Digest Archive vol 1 Issue 333

Digest Archive vol 1 Issue 333
From: owner-champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 10:08 AM
To: champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Subject: champ-l-digest V1 #333

champ-l-digest Tuesday, May 11 1999 Volume 01 : Number 333

In this issue:

Re: Yul Brynner (et al)
Re: How much can I lift?
VIPER: What is it?
Re: VIPER: What is it?
Re: How much can I lift?
Re: My problems... as per your request
Re: Dhole (absurd)
Re: Yul Brynner (et al)
Re: My problems... as per your request
Various Power Construct Help
Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks
Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks
RE: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks
Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks
Re: VIPER: What is it?
Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks
Re: Various Power Construct Help
Re: VIPER: What is it?
Re: VIPER: What is it?
Re: Alchemist Ver 1.1 and My replies
CHAR: Shambling Mound
Re: Yul Brynner (et al)
Alchemist 2.1
Re: Yul Brynner (et al)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 22:20:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@dedaana.otd.com>
Subject: Re: Yul Brynner (et al)

On Mon, 10 May 1999, Bob Greenwade wrote:

> Possibilities I can think of offhand (and each probably has more movies
> that would be good source material that I just don't know of):
>
> Rutger Hauer - Blade Runner, Ladyhawke, Blind Fury

Blood of Heroes, Flesh and Blood and a few others

> Sean Connery - early James Bond movies, Indiana Jones & the Last
> Crusade, Highlander, ffolkes

Outland

> Christopher Lloyd - Back to the Future, Star Trek II, Deadly Games [TV
> series], My Favorite Martian

Judge Doom (Roger Rabbit)

Lloyd was my pick for the actor best suited to play Ras a Ghul in a live
action Batman film.

> With Avery Books, you get at least Hawk (from the same-titled series as
> well as Spencer: For Hire) and Captain Sisko (from DS9) to start.

And Paris in the film "The Bog Hit"

- --
Michael Surbrook - susano@otd.com - http://www.otd.com/~susano/index.html

"Let my glory be that I had such friends as these."
W.B. Yeats

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 12:31:46 +1000
From: "happyelf" <jonesl@cqnet.com.au>
Subject: Re: How much can I lift?

- -----Original Message-----
From: Christopher Taylor <ctaylor@viser.net>
>Yeah I built a guy called Ironmonger who had STR of 150 and 250 TK strength
>(lets him do things like pick up the Sphinx without shattering it, etc)

limted tk is the way i am currently writing up character who lift
ridiculously large things wiht them falling apart. Hence, buy
tk of str equal to the c's casual strength(half), or anything
past about a jet fighter is going to come to pieces in yer hands.

>with no range, a contact TK that they used for Superboy (seems like every
>idea I have gets used before I can publish it :(( oh well). He could not
>punch for the full 400 STR, but he could crush someone to the tune of 80D6,
>however, which atomizes anything he can wrap his hands around (large hands,
>but he was only 9 feet tall). He was an alien who crash landed, and
>couldn't communicate in any way humans were comfortable with, and the
>heroes basically couldnt hurt him, they had to find a way to deal with him
>that wasnt beat to a paste.
>
>He demolished half the city trying to build words out of mangled buildings
>and such in gigantic sculptures, which nobody could read.
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Sola Gracia Sola Scriptura Sola Fide
>Soli Gloria Deo Solus Christus Corum Deo
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 23:19:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@NJCU.edu>
Subject: VIPER: What is it?

Being someone who has never used Viper (or read much about them):

Is VIPER more similar to G.I. Joe's archnemesi Cobra,
or the popular Marvel villian organization Hydra?

...and

Where is information about Viper in regards to the Champions
universe? (Do they have their own sourcebook, or is it scattered?)

...and

how would you re-define Viper for your campagin?

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 13:33:32 +1000
From: "happyelf" <jonesl@cqnet.com.au>
Subject: Re: VIPER: What is it?

<<-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@NJCU.edu>
To: champ-l@sysabend.org <champ-l@sysabend.org>
Date: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 1:20 PM
Subject: VIPER: What is it?

Being someone who has never used Viper (or read much about them):
Is VIPER more similar to G.I. Joe's archnemesi Cobra,
or the popular Marvel villian organization Hydra?>>

well, ti's emant to be like hydra, but consider it's meant to be constructed
of idiosyncratic nests it could have different brances like cobra, aim,
or whatever.

