net
X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
To: champ-l@sysabend.org
From: Brats Incorporated <brat-inc@avalon.net>
Subject: Combat Skill Level
Sender: owner-champ-l@sysabend.org
Precedence: bulk
I was talking with one of my gamers last night, when he brought up a
topic to me that I had been thinking of earlier in the day.
Can you purcahse CSL's for ECV?
And if you already have the lovely 10pt overall skill level, would
it apply to you ECV as well.
Food for thought
Visit us at http://www.avalon.net/~brat-inc/ ....
"In the words of Socrates... I drank what?" ... Real Genius
- --14721880--
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 02:01:09 -0500 (EST)
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@njcu.edu>
Subject: Re: CHAR: The Commando
On Thu, 30 Jul 1998, David W Toomey wrote:
> On Mon, 03 Aug 1998 17:16:01 -0500 (EST) Jason Sullivan
> <ravanos@njcu.edu> writes:
> >
> >The Commando
> >18 Cammoflauge: Invisibility, 0 END; Requires Stealth Roll
> > <snippage>
> > Only in Hero ID(-1/4), Variable Special Effects
> He doesn't seem to have a distinct hero/normal ID, so why the 'Hero ID'
> limitation?
He does have a distinctive Hero ID. When he puts on the make-up,
the mask, and the cammo suit, he is the Commando. It is the case more
often than not he is wearing his cammo, with or without the mask, so I
decided to go with the OIHID instead of an OIF.
> > 6 Paratrooper Training: Superleap 10"
> Only to decend (-1/2),No NCD (-1/4)
> No, Only to reduce fall damage(-3/4), otherwise fine.
Same thing I would think. Although the first construct clearly
defines the fact that he doesn't get a Non Combat Distance as well as the
fact he can only use it to land from said height, while the latter defines
things more along the lines of the effect it acheives.
> No. Range levels *are* limited Combat Skill Levels already-Only to
> reduce range penalties. You cant have 'Only to reduce range penalties' and
> 'Only vs
> Hit Location' on the same Skill levels. +4 vs Hit locations is 10 pts,
> not 3.
Noted, and will be corrected.
> > 8 Distinctive Features: Full Cammoflauge (Easily Concealable;
> > Is always noticed); Only in Hero ID (-1/4)
> Again, what Hero ID?
Because he is constantly drawn back to taking the role of the
Commando again and again. He can temporarily 'abondon' that mode of
dress, the equipment, etc., but he'll always feel remorse until he starts
crimefighting as the Commando again.
> > 15 Mystery ID: No record of the Commando's true identity
> >exists anymore. Wartime trauma has stripped him of all recollection
> >of any sort of family ties or friends he may have had, and was
> >even sufficent enough to make him totally forget his name. The
> >Commando does not have any form of insurance, medical records, or
> >identification. Bureaucraticly, he does not exist.
>
> Exactly how does this limit him? It looks like a Perk to me. It doesn't
> limit him as a Public or Secret ID would. The loss of memory is part of the
> amnesia disad, below. Basically he gets no records for enemies to trace *and*
> gets 15 points for it...
No records to trace is covered under the John Doe perk. In
addition, he has no 'alias' he can fall back on. Ever try to get a gun
permit or a driver's licence without an identity? What about applying for
a credit card or starting up a bank account? How about medical insurance
when you have gunshot wounds in your arm? A passport? What about his
rights as a citizen; no citizenship? No voting rights? What about owning
property? No house, no car, no possibility of marriage licence or
college education, no normal job 'on the books.' ...and heaven
forbid he should ever get caught by the police.
...also, Mystery ID means that -someone- *might* know who he is,
but he doesn't, and that's where the real fun begins. :) I was thinking
of doing some very Manchurian Canditate things with him.
> > 5 Physical Limitation: Amnesia as to his identity and pre-war
> >life (Infrequently, Slightly)
> Someone with mental powers could *not* force out his memories?
> I kow mental powers rare/no-existant in DC, but still...
Chemicals, surgery, and severe physical trauma can cause amnesia,
all of which can not be reversed by psychological counciling or personal
growth.
> > Most are self explainatory. I decided to limit the
> >Distinctive
> >Features because he can always ditch the cammo and wear civilian
> >clothing
> >if need be.
>
> Then it really *isn't* distinctive features.
It's pretty distinctive to those looking for him, and considering
he can't divorce himself from his 'hero' identity for very long (and it's
easily concealable to begin with), I decided that the DF fit the character
conception quite nicely.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 09:19:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@njcu.edu>
Subject: RE: Personal note on Religion in gaming (feedback needed)
On Fri, 21 Aug 1998, Filksinger wrote:
> > 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?
>
> You have got to be kidding. What makes them guaranteed "hard
> working", "disease free", and "mentally well"?
Nationalist society emphasises the importance of the community.
The community is responisble for the children's upbringing. There are
very few people who are allowed to have children. Factored into the
testing for having children is the ability to rear children. The Nation
makes sure that the parents will raise the child with proper moral/ethical
stances. So does the community. The child is taught to belive in the
nation and keep it healthy and thriving. The psychologists who screen the
child also check to make sure this is so. The child is taught and trained
as he grows that hard work is important. The child is trained to be a
good and hard working citizen. It's a facet of the culture,
supported in every aspect of the community.
Advanced medical technology, weekly visits to doctors for
screening, vaccines, and treatments, a 'no admittance' policy to people
with contageous diseases, immediate quarantine of people who are
identified to have a form of 'mysterious disease.'
Psychological screenings, and the fact that if anyone is 'mentally
ill' they won't we deported under a false pretense.
> Are you trying to tell us that this country is so utterly
> perfect in the way it dominates and guides it's people's
> lives that the very worst of this country is universally
> better than the average man in other countries?
