Vanguard00

Re: A Thread for Random Musings I had this incredible urge to look up an old girlfriend this weekend. Not that I'm not happy with my current squeeze, but I guess I never had closure on that one relationship. It was a decade ago and I had/have no idea why she left me, considering we were both "in love" with the other. I thought I'd long since gotten over it/her, but I guess not. I had her address and phone number in hand, even, but eventually just tossed it. Some scabs you just don't wanna pick at.

Re: Angel, the worst original character concept ever? Please take my comments in the context of arguing against the statement that Angel is "the worst concept ever". I'm not saying a winged hero can't have martial arts--I gave an example of such, and I play one now. I'm not even saying a hero can't have all the things I listed and stay in concept. What I'm saying is this: if your concept is a "hero with wings", don't let the pressure to give him a gun and armor and lightning from his arse and whatever else just because you think he wouldn't keep up in a game. Plenty of suggestions have been given on how to round out the point totals and still make a "hero with wings" a useful and fun character. My comments were defending the idea that a good character concept can be incredibly fun, rewarding and useful in spite of not having all the stereotypical hero accouterments. You don't have to be able to do it all to be a good character. A GM should be able to build on the strengths of your character as well as he can exploit the weaknesses, so frankly I don't feel the need to worry about 'em as much.

Re: Angel, the worst original character concept ever?

Re: D & D Diatribe I wonder if it’s a mentality issue… D&D (in all its incarnations) is not readily adaptable. You either go by the rules or you don’t, and going outside the rules makes things…unwieldy. You can, of course, and I have in many D&D games over the years. We make up rules as we need them, but they don’t necessarily gel with the rest of the system. They’ve gotten better, of course, but I believe that the gamer’s mind that is trained to D&D (and similar systems) is less open to adaptation and improvisation than one who’s mind is trained to Hero System (and similar systems). Hero System has built-in safeguards to allow for “going outside the rules†without penalty or even much in the way of apprehension. In self-comparisons these systems work fine, but when applying one system’s standards to the other they fall apart. It’s not a fault, merely a difference, and I think in many ways the difference is in the players’ mentality, not the inherent rules.

Re: Angel, the worst original character concept ever? Agreed. Again, if the GM is on the ball, there will always be some way for a 'one trick pony' to contribute. Otherwise the GM shouldn't have let the character into the game. Agent X's comments reflect my own opinions. Angel could easily support Iron Man in combat, or at the very least free him up for big-gun duty while he takes care of crowd control, rescue operations, etc. Cypher has been thoroughly discussed in several other threads, and frankly he could've been a MAJOR player in the Marvel Universe if handled correctly. Count Vertigo is someone I'd consider more of a Dark Champions villain than a serious superhero, but played correctly even he could be challenging. I understand where you're coming from, though. I'm just attempting to clarify my own perspective. All things being equal, I don't believe there are any unplayable characters.

Re: Robbers on the Road A couple of ways I've handled this in the past: 1) At some point while the PCs are in town/city/whatever, have someone mention the robbers "a ways down the road". Make it clear that they'll pretty much leave most folks alone if they can get some coin or valuables from them. They're not rapists or even killers, but they'll fight if pressed. In other words, make sure the PCs know they have options other than 'kill or be killed.' 2) Legendary bandit - could be a likeable Robin Hood-esque type, flashy but deadly with a blade, or he could be an ex-gladiator with an axe to grind (literally). Impress upon the heroes that this is someone not to be f***ed with under normal circumstances. 2a) Variations on the above: an ex-military commander of some sort (disenchanted with the current regime, perhaps), an ousted noble (knight's training and all that), or even a mage (who says a bandit king can't be a spell-thrower?). Make the bandits organized and capable and take many of the options away from the PC. It can be a little harsh this way but it's also a good way to impress upon them that they're not the baddest in the land. 3) Make the bandits ousted commoners, displaced by heavy taxes, the threat of false imprisonment, etc. Maybe they're farmers who banded together after a heavy drought destroyed their crops and they couldn't make ends meet. They're not really evil, they just felt they didn't have much choice left. Play on the sympathy angle and see if the PCs still wanna kill 'em off. 4) The bandits are actually controlled by someone, or are cursed into being evil. For example, some people who chance upon long-forgotten ruins are slowly magicked into becoming bandits because they feel they have to. A large portion of the stolen money/goods is left at the ruins as an 'offering'. None of the bandits really knows why they do what they do...they just can't seem to stop. They steal tons of good stuff but always seem on the verge of poverty and sickness, barely staying alive in spite of an otherwise lucrative criminal career. The PCs might end up on a sidequest to vanquish whatever evil it is that's been stealing the men of the region and turning them into bandits.

