Silver Age Sentinels (Tri-Stat) -- and Streamlining Hero
- Thread starter mmadsen
- Start date
Victim
First Post
I've heard longtime HERO players comment that ECs exist to offset the very low cost of some stats - particularly the Brick ones. Since STR, and CON give as much in figured characteristics as they cost, characters built using powers instead of stats need power frameworks to balance out.
Squirrel Nutkin
Explorer
I have been praising Mutants & Masterminds for so long now that I'm starting to run out of adjectives!
Nutkin flips through his thesaurus.
A-ha! Mutants & Masterminds is exemplary.
Seriously, I think I've played and/or run just about every major super-hero RPG there is, from Champions and V&V all the way through to Marvel SAGA and Silver Age Sentinels (Tri-Stat). And there are plenty of good things to say about each one. But after playtesting M&M extensively this year, not just as a d20 super-hero RPG but as a plug-in for d20 fantasy games as well, all I can say is "Make Mine Mutants & Masterminds"!
Nutkin flips through his thesaurus.
A-ha! Mutants & Masterminds is exemplary.
Seriously, I think I've played and/or run just about every major super-hero RPG there is, from Champions and V&V all the way through to Marvel SAGA and Silver Age Sentinels (Tri-Stat). And there are plenty of good things to say about each one. But after playtesting M&M extensively this year, not just as a d20 super-hero RPG but as a plug-in for d20 fantasy games as well, all I can say is "Make Mine Mutants & Masterminds"!
NLP
First Post
Stat costs have nothing to do with it. The problem is that over the last 20 years Hero Games has ignored the entire Elemental Control issue and never bothered to give any real guidelines until 5th Edition. Because of this a lot of stupid Elemental have been created over the years.Victim said:
It all comes down to the GM though. If a player brings a GM a "Mutant" Elemental Control and the GM does not require more justification or clarification then that is the GM's fault. If the GM is willing to give the player the cost break without the justification then all he is doing is creating point-crusher players. Too many GMs cannot say "No" to their players.
In 5th Edition Elemental Control is not broken, it finally makes sense. An Elemental Control is one power that has many different effects. It is like buying Fire Control in the Marvel Game. What is Fire Control? Well, Fire Control is A, B, C, D & E. In Hero you just buy A through E, and because it is one power you get a cost break; and you also get the limitation that the Elemental can be Drained as one power.
The problem with players and Elementals stems from 20 years of it being done "however." Hopefully everyone will get past the ancient history of the Elemental Control so we can all move on.
Shard O'Glase
First Post
ove hero, 5th ed while having no big changes, did add a lot of options from 4th core. lots of dark champions combat options, multiattack, a new haymaker that I like better(though many dislike) a few rewritten powers, and mega scalling which I really like.
My house rules. DCV+10 is target number to hit people, 3d6+ocv is what you roll. It's surprising how much this sped things up, the standard is a bit math heavy when your brain isn't working at full speed.
killing attacks multiplier x3.
normal attacks(and mental powers) do either x3 damage x3.5 or x4 damage. A single die roll of d6 determines the outcome. 1-2=x3,3-4=x3.5,5-6=x4. everyone writes those damages down for every attack, haymakers, and extra damage for move-bys-move throughs.
body daamge on a normal attack does -2,-1,0,+1,+2 again decided on a single d6 roll. A 1=-2,a2=-1,a3-4=0,a5=+1,a6=+2.
Speed chart never caused me a problem though many seem to have a problem with it. I very anally wrote out a speed chart with every PC and every villan for every encounter before the game. So I just looked down and said bob your turn.
I'm really looking forward to seeing M&M, and some other d20 systems like vigilence, and deeds not words. M&M might be the one though if it allows anything near champions flexibility.
My house rules. DCV+10 is target number to hit people, 3d6+ocv is what you roll. It's surprising how much this sped things up, the standard is a bit math heavy when your brain isn't working at full speed.
killing attacks multiplier x3.
normal attacks(and mental powers) do either x3 damage x3.5 or x4 damage. A single die roll of d6 determines the outcome. 1-2=x3,3-4=x3.5,5-6=x4. everyone writes those damages down for every attack, haymakers, and extra damage for move-bys-move throughs.
body daamge on a normal attack does -2,-1,0,+1,+2 again decided on a single d6 roll. A 1=-2,a2=-1,a3-4=0,a5=+1,a6=+2.
Speed chart never caused me a problem though many seem to have a problem with it. I very anally wrote out a speed chart with every PC and every villan for every encounter before the game. So I just looked down and said bob your turn.
I'm really looking forward to seeing M&M, and some other d20 systems like vigilence, and deeds not words. M&M might be the one though if it allows anything near champions flexibility.
NLP
First Post
I suggest you read the section on Elemental Controls for a better understanding of them.mmadsen said:
Not all characters have a clear character concept, and that seldom has anything to do with whether the character should have an EC or not. Sometimes characters are just thrown together with only a few underlying themes. Those characters can be just as much fun to play as anyone else. If you think about it, what is Superman's theme? Super STR, Resistance to harm, Flight, and Eye beams. STR and Resistance make sense, but the other two do not really make senses that much sense. Anything can work for any character if enough effort is put into the concept.
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