Vanguard00

Re: The cranky thread Share, damn you!

I'm cross posting this here (from the "Hero System" forum) to ensure folks see it. So who has the best collection of current Hero Games links out there? Rules, characters, games, whatever... I have a few on my site, and I have tons more in my bookmarks, but I started thinkin' about ShelleyCM's list, and Theala's, and a couple more, but I don't know of any big list that's current. If there isn't one I figured I'd put one together, for my own use if no one else's. If there's interest and/or need, I'd be more than happy to collect any and all y'all have to offer.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Are we there yet?

Re: Latin for thumb Conrad?

So who has the best collection of current Hero Games links out there? Rules, characters, games, whatever... I have a few on my site, and I have tons more in my bookmarks, but I started thinkin' about ShelleyCM's list, and Theala's, and a couple more, but I don't know of any big list that's current. If there's interest and/or need, I'd be more than happy to collect any and all y'all have to offer.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Dude, look at what I trained my dog to do! Cool, huh? A: You'd think he would have learned after the first twelve times.

Re: Need help with DEMON plot

Re: The cranky thread

Re: The cranky thread I'm still cranky over a comment made that I responded to with more-than-mild profanity that probably helped get the thread locked. Hrmph. Some days it just don't pay to get out of bed.

Re: Musings on Random Musings Probably my post with bad language had something to do with it. I took serious offense to a particular comment made and pretty much didn't hold back.

Re: Egyptian villain name needed Some names gleened from an admittedly-quick search on the 'net: Wosret (Powerful One) Wahankh (Strong in Life) Khu (Protected) Nakhti (Strong) Zuberi (Strong) Abasi (Stern) Adofo (Fighter) Asim (Protector) Tau (Lion) Nassor (Victor)

Re: A Thread for Random Musings I'm pretty darn hungover this mornin' and Thrak gave me a good enough laugh that I think I'll take some Motrin and go nap in the car.

Re: Please review TYR, God of Justice and War Not sure what you did, but here's how I do it: 1 ) Make the character in HD. 2 ) Go to File, then Set Export Template 3 ) Choose HTML - Hero Boards 4 ) Hit Select 5 ) Go to File, then Preview Character 6 ) A text-pad or word-pad window will pop up filled with HTML. Highlight and Copy all of it. Close that window. 7) Paste the cody you just coppied into a Hero Boards message and post the character. Hope it helps.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat A dozen roses for you, dear. One for each time I had sex with your sister.

Re: How to keep the 4-color mood, while in Gotham....??? I think it's already been mentioned in some form, but I would work slowly. Try and visualize a television series where the heroes have to build a foundation from which to work. Give them a small adventure wherein they free/help a medical facility. Those people are grateful and offer the PCs a place to stay. Poof! Instant beginnings. From there they should start small, solving small crimes and/or stopping minor villains. A slow public-relations building action at first, preferably with more successes than not to put them in the right frame of mind. Don't necessarily use or even mention the main bad guys each and every time, and certainly don't bring in the Big Guns to deal with the PCs for a long while. Imagine if you will a rebellion of sorts in an area that's supposed to be secured. The regional commander doesn't want it to get out so he tries to handle it (say, a Colonel or something in your terrorist organization--high ranking but not "Inner Circle"). He flubs it a few times, but the PCs have a sort of "junior nemesis" to work against as they build their base, resources, support, etc. Try and keep it episodic and not so Grand Scale...at least at first. You should consider doing small scenes that show what the bad guys are up to in the most general sense. You can also use it to build foreshadowing. For example, the PCs have escaped. So have a small interlude that foreshadows pursuit of some sort. Grunt: "Sir, there are reports that some metas have escaped detention." Little Bad: Negligent wave, "We'll catch them. Dispatch Tiger Squad." From there you can have a couple of unrelated mini-adventures that leads into some sort of confrontation with the first serious threat from the bad guys. Of course the PCs should emerge victorious, but it's a good place for another interlude. Grunt: "Sir, Tiger Squad is totally defeated!" Little Bad: Concerned look, "Hmm, I may have to take a hand in this personally." Now you've got the main bad guy involved. Time to up the stakes a little bit. Find a way to pit the PCs slowly-but-surely against their local nemesis, and culminate the adventure in a cool battle between Good and Evil. Now that they've defeated the local bad guys, the Overall Bad Guys take notice. Big Bad: "Why didn't you bring this to our attention sooner?" Little Bad: "I thought I could handle it, Your Immenseness." Big Bad: "Obviously you thought wrong, and now they have a foothold." Little Bad: "Your Supreme Evilness, if I could have two more squads and a little more--" Big Bad: "Enough! You've lost us three squads already! They cannot be easily replaced, as you well know." Pause for evil consideration. "But you will. The Meta-Tanks need volunteers. I think you'll do." Little Bad: "What? No! Please! I'll do better! I'll--" and so on The PCs now get the idea that they just graduated to the Big Leagues. Eventually they should either defeat the regional threat and graduate to the Big Guys, in which case long quests and campaigns should be the order of the day. Just keep it gradual and always keep a television/movie/book series in mind. Build the action and the level of the threats. Let the PCs do some real good early on to both boost their confidence and put them in a more positive frame of mind after imprisonment. Hopefully some of my long-winded ideas will help

