Steve Long

1. David used his Phase in Segment 4 to Abort to Dodge in Segment 3. Therefore he doesn't have a Phase to recover from being Stunned until Segment 8. 2. As described on 6E2 106, a character who's Knocked Out doesn't have to recover from being Stunned; he just starts taking Recoveries as needed to wake up. So since David's used his Phase in Segment 8 already, he won't have a Phase in which he can take a Recovery until Segment 12.

1. An AI Computer installed in an Automaton can be attacked with and affected by Mental Powers that affect the appropriate class of minds (see next answer). 2. That’s up to the GM to determine. Assuming a typical technological AI, it’s the Machine class of minds (and possibly also the Human class of minds, per 6E2 184). 3. There’s no rule that specifically forbids or prevents an AI from buying a Mental Power. As with many things pertaining to Computers and other equipment, though, the final decision’s up to the GM. As always, the GM’s free to change any of this based on campaign parameters or the specifics of the situation.

If an Automaton is being controlled by a Computer, the default rule is that you use the lower of the OCV and DCV the two entities have to determine the effective OCV and DCV (much like with Vehicles and drivers in vehicular combat). But the GM can certainly rule otherwise if that seems appropriate.

Not a bad idea at all, Chris -- thanx for the suggestion!

No, I don't think so. I once spent a summer uprooting stumps with axe, shovel, and pick; dynamite would have been a lot easier (and more fun ).

During a cable-free long weekend thanks to late Thursday's ice storm, I had a lot of time to read, and while reading came up with a question I thought the fine folx of Discussion might like to consider: How much STR does it take to uproot a tree? (Presumably said tree is then used as a club, or for some other helpful purpose.) Since not all trees are the same, for purposes of this discussion I propose the following categories of trees based on size: Small (e.g,, most saplings) Medium Large (e.g., centuries-old oak) Very Large (e.g., redwood, sequoia) Here are some pertinent facts and figures from various HERO System supplements: STR required to lift a redwood: 72 STR required to lift a sequoia: 78 Basic stats for trees per 6E2 171: 4-5 PD, 3-4 ED, 5-11 BODY (though as usual, fully destroying a tree as opposed to just breaking it in two would require a good bit more than 11 BODY damage) Since I don't want to waste time doing a whole lot of research on tree weight, root profiles, soil composition, etc. for a trivial gaming question, I suggest the following rules off the top of my head: uprooting a tree requires STR equal to the STR needed to lift the tree, +5. In the absence of specific information about the weight of a given tree, the GM can assume that a lifting a tree requires Tree's BODY x 5 in STR (or can use some other formula he prefers). Uprooting a tree is a Full Phase Action (essentially it's a "Grab and Uproot"). Using the redwood and sequoia info above, I'd assign the various Tree Size categories ranges of STR to life, as follows: Small: 25-29 Medium: 30-49 Large: 50-69 Very Large: 70+ What do y'all think?

Good questions. If I ever get around to writing a book that delves into the subject of Automatons more closely (presumably The Ultimate Gadgeteer), I’ll delve into this topic much more thoroughly. In the meantime here are the short answers: 1. Yes, unless the GM rules otherwise. 2. The AI could buy PRE that would “help” the Automaton, but it would have to buy it with some form of Usable On Others (or alternately buy an Aid PRE; that’s probably easier in the long run).

I'm willing to give it a shot. First off I should note the the rule on 6E1 194 may be misleading in that it refers to Characteristics. However, as noted on the previous page, characters cannot use Dispel on Characteristics. So for my example I'll use Blast. HeroMan has Blast 8d6. The dastardly Ruinator uses a Drain Blast, rolls a 20, and thus reduces HeroMan's Blast to 4d6. Then the insidious Psiclone hits him with a Dispel Blast 10d6 and rolls a 30. Ordinarily this wouldn't be enough to Dispel the Blast 8d6 (which has 40 Active Points), but due to the Drain the Blast now has "20 Active Points" for these purposes. Since the Dispel had 30 points of effect, once the points regained from the Drain make the Blast have more than 30 "Active Points," HeroMan gets the use of his Blast back (though he's still affected by the remaining Drained points). So once 3 Turns have passed (and he gains 5, 10, and finally 15 Drained points back), the Dispel ceases to affect him and he can use his Blast at 35 points' worth of effect (or 7d6).

It's covered on FH 276 under "Combat Maneuvers And Modifiers." My apologies for forgetting to list it specifically in the index to the book, though.

1. If a character can Summon a variety of different types of drones, he probably needs the Expanded Class Advantage (see 6E1 290) for his Summon. The value of the Advantage is up to the GM (with guidelines listed in the rules). However, in this case, if I understand you correctly, the drones are built identically, but each has a VPP so that they can in effect be very different drones. Technically speaking that’s only one type of drone so Expanded Class wouldn’t be required — but it’s weird technicalities like this that are why we have GMs. If he’s using the VPP-based drones in ways that effectively make them very different, and you as GM think the Summon’s going to impact the campaign as if they’re different, you can require him to buy Expanded Class for the power at whatever value you consider appropriate. Summon Specific Being isn’t required in this case. That Advantage contemplates Summoning a specific, named individual. 2. If the Active Point cost of a power fits within a VPP’s Control Cost, the character can buy the power via the VPP and use it normally (however that power’s defined normally). The fact that the Active Cost + Real Cost = greater than the Control Cost is irrelevant. In this case, how many rockets the drone can fire depends on how the power’s built (e.g., does it have Autofire) and what Combat Maneuvers the drone uses. 3. A character with a Triggered power has to spend the full amount of indicated time resetting the Trigger; he can’t simply “start” the reset and then do other things while he waits for the time to run out. For example, if a Trigger tales 1 Turn to reset, then resetting it requires the character’s full attention for that 1 Turn; he can’t do anything else during that Turn.

