Johnny you've changed...you're not going evil on us too, are you?

John that was a great post, easy to visualize.  Here's some interesting theme music for what you wrote...I think you'll like it knowing you! LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...I&feature=relmfu

Here comes the TSUNAMI!
This message was last edited by the player at 00:55, Tue 03 Apr 2012.

In reply to Max Jackson (msg #115):

LOL...Ah Max...You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this?

In reply to Max Jackson (msg #114):

I figure now that I have Orlando laying hands on me, filling me up with the love of GOD, I've got a little color in me now.

Too soon?

Actually, it's the picture I always meant to have, which I submitted like a year ago or whenever we started, but it's only recently made it to the portraits list.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg #116):

Well now as my good friend J.B. always says..."When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."  LOVE IT!

We've got our very own David Lo Pan to deal with right freakin now! and FYI I'm totally out of gas...

In reply to Max Jackson (msg #118):

Maybe the blood of a green eyed girl would help you.

Hey Kirby...ever thought about speeding things up? WITH MY FISTS!!?? Or staff in this case.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg #120):

Yeah, that could work really well. I've already rolled to do something else - need Seeker's input before I can post - but that is definately something Kirby could do.

System-wise it's 2d2 more damage if he speeds it up. Not an insane amount but a nice boost when you've got 8ish hps per location.

Good post Aevi! Cool weapon descriptor.

I made a grievous error in my posting timing. I didn't realize that we were getting outside help...it's nice to have friends. Good to know it's not us against the world...LOL! With this said Max will be editing his last post to make corrections for jumping the gaming gun...sorry gaming GOD!

In reply to Max Jackson (msg #122):

Thanks.. been waitin' to bust that guy out!  :)

I'm digging the emotional drive of your character.  Breakin' up the stoic this place is rife with right now...

So I over stepped a little on two attacks that have just taken place and I wanted to open the scenario for discussion. I missed something in my GMness and I have a good solution to correct something for the group and open up an aspect of character development called the "Heroic Ability"

Xuan and Aeviternus-In their last two attacks, both focused powers through their weapons, using good inventiveness and adapting Manipulation rules to their weapons.

There weapons are each special in their own sense as well. The rules are such that this shouldn't happen.  Powers are used and weapons are used. One thing that I have done is allowed Manipulation to all types of powers. This significantly raises the power level of the game. And Kirby chose a power that directly affects a weapon already in motion, and when he created it, I was cognizant at the time that powers and weapons together are really really powerful, so I had his power only increase damage of weapons in d2 increments, and with the hinderance that items be in motion.

Then, I thought... well how many times have I read or seen the bad ass guys focus power through his weapon.  And then I thought the key word was bad ass, and we are effectively 1st level here.

And then I thought, fuck, how many times have I allowed something, just to take it back some way because I felt that it was unbalanced, shit I even earned a nickname for this practice.

So, then I thought, well how do I allow it, cuz it is cool, but not letting it overly unbalance the game.  One thing about this game that is cool is the CM usage and powers in weapons would take that out of the game, Powers are their own CM in a way.

So, my thoughts are to let the attacks stand, and open up one of the aspects of "leveling" by allowing you guys to pick your first Heroic Ability.

A Heroic ability is a special technique/power usage that costs Hero points to buy the ability.  And the Heroic ability has a cost of Hero Points to use or fatigue levels or what ever to use it.  It is used at special times, and has its limits.

Using powers through weapons so that you get the combined benefits of each in an attack is a perfect example of a heroic ability.

And Max utilizing hero points to recoop another power attempt is another good example of a Heroic Ability.

Heroic abilities can be purchased at any time as long as you have the Hero points to purchase them. I wanted to bring this up, because this decision has significant repercussions for the game play, especially with mechanics.

So if everyone would chime in, I would like everyone's input before I continue to resolve the next actions.

In reply to Seeker of Truth (msg #125):

Right off the bat I'd like for you to give some specific examples of how allowing this would effect the game mechanics, please.

We've all experienced unbalanced game play and at times it gets to be insulting for all playing as well as overly ubber non-realistic even in RPG gaming terms. Personally I like to keep things somewhat balanced for the realism and effects. Though I do love an occasional WOWSERS...what the jumpin up and down tooth pick was that..like what Alex , John and Aevi are doing...I'm sitting in my seat...big smiles and giggling happily to myself...

In the cases where it's practical, and where it should be feasible, I think it should be okay to combine powers with items.

For example, Xuan has specifically learned how to channel his chi through weapons, especially his staff, which is infused with his own chi. One could argue that he's used the chi in the staff to do the intended action, but directed it, guided it because he has the ability to manipulate it. However, if I used an inferior item that couldn't hold the energy, like a rusty dagger, or maybe even a weapon that hasn't been tempered to hold the energy, it could shatter or just not work, or whatever. I mean, a wizard can't put a +1 on a sword unless it's masterwork first, after all.
The power is built for it, like Kirby's. And I can't see why Aevi shouldn't be able to charge a few volts through a metal weapon. You wanna limit the effect, maybe that's the answer.

But say I only used my energy to blast. If I tried to run it through a weapon, I'd just blow it up.

