unclevlad

That's why it's Constant *and* 0 END. Now, if you want to say, OK, to have 2 copies of the power running at once, I need Uncontrolled...well, that's only another +1/2. Want to require terminating conditions? OK, 20 minutes. Uncontrolled makes things worse...because if A can activate it (without Uncontrolled) on A, B, and C...if it was costing END, this'd be fine, right?...then if A gets stunned, it stops on *everyone*. Paying for Uncontrolled means it lasts on all recipients until termination conditions are reached. BUT...my reading of the rules says that I can apply Aid STR, +2d6, Constant, 1/2 END to as many people as I want, and it'll run on everyone until I run out of END. I don't need any form of UOO to do this. If you agree with that? Then it works if I take it to 0 END. Now...is it too broken for words? Well...maybe. But that's separate...germane, but separate.

If it's constant, then I apply it to a character once. That character gains 7 * SPD points per turn, and only has 5 fade. Then I move to the next person and repeat. Where is the tail-chasing?

Batman would have skills, and by and large, there aren't that many skills I think I'd want to put onto a character. I'm gauging by the descriptive text, and by my memories of Ron's videos during the book's development.

From mlb.com, this from the 2021 ASG: I can't offhand remember any trades. The starters are picked, what...2 weeks before? The reserves were picked only a few days ago. So the window isn't very large. Under most circumstances, I don't see any problem with a moratorium for that period, but I just don't see a need. And there could be situations where it made sense. And too, GMs understand the fan reaction, trading someone right before the ASG, and I really doubt they'd pull the trigger. Last, the Story case is principally only meaningful because the game's in Colorado. If the game was in Chicago, let's say, would it have the same emotional impact? Rockies fans are gonna be incensed when he gets traded, in any case. (But ask Pittsburgh, Arizona, Baltimore, KC, Miami, and Texas how HARD it is to get out of that "4A" grade where the team is constantly churning. MAYBE you have a bit of success, but the valuable pieces don't stay to move into real contender status.)

1. Ron wants HTH to be the predominant mode. 2. What ELSE are you gonna add to STR? I like the Strike advantage but it's insanely expensive. 3. To get good damage, how much STR would be needed? All of which I stated. Champions Now is not really a general-purpose system, suited for, for example, even Silver Age comics. It's targeted at the 30's and 40's style, and at the near-pulps like Batman of that era, rather than Superman...but even he was relatively limited. That's why END is at such an enormous premium, damage is relatively low, and builds are set to low levels. If that's not the campaign you want, then you have to consider tweaking the system; a different END pricing would be a good start.

No way it's Ulmo. The Ainur gave up on this Middle Earth a LONG!!! time ago.

But who's counting, right? But that's low by many, many, many orders of magnitude, I think. The estimate of the number of protons in the universe is 10^80. The mass of the earth is on the order of 10^24 kilograms. Uranium atoms are among the heaviest known. 1 mole of uranium is 6 x 10^23 atoms, and weighs a touch under 1/4 kilogram. So you're a tad bit off there...

This is as newsworthy as the morning tide coming in.... OF COURSE he's gonna say that. I think we can change the aphorism. Nothing is certain except death and taxes...and Trump denials and lies.

Also remember that at home, you're not paying captive-audience prices for any "food" or beverage you choose to enjoy. Granted: hitting theater concessions is a guaranteed ripoff. But yeah, as Ternaugh points out, we're not the target. Dad, mom, 2 kids...big movies don't give that much of a price break on tickets any more. With concessions...something like $60 wouldn't surprise me at all. Could be worse. Lived in LA as a kid; we took in a few Dodger games, a couple Laker games. Found an article on Money Inc; for a family of 4, expect to be set back close to $400. And the article is 3 years old. Laker games are worse because there's little to no chance you can get moderately good seats at regular prices...it'd have to be thru a reseller, and that will set you WAY back. Granted, the Lakers are a poor example as their costs to attend are very nearly the highest in the NBA. But NO NBA team's games are cheap to watch.