<<how would you re-define Viper for your campagin?>>

i use it like cobra, when i use it. lots of big colorful vehicles for the
supers to battle
or covert gun and demolitions using agents.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 23:40:19 EDT
From: AndMat3@aol.com
Subject: Re: How much can I lift?

In a message dated 5/10/99 3:57:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
susano@dedaana.otd.com writes:

> Okay.... if a character has a 250 STR, what is there lifting capacity? I
> ground t a hault somewhere around 800 Gigatons (what's after that?).

I think that after that we go to "Shift X, Shift Y, Shift Z, Really Big Shift
X, RBS Y, RBS Z, then on to Mega Large Shift X, MLS Y, MLS Z (this has
NOTHING to do with soccer); then, we go to Dave Thomas asking us to biggie
size our STR. after that, i think it's plaid... but i've never gone into that
door before. i draw the line at biggie sizing any of my stats.

andy

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 16:11:45 -0700
From: jayphailey@juno.com
Subject: Re: My problems... as per your request

>On the other hand, if it is desired that this fix be discussed,
suggesting
>house rules as fixes to the problems would not be inappropriate. If CON
>rolls and mental attacks based on CON are as common as EGO rolls and
regular
>mental attacks, is it still overpriced at that point? In that case, for
that
>game, maybe EGO also has to be reduced in cost...
>
>Hmm, another fix. Ah, well. This could probably go on for a while.
>
>JAJ, GP

I agree. My thesis is this: "The correct correct fix for ach HSR player
and GM is going to be different from those of other players and GMS
because each person has a different perception o then system and what
it's trying to model."

Ergo 10 million house rules are more appropriate than demanding the Hero
Games people rewrite the system to address any specific complaint. unless
the mistake is, like, glaring..

Jay P. Hailey <Meow!> [ICQ: 37959005]

Read Star Trek- Outwardly Mobile At-

http://www.geocities.com/~tesral/jay/

___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 23:46:47 EDT
From: AndMat3@aol.com
Subject: Re: Dhole (absurd)

In a message dated 5/10/99 5:29:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
susano@dedaana.otd.com writes:

> 50 REC -48

you have to respect any character (npc, or pc) who can sell anything back to
58 and get 48 points in return. :)

andy

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 23:52:43 -0500
From: Ross Rannells <rossrannells@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Yul Brynner (et al)

Bill Svitavsky wrote:

> <snip>
> > I'm not sure about the others you listed, though with Kurt Russell you'd
> >have not only his more recent action flicks, but some earlier Disney movies
> >too (like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes).
> >
> Yes, those Disney movies would be a great source of super-powered forms.
> Kurt was "the Strongest Man in the World", turned invisible (I think in
> "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes), and I'm sure did a lot of other wacky
> stuff. Plus, there'd be enormous potential for humorous role-playing in
> going from the unbearable wholesome Dexter Riley to "Snake" Pliskin.
>
>

Lets not forget Jack Burton (A Big Trouble in Little China). Kurt was
turned invisible in Now You See Him, Now You Don't. Of course the
plot to this and the rest of Kurt's Disney flics are all the same. Scientific
genious causes accident in lab which give him and other special powers
and he uses them to same the University. All of these basically remakes
of the Flubber movies.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 23:01:32 -0700
From: Christopher Taylor <ctaylor@viser.net>
Subject: Re: My problems... as per your request

At 04:49 PM 5/10/99 -0700, Bob Greenwade wrote:
>At 02:39 PM 5/10/1999 -0700, Wayne Shaw wrote:
>>
>>Personally, I don't like the idea of decoupling figureds, but that wasn't
>>what I was arguing per se.
>
> [Gives Wayne a round of applause for spelling "per se" correctly.]

[hitting Bob with a purse]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sola Gracia Sola Scriptura Sola Fide
Soli Gloria Deo Solus Christus Corum Deo
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 03:38:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@NJCU.edu>
Subject: Various Power Construct Help

I need a power construct for possession.

I need a power construct that will transform one's self from slightly
translucent and semi-corporeal to fully corporeal.
In order to do so, certain items are needed (since it is a ritual), but
they are not needed after the ritual.

There is a magical sword that does 1d6 HKA on it's first attack, 2d6 on
the second and third, and 3d6 past the third on the same target.

