Steve Long

Re: Hand attacks, Strength and advantages You're delving into one aspect of the HERO rules that can get a bit complex sometimes, which is why it's not covered in the BR -- the full rules you want are on 6E2 99-102. Without going into all those details, the easiest thing for you to do in this case is think of the *HA* as the "base damage," then add STR to it at a reduced rate to account for the Advantage. Instead of every 5 points of STR adding +1d6, make it +7.5 STR for every +1d6 and you'll be pretty close.

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter Thanx Matt!

Re: Combat Skill Levels - Relating to using for DCV. From TUS/HSS 121:

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter Yup! We're inching up to 40% one day at a time. MH has gotten some strong support in recent days, and I hope that continues.

Re: Follow Up: Query: Limiting Adding Damage; No more than Double Base DC Yes, you seem to have it.

Re: Query: Limiting Adding Damage; No more than Double Base DC The attack in the example has a base of 2 DCs (1/2d6 for a Killing Attack). The double of 2 is 4 DCs (1d6+1 for a Killing Attack). All the example says is that no matter how much STR he uses, the character can't increase the damage beyond 1d6+1, which is correct. The Adding Damage Table isn't the same thing. What the table says is, if you have an attack of X DCs, and it has Y Advantages, and you add DCs from some source (STR, a Maneuver, whatever), here's what you get. The "doubling" rule doesn't say, "You can only double the DCs as indicated in the Adding Damage Table." It says, "you can only double the base DCs." This requires a lot more "input" for an Advantaged attack -- in the case of the Armor Piercing dagger, it would take three steps down the Adding Damage Table (+15 STR) instead of just two (+10 STR) -- but it's still possible under the optional "doubling" rule. Does that clear things up? If not, please post a follow-up. Even under the much simpler 6E rules for adding damage things sometimes get tricky.

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter The $2000 pledge was actually #99, but it clearly seems to have inspired a few folx to chip in as well. We're now at a bit over $10,000 -- and thus past the coveted 30% mark! -- and 102 backers. Thanx to all the backers for their support so far! There's a long way to go, but we're making excellent progress.

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter Thanx djk! We passed the 20% mark yesterday and will hopefully soon reach the statistically significant 30% mark as well.

Re: Resurrection Spell You can't use Transform to resurrect someone; that would violate the general rule about using Transform to substitute for other powers. But it's possible to use a Mental Transform to make someone a character's loyal slave; in fact that's used in the book as an example of a type of Severe Transform.

Re: Differing Modifiers and Charges It's legal within the rules for a Usable On Others power with differing modifiers to have two different forms of Charges, one on the ability to grant the power, and one on the granted power itself; this is discussed briefly on APG 141.

Re: What is considered a Combat Maneuver in regard to Penalty Skill Level Combat Maneuvers are those things defined as Combat Maneuvers in 6E2. Two-Weapon Fighting isn't built using PSLs, so it's not an exception to the rule you cite.

Re: Side Effect Follow up What you're talking about is kind of abstract. Take a look at the Magomorphosis spell on HSG 24, which Transforms one spell into another spell. The Side Effect you're describing would work a little like that, but would be simpler because it's only altering the special effect, not the actual mechanics of the spell. An easier approach would be to forget about defining it with points and just get the GM's OK to define it as a Side Effect, "such-and-such happens," with the GM setting the value for that.

Re: Kickstarter Politics First, I'm moving this to Company Questions; it's not appropriate for the Product Line forum. I'll respond over there.

Re: Combat skill level w/firearms "Firearms" is definitely a Large Group for CSL purposes, so the CSLs would cost 5 Character Points apiece. The 3-point CSL would work for some subset of Firearms, such as the "All Pistols" used as an example on 6E1 71. If all a character wants is extra OCV with Firearms, he should simply buy +X OCV; Only Works With Firearms (you as GM set the value of that based on your campaign, but I'd guess -1/4 or -1/2). CSLs are more flexible than that; if someone just wants OCV, he can simply buy more OCV directly.

Re: Side Effect I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. But assuming I am, no. Working that sort of change on a target probably requires some type of Transform.

Re: Deflection question I don't understand what you're asking. Deflection and Damage Shield are two different things. A Damage Shield won't Deflect attacks; Deflection doesn't cause anyone damage. There's nothing necessarily illegal in a Damage Shield that only covers a 60-degree arc, but you don't get any Limitation or point savings for it -- you simply define the Area Of Effect (personal Surface; +1/4) as covering less than the whole surface of the person. Please post a follow-up if there's more to the question that I'm not grasping.

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter I certainly hope so. It's going to be one of those projects where the working day just flies by because I'm enjoying myself so much.

