Mission: Zodiac

I don't want to be a hero. I want to be a superhero. I'm not saving the world unless I get cool powers out of the deal.

Current Location: the matrix
Current Mood: busy

So I had this dream last night. It was about a version of Earth that would work real well as an RPG setting, I think. The basic premise is that people have discovered something like cold fusion - a simple, unlimited source of energy. While this makes all the world's power needs disappear, something's wrong with it. I don't know exactly what - I'm thinking it's probably exclusively in the hands of a powerful, evil government. But the idea is that there's an underground movement that doesn't want to use the cheap, unlimited resource of power, so there's a scattering of rebel energy sources out there - probably some sort of electrodynamic steampunk mixup thing.

I'm thinking if I just blend this with my idea of a game setting that's essentially a cross between Heroes and The Lost Room, that could make a fascinating modern setting to play around in.

Current Location: Game Matrix
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Abney Park - All the Myths Are True

Here's my second Planar HERO document, this one detailing the various traits of the planes. This document is much more mechanical in focus, so if anybody versed in HERO sees any glaring errors, that would be good to know. Also, if those planar-savvy bloods among us see any planar traits I've missed or misrepresented, that'd be great to hear about, too.

( Planar Traits )

Current Location: cipher HQ, Elysium
Current Mood: creative

Here's my main document for Planar HERO - how player characters are expected to be built. I'm especially interested in what neliobelmont has to say about it, as he's my main HERO comrade, but if anybody else sees anything particularly grievous I would appreciate hearing about it. I have a document for planar effects, too, but I'll post it tomorrow or something. If I come up with no serious errors I'll send it your way, bastlynn, and we can get it up on PW.

( Planar HERO )

Current Location: valhalla
Current Mood: creative

So, yeah. A couple weeks ago I finished up my basic guidelines for Planar HERO. Here they are now.

( 1: The basics )

( 2: Factions )

Current Location: cipher HQ, Elysium
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flames

I've been thinking a bit about magic in Planar HERO. While I don't want to restrict any players to a specific style or methodology in their magic, there are planar traits that tend to complicate the lives of magic-users. It feels, to me, mildly anti-HERO to just smack arbitrary environmental limits on a character's powers, and yet these planar traits are important to me. Thus, I came up with a solution. If the special effects of your magic dictate it to be relevant, I present some Limitations for spells.
Elemental (-1/4): The power uses an elemental force to deliver its effect. This means that some characters will resist the effect more, and some will have increased effect from it. Elemental spells are notoriously difficult to cast on opposing Inner Planes, although there might be a small bonus on the matching plane. Multi-elemental spells I envision as being very simple, but I don't feel like explaining it now. Suffice it to say that I don't believe it to be necessary to ever take Elemental on the same power more than once.
Requires Astral/Ethereal (-1/2): The power requires a connection to either the Astral or Ethereal Plane. If the character is on a plane not connected to the required plane, it cannot be used.

Also, I've been thinking about elementals. While it seems perfectly logical to me that, say, a fire elemental is completely immune to a fire-based attack, HERO (rightfully) does not have any kind of absolute defence. As a small patch, which I consider only applicable to elementals, I offer the following:
Desolidification, Persistent (+1/2), Inherent (+1/4). 0 END (+1/2), Only to Protect Against (Element) (-1); AP: 90; RP: 45
What this does is make the elemental completely immune to any attacks with the appropriate Elemental limitation. A power with Affects Desolidified will not affect the elemental. As a setting rule/GM handwaive, the Desolidification does not interfere with the elemental's ability to interact with the world - it is, in fact, only desolid with regards to an elemental attack.

Furthermore, I've been considering martial arts in the planes. I think, for greatest simplicity, I'll just use martial arts styles from Ultimate Martial Artist. I consider it a Good Thing (TM) for warrior-characters to have a martial arts style, although it's not entirely required. On a similar vein, I would encourage characters who use normal weapons (or cool magical weapons based on normal weapons) to buy the normal weapon as detailed in UMA or the HERO core book.

Now... I think I have some characters to go revise, with some of these things in mind.

