80s Action Hour (Inactive)

Game Master tumbler

Welcome to the 80s Action Hour, a Mutants and Masterminds campaign at PL 7. This is Mutants and Masterminds, but the characters will be heroes, not quite super heroes. Characters will be a team that works for a mysterious organization knows as The Foundation. Full disclosure, this organization is on the side of good and justice. They protect people from all sorts of 70s and 80s action television themed bad guys.

For inspiration, look to the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Mission Impossible (there was an 80s reboot, so fair game), The Fall Guy, MacGyver, The A-Team, Manimal, Automan, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Street Hawk, Magnum P.I., The Greatest American Hero, The Equalizer, The Master, etc.

Characters should be exceptional normals or slightly enhanced individuals in the style of these shows. They should be willing to work for the benefit of everyday folks and society in general.

One exciting fact is that these heroes are PL 7, but are built with 150 power points. So they should be exceptional and broadly capable. Also, in order to make super-skilled builds more viable, we are using the alternate rule that skill points are 4 points per power point.

Special Rules:

Censors don’t like gun violence, so guns rarely hit anyone. Mooks with guns will tend to use them to cause Afflictions like Hindered, Immobilized, Dazed, Stunned. Of course, there is always the option of a dramatic gunshot (usually of an ally or someone the PCs are trying to protect). Our heroes prefer fisticuffs, martial arts weapons, or the occasional compound bow with dynamite tied to the arrows.

Niche Protection: Characters in an 80s Action Hour series are often extremely good at a defining ability or skill, their “niche” in the game. A character can increase the power level limit for one ability or skill (and only one) by +1 for an ability bonus or +2 for a skill. No other player character in the game can take that ability or skill as their niche, however. (Note that when combined with Ultimate Effort, this can make a character truly amazing at their thing.)

Connected Advantage: Based on character concept, you might use skills other than Persuasion for this Advantage. If you are a con artist, you might use Bluff. If you are a bully, you might use Intimidate.

Luck: Agents can take the Luck Advantage up to 7 (equal to the Power Level instead of half power level).

Advantage/Disadvantage: We are going to be adapting Advantage/Disadvantage from 5E. What exactly that means is in flux.

Hello! Thanks for getting this going. Again, current proposition is super-medic Rosa (as played, in this fictional universe, by a fictional Lindsay Wagner).

Below is a very rough draft that needs some tweaking and 7 more points spent, but would like some thoughts before proceeding.

If this doesn't ring your bell I can go back to android or adventure DJ concept.

Haven't (re)written background but general gist is Rosa was experimented on by family, developed some rough psychic healing powers but nearly lost control of them, learned to control herself and powers through mentor who taught her transcendental meditation, but evil uncle has now learned she still has her powers and wants to capture her for Evil (TM) purposes that probably involves putting her brain in a jar for some reason.

Hey GM ST thanks for the invite, happy to give M&M another go.

A pleasure to meet you DQ, I've been following the Ustalavic Kingmaker campaign Nadiya is a strong addition to that game.

Ok, the idea I have is to reuse a character built for an alt-earth game, that has been in several. This is his first iteration Angus. Angus will believing in 'reincarnation' and he 'remembers' previous lives, mostly in dreams. The second 'odd' aspect of the character also has a minor supernatural influence. Due to a 'curse' put on one of his ancestors He will see/talk to ghosts. But only when he's drunk. So, he doesn't drink and if the group wants him to speak to ghosts, they will either have to trick him or convince him. Similar to BA flying in the A-Team.

GM ST has recommended he take a lot of luck for the 'past lives' and I hope we can sort out the 'seeing ghosts'

His present background, Boxed in college and a little pro or 'fight club' I'm copying 'Dr Savage' a bit, in that he's 30 and has several doctorates and knows several languages. The gist though he wants to learn about the past. So, archeology, anthropology and history. All the languages he knows are 'dead languages' except for English, Gaelic and smattering of French and Spanish. The weapons he's most familiar with would be 'ancient' so crossbow and a shillelagh walking stick. It would make sense that he knows how to use guns (from hunting) but doesn't care for them.

Depending on points available, he'll either be from Scotland, his folks still nobility. Or if he can't pull off that kind of money he'll be an American who makes money gambling and fighting.

