Steve Long

See 6E1 293 and 146.

Correct.

I’m going to restate the question generically, just to make sure everything’s clear: Q: Suppose a character has a Mental Power with the Cumulative Advantage. Another character with the same Mental Power (which may or may not have Cumulative as well) wants to increase the power’s effectiveness using the Complementary Mental Powers rules. Does doing so increase the maximum Effect Roll the first character can achieve with his Cumulative Mental Power? A: No (unless, of course, the GM rules otherwise). The maximum Effect Roll still applies; the character will just reach it more quickly due to the second character’s assistance. It's an interesting idea, though. I can see where the GM might allow it in a Psionic Hero campaign, or perhaps to distinguish one "type" or "school" of psionics from another. Good thinking!

Per the Rules FAQ, under the Takes No STUN Power and also in the Automatons section: Q: If an Automaton with the Takes No STUN Power obtains defensive equipment (such as a suit of armor), does he have to divide the PD/ED that equipment provides by 3, the same way he does for a defensive ability he purchases with Character Points? A: Yes. If an Automaton with the Takes No STUN Power obtains defensive equipment (such as a suit of armor), he must divide the PD/ED that equipment provides by 3, the same way he does for a defensive ability he purchases with Character Points.

I'm not sure to what extent he attends the festival. I was being literal: the damn thing is set up right next door to his ranch, so it's kind of a distraction regardless.

I'm sure Jason will get back to you as soon as he can. But FYI, the Burning Man festival is currently taking place basically in his backyard, so he may be a bit distracted for a day or three more.

What LL said -- Jason's the person to contact (via the "Contact Us" button) if you continue to have problems.

Per the rules on 6E2 183-84, only AIs can have Psychological Complications, non-sentient Computers cannot. And AIs by definition have a minimum EGO of 10 (whereas normal Computers have no EGO rating at all). So you'd use the AI's EGO to resist the Complication.

For the most part I think this can be left to the GM’s common and dramatic sense. As a general guideline, for attacks coming from different directions I’d suggest the GM figure out an “average” of all the direction vectors and use that. For diametrically opposite attacks, the method you suggest — no movement, but damage calculated as if hitting a wall — seems reasonable to me.

For those of you keeping score at home, I finally seem to have cleared enough stuff out of the way that I can get back to working on MH on a more regular basis. I'm still working on the Hindu Mythology chapter (already 56,000 words long!), but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Next I think I'll tackle Hawaiian Mythology. And after that -- who knows? So many fun possibilities!

You can blame Lord Liaden for this one. He asked a question that got me thinking, and that's never a good idea. The Book Of The Empress describes the eerie, dangerous patchwork Qliphothic dimension of Tatterdemalion. This PDF details five types of monsters characters might encounter in that horrid place: —Carrionites, whose semi-undead flesh constantly remolds itself into different forms; —the Foul-Skinned Men, humanoid warriors whose very touch is corruptive both physically and spiritually; —Orons, invisible things who seem to be composed entirely of fanged mouths; —Skeinrippers, who have the power to harm living beings by attacking their destinies; and —Zodiac Beasts, predators said to be made of the stuff between constellations And it only costs $1, so check it out! Tatterdemalion Terrors

The Area Of Effect for STR provided by the Size Templates (and also by certain amounts of Growth) are calculated to cover an extra amount of STR beyond what Growth provides (15 or more additional STR, depending on Template). If that’s not enough to cover the character’s total STR when Grown, the default rule is to apply the Absolute Effects Rule and allow the Area Of Effect to apply to the character’s total STR anyway. Of course, if the GM prefers he can calculate the additional cost and require the character to pay that.

You're correct, it's 8 END for an 80 Active Point power. Of course, as GM, if you want to change the rules on that, it's entirely up to you, but that's the official "by the book" answer.

Once again, the rules for Summon don't change. So it's up to the GM to devise a special effect that explains them in light of the situation. Maybe the vehicle malfunctions and doesn't stop to pick you up, or the Summon screws up its targeting software and it attacks you, or perhaps it just plain breaks down. I'm sure all the GMs out there can come up with plenty of fiendish ideas.