I'm very muchly stumped on these constructs. Your help would be
appreciated.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 03:37:44 -0400
From: geoff heald <gheald@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

At 09:59 PM 5/10/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>geoff heald wrote:
>> Another female brick can be found on the team The Southern Knights (it was
>> a small press comic). She looked like a cheerleader but could punch out a
>> building.
>>
>> Yep, the Southern Knights were an interesting team. Only one real
>>"superhero" on the team, supported and abbetted by an Olympic fencer
>>with a stun-only psionic lightsaber, the aforementioned beautiful and
>>rich brick, a retired dragon, and a 17th or 18th century teen
>>mage-in-training who spent the past coupla centuries sleeping behind
>>their fireplace.
>> And the local Viper-equivalent crime boss was another dragon.
>
>IIRC the local Viper - equivalent was called... Viper. Their uniforms
>looked like Viper uniforms from Hero. They used five person teams. The
>leader was called the supreme serpent. They had lots of NCI.
>
>I always though the southern knights was comic based on a hero campaign. I
>thought it semi-official. Like the old Hero Graphic comics. Champions,
>Marksman, Flare, Eternity Smith, etc. that took place in a Hero Games
>universe. The old Hero Graphic comics even had Hero System character sheets
>in them.
>
>
Hey Mr. Surbrook! Since you're doing Hero stats for everything under the
sun, how about turning an eye to the Southern Knights? Myself, I just
wanna see Carl & Larry. (They were very popular, despite being hitmen.)

============================
Geoff Heald
============================
So this is Earth. Not what I expected. Oh, well, I'll have to make do.
"Behold Earthians! Your new lord has arrived!"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 03:40:19 -0400
From: geoff heald <gheald@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

At 08:08 PM 5/10/99 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>dflacks wrote:
>
>> I always though the southern knights was comic based on a hero campaign. I
>> thought it semi-official. Like the old Hero Graphic comics. Champions,
>> Marksman, Flare, Eternity Smith, etc. that took place in a Hero Games
>> universe. The old Hero Graphic comics even had Hero System character
sheets
>> in them.
>
>Actually I think you're right I've got a couple of the old "Hero" comics and
>there is a crossover story with the Champions and the Southern Knights.
Now that
>I've been reminded of them I've got to try to find them......Trevor
>
>
The collections were called The Early Days of the Southern Knights when I
got them 10 years ago. If I still could find them, I'd surely share but
I've moved about 5 times since then (and grandma always used to say: five
moves equals a fire).

============================
Geoff Heald
============================
"do you hear someone laughing megalomaniacally?"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 12:04:54 +0200
From: Henrik Giese <henrik.giese@lgp.se>
Subject: RE: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.

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charset="iso-8859-1"

He's just your average guy, who accidentally transports himself to other
dimensions every time he sleeps (dreams, actually). The problem is that
since his body stays in his bed, no one believes him and he's been locked in
most closed institutions in the U.S. His player spent a day on the net
looking for info on how to act like a manic-depressive person...
So he's not a "comic" character.

/Henrik

- -----Original Message-----
From: happyelf [mailto:jonesl@cqnet.com.au]
Sent: den 11 maj 1999 03:51
To: champ-l@sysabend.org
Subject: Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

hmm, trans-dmensional loonie...this strikes me as a burgeoning
archetype of it's own, since i've got one in each fo the games
i'm involved with (incl;uding a pc). .wht type of loonie? mr myxerplix-type,

toon-type, ect?

- -----Original Message-----
From: Henrik Giese < henrik.giese@lgp.se <mailto:henrik.giese@lgp.se> >
To: champ-l@sysabend.org <mailto:champ-l@sysabend.org> <
champ-l@sysabend.org <mailto:champ-l@sysabend.org> >
Date: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 12:03 AM
Subject: RE: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

Hmm... Sounds like my current batch of PCs: a 30,000 year old alien, a 3,000
year old elven mage, a trans-dimensional loonie and his demon-posessed
sidekick, a psionic private eye, an ex-russian ex-assassin and my own
character, a were-dragon mage...

/Henrik

- -----Original Message-----
From: Stephen B. Mann [ mailto:smann@cnsvax.albany.edu
<mailto:smann@cnsvax.albany.edu> ]
Sent: den 10 maj 1999 15:41
To: geoff heald
Cc: champ-l@sysabend.org
Subject: Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

geoff heald wrote:
> Another female brick can be found on the team The Southern Knights (it was

> a small press comic). She looked like a cheerleader but could punch out a

> building.

