HERO System: Artificer

[Deth Muncher]

To shore up some confusion before it starts - This thread will be dealing with HERO System, a very nice d6 system that has absolutely nothing to do with D&D other than what the DM or players bring to it.

Now, a friend of mine said that he wanted to do an Eberron game, but in HERO System. I thought it was a novel idea, so I signed up for it. It's probably only going to be a Super-Heroic (i.e. no items) one-shot or so, so we only got 150 Points to work with. I decided that I wanted to try to build an Artificer, given that they're the core Eberron class. DM says ok. So here's how we're doing it: To cover all of the Artificer's varied powers, we went ahead and picked - you guessed it - a Variable Power Pool, points set at 50. What I need help with, however, is actually CRAFTING the powers, as I'm fairly new to the system. I know there's a chart in the book, which I'll be perusing, but I was hoping some of you might have some experience with this and could help. As per restrictions to the powers, the only ones that I have are: 1. All powers require an OAF (Obviously Accessable Focus), which cuts their cost as an added benefit. 2. No Transforming living matter - the DM explicitly said this because, and I quote, "I don't want the players with access to Baleful Polymorph." 3. All powers subject to DM approval.

So, with that said, does anyone have any pre-existing powers built that are 50 points or less, or does anyone have any advise on how to build them - for utility, blastyness, etc etc.

(Also, apologies for casting Wall of Text to start off the thread.)

[kc0bbq]

Oops, misread part, rewriting... :P

Couple questions -

Which edition? (I have 3rd, 4th, and 5th around IIRC)

What size die pool for baseline damage? 10d6 would be the normal baseline at that power level, I think, but you're trying to represent something more broad based so they might intend slightly lower default damage and defenses to allow more rounded characters.

I assume your variable power pool is going to be a gadget pool? Or is everything fixed at character creation and you can't alter it? Gadget pools are a bit powerful in ongoing games if mistreated, but in a one-shot you don't want to have your character neutered because someone got some of your OAFs and you can't reasonably expect to get them back. It's kind of more fitting for an artificer than a list of powers and only 50 points can be active at once.

Since everything in the pool is OAF you'll probably want a few OIF-based powers, too, outside the pool so your character is still interesting if stripped of a few OAFs. OAFs are really crippling if the ref plays intelligent foes well.

Is the character intended to be artillery or defensive or balanced?

You'll probably want a decend END, to keep things affordable in the pool it'll be hard to get rid of END costs. Game power level will help determine how makeable activation rolls will need to be, too.

DM approval is really important in HERO system. Anyone who uses the system seriously expects it, or rather should demand it because the game leaves some massive gamebreaking powers accessable intentionally. Bad character creation policing leads to games that break down fast. It's easy to make infinite point loops and undefeatable characters.

[Ninetail]

If you're new to the system, you might want to rethink using a VPP. They can be a headache.

That said...

With 50 points in the pool, you can create just about any power you can justify, so long as that power costs 50 Active Points or less. (Since they're all OAF, they all will cost 25 Real Points or less, but this is a separate consideration.) Just to give you an idea, and assuming you're using 5th edition, 50 AP gets you:

* 10d6 Energy Blast
* 3d6+1 Killing Attack (HTH or Ranged)
* 5d6 Flash vs. one sense
* 5d6 Drain vs. one attribute or power
* 5d6, 5 BODY Entangle
* 25 PD/25 ED Force Field

Of course, you don't have to stick to vanilla. Maybe you want to whip up a 'grenade' that explodes in a fireball:

* 5d6 Energy Blast, Area of Effect (Radius)

Or maybe you want a vial of acid that eats away an enemy's armor:

* 2d6 Drain vs. Armor, Continuous, Uncontrolled

To get the most out of a VPP, you'll need to be familiar enough with the system to know what the various powers can be used to represent, and how the various Advantages can work with them, and you'll need to be able to build powers from scratch on the fly. (You should know about Disadvantages, too, but you can skirt by that one for the most part. And it's possible your VPP has a limitation on when it can be changed, which would make being able to build from scratch less of an issue, but which also reduces the flexibility of your VPP.)