Re: Angel, the worst original character concept ever? Oh, come on. Do you really need a story to go along with that concept? Just try and remember a person you've gamed with who really--really--didn't "get it" and go from there.

Re: Robots and more robots I don't have the issue to scan it, but I think this was from around Avengers 201, right? The one with Jarvis on the cover? Or somewhere near there... Anyway, if I remember correctly the robot actually reminded me of a GoBot. Or am I confusing my issues again (literally this time)?

Re: Angel, the worst original character concept ever? I miss the days when a "one trick pony" option was both viable and preferred. Gimme a flying character with no resistant defenses and no ranged attack and I'll play the bejezus out of him. Gimme a character that feels like it's been mugged from an Image comic and I'll likely get bored. I like challenge, and I like playing personality. Combat is a secondary pleasure for me in games, and frankly, if I can't find something to do with my one-trick pony in a game where point totals are relatively even, I shouldn't be in the game. One of my Angel-clones was nicknamed "Distracto Boy" because he was VERY good at attacking villains against whom he didn't really have a chance. A few dodges and the odd "no damage gets through" attacks were enough to set the bad guys up for better attacks by teammates and the like. He had a decent DEX, a couple of offensive levels, and wings, but man, he rocked. He made it fun to play because I had to work so hard to keep him in the game. I created more opportunities for him than any other player because if I didn't, I had very little to do. The GM was very accomodating and often rewarded my "inventiveness" with extra experience. I remember earning more experience than my teammates in a series of combats where my character did very little actual damage than any of the characters. I just roleplayed the hell out of him and had a good time doin' it. With the right player and the right GM, no character is worthless. "Lame" concepts, IMO, are those that just don't gel for whatever reason. Why does Power Armor Guy need martial arts? Or why does the ninja have eye beams? Pick a tight concept and stick with it, even it's just "a guy with wings". That, to me, is a good concept. The "arachnid" hero, mid-level brick with high DEX, doesn't need a gun. Heck, the flying alien brick doesn't need heat vision. And don't get me started on skills that having nothing to do with a character's background. Pick a concept and stick with it, I say, and don't give in to the "I must be able to do it all" pressure. Now if you want to talk about lame concepts you should hear the story about the anime-inspired wereshark--yes, wereshark--in a Dark Champions game. Hoo boy, that was...different.

Re: The New Circle Could be worse. You could have the movie poster tucked away in the closet with the rest of the "I can't believe that used to be on my wall" paraphernalia. Not that I do, mind you. I'm just sayin'.... EDIT: Forgot to add how much I've enjoyed catching up on this thread. Well done, all!

Re: Classing Naming: (this) and (that) Crash & Burn -- Sonics (or maybe a mid-brick move-thru guy?) and fire-wielder. Sense & Nonsense - one with heightened senses all across the board, the other with the ability to take 'em away (or, alternately, one is a friggin' genius while the other makes people stupid).

Re: Aquaman: WTF? They have lots of cool ideas in the book. Sometimes it doesn't fit what is portrayed in the comics/cartoons, but they do the best they can with the science that's available. I give it a serious recommendation for anyone into that sort of thing. Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471024600/qid=1104813280/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-3342869-7126353?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Re: Taunt What, exactly, do you want to happen when you taunt them? Sounds like it might be a limited form of Mind Control, or it might end up being a simple boost to PRE.

Re: Classing Naming: (this) and (that) I had an NPC married couple gain powers during a PC adventure. I did it just so they could come back later and help tie up some loose ends. They wanted to be heroes, but the PCs mistook them for villains and entered the fray. They NPCs escaped and were later framed for theft (a convenient play on the fact that the PCs already thought they were villains). Annoyed, they decided to become villains after all. They sucked at first but got much better. The wife was the brick, about 40 STR I think (back when 50 STR was pretty darn good). She later took skill levels and became a master at doing damage without killing (she liked to inflict pain). The husband started off a typical EBer using electricity but ended up becoming pretty darn versatile. Thus was Assault & Battery born, and they plagued my PCs off and on for years. I might have to make them up again for 5th. I miss 'em...

