Re: THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #11 with Special Guest Star Steeplejack!

Steeple_jackuk Tue Oct 20 2020, 12:57

Admin wrote:Gathering the fragments of time stones and stretching an arm to only a hundred feet or so saw the two faceless piles of goop vanish!

Steeplejack roused some of the captives, leaning on them. Hardly a word of English they knew between them and they were terrified to boot! It was clear they were Russian and Steeplejack knew that someone somewhere had concocted a plot to arm Russians with AK47s decades before the weapons had been invented. It would completely change the face of warfare and without any thought to the timeline.

ADVENT had a lot to answer for.

OOC Wrap up from you guys then it's HP awards and next issue with the League of Extraordinary Individuals pursuing Moriarty and his compatriots across the world to retrieve the Holy Grail before the powers of darkness overwhelm Britain!

OOC: Cool beans this has been fun

Sj

DavidMcMahon Tue Oct 20 2020, 14:41

"I really have to learn to speak some other languages someday," the Haunt quipped, "so far, the only other language I've learned is British English."

Steeple_jackuk Tue Oct 20 2020, 14:43

DavidMcMahon wrote:"I really have to learn to speak some other languages someday," the Haunt quipped, "so far, the only other language I've learned is British English."

"Don't knock it, up till now it's done me fine. But yeah, some sort of universal translator might be useful. I'm surprised with all I've done I've not come across one" Steeplejack quipped back. Pleased that they'd somehow managed to catch up with one slimy tentacle of the creature that was Advent.

Sj

Admin Wed Oct 21 2020, 14:24

OOC Standard Award is 78 points including the +3 (10 per level) award for the difficulty which really has stuck a stick in the spokes quite a few times. Without that the opposition would be 'inferior' and you would have mopped the floor with them. With it...? Well, things have been touch and go quite a few times and will continue to be in the rest of the journey across the world to catch up with and return the Grail...

You get awarded that for:

Participation - 1st rate, top notch, you guys remain the best players I have ever played RPGs with
Role Playing - quite often when there is a lot of combat (as in this adventure) you don't get chance to express the character too well but you've done so very well. I will try to make it more text based than punch in the teeth based in the next issue.
Saving Innocent Bystanders - tick. Heroic even in the face of getting your teeth punch in!
Thwarting the plot of the bad guys - by tracking down and stopping the creation and shipment of future weapons to Victorian era factions you have stopped a potentially catastrophic change to the way world history might have gone. This cannot be underestimated. Had you failed, or let it go, I was prepared to do a 'crisis style' sweep across the Vanguard game whereby the Russian Empire took control of most of Europe and Asia and that includes Britain. Would have caused some head scratching...

4 x 78=312HP

Haunt now has 349HP
Steeplejack has 378HP

Use this thread as OOC to spend those points!

For Steeplejack I would suggest more strength - he can hit just fine but has cushions for fists against these guys for the most part. Haunt has no such problem as he is a supreme fighter with those mallets he wields (can't remember when he missed last) and with 15 Str pretty much mashes them into the dirt with every blow. Also increased Will/Regeneration might be pricey but worthwhile. To increase Str/Force Shield by 1 point costs 135HP per point (135 to 12, 270 total to 13) maybe worth a look. For 255HP you can up Dex to 14. More attack, more defence, no real improvements in skills but a step closer to 16 and an extra die for attack. For an extra die with Acrobatics you are looking at 385HP. Hefty to raise it from 7 to 11.

With this many HP you can look at a new power. It costs 10 x the base cost and improving it is pricey but gotta start somewhere. If either of you really, REALLY want to figure out what the Russians (or anyone else) are saying I recommend a minor power burnout (stops working on a roll of 3 or less on 2D12) to drop it to factor cost 1 then buy base cost for 50 points and 160 more HP buys 12APs which should be decent enough to figure out what anyone is saying. A few more aps on top of that (say to 15, for another 45HP) buys 15APs comprehend languages and the difficulty for Alien Languages is 12. Even with the +3 difficulty (if you stick with that) it gives you a decent chance (40/60) of talking to them crummy ADVENT chumps.