1. That's ultimately up to you as the GM, but there's nothing in the rules that forbid it. If I were designing those drones for publication I'd sell off their Running, Swimming, and Leaping to accurately represent what they can and can't do. 2. Typically Jake has to pay for the Computers separately with his own Character Points (in this case probably by adding the full cost of the Computer, rather than the 1:5 cost, to the drones). If he bought the Computers through the drones, and then bought the drones via Summon, he'd end up getting the Computers at a 1:25 cost, which could cause problems. OTOH, as GM this is your call -- if you don't think it would unbalance the campaign you could let him lump the Computer's 1:5 cost in with the drone. 3. I'm not entirely sure I follow what you're asking here, so I'm going to re-state the question generically. If I get it wrong, please post a follow-up question and I'll try again. Q: If a character has Extra Limbs defined as more than two arms, and he wants to take the “both hands required” additional -¼ option for Gestures, does he only have to use two of his hands for this, or must he use all of his hands? A: As a default rule, he has to use all of his hands — read “both hands required” more generically as “requires all manipulatory limbs.” However, the GM’s free to change this if desired; in some worlds where multi-armed creatures are common, the magic system may want to address this issue differently.

(1) is defined under Nerve Strike on 6E2 92. (2) is "rigid Resistant PD on the neck or not having to breathe," the common defense against Choke Holds and the like. There are some other options, but they're much rarer; you can find them listed in HERO System Martial Arts, pp. 247-48.

Since this is a "how to" question rather than a rules question, I've moved it to the Discussion board where anyone can answer.

This is a "how to" rather than a rules question, so I'm moving it to the Discussion board where anyone can answer.

Hey folx! Just wanted to pass along the word that I'll be running a charity session of the MHI RPG at ConGregate, July 11-13 in Winston-Salem, NC. Larry Correia himself is occupying one of the chairs at the table. The other four will be auctioned off at the con's charity auction on Saturday night. The game itself will take place the afternoon of Sunday, July 13. Hope to see some of you at the table! Here's more info on the con: ConGregate

Sure, you can group them all into one Perk -- as noted on 6E1 102, extra Followers bought with the +5 points rule have to be built on the same Total Points or less. That rule exists for situations just like this; otherwise there'd be little incentive not to just make all the Followers 350 points, which kind of defeats the purpose of rules flexibility. So, no fear of hax.

And for other fiction of mine that's already been published or soon will be, please check out: Steve's Fiction Page

Howdy folks! The latest anthology to feature one of my stories has just been published, so I am once again beating the publicity drum. It's called Hero's Best Friend, and is a compilation of stories about heroes' animal companions. My particular contribution is a tale called "The Wolf Sentinel." "It tells the story of Swift Grey Lord of the Forest, a former pack-leading wolf who's been driven away from his pack due to age and weakness. When a noble human (Vorgath the warlock, the main character in my perpetually-in-revisions novel) is injured by his enemies in the forest, Greylord "adopts" him as his new pack and helps and protects him until he can fend for himself once more. You can pick up a copy (in various formats) here: Hardcopy Kindle Nook I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think! And of course, if you like it, a review on Amazon would be much appreciated by both myself and the publisher.

A Presence Attack is an action that takes no time, so it can be done at any time the GM permits, even after a character's Phase has ended or when he doesn't have a Phase. In the games I've played in and run, it's not at all uncommon for a character to make an ordinary attack, then follow it up with a Presence Attack (often of the "the rest of you had better surrender or you'll get the same" variety ).

Generally speaking it's not my intention to cover things like that in any serious detail. If I come across a useful fact that I can easily squeeze into the manuscript, I do, but I don't go out of my way to track that sort of information down (in part because, as you note, it's often not available -- and even when it is, finding it might significantly increase my already hefty workload). One thing I am considering vis-a-vis another MH Kickstarter, is offering as a stretch goal a second book called something like Mythic Hero: Priesthoods And Temples. It'd basically be a PDF in which I'd give each god who gets a character sheet in MH a one-page write-up describing his priests, rituals, temples, etc. This would be entirely fantasized/made up (not researched), but where I already happen to know some useful historical details (e.g., Quetzalcoatl's temples are circular, not square), I'd include them. So, assuming the project gets that far, that would be another 200-300 page book backers would get for free.

1. I'm sorry, but I don't answer game design/philosophy questions. 2. That's not a rules question but a GMing skills question. If you haven't already, I suggest posting it on the HERO System Discussion board, where anyone can answer rather than just me.

1. A Barrier with the Limitation Self Only (-½) has to be bought with sufficient size to cover the character buying it. For a human-sized character that means at least 2m long, 2m high, and ½m thick. 2. Whether a power could have a Limitation that requires it to cost ½ END to maintain is up to the GM. 6E1 374 lists a similar Limitation as a GM’s option. 3. No. Backlash is an Advantage that improves a Barrier that englobes a target. It has no effect in the context you’re describing, where the Barrier is defensive.

Here's my answer, largely from the standpoint of "let's keep this simple." 1. I wouldn't consider it such in the rules, but if that makes it easier to program HD, I have no objection. It's such a marginal case I don't think there's any upside to struggling to make it work; find an easy route. 2. Apply it to the whole cost. If a GM wants to rule otherwise, he can work out the math himself.

Yes, unless the GM rules otherwise.

I'm sorry, but I don't answer game design/philosophy questions.