I still haven't started working on 'Points' yet, but will do that this afternoon.

Hey SuperTumbler, would you mind moving your lengthy campaign description into the "Campaign Description" tab and putting a much shorter summary in the Campaign Summary area? Right now the text is completely filling the top of my screen when I open my campaigns tab. Sorry. :)

Glad to meet you too, Robert Henry! I've seen many of your apps and always thought you had some great ideas. Thanks for the compliment about Nadiya.

I like the idea of the unlikely medium. Especially the idea of a scholar who doesn't quite believe his own ability.

Would the "only works when drunk" idea fly with 1980s TV action censors? ;) I'm sure we can make it work though. :)

Would the "only works when drunk" idea fly with 1980s TV action censors? ;) I'm sure we can make it work though. :)

I think he'll be fine as long as we limit the 'product promotion' and he doesn't do any commercials where he's actively seen drinking for sponsors. He may actually fit the 'just say no' advertising campaign better.

I'm trying to put together the 'powers' for it now, once I figure that cost I'll do the math on everything else. I figure the first power (and less important) will be to remember things from Previous lives.

The second power will be to see and speak with the dead. I figure a little drunk he'll see the dead, and more drunk speak with the dead. I'm looking at the "Remote Sensing" to 'see' into the dimension of the dead. Then the Communication and Comprehend powers to speak with them. I'd like to tie some abilities to just 'speaking with the dead' like 'Fascinate' and 'connected' to help insure we'd get the information we needed.

GM ST any thoughts?

Ah Angus my old friend. Good to see you old chap.

Alas it is not Ranveer Singh who joins this band but rather a Firefighter with pyrokinetic abilities who is the concept.

Was lucky enough to play a Sikh comrade in arms of an alliteration of Angus' in a modern faerie tale world campaign that was, alas, too short lived. Was really interesting game and our characters were veterans who'd seen and saved each other from the uncanny and unbelievable.

Still fleshing out the details on my Fire[starter]Fighter, but looking forward to the game and group.

Waves @ Black Dow

Ah Angus my old friend. Good to see you old chap.

Alas it is not Ranveer Singh who joins this band but rather a Firefighter with pyrokinetic abilities who is the concept.

A pity, Ranveer Singh was a worthy companion.

In a sense this Angus will remember Ranveer Singh from his dreams. I'm playing the bloodline is cursed and the first Angus, who killed a fey at the Elphinstone centuries before, is reincarnated over and over again. This one see's the dead.

Looking forwards to your fire fighter and Angus saving each other from the uncanny and unbelievable again soon :)

I have nothing further useful fleshed out for my character but I have a Hero Forge picture, because, you know, priorities (note the actual fashion reflected is more mid/later 80s, not 1980 per the name of the file, but can only do so much with the pieces available in the tool).

At some point (soon) should we speak for our niches?
Hey everyone!

At some point (soon) should we speak for our niches?

Hey everyone!

Hello! Do you mean what roles are we filling in the group?

BD, ST, and I were chatting about concepts prior to the formation of this thread.

Overall gist is we come from various walks of life and hired by the Foundation as freelance agents, as I think you know. I think there's room for a wide variety of characters here.

At the moment, I'm working on a character who is a meditating psychic medic. She's got some healing and party face stuff primarily, with some other light skill stuff. She also has a vehicle (an ambulance) with sidekick driver for us to travel in.

Black Dow is working on a pyrokinetic firefighter.

Robert Henry, sounds like he's going for occult/smarts.

We don't have much yet in the way of tankiness, gadgets/tech, hand-to-hand, or infiltration. There's also a wide array of approaches to powers that might suit.

...

Rosa looks good to me. I like that she has some solid action/adventure skills like Athletics. I didn't run the numbers, but make sure that you are using the 4 skill points per power point variant.

I think the meditation power has the possibility of branching off into some cool power stunts.

She looks pretty playable.

Robert Henry, sounds like he's going for occult/smarts.

We don't have much yet in the way of tankiness, gadgets/tech, hand-to-hand, or infiltration. There's also a wide array of approaches to powers that might suit.