Food for thought. Another thought. Telescopic vision to ditch range penalties, some kind of energy or distance attack (again with that burnout thing)

If you want to buy Power Dice (use like skill dice but when using a specific power) I will look at the cost of that too. To make things simple I was thinking a FC on the Increasing Attribute chart of the power you buy a die for +6FC. For a weak power you'd pay less than 100HP to buy an extra die to roll. For a pricey power, much more (as it should be). Energy Blast would be cheap to buy a die for hence the +6FC.

I do need to do SOMETHING about paying for Acting and Effect Values (and range) separate. That's a project for another day.

DavidMcMahon Wed Oct 21 2020, 14:54

Looking over stuff quickly, have to go to the main office for a couple of hours to run their front desk as they have no one there at that time, but buying the Advantage: Languages European 3, which includes Russian, would cost 50 HP and would let a character speak, read and write all those languages. Could claim it is the Haunt's elastic mind that let him do that.

Steeple_jackuk Wed Oct 21 2020, 15:37

Admin wrote:Use this thread as OOC to spend those points!

For Steeplejack I would suggest more strength - he can hit just fine but has cushions for fists against these guys for the most part. Haunt has no such problem as he is a supreme fighter with those mallets he wields (can't remember when he missed last) and with 15 Str pretty much mashes them into the dirt with every blow. Also increased Will/Regeneration might be pricey but worthwhile. To increase Str/Force Shield by 1 point costs 135HP per point (135 to 12, 270 total to 13) maybe worth a look. For 255HP you can up Dex to 14. More attack, more defence, no real improvements in skills but a step closer to 16 and an extra die for attack. For an extra die with Acrobatics you are looking at 385HP. Hefty to raise it from 7 to 11.

So many options...

But strength does seem like the no brainer here so go to 13 for 270, I'd like to up detective in skills as I found that really hard, and would love to look into a ranged attack further down the line. I have then 108 points, not sure what I can get for that and if it's not much, I might well hold onto them to bank against the next big jump. Getting dex up to 16 would be amazing...since I struggle to compete with Haunt for attacks staying out of range of incoming is crucial.

Sj

DavidMcMahon Wed Oct 21 2020, 17:43

What I would like to do with the Haunt is first change his Artist skill so he isn't skilled in all arts. I want him to just have Actor, Dancer, Musician, Writer and Photographer. Dropping Graphics Designer, Painter and Sculptor. That would drop the FC from 9 to 6. Never really intended him to be skilled in all arts, just the ones dealing with movies and such. That would drop the original cost from 77 to 53 points, with 24 points left over. I then want to put those 24 points into wealth, raising it from 5 to 10.

I know this is way after the fact but I'm hoping you will allow it. This would neither add nor subtract any of the HP he just earned, just moving around his original points is all. We could go with the idea that a CD of songs he recorded before leaving to jump through time had hit it big world-wide and he is now rolling in royalties. OF course, being back in the past, he has no idea he has just become a very wealthy man and a lot more famous.

As to current points.
1. Buy Comprehend Languages with +1FC of reading, and linking it Mind which would give a final Factor cost of 1. So BC 50 plus 10 levels to link to Mind [110 HP] for a final cost of 160 HP. That's a lot and I thought about getting the Language Advantage instead but buying 2 non-native language groups [Thinking European 2 & 3] plus all language from native language [European 1] group came out to be around 130, so this is more versatile in the long run.
2. I think that leaves me just enough points to raise my Will and Regen to 9 with 9 HP left over.

Not really interested in making him more powerful at this time but more versatile.
Check my math as it wasn't one of my stronger areas of schooling please.

Let's see, being able to read and speak a same world language has an OV/RV of 8/8 and an alien language has a 12/12. Having a 10 in Comprehend languages gives him a shot at learning and understanding the Advent's language[s].