Edit: Almost forgot to mention: Although none of the powers in your pool can go over 50 AP, you can have multiple powers, up to a total of 50 RP. So you could have that Energy Blast OAF, and also the Force Field OAF.

I would very much recommend an END Reserve to power your pool. Otherwise, make sure you buy plenty of END, or assign the 0 END or Reduced END advantages to some of the powers you create.

[qcbtnsrm]

Five (six?) Hero Games books to borrow from someone if you can in order of relevance:

Fantasy Hero Grimoire
Fantasy Hero Grimoire II - These two books are nothing but collections of pre-built spells. Almost all are designed to fit in a VPP like yours. The first book even has a full chapter on Enchanment including all kinds of enchanted items. Just plug and play. For the rest, call the spell a wand (or something else) and you're done.

Until Superpowers Database
Other Until Powers Book (I think they did a sequel but I don't know its name) - This is pretty close to the first two, but with the focus on Superpower flavors rather than "spells." They are also mostly designed in the 40-60pt range and could easily be adapted to a fantasy flavor. All you would need to do for many is change the name. Teleportation becomes Dimension Door and the like. And Fireball... well that one you wouldn't even need to change the name. :smallwink:

Gadgets and Gear
Spacer's Toolkit - These two are like the others in that they are collections of pre-built powers. All either has is all equipment (and some robots ie golems). These are modern/Futuristic/Comic Book equipement. But again with some renaming many of these would work well. But there is alot more variation in power level so more than a few items would be more than you could afford.

[qcbtnsrm]

I also remembered I had a Hero Caster with a 50pt VPP a few years ago. You'll need to adapt most of these. But they may give you a few ideas.

Runic Magics, all slots: Eraseable (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
These are all Spells he cast by drawing runes upon himslef.
25 1) Rune of Intangibility: Desolidification , Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4) (50 Active Points)
24 2) Rune of Protection: Force Field (10 PD/10 ED/5 Mental Defense/8 Power Defense), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2) (49 Active Points)
22 3) Rune of Avoidance: +10 with DCV (50 Active Points); Costs Endurance Only Costs END to Activate (-1/4)
22 4) Rune of Invisibility: Invisibility to Sight Group, No Fringe, Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2) (45 Active Points)
15 5) Rune of Understanding: Universal Translator 21- (30 Active Points)
14 6) Rune of the Alternative Form: Shapeshift (Sight Group; Humanoid Only, Touch Group), Costs END Only To Change Shape (+1/4) (29 Active Points)
13 7) Rune of Speed: +13" Running (6"/19" total) (26 Active Points)
10 8) Rune of the Fish: (Total: 20 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Life Support , Self-Contained Breathing (Real Cost: 10) plus Swimming +10" (12" total) (Real Cost: 10)
9 9) Rune of Immobility: Knockback Resistance -10" (20 Active Points); Costs Endurance Only Costs END to Activate (-1/4)
5 10) Rune of Flight: Flight 5" (10 Active Points)
4 11) Rune of Gripping: Clinging (normal STR) (10 Active Points); Costs Endurance Only Costs END to Activate (-1/4)