Current Music: Gregorian - The Dark Side - The Four Horsemen

The other day I posted my description of the ultroloth on the Wizards boards, and it occured to me that giving them a big two-handed sword to lay into enemies with was kind of silly. So I changed that. Used the points to power up its characteristics a little, and give it a different use-in-melee power.

Current Music: DarkCecil13 - Final Fantasy IV - Leap into the Darkness OC Remix

I made a slight update to the Planar HERO edition of Janus Aran, who is not yet Ringwalker. Most notably, I thought up something more to include in my Master File of Planar HERO Guidelines (tm). It's about factions.

Basically, there are two parts to faction membership: belief and, well, membership. Belief should shape the powers you buy for your character - see Janus' Cipher Intuition for an example of belief becoming mechanics. Membership, I figured, should be represented by a perk. I figure a namer should just have the membership perk (it's three points). Maybe a couple other abilities, based on faction. Higher-ups get more benefits - in Janus' case, I gave him a couple contacts. Sometime in the future I'll come up with a more detailed list of suggestions for what I think might be appropriate in-game faction membership perks.

Oh, and since I'm such an inspired cutter tonight, you get a second Yugoloth Supremacy lyric this post. This one would be from Heart of Darkness.
"Father/Mother carve us deeply"

As a note, whenever I conjure up new lyrics, I'll be updating my reference post. This is the only time I'll be making such an announcement, which is really just to let you know that said post will be an up-to-date repository of YS lyrics. In case anybody cares.

Current Music: Yugoloth Supremacy - Reforging Souls

Much as I might prefer, Planescape isn't just about the exemplar races. It also has its share of mortals, and that's what I have for you today: six Planar HERO characters.
( Cerivan of Ignus )

( Eril )

( Janus Aran )

( Mal'haken, Who Dances with Sandstorms )

( Nasim Kiyanfar )

( Xirlorxial, the Empty Maiden )

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Sublime - 40 oz. to Freedom - Date Rape

I added some descriptions to my HERO writeups of the ultroloth, balor, and pit fiend.

Here's a highlight from the ultroloth's description: "If it has time, it will vivisect a fallen opponent, telepathically narrating the process to the opponent's allies."

Current Music: Yugoloth Supremacy - Heart of Darkness

May. 12th, 2006 08:25 pm I blame shiguma, for not being here to entertain me

So I've finished the pit fiend, and I think that's all I'm going to do today. It's now been updated with flavour text.
( Pit Fiend )

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Afro Celt Sound System - Volume 3: Further in Time - Shadowm

As I was writing the balor, I thought of a way to make the ultroloth's teleportation powers more efficient. So I did. It's still 1200, but now it's less points in powers and more in characteristics. Oh, yeah, and I added flavour text to the ( finished balor )

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Yugoloth Supremacy - Malediction

I got the ultroloth down to 1200 points, and that's where it's going to stay. So, I'm now officially redefining high-end non-unique exemplar to be 1200 points.
Another game decision I've made:
Characters larger or smaller than human-sized shall use Inherent Growth or Shrinking to represent that. This goes directly against what HERO 5E says we should do, but I don't care, because I like it better that way.

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: djpretzel - The Revenge of Shinobi - Consent (Make Me Dance)

Oh, I thought of a couple more things for Planar HERO, revolving around skills. First, I'm assuming literacy is free (which doesn't mean you have to take it with all your languages). Second, racial language (like Infernal or Ignan) trumps Planar Trade for native language. Although, I assume most characters will be pretty fluent in Planar Trade. Third, everyman skills:
Acting
Climbing
Concealment
Conversation
KS: Some kind of planar knowledge, tied to home plane
Navigation: Appropriate to home plane (Usually Dimensional and Land)
Paramedics
Persuasion
Stealth

Also, I figure we'll be using rules for Weapon Familiarity.

The revised ultroloth will be coming soon. I'm working on it right now.

Current Music: Yugoloth Supremacy - Fields of Apathy

I think the ultroloth I made was too powerful. I'm considering how strong I want to be the top-level nonunique exemplar to be, and I'm strongly leaning towards 1000 points.