You'd want to change the name to avoid confusion with IME for Absorption. Not a good idea to have 2 advantages called the same thing but that work VERY differently. I kinda like the notion that it's a flat x2 effect and, as written can't be bought multiple times. That's not a bad idea; one of the big problems is if you're allowed to apply it multiple times. It kills the exploit of buying the bare-minimum base. You can't use Delayed Return Rate as an adjustment factor, because it's not the only thing that matters. What other constructs cause problems? Constant, with either 0 END or Costs END only to activate. How about some form of continuing charges? How about Damage Over Time? Is that all of them??? Plus, I really dislike conditional costing. Yeah, with Autofire it's necessary; that just shows the nastiness of Autofire. But it should be avoided. I'm not sure it's necessary, either. I'll offer: Enhanced Maximum EM 1: +1/2 cost, the maximum amount which can be added is 50% higher EM 2: +1 cost, the maximum amount is 100% higher There's little point, I suspect, in +25%, and I think going more than double is perhaps the root problem. First, let's look at the final max effect (base, +50%, +100%) 1d6: 6, 9, 12 1d6+1: 7, 11, 14 1 1/2d6: 9, 14, 18 2d6: 12, 18, 24 2d6+1: 13, 20, 26 2 1/2d6: 15, 23, 30 3d6: 18, 27, 36 For powers, 3d6 with +100% feels like the max that I'd ever allow; that's a huge boost. For characteristics, it's a lot harder to say. At even 1 1/2 d6, the fade rate can be fundamentally ignored, if desired; the average added per phase is 5, so the fade only applies for 1 phase...and that's due strictly to the artificial timing issues. (Yes, I'm assuming Constant or a similar construct, but that's implicit. The Aid will have to be applied multiple times anyway.) So it'd come down to your breakpoints, and in some cases like a STR boost, whether you put an advantage on. (Think Reduced END.) My initial evaluation is, I'd consider 2d6 with +100% or 2d6+1 with +50% much of the time. That's a LOT of boost...even if it's to defensive abilities. So, let's see 2d6 is base 12 Constant, 0 END (+1) to 3 stats (+1) +100% (+1) That's 48 points. Take your pick of 3 from: 12 DEX 24 STR (or 19 with Reduced END) 2 SPD 4 OCV 2 DCV 12 PD or ED (7 if it's bought Resistant) 2d6+1, same advantages but +50% instead of +100%, so it's 15 base with + 2 1/2...52 total, for the same or less net effect. OK, the 2d6 it is. So, is 48 points for being able to give every party member +4 OCV and 10 PD and ED, reasonable? It's not cheap, that's for sure, but by the same token we haven't started on limitations, or in some other constructions, frameworks. Still, it's a LOT. Heck, if you only look at applying it to yourself (if you can justify it)...Self Only means its' 24 points for 40 active in benefits. (Even after the defensive abilities effect reduction.) That's massively better than HFO and slightly better than even Linked. So this still feels like it's too much.

Sure it is. What's the problem? Recognize that it's INTENDED to be that way.

I think Martial Arts was made cheap because, by and large, it's the modus operandi for the classic, relatively low-power 30's and 40's style comics which Ron is trying to mimic. How else are ya gonna do it? Power-based punches like Iron Fist are later on. Pure STR? Those guys are only mildly superhumanly strong...if at all. In standard Hero, 20-25 would be typical; maybe even more like 15-23. If you want decent damage from 30s Batman or 40s Wildcat, you need an admittedly high martial arts, or pretty insane STR. Also note that if you want those +6d6, you gotta take -2 OCV, and the equivalent of CSLs is NOT cheap.