The occult isn't really the vibe I'm looking for, it's more Doc Savage with the reincarnation as potential memories and the speak with the dead as a curse. His focus on education will be ancient civilization and he will be a champion boxer, so Hand to hand and possibly tankiness covered.

GM ST I need to figure the 'powers out first' this is what I have for the seeing and speaking with the dead.

To see the dead
REMOTE SENSING (SENSOR)
+ 3 points: See/hear/smell
+ 1 Point Dimensional: to see into the realm of ghosts
+ 1 Simultaneous/sees in our world at the same time
- 3 Medium: Alcohol, he needs to be drinking.
Total 2 points

To speak with the dead
COMMUNICATION (SENSORY)
Auditory/Mental: Speaks out loud, hears voices (mystical sending?) He'll end up looking like he's talking to himself
+ 4 point Range: Rank 1 close (within 100 feet)
+ 1 point Dimensional: Flat
+ 2 points from COMPREHEND (SENSORY) Languages: For 2 ranks you can both speak and understand all languages.
FLAWS
- 4 Limited: Only works if he's drunk, this will effect his stats and skills in some way.
Total 3 points

Basically, I want him to be able to see ghosts if he's drinking alcohol, and once he's drunk enough to effect has physical stats he can speak with them. HE would end up looking like a drunk guy talking to people who aren't there.

He doesn't want to admit this may the main reason The Foundation selected him, he would like to think that it's because he's smart, educated and a good fighter. But who knows.

If anyone sees a way of doing this for less than 5 points please share any ideas.

The 'reincarnated lives' may end up just being fluff and handled by a really high luck. He will normally only remember past lives in nightmares.

Would the "only works when drunk" idea fly with 1980s TV action censors? ;) I'm sure we can make it work though. :)

I think we can make it work, especially since he doesn't want to be doing it.

Weirdly, alcohol on comedies is everywhere, but not on action shows.

DeathQuaker wrote:

...

Rosa looks good to me. I like that she has some solid action/adventure skills like Athletics.

Thanks. Seemed both genre appropriate and I'd assume she'd get some training from the foundation. Lots of running obstacle courses, etc.

I didn't run the numbers, but make sure that you are using the 4 skill points per power point variant.

Yep! It's actually why I still have points to use up because for once I could fully fill out my skills the way I wanted them to be. :)

I think the meditation power has the possibility of branching off into some cool power stunts.

That's the hope. Seems also genre appropriate that she'd have a certain low level power but circumstances/plot convenience would allow it to suddenly shift or grow or be used in a different way.

Question: I'd added the Trance advantage since I think it's appropriate with the general concept. I'd also like her regeneration ability to work in a Trance state (which otherwise works only as a COncentration ability)--would I add that as a flat extra bonus to the power?

She looks pretty playable.

Thank you! I need to do some tweaks obviously and fill some things out. She is going to be only so useful in combat (very much a support character) so I'm hoping other PCs will fill that in as needed.

To the rest of you: I reserved three Equipment Points (and could invest more) into a base of operations for the team. Would any of you also be interested in having a base/HQ/safehouse? Need to decide whether to put those points elsewhere or, indeed, put more into them.

To the rest of you: I reserved three Equipment Points (and could invest more) into a base of operations for the team. Would any of you also be interested in having a base/HQ/safehouse? Need to decide whether to put those points elsewhere or, indeed, put more into them.

I guess that would depend on where we are a in the process of 'building the team' Are we a team that's been functioning together for a while, like the A-Team or Miami Vice? Or are we a new unit just being put together by the Foundation like 'Moonlighting'?

Does the Foundation have a place for us? Also, do we want to be an international team or would you rather we all be based in America?

Angus is from Scotland, his family is or was nobility. He can either be first generation American or Scottish. Either way, depending on points available, he'll either be moderately incomed or Rich. I can see a 'family estate' somewhere in the background.

I just realized my math from above is incorrect, I will need to rework it.

For remote sensing into a separate dimension, if he just wants to see 'where he's at' does he have to have a rank for distance?

Remote Sensing costs 1 point per rank for one sense type, 2 points per rank for two sense types, 3 points per rank for three, and 4 points per rank for four, and 5 points per rank for all of your senses. Visual senses count as two sense types (so visual Remote Sensing is 2 points per rank)

To see and hear is three ranks.