Re: VOICE of DOOM Are ya gonna do heroes and villains both? And if so, are you gonna take a stab at Hardhat and...um...the teleporter guy?

Re: Escape From Stronghold scenario Hey! I know it was Thok! I have the friggin' book right he--- Hmm. Well, look at that. Heh. Darn bugs. They all look alike after a while.

Re: A Thread for Random Musings Frak! Out of ice cream!

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Exactly what book did you read that made you think this was a good job to have? A: I sent away for one.

Re: PCs I have played...Next up, Winter.Winter Val Char Cost 38 STR 8 23 DEX 39 23 CON 26 15 BODY 10 13 INT 3 10 EGO 0 23 PRE 5 12 COM 1 10/22 PD 6 8/32 ED 3 5 SPD 17 10 REC 2 70 END 12 44 STUN 8 15" RUN02" SWIM07 1/2" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 140Cost Power END 4 Arctic Adaptation: Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat) 0 48 Cold Powers: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); all slots OIHID (-1/4) 3u 1) Brittlize I: Drain PD 3d6, Delayed Return Rate (5 Points per 5 Minutes; +1/2) (45 Active Points); Limited Power Only vs. non-living matter (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) 4 3u 2) Brittlize II: Drain PD Armor 3d6, Delayed Return Rate (5 Points per 5 Minutes; +1/2) (45 Active Points); Limited Power Only vs. non-living matter (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) 4 3u 3) Winter's Chill: Energy Blast 4d6, No Normal Defense (LS: Safe Enviroment: Intense Cold; +1), Does BODY (+1) (60 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) 6 4u 4) Freezing Ice Blast : (Total: 60 Active Cost, 44 Real Cost) Energy Blast 9d6 (45 Active Points); OIHID (-1/4) (Real Cost: 36) plus Drain SPD 1d6, Ranged (+1/2) (15 Active Points); Linked (Energy Blast; -1/2), OIHID (-1/4) (Real Cost: 8) 5 1u 5) Ice Slides: Running +9" (15" total), Side Effect (Leaves Big Chunks Of Ice Around The Enviroment) (+0) (18 Active Points); OIHID (-1/4) 2 1u 6) Ice Gauntlet: Hand-To-Hand Attack +4d6 (20 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) 2 3u 7) Ice Sheet: Change Environment (create ice sheet) 32" radius, -4 to DEX Roll to Move On, Personal Immunity (+1/4) (49 Active Points); Only Affects Characters Who Are Moving On The Ground (-1/4), OIHID (-1/4) 5 5u 8) Winter's Touch: Drain Fire/Heat Powers 3d6, Four Powers Simultaneously (+1) (60 Active Points); OIHID (-1/4) 6 1u 9) Group Climate Control: LS: Safe Enviroments (Intense Cold, Intense Heats): Area Of Effect (up to 8" Radius; +1 3/4) for up to 4 Active Points (7 Active Points); OIHID (-1/4) 1 10 Filled With Winter's Chill: Elemental Control, 24-point powers, (12 Active Points); all slots OIHID (-1/4) 12 1) Ice Armor: Armor (12 PD/12 ED) (36 Active Points); Nonpersistent (-1/4), Visible (-1/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), OIHID (-1/4) 4 7 2) Strength of Winter: +20 STR, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (25 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) 1 21 3) Extreme Fire Resistance: (Total: 48 Active Cost, 27 Real Cost) Armor (0 PD/12 ED) (18 Active Points); Only Works Against Limited Type Of Attack Heat/Fire Powers (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) (Real Cost: 10) plus Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Only Works Against Limited Type Of Attack Heat/Fire Powers (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) (Real Cost: 17) 0 5 Infrared Sight: IR Perception (Sight Group) 0 6 Chilling Countenance: +8 PRE (8 Active Points); OIHID (-1/4) 5 Sense Temperature: Detect Temperature 12- (Unusual Group), Sense 0 Powers Cost: 142Cost Skill 3 Climbing 14- 1 Cryptography 8- 3 Deduction 12- 3 Linguist 2 1) Language: German (fluent conversation; literate) (3 Active Points) 1 2) Language: Norwegian (basic conversation; literate) (2 Active Points) 2 3) Language: Old Norse (fluent conversation; literate) (3 Active Points) 2 4) Language: Swedish (fluent conversation; literate) (3 Active Points) 3 Scholar 2 1) KS: European History (3 Active Points) 12- 1 2) KS: Mountaineering (2 Active Points) 11- 1 3) KS: Mystic cults and organizations (2 Active Points) 11- 2 4) KS: Norse History (3 Active Points) 12- 1 5) KS: Occult Legend and Lore (2 Active Points) 11- 5 PS: Anthropologist 14- 2 PS: Mountain Climber 11- 3 Trading 14- 3 Traveler 2 1) AK: Europe (3 Active Points) 12- 1 2) AK: Germany (2 Active Points) 11- 1 3) AK: Netherlands (2 Active Points) 11- 1 4) AK: Norway (2 Active Points) 11- 1 5) AK: Sweden (2 Active Points) 11- 4 6) CuK: Viking Culture (5 Active Points) 14- 3 Scientist 4 1) SS: Archaeology 