Yep, the Southern Knights were an interesting team. Only one real
"superhero" on the team, supported and abbetted by an Olympic fencer
with a stun-only psionic lightsaber, the aforementioned beautiful and
rich brick, a retired dragon, and a 17th or 18th century teen
mage-in-training who spent the past coupla centuries sleeping behind
their fireplace.
And the local Viper-equivalent crime boss was another dragon.

- --

Stephen B. Mann smann@cnsvax.albany.edu
SUNY Learning Network http://sln.suny.edu/sln
<http://sln.suny.edu/sln>

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<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">

<TITLE>RE: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks</TITLE><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
<META content='"MSHTML 4.72.2106.6"' name=GENERATOR>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>He's
just your average guy, who accidentally transports himself to other dimensions
every time he sleeps (dreams, actually). The problem is that since his body
stays in his bed, no one believes him and he's been locked in most closed
institutions in the U.S. His player spent a day on the net looking for info on
how to act like a manic-depressive person...</DIV>
<DIV>So
he's not a "comic" character.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>/Henrik</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader>-----Original Message----- From: happyelf
[mailto:jonesl@cqnet.com.au] Sent:; den 11 maj 1999
03:51 To: champ-l@sysabend.org Subject: Re: CHAMP:
muscular men and slick chicks </DIV>
<DIV>hmm, trans-dmensional loonie...this strikes me as a
burgeoning </DIV>
<DIV>archetype of it's own, since i've got one in each fo the
games</DIV>
<DIV>i'm involved with (incl;uding a pc).
.wht type of loonie? mr myxerplix-type, </DIV>
<DIV>toon-type, ect?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">
<DIV>-----Original
Message----- From: Henrik Giese <<A
href="mailto:henrik.giese@lgp.se">henrik.giese@lgp.se</A>> To:
<A href="mailto:champ-l@sysabend.org">champ-l@sysabend.org</A>
<<A
href="mailto:champ-l@sysabend.org">champ-l@sysabend.org</A>> Date:
Tuesday, May 11, 1999 12:03 AM Subject: RE: CHAMP:
muscular men and slick chicks </DIV>
Hmm... Sounds like my current batch of PCs: a 30,000
year old alien, a 3,000 year old elven mage, a trans-dimensional loonie
and his demon-posessed sidekick, a psionic private eye, an ex-russian
ex-assassin and my own character, a were-dragon mage...
/Henrik 
-----Original Message----- From:
Stephen B. Mann [<A
href="mailto:smann@cnsvax.albany.edu">mailto:smann@cnsvax.albany.edu</A>]
 Sent: den 10 maj 1999 15:41 To:
geoff heald Cc: champ-l@sysabend.org
 Subject: Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick
chicks 
geoff heald wrote: > Another
female brick can be found on the team The Southern Knights (it
was > a small press comic).  She looked
like a cheerleader but could punch out a >
building. 
     Yep, the Southern Knights were
an interesting team. Only one real "superhero" on the team, supported and abbetted by an
Olympic fencer with a stun-only psionic
lightsaber, the aforementioned beautiful and rich brick, a retired dragon, and a 17th or 18th century
teen mage-in-training who spent the past coupla
centuries sleeping behind their
fireplace.      And the
local Viper-equivalent crime boss was another dragon. 
-- 
Stephen B.
Mann              
smann@cnsvax.albany.edu SUNY Learning
Network         <A
href="http://sln.suny.edu/sln"
target=_blank>http://sln.suny.edu/sln</A>
</BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 06:50:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@dedaana.otd.com>
Subject: Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

On Tue, 11 May 1999, geoff heald wrote:

> At 09:59 PM 5/10/99 -0400, you wrote:

> Hey Mr. Surbrook! Since you're doing Hero stats for everything under the
> sun, how about turning an eye to the Southern Knights? Myself, I just
> wanna see Carl & Larry. (They were very popular, despite being hitmen.)

I don't have any of my Southern Knights stuff anymore...

Hey, if anyone else out there does, I'd love to stick 'em up on my
website.

- --
Michael Surbrook - susano@otd.com - http://www.otd.com/~susano/index.html

"I don't do .INI, .BAT, or .SYS files. I don't assign apps to files.
I don't configure peripherals or networks before using them. I have
a computer to do all that. I have a Macintosh, not a hobby."
Fritz Anderson

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 06:53:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@dedaana.otd.com>
Subject: Re: VIPER: What is it?

On Mon, 10 May 1999, Jason Sullivan wrote:

> Being someone who has never used Viper (or read much about them):
>
> Is VIPER more similar to G.I. Joe's archnemesi Cobra,
> or the popular Marvel villian organization Hydra?

