SSgt Baloo

Re: A Thread for Random Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usN3AJSOdhQ

Re: Lame or awesome? More for "lame fish-talking guy": Lame: "I talk to fish." (Whoopie.) Awesome: "My fishy minions keep me informed on important goings-on in the oceans" (Danger sense, worldwide, only stuff happening in/on the oceans and seas of the world.) Awesome: "I can summon whales and other huge denizens of the sea to attack my enemies!" (Telekinesis or EB, area effect, selective target or autofire or whatever else might fit the description.) Lame: I turn into living fire. Awesome: "I can fly." (flight: sfx = he turns into fire and flies around.) Awesome: "I can burn things." (RKA< EB, etc.) Awesome: "I can absorb fires and put them out." (Okay, this one stumps me. Most GMs don't stat out fires in any detail since it's an "environment" and not strictly a power, so drains and suppresses might not work, depending. What powers would YOU suggest specifically for firefighting?)

Re: Lame or awesome? Almost. What Hero system powers, skills, or talents might you suggest to get the described awesome effect?

Re: The Envelope Bob Tiger (and most of my other characters): Enlist the aid of trusted allies and retrieve the object as discretely as possible. TCWOAN: It's obviously not for me. First, there's a name on the envelope. Second, I have no thumbs. How am I supposed to read this? I guess I'll have to bring this to my humans' attention. Will tag along, of course. They always get into trouble.

Re: Lame or awesome? In the past, most of the time my ability to come up with a "cool" character was limited by my experience with some other RPG. It really wasn't until I started hanging out at the Hero forums that I started to "get" "Reasoning from effect". Previously, I had an idea of how a power should work that wasn't in step with the Hero System way of doing things. F'rinstance, my first speedster character was built with a speed of 12, Dex of 30, martial arts, and that was about all I had points for. Not understanding how to utilize the hero system to do things, means you often try to get the power you think should do what you want rather than starting from the other end of the process (what you want to happen when you use a power) and then figure out what combination of powers, advantages, limitations, etc., is necessary to make the power do what you wanted in the first place. The point of this exercise is for every "lame" example, someone needs to get creative and give examples of how to de-lame-inate the lame version of the power. More examples: Lame: "I have Super-hearing." (Loads of pluses to hearing perception rolls). Awesome: Danger sense. (Now he can filter out all that background noise and hear cries of alarm, gunshots, flames crackling, etc.) Lame: "Super speed" (Lots and lots of SPD) Awesome: "I can wash a car in seconds." (Cosmetic transform, change environment, SFX: "I washed the car".) Awesome: "I run to Hong Kong for takeout." (transform: nothing into food, SFX: "I ran to Hong Kong for Takeout and came back in just a phase or two".) Awesome: "I dodge bullets, etc." (Missile deflection or force field or armor. SFX: I dodged the bullets, rolled with the "punch", etc.) Lame: "I talk to fish." (Whoopie.) Awesome: "I can rescue a sinking ship with the aid of sea creatures!" Telekinesis, megascale, 1hex radius, only to prevent things from sinking/people from drowning. SFX: "I summon whales, porpoises, tuna, etc. to push up on anything in the affected area to keep it from going under."

Re: Russian SUV :rofl: Once I figured out this monstrosity wasn't just a cheap joke, but an actual vehicle (cancelled whale-penis interior notwithstanding) I was overwhelmed by the urge to laugh loudly and continuously until I fell over. I didn't of course (I'm in a public library) but when I get outside, look out!

Re: The Golden Apple What's to stop me from making copies and selling/giving them to every interested party? Ummm... Not that I would.

Imagine a character with a superpower. Now imagine just how lame that power could be. Now imagine how, with a little tweaking, that simple power could be done better. Example: Ratboy has the ability to summon apathetic rats. Summon: rats. Improved Ratboy has the ability to summon rats to do his bidding. Telekinesis (some small amount) with fine manipulation. AND Change environment (clean up, etc.) AND + skill levels to find things (the rats look for it then report back) ETC. I always had a hard time separating powers and SFX, and I think we (I and others like me ) need some brainstorming to provide answers to questions we don't know (or don't know how) to ask. Those who can, please give examples.

Re: Freedom from the Reich In WW II? Perhaps a Singing Cowboy. They pretty-much had their own reality-bending fields even in non-super fiction.

Re: Genre-crossover nightmares I checked. They didn't. I did.

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine Will no-one create the PLAID Centurion?!? (Drat! I really need to get a computer of my very own. )

Re: Blasts that leak power out the sides.

Re: Jokes A highway patrolman was sitting on his motorcycle with a radar gun, watching for speeders. A convertible with the top down zoomed past, doing over 100 miles per hour. The patrolman gave chase, and when he caught up to the speeding car, he was amazed to see a lovely blonde woman steering with her knees and knitting furiously. "Pull over!" shouted the cop. The blonde shouted back: "No! Afghan!"

Re: Blasts that leak power out the sides. Am I the only one to immediately think of "wind" attacks after reading the thread title?

Re: Kirby Rule 34.

Re: Dark Red Spot Found on Kuiper Belt Object Haumae

Re: Jokes I always heard is as "War stories begin with "No sh*t, this really happened..." I'd rep the above joke but I am out for now.

Re: LHC 'Malfunction' No Accident? My favorite headlines: Squirrels Attack From The Sea Dogs Love Humans and Bears Target Minivans

Re: Genre-crossover nightmares I like it! (I still gotta spread some, though. ) A Justice League of Their Own "Are you crying? There's no crying in superheroes!" The Taming of the Shrek The Neverending West Side Story Planet of the Apes: The Musical Somebody else did it better: The Cable Guy Fawkes Conspiracy Oliver Twist As directed by M. Night Shyamalan With Babylon 6 You Get Eggrolls Our Man Flintstone In like Flintstone Rocky Balboa and Bullwinkle The Dark Night Flyers Kangaroo Freejack Star Trek: Deep Space 9½ Weeks Young Einstein in Love The Wolfman of La Mancha To Be or Not To Bee Movie BloodRayne of Fire Chariots Oh, God! Dennis the Phanto Menace The Five Heartbeeps The Madness of King Kong vs Godzilla Animal House on Haunted Hill Enter the Dragonheart Fun with Moby Dick and Jane All Dogs Go to Jail, Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200 The Dark Kristallnacht Triumph of the Free Willy Kindergarten Cops and Robbersons Carrie On Rebel Without a Clue The Frog Formerly Known as "Prince" Death Race 2001: a Space Odyssey Snow Dogs and the Seven Dwarves Bulletproof Chipmunk Hollywoodland of the Lost Flash Gordy Gungan Din My Fair Lady of Burlesque

Re: Discussion: Taxonomy and Pathology of Halloween Monsters According to the article, toxoplasmids make people more attracted to cats. Are they kidding?

Re: I have a dream. (and MAN was it wierd!) The other night I dreamed my family thought I was coming out to them and I kept trying to explain that I wasn't gay, but that I didn't have many prospects, either.

Re: Jokes And that, my friends, is a "shaggy dog story". I'd rep you, Bazza, but I must spread it.

Re: Is "ether" real? I am having a difficult time finding the relevant article(s) amongst the clutter.

Re: LHC 'Malfunction' No Accident?

Re: A Thread for Random Videos