I'm not sure about having to use hero points or heroic abilities. Hell, we still have to hit the target. Seems like a big ask. If I'm gonna be heroic, I want some guarantees that it's not a waste.

That's my 2 cents.

Well, one thing that I see, why would anyone just use their powers now. I would always use my powers through my weapon, more damage, and my weapon skill could be a much higher skill than my throw or projection skill.  So hey, I get a weapon that shoots out (sorry Aeviternus), pump my stuff through it, and do weapon damage and power damage, and potentially a combat maneuver. Shit can I reroll my character now that I think about it...

To me that seems very cheesy, I like Xuan's idea of restricting it somehow, but then Seeker has a plausible idea of making it a heroic ability. RQII's rounds are short and using a heroic ability or two a combat is still feasible. And as far as Heroic abilities go, I don't think there should be any guarantees of anything. Even Heroes when doing heroic things miss, hell, just use another Hero point to re-roll if it is that important that you hit on your Heroic Ability.

Heroic abilities are good, by the way, they allow special moves and things beyond what your character can do often, or what the rules say. Based on the rules the weapon/power combo shouldn't happen (BRP). I know D likes to fudge things but With our power points pumped up and manipulation for everybody to use, that seems reasonable.

And not to be a rules lawyer or anything, but has D talked to anyone about Manipulation causing a later action in the initiative to anybody. I have only used it once in combat, and I was last. But for every level of manipulation you use it drops you back one Strike-Rank, and if you were at the end, it could push you into the next combat round, and burn a CA for the round you started the action.

I think you should all just die! Coming for everyone!

Would ya'll hurry up, holding this force field wit the weird bald dude is tiring, an I'm old damn it, too old for this shit.

Well one thing that I need to address is this mechanics question first.  Pulling out your weapon.
The rules state that pulling out your weapon costs a CA. How would you guys like to handle that. Pull out the weapons for a CA and then go to the next round, or would you guys like to use a CA to pull out the weapon, and in the same action attack utilizing 2 CAs in the first round you pull out the weapon?

Another mechanics issue is Combat Maneuvers with powers.  Powers are the Combat Maneuver themselves, the special effect if you will. One of the reasons I wanted to use RQII is for the combat style of the Combat Maneuvers.  Using weapons with powers would take that away from the game, for the most part.  I don't want that to happen.
Also, I want to keep hand to hand just as vital, and with everyone having around the same hit points, doing soo much damage will out weigh other options. I kind of think Orlando has the right of it, why would anyone just use their powers, or just their hand to hand, if they could combine the two all the time.  I am not sure the system would be as fun.

But think of the kung-fu scene, where the good guy is fighting all sorts of ninjas, hack and slash, dodge and jumping in trees and shit, taking fools out, kicks all over the place, and throws, chi blasts here and there, a couple of quick pressure point attacks, and then he finds himself in the middle of the court yard surrounded in a big circle, as they advance, he charges his staff and wields it in a circle and shoots energy all around him hitting everyone and finishes off the battle, Heroic ability at the end!

With our group, hypothetically, we can just start with the whirl wind energy attack, and just do that every round cuz we are free to use our powers with our weapons. And I know, for the most part, no one would do that.

Does everyone see the point I am trying to make here?

I understand Xuan's argument, some of his powers are focused at putting chi into his weapon, one of his powers only works with the weapon, but it doesn't use the weapon damage in addition to the power. And I get that a metal staff should be able to be affected by Magnetism and electrical current. I am asking for a way to  make:
fighting, powers, and combining them seem balanced.  i don't want to jack anyone.

What I would like is a consensus on how to figure these things out, what are the limits for us to play in. All of you have pushed the boundaries of your powers, trying to do things with them that aren't described in the descriptions.  i like that. I would like some input on a way:

These are just some examples
Example:
1. When using a power channeled through their weapon, the power damage supercedes
   the weapon damage, but you get to use the strike and reach of the weapon.
2. Using the full power and weapon damage of a weapon, with CM, Heroic Ability.
   Cost:2 hero points to use
3. Weapon Manipulation Skill. Characters have to have the
   skill Weapon Manipulation in order to blend powers with skills, unless
   otherwise noted in the power.

These are some thoughts. Let me know what you guys would like to do.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:10, Fri 06 Apr 2012.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg #128):

Case in point regarding hero points and they being without fail, wrong...Max used 2 hero points this confrontation and they both fail, BADLY!

In reply to Alexander Demarest (msg #129):

Dude...really? You ever try moving like a Slinky?

Max doesn't use 'weapons' as the rest of the team does, and Max is the only one at this point, which as Tibbs stated make it seem a bit unbalanced for the none weapon wielders.  But Max didn't want to use a weapon for his own moral reasoning. Though he can still do damage if needed, he rather not have to resort to this usage.

I think there should be some type of down side in channelling your powers through your weapon as Seeker mentioned.

Will the bad guys be able to use hero points as manipulation through their weapons as well as we can or can't?

As Seeker stated:
3. Weapon Manipulation Skill. Characters have to have the
   skill Weapon Manipulation in order to blend powers with skills, unless
   otherwise noted in the power.