It seems more like Hydra and Aim to me.

> ...and
>
> Where is information about Viper in regards to the Champions
> universe? (Do they have their own sourcebook, or is it scattered?)

Scott Bennie wrote an excellent (and very complete) guide to Viper a
number of years ago. I'm not certain if it will be updated for 5th
edition or not.

> ...and
>
> how would you re-define Viper for your campagin?

I wouldn't because I never used Viper.

- --
Michael Surbrook - susano@otd.com - http://www.otd.com/~susano/index.html

"I don't do .INI, .BAT, or .SYS files. I don't assign apps to files.
I don't configure peripherals or networks before using them. I have
a computer to do all that. I have a Macintosh, not a hobby."
Fritz Anderson

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 07:22:08 -0400
From: "dflacks" <dflacks@ican.net>
Subject: Re: CHAMP: muscular men and slick chicks

>From: Bill Svitavsky <bsvitavsky@mln.lib.ma.us>

>At 09:59 PM 5/10/99 -0400, dflacks wrote:
>>
>>I always though the southern knights was comic based on a hero campaign.
I
>>thought it semi-official.
>
>Interesting. I remember seeing Southern Knights in the comics shops, but
>never read it. Now I wish I had.
>
>> Like the old Hero Graphic comics. Champions,
>>Marksman, Flare, Eternity Smith, etc. that took place in a Hero Games
>>universe. The old Hero Graphic comics even had Hero System character
sheets
>>in them.
>>
>>
>
>I once heard that most of the original players from the campaign the Hero
>Graphics series was based on were quite offended by what was done with
>their characters. I could certainly understand that; some of the story
>developments were in extremely poor taste.
>
>Bill Svitavsky
>

I am not supprised. It seemed sometime that the publishers were in a
contest to see who can create the most f-cked up psychological
disadvantages.

BTW I have copies of Champions I, II, and III and the characters on the
cover are the characters from the Hero Comics. And before anyone askes, no
the books I have are not first editions.

Daniel Flacks dflacks@ican.net

Give me ambiguity or give me something else

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 07:53:11 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
Subject: Re: Various Power Construct Help

On Tue, 11 May 1999, Jason Sullivan wrote:

My ideas:

> I need a power construct for possession.

1) Use the evil, nasty Spirit Rules.

2) Transform (based on ECV, probably)

3) Mind Control, 0 DCV concentrate (or 'leaves body behind'), possibly
linked with Telepathy.

> I need a power construct that will transform one's self from slightly
> translucent and semi-corporeal to fully corporeal.
> In order to do so, certain items are needed (since it is a ritual), but
> they are not needed after the ritual.

Desolidification, always on. Drain Desolid, self only, extra time, OAF,
gestures, incantations, recovery time bought down appropriately. Suppress
Desolid might be a better way to do it if you want it to be a continuing
effort to remain solid.

> There is a magical sword that does 1d6 HKA on it's first attack, 2d6 on
> the second and third, and 3d6 past the third on the same target.

1d6 HKA.
+1d6 HKA, only on second or greater successful attack (-1/4)
+1d6 HKA, only on fourth+ attacks on same target (-3/4)
(These values are from the Ninja Hero 'Dim Mak' construct)

Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent. Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com
Qui annus est? http://www.io.com/~jeffj

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 06:16:00 -0700
From: Bob Greenwade <bob.greenwade@klock.com>
Subject: Re: VIPER: What is it?

At 11:19 PM 5/10/1999 -0400, Jason Sullivan wrote:
> Being someone who has never used Viper (or read much about them):
>
> Is VIPER more similar to G.I. Joe's archnemesi Cobra,
> or the popular Marvel villian organization Hydra?

Yes. Basically, consider them a cross between these two, AIM, and any
other villainous megaconglomerate organization you've ever seen in comics
or animated television during the 1970s and 1980s.

> Where is information about Viper in regards to the Champions
>universe? (Do they have their own sourcebook, or is it scattered?)

Again, yes. In other words, both. The organization has information
about it scattered throughout many Hero Games publications (including an
operative in the Champions rulebook), but it also has a sourcebook by Scott
Bennie and Cliff Christian which basically shows all future Hero authors
the right way to write an organization sourcebook.

> how would you re-define Viper for your campagin?