Admin Mon Oct 26 2020, 19:26

Updated Steeplejack. 108 HP REMAINING

THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #11 with Special Guest Star Steeplejack! - Page 12 Steeplejack-Oct-2020

Any other modifications/additions required or hanging onto those 108HP?

Admin Mon Oct 26 2020, 19:40

DavidMcMahon wrote:What I would like to do with the Haunt is first change his Artist skill so he isn't skilled in all arts. I want him to just have Actor, Dancer, Musician, Writer and Photographer. Dropping Graphics Designer, Painter and Sculptor. That would drop the FC from 9 to 6. Never really intended him to be skilled in all arts, just the ones dealing with movies and such. That would drop the original cost from 77 to 53 points, with 24 points left over. I then want to put those 24 points into wealth, raising it from 5 to 10.

Hmmm weird. The program I use doesn't include Graphic Artist as standard with Artist. The points it gives are enough to boost Wealth to 9. Good enough (for dropping Painter and Sculptor and never having GA in the first place? I'll have a look at that)?

DavidMcMahon wrote:I know this is way after the fact but I'm hoping you will allow it. This would neither add nor subtract any of the HP he just earned, just moving around his original points is all. We could go with the idea that a CD of songs he recorded before leaving to jump through time had hit it big world-wide and he is now rolling in royalties. OF course, being back in the past, he has no idea he has just become a very wealthy man and a lot more famous.

It's something you've never used and to be honest you can't use Wealth on the current time hopping adventure anyway so I have no problems at all with it. At some point I'd like to run a 'private lives of superheroes' adventure whereby we get to know more of what makes the characters tick when they aren't being amateur dentists and punching bad guys teeth out, then it will make more of a difference.

DavidMcMahon wrote:As to current points.
1. Buy Comprehend Languages with +1FC of reading, and linking it Mind which would give a final Factor cost of 1. So BC 50 plus 10 levels to link to Mind [110 HP] for a final cost of 160 HP. That's a lot and I thought about getting the Language Advantage instead but buying 2 non-native language groups [Thinking European 2 & 3] plus all language from native language [European 1] group came out to be around 130, so this is more versatile in the long run.
2. I think that leaves me just enough points to raise my Will and Regen to 9 with 9 HP left over.

Not really interested in making him more powerful at this time but more versatile.
Check my math as it wasn't one of my stronger areas of schooling please.

Let's see, being able to read and speak a same world language has an OV/RV of 8/8 and an alien language has a 12/12. Having a 10 in Comprehend languages gives him a shot at learning and understanding the Advent's language[s].

Your math is spot on. HAUNT HP 9 REMAINING

THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #11 with Special Guest Star Steeplejack! - Page 12 Haunt-Oct-2020

If everything looks good (to both of you) then I'll concoct the next part of the Victorian Era adventure...

Admin Mon Oct 26 2020, 19:46

OOC Right Dave (M) I think I've figured out the Artist and the mysterious costs of Graphic Designer. When haunt was cooked up I used a version of the character creator that was not updated with the latest Blood of Heroes rules set and so Graphic Artist wasn't included in the costs. technically you never paid for it, used it, gained anything or lost anything for it so I'm loathe to give 'free points' for wealth even though it's probably only a few points we're talking of here. It really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things (Haunt would earn $1 million instead of $500k but when he doesn't spend anything anyway...?) BUT if we come up with some Roleplaying reason that Haunt would suddenly have a jump in income from I'll amend the score. Obviously that will have to wait till (if?) he gets back to the modern age.

Steeple_jackuk Mon Oct 26 2020, 20:05

Admin wrote:Updated Steeplejack. 108 HP REMAINING

Any other modifications/additions required or hanging onto those 108HP?

OOC: Yeah, I am good with that unless the 108 can be better spent than saved. My hope is to go on and up Dex to 16 next and if there is anything left put some point into the Detective skill. So that is my next shopping trip ;-)

Sj

DavidMcMahon Mon Oct 26 2020, 20:20

Haunt is fine. Thanks

Admin Tue Oct 27 2020, 12:13

OOC Issue #12 is up, I'll lock and move this thread!

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