If that is the case, he may as well make it See, hear and smell for four ranks. the cost would still be 1 point.

GM SuperTumbler?

I think by niches Nathan Grey (Evindyl) meant the special rule Niche Protection that lets you break power level a bit for one skill or ability.

As for how teams work with The Foundation, I'm imagining that they are cells, and that they have different ways of working. So there might be a team based in a semi truck that roams the highways, or a team that has an office in a city, or a van, etc.

I was planning some international adventures, so an international team makes most sense to me. Those other nations will often bear a striking resemblance to some part of California.

About Wealth:

Wealth is always tricky in Mutants and Masterminds. Here is my philosophy in brief:

Wealth is a benefit. It is pretty cheap, only 5 points to be a billionaire. (I'm not sure it is quite a billionaire in the 80s, but the same effect).

Wealth lets you do the things a person of that wealth level can do. So Bruce Wayne buys the bank that owns the mortgage on Clark's farm.

Wealth 5 would let you arrange travel on a private jet. If you want to have a private jet that is always available, that needs to be bought with equipment points.

And about a mansion:

You can have a massive estate for free if you never go there, or if we only see you there in downtime scenes. If it is a base that is narratively useful, you have to spend points on it.

You can actually have multiple vehicles in a vehicle array, or multiple headquarters in an array.

So once again, I've not completely discerned the system, Under Comprehend is listed

SPIRITS

You can communicate with incorporeal and normally invisible and inaudible spirit beings, such as ghosts or certain extradimensional entities, depending on the context of the setting. Rank 1 essentially allows you to function as a “medium” of sorts, able to perceive spirits and relay what you see and hear. Rank 2 allows you to be clearly under-stood by denizens of the spirit world, as well. At the GM’s discretion, this effect may extend to undead creatures, demons, or other supernatural entities, depending on the setting.

FLAWS

Type: You can only comprehend a broad type of subject (only elves, canines, avians, or sea creatures, for example). For an additional flaw, you can only comprehend a narrow type of subject (dogs, falcons, or dolphins, for example). Broad –1 cost per rank. Narrow –2 cost per rank.

Can we make the 'drunk' a - 1 cost per rank flaw?

Angus, the ghost perception sort of depends on world building. What you are building there with remote sensing and dimensions would be like you being able to see into the Upside Down from Stranger Things.

If you just want to be able to see ghosts, I'd must make that a 1 point sense power.

Talking to ghosts would be free assuming ghosts are just incorporeal and invisible entities in our dimension.

But if we want to get into ghosts existing in a ghost world, I can roll with that.

Hope that makes sense. I'm at work and don't have time to type long answers.

Cool, I was looking a 'Senses' for the POSTCOGNITION • Limited to past events connected to your own “past lives” or ancestors, reducing cost to 2 ranks. So I'll look there as well for 'seeing ghosts'

Basically, I want him to be able to see and speak to ghosts when a little drunk and separately have memories from his past lives. But the seeing ghosts, would be those who are hanging out and have not 'moved on.' I don't want to call up the spirits of the dead. It's more "he see's dead people." Sadly I've not seen Stranger Things' so I can' make the reference.

Happy to work on it when your home from work. IT looks like if I set aside ten points I can move onto other stuff.

About Wealth:

Wealth is always tricky in Mutants and Masterminds. Here is my philosophy in brief:

Wealth is a benefit. It is pretty cheap, only 5 points to be a billionaire. (I'm not sure it is quite a billionaire in the 80s, but the same effect).

Wealth lets you do the things a person of that wealth level can do. So Bruce Wayne buys the bank that owns the mortgage on Clark's farm.

Wealth 5 would let you arrange travel on a private jet. If you want to have a private jet that is always available, that needs to be bought with equipment points.

And about a mansion:

You can have a massive estate for free if you never go there, or if we only see you there in downtime scenes. If it is a base that is narratively useful, you have to spend points on it.

You can actually have multiple vehicles in a vehicle array, or multiple headquarters in an array.