With the sourcebook, I wouldn't bother. It has enough variety that it'd
fit just fine as-is into just about any campaign that I'd be inclined to
run.
- ---
Bob's Original Hero Stuff Page! [Circle of HEROS member]
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/original.htm
Merry-Go-Round Webring -- wanna join?
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/merrhome.htm

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:40:26 EDT
From: Leah L Watts <llwatts@juno.com>
Subject: Re: VIPER: What is it?

> Being someone who has never used Viper (or read much about
>them):
>
> Is VIPER more similar to G.I. Joe's archnemesi Cobra,
> or the popular Marvel villian organization Hydra?

Depends on how the GM runs them. They've been called the Rodney
Dangerfields of villian groups, because a lot of players don't have much
respect for the group. Run them as a compentent organization, though,
and they can be _nasty_.

> Where is information about Viper in regards to the Champions
>universe? (Do they have their own sourcebook, or is it scattered?)

The Viper sourcebook is, IIRC, out of print, but you might be able to
track down a copy through on-line stores. You could put together basic
information from the back of the BBB and various villian writeups (the
"got superpowers / supergear from Viper and then went renegade" origin
was a bit overused), but personally I'd recommend hunting down the
sourcebook.

Leah

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Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 08:41:20 -0500
From: redbf@ldd.net (bobby farris)
Subject: Re: Alchemist Ver 1.1 and My replies

"Dr. Nuncheon" wrote:

> > Because an alchemist makes common equipment. Said equipment has magical
> > special effects, but it is all still common equipment. Common equipment is
> > not paid for in heroic games.
>
> ...which is exactly the thing that I am challenging.
>
> Let's say I have a bow and 8 arrows. The bow does 1d6+1 killing damage at
> range. It can be taken away from me, and I have to have my hands free to
> use it.
>
> Let's say that you have a magical spell that you can cast 8 times. It
> does 1d6+1 killing damage at range, and it requires material components
> that can be taken away from you, as well as gestures that require your
> hands to be free.
>
> Why do I get that ability for free, while you pay 9 points for the
> privelege? Doesn't that strike you as a bit unfair? Why aren't spells
> counted as 'common equipment'? Where is the line drawn between 'common
> equipment' and 'stuff that must be paid for'?
>
> J

Common equipment is that "stuff" whether it be magical, scientific, or whatever
that any person could reasonably use and obtain. Note that this does not mean you
can use it well. Note also that this will change from universe to universe. In
one universer Blaster pistols might be rare while in that same universe normal
pistols could be rare. I would add that if the piece of equipment or ability does
not give the character an advantage then it shouldn't cost them points. For
example a stone age spear is rare by today's standards and would not be called
"common" equipment. However, I gain no advantage from having it so I shouldn't
pay points for it.

Why does your mage have to pay points? Because not only can your mage use the
bow, but you can also cast magic spells. If I could cast magic spells as well
then neither of us would pay points for either one.However, since your mage can
do something that I can't you have to pay points.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:42:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@dedaana.otd.com>
Subject: CHAR: Shambling Mound

SHAMBLING MOUND

Val CHA Cost Roll Notes
35* STR 10 16- 3200kg; 7d6
13 DEX 9 12- OCV: 4 / DCV: 4
35 CON 50 16-
17* BODY 8 12-
5 INT -5 10- PER Roll 10-
5 EGO -10 10- ECV: 2
20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6
0 COM -5 9-
14 PD 10 Total: 22 PD / 8 PDr
14 ED 7 Total: 22 ED / 8 EDr
3 SPD 7 Phases: 4, 8, 12
12 REC 2
70 END 0
45* STUN 0 *Includes modifiers for Growth
Total Characteristics Cost: 103

Movement: Running: 3" / 6"
Swimming: 2" / 4"

Cost Powers & Skills
Combat Training:
10 Combat Skill Levels: +2 with Hand-to-Hand
8 Combat Skill Levels: +4 with Grab