^This has to be a requirement in using your powers through your weapon, at least to Max.

This whole weapon/power issue is why when I rolled up Max and started understanding the team chemistry, I wondered if Max wasn't way under powered for this campaign, and I brought this up to Seeker, he said no Max wasn't. I just didn't want to vest the time in making a character and all that goes into that process and then be destroyed in the first major fire fight we have, which I'm still wondering about...

OOC: Does everyone just want a hack and slash campaign, personally I DON'T! I'd like some mystery, intellectual enticements, puzzle solving, usage of other skills besides COMBAT based ones, because if were not using other skills, I'd rather get rid of the ones that will NEVER be used and put the points into channelling energy through my middle finger, to I can ZAP...ALEX! LMAO!!!! You guys know actual roll playing...Am I way off base here? These are just some concerns...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:16, Fri 06 Apr 2012.

I would also like to point out before we progress this detail that we all built our characters for the story, to fill a niche of our own choice. While I have built Xuan for battle, he is also completely ill prepared for other types of encounters. He can't astral project for one thing. He doesn't have a massive variety of use for his powers outside of combat. And even though we're in the middle of a smash n bash now, we'll be spending quite a bit of time playing Diplomats & Doublecrossers too, where other folks get their time to shine. I'd honestly not like to get terribly bogged in the mechanics, so if there has to be a whole lot of power down for the rest to feel better, just do it. I would suggest hero points, as another skill loss is not practical or terribly realistic, not that I don't understand why it was suggested. I would also suggest that if the weapon is used, the power only adds some small amount to the damage because it wouldn't be as pure as coming directly from the hero, or completely replaces the weapon damage, ei energy covering the blade, using the weapon as an extention tool for the power.
On that note, I think it would be unfair to Kirby to force him to use anything extra. His power is tailor made for what he does, and honestly he should have something over on the regular Joes shooting a gun.

Perhaps we can have another discussion when we're in a non-battle situation and the fighter types get to feel useless.

Lastly, I imagine a situation in which Hero X has the power of super strength boost. Xuan fights X with sword vs sword. Terms are even. Then X boosts his strength. Whammo, extra damage. Is that using a power through the weapon? Did he need a skill to use a weapon while being juiced? Will he require a hero point every time he swings if he wants to add his strength damage?
Seems to me this system might favor the strong dude with the giant weapon. Perhaps I built my fighter all wrong.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg #135):

Johnny, I think you make a great point regarding the timing of this discussion. Just sayin...

Hi all, work is kicking my ass this week so I appologize for the silence. I do want to chime in on the weapon thing quickly.

As Seeker mentioned earlier we specifically looked at the power/weapon issue when building Kirby. Kirby's concept is essentialy built around powers that would lend them selves to being a better soldier. To do this his powers needed to be subtle. I did not want him to be able to blast energy out of hands/eyes or whatever. That's where the idea of effecting items already in motion came into play. Every soldier has a gun in hand, how could a power make kirby better at that?

The way kirby is built requires something else he can effect. That could be a rock, baseball, or bullet - but take all of those away and Kirby loses his primary power. Seeker and I actually built a power, based on other powers in the book, to specifically allow kirby to do what he does.

I suppose it goes without saying that I'd hate to now have to buy a heroic power to do what kirby's built to do.

The power we built is called Kenetic Manipulation and it cost 10 points per level to buy. What's more it can only add 1d2 damage for every 2 levels of the power. So I spent 40 points to get a 2d2 extra on attacks. A high cost for relatively lower extra damage.

I think altering the manipulation skill be a better course. Bacause with manipulation Kirby could spend a few energy points and get his primary power up to to level 8 and now he's doing 4d2... and buying the manipulation skill was a lot cheaper than buying the Kenetic Manipulation power.

I'd like to add Max, that you spent two hero points, they were not a bust.  I had that little girl come forward and boost you up because of the hero point spent, and because they failed. So you just got half of your PP back because of the hero points. Please take that into account.


Kirby and Orlando were the first characters created, and Kirby's power was crafted specifically for what he just mentioned, knowing that he was going to add power to a weapon. My concern is that when Xuan, Fx, and Aeviternus were created that was not in my thoughts (except for Xuan's Chi-song power) and it is a testament to your creativity that we are even in this predicament, so that is a good thing.

So we have three options:

1. Make a new manipulation skill.

2. Make it a heroic ability.

4. Change the damage when used together, the power and damage of power supercedes
   the weapon damage


There are pros and cons to each. I like the heroic ability.  It is flexible, you can use it whenever you want, it gives you a maximum effect when you want or need it. And it allows me some freedom to make things happen if something fails.  In Xuan's case, his Heavenly hammer failed, but I had him break Fx's sword in the process. That power seemed to be a big gun, and I added something to it to make it more effective. I had already had in mind that it would be like a heroic ability. The other thing, is that we can add this to your characters becuase everyone has hero points that are to be spent in buying these abilities. The other two are limiting, and potentially take away what your characters already have.

So in short, Heroic abilities will add to your characters, not take things away.
There is no limit to how many heroic abilities you can have. They are to be continually added to your characters.