Sorceries
These were his more normal spells.
22 1) Create Wall: Entangle 4d6, 6 DEF (50 Active Points); Only To Form Barriers (-1), Incantations (-1/4)
25 2) Enervate: Drain Endurance 5d6 (50 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
25 3) Steel Web: Entangle 4d6, 6 DEF (50 Active Points); Vulnerable to Fire (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
22 4) Blind: Flash 10d6 (Sight Group) (50 Active Points); OAF: Crystal (-1), Incantations (-1/4)
22 5) Dispel Magic: Dispel 13d6, Any One Magic Effect (+1/4) (49 Active Points); OAF: Dust (-1), Gestures (-1/4)
24 6) Illusions: Sight Group and Hearing Group Images, +/-6 to PER Roll, Increases Size (4" radius; +1/2) (49 Active Points); Concentration 1/2 DCV, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
22 7) Ghost Strike: Hand-To-Hand Attack +6d6, Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2) (45 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2)
24 8) Telekinesis: Telekinesis (26 STR), Fine Manipulation (49 Active Points); Gestures, Requires Gestures throughout (-3/4), Requires both hands (-1/4)
5 9) Passwall: Teleportation 5" (10 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4), Requires both hands (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), No Noncombat Movement (-1/4)
50 10) Translocation: Teleportation 5", x4 Increased Mass, Safe Blind Teleport (+1/4), Megascale (1" = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down: 1" = 10m (+1/4) (50 Active Points)
25 11) Mind Cast: Clairsentience (Sight And Hearing Groups), x16 Range (50 Active Points); Concentration 0 DCV, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (-1)
6 12) Infinite Wardrobe: Transform 2d6 (Cosmetic), Any Clothing to Any Clothing (+1/4) (12 Active Points); Clothing Only Limited (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
7 13) Detect Magic 11-, Discriminatory, Mental Sense Group (+0) (10 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
7 14) Detect Chaos 11-, Discriminatory, Mental Sense Group (+0) (10 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)

[Deth Muncher]

Whoa! Okay. Wow. Okay, I'm going to try to answer as many questions as I can.

Q: What Edition am I using?
A: 5th

Q: What's the limits on damage?
A: 12d6 Normal, 4d6 Killing

Q: What kind of pool are you using?
A: It's...kind of like a gadget pool? Sort of? Basically, DM says "You can change the effects of the pool out of combat."

Q: What are the stats of your character? (This hasn't exactly been asked yet, but it's been touched on and I figure I should address it now.)
A: Characteristics:
Cost Characteristic Value Roll Notes
5 Strength 15 12 Damage 3d6
24 Dexterity 10 13 OCV 6 DCV 6 11+OCV-3d6=DCV hit
10 Constitution 15 12
16 Body __/18
20 Intelligence 30 15 PER 15
10 Ego 15 12 ECV 5
5 Presence 15 12 Damage 3d6
-- Comeliness 10 11
-- Physical Defense 3 Total 2 (PD+armor), Resistant 0
-- Energy Defense 3 Total 2 (ED+armor), Resistant 0
-- Mental Defense 3
-- Power Defense 2
2 Speed 2 Phases 4,8, 12 SPD = 1+(DEX/10)
-- Recovery 4 (1 body/week) REC = (STR/5)+(CON/5)
-- Endurance __/30 END = CONx2
-- Stun __/33 STUN = BODY+(STR/2)+(CON/2)

Movement: Attacks:
Run 6”/12” Fists/Kicks 3d6 N/PD/M
Swim 2”/4”
Horizontal Leap 2”/4”
Vertical Leap 1”/2”

Weapons:

Armor:


Other Equipment:




Powers:
VARIABLE POWER POOL: Limitations – OAF, Limited Class: Artifice – 50 Point pool.



Skills:
Cost Skill Roll
-- Acting 8
-- Climbing 8
-- Concealment 8
-- Conversation 8
2 Deduction 15
3 Demolition 15
2 Knowledge: Magic 15
-- Paramedics 8
-- Persuasion 8
1 Profession skill: Artificer 15
-- Shadowing 8
-- Stealth 8
-- Transport familiarity: Equines N/A
1 Area knowledge:Sharn 15
-- Language: Common N/A

Disadvantages:
Value Description
15 Greater Dragonmark (Cannith): Feature Causes Major Reaction
5 Crazy Inventor Hair: Easily Concealable
15 Scared of Halflings: Common, Strong
15 Member of Sharn House of Making: Well Known.
10 Other Cannith folks don’t like me: Hunted, Same Level, Extensive noncombat influence, Mildly Punished.
20 Outrageously Atheist: Very Common, Strong
Apologies if the format is wonky.
Q: Hey, can you look at these books?
A: No, unfortunately. All I've got at my disposal is the 5th Ed. Rulebook.

Q: Are you sure you want to be messing with a VPP? You're kind of a newb...
A: Yeah, I know. It's a horrible idea. But it was suggested by the DM, and he's helping out.