Howdy Herophiles! Time for another BotE update. I’ve finally finished creating all 14 of the characters based on ideas provided to me by the Kickstarter backers who pledged $150 or more. As you know, we’re going to lay these characters out Hero-style and then give the PDF of them free to all backers. Since that’s going to take a few days more, I thought y’all might like a little preview of the characters. Overall I have to say that I was very impressed with the quality of the ideas the backers sent in. They thought of cool backgrounds and unusual powers that sometimes challenged my building skills. I think any GM will have fun using these in his game, and I know I got ideas for several PCs from them. Not unexpectedly, Battalioneers outnumbered Crusaders of the Infinite Realities more than two to one, but that’s OK — after all, the backers are also getting a PDF of character sheets for six Crusaders (and one time dragon!) as our way of saying thanx! for helping us reach $14,000 in pledges. So that just about brings the numbers even. So, here’s who you’ll see in that first PDF: BATTALIONEERS Astra (based on the ideas of Sean Smiley): One of the few surviving heroes of a species slaughtered by the Empire and now forced to work for it, Astra has the ability to manipulate dimensional energies and structures. Bo’am Yaar (based on the ideas of Micah Wolfe): A member of the large, super-strong Jar’ani species who wears powered armor and carries an enormous energy rifle into battle. Falkenrath (based on the ideas of Kyle Welch): A Human from an alternate Earth who has the power to “meld” two points in a dimension. Magenta Shadow (based on the ideas of Douglas Ohlson): An alien who’s been taken over by a strange, eons-old mystic artifact that grants her energy projection powers to complement her native psionic and precognitive abilities. Mind Phantom (based on the ideas of David Gettman): A V’hanian with the power to read the surface thoughts of others. Prism Guardian (based on the ideas of Patrick Jaurion): The superpowered defender of a crystalline species living in a pocket dimension who “sold out” his people to keep the Empress from obliterating them. He works for her while trying to find a way to steal the crystal gateway and save his people, who now despise him. Solomon (based on the ideas of Robert Towell): A hyper-intelligent Human from an alternate Earth . Sunburn (based on the ideas of Peter Dodge): A Human from an alternate Earth who has the power to absorb, store, and emit most forms of electromagnetic radiation. He’s often pressed into a combat role though he prefers to serve as a field medic. The Traveler (based on the ideas of Chris Larkin): An immortal who can teleport on a planetary scale but needs the help of advanced technology to reach other worlds and dimensions. Turanda (based on the ideas of Paul Atkinson): A super-strong villainess who gave in to despair after her lightning-powered husband and partner-in-crime was killed by the cops and was recruited by the Empress. CRUSADERS Crystal Warrior Mirai (based on the ideas of George VanMeter): A Japanese schoolgirl from an alternate Earth whose powers derive from a magic crystal ring given to her by the spirit of an ancient samurai. (I had to temporarily suspend my membership in the Anime Haters Club to write this one up. ) Gargun the Seeker (based on the ideas of Mike Sims): A rebellious, seemingly-brutish member of the First, an ancient magical race, who uses his arcane powers to oppose unjust authority. Lord Fractal (based on the ideas of Erik Lund): A fallen cosmic lord, robbed of his memories and powers by Istvatha V’han’s trap. He became a crimefighter in Earth-731’s version of the plane of Babylon, using his ability to forge the stuff of Brialic dimensions into enchanted items with which to oppose evil. He now works with the Crusaders... though he doesn’t understand why he hates the Empire so much. Karama Talis (based on the ideas of James Jandebeur): A merchant from the Ru’anran species who has the power to “trade fortunes” — in other words, buy and sell other peoples’ luck (or his own).

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter Well, for example pantheons, assuming I get full backing I'll probably have to do at least two, maybe three, each with plenty of gods that I create with the help of the upper-tier backers. The discussion accompanying that isn't likely to fill huge amounts of page space, but it will probably require more than a single page. Typical divine abilities are already covered in Chapter One, "Gods In The Game." It covers things like your standard divine Power Pools, the shapechanging powers so common among gods, gods' defenses, and so on. Beyond what's provided there, you can easily look through character sheets from the real-world pantheons described in the game to cherry-pick abilities. ("Hmmm, I'm creating a storm god -- let's see what Thor, Shango, and Indra have for weather control powers.") But of course, all this is academic if the project doesn't get funded -- so everyone please go join the fun over at the Mythic Hero Kickstarter page!

A pretty impressive fan-created genealogy of Tolkien's characters: LOTR Family Tree

Re: Medieval professions Great find, IJ!

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter That depends entirely on how you define "significant." I suspect what I have in mind won't live up to your preferences in this regard, but you never know. First, of course, the book has to get funded or it's all irrelevant anyhow.

Re: Further Queries regarding Senses for Vehciles Per 6E2 183, Computers can be "hooked into" the Senses bought for something like a Base or a Vehicle. They don't have to buy the same Senses themselves all over. So in your example, if a mecha has bought some sensors defined as various Senses, and the mecha also has a Computer, the Computer can use those Senses automatically.

Re: Senses Relating to Vehicles, Computers and Automations From TUV, p. 23:

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter Thanx Zen!