Well, yes. And I believe that fact will scare the players to
death, considering how terrible this nation is in how it's people lack
freedom, but how wonderful it functions as a 'machine'
> <snip>
> Freedom of the press - Denied access; The Nation belives mass media is
biased, and therefore harmful to the 'purity' of the nation. Nationalists
dislike how media portrays sex, sexuality, and human relationships in
movies and televsion
> freedom to control their own bodies (mandatory birth control?) -or be
deported. Citizenship is voluntary. If you don't want to stay, you can
leave at any time. The Nationalists believe that the progenitors must be
free of defects, and parents should be qualified to raise children.
Consequently, expecting parents are well prepared to raise a child
'properly'
> freedom from involuntary servitude (the draft) -quite a few nations have
maddatory military servitude, including Italy
> freedom to live in the country they were born in -quite true; however,
the worst the government can do to you is deport you
> a state-controlled eugenics program.... Hell,
> they aren't even allowed to choose their own _clothes_.
> You are _not_ describing a free country.
Yes, yes, and yes.
> This kind of control cannot be maintained without force or
> massive psychological conditioning. You are talking about a
> totalitarian state.
Yes! That's the point. It's the 'perfect' nation on paper.
Logical, precise, functioning extremely well, with intelligent, strong,
healthy people. Extremely minute ammounts of domestic violence, child
abuse, rape, or crime (did I mention the most advanced forsenics along
with medical technology?). Strong army (who are police as well), thriving
business.
Of course, there's no religious freedom, litte personal expression
allowed 'outside', no freedom of the press, etc.
To the Nation's credit, however, there is no racisim, no sexism,
no bias based on sexuality or sexual practices.
What do you think about leagalized drug use? Leagalized
prostitution? What could the Nationalists do for 'fun'? What types of
music do you think they would let teh Nationalists listen to?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 18:58:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: thomas deja <tdj723@webtv.net>
Subject: Re: Traveller
This is a multipart message in MIME format
- --60450311
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Actually, I seem to recall SUPERWORLD (a game that made V&V's byzantine,
confused combat rules look clean-cut by comparison) was the also ran,
coming out after V&V (1st) and Champions (2nd)....although all three of
them lagged behind SUPERHERO 2044....
"'N I fell for all that'die-like-a-warrior' crap. I've seen clowns fall
off their bikes with more honor"
--Xander Haris, BUFFY TVS #1
____________________________________
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
- --60450311
Content-Type: Message/RFC822; name="att.0"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7 bit
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="att.0"
Received: from mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net (mailsorter-102.iap.bryant.webtv.net
[207.79.35.92]) by postoffice-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/po.gso.24Feb98)
with ESMTP id PAA15886; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 15:56:06 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from beelzebubba.sysabend.org (beelzebubba.sysabend.org
[208.243.107.6]) by mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net (8.8.8/ms.graham.14Aug97)
with ESMTP id PAA10747; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 15:56:05 -0700 (PDT)
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.9.1/8.9.1)
id SAA16006 for champ-l-list; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 18:26:26 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from endeavor.flash.net (endeavor.flash.net [209.30.0.40]) by
beelzebubba.sysabend.org (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id SAA15998 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&>
Thu, 15 Oct 1998 18:26:24 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from drake1 (p40.amax16.dialup.dal1.flash.net [209.30.116.40]) by
endeavor.flash.net (8.8.8/8.8.5) with SMTP id RAA24169 for <champ-l@sysabend.org&>
Thu, 15 Oct 1998 17:26:11 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Daniel" <drake01@flash.net>
To: "Champions" <champ-l@sysabend.org>
Subject: Re: Traveller
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 17:27:45 -0500
Message-ID: <01bdf88b$07de6580$28741ed1@drake1>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3
Sender: owner-champ-l@sysabend.org
Precedence: bulk
Superhero: I'd go with one of three as the first. Champion's, Villians &
Vigilantes(sp), or SuperWorld (part of Worlds of Wonder by Chaosiam).
The V&V that a lot of people played came out in 1983 and was the 2nd edtion
of the game. There was one that came first that had a very low print run.
Same with Worlds of Wonder, low print run..the only reason i'm unsure is the
release dates of the game.
As for Traveller it was the first true Sci-Fi rpg and like Champs & D&D have
withstood against the test of time and bad editions (as well as bad
management).
- -----Original Message-----
From: Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net>
To: Champions <champ-l@sysabend.org>
Date: Thursday, October 15, 1998 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: Traveller
>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
>"MS" == Michael Surbrook <susano@access.digex.net> writes:
>
>MS> D&D showed up in 1976. I think Chainmail is from 1975 or so.
>
>If I could find my copy of Chainmail I'd check it for you, but 1975 sounds
>about right.
>
>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>Version: PGPfreeware 5.0i for non-commercial use
>Charset: noconv
>
>iQCVAwUBNiY7Up6VRH7BJMxHAQGR8gP/VcoKiM/XtmSnLFif/DXefW/g0UhILTta
>rEU9rZLfwkE1UEMjVi7NocTCeNsykv+nID/FGNRwIZxpwVVNr/kI5rWfXopq1O9I
>AU0m5xs1NscHlgoEixyjLp8OJY3+Mck7cNwxHK3cDYM8f6jqUs6VIhGsSdDVMjNH
>TZ8uKpx86Uw=
>=G5++
>-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>
>--
>Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net> \ Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
>PGP Key: at a key server near you! \
> \
>
- --60450311--
------------------------------
End of champ-l-digest V1 #32
****************************
Web Page created by Text2Web v1.3.6 by Dev Virdi
http://www.virdi.demon.co.uk/
Date: Wednesday, December 30, 1998 02:56 PM