In other news, I've made a number of assumptions regarding Planar HERO, and I think these assumptions basically encapsulate the setting rules.
1. PCs are 200 point characters (100 base, 100 disad).
2. Nonexemplar characters should use NCM, though they get the 20 points for it. I'm considering the idea of buying 2-3 points in a characteristic as a power, to represent 'racial bonus', and thus get around the NCM restrictions.
3. I've abandoned my idea of an 'equipment pool'. Instead, characters will just buy equipment with their points, and represent them being equipment with Focus (and, when appropriate, Real Weapon/Armour). This streamlines characters, I think, and gets us away from the D&D paradigm of 'treasure as the goal'. Also, it allows, say, a master swordsman to use ONE BLOODY SWORD his entire game career, rather than falling into the encouragement (and almost necessity) of constantly replacing your weapon with a better one found in the dungeon. Think: how many D&D characters have a named signature weapon that they have a good rapport with? Compare: how many awesome literary characters do?
4. I don't believe in point maxima. If you want to spend 150 of your 200 points on a single power, that's your problem.
5. Alignment is represented by Psychological Limitations. Each component of an alignment (law/chaos and good/evil) are represented by their own psych lim. Neutral doesn't have one, unless you're really neutral (which is okay, too).
6. I assume hit locations and knockback will be used.
7. Most importantly, I ditched the inane idea I had of making planar races into package deals. I realised that Planescape characters are all about being wacky and unique - your race is just another excuse to do that. I don't want to say like D&D that because you're a tiefling, you can make darkness. I'd prefer it be like 'I'm a tiefer, and since my grandfather was a balor I can shoot fire from my eyes'.

That will be all. I'll notify you when I've toned down my ultroloth.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Afro Celt Sound System - Volume 3: Further in Time - Further

So, I was feeling particularly inspired today and wrote up an ultroloth in HERO. He's been reduced to 1200 points and had flavour text added. In any case, ( here it is )

Current Music: Yugoloth Supremacy - Fucking the Baatezu

Wednesday was board game night at the Matrix, I totally went to that. Thursday... I went to darkain's? Maybe. If I did, that's when I beat Katamari Damacy. Wonky game, that. Friday I had the HERO game, which was excellent as usual. Today I had fatherfletch's D20 Modern game, where a vacation is never just an uneventful time of rest. Afterwards I went to darkain's for a bit, where I displayed once again that I'm a horrible person. I don't think I'll explain how, though. Oh, I also made a DeviantArt account. It can be found here. I've also uploaded those to Elfwood, but since EW has a long, often-behind review process, you get to see them on DA first. I told you the art would be coming, yes? Now it is here.

Current Music: Penopticon - Megaman 2 - Opening Distraught OC Remix

Jun. 11th, 2005 11:34 am from wildcelticrose

Your big crazy Livejournal lightsaber duel. LiveJournal Username Your favorite Star Wars character? Your favorite Star Wars movie? The Phantom MenaceAttack of the ClonesRevenge of the SithA New HopeThe Empire Strikes BackReturn of the JediUmm... The Wrath of Khan?Hold on, let me get back to you on that. What color is your lightsaber? BlueGreenRedPurpleYellowOrange How do you weild your lightsaber(s)? One lightsaber, one hand.One lightsaber, both hands.Duel wielding, ninja style! Ph33r.Twin lightsaber, like Maul had. What is your signature force power? Using the force to move stuff. Whee!Force persuasion. So... Wanna get me a soda?Force acrobatics... Bustin' out moves like Yoda.Force lightning... How devious of you.Force funk! GET DOOOOOOWN!Force? I don't need no stinkin' force! And now the big question... Light Side or Dark Side? The Light Side, you goody two-shoes.The Dark Side... You think you're bad, don't you?Umm... Is there a Neutral Side? Is pretty fly for a Jedi. usagihime22 Bustin' out flips and jumps that'd make Yoda jealous. theonlymegumegu Is first to get killed in battle... How embarrasing. rialian Manages to chop off one of their own hands. Ooops! dlowber Wields a lightsaber like second nature. ihavegreenwings Uses force lighting in the battle... CHEATER! heron61 Comes out from the battle victor. bastlynn Chance you leave this battle with all of your limbs in tact. 21% This Fun Quiz created by Rob at BlogQuiz.Net