If you Summon something like a taxi that you'd have automatic control over, you should build the power with Slavishly Loyal (+1). Otherwise, yes, there has to be an EGO Versus EGO Contest, with the GM assigning the taxi an "EGO" based on the Cyberkinesis rules from APG1 and/or his own judgment. And yes, the taxi is "stunned and disoriented." Special effects-wise, it probably needs to rev its motor a couple times to "tune up," or turn itself on, or something of the sort. But the game effect is the same.

1. I’m going to restate this question generically to make sure everyone knows what I’m answering (and that I understand what you’re asking). Q: Suppose a character buys an additional amount of a Characteristic, Running, Leaping, Swimming, or some other ability he already has as a power with the Unified Power (-¼). If an attacker Drains that ability, what’s Drained first — the inherent portion of the ability or the portion bought as a power? A: In most cases the answer is “it doesn’t matter” — it’s all one ability for purposes of Drain and Unified Power, so which is lost “first” is irrelevant. If the GM feels that it does matter, apply the Drain to the bought-as-power portion first, unless he believes common and dramatic sense, special effects, or other game considerations would affect the situation. For example, a mental power defined as “I reduce your brain’s ability to control how you move” might affect a character’s inherent Running before Running he’s bought as a power (as, say, Ice Slides or Friction Control). But even in that case, it probably doesn’t matter which gets affected “first.” 2. Generally speaking, no. If a character buys a power defined as adding to something else, and that something else doesn’t work or can’t be used (for whatever reason), he can’t use the “added” power either. But again, the final call is up to the GM based on common sense, dramatic sense, logic, special effects, the phase of the moon, and other factors. 3-4. Unless the GM rules otherwise for some reason (see above ), a Drain Running applies to all of a character’s Running, regardless of whether it’s his standard Running 12m, extra Running he’s bought, Running from Growth or a Usable By Others power, or any other source. In the case of Growth (or the like), Draining the Running the Power provides wouldn’t ordinarily affect the rest of the abilities the Power also provides. However, if the entire Growth ability is bought with Unified Power, and the Drain affects any one of the powers linked by Unified Power, then the GM may, in his discretion, decide to affect the entire Growth Power rather than just the Running. This may result in less of the Running being Drained (an odd result for a specific type of Drain like Drain Running), but is consistent with the nature of Unified Power.

No. But as always, what any GM’s willing to permit (regardless of the rules as written) is entirely up to him.

That refers to the Limitations listed on the reserve, which as noted there apply to all slots as well. The list is so long that it saves space to simply refer to them as the "common Limitations" on that power, that's all.

I'd say that's up to each individual GM. I can see good arguments on both sides of the issue, so I think it's safe to leave it to common sense, dramatic sense, and special effects. I will note, though, that the character you describe could easily come up with a "visual" hook for his powers. The Kung Fu Legend would probably move (and perhaps talk) differently from the others, for example, and you could come up with similar perceivable clues for each "identity."

This is really a game design/philosophy question, and I generally don't answer those. But it seems to me your answer makes enough sense to use it in your games if you like. You could also cite "dramatic realism," which makes shooting a gun out of someone's hand a display of serious skill and bad-assedness, whereas HTH disarms are much more common.

Since this is mostly a "how to" topic for discussion rather than a rules question, I'm moving it to the Discussion board. The one rules question at the end involves a direct violation of the rules, and while it's within the GM's purview to do that sort of thing, that also means it's the GM's responsibility to answer the rules question. It's tough enough answering questions about the existing rules; I'm not gettin' roped in to answering questions about options, violations, campaign rules tweaks, house rules, or the 2016 presidential race.

The same as against ordinary defenses. Defensive Absorption just adds to existing Normal or Resistant Defenses; it isn’t a special category of defense or anything like that. (Note: only I can respond here. If you want input from other gamers, or to discuss the issue, please post your question on the HERO System Discussion board.)

See 6E1 152, "Complementary Mental Powers" and "Competing Mental Powers." If that information doesn't answer all your questions, please post a follow-up.

Yes, it does. See 6E1 168, top left.

Good question, and stupid of me to omit the answer in the rulebook. Mea culpa, etc. When a character purchases a Mental Paralysis Entangle, each 1d6 purchased includes 1 point of Resistant Mental Defense. As noted on 6E1 217, purchasing additional rMD costs 3 Character Points per +2 rMD.