The point's valid generally insofar as the game goes...but, in this era of load management, is it reasonable to require someone to play? Especially pitch. Besides, there's always the end-run of pitching on the Sunday before. And the Home Run Derby...a very high percent of players in the last several years, don't want to do it twice. Vlad Jr did it in 2019. It says quite a bit that only 3 of the top 12 in HRs so far this season, want in. Salvador Perez is tied for 13-16...but then you fall off the cliff. Alonzo and Mancini each have 15; that's not even in the top 40. (That is somewhat misleading, tho, as there are 17 players with 16 HRs. That's a serious fluke; there are 5 with 17 HRs, and 10 with 15. But very clearly, it really isn't something the players want to participate in. The All Star Game is mostly a legit game, unlike every other sport where it's grossly distorted. Home Run Derby is nothing but a distortion and/or glorified batting practice. (In case you couldn't tell, yes, my interest in the HRD has rather sharply waned over the last few years...and even in the ASG to a large degree. Requiring every team to have 1 rep...bleah. That's been in place forever, tho. Making sure everyone plays...how many 'nobodies' does that leave for the end of the game, players few have ever heard of? Too many. At least they dropped the ridiculous notion that the league that won the game, got home field for the Series.)

There's an old rule in D&D: no spell can give you more in benefits than it costs. So, a 7th level spell can't give you an 8th level spell slot. This is an excellent guideline in any system. Here, I think the answer's clearly Yes. You're adding more points onto the character sheet than you're spending. I *am* saying, I wouldn't allow extra dice only to raise the maximum, when that limitation means nothing. If the power needs to be applied multiple times with multiple actions involved, I might allow it...but probably not, unless it really becomes a limitation. If you can use the power for a turn then have it last for 6 hours, it's NOT a limitation at all. I just see too many cases where "oh, see, obviously this power is less flexible, so it deserves a limitation" when in fact, other modifiers kill it. Let's go with my Aid...1d6, applies to 3 stats, 0 END, Constant. 18 points. Now, +3d6, same advantages, Limited Power (only to raise maximum). Base cost is 54 for that; the question becomes what the limitation is worth. Well...1d6 per phase at SPD 5, would be 17 per turn. So 2 turns, I'm at max. At 4d6, I need probably 2 phases, sometimes 3. Given that this power is constant, and no END, and generally considered invisible...does anyone here treat Aid as being readily apparent?...that time difference does not feel game-significant. It won't be an issue often enough. Even if you want to give extra dice only to raise the max a, let's say -1/2...the difference is that this still means the higher maximum grows linearly with the amount you increase it. When you make it an adder, the increased max doubling each time...it's exponential. So that +5 points (before advantages) quickly gives MUCH more than 5 points of effect. It's often true that the doubling rule is fine...but there are some cases where it's seriously dangerous (like Summon). And I see no *valid* reason for allowing it. I see nothing but point shaving, with no concern for balance. It may also be a lack of vision, or my own personal blinders WRT powers building, but I don't see why you'd add Increased Maximum Effect to Aid, that is NOT going to be in an abusive construct of one form or another.

Ahhh...no. Only DCV, you're right there. DEX and OCV are not on that list. So it's +10 DEX, +4 OCV, and +2 DCV. I skipped Damage over Time intentionally because I *loathe* it beyond words. 0 END, Constant is incredibly simple. This doesn't need UBO that much. Aid isn't Self, it's No Range. The contact doesn't have to be maintained, so I just touch each ally in turn. One ally per phase. On a normal team of 4-6, the time requirement isn't an issue too often. Yeah, there might be a place to make it UBO, but this is again MUCH simpler, and largely plays to the fact that this can be done FAR in advance, as per your Damage over Time construct. And can you really get just a +1 advantage, using Damage over Time and Reduced Fade Rate, to have the power cover, say, a 12 hour window? I kinda doubt it. Thing is, to me, there's a difference between being abusable in a complex construction, and being abusable in an insanely simple one like mine. In my construction, so long as the points you gain per turn is > 5, then you don't necessarily require any more. The cost for these dice is linear. BUT, the impact of Increased Maximum is actually logarithmic with price...when Constant or Damage over Time is going to be applied. 1d6 --> max effect 6, 6 points 1d6, 1 level of Inc Max --> max effect 12, 11 points (I presume) 2d6 --> max effect 12, 12 points 1d6, 2 levels of Inc Max --> max effect 24, 16 points without Inc Max you need 4d6 to allow for 24 points of max effect Also, note that this is assuming Increased Maximum is an Adder; it's NOT, for Absorption. It's an advantage, and that makes it UBER cheap. Now the UBO is somewhat more attractive just because it's hardly gonna cost anything. Transform's in the game but, we see the problem here so often. People ignore the Stop sign and say, oh, build it as Transform!!! When it doesn't make sense. But when it's applied to a Constant, 0 END, the limitation "only to increase maximum roll" is IMO clearly not worth anything.