Shambling Mound Powers:
20 Great Size: Growth: 3 Levels, 0 END (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2),
Always On (-1/2)
+15 STR, +3 Body, +3 Stun, -2 DCV, +2 PER vs, +1" reach, -3" KB
29 Slimy Body: Entangle: 4d6, Blocks Sight Group (+10), Entangle and
Character both take damage (+1/4), 0 END (+1/2), Must follow
grab (-1/2), No Range (-1/2), Shambling Mound takes damage done to
Entangle (-1)
40 Suffocation: EB: 4d6, NND [Defense is not needing to breathe or
some sort of internal breathing system] (+1), Continuous (+1),
Uncontrolled (+1/2), 0 END (+1/2), No Range (-1/2), Linked to
Entangle (-1/2)
24 Slimy Body: Armor: 8 DEF
48 Immune to Electricity: Absorption: 6d6 vs Energy, Electricity
only (-1), Points go to Growth, Fade rate per year (+2 1/4)
22 Immune to Electricity: Armor: 36 ED, Electricity only (-1), Only
to amount rolled by Absorption (-1/2)
30 Wet Plant Body: Damage Reduction: 3/4, Energy, Resistant, Only vs
Fire (-1)
30 Wet Plant Body: Damage Reduction: 1/2, Physical, Resistant
15 Wet Plant Body: Damage Reduction: +1/4, Physical, Resistant, Only
vs
Crushing Attacks (-2)
15 Wet Plant Body: Does not Bleed
19 Plant Body: May breathe underwater, Doesn't need to eat, sleep or
excrete,
Immune to Intense Heat/Cold, Disease and Aging
- -6 Slow Movement: -3" Running (3" total), END 1
304 Total Powers & Skills Cost
407 Total Character Cost

75+ Disadvantages
25 Distinctive Features: Giant heap of rotting vegetation
Physical Limitation:
10 Cannot leap
15 No fine manipulation
15 Psychological Limitation: Fearless, will attack without hesitation
267 Experience
407 Total Disadvantage Points

Appearance:
A shambling mound is a tall heap of rotting vegetation. It smells rank
and water runs freely from the shambling mound's body. The creature also
drips slime and liquid mud as it walks.

Ecology:
Shambling mounds dwell in thickly over grown swamps or in exceedingly wet
and fetid subterranean locals. Mounds will feed on anything organic,
including other plants and animals, as well as the living and the dead.
Other questions, such as how they breed and how long they live, is
unknown.

Motivations:
Typical animal motivations. Shambling mounds are in a constant search
for fresh food and are known to attack anything they perceive to be slow
moving and an easy target. Once engaged in combat, it is very hard to
drive off a shambling mound.

Combat Techniques:
Shambling mounds attack with great blows of their club-like limbs, trying
to batter and potential food items senseless. If a victim gets close
enough, the mound will try and grab its target, entangling its victim in
its slime and muck to suffocate. Due to their slime-coated bodies,
shambling mounds are immune to many forms of attack, including fire and
cold, and lighting will cause these creatures to grow rapidly.

Other Names: Shambler, Swamp Thing

Rumors:
Some believe that shambling mounds are enraged manifestations of the
swamps in which they dwell. Others say that are elemental spirits gone
wrong.

Designer's Notes:
Shambling mounds are one of the AD&D creatures that really make you wonder
how your supposed to kill it. Weapons don't really harm it. Fire doesn't
harm it. Cold does reduced damage. Lightning makes it get bigger... I
guess you could disintegrate it... Anyway, a shambling mound actually
looks like it could be fairly useful in a supers game (instant swamp
monster), a fantasy game, a Shadowrunish game (toxic swamp spirit?) or a
pulp horror game (looks like a minion of the Elder gods to me!). I have
no idea how you get rid of it (A lot of big guns?) and I sure don't envy
the party of PCs that meets one of these.

- --
Michael Surbrook - susano@otd.com - http://www.otd.com/~susano/index.html

"You! Get me a drink! Make it large, strong, and to go,
and put it on Godot's tab!"
Der Rock the Destroyer, from _Buck Godot: PSmIth_

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:58:09 -0500
From: Bill Svitavsky <bsvitavsky@mln.lib.ma.us>
Subject: Re: Yul Brynner (et al)

At 11:52 PM 5/10/99 -0500, Ross Rannells wrote:
>
>
>Bill Svitavsky wrote:
>
>> <snip>
>> > I'm not sure about the others you listed, though with Kurt Russell
you'd
>> >have not only his more recent action flicks, but some earlier Disney
movies
>> >too (like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes).
>> >
>> Yes, those Disney movies would be a great source of super-powered forms.
>> Kurt was "the Strongest Man in the World", turned invisible (I think in
>> "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes), and I'm sure did a lot of other wacky
>> stuff. Plus, there'd be enormous potential for humorous role-playing in
>> going from the unbearable wholesome Dexter Riley to "Snake" Pliskin.
>>
>>
>
>Lets not forget Jack Burton (A Big Trouble in Little China). Kurt was
>turned invisible in Now You See Him, Now You Don't. Of course the
>plot to this and the rest of Kurt's Disney flics are all the same.
Scientific
>genious causes accident in lab which give him and other special powers
>and he uses them to same the University. All of these basically remakes
>of the Flubber movies.
>
>

I certainly wouldn't forget Jack. In a crunch, though, I think "Snake"
Plissken, the super-soldier from Soldier, the tactician from Executive
Decision, or even Dexter Riley would be a lot more useful. The Internet
Movie Database reminds me that Russell once played Elvis as well; you never
know when that might come in handy.