Re: Angel, the worst original character concept ever? Anyone remember the cover of X-Men #1? Angel was carrying a bazooka. I'm thinkin' he was supposed to have a gimmick, but because of the whole Hawkman comparison they dropped it. He filled a personality/social niche, not a power set (although it could be argued that, since he was the only one who could fly, he did indeed fill a niche). Angel has always been and will always be a favorite of mine precisely for the reasons some deride him: he's technically the weakest member, so he has to try that much harder. That appealed to me. Well, that and wings are cool and chick magnets.

Re: Aquaman: WTF?

Re: Aquaman: WTF? Might be a dead issue, but I thought I'd mention that in a book entitled "The Science of Superheroes" (check it out on Amazon), the authors propose that, while telepathy might not be as realistic as it could be, it would not be improbably to assume that Aquaman actually communicates with sea life through the myriad non-verbal forms; everything from body motion to pheromones, which, being an aquatic form of communication proven among fish and mammals alike, would fit the bill. He doesn't "command" them so much as he appeals to certain base instincts which essentially directs them to do as he wishes. Still a tad outlandish, but not completely unbelievable.

Heya, folks. I want to create a power for someone who can change their hands into any blade, similar to Warblade of the original WildCATS comic. Essentially I want a person who can either create a lockpick from one finger, or shove a mini-trident through someone 1" away. They should be able to turn their hand/forearm into a knife, spear, sword, trident...whatever. Heck, maybe even a shovel or pick. VPP sounds like the way to go, but I might be missin' something. Also, I'm not sure what, if any, modifiers would be useful. I'm overthinking this, I know, which is why I'm confusing myself. I'm hoping someone can KISS this idea and make me go, "Duh!" So...any takers?

Heya, folks. As you probably know, the hero Vanguard died saving Millennium City from Dr. Destroyer's asteroid attack. He was an iconic figure from the 70s, 80s and 90s. I know he's vaguely "Superman-ish", but that's about it. I've spoken with a DoJ contact, and while it's thought that Darren might have more info on him, he's in San Francisco and the other folks at DoJ don't have much information at hand. Does anyone here have either, a) More official information, or Their own version? I'd do a search but I keep pulling up mine and the other Vanguard's posts... Any help y'all can provide would be appreciated.

Re: Please help me with "The Star Chamber" Here's the link for it (I had it bookmarked). http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16247

Re: What to do about missing evidence? Realistically? The guy's screwed. Through the combination of circumstances you and the player have put the PC into a no-win situation. If you want to enforce game realism, have him take his lumps. You may have to let the character go to jail or risk undermining in-game authority. Other options, however, present themselves. One...maybe someone else steals the eggs. Another mage, perhaps, or maybe some property of the eggs causes them to shunt back into the home dimension. However you do this, do it publically so the character is "off the hook" (though maybe with a stern warning). Perhaps they're willing to give the hero the benefit of the doubt providing he can prove how dangerous the eggs are. Maybe he can bring just one back as representative, thus leaving the rest out of nasty hands. Another idea is to simply allow the hero's testimony in lieu of the actual evidence. If the authorities (Japanese or US) are on good terms with heroes and vice versa, they may well decide to accept the testimony of the hero as an "expert witness", thus preventing the eggs from falling into the wrong hands while preserving the integrity of the system. They may still ask the hero to do community service of some sort--it doesn't do to have a hero flaunting the law, after all, but this scenario might give you a little leeway in handling the situation, and incidentally could provide other plot hooks. It's late and I'm on drugs (cold medicine, that is), but these are thoughts off the top o' my head.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER You know what? You suck. Screw being polite. If you wanna punish SS do it on your own time. If you're looking for a cheap ego boost, do it on your own time. If you don't have the brains or the spine to see one lick of good in yourself, much less give SS credit for choosing you over anyone else, then shut the hell up and suffer all by your lonesome. Don't come here and crap all over everyone else. You bummin' us out isn't gonna make you feel better. Jesus Christ, this is not what I needed.

Re: A Thread for Random Musings I'm so sick of some of the people on this board. Can't anyone let anything go without having to interject some political bullshit diatribe or just plain suck the fun out of things? Screw the lot of you, I say. This ain't fun anymore.

Re: The Last Word Not the first time I've heard that said about you...

Re: A Thread for Random Musings I find it amusing that I keep having to read Kara's posts twice. She has the most distracting avatar currently in use, IMO. And I'm okay with that.