I'm pleasantly surprised Shapovalov gave him that much of a battle. 6, 5 and 5 belies the fact that it was straight sets. The storyline...other than the slippery courts early on...seems to be how some of the younger guys are moving up. The semis were Joker, Shapo, Hurkacz, and Berrettini. Shapo's 22, Hurkacz is 24 (but largely unknown before this year). Berrettini had hit #8 before the pandemic, which is awesome, but hadn't played up to that level that much in the Slams. Shapo made the move from 20's to #15 at around the same time, but had a hard time moving up much. This event put him at #10 and suggests perhaps he can stay there. Hurkacz made a big move this summer...high 20s to low 30s early on, now #11. And on the flip side, the more-established young guns...Thiem didn't play, but Rublev, Zverev, and Medvedev all went out in the round of 16. Djokovic will probably remain at #1...maybe drop to #2 if Medvedev has a good North American hard court season, but his temperament is suspect, IMO. Everyone else...I think there'll be a fair bit of churn in the rankings, much more than in the past. Partly...Federer is dropping and may well retire; Nadal has to be much more selective on the events he plays, and it's very hard to maintain a top-5 position if you're not playing most of the time. Most of the rest will churn.

The Olympics haven't been profitable for the host country for some time. But losing the ticket sales will be a major blow; whoever is backing this Olympics is going to take a major financial bath. Plus, no ticket sales == no tourists filling hotel rooms, eating restaurant meals, etc. as archer pointed out. Let's guess 50,000 foreign spectators a day between all the venues as a starting point. $200 per person, per day for hotels and meals...probably low. (Hotel rooms will be much higher but people will share rooms.) That's $10M per day, or thereabouts, and obviously those numbers are just wild guesses. The problem is the massive construction to build new facilities, more than anything else. SO many special events that practically no one knows...but which need special-purpose facilities. Simply so many facilities because so few cities can support running *so many of them* simultaneously. For the latter: basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball, all need full-time facilities. Martial arts: there's boxing, wrestling, judo, tae kwon do, and karate, many of which have weight classes. Weight lifting. Special facilities: equestrian events, rowing, canoe, BMX and mountain bike. The Olympics has become a grotesquely bloated monster; there are 46 separate sports listed. But countries and cities keep pushing. I suspect, tho, that this won't last that much longer, not as is. It may reduce to cities that have the facilities in place, or at least most of em. Something like Los Angeles; there's USC and UCLA, for example, to host some events in their existing arenas, and possibly pools. Plus the pro facilities.

Increased Maximum still exists on Absorption...but it's not an Adder, it's an advantage. If it was implemented that way on Aid, then I can build: Aid 1d6 (6 points) --to OCV, DCV, and DEX simultaneously (+1) --x8 Increased Maximum (+3/4) --0 END (+1/2) --Constant (+1/2) I don't need to change the fade rate. With a 4 SPD...very low...I'm adding 4d6, or 14, points every turn, and losing 5. So it's 9 points every turn for as long as I'm conscious. So it'll take a minute to reach full effect, but in the end, it's 48 active points max. Fine, call it 40 points just to avoid the juggling as points get added or lost. So +20 Dex and +8 OCV and DCV. For 22 points. Somehow, you'd have to make increased Max an Adder or the math will always play out like this. If it is an adder, then whether it's practical or not depends on the cost of the adder. It MAY still be. If it's +5 points for each x2...then... Aid 1d6+1 (8 points), x4 Increased Max (+10 points) --to OCV, DCV, and DEX; 0 END; Constant (total +2) So it's 54 points to give...let's call it 20 points full-time just to make life easier (1d6 would be 24 max dropping to 19...ugh...) for +10 Dex and +4 OCV and DCV. The essential difference is the ability to make the Aid constant. That eliminates the need to buy more than 1d6; I went with d6+1 just because of how the totals and breakpoints work out. With Constant, the Increased Maximum becomes a CHEAP!! way to increase the power, as I get to apply points every phase. Thus, I don't need to add a lot of them, and I (mostly) ignore the fade rate.