14- (5 Active Points) 2 2) SS: Cultural Anthropology 12- (3 Active Points) 1 3) SS: Geography 11- (2 Active Points) Skills Cost: 60Cost Perk 5 Undefined Contacts 1 Fringe Benefit: Passport Perks Cost: 6Cost Talent 2 Environmental Movement (no penalties on Ice) Talents Cost: 2Val Disadvantages 10 Distinctive Features: Gray Eyes, White Hair, Bluish skin, Giant (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 5 Distinctive Features: Low Body Temp (85 degrees F average) (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 20 Hunted: DEMON 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture) 15 Hunted: Black Paladin 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Physical Limitation: Giant (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) [Notes: In his guise as Winter, Thomas Epps is nearly 7' tall and weighs over 300 lbs.] 10 Physical Limitation: Weirdness Magnet (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: Cannot stand by and let evil occur (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Protective of innocents (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Wants to know the cause of his transformation (Common, Strong) 5 Quirks 10 Social Limitation: Scientific Curiosity (Frequently, Minor) 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Frequently, Major) Disadvantage Points: 150Base Points: 200Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 350 Height: 1.82 m Hair: White Weight: 88.00 kg Eyes: Grey-blue Appearance: Tom Epps is a likeable young man nearing thirty years of age, with shaggy blond hair and an open face. He has a good natural size, a little meaty, but not from lack of exercise. He typically dresses in comfortable fashion but rarely shaves except to prevent an actual beard from growing. he typically carries a small duffel bag with a change of clothes. As Winter he stands just over seven feet tall with pale bluish skin, even paler eyes, and white hair. He is an immense being with strong features and a stern countenance. Tom has taken to wearing a blue-black sleeveless vest jacket and trousers when making an appearance as Winter. Personality: Tom Epps is very much a ‘go-getter’, preferring action to reaction. He is the type who sees a problem and immediately begins trying to solve it. He is almost compulsive about discovering the cause of things, especially when it comes to history and Man’s place in the world. He is, in short, an anthropologist as much by calling as by training. He desperately wishes to know more about the gem that transformed him, and suspects that it was merely a vessel for extradimensional energies (“magicâ€, if you will) until the energy was released into him. Regardless, he views his transformation as both a blessing and a curse, and he’d not be unhappy to be rid of it completely. Until that time, however, he has mentally planted himself in the path of those who would use such mystical energies for their own use. He simply has yet to figure out how best to do that. As Winter, Tom evinces a more mature attitude, becoming somewhat more taciturn and somber, almost grim. Quote:Chill out! Oh man, I can't believe I just said that...Background: Dr. Thomas Epps was a burgeoning anthropologist in the field of Nordic studies. He was making some great strides on understanding the Viking cultures and putting together some very interesting pieces of the puzzle. Tom spent much of the summer months in Europe, traveling to this site or that, continuing his studies and basically enjoying the immersion into a simpler, if brutal, time. To be honest, it wasn’t all study. Tom was an avid mountain climber, as well, and frequently used his “working vacations†to continue his hobby. During one such hike—a short trip to the Jotunheimen Mountains of Norway—Tom stumbled upon a cave. The opening had been unearthed by a recent landslide, and to his amazement Tom found Nordic runes on some of the walls. He continued his exploration of the cave until he found himself in a small cavern suffused with bluish light. It was much colder in the chamber than he’d expected, but his curiosity drove him forward until he came to the source of the light—and the cold. A magnificent gem stood upon a natural stone altar, a bluish-white sapphire as big as a grapefruit. While studying the gem Tom heard voices and he quickly hid in a shadowed section of the cavern. Several men approached from the cavern entrance, muttering to each other in German. They spoke of things foreign to Tom, but he caught the reference to magic, conquest and the Eye of Winter—he assumed that was the name of the