Just for fun let me share a very genre specific anecdote from my research these past few nights on this: the fast forward estimate on the 6 Million Dollar Man is about $28,000,000,000

Was incredibly fascinating for me to even read that, because while 6 million dollars was a wild amount of money in 1974, 40 years later, it kind of isn't.

Another interesting pull from the DCEU is Flash asking what Batman's super power is ... the answer was "I'm rich"

I think by niches Nathan Grey (Evindyl) meant the special rule Niche Protection that lets you break power level a bit for one skill or ability.

Completely correct, but if that's not a conversation that anyone wants to have, that's totally cool, I will just announce mine first (especially given that DQ posted first and almost all of that was the Nathan Grey concept in its entirety).

Nate's niche will be chemistry. Borrowing directly from DC (and with the nudge from DQ which was super helpful) "Catalyst" will basically be this group's Hourman. The Catalyst Compound Nate developed gives him heightened physical attributes, durability, and hopefully extraordinary leaping (the degree of which we can chat about).

As for how teams work with The Foundation, I'm imagining that they are cells, and that they have different ways of working. So there might be a team based in a semi truck that roams the highways, or a team that has an office in a city, or a van, etc.

I was planning some international adventures, so an international team makes most sense to me. Those other nations will often bear a striking resemblance to some part of California.

They will look specifically like the backlots and land that will one day be part of the Universal Studios tour, I'm sure.

If it's an international team, is the Action Ambulance a bad idea? Can't pass as an emergency responder vehicle in another country even if we somehow got it over there.

Also, my sense of this was a supernatural/supertech A-Team than a "supers league" per se. Or do I need to find Rosa a code name?

Could be an Air Ambulance DQ - then we at least have air travel that flies us across (nearby) borders? Our version of Airwolf or Blue Thunder?

Was also going to ask about the Codename - is it something we have or been "callsigned" by The Foundation or we just running with our regular names?

@Robert Henry: Am chuckling away at the notion of a conversation akin to "Ye ken I can talk tae the spirits... Oh really? Which type - bottled or otherworldly?"

Will turn my attention properly to the build tomorrow and o'er the weekend - this week seems to have stealthily just passed by.

I think I have angus close, If my calculations are correct I've ten points left to spend on group stuff.

I found two powers that approximate what I want to do but couldn't easily make 'needing to be drunk' a flaw.

IF we can't sort that out, I will make being afraid of ghosts a complication and you all will have to coax him into 'looking' beyond the veil so to speak. It will help if you get him drunk.

I think I have angus close, If my calculations are correct I've ten points left to spend on group stuff.

I found two powers that approximate what I want to do but couldn't easily make 'needing to be drunk' a flaw.

IF we can't sort that out, I will make being afraid of ghosts a complication and you all will have to coax him into 'looking' beyond the veil so to speak. It will help if you get him drunk.

FWIW, were I you, I'd instead make the "needs to be drunk" situation a Source type Complication, not a power modifier. After all, you said yourself, it becomes a plot point where people have to talk him into it, which to me sounds more like a narrative driver of the power, not a mathematical limitation.

This also means that you can earn Hero Points when the complication triggers, and/or spend hero points to temporarily overcome the complication in a moment it matters.

Suggested wording:

Source: Inebriation. Angus can only consciously activate his Spirit Sight power when he has consumed at least one serving of alcohol.

Yes, you could frame that as a Phobia complication instead as well, but if the mechanic is supposed to be reliably just drunkenness that's the way I'd go. If you do make it a Phobia I'd allow for different solutions to be able to talk him into using his power.

We get that it can just be a descriptor ... right?

HOW it's activated isn't actually relative to the rules, the Power Flaw is Activation. Super simple. Doesn't matter if he presses 2 fingers into the palm of his hand, throws a batarang, or takes the keys and starts the ignition of a car; he activates.

But maybe I missed something. Did you want it to work like a complication? Did you want it to be a GM activated condition, that you could choose to ignore? I didn't think so when we were talking.
https://www.d20herosrd.com/character-creation../#complications

What I recall you saying is that he needs to use substances for it to work ... or it doesn't work.

What I recall you saying is that he needs to use substances for it to work ... or it doesn't work.

Yes. that is what I want to do, but I don't know how to work it in.