neliobelmont

genechildmewtwo

darkain

wooko

wooko

darkain

myscarletdreams

neliobelmont

neliobelmont

shaygod

Current Music: Vigilante - Super Metroid - Zebesian Midnight OC Remix

First I have an interview from myscarletdreams. He asks:
1. What does it mean to be a furry?
'Furry' has multiple levels, as I understand. I believe me and genechildmewtwo, when discussing it, came up with three:
Level One: Interest in furry art. By this, I mean anthropomorphic aminals, (usually) just doing normal stuff.
Level Two: Sometimes (or always) dressing up kind of furry. This is, as I understand it, something like wearing kitty ears, or hanging a tail from your belt. The creepy bodysuit thing is level three.
Level Three: This is the creepy, 'I'm a sexual deviant'-type furry. The ones everyone has heard of, and what brings mockery to the rest of the furry community.
Anyone reading this who actually is a furry (or just think you know more about it than I do), feel free to correct me on this.

2. If you were in the plain of Nonsense and you encountered a large rabbit coming scuttling up to you speaking with the voice of John Cleese, and he cast three random spells, based on the evidence given to you, what would they be?
The first one would be Detect British People. Once he ascertained that I'm not actually British, and just do a passable imitation of one, the next spell would probably be What the Hell are You Thinking?, a mind-control type spell to make me stop acting like I was born in Ireland. Since I have good saving throws, the last one would be Jump, so he could easily leap up and bite at my head.

3. Spoon, Fork, Knife, Chopsticks, or Spork?
That depends on what for. Eating Asian food (something I like doing frequently) requires chopsticks. However, killing people (another thing I like doing frequently) is better done with a knife.

4. What is the meaning of Life?
Get the cinnamon ones.

5. How many Jesi does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Three. One Jesus to build a stepladder, one to climb up and change the lightbulb, and one to get nailed to a cross.

Now, as this is a meme, there are some rules involved. If you want to play, leave a comment asking, demanding, or pleading for an interview. I will then ask five questions of my choice. You will update your LJ with your answers to my questions. Then you will state the rules of the game.

I don't actually remember what I was doing on Thursday. Probably nothing important, then. Friday after class me and Randy (I've mentioned him before) practiced some kung fu. Man, kung fu training defeats me. Like, every time I practice, it gains experience points from the encounter. I should get better, though, I've just grown weak over the past couple years. That evening I got to go play some Fantasy HERO. That was quite excellent. Yesterday was fatherfletch's D20 Modern game. After that I stopped by the gameday to say 'Yo' to the people there that I know. Wait, scratch that. I know most of the people who attend UCC meetings. I stopped by to say 'Yo' to the people there that I like.

Current Music: Zeratul - Chrono Trigger - Millennial Fair 2001 OC Remix

Thursday I went to genechildmewtwo's at the summons of neliobelmont, and kidtuesday was there, too. We were supposed to watch Kill Bill, but decided to be procrastinatory about it. Friday I went back over there, along with neliobelmont, and instead of kidtuesday, we had darko_slvr. Also on Friday I was at Home Depot, which really does feel like the HERO system. I think I <3 that store. On Friday we actually watched Kill Bill (the second of which I had not yet seen). Bill is pretty awesome. Saturday I went and played in fatherfletch's D20 Modern game, after which I got to go play HERO (along with neliobelmont). I am pleased to actually be in a game. On our way home, the bus driver booted some lame teenagers off the bus. That was totally awesome. Today I've mainly just been playing around with Hero Designer, trying to work out a character for a Fantasy HERO game I'll be joining. I think I'm going to go with Nasim, because he's a cool character.

Current Music: Kenshi Yamamoto - Super Metroid - Sound in Action - Theme of

Last night I read Reploid Hunter Iris, mainly because genechildmewtwo has been saying it's a good comic. There are only 291 of them, so it'd be best for you to get caught up before there are too many. Today I get to go play Return to Castle Maure with my D&D-playing friends, before I go join the real gamers at the Game Matrix.