gem. Whatever their origins it was obvious that they intended to use the gem to hold the world hostage with a new ice age if their demands weren’t met. Tom watched in fearful awe as they set about drawing patterns on the altar, the floor and the nearby walls. They seemed to be preparing for some sort of spell. As near as Tom could tell, some sort of ritual was needed to take possession of the gem. As they began their strange incantations Tom’s curiosity got the better of him and he shifted to get a better view. They heard him and, though several continued their chanting, two men charged him. He dodged them through fortune more than skill and ran for the gem. He reached the gem as the chant reached its pinnacle, and he remembered a flash of light and a shock not dissimilar to plunging into icy water. Then all went dark. It was only several moments before he came to, and he quickly came to his feet. The men around him were doing the same, but they looked at him in surprise, then rage, and several made to cast some sort of spells at him. He charged them, laying about him with huge fists of crackling ice. One man fled, and Tom instinctively flung out an arm, sending a blast of pure winter into the man. he collapsed, frozen solid. Tom took stock of the situation with as much calm as he could muster. Again, by fortune more than fate Tom had reached the gem at the exact moment the spell reached its culmination. He had taken possession of the gem. Or, perhaps, it had taken possession of him. He was huge, much larger than a normal man, with bluish skin and white hair. The ice about his fists fell away with a tinkling sound, and as a sob of fear escaped him he felt a chill wind blow about him. In but moments he was back to normal. Days later Tom was wondering just what it was he was supposed to do with his newfound powers. Through significant trial-and-error in the European countryside he discovered he wielded phenomenal powers of ice and cold and could assume a form he could only compare to a legendary frost giant of myth (though perhaps not quite so large). What exactly an anthropologist was supposed to do with this power was beyond him. The answer came indirectly when he was reading in a small café in Gotenberg, Sweden. Three men he’d never seen before simply walked up to him and proceeded to chant in a disturbingly-familiar cadence. Tom leapt up, changed into his frost giant form, and fought like the dickens as these three men—much hardier than those he’d faced in the cavern—attempted to do their best to kill or capture him. He eventually prevailed but at a cost he was not prepared for. Their battle had nearly demolished the café and several shops nearby. Several innocents were dead, many more wounded. Tom fled the scene. That was nearly a year ago. Since the incident in Sweden, Tom discovered that it was the nefarious cult DEMON that had twice attempted to end his existence. Always a believer in “a good offense is the best defenseâ€, Tom took on the name Winter and set about trying to learn all he could about that organization. He has uncovered very little, but during “field research†he has become embroiled in several metahuman struggles, including joining an impromptu team of heroes against Black Paladin. Since that time Tom has opted to continue his ‘calling’ as a superhero in the hopes that he will one day be able to put a stop to DEMON’s machinations. Powers/Tactics: Through the startling transformation resulting in his contact with the Heart of Winter gem, Tom now possesses a certain control over all things cold. He can project cold in a variety of ways, ranging from a stinging cold that saps the life from a person, to a sort of flash-freeze that makes even the hardest metals brittle. He is quite strong and more than a little resistant to harm, and can cause a sheath of ice armor to form over his entire body. Too, he can concentrate the ice on his hands, allowing him to strike with what amounts to a block of ice instead of fists. With minimal effort he can ice up his environment, causing all around him to lose their footing on slippery ice. Alternately, he can ice up the ground in front of him, allowing him to move with great speed (though it tends to leave an uncomfortable amount of ice behind). Lastly, rather than be particularly vulnerable to fire, Winter is just the opposite; he is immune to all but the strongest fires.Campaign Use: It should be noted that Winter appears as completely dark in infrared light. This is due to his extremely low temperature.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat Told to or told by?