It may not be clear to everyone. Black Dow, Death Quaker, and Evindyl are experienced Mutants and Masterminds players. Robert Henry has only been in my one short lived campaign, I think. So navigating all the different mechanics one might use to get to a flavor is newish to him.

It may not be clear to everyone. Black Dow, Death Quaker, and Evindyl are experienced Mutants and Masterminds players. Robert Henry has only been in my one short lived campaign, I think. So navigating all the different mechanics one might use to get to a flavor is newish to him.

So True!

I think he may be close, take a look at Angus and tell me what you thing.

I'm going to try to read through and answer any questions I missed earlier. If I don't answer it in the next few posts, please remind me.

On the Action Ambulance, here is what I propose. Many of our episodes will be set in the US. For those, you have the Action Ambulance and Inez driving. If a mission starts or sends you somewhere else, you get a hero point for me taking away your "power." You can then use extra effort to have Inez find a different appropriate vehicle (red cross, army medivac, local ambulance or helicopter). Inez is just totally rad at finding the right vehicle when you are rescuing someone from a Central American dictator or crossing the deserts of North Africa.

Angus:

We are power level 7. There are some pairings that are limited to double power level, so 14. You want to sort of balance those things out.

Attack and Damage can only total 14. You have your unarmed attack at 14, and your damage from strength is 3. So that is 3 points too high.

Toughness and Defenses (Parry and Dodge). From what I can see, you have Stamina 5 and Defensive Roll 4, which would give you a Toughness of 9. Your Fighting would get you a Parry of 5. So that is ok. Dodge is based on Agility, so you could buy 2 more points of Dodge to be harder to hit by ranged attacks.

You might want to buy some Benefits of Wealth or Status to be nobility or rich.

Status: By virtue of birth or achievement, you have special status. Examples include nobility, knight-hood, aristocracy, and so forth.

Wealth: You have greater than average wealth or material resources, such as well-off (rank 1), independently wealthy (rank 2), a millionaire (rank 3), multi-millionaire (rank 4), or billionaire (rank 5).

On Code names:

I kind of like the idea of the characters having call signs or nicknames, but not full on hero identities. Face man as an example.

Angus:

We are power level 7. There are some pairings that are limited to double power level, so 14. You want to sort of balance those things out.

Attack and Damage can only total 14. You have your unarmed attack at 14, and your damage from strength is 3. So that is 3 points too high.

Toughness and Defenses (Parry and Dodge). From what I can see, you have Stamina 5 and Defensive Roll 4, which would give you a Toughness of 9. Your Fighting would get you a Parry of 5. So that is ok. Dodge is based on Agility, so you could buy 2 more points of Dodge to be harder to hit by ranged attacks.

You might want to buy some Benefits of Wealth or Status to be nobility or rich.

Status: By virtue of birth or achievement, you have special status. Examples include nobility, knight-hood, aristocracy, and so forth.

Wealth: You have greater than average wealth or material resources, such as well-off (rank 1), independently wealthy (rank 2), a millionaire (rank 3), multi-millionaire (rank 4), or billionaire (rank 5).

You can take a power called Master Linguist the lets you comprehend and speak all languages. If you encounter a new language, it takes a scene of stumbling through to figure it out. This costs 3 points. It seems to me like you want your smart guy to be able to speak and read and understand any language.

And on the matter of Expertise. One of the example Expertises is Science. So we probably don't need to be as granular as History, Anthropology, and Archaeology. I get what you are going for there, but we can roll those three together and get you some points back.

For the group: I would suggest that maybe Angus should have Unarmed Combat as his Niche. So he can raise that skill by 2 points. Making him effectively PL 8 at unarmed offense.

Nate's niche will be chemistry. Borrowing directly from DC (and with the nudge from DQ which was super helpful) "Catalyst" will basically be this group's Hourman. The Catalyst Compound Nate developed gives him heightened physical attributes, durability, and hopefully extraordinary leaping (the degree of which we can chat about).

That sounds good to me. I'll take a look at the Hourman build in Heroes and Villains. Seems like a very on genre character.

As I was thinking through possible characters for this setting, I think I came up with Bionic characters and some vehicles hitting around Leaping 3. There is an episode of Knight Rider where KITT ejects Michael from the car onto the top of a several story building without crushing his spine.