Yah...and why aren't these simple PSLs? That's what they're for.

The Japanese government has banned spectators at the Olympics. Can't say this was inevitable, but neither can you say it's a surprise. I think the athletes where the Olympics really *is* their venue...swimmers, track, gymnastics, etc...will mostly still go. Their options are too limited. The bigger sports like basketball, tennis, and baseball? The bigger-name athletes in those sports feel a lot more likely (to me) to reconsider. And what concerns me greatly is that the numbers game just says, there's going to be very unfortunate results, along the lines of NC State's forced withdrawal from the CWS.

Ehh...but Pfizer wasn't particularly surprised, so I don't think it's that big a deal. Other than the fact, of course, that the anti-vaxers will seize on this to justify their position. The emergence of the virus variants suggested the possibility that we might be looking at needing boosters periodically, at least until this outbreak is strongly contained...and that could be several years, given the politics. Mostly abroad, but to a degree, here as well...if Brazil, for example, doesn't change its policies and their infection rates remain relatively high, then that leaves an incubator for new variants. SOME of them might bypass existing vaccines well enough to spread more broadly. The upside should be that all the work on the base virus *should* mean that identifying new variants and developing boosters should be MUCH quicker.

An interesting situation arises with the Army or Marines, where an overseas deployment isn't as (semi) automatic as it is in the Navy, and even probably Air Force. There's overseas bases but that's a smaller fraction. (Altho Marines also serve on ships, so maybe mostly just Army.) Don't want to send a grunt overseas? In the Army, by and large, I don't think that's an issue....UNTIL a unit gets called up for deployment overseas. THEN what do we do with the unvaccinated? There isn't any option like keeping them on the ship. There's a form of discharge called General Discharge under Honorable Conditions that includes "failure to adapt to the military environment" (from militarybenefits.info) that seems to fit. But that's covering diseases like malaria, that one rarely sees in the US. I suspect they parallel the civilian vaccinations. The covid vaccination will very likely become a part of the standard immunization list like MMR or polio. But, that won't happen with a vaccine that has only emergency authorization. As archer notes, get the full approval, and I suspect the military will require it.

I wouldn't necessarily go that far, but it's worth considering. One thing to address is that it's the only way to, for example, teleport an unconscious person from the accident site to medical assistance. The problem of course is, how do you distinguish between unconscious due to unrelated injury, versus knocked out by a drug or sleeping? There's no great answer here, as the distinction being made, between UAA and Usable Simultaneously, practically never exists in comics, supers fiction, or urban fantasy. Yes, you can have "teleport self only" and you can have "can't teleport someone who can actively resist being teleported"...but that's not what "willing" is defined to be. Fundamentally, I'd say simply treat it as a Stop Sign power *always*, and the more complex someone tries to make it...the LOW chance I'd accept it, would be shriveling. And if you don't mind ditching that "rescue teleport" then...I would think you could just drop it with no real issues, but perhaps I'm being optimistic.

And we have another "it doesn't count" no-hitter. 5 Rays pitchers threw a combined, 7 inning, no-hitter; the rationale behind saying it isn't is still ridiculous. But apparently this one probably wasn't one anyway; infielders collided on a ground ball between third and short, and the official scorer ruled it an error. HIGHLY debatable; similar collisions between, say, an infielder going out, and an outfielder coming in, are generally ruled hits if neither fielder touches the ball.

So, the Dodgers just pulled all of Trevor Bauer's merch from their team store, and cancelled a Bauer bobblehead promo set for mid August. Sounds like they don't expect to have him back, altho it could just be CYA. They caught considerable flak for doing nothing until MLB acted...and MLB was slow, to make things worse. I tend to think the Dodgers are actually less to blame, as the leagues generally have co-opted any disciplinary matters that aren't team-internal.