I had an easy time thinking of actors for the Silverblade-style past roles
multiform, but at first I couldn't think of any appropriate actresses.
Women in genre movies tend to be in need of rescue, so not a lot of
actresses have roles in their past that would have useful powers. It
occurred to me, though, that Daryl Hannah does. She was a mermaid in
Splash, a replicant in Blade Runner, a cave woman in Clan of the Cave Bear,
a ghost in High Spirits, and she had the title role in the 1993 Attack of
the 50 Foot Woman.

Uma Thurman would have a few powerful characters to choose from, too: Emma
Peel in The Avengers, Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin, and the goddess Venus
in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

Bill Svitavsky

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:08:12 -0500
From: redbf@ldd.net (bobby farris)
Subject: Alchemist 2.1

Again, thanks for all the replies. You guys are giving me some great
idea.

Okay, I would drather not use a power pool for the Alchemist, but the
more I think about it the more I realize that is what I am looking for.
I want a character that can create powers and change the number of
powers that have at anytime. That is a power pool. Therefore version 2.1

Alchemist
VPP Alchemical Formulas
Control Limitations
- -1/2 can only change in lab (This might be nothing more that a bowl and
a fire, but it is something that the alchemist requires)
- -1 3/4 OAF, Expendable, Fragile, Universal (Every "spell" will have
this)
- -1/2 Requires skill roll (All formulas will have this)(Science Alchemy,
KS: Alchemy, Magic Skill, whatever. I haven't decided what to call it
yet)
+1/4 Trigger( I still like this better than Delayed effect.)

All formulas will have Charges to represent the number or potions that
the player has. I didn't put this on the Control cost because the number
of charges will vary depending upon the formula and how many potions the
player has. He might have 5 healing postions one moment while none at
another time. Putting charges on the Control cost means that the
Alchemist is limited to the number of potions he has. Something I have
said I do not want to do.

Of course, the formulas can have othe disadvantages as well this is just
the minimum.

This also clears up another problem I was having. The way I had it
written before Extra Time could be bought on each formula because it
took the Alchemist so long to create the potion. So if this was so, how
do you create a potion that once drunk doesn't act immediately, but
takes a turn to activate? What about the potion that requires the user
to say a power word, Incantations? Now all these are bought as part of
the formula under the VPP.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 10:07:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@dedaana.otd.com>
Subject: Re: Yul Brynner (et al)

On Tue, 11 May 1999, Bill Svitavsky wrote:

> I had an easy time thinking of actors for the Silverblade-style past roles
> multiform, but at first I couldn't think of any appropriate actresses.
> Women in genre movies tend to be in need of rescue, so not a lot of
> actresses have roles in their past that would have useful powers. It
> occurred to me, though, that Daryl Hannah does. She was a mermaid in
> Splash, a replicant in Blade Runner, a cave woman in Clan of the Cave Bear,
> a ghost in High Spirits, and she had the title role in the 1993 Attack of
> the 50 Foot Woman.
>
> Uma Thurman would have a few powerful characters to choose from, too: Emma
> Peel in The Avengers, Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin, and the goddess Venus
> in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

How about Sigorny Weaver? She's been Riply (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 Alien
Ressurection), possessed in Ghostbusters, played Diane Fossey in Gorillas
inthe Mist and ... well, done a bunch of roles.

Or course, if you want serious female multi-genre stars, you gotta go to
Hong Kong. Just look at Michelle Yeoh (aka Michelle Khan). She's been a
secret agent (James Bond), a Chinese supercop (Super Cop), a (uhm...)
superhero (Heroic Trio), and a martial arts prodigy (Wing Chun), just to
name a few!

- --
Michael Surbrook - susano@otd.com - http://www.otd.com/~susano/index.html

"You! Get me a drink! Make it large, strong, and to go,
and put it on Godot's tab!"
Der Rock the Destroyer, from _Buck Godot: PSmIth_

------------------------------

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