But we can talk.

Nate's niche will be chemistry. Borrowing directly from DC (and with the nudge from DQ which was super helpful) "Catalyst" will basically be this group's Hourman. The Catalyst Compound Nate developed gives him heightened physical attributes, durability, and hopefully extraordinary leaping (the degree of which we can chat about).

Just had this thought, and do with it what you will. It might be interesting if Nate has the Catalyst to boost him and make him physically amazing. It lasts for an hour or whatever, and then he is fatigued or exhausted. If he takes it again too soon, he goes full Ferrigno Incredible Hulk and becomes a "monster." Something Nate and the other heroes could aim, but maybe not completely control.

Evindyl wrote:

Nate's niche will be chemistry. Borrowing directly from DC (and with the nudge from DQ which was super helpful) "Catalyst" will basically be this group's Hourman. The Catalyst Compound Nate developed gives him heightened physical attributes, durability, and hopefully extraordinary leaping (the degree of which we can chat about).

Just had this thought, and do with it what you will. It might be interesting if Nate has the Catalyst to boost him and make him physically amazing. It lasts for an hour or whatever, and then he is fatigued or exhausted. If he takes it again too soon, he goes full Ferrigno Incredible Hulk and becomes a "monster." Something Nate and the other heroes could aim, but maybe not completely control.

There's a Bionic Woman plot where she has an evil double (who got plastic surgery to look like her of course) and the terrorists the doppelganger works for know the Bionic Woman is super-strong, but don't know how. They discover a chemical compound called adrenalizine that mimics the effects of adrenaline on the body, making the user temporarily euphoric and super-strong, and make the doppelganger take it. But it causes kidney and liver damage so she slowly starts to go nuts. (And as ridiculous as the plot sounds it was some great drama! Lindsay Wagner won the Emmy because of her performance in this.)

So there could be a dosing issue or something if you needed some complications or drama. That would fit in well genre wise.

Of course no bad side effects also works!

Evindyl wrote:

What I recall you saying is that he needs to use substances for it to work ... or it doesn't work.

Yes. that is what I want to do, but I don't know how to work it in.

Let me back up a minute.

This is my question for you:

(1) Do you want the limitation to be largely NARRATIVE? I.e., the primary point is people need to talk him into things and/or the story is going to play a large role in dictating when his power will and won't work?

(2) Or do you want the limitation to always and consistently apply at a MECHANICAL level, so that you are always tracking how much alcohol your character has, how much he consumes, and what his state of inebriation is, how long it lasts, which includes how it affects his body mechanically beyond his power set (such as taking penalties due to being drunk)?

If 1, it should be a Complication.

If 2, it should be a power modifier. (I'd probably use the Activation and Quirk modifiers as baselines.)

For the record, typically powers requiring a source to function are complications, not modifiers, but it is still up to you.

(1) Do you want the limitation to be largely NARRATIVE?

(2) Or do you want the limitation to always and consistently apply at a MECHANICAL level?

The answer to these questions are yes.... I want him to be a little drunk to see dead people. The Narrative will be you all talking or tricking him into drinking to get him to that point. Does he need to be so drunk that it effects his physical abilities? Don't know.

Based on Cable's recommendation I've given the power a Flaw: Flaw: Activation: - 2 points flat modifier standard action to activate: drink alcohol

Attack and Damage can only total 14. You have your unarmed attack at 14, and your damage from strength is 3. So that is 3 points too high.

Dodge is based on Agility, so you could buy 2 more points of Dodge to be harder to hit by ranged attacks.

You might want to buy some Benefits of Wealth or Status to be nobility or rich.

You can take a power called Master Linguist the lets you comprehend and speak all languages. If you encounter a new language, it takes a scene of stumbling through to figure it out. This costs 3 points. It seems to me like you want your smart guy to be able to speak and read and understand any language.

And on the matter of Expertise. One of the example Expertise is Science. So we probably don't need to be as granular as History, Anthropology, and Archaeology. I get what you are going for there, but we can roll those three together and get you some points back.

For the group: I would suggest that maybe Angus should have Unarmed Combat as his Niche. So he can raise that skill by 2 points. Making him effectively PL 8 at unarmed offense.