Speaking of HERO, I found this amusing power construct on the HERO boards:
( I dub it... get out of my house! )

Current Music: d0d0 - Sanxion - Overclocked OC Remix

Wednesday: Some school. Afterwards me and some crazy people from school wandered around the vicinity of Shakabrah. That was fun. I need to go adventuring more often.
Thursday: I don't know. Some kind of not-school. I should update more often so I don't forget what I did.
Friday: Gaming at Darin's (after school). He's a cool guy, too bad he's underwater for like half the year.
Saturday: Not the UCC. I've stopped going, mostly due to poor location. Instead, that evening, I found some people who play HERO at the Game Matrix. This pleases me.
Sunday: Didn't watch any Firefly. Then bluegodjanus and neliobelmont went to genechildmewtwo's house. Man, Paine is awesome.
Today: School again. I think my arting is actually improving, although we've moved on to colour pastels, forged from chalk. I was really diggin' the charcoal, and then they switch media on me. That's not cool.

Current Mood: That's 46
Current Music: Ziwtra - Chrono Trigger & Xenogears - Downwind OC Remix

So, I was just sitting here, when the silliest power came to mind: Kick of Teleportation!
( It looks kind of like this: )
The idea is that you give some poor sod a resounding kick, and he goes 'poof!' appearing up to ten metres away.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: ABG - Chrono Trigger - Lavos Battle dnBoss OC Remix

HERO System 5th Edition Revised will actually stop bullets.

Current Mood: surprised
Current Music: VAST - The Last One Alive

In many HERO games, attacks do a thing called 'knockback' - the force of the blow can knock a character around the battlefield. Now, attacks can also have 'autofire' - the attack strikes multiple times in one phase. An attack with autofire gets all of its attacks, even if one of the early attacks does knockback. This is particularly amusing with hand-to-hand attacks, because it requires some sort of rationalisation to figure out how it is that each of your six punches does knockback, but doesn't prevent later punches in the sequence from connecting. I'd view it like you're beating this dude, and building up a 'knockback meter' that you unleash on him with the final strike. But, maybe I just play too many video games.

Current Music: VnV Nation - Epicentre

Ghost and his friend Night (and a skeleton).
( Ghost )
( Night )
( Night's pet skeleton )

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Canon

( Sword of Pandemonium )
( Armblade )
( Rain of Pain )

There. That is your HERO goodness for the day. Stay tuned for future updates.

Current Music: Streets of Rage - Drop and Roll

Don't be offended, it's funny... really.

( Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter )

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Final Fantasy - (SomethingFinal)

Friday I won a gift certificate to Table Top Games (my local game store) and so today while I was in playing a game I acquired a new book: The Ultimate Martial Artist, a martial arts supplement for the HERO System.

This brings me to my second point: More of you should play HERO, so I can have a group to play with.

Current Mood: My kung fu is potent
Current Music: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - town (busylifeOC)

I'm thankful for the HERO system.

Random Planescape NPC of the entry: Helekanalaith, ruler of the Tower of Arcanaloths

Current Music: Weird Al Yankovic - Frank's 2000" TV

Apparently, even people who play HERO can be dumb.

Random Planescape NPC of the enty: Mydianchlarus, Oinoloth of the Wasting Tower of Khin-Oin

Current Music: Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ganondorf's Exploding Axe Kick
3d6 hand-to-hand attack (9 character points, physical damage [it's Ganondorf's foot]). Linked to this attack: 6d6 energy blast (30 character points, energy damage [a big explosion of darkness-energy]), double knockback (+3/4 advantage), explosion (+1/2 advantage), personal immunity (+1/4 advantage), extra time (1 full phase, -1/2 limitation), no range (-1/2 limitation), linked (to the kick, -1/2 limitation). Total: 39 character points

One Hundred Crack Fist of the North Star
3d6 hand-to-hand killing attack (45 character points, physical damage [the punch{es}]), autofire (100 'shots', +1 1/4 advantage). Total: 101 character points

Current Mood: You are already dead
Current Music: VnV Nation - Darkangel (Gabriel)