Heroes Unlimited

Settembrini · July 30, 2011, 03:28:07 AM

It is really one of the gems of the Palladium line. The random character generation is great.

So far we dd not have any pwer level problems. The only thing that struck me as interesting was that guns are quite dangerous, even to superheroes. There is an option to play Mega Heroes, and then you will be as much in god-mode lala-land as you wish.

HU has a lot of sub systems like vehicle construction rules, robot construction rules, aerial combat rules etc. that are valuable beyond the supers genre itself.

I really like it.

Spinachcat · July 30, 2011, 04:28:56 AM

Quote from: kryyst;470686It's a train wreck of random unbalanced power mechanics tacked unto a badly organized broken system.

This is true, but oddly this did not stop our group from having a great time.

The randomness creates a far more interesting group of characters than I have seen in point-buy supers games.

David Johansen · July 30, 2011, 10:19:27 PM

The sad thing is that the changes made in Heroes Unlimited are the ones that ruined the Palladium system. Minus the SDC for people and the physical skills I think HU would be a perfect supers game.

Silverlion · July 31, 2011, 02:35:59 AM

Quote from: Settembrini;470833HU has a lot of sub systems like vehicle construction rules, robot construction rules, aerial combat rules etc. that are valuable beyond the supers genre itself.

I really like it.

That is the cool stuff. I mean really, that all works for making badass street level characters--but using the core book, Iron Man in his standard (Post Gold Clunker) suit would tear through all of them like tissue paper. This IS NOT a bad thing, heck it would be fantastic if it focused on these strengths, and stopped trying to shoe-horn in Invulnerability and other things when it doesn't need it to be awesome.

Novastar · August 01, 2011, 04:38:40 AM

You know, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man and Wasp aren't exactly what I'd call, "the same power level".

Quote from: Spinachcat;470848The randomness creates a far more interesting group of characters than I have seen in point-buy supers games.

QFT. One of my recurring gripes with point-buy supers, is how much most people copycat their characters.

Settembrini · August 01, 2011, 06:49:54 AM

Also:

caveat: I generally loathe the whole origin story bullshit so important to Marvel-type offerings

If one actually cares about the whole trouble the individual goes through while growing to get superhuman powers, actually having them out of your control ads so much to roleplaying the origin story/ background problems of the individuals. If you ask me, ONLY random rolled powers are in any way actual emulation of the superhero concept.

beeber · August 01, 2011, 10:59:31 AM

i loved it (the SDC only version--i had no idea they did an update w/ MDC stuff). our supers ref started the campaign with champions, but i never really grokked that system. when he moved, i took over the ref duties and converted it to HU. i winged some crossovers with robotech and rifts (using the rifts conversion book as a guide) much to everyone's enjoyment. agreed that ninjas & superspies is a must supplement, too. our group folded before i was able to implement the group creation rules from that one, though

Cranewings · August 01, 2011, 12:31:08 PM

I like random abilities when it is one or two majors in heroes unlimited, or even one major with random skills and mutations / physical changes. What is wonky is rolling how many powers, and then mixing major and minor.

Comic characters usually have one major power, a host of related powers (all psychic abilities, or all physical ability boosts), or a movement power combined with an attack and or defense power (flight and energy projection or teleportation and enhanced physical prowess). What they don't have are the goofy mashups you get in HU which most players I know hate (Force Fields, Inhanced Mental Endurance, and Sonar or Underwater Abilities, Wingless Flight, and Energy Projection Electricity).

Novastar · August 01, 2011, 02:15:27 PM

Quote from: Cranewings;471124Force Fields, Inhanced Mental Endurance, and Sonar or Underwater Abilities, Wingless Flight, and Energy Projection Electricity).

You mean you haven't met Doppler, with the ability to sense and shape sound waves (and oddly resistant to mental intrusion); or Current, with the ability to fly through both sea and air, and discharge bolts of lightning from his hands (or eyes, or what not)?

I'll agree "Underwater Abilities" is one of the lamer Minor powers, but if you're playing in a coastal town (New York, San Francisco, Boston, etc), it still has it's uses.

Silverlion · August 01, 2011, 05:55:07 PM

I have big issues with Psionics and Magic, myself. Primarily the limited resources that no other character class has to deal with for the most part. (Sure they're more flexible, I get that, but I think they should have gotten uses per round like other powers.)

Someone who turns to steel has no significant limit, but someone who speed reads? Really?

Novastar · August 02, 2011, 11:44:27 AM

I seem to remember in 2nd Ed Revised, that mutants can get psionic powers as Minor or Major super abilities, which we always read as "ignore ISP costs".

RPGPundit · August 03, 2011, 01:16:21 AM

I tried Heroes Unlimited, it was never to my liking.

RPGPundit

Soylent Green · August 03, 2011, 03:25:40 AM

Quote from: Cranewings;471124I like random abilities when it is one or two majors in heroes unlimited, or even one major with random skills and mutations / physical changes. What is wonky is rolling how many powers, and then mixing major and minor.

Comic characters usually have one major power, a host of related powers (all psychic abilities, or all physical ability boosts), or a movement power combined with an attack and or defense power (flight and energy projection or teleportation and enhanced physical prowess). What they don't have are the goofy mashups you get in HU which most players I know hate (Force Fields, Inhanced Mental Endurance, and Sonar or Underwater Abilities, Wingless Flight, and Energy Projection Electricity).

In Icons a many powers have a selection of related powers (confusingly called "bonus powers") to help you create a more thematically coherent character. So for instance if you rolled Superspeed you could choose to get the Phasings or Fast Attack powers as well by sacrificing one of your other power slots. Of course you can always Stunt them when needed.

But even without this sort of rules, I do think players and GM need to be sensible when rolling up characters and use the rolls as a starting point, as inspiration, and not as a straight-jacket. For me random character generation is not meant to be a lottery with winners and losers but a way to stimulate creativity.

Cranewings · August 03, 2011, 11:30:36 AM

Quote from: Soylent Green;471579In Icons a many powers have a selection of related powers (confusingly called "bonus powers") to help you create a more thematically coherent character. So for instance if you rolled Superspeed you could choose to get the Phasings or Fast Attack powers as well by sacrificing one of your other power slots. Of course you can always Stunt them when needed.

But even without this sort of rules, I do think players and GM need to be sensible when rolling up characters and use the rolls as a starting point, as inspiration, and not as a straight-jacket. For me random character generation is not meant to be a lottery with winners and losers but a way to stimulate creativity.

Good point.

So does Icons have a large catalog of powers? Combat rules detailed?

Soylent Green · August 03, 2011, 01:53:53 PM

Quote from: Cranewings;471626Good point.

So does Icons have a large catalog of powers? Combat rules detailed?

Icons has a fair selection of powers, about 70-80 I think, not including sub-sets of powers. It's very much like MSH without the Ultimate Powers book (which I always found a bit weird and unwieldy but I know a lot of people love it).

The combat rules are not detailed, but with power stunt and Aspects you can get quite creative (and not just in a "let's narrate what the dice roll means" way). and the potential for slams and stun results keep it lively.

However if you need exact distances, ranges and duration times, Icons is just going to piss you off.