On Code names:

I kind of like the idea of the characters having call signs or nicknames, but not full on hero identities. Face man as an example.

If my memory on 'call signs' in elite unites are correct, the team ends up picking nickname for the individual and 'assigns' it as a call sign. So, it's up to my fellow players as to what Angus' 'call sign' ends up being.

He is from a Scottish noble family, his older brother is a lord. He has three doctorates in Archeology, anthropology and History. He reads sixteen 'dead languages' and speaks almost anything if given a chance to listen. He boxed and wrestled in college and presently competes in underground 'bare fisted fights' and 'highland games' for fun, when he's not hanging out with you all.

I still need to make sure I understand the damage for unarmed attacks, will keep looking for that information. Also he has 6 points left to chip in or adds stuff. I don't know that he needs gadgets or gear in the mechanical sense. Obviously, he would purchase the right gear for the right occasion, but nothing he can't live without. Hmmm, maybe a triumph motorcycle....

Edit: still working on complications. One will probably be family (his brother being a liability), a second may be fear of ghosts? Any recommendations?

I'm going to try to read through and answer any questions I missed earlier. If I don't answer it in the next few posts, please remind me.

On the Action Ambulance, here is what I propose. Many of our episodes will be set in the US. For those, you have the Action Ambulance and Inez driving. If a mission starts or sends you somewhere else, you get a hero point for me taking away your "power." You can then use extra effort to have Inez find a different appropriate vehicle (red cross, army medivac, local ambulance or helicopter). Inez is just totally rad at finding the right vehicle when you are rescuing someone from a Central American dictator or crossing the deserts of North Africa.

Your post is making me imagine Inez as sort of a Latina Lady Blackhawk and that is making me jazzed.

All that works, I just didn't want to buy into something if it hindered and didn't help the team. Don't get me started on how a situation in another game got ridiculous about a pack mule...

Btw I did dot into the gameplay thread, I just deleted the post (the "dot" still remains and adds the thread to my campaigns tab.

... Don't get me started on how a situation in another game got ridiculous about a pack mule...

Btw I did dot into the gameplay thread, I just deleted the post (the "dot" still remains and adds the thread to my campaigns tab.

Me too!

Evindyl wrote:

Nate's niche will be chemistry. Borrowing directly from DC (and with the nudge from DQ which was super helpful) "Catalyst" will basically be this group's Hourman. The Catalyst Compound Nate developed gives him heightened physical attributes, durability, and hopefully extraordinary leaping (the degree of which we can chat about).

Just had this thought, and do with it what you will. It might be interesting if Nate has the Catalyst to boost him and make him physically amazing. It lasts for an hour or whatever, and then he is fatigued or exhausted. If he takes it again too soon, he goes full Ferrigno Incredible Hulk and becomes a "monster." Something Nate and the other heroes could aim, but maybe not completely control.

That's actually a great idea: I did the build WITHOUT limitations specifically so that we could chat about them conceptually. There are a LOT of heros who are simply brilliant scientists without whatever augmentation they came up with. Totally jibes with the original Hourman nicely too: where he just couldn't activate again for an hour, I like the idea of Catalyst Blood Toxins being a reactant if he takes the compound again too soon.

DeathQuaker wrote:

... Don't get me started on how a situation in another game got ridiculous about a pack mule...

Now we all want to know :)

Rosa Sinclair wrote:

Btw I did dot into the gameplay thread, I just deleted the post (the "dot" still remains and adds the thread to my campaigns tab.

Me too!

I tried, it rejected me

EDIT:
Further testing showed that it was the actual DOT that it was rejecting

DeathQuaker wrote:

... Don't get me started on how a situation in another game got ridiculous about a pack mule...

Now we all want to know :)

Rosa Sinclair wrote:

Btw I did dot into the gameplay thread, I just deleted the post (the "dot" still remains and adds the thread to my campaigns tab.

Me too!

Truth be told ... we do all want to know now.

DeathQuaker wrote:

... Don't get me started on how a situation in another game got ridiculous about a pack mule...

Now we all want to know :)

+1 :)

Going to get some graft on my Firefighter this evening - cool seeing the concepts coming together and helps me form where he will sit in the team.