Re: Escape From Stronghold scenario "Stronghold" was a source book/adventure back in...um....the early 80s, I think. First edition, maybe second. It had villains like Ripper, Thok and...um...a couple of others I can't remember. Basically it was the first detailing of the superprison, with rules for holding cells and such. There were several adventure subplots, everything from a prison breakout to heroes being stuck in Stronghold for some reason. Hard to find, I know, but there's a copy on eBay right now.

Re: HELP!!! First timer in a crunch >cough cough< Sidekick >cough cough<

Re: A Thread for Random Musings Man, pizza and beer sounds good right about now. Of course, it's only 10:45am here, and work frowns on the whole "alcohol at lunch" thing, but it sure does sound good.

Re: Escape From Stronghold scenario I played in one many many moons ago--whenever the Stronghold supplement first came out. We were an established team of heroes and had been set up to make it look like we did something wrong (I can't remember what...I wanna say theft of a nuclear device or something, and a guard died...crap, can't remember). Anyway, we went quietly, and by default we were placed in a temporary holding cell. During that time someone in the group got into a fight with other "temp" inmates, resulting in that person's hospitalization. The DA then recommended we be held in Stronghold until the trial as we posed a significant threat. While incarcerated it was hinted that the whole thing was a set up to remove us from play while the real bad guys did their thing. The DA was in on it, of course. We had to break out of Stronghold to stop the bad guys. We did, but two of the five were dropped (the players took over "substitute" heroes during the campaign so they could keep playing). It was fun, but we felt like everything was stacked against us that particular adventure. I think our GM had the right idea but got a little too into the whole "we must hold them no matter what" routine. Still, overall it was a good time.